The value of rituals in serving are many, here are 7:

1. They remind us of sequences to performance
2. They create a comfort zone for us
3. They help prevent us from forgetting steps that can influence our success
4. They assist us in performing on an automatic level under pressure
5. They can calm us under pressure
6. They can prevent us from rushing during a match
7. They can assist in defeating the “Mental Monsters” of success and failure

Rituals are habits that we develop consciously or unconsciously. Depending upon situations and perceived results, they can become superstitions.

When they approach the superstition level we feel we need them to be successful. Tennis players will not shave during a tournament as long as they are winning, they will eat the same meal as long as they are winning, wear the same clothes, play with the same racquet, wear the same shoes, stay in certain rooms, avoid stepping on lines or certain parts of the court.

We have all seen Djokovich as he demonstrates some rituals of top level players. They can become quite unusual and almost funny when we see some of the steps people perform to ensure their success. I will bet you have seen some funny rituals in the players you have met as well.

Players rituals are mostly routines that they have been coached to follow or discovered on our own to provide a feeling of familiarity and consistency in their preparation for performance.

What are some of your rituals you use when you serve?

• The Hour Glass of Momentum in Tennis Imagine you have an hour glass in front of you. The top half of the hour glass represents the momentum in your tennis match when you are winning. The bottom half represents the player who is losing. The person who is winning has a wealth of information available to them......
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All Adult and Junior Clinics are still on the week of the 15-20th either with Rudy, Jesse or Reno.

I will be attending continuing education courses and on Sunday I will be awarded the PTR International Pro of the Year Award out of 14,000 pros around the world for my contributions to tennis.

On the 19th I will be in Kansas City to present a 4 hour course on “Strategy and Tactics for all levels of players” for the Mo-Valley USPTA Pros.

By the end of February, I will have all 5 of my DVD”s completed:  The Best of Ken DeHart, Defeating the Monsters in Your Mind, Myth Busting and Corrective Techniques, Intermediate Drills and the 3 Secrets to Championship Doubles and 13 Best Drills.  They will be available through my web site www.kendeharttennis.com

Visit my “In the Game” Blog on my web site for lots of FREE tennis tips about Doubles Formations and tennis tips.  Go to my web site and in the upper information bar, click on Blog.

I will be home early Saturday morning the 21st to teach the 10-11:30 adult drop in clinic and will be available for afternoon Saturday or Sunday lessons for players seeking lesson time.

Thanks for all your support and Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Trusting your strokes is a skill that is obviously quite mental in nature. In my program, called Defeating the Monsters in your Mind, we take a unique look at approaching the trust factor, like so:

First we need to have a definition of what mental toughness is. Mental toughness is the ability for you to perform a skill, based on what you know at the time, performing the skill accordingly without fear of failure or success.

The lack of trust begins when you do not have a clear cut picture for success. Your mind is not focusing on the shot, but is already worrying about the future and concerning itself with the consequences before they even have a chance to happen.

Before you are a competent rally person, you need to focus on the task at hand like so:

1 – Read the incoming ball,
2 – Make a decision regarding both speed and location,
3 – Move into a position allowing you to execute your shot, performing the skill,
4 – Allow your eyes to stay within the contact zone long after the ball has left,
5 – Allow your movements to continue after the shot, recovering and then preparing you for the next shot.

In the practice phase for your game, your focus should be on the execution of your shot. In the match, the focus will then switch to the result of the shot before it is made.

There are a number of drills available that will enhance your ability to perform in match play the same way that you would perform in practice, including:

1 – Looking for the spin of the ball as it comes toward you,

2 – Preparing for the shot as soon as you can see the spin. The sooner the spin is perceived, the more time you will have for preparation. This level of focus, which falls at 8 or 9 on a scale to 10, will allow you to better evaluate what your focus level is, which will help you determine what your practice level is.

3 – Count as you make contact with the ball, as well as when your opponent makes contact with the ball, allowing you to focus on it.

4 – Counting will also allow you to breathe. You can cause a lot of stress in a rally if you are not breathing. It is common for “choking” to occur where you freak out and go for a winner because you are not breathing.

5 – Make tennis an experience that is moving, by counting the number of steps after each contact, and before the next contact. Most professionals average at around 10 to 12 steps, though average players take 4 to 6 and beginners only average 2 to 4 steps.

The reason for dropped steps usually relates to:

- Not knowing you needed to take a specific number of steps,

- Beginning to worry about the shot’s future allows your feet to move less and legs to become tighter.

These are some of the most typical ways to conquer the monsters in your mind. If you have any thoughts relating to the fear of failure or success will impact your ability to play the game. The only way to control the future is by taking the right steps now. See the ball spin, count, and move, in order to stay in the present.

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