I didn’t play tennis until I was 17. At that age, my mom wasn’t going to invest in tennis lessons. I had to learn from reading books and magazines or watching videos and studying skilled players. When I decided to become a coach, I did the same thing, only bigger. I went to the best academies in the world and kept my eyes and ears wide open. Over the many years I did this, I certainly learned a lot about the game and how to be an effective coach. I understood all the technical and tactical fundamentals. I learned as much as possible about strategy, fitness, efficient movement and mental toughness.
I always felt something was missing though, but I didn’t know what it was until I started to travel. What is it that sets some players apart? I have seen so many talented juniors not reach their full potential while watching some average looking juniors eventually making the transition to elite level tennis. Going on the road with players put everything into perspective and gave me the answers I was looking for.
Tennis, like any other sport, is a brain and body activity. To be good requires the presence and participation of your mind, body, and spirit in total synchronization. The ultimate athlete is a cosmic dancer. To achieve this state of cosmic dancing takes years of training, not only hard, but also smart. Training smart means the body, mind, and spirit should be trained at the same time, targeting both physical and mental endurance and the concept of effortless effort.
While on the road watching tournament after tournament, it became very clear to me that the best performers at this level had the ability to play effortlessly even under tremendous pressure. There was a physical, mental, and emotional balance and stability that I didn’t see in the lesser performers. Around this time, a coach recommended a book to me called Thinking Body, Dancing Mind. This book is a game changer for anyone trying to understand this concept of effortless effort. Thinking Body, Dancing Mind is a Tao paradox. Paradoxes have been used for centuries to open students’ minds to new ideas. Tao means the way of power. Essentially Taoism teaches that each of us possesses a limitless power when we act in accordance with the forces of nature. When we align ourselves with the natural flow of energy, we maximize our power.
Does the body think? It certainly does if you cease to interfere with its deepest intelligence known as instinct. Does the mind dance? It does when you free it to flow with life’s natural processes, when you loosen your tendency toward critical judgment and control. Unfortunately, many talented players lose their way because the tremendous pressure, fear, and anxiety generated by an overwhelming desire to win. Coaches and parents are obsessed with winning and cannot tolerate failure. This pressure creates tremendous tension and anxiety interfering with the body’s ability to think and mind’s ability to dance.
In the next series of articles, I am going to share with you what I learned about the cosmic dance and the things you need to focus on during training in order to eventually accomplish effortless effort during competition.
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 