Andy Murray Tests His Mind Tennis in Dubai

February 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Andy Murray Tests His Mind Tennis in Dubai. Wikimedia Commons by Yann Caradec

In my post of February 24, 2012 I noted that Andy Murray has gotten Ivan Lendl to coach him. Murray and Lendl only got together since the first of the year. I am wondering how it is going. Andy Murray Tests His Mind Tennis in Dubai as he beat Michael Berrer. The match however wasn’t a pushover for Murray, he struggled.

It is reported that Lendl will not be in Dubai this week – he is playing in Florida this week, so it remains to be seen how Murray does. Murray says that he has spending about 4 hours daily on the practice court.

Jo Carter, on espn.co.uk believes that Murray is one of the most gifted pro tennis players today, but his mental game has been failing him.

Andy Murray Tests His Mind Tennis in Dubai

Andy Murray makes his first appearance since the Australian Open this week, and he will have the opportunity to put theory into practice in Dubai after a month on the training courts.[...]

Having only linked up with Murray in the New Year, it was too late for Lendl, a former world No. 1 and eight-time grand slam champion, to work on the technical aspects of his new charge’s game before the first grand slam of the season.

While Lendl will not be in Murray’s box in Dubai this week – he is playing on the ATP Champions Tour in Florida this week, the Scot is likely to be showing the results of ten hard days on the practice courts.

“I was up at seven each morning and going to bed at 9:30 each night because I was so tired,” Murray said. “We did a lot of long, hard drills. I was spending about four hours on the court each day with various hitting partners.”

Technically, Murray is one of the most gifted players of his generation, but it has been his mental approach that has been found wanting. During his defeat to Djokovic in Melbourne the Brit showed signs of a calmer approach, and we can expect to see more of that in the coming weeks. Original here.

It will be interesting to see what effect the influence of Ivan Lendl has on Murray’s game. We are just beginning the 2012 tennis season and Murray will have all year to practice what he learns from Lendl. Part of the mental game of tennis is learning to put it into practice and focus on the game at hand. But for now,  Andy Murray can test his mind tennis in Dubai.

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Loss of Mental Confidence Cost Federer Majors

February 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

Loss of Mental Confidence Cost Federer Majors

Loss of Mental Confidence Cost Federer Majors according to a report in nzherald.co.nz. The last time Roger Federer won a major tournament was the Australian Open in 2010. Prior to that Federer had won 16 Grand Slam titles placing him among the top players of all time.

Federer said he had suffered some tough fought losses since the Australian Open but he doesn’t think he is losing his form, says he hasn’t been doing well because of a lack of confidence on his part. He said that winning the three titles he has in the last four months has given him a lot of confidence. He said he doesn’t even regret not being able to break Pete Sampras record of being world No.1 for 286 weeks.

Right now Federer is in Dubai to play against world No. 1 Djokovic as well as 4th ranked Andy Roddick among others. Federer thinks that if he can play good until the U.S. Open then he might have a shot at that title too. Even if you are a tennis great, loss of mental confidence cost Federer majors. Original here.

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Radwanska Won The Dubai Open Using Mental Tennis

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Radwanska Won The Dubai Open Using Mental Tennis. Wikimedia Commons by Charlie Cowins

Sunday, Radwanska won the Dubai Open using mental tennis. In my last post, I wrote about Jelena Jankovic and her renewed dedication to using mental tennis in her game. But she was beaten the next day in her match with Agnieszka Radwanska just as I was working on the post.

Radwanska made a statement regarding her match against Jelena by saying that she got into trouble in the second set and Jankovic won the set. Agnieszka goes on to say that in order to win the third and final set, she had to focus on her game and fight with determination.

In the finals of the Dubai Open she had to fight the ferocious forehand of Julia Goerges of Germany. Radwanska said that at times the ball went past her so fast she didn’t see it.  She said she had to remain calm and play her very best in order to win.

Reported in the dailystar.com Radwanska won the eighth title of her career when she won the Dubai Open. Her earnings are now over $1 million and she is expected to be ranked #5 in the world on Monday.

