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Contents

Introduction:WinningUglyinthe21stCenturyPrefacetotheFirstEdition:WinningUgly?McEnroe:AMasterLosesUgly

ITHEEARLYEDGE:

TheMatchBeginsBeforetheMatchBegins

1.MentalPreparation:ThePre-MatchAdvantage2.ToolsoftheTrade:HowEquipmentCanHelpYouWin3.StretchingforSuccess4.TheMicrowaveWarm-up:DefrostYourStrokesQuick5.Four“Nervebusters”:OvercomingPre-MatchNervousness6.StartSmart:GrabbingtheEarlyLead

IIPLAYINGSMART:FindingaWaytoWin

7.TheKeytoVictory8.DestroyingYourOpponent’sGamePlan9.TheSevenHiddenAdPoints10.ThePlayer’sPitStop:StrokeRepair11.LearningFromtheLegends

IIIMINDGAMES,PSYCHING,ANDGAMESMANSHIP:

TalesFromtheTour

12.TheMastersofRage:ConnorsandMcEnroe13.Lendl’sLethalWeapon14.Agassi:BreakingtheSpeedLimit15.HowtoHandleHooking16.AMillion-DollarMatch:WarWithWheaton17.TournamentToughAlltheTime18.TheRoadtoNumberOne19.AndreAgassion“WinningUgly”

AcknowledgmentsAboutBradGilbertandSteveJamison

Toagentlemanandgreatchampion,ArthurAshe,whofoughtforhumandignityandtheworthoftheindividual

Introduction

WinningUglyinthe21stCentury:TheMoreThingsChange,theMoreWeStaytheSame

Let’stestyourtennismemorywiththisquestion:Whowerethe#1playersintheworldwhenWinningUglywaspublishedin1992?IfyousaidMonicaSelesandJimCourier,youaced it.Plentyhaschangedsince then,butplentyhas stayedthe same. I think that’swhy somany tennis players still comeup and tellmehowWinningUglyhelpstheirgametoday,manyyearsafteritwasintroducedtoanunsuspectingtennisworld.

Nothingbringsawarmsmiletomyfaceanddoesmyheartmoregoodthanwhen a club player or pro walks up to me at a tournament with a copy ofWinningUglyformetosign.Great!Tome,that’stheultimatecompliment.Andthat’swhyIwouldn’tchangeaword in theoriginaledition; itstillwillhaveapowerfuleffectonyourgame.That’smypromisetoyou.

I would, however, add some ideas and that’s what this brand new andcomprehensive introduction is for, to bringWinning Ugly up to speed in thetwenty-firstcentury.

Inmyopinion, the threebiggest changes in tennis sinceWinningUglywaswritten are technology, court surfaces, and athleticism. (Maybe I should add afourth: instantreplay—theshotspot.It’sgreatforthegameandterrificforthefans because it satisfies our curiositywith conclusive evidence on those closecalls.)

1) Technology: Those high-tech poly strings and light rackets havetransformedshotsbyallowingprosandlotsofclubplayerstohitsomuchharderandcreategiganticspinandanglesthatletthemthrowgrenadesforground strokes and bombs for serves. (Rafael Nadal’s ball spins up to5,000revolutionsperminute—morethantwiceasfastasPeteSamprasorAndreAgassiintheirprime.)Theballishitsohardwithsomuchspinnowthatit’spracticallydeformedasitrocketsoverthenettowardanopponent.

2)Courtsurfaces:thesurfacesofcourtsworldwidearemorealikethaneverbefore—grass is slower; clay is faster;hardcourtsproducemorebounce.All of this makes for much better points—more interesting for fans towatch,andmorefunfortelevisionanalystslikemetotalkabout.

3) Finally, (and for me, the biggest change), the athleticism and resultingmovement and muscularity of twenty-first-century tour players are moreepicthanever.

“Movement” means great footwork coupled with quick speed, balance,dexterity, and flexibilitybothonoffenseanddefense for as longas it takes tofinishthejob.Itcomesfromadvancementsinconditioningandstrength,amongotherthings.Supremefitnessisagiventodayifyouwanttokeepupandatop-endfitnesstrainerisasprizedontourasagoodcoach.Whenyoucombinethatwiththenewtechnologyyouhavetoday’ssupertennisplayedbysuperplayers.

Forexample,NovakDjokovic—theDjoker—canrundownfivecornersbackand forth—boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—and then take control of thepoint,hitawinner,andfinishupbydoingthesplits.He,Rafa,andotherscandothis for fourhours.Theyhave theamazingabilityof the20-SecondRecovery.Theymakeitlookeasyanditabsolutelyamazesme.

I’m seeing the kind of points played now that just weren’t around twentyyears ago. It’s like watching a video game (or as I’ve called in on ESPN2,“watchingWii tennis”) and it has producedplayers I call “all-arounders”whocanplaygreatfromanywhereonthecourt.Theresultingtennisisunbelievabletowatchandhasledtoanewgoldenageforthesport.

