Tennis is such a mind game. And because we're all unique, everyone needs to discover the specific "mental toughness" tools that work best for them. (For Jamie Powers, another player on the "Road to 4.5", it's racquet tattoos).

Here's a very simple new trick I discovered recently that's been working wonders.

It came to me when I was facing yet another one of those intimidating match-ups that usually get my heart racing and muscles tight as steel cables. I was warming up for a match with my doubles partner, John, against a couple of guys who were clearly stronger. A lot stronger. One of them was definitely a 4.5, the other a solid 4.0 with a couple decades of match experience under his belt. During the warm up, I kept trying to quiet my mind and slow my heart rate. But I couldn't get the little monster in the back of my head to stop whispering sabotaging thoughts. And for the first couple games, I kept hitting tight forehands that went long, pathetic backhands, and wimpy serves.

It was my turn to return serve from the guy who most intimidated me on the opposing team. My self-defeating inner voice was still jabbering away. Then another voice replaced it as a calm, simple thought that popped into my head:

"The ball is always the same." 

I looked at the ball as my opponent tossed it up to serve... that little yellow ball I love so much... and before I knew it I had hit a cross-court return winner that elicited a big fist pump from my partner and a "nice" from the opposing team.

As I continued to return serves that game, I kept repeating the same thing at the moment just before the ball came my way. Success, we broke them. Then I kept repeating it throughout the entire match... and we won.

During the match, I realized what was happening. By reminding myself "the ball is always the same" I was essentially coaching my brain to remember two vitally important things:

1) The ball may bounce differently, come at a different pace or with a different spin -- it always does, of course. BUT... I have shown myself I can handle all those different kinds of balls in practice sessions. I CAN return a high-bouncing kick serve. I CAN hit a half-volley when the time is right. I CAN keep a rally going for a while with a really hard-hitting baseliner. I CAN run fast around the court and get to rough balls. I CAN hit a great serve. I CAN have the mental toughness in me to come back from a deficit. I can do all of that and more IF--and only IF-- I watch the ball and truly focus on the ball. If instead I focus on my opponent ... if I tighten up and watch where I'm aiming instead of the ball at impact... I will lose focus and not play to my potential.

2) I LOVE the ball. I LOVE the game of tennis. I am lucky and deeply grateful to be playing... (and the result of this particular match, however much I want to win it, will not change any of that). And while I'm feeling grateful about that, I'm reminded of other things I'm grateful for. These are the constants that define why I'm here right now. If I remember this, I'll keep things in perspective and loosen up.

The best coaches out there remind us that during a match the last thing we want to do is over think. We just need simple "cues" and "rituals" to get us back to a place of focus and looseness. For me, this is proving to be one of the best in my arsenal.

P.J. Simmons is a tennisaholic (background here) who is also founder of the U.S. Tennis Congress, designed to give passionate adult recreational players like himself in-person opportunities to learn from world-class coaches about all aspects of training - technique, strategy, off-court fitness, nutrition, and the mental game.

TWITTER: @tenniscongress
FACEBOOK: Facebook/tenniscongress

The post Feeling Intimidated? Remember: “The Ball is Always the Same” appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

Some of you may have noticed my posts have become a little less frequent in recent months. Well I'm writing to share some exciting news that I hope helps to explain why.

About six months ago, I was sitting around one day thinking about how grateful I was to have tennis so central in my life. About how inspiring it's been to meet so many people like me around the world who share my passion for our great sport... people who, like me, are trying to train with the intensity and commitment of a junior or aspiring pro-- not because we have illusions about making this a profession, but simply because we love, love, love tennis.

And a crazy idea popped into my head.

I thought: What if we could create an event for passionate amateur adult tennis players like us that was kind of like a combination of "TED conference" meets tennis camp... An event that would give serious recreational players the opportunity to learn from and train with some of the world's leading pros both on AND off-court... to work in person with the "best of the best" on all aspects of training... To learn from the best experts on everything from technique to strategy to off-court conditioning and injury prevention to nutrition to the mental game?

I spent a day imagining the possibilities and got really excited, but then I reeled myself in and thought, "You do not have time to do this. Maybe in a decade, when your day job isn't so demanding."

Then I woke up the next morning and thought: "You might get hit by a bus before then. Life is short. Just go for it now."

So I started calling some fellow tennis addicts to ask if something like this would appeal to them, and they all basically said "Are you kidding? That would be incredible."

Then I started talking to some of the pros I had worked with and deeply respected. I approached a handful of pros whose online work had been pivotal to my growth, including the great Jeff Salzenstein in Denver Colorado. I called up leaders in the tennis world at the cutting edge of professional development for tennis coaches and personal trainers--including folks at the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), the US Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). and the International Tennis Performance Association.

I was totally blown away by the level of support and generosity of everyone who offered to help.

