TM: How to solve problems with your strokes or any other area in the game of tennis (or life)

By Tomaz Mencinger
TennisMindGame.com

If you are one of those players who sometimes (or often) talk to their strokes like this: "My serve sucks, my backhand is really bad, I hate my volley, my overhead is so weak..." and you are stuck on how to improve it, then this article will be a big help. (If you actually apply the info.)

Let's say that it's your backhand that "sucks" or is "really bad." Now imagine that this backhand is a person. And that this person is you.

How would you feel if someone who was really closely connected to you would say to you that "You suck and you are really bad."

Not really good.

Now here is the key question: "WOULD YOU COOPERATE WITH THE PERSON WHO SAID THAT, WITH YOUR TOTAL EFFORT AND COMMITMENT?"

NO.

I'm sure you wouldn't. You would do the least you had to, just to get by. Or you might even sabotage them once in a while just to get even.

This is exactly what is happening with your stroke. You are having such a negative attitude towards your stroke that it either

• won't help you because it doesn't believe in itself since you don't (and you are obviously the boss!)
• won't help because you are unfair to it - maybe the backhand is doing it's best to improve but just can't do so as fast as you want and won't help you just to get even.

How would you want to be talked to if you had problems like the one your stroke has?

Encouraging? Supportive? Believing in you?

Change your attitude towards your strokes and they will change and start cooperating with you.

But remember - if you have had a bad attitude towards your stroke for quite a while, it may take quite a while to forgive you. Be patient and acknowledge your mistake.

You'll soon be a best friend with your stroke and enjoy the game to its fullest.

You and your (formerly "bad") stroke will be an invincible doubles team - that's what doubles is all about. Friendship, support and belief - no matter what happens.

Enjoy the game!

Copyright 2006, Tomaz Mencinger -- all rights reserved worldwide

Tomaz Mencinger is the author of The Mental Manual for Tennis Winners and an athletic consultant who works with nationally ranked juniors at the Benc Sport tennis club in Ljubljana, Slovenia.