Operation Doubles Tennis: The Greatest Tennis Tip of All

I've heard some interesting discussions lately, and they made me realize that many players don't understand what we mean when we say that you shouldn't try make yourself swing certain way or move your feet a certain way while playing. That you shouldn't be thinking about your form. That it's about where the ball goes, not about how you swing.

Apparently, many think think we mean to pay no attention to form while you play. Nothing could be further from the truth!

What we want is for you to pay very close attention to your form. Very close attention to how you are moving your arms and legs. Very close attention to the ball.

By all means, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the ball and to what your body is doing!

But how can you do so while a little voice in your head is constantly barking instructions at you: "Watch the ball. Move your feet. Step over with the left foot. Get your racket back early. Keep your wrist firm."

Ask yourself, could you play well if someone stood at the net post saying these things to you?

Of course not. It would be a distraction. It would suck your attention to their voice and off what it should be on.

Well, my friends, the same thing happens when that little voice in your head starts barking instructions. It sucks your attention off what it should be on. Your brain automatically goes into Reflection Mode, the mode it operates in when we are thinking. In that mode, the mind focuses its attention inward, and we become to some degree absorbed in our thoughts. In this mode, much incoming sensory information (sights, sounds, smells, feelings) gets diverted to the subconscious level so that it doesn't distract our THINKING.

But playing tennis isn't an intellectual activity. You need heightened, not diminished, awareness of everything your eyes see, your ears hear, and your body feels. You want MAXIMIZED awareness of these things: that's what makes for peak performance.

So, try this the next time you play: Pay attention to how you swing and move your feet. Don't misinterpret that now. I didn't say to think about how you should move your arms and legs. I didn't say to try to consciously direct your swing and footwork. I didn't say to issue yourself mental instructions on how to swing and move your feet: I said to pay attention to how you ARE swinging and moving your feet.

That's all. That is, BE AWARE of what you and the ball are doing. Very aware. Very, very aware. Quiet the mind so that you aren't paying attention to your thoughts instead. Really FEEL what your body is doing. And when you make an error, note exactly how far out the ball was.

That's all. Try it. It works like magic. You'll see.