Ever since then, I've been burning the proverbial candle at both ends, spending many late nights and weekends trying to turn this vision into a reality.

Fast forward to today, things have snowballed in a really exciting way and the dream has become a reality. I'm very proud to announce the birth of "The US Tennis Congress," which is profiled today by Doug Robson in USA Today.

The inaugural US Tennis Congress will takes place over Columbus Day weekend October 11-14 in Atlanta. It will feature a truly extraordinary lineup of over 30 world-class experts from six continents leading workshops and master classes both on-court and off, including:

• Emilio Sanchez, Olympic Silver Medalist and former ATP World #7 (singles) and #1 (doubles)
• Jeff Salzenstein, Former ATP Top 100 player and founder of Jeff Salzenstein Tennis
• Feisal Hassan, USPTA Master Professional and Co-Chair of the USPTA National Education Committee
• Steve Keller, Director of Development, Professional Tennis Registry
• Kirk Anderson, USPTA and PTR Master Professional, Director for Coach Education and Development, US Tennis Association (USTA)
• Dr. Mark Kovacs, Co-founder, International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA); and Director, Gatorade Sports Performance Institute
• Grant Stafford, Five-time Doubles Champion and former ATP World #53. Director, USTA Regional Training Center in Atlanta.
• Phil Wharton, Trainer to hundreds of Olympic athletes, and Member of the “Dr. Oz Top 100” list of health professionals
• Paula Scheb, USPTA Master Professional
• Rodney Harmon, Georgia Tech Head Women's Tennis Coach, former world #53, and Head Coach of the U.S. men's tennis team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China
• Jeff Greenwald, renowned tennis sports psychology consultant and the Senior World Champion Men's 35s and 45s
• Rita Gladstone, 2011 USTA National On-Court Trainer of the Year
• Brent Abel, Founder of WebTennis.com and 2009 USTA National 60s Hardcourt Singles Champion
• Ian Westermann, Founder of Essential Tennis
• Sujay Lama, Former #1 in Nepal and head women’s coach at the University of North Texas
• Ronald Rugimbana, Former # 1 in Tanzania, coached top 10 ATP Doubles player
• Joseph O'Dwyer, Former Irish National Junior Champion and coach to several top ATP 100 players

As I reflect on the journey to get to this point, I continue to marvel at all the people who have lined up to help in one way or another... Friends and family members who offered help with everything from information technology to financial advice to moral support. Fellow players and teammates who gave pats on the back and huge doses of energy when I was beyond exhausted. Teaching pros I've known for years and those I called out of the blue, who all responded with a generous "of course we'll help." Top brass at the most important tennis organizations in the United States-- the PTR, USPTA, USTA, and iTPA-- who not only took seriously the vision of an amateur player, but embraced it and lent meaningful support. And all kinds of individuals I've met along the way, for whom the simple bond of tennis is enough to take a phone call, to lend an ear, and to jump on board somehow to help.

I'm deeply grateful for the support of every single person who has helped in any way. I know that together we’re building something that will really help enrich people's lives.

I look forward to sharing more as it all unfolds... For now, please go check out our new site: www.ustenniscongress.com and let me know what you think!

PS -

What does all this mean for the Road to 4.5 Blog?

I absolutely WILL continue to share posts on this blog about my own ups and downs in trying to become a better player. But over time, I hope this blog becomes a venue for many other amateur adult players like me to share their own stories about lessons learned on their own journeys to improve - just as fellow players Jim Olson and Jamie Powers did recently with great guest posts. Please consider that an invitation to send me draft posts about your own experiences trying to become a stronger player at roadto45@gmail.com.

I'll also maintain my Road to 4.5 Facebook page to continue to share personal news and links I personally find particularly helpful.

We've just launched a new US Tennis Congress Facebook page, which I hope you'll "Like" too.

On Twitter - Because we've built such a robust "Road to 4.5" community on Facebook, I've closed down my @roadto45 handle and created a @tenniscongress account to keep things simple.

The post Announcing The U.S. Tennis Congress appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

My name is Jamie Powers. Nine-year bakery owner by day, by night and every other breath, 3.5-4.0 tennis obsessive rec player. If rec tennis could get a restraining order on me, it would.

As you can imagine, I think and obsess about tennis when I am not on court. I have annoyed all my non-playing tennis player friends, coworkers and family with court talk.

Recently I've been shifting attention to the arena that most obsessive tennis players get into: the mental game. I started a few months back by keeping a tennis journal, which I'd pathetically read in the parking lot before going into the infamous "bubble" complex and playing a match. I would schedule one match a week, read in the parking lot about my "tennemies’" [tennis enemies'] strengths and weaknesses (which I logged, in detail), then read my page of positive reinforcements. I would try and remember them all when I got on court, but they always slipped away immediately after the match began. I turned into a total basket case within the first three seconds of play, going on and on in my pea-sized tennis brain about why all my shots were going two inches out... "OMG she has tons of topspin... OMG she gets everything back, just ace her...Why are you not moving your feet?!...She is acting like such a bitch, just kill her!...Oh you’re worthless, why are you doing this to yourself??"

