GREETINGS,
Just last week while watching 60 Minutes, I was reminded of how important pre-game preparation truly is for the high performance successful athlete. The show interviewed Darrelle Revis, NFL’s highest-paid corner-back. I was in awe of his incredible dedication to his physical, mental and emotional athletic skills. Not only did he work on his athletic skills, he spent hours and hours reviewing high speed videos of all the opposing teams’ wide receivers during actual game play. This excellence does not come by chance- it comes with resiliency, hard work, dedication and a growth mind set. Darrelle’s dedication to opponent profiling makes him one if the highest paid corner-backs in the NFL. How is your child’s opponent profiling skills?
The following is an excerpt from the second edition of
THE TENNIS PARENT’S BIBLE COMING SOON!
OPPONENT PROFILING
Top competitors are continually seeking an advantage. One of the best strategic (mental) and calming (emotional) advantages comes from scouting an upcoming opponent. Casually observing is one thing, but profiling the opponent is a skill set. Each playing style has an inherent group of strengths and weaknesses. Opponent awareness is an important part of match day preparation. Player profiling involves looking past strokes.
NOTE: Whenever possible, as I coach players from the 12’s to the ATP/WTA pros, I apply the below profiling topics.
Opponent Profiling:
- Make an effort to scout an upcoming opponent beforehand.
- Scout opponent’s primary style of play.
- Scout opponent’s preferred serve patterns (especially on mega points).
- Scout opponent’s preferred return of serve position and shot selection on both first and second serve returns.
- Scout opponent’s favorite go-to rally pattern.
- Scout opponent’s dominant short-ball option.
- Scout opponent’s preferred net rushing pattern.
- Scout opponent’s stroke strengths and weaknesses (Advanced players should also consider the strengths and limitations of strike zones.)
- Scout opponent’s movement, agility and stamina efficiencies and deficiencies.
- Scout opponent’s frustration tolerance, focus, and emotional stability.
Opponent profiling should continue from the pre-match phase, all the way through the actual match and into the post-match. Intelligent athletes even jot down notes regarding the opponent’s game on their post-match match logs. This is used as a reminder for the next time the two meet.
Looking Past Strokes:
During the warm up, the uneducated player/parents/coaches often think Player A has the match in the bag. But what they do not realize is that Player B often wins because of their ability to identify and execute a game plan exposing their opponent’s weakness. Player A may have great looking fundamental strokes but “hidden” flawed mental and/or emotional components. Player B may have average looking strokes, but an incredible proficiency in their mental game. Hence, giving player B the edge due to his ability to isolate weaknesses or exert emotional intelligence at crunch time.