Radwanska Won The Dubai Open Using Mental Tennis

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska signalled herself as a growing threat Saturday when she clinched her eighth career title courtesy of a 7-5, 6-4 win over Germany’s Julia Goerges in the final of the Dubai Open.

The 22-year-old’s win underlined her as one of the game’s cleverest players, her subtle changes of pace and direction luring her more powerful opponent into self-destruction.

Goerges nevertheless did well enough, during a week in which she also beat former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, to suggest that her flat-hitting, net-attacking game may play a more prominent role in the future.

“I had to play my best to beat her,” said Radwanska, who has lost only to world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka this year. “She hits so well it is hard to see the ball.

“But I try to be calm, because, if you’re not, everything gets worse. I’m happy to have been playing great tennis at the start of this year. I just hope I can play this tennis the rest of the year,” she said.

The article goes on to include some comments from Goerges:

The closeness of that finish suggested Goerges is capable of improving on the career-best ranking of 16 which she will achieve next week, and perhaps of pushing into the top 10.

One of Goerges’ improvements is in her mind.

“When something didn’t go in the direction I wanted to, it really used to affect me mentally,” Goerges admitted. “Now I try to get out of it and take the challenge.” Original here.

A pro tennis player’s greatest tool for winning is their mind. The mind is the basis for all successful tennis performances. An athlete who understands the importance of their mind can overcome many obstacles while playing, just as Radwanska used mental tennis to win the Dubai Open over Goerges’ blazing forehand.

Filed Under: mental strength, Mental Tennis, Mind Tennis Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mental Toughness Is Needed to Make It Big In Women’s Tennis

February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Mental Toughness Is Needed to Make It Big In Women's Tennis. Wikimedia Commons by Charlie Cowins.jpg

Jelena Jankovic talking to reporters in a post-match conference in Dubai believes that mental toughness is needed to make it big in women’s tennis today. Other qualities that are needed beside mental toughness are skill, physical fitness, and a bit of luck.

Alaric Gomes reporting for gulfnews.com says that Jelena has been working to reinvigorate her tennis career in the last few months. Over the last couple of years she has been slipping in the rankings and has been working at a come-back. So far she hasn’t been plaqued by injury and has been staying quite healthy.

“Anything can happen nowadays in women’s tennis. You’ve got to have a combination of a few things — obviously skill, be physically fit, healthy, mentally tough, and have some luck here and there,” Jankovic told media at a post-match conference this week.

“And you need a strong belief, to believe you can do it no matter what and hang in there, especially during the tough moments.”…

“I have to improve on a lot of these aspects and I have a long way to go to be able to stay for those two weeks and really be focused and really be mentally triggered for those seven matches. It takes a lot out of you physically and mentally and it’s not easy to do,” she admitted.

“It’s not easy to do that. I think I would have won a lot of Grand Slams if it was only five matches. But seven? Two weeks sometimes are very difficult to stay there physically and mentally and win seven matches against great players.”…

“Anything is possible. Nowadays there is really not a dominant player that’s winning everything or that is always a favourite to win. So anything can happen. With strong belief, with hard work, I think I can achieve a lot of good things.” Original here.

Jankovic believes that the situation with women’s professional is in a state of flux. She believes that because there is not one dominant player at the moment that she may have a chance at winning a few tournaments, even at the age of 26. But she feels that mental toughness is needed to make it big in women’s tennis in addition to the skill, and the physical fitness.

In news just in, it is reported that Agnieszka Radwanska beat Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in the first semifinal match. In speaking about the match with Jankovic, Radwanska said, that in the second set, Jankovic started seemed to get her game together and she played much better.  Radwanska said she was in trouble in the second set, but when playing the third set she had to focus on her game and fight with determination. Radwanska’s advancement to the Dubai Open Finals shows that mental toughness is needed to make it big in women’s tennis.

 

Filed Under: mental confidence, mental strength, Mental Tennis Tagged With: , , , , ,

In Mental Tennis Lendl is Andy Murray’s Best Hope

February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Andy Murray is  Britain’s top tennis player, and their best hope for a Grand Slam winner,  but he can’t seem to get it together enough to win a Grand Slam tournament. As of today, he has never won one. According to John Lloyd, tennis analyst for the BBC, no British tennis player has won a Grand Slam.

