The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailers! Click Here to Order
QUESTION: Should athletes employ legal gamesmanship tactics?
Frank: Yes, athletes should employ gamesmanship tactics-but legal gamesmanship tactics ONLY! Winners in all sports routinely apply physical, mental and emotional tactics. It is your athlete’s job as a competitor to profile the opponent and spot and attack their vulnerabilities. This is the art of being a competitive warrior. Let’s look at the ways top ATP/WTA professionals apply emotional warfare to control the match dynamics.
“Adaptive gamesmanship is perfectly legal. It requires doing what it takes within the rules that govern the competition. It’s an acceptably, healthy use of the competitive fire.”
Forms of Legal Gamesmanship:
1) Intimidating with an aura of confidence.
2) Dominating play by running their top 7 patterns and staying on script.
3) Going to the towel (Time Management) before each mega point, after they have committed two unforced errors in row, after a long winded point to lower their heart rate and to cool off an opponent who is on fire.
4) Apply between-point and change-over rituals to control the speed and tempo of the match.
5) Taking legal bathroom breaks to change the energy of the match.
6) Taking legal trainer breaks to attend to minor aliments when the opponent has all the energy.
7) Looking to break the opponent’s rhythm as they control the tempo of the match.
8) Remaining silent and composed. This makes them appear to be unflappable under stressful situations.
Employing an Alpha attitude is an important characteristic in competitive athletics. An Alpha-like confidence comes across in an athlete’s composure, demeanor and facial expressions. By mastering the legal forms of intimidation, an athlete controls the competitive situations.
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CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
