Use your head during a match!
by Jessey
I want to share a lesson I've learned today while playing against a friend of mine.
Some background info first: this guy used to be a better player than me. His serve had more pace and spin, his groundstrokes were cleaner and more powerful, his volley is better and he would look for chances to finish the point at the net, and he had more experience playing tournaments.
To make a long story short, for about a year and a half I had more time to play tennis than him, and I worked really hard to improve all aspects of my game. Finally, about 3 months ago I started to beat him consistently. I have become very consistent, and I would stay in the rally longer than him, plus his rhythm is not his former self since he's been playing less.
Today we played again, and for some reason he had found his best form again. But to my surprise, I was coming out on top. We exchanged powerful groundstrokes which would often end in me running him from side to side with a winner to the corner; whenever he charged the net I would find a way to pass him; and I was reading his serve perfectly. In fact, my groundstrokes had never been so clean!
Everything seemed to be going my way, and he was serving to stay in the match at 3:5. He held, and I got ready to serve out the match. Then things started to change. It was at 15:40 that I realized something is wrong. My first serve was going in, but I wasn't winning points any more--I had lost my rhythm.
One minute I would drive the ball into the net, the next I would send it past the baseline! I thought to myself it must have been my nerve (and I was nervous) and tried to regain my form, but it was too late and he won the next 4 games to finish it at 7:5.
It all seemed to me to be a simple mental problem of couldn't wrap up the game, until he told me what REALLY happened (he is a nice guy). He had realized he couldn't outhit me and pressure me by coming into the net, so he changed his game plan by trying to disrupt my rhythm.
What I thought was a weak reply and subsequently drove into the net was actually his doing. He began to add just a bit of slice into some of the shots, while others he would mix in more top spin and land them a bit shorter, but not so much that I would realize, and he patiently waited for his chance.
So well, at the end, my superior hitting was beaten by his head and smart. Had he not told me, I would have assume the problem was me and not figured out he was the one causing it. So the next time you are not winning, don't be afraid to use your head and change up your game, and more importantly, don't forget to use it to figure out what your opponent is doing right against you.
I can't wait to play him next time.