Murray has won 22 singles titles but has never won one of the four tournaments consisting of the Grand Slam. They are: Australian Open, French Open, U. S. Open, and Wimbledon. However, since Murray has had Ivan Lendl as a coach, it seems as though things are going better for him.

When playing Djokovic during the Australian Open, Murray put up quite a fight. Djokovic required 5 hours to put Murray away in the semifinals. Murray’s experiences playing any of the slams shows how important your thoughts and your thinking patterns are when out there on the court. Ray McNulty writing for tcpalm.com quotes, John Lloyd a former top British Player and now a tennis analyst for BBC, in the piece below.

In Mental Tennis Lendl is Andy Murray’s Best Hope

Writing about Lendl and Lloyd, McNulty says,

In Mental Tennis Lendl is Andy Murray's Best Hope. Wikimedia Commons by Wikigo

The eight-time Grand Slam winner and part-time Windsor resident began working with Murray just before this year’s Australian Open, where a seemingly more focused Murray battled eventual champion Novak Djokovic for nearly five hours before losing in five sets in the semis.

“Maybe Lendl is the X-factor that can carry him across the finish line,” said Lloyd, a tennis analyst for the BBC. “Andy has had a history of having mental lapses when things aren’t going well. He can get in a negative frame of mind and berate his coach. So he needed a guy who he has total respect for … a guy that will tell him, ‘One more word and I’m out the door.’ And he’s got that guy.

“Actually, I was pushing Jimmy Connors for the job, because I didn’t know Ivan was interested in coach, but either one of those two would’ve been great choices. They were both so mentally strong, and that’s what Andy needs to get past guys like Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.” Original here.

Tony Roche, a former pro tennis player and coach for Ivan Lendl, Pat Rafter, Roger Federer, and now Lleyton Hewit, had this to say about the Murray – Lendl team on eurosport.yahoo.com:

“I’ve got to say it’s a really good move from Andy, an especially good move,” Roche said at the Hopman Cup when asked about the man hired to orchestrate the world number four’s tilt at a breakthrough major championship this year.

“Anyone who knows Ivan will tell you how much he’s going to bring to the table for Andy. Few people in our sport have ever trained as hard as Ivan or been as professional,” Roche added.

“All the things his career was based on, like working hard and being meticulous with preparation and execution and that ability he had to concentrate on what was in front of him for hours on end, will rub off on Andy.”

Roche firmly believes Lendl’s work ethic will have nothing but a positive effect on the talented Scot. Original here.

Since Lendl has mental strength, and has the experience of winning a number of Grand Slams, he knows the kind of self-talk and thinking patterns required to make a winner in professional tennis. So, in mental tennis Lendl is Andy Murray’s best hope to win a Grand Slam. I think it would be nice for Andy Murray to win several Grand Slam tournaments. And of course, the Brits are hopeful that their top players could win a slam on British soil.

Filed Under: inner game, mental confidence, mental strength, Mental Tennis, Mind Tennis Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mental Tennis is Roger Federer’s Success Secret

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Mental Tennis is Roger Federer's Success Secret.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to succeed so easily, and others never seem to be very successful? This last Sunday, Roger Federer won the Rotterdam Open, which surprised many. In the history of professional tennis Federer is the winning-est male tennis player. The last couple of years however have been sort of a roller coaster ride for him going from being the world #1 male tennis player to being ranked #3 or there abouts: winning some and losing some. So how does Federer make a comeback like the Rotterdam Open?  Mental Tennis is Roger Federer’s Success Secret.

ApekshaHa writing in 10sBalls.com believes the reason for his success is his persistence: he never gave up. In the little dictionary by my computer, the definition of persist is “continue in spite of obstacles or objections”. The Compact Oxford Thesaurus, also by my computer says that to persevere means to “hammer away”, “be tenacious”, “be resolute”, “be purposeful”.