Clearly the parking lot solitary pep talk was not working.

I went to ask for help from my awesome Zen coach, Fred Pederson. He suggested I read Jim Loehrs’s book on mental toughness, which was incredibly helpful. I won’t try to summarize the book, I'll just tell you to suicide run-- don't walk-- to get it.

Fred also recommend I get The 16-Second Cure DVD based on Loehr's book, which focuses on how to use the critical 16-second recovery period between points to reset yourself mentally-- by setting up rituals like playing with your strings, for example. You notice pros doing this all the time, finding whatever works for them to clear their head and reset. This short video gives a preview:

So I read, made notes and tried to apply these mental strategies in the first week of play. I did "okay" but I wasn't as consistent as I wanted to be; in fact, I seemed to play worse when I did let my guard down. At one point, my team captain said something that ticked me off and I slammed a ball right into the curtain (poof, you know the sound) and told her to get up out of my grill.

That’s when I knew I needed a better way to make sure I reset myself between each point. I came up with the idea of having a couple "key words" on me at all times to trigger my inner circuits to stay clearheaded and focused. But where would I put them?

Then it clicked! I would put two key phrases on the inside of my racquet and after each point, they would be there to help me reset: RACQUET TATTOOS!

I thought of my two key phrases and ran to the bakery to get my label maker:

1) WATCH BALL- This is something basic most players, especially me, totally forget under all kinds of pressure.

2) RESET FOCUS ON YOUR GAME- I was complaining to Fred that I was letting myself be affected by stupid things, like when my teammates wouldn't do a drill the right way. He said it seemed that EVERYTHING around me affected me and that when I come to drill I am only there to focus on my game and on my needs within that drill. Essentially, he was reminding me how important it is to just focus on what you have been taught previously: your specific goals, and to apply this in all your drills. DO NOT worry about any other "tennemy"-- just work on your specific game at drill and match.

Both of these racquet tattoos have been EXTREMELY helpful in my quest to reset my pea-sized tennis brain. Once I feel I have conquered these-- or need some other form of reminder-- I can just reapply a new phrase. My goal is to one day have the word SLOANE SLAUGHTER on the inside to help bring out my inner Sloane Stephens.......when I'm an official 4.5 player!!!

What would your racquet tattoo say...?  

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The post Racquet Tattoos: My Secret Weapon (Guest Post) appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

I had just finished a fast-paced and inspiring morning group session with two incredible pros: Saif Syed and Devarshi Mitra (aka "Bubla"). It was about my 10th weekend working with Saif, who I call my tennis "Yoda" because of the remarkable way he brings both calm, quiet energy and intensity to every training session and his uncanny ability to impart just the right words of wisdom (with a dash of humor) at precisely the right moment.

Walking off the court to lunch, I felt good: I had hit pretty well alongside several much-better players and was drenched after working my tail off for 3 hours. Then Saif called me over and signaled to Bubla to join us. In his typically kind, warm and gentle way, Saif said something like this:

Bubla nodded. They both agreed I was generally working harder than I needed to... muscling the ball too much... playing too tight and tense during pressure situations or when I got tired. As a result of physical tightness, I was counterintuitively losing potential power from my strokes and serves; as a result of mental tenseness, I was missing shots that should have been winners: I was rushing too often, running through too many balls, forgetting basic things like simply "watching the ball" during pivotal moments.

For the rest of the weekend, I committed to change my focus from "perfecting technique" to getting more graceful and loose on the court. And Saif and Bubla gave some invaluable, practical advice that really helped.

By the end of the following day, my brain and body were telling me I was really onto something important. I noticed three really good things happening as I reduced physical and mental tension:

• More Power. Over the past few months I've been learning how upper-body looseness can unleash new power on serve--but this was the first time I truly began to feel how much more power I could get on groundstrokes by playing looser. My personal trainer Jay Gallegos (a student of Bruce Lee) once explained how this works by simply saying: "You can't crack a stiff whip." Slovenian coach Tomaz Mencinger gives one of the best explanations I've seen in this article on why power in tennis is achieved through relaxation and speed, not strength and tension.
• Sharpened Awareness. The more I eliminated tension in the body, the more I was able to reduce tension in my head-- always a good thing in tennis. Suddenly I had greater presence of mind to accurately judge the ball, anticipate what my opponent was about to do, and make better split-second decisions. I found myself observing, watching, listening more instead of panicking. I also felt more physically "centered" and aware of my body's core--which I knew was helping to insulate my body from injury as I sprinted and lunged for tough shots. And whenever things started going wrong with technique-- serves into the net, forehands going long, etc-- my calmer mind enabled me to simply notice (with less judgment) what was happening and make the minor self-corrections needed.
• "More Time". My ability to calm my body and mind started creating more moments of being "in the zone." Time slowed down. The ball grew to the size of a softball. I would have moments like in "The Matrix" where I felt confident I had plenty of time to react... and my body felt more nimble, adaptive, and responsive to all kinds of different situations.

