Focus! Or Lack There Of

My match play is improving; during the last couple of weeks I won my last two USTA mixed doubles matches with my partners, and two of my singles ladder matches.  I am mostly winning with social matches as well playing just doubles. So, you'd think I should be satisfied, but I am not. Somethings are not quite right.

I do have issues with my footwork, which creates timing issues, which in turn results in inconsistencies.  At least that is my own analysis. I try to address this by increasing my cardio performance as best as I can, work on my leg muscles and abdominals, etc. None have resulted in any tangible benefits. So, what else or other is wrong? It is an ongoing search...

I have not experienced being in the zone yet. Although I know how to recognize it due to having experienced it quite often during my track days (HPDEs), I am yet to find that zone with tennis.  Part of it is experience, I think I need to play many more matches before I can find the zone, amongst other things. Thus far I barely won my matches; always trailed in score by a wide margin, and somehow came back to win as I figured out what the weaknesses of my opponents and really focused on exploiting them, while minimizing my own errors. Very satisfactory to win matches that way, but cutting too close for comfort frankly, I know it won't last.

Here are few things about my game that I am discovering as I move forward, maybe you can relate to them:

• 1st Serves: I have a flat first serve with moderate pace. My ball toss is not very consistent, hence I don't know how my first serves will or won't work in any match. If they work, it is very unlikely I lose the game or the match. This is not because I have an incredible pace or placement. I do not know why it is the case, but it is. When my first serves work, I get four to five aces during the course of a match purely based on placement.
• 2nd Serves: I have a relatively reliable kick serve. It has been effective thus far and my opponents state that it is not the easiest to respond to that serve with any meaningful pace. They do respond and get the ball back to me, so it is not one of those that I get aces out of (only occasionally when I hit it to the lines), but generally the return coming back is also easy for me to respond. So, when my usually first serves don't work, I use my second serve as the first and try to put a little more spin or kick into it.  However, this does not result in winning games frankly, I need my first serves to work as first serves all the time.
• Forehands: I really like my forehands, although there is quite a bit of room for improvement, it is my most reliable weapon. Every shot has some level of topspin on them and most of the time more than my opponents realize until the shots hit their side of the court.  Placement of my shots are also quite good, corner to corner, and long and close to their baseline. What is missing? Slices are weak and inconsistent, drop shots from forehand is non-exitent and I am not yet confident yet to put high-angle shots, although I am able to put the spin on them.  Things to work on.
• Backends: This is where I have the most problems or inconsistencies. I really have a nice one-hand backhand with topspin, slice and even flat shots. Highly versatile when it works, but inconsistencies take away my confidence. Also, my footwork and timing issues mostly surface up with my backhand shots, where I am more prone to being late with my footwork and recoiling for the upcoming shot.
• Volleys: They are OK, nothing too special, I do make errors, and I need to certainly improve them, but they have not been my top priority just yet, at least not until I resolve my other issues.

So, what does any of these have anything to do with being in the zone?  A lot actually. Before we get to drive a car on a race track at triple digits, we learn the techniques to do so. We achieve, just like anything else in the world, the fundamental knowledge to perform certain actions. Then, through repeated exercises, we learn how to execute what we learned in theory. This takes years of practice, and eventually we reach a level of competence in which we can execute various techniques depending on the conditions and corners that we are driving through. The initial phase of this is described as 'conscious competence," which means that we are actively thinking of what we are doing while driving negotiating the track. This is the intermediate level of driving, because we are not yet fast enough to compete at the higher levels. When we are thinking and then executing it is slow, it takes time, and when driving at triple digit speeds every 1/1000th of a second counts. The next level is achieving "unconscious competence." This is the level where everything comes naturally and the driver is not actively thinking of what needs to be done, but executes the techniques almost as instinct only focusing on the surroundings and changing environmental conditions to make small but critical adjustments in a natural manner.  This is advance level of driving. The next level drivers that tend to be the professionals are able to drive in a manner that they can predict events, changes and adjustments needed even before then happen and make the conditions work for them rather than adjust themselves to the conditions. This maybe called being in the zone where there are no mistakes, just perfect execution of techniques.

I think all of this also applies to how we all play tennis. I believe I am at the conscious competence level today. I think about the mechanics of my shots, remind myself how to best hit a backhand, how to position myself on the court, etc. All of this brings a level of urgency into my game, makes me late and throws of my timing, just like my driving used to be. When I am preparing to return a serve, I keep repeating in my mind that I need to "slow the ball down," by which I mean to focus on it early on, so I have more processing time before I hit the ball. It does work, only if I can remember to do so.

Yesterday during a doubles match I received few body serves, which I could not get out of the way in time to hit them properly, particularly if the ball was leaning towards my backhand. If the ball was leaning to my forehand, I could hit it and get it over the net at least. Also, during rallies, if the ball is coming to my backhand, I keep thinking on how to hit it, the techniques and where I want to send the ball back, and eventually I miss-hit the ball. These issues kept bothering me. Then I went back to reading the blog entries I really like as I can relate to most of the writings: Road To 4.5 Tennis by P.J. Simmons. I re-read the entry on Grace Under Pressure. I appreciate the tips and I understand most of them and experience them.

The part about relaxing and playing a level of tennis that focuses on loosening the muscles and the mind is particularly interesting. The concepts described are nearly the same as in performance driving. So, I decided to put it to test on the court tonight, albeit against a ball machine. The results were visibly positive by a very wide margin. When I stopped thinking about the techniques, the shot and just focusing instead on relaxing my whole body and mind, things work remarkably well. My shot making and accuracy when up more than few notches.


Part of this relaxing, I think, lies with the focus on the ball. Sounds utterly simple, but as I kept thinking about my live shots, I realized I take my eyes off the incoming ball at various times. I scan the opposing court, player(s) position, think of where I want to place the ball and even the next shot when the ball comes back again; everything but hitting the current ball. So, in essence my shots thus far have been pure luck in a way. Unlike in performance driving where one of the fundamental skills we develop is looking and focusing ahead of what is coming, in tennis the current moment is far more important I believe.  When I focus on the ball it slows down, and I have more time to prepare myself. Also, when I do not worry about how I am going to hit the ball, I do hit the ball well. Trusting that I have the skills to hit at least most balls, I only worry about placing my body at the right place to let everything else to work out unconsciously. 

The question now is can I effectively do that during an actual competitive match; just trusting myself that my techniques, knowledge and experiences are good enough to take me two levels higher, and just focusing on the competition? I will find out very soon.