Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Monday, March 28, 2022
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Azarenka quits match.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/fruhvirtova-16-becomes-youngest-player-in-miami-fourth-round-since-2004
Azarenka quits the match after losing the first set 6-2 and down 3-0 in the second. Injury or just losing?
Others say it's nerves because her kids are watching. Who knows.
Friday, March 25, 2022
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Is is better to be confident or scared going into a match?
Rafa Nadal plays in anticipation of the pain of losing. It makes him play harder.
This conforms to what I've learned. It's better to play hungry for success and have confidence tempered by a realistic fear of loss. This often increases your focus.
To most, I think success means reaching goals and seeing the opponent as an obstacle to that objective. I wanted to write playing scared, but some don't do well in that condition. It's a tightrope walk between being fearful and having a healthy fear equivalent to worry of failing. I only know that overconfidence leads to complacency, and that is death in any endeavor. Nadal always looks as if he's playing for his life out there, and maybe that is how he feels. I read somewhere that he detests losing, and you often can see it in his face in those rare times he does lose. To Nadal, I suspect success hinges on walking off the court a winner that day, and each match is a goal.
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Novak wins appeal to play Paris Masters
Based on the U.S. vax mandates, he was unable to enter the country to play the tournaments.
Playing Injured - Nadal vs Fritz at Indian Wells
How did Fritz prep for the Final at Indian Wells
Do you play injured? Both Fritz and Nadal played the final injured and used some painkillers to compete. Some injuries risk more long-term damage than others. Personal experience tells me the big worry is always permanent nerve damage. If there is no risk of that, I think that you can recover from or surgically repair most injuries.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Everybody is playing injured - or so they say
A new strategy has emerged in tennis. Claim injury before the match to change the perception of how you play and also add a variable for your opponent to consider. Following the Nadal loss to Fritz at the Indian Wells final, Nadal announced an injury in addition to his bad foot. Fritz followed up with an announcement that he played on a bad ankle despite advice from his coach not to play.
https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/rafael-nadal-to-miss-4-6-weeks-stress-fracture-cracked-rib-roland-garros
The new psychological strategy is to lay blame on injuries for a loss and also claim hero status if you win in spite of one. It also helps to play the wounded animal going into a match to change how your opponent might play you. This Fritz announcement helped neutralize the opposing "why I lost" narrative/positioning so it can't be claimed that it wouldn't have happened but for an injury.
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Thursday, March 17, 2022
High School Tennis Coach Problems
Sometimes a coach has a team member that won't show up regularly or has other commitments. It's not fair to other team members to let this slide, so how do you handle it? Suppose a parent gets involved and demands that you allow their child to participate anyway?
Back almost 50 years ago, my high school coach had a similar situation. In that case, the team member got a job that interfered in the same way, and it was something that he wasn't willing to give up. The coach actually had a team vote while the player wasn't at the team practice. The team members voted the player off of the (Island) team. I now think it was not the best way to handle it as the coach was just trying to rubber-stamp his own opinion. He should have just used his authority. Whatever you decide, I'd now consult with the person in a position to overrule your decision if the parent goes around you or hires a lawyer.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Novak has Option to Play the French Open
The mandates are gone in France and the French Open Direction confirms that Novak can play.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Toothpick Nick - plays tennis with a toothpick in his mouth
He's been spotted on the court now doing this.
Many players need the equivalent of the pacifier to manage their nerves. Some bounce the ball thirty times before serving, and others straighten their strings. My favorite was Bartoli doing shadow strokes between points. In this case, if it steadies his emotional swings, it may work for him though I generally recommend staying away from oral fixations on the court since you can easily choke. I hope Toothpick Nick finds it works for him.
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Thursday, March 10, 2022
How to interact with students as a tennis coach/instructor. - Titles and names
It depends on the venue and age of the students. At a college, I preferred Coach and even specified it as the best way since the college usually wants some formality.. For young students, I gave them the option of coach or coach Brent. For adults, I suggested my first name and coach as a fallback when they couldn't remember my name. I preferred informal interactions and titles and always addressed students by their first names.
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Monday, March 7, 2022
Why the vitriol towards Novak?
After the fiasco in Australia and the anger towards Novak by many not even fans of tennis, it is worth considering why those people find him a cause to direct their ire.
Here is my determination.
He represents individual autonomy, the natural enemy of those that subscribe to unfreedom. They despise their own enchainment and direct their anger toward those who expose it by simply existing.