Of course getting to that state on a regular basis is easier said than done. It's going to be a long journey before it becomes the norm. But I have noticed certain tactics helping more than others to help me get there. Here are the ten tactics that seem to be helping me the most:

There is perhaps no better argument for adding more "grace" to one's tennis game than the example of Roger Federer. The Fed's seemingly effortless economy of movement and habitual calmness of mind have given him deceptively powerful strokes and serve, a magician's capacity to perform the impossible, and the ability to stay injury-free. Not to mention how beautiful all that is to watch. As the late David Foster Wallace put it in his must-read ode to The Fed, "Federer as Religious Experience":

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The post Grace Under Pressure: 10 Tips to Combat Tightness appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

With rare exception, today's top players in the ATP and WTA consistently set an example that honors our sport's longstanding tradition to play fair, show mutual respect, be gracious in victory as well as defeat, and to give back. In short, to truly be "winners" both on and off the court. In doing so, they carry on the traditions of most of the greatest players of all time-- Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Arthur Ashe, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, the Bryan Brothers, and on and on.

Take a most recent example from the 2013 Australian open. In a characteristically gracious post-match interview following his epic 5-hour Australian Open slugfest against Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic said: “[Stan] deserved equally to be a winner of this match... I give him a lot of credit and all my respect... It could have gone either way and I’m just thrilled [to have won].” Djokovic had also demonstrated his sportsmanship during the match-- including after losing his second match point during the excruciatingly long final tiebreak game: After Wawrinka hit an awesome shot to bring the score back to deuce, Djokovic looked up and gave a generous smile. The ESPN commentator quipped: "Even the man denied a match point had to smile!" Of course Djokovic didn't have to smile at that moment; in fact, many other players might have yelled an expletive or thrown a racquet. But for Nole, it's not uncommon to crack a smile or even applaud an opponent during matches when opponents hit exceptional shots. Upon winning, Djokovic went up to the net to hug a tearful Wawrinka-- something that so many of the sport's champions routinely do after close matches. (And then, well, yes, he did rip off his shirt in a repeat of last year's wacky Australian Open triumph ritual. But nobody's perfect).

Then, of course, there's Roger Federer, who's in a league of his own in terms of class.

Federer has earned his place as the most beloved tennis player in the world not just because he's so incredible on court-- but also because of who is he is off court. Incredibly decent and likable, Roger is always classy in victory and defeat. Always striving hard for his next win but yet never losing sight of what's most important: his family and friends. Always finding new ways to give back generously to communities in need. And always bringing a healthy dose of perspective, humility and humor. This video tribute to The Fed made by a fan gives a window into the passion he instills in others-- and offers many reminders of why we all love him so much.

Federer's leadership by example has clearly rubbed off on his peers and will likely influence countless future generations of players-- just as the great examples of Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Arhur Ashe, and so many others like them have clearly influenced Federer. Thanks to these examples, it remains generally cool in tennis to be gracious-- and very uncool to have meltdowns like David Nalbandian did in 2012 when he kicked an umpire and gave a pathetic half-apology.

Federer, and others like him, have also made it the norm for rivals in tennis to be not just civil but even to become very good friends off court. This hilarious video of Roger and Rafa trying to shoot a commercial for a charity event exemplifies the spirit of genuine mutual respect and camaraderie that's a hallmark of our sport (and makes my day every time I see it).

Speaking of amazing Spanish athletes who are also great guys...

Did you hear about the amazing story last month of runner Ivan Fernandez Anaya from Navarre Spain who sacrificed "winning" in order to do the right thing?

Anaya was in second place far behind Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai from Kenya-- but then Mutai stopped running because he thought he had crossed the finish line. Instead of seizing the opportunity to grab first place, Anaya caught up with Mutai and directed him to the finish line so he could claim his rightful victory. The story has gone viral as people flock to share the inspiring story. As one Huffington Post journalist put it, Anaya showed the the world "that sometimes, just sometimes, winning isn't everything."

Actually, I'd argue that pretty much all the time, winning isn't everything.

Just before the holidays, I read a phenomenal book that's entirely about helping people put "winning" into proper perspective: The Only Way to Win: How Building Character Drives Higher Achievement and Greater Fulfillment in Business and Life. The author, Dr. Jim Loehr, has worked for decades with world-class athletes including Monica Seles and Jim Courier plus countless leaders in business, medicine, and the military.