These don’t necessarily sound like qualities of a tennis player, do they? Evidently they are of the successful ones. In the game of tennis as well as the game of life, we all meet with obstacles, disappointments, distractions, even failures. Roger Federer has had some of those in recent months, but he is continuing to persevere, to be tenacious, to be purposeful. As a result, he is continuing to raise the bar for those coming after him, who wish to be classed as one of the tennis greats in the history books. By winning more tournaments, he is setting an example for those who follow.

Mental Tennis is Roger Federer’s Success Secret

He is an experienced person who knows what he is capable of and what he can achieve. Even during those tough moments, he didn’t stop believing in himself . It’s very easy for all of us in life to blame our failures on destiny and not work hard enough to find out where the real problem lies.

In Federer’s own words: ["]I went through some tough moments as well where I was frustrated and I didn’t like it as much. But, I don’t know. I always stay positive. I’m a very positive person”

During the 6 week break after US Open 2011, Mirka (his wife) told him: “It’s O.K. to lose one or two matches very closely, but you can’t start losing more and more and more. Then maybe something’s wrong in your corner. So you just have to question yourself and check with the entire team, see what everybody thinks.’ Original here.

How about your life experience? Do you give up easily when faced with challenges? Do you get discouraged and quit? I have heard it said that the only true failure, is the failure to try again. If you quit when face with hard times, there is no way to get out of your circumstance. The only way to do that is to get up and try again with focus and intelligence.

Be careful though that you don’t try the same thing the same way every time and expect a different result. If you are not getting results with your approach, try a new one, but don’t give up. Remember, mental tennis is Roger Federer’s success secret. Emulate his persistence, his mental strength, his resolve, and in the end you will maximize your talent and ability.

Filed Under: inner game, mental confidence, mental strength, Mental Tennis Tagged With: , , , , ,

Azarenka Used Mental Tennis to Advance to Qatar Open Finals

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

At last years Qatar Open, Victoria Azarenka went home not only defeated literally, but defeated in mind. She went home discouraged and disheartened with her mind all messed up. But her time at home with supportive family worked wonders for her. She came back in January to win the Australian Open by defeating Maria Sharapova. And now in the Qatar Open, she has advanced to the  final match where she will play Samantha Stosur for the title. Azarenka Used Mental Tennis to Advance to Qatar Open Finals.

What has changed for Azarenka since last year? Probably a lot of hard work on the court, but also an new-found mental approach to tennis. In the Qatar Open semi-final match against Agineszka Radwanska, Azarenka suffered injury to her ankle and had to have it strapped and bound court side. It looked like she may decide to call the match off, but after a few minutes, she was up on her feet, carefully checking out her ankle and then she was ready to play. As the remainder of the match progressed, Azarenka’s skill and power could be seen again and she took control of the match winning 6-2 6-4.

Azarenka Used Mental Tennis to Advance to Qatar Open Finals

Anil John writing for the gulf-times.com quotes Azarenka:

“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to pull it off. I had to concentrate very hard on every point, but I am happy that I made it,” said Azarenka who took her winning streak this year to 16 to equal Justin Henin’s record set in 2004; Maria Sharapova holds the most reason season-opening winning streak, going 18-0 in 2008.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to pull it off,” she said.  “I had to concentrate very hard on every point, but I am happy that I made it,” added Azarenka, who took her winning streak this year to 16 to equal the now retired Justine Henin’s record set in 2004. She said the adrenaline kept her going.
“Well, it is, but, you know, when you are in the match, adrenaline is going and you try not to think about it and just try to give your best, whatever it is.
“Sometimes the pain eases out, especially when you’re winning and you are in that mode that, you know, you kinda try to forget about the pain at least.  It doesn’t happen always.
“But as I said, I was just trying to have a clear mind, you know, and just fight through, whatever happened happened, but in my mind I had to adjust and just, you know, be okay with it that I’m not at my best. I just have to try as hard as I can.”
Azarenka said she is not sure what exactly her injury is and whether she will be 100 percent going into the final today.
“Well, I don’t want to you know, I cannot predict.  I’m not a psychic, or how you say, but we’ll see.  I have 24 hours, you know, to get better.  We’re gonna definitely do the best job as possible to be ready for tomorrow.
But the way it happened, I was just, you know, trying to reach for the ball, and I slipped and kinda twisted my ankle.  Other second I know, I was on the floor, you know.  So it’s shocking a little bit.” Original here.

