Photo originally uploaded by 윤영훈
Main idea: Don’t need better shots than the other player. Can be a lesser player than the opponent and still win. Only just have to lock them up into playing their weaker shots and to get our stronger shots in, into their weaknesses.
Coping with Nervousness
- Move feet more which is the opposite to nerves, can also bounce on feet on the spot
- Sing a song
- Stick to game plan and always have one
Strategy
- What’s his weakness
- What’s his strength
- What’s my own strength and how to win most points with it
- What do I want to happen
- What do I want to prevent happening
- Whose doing what to whom
Grab an early lead
- Start well rather than at end
- Start to get into rhythm – not power, work your way up
- Set the pattern of consistency = no unforced errors
- Don’t slack off when winning
- At change over, review strategy
Winning
- Maximize own strengths and minimize own weaknesses = consistently in a position where I’m hitting a shot I like rather than one I don’t like.
- Try to flip this for your opponent
- Hit own strengths to opponent’s weaknesses. Also minimize own weakness and minimize opponent’s playing their strengths. Very important. Sounds like common sense but actually works. For example, if I have a strong forehand loop and opponent has a weak backhand, I would try to get my forehand loop in as much as possible into their backhand. This can be done by pivoting a lot. If opponent also has a strong forehand, try keeping it out of there as we are also trying to minimize their strengths. If they also try to keep on pivoting what we could do is get them to play a wide backhand, then place it to their wide forehand, forcing a weaker than usual return, then put it back to their backhand so then they cant pivot around. Somewhere in that rally we would get our forehand loop in too. I guess template strategies would pop up for different styles.
- Who’s doing what to whom
- Why points are being won/lost
Destroy their game plan
- There is always a way to win, we just don’t see it.
- It’s not up to the opponent if you win or lose, its up to you
- Don’t change you game when winning, e.g. hitting harder/riskier shots, stick to what’s winning points at the moment
- When need to change some thing in the game, change shirt or something too
- At pressure points do steadier shots not flasher
- Make opponent work for points
Other
- If own backhand sucks for example, lower expectation of that shot, just get it back over the net
- Foot work affects all strokes
- It’s ok to be angry at a missed shot, but just don’t dwell on it several points later
- All games shouldn’t be played for fun, but played so we have a tournament tough mentality, even practice games. Basically, always have a winning strategy.
- Talk to yourself like a doubles partner. Keep yourself calm and motivated.