His basic conclusion: if we build our self-esteem around external achievements (e.g. grand slam titles or USTA victories), we're destined to live life on a treadmill of dissatisfaction. Loehr writes:

External rewards can never fully satisfy... Addiction to achievement has a physiological, neurochemical basis, as real and compelling as addiction to drugs, food, gambling, sex, etc... As with other addictions, the pleasure of external achievement never lasts.

Loehr cautions that the "blind pursuit of external achievement" not only leads to personal emptiness; it also, ironically, results in poor performance. In contrast, he says, sustainable success and happiness comes to those who recognize that it's not about what you achieve, but "who you become as a consequence of the chase." Loehr gives a lot of inspiring examples along the way, including the incredible John Wooden-- one of the winningest college basketball coaches in history who was "legendary for never mentioning winning to his players, certainly not as the aim."

As a recreational tennis player with a raging inner fire to reach a 4.5-level tennis (and beyond), I've found this book to be deeply grounding. Sure, I'm just a recreational player striving for my personal best: but I love tennis so much, and it becomes even more fun as I improve-- so the goals I set really matter to me. A lot. As a result, there have been moments over the past year when I've caught myself losing perspective and letting ugly emotions surface: impatience and frustration ("why do you keep making the same mistake you idiot!), anxiety and fear ("what will everyone think if I lose yet another USTA match?"), embarrassment and humiliation ("I feel like such a loser that I just choked yet again").

Now when these emotions start rearing their ugly head, I ask myself a simple question:

How do you want your tombstone to read: that you were a great tennis player (or "achiever" of any kind), or a great person who made a positive impact in the lives of others and the world? 

Of course the answer is a no-brainer. And it helps clear away any clutter in my mind and focus me back on what really matters--including how grateful I am able to be healthy and able to play in the first place. (All of which, ironically, helps me play looser and perform better).

As I was finishing up this post this morning I got an email from one of my favorite coaches, Jeff Salzenstein, with the subject line "What I've Learned from Lance Armstrong." Jeff and I have talked together about Jim Loehr before, so the content wasn't a surprise -- but the timing was incredible.

I thought: if more athletes had coaches like Jeff carrying forward the teachings of Jim Loehr and the spirit of John Wooden, there would be far less Lance Armstrongs out there.

And a lot more happy people.

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The post Putting “Winning” into Perspective appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

The following is a guest post from Jim Olson - an avid 4.5 player from Madison, WI who I met earlier this year at Bollettieri IMG academy. Jim started playing at 13 years of age but became especially serious about the sport in 2001 while living in Little Rock, AR. There he learned of USTA league tennis and started out as a 3.5. He reached 4.5 in 2006. Tennis is his passion. Jim is a mechanical engineer with an MBA who is involved in various entrepreneurial projects. He's also a great photographer and took the photos of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in this post. I invited Jim to share some insights about the most important factors that contributed to improving his serve through his own journey to reach NTRP 4.5 level tennis. Here's what he wrote:

By Jim Olson

When I was a 3.5, I remember not liking my serve very much because it wasn't a very big serve. I didn't double fault much, but that's because I barely put any pace on my second serve.  That was OK at times, but I obviously suffered the consequences against the better players.  My coach saw my lack of confidence and told me I needed to develop a "server's mentality."  That is, when the match started, I should want to get that ball in my hands and serve; I should look forward to each of my service games and know that I have the serve to get the job done.

I knew the only way to get to this state of mind was through lots (and lots) of practice.  That summer, several times each week, I would take a basket of balls to the court and work on serves for 30 minutes at a time.  I would do things like go for certain spots in the box, see how many serves out of 10 I could make, hit only first serves for a while, hit only second serves for a while, hit 1st and 2nd serve combos for a while...any little game that would get me hitting lots and lots of serves.  I would work on every kind of serve to every spot in the box.  The compound effect was that my serve improved, and my confidence improved: I knew my serve was better because I put in the time and witnessed it's improvement.  During a match, I would recall images from my serving practice and remember how much time I put in, and that gave me the confidence to go after it.

My two biggest pieces of advice are:

1. Put in the time to work on your serve. Do what your opponents aren't doing--head to the court two or three times a week with a basket of balls and put in 30 minutes of practice.  Do this for a couple of months, and you'll see a step-change improvement in your serve and your confidence. (Editor's note: Click here for a video showing some good practice drills) 

2. Think strong legs, loose arm. The serve is about the kinetic chain.  Think of getting all of the power out of your legs and core, and let all of that power from those big muscles flow up (up!) into your extremely relaxed shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand.

Finally, a few words about a big change I made that has been vital to taking my serve to the next level such that it's now a pretty decent 4.5 serve. When I was a 3.5/4.0, a pro pointed out that my left shoulder was dropping too much on the follow through after impact. I would land on my left foot and my body would be bent to the side as if my left shoulder wanted to continue to the ground.  I wish I could illustrate the flaw to you and then the correction as I see it in my mind... but in my mind's eye this is how the proper form basically looks and feels:

Video of Jim practicing serves

* Photo credits: Jim Olson, the author, took these photos of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

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The post Want a Killer Serve? Top Tips from a Real 4.5 Player (Guest Post) appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

Last week while out in Denver I had a great private lesson with the awesome Jeff Salzenstein, a former top 100 ATP player and Level 1 USPTA-certified pro whose internet-based instructional videos are outstanding.