This little vignette described above shows some of what it takes to be a champion. In this case she had to dig deeper, but Azarenka Used Mental Tennis to Advance to Qatar Open Finals.

Filed Under: mental strength, Mental Tennis, Mind Tennis, Victoria Azarenka Tagged With: , , ,

Isner Intensifies His Mental Tennis Strategy

February 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Isner Intensifies His Mental Tennis Strategy. WikimediaCommons by Emmett Hume

Last weekend, John Isner beat Roger Federer in four Davis Cup matches. Isner said this has been a great encouragement to him going forward from here. Being a big man at 6′ 9″ Isner has to play differently than a smaller, more agile player. He has to have a different game plan, one that involves finishing a point as fast a possible and forgetting about playing along hoping his opponent will make a mistake.

Isner sees this strategy as taking as aggressive an approach as possible. Evidently his team captain, Jim Courier and his coach, Craig Boynton,  as well as many others have been telling him for years that he needs to take control of his games in this way. He needs to use his powerful serve, coupled with constant pressure on his opponents to finish the point and maximize his wins. He can’t afford to sit back to see where the play will go.

Evidently, the message finally got through to Isner. As he approached his match with Federer, he told himself, that he was only going to beat Federer if I played the way he was supposed to.

Peter Bodo writing for espn.go.com says that Isner has refined his “mental strategy.”

“You need to be very intense, mentally,” Isner said. “You can’t afford loose points or loose games. It’s a mental and emotional effort. I’m trying hard to be really professional, which to me means staying as intense as possible every single match.”

Isner sounded like he’s dedicated to the effort, and he’s also trying to keep his win over the all-time Grand Slam champion in perspective. “I didn’t necessarily string together five great matches in a row. I went over there and played one great match. But I’ll take confidence from that.”

Now ranked No. 2 behind Mardy Fish on the U.S. form chart, Isner will have a chance to show that he can sustain that elusive intensity for a regular tournament’s full menu of matches in a week in Memphis, where [he] will be top seeded at an ATP 500 event for the first time. Original here.

I hope Isner can make it work. It would be great to see him move up in the rankings and get more wins. It must be discouraging to fall short of your aspirations so often. But with his win over Federer, he should have a renewed sense of confidence. If Isner can intensify his mental tennis strategy, and follow his coaches advice, we should see an improvement in Isner’s game.

Filed Under: inner game, mental confidence, mental strength, Mental Tennis Tagged With: , , ,

A French Open Win Is Important for Nadal’s Mental Confidence

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A French Open Win Is Important for Nadal's Mental Confidence. Wikimedia Commons by Roland Garros

During 2011, Djokovic was the dominant men’s professional tennis player. He overshadowed Rafael Nadal who had previously been the top tennis player. And then Djokovic defeated Nadal in the Australian Open last January. So, a French Open win is important for Nadal’s mental confidence.

In interviews following that marathon of a match, Nadal asserted that he had learned a lot from the finals match with Djokovic. One question that comes to my mind is, “Can Rafael Nadal make a comeback and regain the top spot in men’s tennis?” No one of course has the answer, not even Nadal. Only time and future tournaments will tell if Nadal has been subjugated to exist at that lower level from now on.

It will be interesting to see events unfold over the rest of the year. At any rate, an article by Kevin Pacelli in  BleacherReport.com posed a question, wondering how many more seasons Nadal will be a dominant force in men’s tennis. Based on the info I have, Nadal is only about eleven months older than Djokovic, being an elderly 25 years old.

I would think that with their ages being so close, that Nadal, if he stays healthy, should be able to provide Djokovic a lot of competition in the future. Of course, there is the matter of physical conditioning and  tennis skill. Nadal should be able to up his fitness and conditioning, if that is lacking. As far as skill goes, it seems there would be some things he could do there also to combat Djokovic’s new dominance.

