One of the biggest advantages of being coaches and active players is that our minds are constantly working on refining our game as well as our teaching. Every situation that comes up as a player reminds us of things we need to work on with our players. Almost everything we are teaching our players is based on tactics, positioning, the first two shots, being disruptive and having the proper mindset. There is one word without which you will never be able to achieve all of the aforementioned things and more. It’s the dreaded C word… Commitment.
You need to be committed to work on and perfect the things you’ve trusted us to teach you. We always tell our players, “if you aren’t on board with what we’re teaching feel free to find another coach (no hard feelings) but if you’re here, you have to be committed.”
So what do we mean by commitment? Every practice we have, every drill we do, you are committed to getting the most out of them by performing them the way they are intended to be performed. Here’s an example; We’re working on serve and volley (which we do every day). You miss a few first volleys when your opponent hits some great returns. The next point you stay back at the baseline. That’s a total lack of commitment and a complete waste of your money and both of our time. If somewhere in the recesses of your mind you think the answer to missing a few first volleys is to stay back, then you’re never really committed to serve and volley even when you’re doing it. Get it? Instead you should be welcoming great returns when you serve and volley in practice. If you keep at it you’ll get good at volleying (or half volleying) those shots back and we will see what your opponent does when you return their best shot. I’ll give you a hint; they miss.
Tennis, and doubles specifically isn’t complicated but we tend to get caught up in a lot of things that aren’t important. Focus on serve and the second shot and return and the second shot. Get good at serve and volley and having your net partner call your service game like a catcher does in baseball. Get good at working together to formulate an ever evolving game plan in each match. When you’re returning serve get good at the three returns in The Previdi System and make sure you and your partner get great at putting pressure on your opponents off forcing returns, especially when the score is in your favor.
Finally, block out the noise that you hear from coaches and other players about things that are irrelevant to winning more matches. Practice with commitment and then trust your practice when the match comes. Focus on your team, not the other team. They’re going to have their hands full with you.