Hi, and welcome to the Tennis Lesson Hotline...Online! 

Any new email tennis buffs that would like to receive my free email Tennis Lesson please send their name and email to tom@tenniswarrior.com 

Last month I covered some of the myths of tennis.  One was keeping your eye on the ball does not make you hit the sweet spot of your racket, and the other was when the grip turns in your hand it is not because you need to hold on tighter.  Do you remember what really helps you keep your eye on the ball and what helps you stop the racket from turning in your hand?  You've got it!  Improving your judgment helps you keep your eye on the ball, which in turn helps you hit the sweet spot and stops the racket from turning in your hand.  Below is one of the emails in response to this lesson. I'm glad the email lessons are helping.  Keep learning!

Tom,

"The last lesson was very interesting.  I had assumed that I don't hit the sweet spot because I take my eye off the ball, and I hold my racket tighter when it moves in my hand (which, of course, only makes my hand hurt afterwards.) So the lesson has given me more incentive to get out and get on the ball machine! "

Judy

The ball machine!  Repetition...by George I think she's got it! 

Enjoy the lesson below

Welcome to the tennis lesson hotline, sponsored by Tom’s Tennis Tapes, "educating players one mind at a time." I’m Tom Veneziano. This lesson lasts approximately 2 minutes and changes on the first of every month.  

Have you ever been on the court playing extremely well? You know, everything seems to work. The forehand you have been practicing is going in. Your volley’s are crisper. The serve is placed well and you are even making overheads.  You walk off the court thinking, "I have arrived.  All the hard training was worth it"... you wake up two days later, play a match and find the dream has turned into a nightmare.  You are no longer as good as you were two days ago!  You think to yourself, "I know I can play better...I just did it!"  By the end of the day you are frustrated because you could never achieve the level of play you know you are capable of playing.

I have seen this scenario over and over and over again. Most players have an incorrect preconceived idea about the way they think they should play.  Usually this preconceived idea is related to the time they have performed the best. If they do not perform as well each time they play, they become frustrated.  Let me give you the simple truth about this situation.  Your game will always fluctuate, so get used to it.  Sorry, but the time you performed your best is not your consistent game.  Cheer up though, because the time you performed the worst is also not your consistent game. You are somewhere in between both extremes. 

Understanding that your game will have up and down cycles is a very important principle.  Not only does this happen with your total game, but also with individual strokes within the same match!  One moment your serve is great, the next moment it is not as good.  Does this remind you of something in one of the previous email lessons?  Remember, repetition has the ability to handle up and down cycles built right into the process.  Fluctuation is one of the five mental dynamics of repetition.  First, when practicing a stroke over and over again you do real well.  Then, suddenly you are hitting the stroke poorly.  If you have done enough repetition and understand this principle you should not be surprised when you also have match play cycles.  You should learn from the repetition of your strokes how to mentally handle match play fluctuations. That is, if you do any repetition!!!  If you do not correctly orient to this fluctuation principle, two things will happen. First, you will constantly have false expectations and remain frustrated.  Second, you will be running from pro to pro trying to figure out what has gone wrong with your strokes...I mean, after all you played so well the other day! Here is my advice to you. Do not fall prey to this pitfall, accept the peaks and valleys as part of your game and save yourself a lot of anguish and frustration.  Maybe even a little gray hair too! 

Thank you.

Your email tennis coach,

Tom

© 2000 Tom Veneziano Enterprises, 10855 Meadowglen #1022, Houston, TX 77042

"Tom deals with the thinking end of tennis like no one else. It's almost too difficult to explain, you have to experience it. He has an uncanny knack for getting right to the heart of the matter. You come away thinking, that's right: it makes sense!"

Colleen Cremer, Houston, TX.

"It's interesting to note that everyone can use these tapes from beginner to championship level. You can apply the information to whatever level you play on."

Dan Hanusa, Houston, TX.

" Tom's audio cassettes have changed my thinking, aligning it with the correct information needed to improve my game. He's right there with you, inside your head, challenging you to make those changes. It's like having your own personal coach! I highly recommend his tapes for everyone."

Linda Zimmerman, Houston, TX.

"On the way to my HLTA match I listened to Tom's tape, "Some Before Match Pointers." Call it a coincidence, but I won my first HLTA match ever! I just seemed to be in a better frame of mind. Thanks, Tom."

Mary Ogden, Houston, TX.

"Tom and I have been friends for over twenty years. It's not surprising to me players talk so positively about his tapes. He's always possessed exceptional athletic ability along with an unusual analytical mind. Tom simply likes to think! At times he would drive me crazy, but he was the driving force behind my journey into tennis. I'm 6'1" and Tom is 5'6" but I could never beat the little imp! All joking aside, if Tom's thinking is on audio cassettes, you should listen! You'll never view tennis the same way again!"

Sam Lacava, Tennis Professional, Stewartsville, N.J.

Thank you all for the testimonials! I appreciate it!

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