But the most important thing, I think will be Nadal’s mental confidence and for that I believe that a French Open win is important for Nadal’s mental confidence.

[...] Djokovic definitely has what it takes to win the 2012 French Open, consequently completing the Career Slam for him, and clinching the non-calendar Grand Slam. In this situation, Djoker will be near impossible to stop in the following months.

This would inevitably cause Rafa’s mental game to deteriorate, with little (if any) confidence going into each of their encounters.

If things play out this way, it is not likely that we will see much more from Nadal. A few more Grand Slam titles could still be coming his way, but if he doesn’t find a solution to the Djokovic problem soon, his days as a dominant figure in tennis will begin to slip away. Original here.

Is Nadal going to be able to stop the momentum Djokovic is enjoying? That depends on Nadal. I am assuming that Djokovic will continue playing at the same level he is at present. I don’t think he will let down, because he has stated that he wants to win a Golden Slam

. To do that, he will need to win the French Open and the Olympic Gold in London this summer. A French Open win, therefore, is important for Nadal’s mental confidence.

 

Filed Under: inner game, mental confidence, mental strength, Mental Tennis, Mind Tennis Tagged With: , , ,

Federer’s Success Due to Mental Strength, Fitness, and Technique

February 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Federer's Success Due to Mental Strength, Fitness and Technique

Speaking Tuesday evening, Feb 14, 2012, with a group of reporters in a Rotterdam Hotel, Roger Federer spent some time reflecting on his career, his future in tennis and how tennis has changed over the years that he has been involve with it. He spoke about the obstacles he had to overcome, how he had to become mentally strong in order to accomplish what he did. It became obvious that Federer’s success was due to mental strength, fitness, and technique.

Federer said that if you want to accomplish anything worthwhile in life it doesn’t come easy. It always takes work, even for someone with championship status, and might I add, it takes the right mindset also. Federer went on to say that in his experience he was always re-evalutatin himself, looking for ways to improve, to do better. It’s kind of an evolutionary process.

Romana Cvitkovic writing in TennisGrandstand.com quotes Roger, “I never thought I could play such good tennis. I really had to put in a lot of hard work. Sometimes it doesn’t look like it because it’s all so fluid and people give me so many compliments. But I did put in the hard work and there’s no way around that in the professional game of tennis.”

As a junior, Federer was often seen in tears following defeat and in recalling what made the difference for him during those early years, he concluded that “the biggest improvement that I have been able to make is the mental part. I used to be quite crazy when I was younger, and I eventually got my act together and started to understand why it’s so important to work hard. Once I started to work extremely hard, all of a sudden, I had this really fluid game and I was able to unlock my potential — which I knew was big but I didn’t know it was this great. I’m really amazed overall how well I’ve done.”

To hear Federer say those words reaffirms that nothing in life comes easy, even for a champion that holds countless records, including 16 grand slams and 70 career titles. People may be gifted and talented, but without the proper supplement of training and support, the world may have quickly ended up in short supply of grand slam tennis champions.

“You always have to re-invent yourself; come up with different ideas of how you can improve as a person and as a player. For me, it’s been a great evolution through the rankings from back in ’98 when I was a junior to today, and [how] the game has changed tremendously… I never thought I could play such good tennis. I really had to put in a lot of hard work. Sometimes it doesn’t look like it because it’s all so fluid and people give me so many compliments. But I did put in the hard work and there’s no way around that in the professional game of tennis.”

As he alluded to earlier, Federer credits his success to equal parts mental strength, fitness and technique, and talks about “tennis as an emotional sport” when you are just starting out in the smaller Futures and Challenger tournaments. Original here.

It is always interesting to listen to candid conversations that champions have with others about themselves and their game. Many times there is a lot one can learn, about how the champion thinks, his mindset and his work ethic. One thing you can take from the interview was that Federer’s success is due to mental strength, fitness, and techniuqe.

Filed Under: inner game, mental confidence, mental strength Tagged With: , , ,
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