Jeff shared a simple philosophy that I think is dead-on:

If your body learns the correct start and end position for every stroke, it will figure out everything in between more naturally

For serve, it all starts with getting the "trophy position" right -- that position made famous in the ATP logo.

You can see what my trophy pose looked like before my lesson in this video shot a week prior:

As always, video helped me see the truth, as I thought my body was doing something very different.

WRONG: Notice especially:

1) Straight arm/ failure to bend the elbow, creating tightness in the shoulder and impeding proper racquet drop and acceleration 

2) Shoulders level instead of tilted (right shoulder/hitting arm should be significantly lower) to maximize power potential

3) Chest is too "square to the fence" (perpendicular to net), which also detracts from potential power

Contrast this with what a model trophy pose should look like (Jeff Salzenstein's) - the image taken from one of Jeff's incredibly helpful instructional videos I got access to after subscribing to his "Tennis Serve Secrets Program."

RIGHT: Model trophy position (Jeff Salzenstein) 

In our private lesson, Jeff spotted this in about 3 seconds and manually adjusted me until I felt the right position. Here's a clip of me trying to find the right pose immediately afterwards, with Jeff making some fine-tuning adjustments:

I've been practicing hitting this pose every day and it's starting to become more natural: when I get it right, my serve has so much more pop with so much less effort.

Finally - here's a collage of photos I've taken of top players at the US Open and Wimbledon that I look at every day for inspiration.

* Photo credits: I took all photos, including cover photo of Novak Djokovic, at the US Open and Wimbledon 2011-2012. 

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The post Project Serve: Fixing the Trophy Position appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

Enough is enough. I've resolved to confront my inner beast and get to work on turning this situation around. After all, as coaches have been telling me since I started playing, the serve is the one thing-- the ONE THING!-- that we tennis players have total control over during matches.

So I'm setting a public goal here and now to transform my serve over the next months (by April 2013) from a weakness into a weapon. Top priority: a great flat and slice serve. Second priority: a consistent kick serve.

In the process, I'll risk considerable embarrassment by sharing videos of the good, bad and the ugly along the way in the hopes that they help any of you dealing with similar challenges. Exhibit A: A video shot during a lesson a couple months ago working on my flat serve. Note (among other things) the too-slow racquet speed, weak wrist snap, too-tight shoulders and upper body, failure to keep left arm up long enough, incorrect body position and recovery after contact, sloppy flootwork (at the time, I was unsure whether I was a "platform" or "pinpoint" stance server, but have since decided to stick with the platform stance)... In other words: lots to work on!!

Here's what I'm doing to tackle this challenge:

First, I'm forcing myself to incorporate serve more into lessons and practice sessions. It's been so easy to just go out and "hit" with people -- it feels so good and has been so much more fun for me. But now if I'm working with a pro or hitter, I spend at least 50% of the time either working on serve or playing points requiring a serve. (My experience with most clinics and camps is that the serve is really under-emphasized).

Second, I'm forcing myself to play more matches. I've been procrastinating on this front, continuing to tell myself "let me just get my serve a little more consistent before I play matches again." The only way to confront this beast is to work on serve during pressure situations too.

Third, I'm going to continue to work hard on my "mental game", drawing heavily on my two favorite tennis psychology books and using the great mantra taught to me by my pro Saif Syed: "I'll take that mistake." The serve is where my mind is really good at working against me. I'm determined to turn that around.

Finally, I've invested in some online serve courses from instructors I trust:

1. Jeff Salzenstein's Tennis Serve Secrets course
2. Ian Westermann/ Essential Tennis free serve course + Ian's new "Serve Mechanic" course, which addresses 6 top technique mistakes recreational players make on serves. I got access to the Serve Mechanic course as a bonus for purchasing Will Hamilton/ Fuzzy Yellow Balls' Singles Playbook through Ian's site.

I look forward to keeping you posted on this journey. In the meantime, here's the current list of top lessons I've learned so far.

* Photo credits: I took these photos of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic during their 2012 US Open final match. 

Follow me (P.J. Simmons) and my "Road to 4.5" journey:

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The post Project Serve: From Weakness to Weapon appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

Presumably this was because he heard me murmuring expletives to myself after shanking the ball or double faulting...

I nodded and smiled, explaining that, yes, I can get very impatient with myself when I repeat bad habits under pressure. But I also explained how I've actually become 100 times easier on myself during practices and matches in recent months, thanks to a breakthrough experience working this summer with an incredible coach from Total Tennis: Saif Syed.

