Your Strengths Most players don’t know what having a strength means. You may have a great forehand, but, if as soon as your opponent approaches the net you hit the bottom of the net, your forehand is not a strength. If you can serve 120 mph, but at 5-5, 30-40, you usually double fault, your … More Strategy: Fourth Foundation: You
Tips for Handling Fear Take a look at fear and ask yourself ” What is the worst that could happen if I followed through on this fear-producing situation?” If you can live with the worst-case scenario, you can go beyond your fear. Vigorous exercise coupled with relaxation or meditation helps to put fear into perspective. … More Mental: 2nd article on the Obstacles to Optimal Performance
“All things in the cosmos will be aroused to movement through fear. This movement will be cautious, and cautious movement will bring success” – 1 Ching no 51 Fear is a natural emotion. It’s a survival instinct and indicates that you need to be alert. Trying to fight or force away fear creates a counter … More Obstacles to Optimal Performance: Fear
“What is skillfully established will not be uprooted. What is skillfully grasped, will not slip away. Thus, it is honored for generations” – Ta0 Te Ching Centering Optimal performance is greatly influenced by your ability to remain centered within. Centering means remaining true to yourself and performing up to your capabilities, regardless of the changes … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Centering and Reflection, 7th in a Series
“ Focus your thoughts and actions on one small aspect of the present, and you will create personal power” – Chungliang Al Huang Focus is the process of narrowing your concentration in order to eliminate unproductive or distractive occurrences. It means keeping the mind here and now. By focusing, you can fine-tune your attention so … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Focus, 6th in a Series
“If an athlete can picture in advance each movement of an event exactly as it should be, in a relaxed meditative state, the greater will be the chances that he or she will carry out those movements during the actual performance” – Jerry Lynch Visualization is an active form of meditation in which you relax … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Visualization
“The mind of a perfect man is like a mirror. It grasps nothing. It expects nothing. It reflects, but does not hold. Therefore the perfect man can act without effort” – Chuang Tzu Most of us truly believe that if we try hard enough, our efforts will be rewarded. Players and coaches push to the … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Relaxation – 4th in a Series
Positive Thinking “The mind is like a fertile garden, it will grow anything you wish to plant, beautiful flowers or weeds. Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind, for they are the weeds that strangle confidence”. – Bruce Lee Negative thinking creates mental and physical resistances that greatly hinder your performance, on and … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Positive Thinking – 3rd in a Series
Belief: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right” – Henry Ford In the 1950’s the world believed it was humanly impossible to run a mile in less than four minutes. In 1954 Roger Bannister became the first person to break this barrier with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. … More Mental: Achieving Optimal Performance – 2nd in a Series
In Western sports athletes experience tremendous pressure, fear, and anxiety generated by an overwhelming desire to win. We learn this frame of mind from early childhood. Coaches, teachers and parents are obsessed with winning and some simply cannot tolerate failure. Athletic pressure spills over into other areas of performance including into the academic and corporate … More The Mind Game
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 