4th in a series on Effortless Effort
Nature, by its very essence, is simple. So is greatness in sport. Tao teaches us to follow nature’s law of simplicity. Some of the greatest performances in athletics have come when things are kept extremely simple: simple offenses and defenses, simple routines, simple strategies, simple training programs. Simplicity is freedom. The freedom to focus and be totally harmonious and present during a performance. Many outstanding accomplishments in athletics are truly basic, coming in moments of the purist simplicity.
The reason the best players make it look effortless is not because of complexity, but because of simplicity. The problem with complexity is that it hinders performance. It creates mental distraction as well as pressure, anxiety, and tension. In times of difficulty, stress, and turmoil, or when things seem to slip backward, go back to basics. Avoid the tendency to overcompensate. Shed the need for fashion and focus on function instead.
In the early 2000’s I was training a very talented junior, Lado Chikhladze. He had the biggest serve on the ITF junior tour at the time, measuring between 118 and 126 mph at the Australian Open. One day we were practicing serve patterns when the former world number 1 in doubles and my former colleague, Rob Seguso, walked up to watch. I always valued Rob’s input. He was very good as a player and had a very good “eye” as a coach. He told me to simplify the patterns we were working on. Rob had a very good serve himself when he played. He said he only used 2 basic patterns. It’s better to be the master of one or two patterns than to be mediocre at many. It was a great lesson for me from a great player. The “less is more” rule applies even when your serve is as good as Lado’s.
Vince Lombardi, the most successful coach in NFL history also had a philosophy of simplicity. He was once asked what he was going to do to get back to the national championship game in the coming season. He answered by saying: “We are not going to be flashy. We are going to be brilliant on the basics”. On another occasion, when a reporter asked him why he ran such a simple set of plays, he answered: “It’s very difficult to stay aggressive when the mind is confused”.
Years ago, I befriended the Seles family while working at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Monica was only 13 or 14 years old at the time. Everybody called her dad “Papa”. Papa Seles was Monica’s coach. He didn’t have a tennis background, but he was an amazing coach. Monica naturally played with two hands on both the forehand and backhand. No other female player played like that. Papa saw an opportunity for her to use angled shots, which came very natural to her. She practiced attacking the sidelines every day for hours. Opening the court was the primary strategy she used. She perfected it and used that to etch her name in the history books.
Keep everything simple during training and competition. Focus on the fundamentals. You don’t have to be spectacular to be good. Nowadays I really enjoy working with the 10 to 15 year old group for just that reason. At this age you can establish strong fundamentals and become brilliant on the basics like Lombardi suggested. When we train, I use the following rhyme as a touchstone: When you want to fly, simplify. When in doubt, throw it out.
The simplicity rule applies to everything in life, not just sport. Happiness, freedom, and fulfilment in life result from limiting desires, not from having more. There’s a difference between well-being and being well-off. Your performance in all aspects of life will improve when you understand that less is more.
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 