While Saif has been responsible for many major technical breakthroughs that are helping me accelerate progress on the "Road to 4.5" (e.g., my epiphany several months ago on how to get more topspin), his biggest game-changing contribution has been more psychological than technical.

You see, Saif doesn't just yell at me when I do things wrong or praise me when I get it right. Quite often, he is prone to yelling:

"I'LL TAKE THAT MISTAKE!!"

In Saif's view, there's a big difference between bad mistakes (reverting to old habits mindlessly or out of fear) and good mistakes (instances where you give it your all and at least partly achieve what your coach has asked you to do--even if the ball misses the target or you lose the point).

The first time he said "I'll take that mistake" I thought something like: "Seriously?"

The second time, I remember embracing the words and believing him. "Well, yeah, I guess hitting a ball with real topspin over the fence is better than continuing to hit flat forehands into the net." I noticed that his encouraging phrase had completely turned around my growing negativity and frustration, which we all know doesn't help us on the court.

From that point on, I started anticipating him yelling "I'll take that mistake" the instant before the words came out of his mouth-- which, in turn, was empowering: I was both becoming more self-aware, while also focusing more on the "right" than the wrong.

I can't tell you how much this little phrase has positively impacted both my practice sessions and matches. It has been a sure-fire way for me to "press the reset button" if my mind starts heading into a self-defeating cycle of negative thinking. It helps remind me that I'm on a journey and I shouldn't expect instant results just because I "understand" something in principle or can do it sometimes in practice. And it adds energy and momentum for me to focus about the all important "next ball" and "next point" rather than focus on the previous one.

On a related note...

I recently started reading Rafael Nadal's biography, RAFA, and came across the passage below, which -- like Saif's mantra -- has also really helped me put my mistakes into context:

So next time I make a "good mistake" I'll think of Saif's encouraging mantra. And next time things go inexplicably wrong, instead of yelling at myself I'll remember that even the great Rafa can't always be perfect.

And now I can't wait to get back to work on the court...

* Photo credit: I took this photo of David Ferrer (always thinking calmly between points) during his 2012 US Open round of 16 match against Gasquet. 

Follow me (P.J. Simmons) and my "Road to 4.5" journey:

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The post “I’ll Take That Mistake” – Best Coaching Advice Ever appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.

I couldn't have been more wrong. My old workout routines proved totally inadequate in preparing my body for the relentless pounding, repetitive motion, and extreme movements we tennis players endure.

Think of the physical qualities serious tennis players need to excel on the court and prevent injury (this collage of photos I took at the US Open is a visual reminder):

• Lower body strength and explosiveness-- with just about every muscle from toe to hip deployed
• Upper body strength -- with the muscles of the back, chest, shoulder, upper arm, forearm and wrist all playing important roles
• Speed and agility -- with the ability to stop on a dime and change direction moving forward, backward, and side-to-side
• Core and rotational strength - with the back and abdominal muscles being taxed constantly
• Endurance (especially "anaerobic") -- with ability to perform bursts of high-intensity movement repeatedly
• Flexibility (lower and upper body) -- with the capacity to handle being thrown in all kinds of directions at high speeds and beyond usual range of motion

I learned how ill-prepared I was the hard way a few months after starting to play in fall 2008. I decided to check out for the first time a highly intensive tennis camp in upstate New York, Total Tennis. It was one of the best weekends of my life: a dream come true to just wake up and hit the courts for hours, get some great food, go back for more, then hang out in the evenings with other tennis addicts. I had such an incredible time and had made such encouraging progress that I signed up to return to camp the following weekend, and also made plans to play a few times in NYC the week in between. To get through it all, I popped a lot of Aleve to shut down the telltale signals from my body to slow down.

I came back from that second weekend with four overuse injuries: achilles tendonitis, a hamstring strain, an inflamed rotator cuff, and yes, the dreaded tennis elbow. It took about two frustrating months of time off the court and physical therapy to get healthy again. During that time, I resolved to "do more yoga" (for desperately needed flexibility) and to add a few sports-specific exercises to strengthen typically vulnerable spots for tennis players (rotator cuff, knees, etc). But even that wasn't enough. I ended up getting hit with several more typical tennis overuse injuries the following year, including a serious calf strain, knee tendonitis, and a quadricep pull among others. You name it, I've probably dealt with it.

Thankfully today it's an entirely different story, thanks to a total overhaul of my workouts. I've been injury free for almost a year, I'm faster and more explosive than ever on the court, and I recently even made it through nine consecutive days of 3-5 hours/day at Total Tennis unscathed. (My only physical setback recently was a groin strain due to getting thrown off a horse about a month ago --more on that at the bottom of this post-- but I'm recovering fast!).

