The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
QUESTION: Why does my child play great in practice but horrible in matches?
Frank: Here’s the scenario that plays out at every club around the world.
Friday, the day before a local junior event, John the young hitting pro carefully feeds balls waist level, in Nathan’s perfect strike zone. Nathan doesn’t even have to move and hits like a champ. The pro is essentially playing “catch” right to little Nathan. On the way home, Nate says, “Man, I’m on fire! Tennis is easy! Forget the open tourney, I’m going pro!”
Saturday morning rolls around and little Nate’s opponent isn’t as nice as the club’s assist pro. His opponent’s playing “keep away” from him…not catch! His opponent is wisely keeping balls above Nathans’ shoulders out of his primary strike zone. He’s hitting away from Nathan instead of right to him! Nathan goes down in flames. After the match, Nate says, “I don’t get it, I was on fire yesterday.”
Practicing in the manner in which you are expected to perform is a battle cry heard at my workshops daily. There is a totally different set of skills that provide “competitive” confidence versus simply hitting.
“The essence of a champion doesn’t simply lie in their strokes but in their head and heart.”
No question, developing sound fundamentals is a critical element of success. However, to improve your child’s ability to perform under stress, it is in their best interest to switch from 100 percent stroke repetition practice to include metal/emotion strategy repetition. Organize a meeting with your athlete’s coach and ask him/her to replace some of the fundamental stroke production hours with mental/emotional skill set development.
