2. Depth – this is a more advanced version of the above where you aim to keep as many balls in a row in, except this time the ball must land in the back half of the court. If it lands inside the service box then treat it as “out" and start scoring again from zero.
Be as strict on yourself with your line calls as you would be in a match. The key to improving is to be totally honest. If the ball is out, it is out. Start again and seek to improve. Kidding yourself with dodgy line calls just so you can write down a new record will get you nowhere. When you truly beat your old record you will know it. That is where the power of these exercises comes into play.
You need to develop your self-image. You need to know within yourself that you are getting better. That your consistency and depth is improving. You can only achieve this through integrity to your own tennis game.
3. Placement – using the same highest count, create games for yourself and your opponent where placement to a particular side of the court is the goal. Once again, treat the ball as out if it lands in the wrong half of the court.
Use crosscourt forehands and record your highest number in a row. Then go to the backhand and do the crosscourt exercise again. You can also do down the line ground strokes as well.
Advanced Placement As skill levels increase you can have one person hit down the line whilst the other player goes crosscourt so you get the side to side movement from both players. Record your highest record and then switch so you get to experience and develop both sides of your game. I can honestly say that this exercise is the one I always aim to be doing well as I approach a tournament.
The mental toughness this exercise builds is brilliant. It simulates match play along with the pressure of recording a personal best. If you have enough pride in your game to take this seriously and push yourself to be your best then you will get the most out of this.
4. Rally speed (Power) – this exercise is a measure of the time it takes for you to consistently hit 10 balls up and down the court. You need to do this with someone of an equal standard. You rally the same ball back and forth. Do not do this with a coach with ball feeding. It will lose its purpose.
Here’s how it works - the count begins on zero when the first ball hits the strings. As it travels down the court you count every contact on strings from 1 – 10 to determine your rally speed (5 shots each). A good level is around 14 seconds. Male Pro’s often rally in the 13’s and have the ability to increase that into the 12’s. The key to this exercise is how consistently you can maintain your level of speed. I recommend consistency to be at 3 out of 5 rallies making it to 10 in a row (elites 4 out of 5) otherwise you are rallying at a speed you are not consistent enough at yet.
Tip – record the date each time you break your old record so you can look back and see how much you’ve improved. It also becomes useful when looking through your record book and realising you haven’t beaten your PB for a while. Personal incentives to improve are powerful.
In the 3rd and Final Part of this Tennis Makeover Series I will be sharing with you the number we aim to achieve with Pro Players. These numbers can be used as a measuring stick between you and the Pro’s.
People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is totally absurd. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will very much atrophy into inexistence. But keep working and this skill will soon come to you in a snap.
So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep your mind open like a dry sponge waiting to soak up the essence of the good stuff you have read. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. The most creative people I have known are great readers.
Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting somewhere." So why don't you try it. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.
Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.
Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Read books that you normally don't read. Give seminars a try. Seminars are beaming with positive and energetic people. Meet and talk to new people. They will broaden your perspective, adds depth to your knowledge database as well. Go a step even further by participating in team events. A powerful team event is a Mastermind group. Great thinkers and achievers have the habit of coming together to exchange and share their knowledge and experiences. Synergy breeds the sparking of new ideas and breakthroughs in life and business. And you are just one step away from thinking at 100 miles per hour.
Remember being creative does not take a good deal of work and time. It can be learned. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.
Start now. Take your stand and be creative today. Be the next Einstein in the making.
About the Author
Joel Chue Author of 'Mastermind Secrets' Ebook.
How Can Ordinary People Leverage a Mastermind Group System to Produce Extraordinary Results Over and Over Again?
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Copyrights ? 2006 Joel Chue @ http://www.mastermind-your-way-to-success.com
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