The biggest credit for the turnaround goes to the amazing personal trainer I've been working with for about a year, Jay Gallegos. Jay approaches our tennis-specific workouts as both a science and an art. On the "science" side, he reads avidly, attends workshops regularly to keep up with new training techniques, and watches hours of video of elite tennis players in action. Among other things, Jay is trained in Corrective Exercise Training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which focuses on athlete rehabilitation and injury prevention. On the "art" side, Jay draws creatively on his vast knowledge both as a trainer and practitioner of functional movement (he's excelled himself at weight lifting and martial arts, kickboxing, handball, and even Hip-Hop). The result is constant innovation and progression in our workouts.

Here are some of the keys to Jay's approach to our workouts:

• "Training for function, not fashion." This is Jay's mantra, and I buy it. Instead of 5 sets of bench presses to make my pecs bigger, we do movements that engage all the muscle groups and tiny stabilizers required on court. While my chest and biceps may be a little smaller than they were a couple years ago, my on-court performance only continues to improve and I feel more impervious to injury than ever. Overall, I feel in better shape than I have in many years, and I know our workouts are also smarter for keeping my body strong and durable for the long-term.
• Increasing body awareness. For Jay, this is a #1 priority -- and for me this focus in workouts has probably been my #1 game-changer on the court. It wasn't long ago that I was throwing my body spastically every which way to chase down a tough ball. I also tended to play too "tight" and try to "muscle the ball." Since working with Jay, I've been moving more fluidly and playing more "loose." This has not only been great for injury prevention: it's also helping me respond faster when coaches as me to make adjustments while unlocking a lot more power in my serve and shots.
• Integrating flexibility training into every workout. Flexible upper and lower-body muscles are vital in tennis-- both to enable the body to respond rapidly to changes in movement and reach for tough shots (think return of serve) and also to enable maximum power (think service motion). As Jay says, "you can't get a good crack out of a stiff whip." My workouts no longer separate "lifting" from "stretching." Instead, Jay integrates flexibility into most of the strength movements we do. Jay believes the training floor is where you "plan for the worst-case scenario"--so we often take movements just a little past the point of extension that would probably be needed on the court. No, I still can't drop into a near split like Novak Djokovic, but my extension is steadily improving and I'm less worried than ever about hamstring or other strains.
• Finding control amidst instability. Tennis requires extraordinary balance and muscular control-- including the ability to decelerate after ballistic movements. The sport also engages (and puts tremendous stress on) tiny stabilizing muscles, tendons and ligaments all over the body that can be easily neglected in workouts, especially around joints-- wrists, shoulders, knees, ankles. To help my body find balance and control in challenging situations, Jay introduces instability into many movements in all kinds of crazy ways (Bosu balls, Step360s, 1-legged variations, etc). This also helps strengthen a lot of those little stabilizers that are so vital to protecting myself from injury.
• Variation. Jay's workouts always keep my body guessing, which has made things both fun and really effective. No workout is ever the same, although all workouts use a progressive approach that builds in intensity and complexity of movement. Some workouts focus more on anaerobic endurance and feature many explosive movements and agility drills. Others focus primarily on core and rotational strength, while some emphasize upper body strength and flexibility. It all depends on what else we've been working on, how I'm feeling, and whether I have any matches or intense on-court sessions coming up.

A few of you have written to ask about my on- and off-court training regimen. The specifics fluctuate almost weekly for many reasons (my demanding job, the availability of courts and coaches, how my body is feeling)... but generally speaking here's what I do:

• I practice tennis 4x/week 1-2 hours per session (usually 1 private lesson + 1 clinic or coached practice with teammates + 1 match or practice with a hired "hitter" (a 5.0+ player) + and 1 session alone to practice serve and strokes with the ball machine). I also go up to train 4-5 hours/day one weekend every 4-6 weeks at Total Tennis. I also warm-up for 5 minutes religiously before stepping onto the court (see bottom of this page for sample exercises) and do 10 minutes of static stretching after getting off the court.
• I do tennis conditioning workouts 2x/week (about one hour each) with Jay or on my own, followed immediately by 15 minutes of static stretching.
• I try to add a group training class 1x/week (alternating between yoga or sports conditioning classes) in addition to the above - but sometimes I either can't squeeze that in or my body tells me to skip it
• I usually give my body 1 full day of rest per week, and try to get a sports massage every 2-3 weeks (if I could afford it I'd do it every week!)

Below are just a few of some of my favorite exercises Jay and I have done recently. I will start adding new videos regularly beginning this week. To receive updates when I post new videos, just subscribe to my YouTube channel.

* About the Photos: The first is of me working out with Jay doing a skating-like jump drill using Bosu balls. The collage includes only photos I took myself at the 2011 and 2012 US Open.

Follow me (P.J. Simmons) and my "Road to 4.5" journey:

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The post The Art and Science of Fitness Training for Tennis (Or “How I Survived 9 Days of Tennis Camp”) appeared first on The Road to 4.5 Tennis.