Wherewillthegamebetwentyyearsfromnow?Twohundredmile-per-hourserves?Itcanhappen.Andevenmoreamazingisthatplayerswillbereturningthoseserves.

Thefaceoftwenty-firstcenturytennissofarisRogerFederer.Fedseized#1worldwidein2004andheldituntil2008,whenNadalgrabbeditforayear,thenFedagain,thenNadalagain—andthentheDjokertookover.ButFed’smark—seventeen Slams (so far), the most ever in men’s tennis—is the biggest. Hepersonallyraisedthebarofperformancesohighthatheforcedotherstofollowiftheywantedtocompete.RafaandtheDjokerdid.Otherswill.

On themen’s side, I’ve never seen a stronger top four than Fed,Rafa, theDjoker,andAndyMurray.Idoubtwe’llseeastronger#1,#2,#3,and#4foralongtime—maybeever.

For thewomen, Serena is it, althoughVenus is pretty amazing too. SerenaandVenus are two of the best things that happened towomen’s tennis in thetwenty-first century because they shook things up every which way.

(Nevertheless,SteffiGraf inherprimewouldchallengeeitherof theWilliamssistersbecauseshewassophysicalandhadthosepowerfulgroundies,includingher legendaryslicebackhand—anexecutioner’sshot.Verytoughmentally too,justlikeVenusandSerena.)

Old-time tennis fans like to say the 1980s produced the greatest cast ofcharacters and performers in tennis—McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Evert,Navratilova, Lendl, Borg, and others. But today’s lineup is more excitingbecauseof thebigchangesImentionedand theathleteswhoare incorporatingthosechangesintotheirgame.

Themorethingschangeforthepros,however,themoretheyseemtostaythesameforclubplayers—andthesedaysyoucouldalmostcallmeaclubplayer.

WhileWinningUglywasbeingwrittenSteveJamisonkeptremindingmethatmyfocuswasexclusivelyonwhatclubplayerscanlearnfromtheproswhenitcame to themental part of tennis. That basic truth hasn’t changed: You canimprove your tennis game fastest and the most if you improve the way youthink;ifyouworkashardonyourmindasyoudoonyourstrokes.

However, the new cast of superstars dominating the tennis scene in thetwenty-firstcenturyprovideadditionalmental-managementideastoaddtoyourarsenalofweapons.Theirapproachtothebrain-gamewillhelpyoubeatplayerswhoarebeatingyou—whomayhavebetterstrokesbutlackbetterthinking.

Firstup:RogerFederer.HaveyounoticedthatduringmatchesattheFrenchOpen,Fed’ssocksdon’tgetdirty—onclay!Andtheguybarelybreaksasweat.Howisthispossible?Especiallyonthereddirt—itblowsmeawayeverytime.Everybodyelsegetscoveredindirtandsweatsplentythere.WhynotFederer?Well, in part it’s because he’s just so perfect; his movement is absolutelyflawless,elegant,effortless,andefficient.Andhehastheabilitytodictatepointswithasgoodaforehandastennishaseverproduced.(MaybeNadalistheonlyoneatthatlevel.)

Buthere’swhatwecanlearnfromFed:Althoughhedoesn’thavethebiggestserveontour,hedoeshavethebiggest“holdserve”outthere;over90percentofthetimeRogerFedererholdsservewithouthavingthehugeserve.How?Inpartit’s because he can hit his spots with unbelievable accuracy and consistency.Someplayerscanhitadime;Fedcanhitadot.Abig,powerfulserveisgreat,butbelieveme,areturnercanfigureouthowtodealwithyourpoweraloteasierthandealingwith your improvedplacement. In fact, here’s a little tip: If youropponentisconsistentlyhittingwinnerswithabigserve,thesolutionissimple:Justtakeonestepbackfromwhereyouhadbeenstandingtoreceivetheserve.You’llliketheresults.

The lesson?Workon holdingyour serve and to do that practiceplacementfirst and foremost;move your serve around a little bit. You don’t have to beRoger Federer to get some results by moving your serve around. Keep youropponent guessing. And remember, if you’re going to work on one thing,practiceyourserve!Itmaybethemostimportantshotinthisgame.

I thinkRafa’scomfortzoneiswhenhefeels thathe’snotgoodenoughandhas to get better and better to stay competitive. So he’s always tinkeringwithsomepart of his already fantastic game, never satisfied and always looking toimprove.Improve,improve,improve!Hedoesn’tliketohavesomebodytellhimhe’s the greatest because he absolutely does notwant to buy into thatway ofthinking.

Rafawantstofeellikehe’snotthebest,thathehastogetbetterandbetter,andsohe’salwaysworkingonsomepartofhisgreatgame.WhenItalktohimat tournaments he’s always fiddling with something—the grip, toss, orsomethingelse.ThepassionyouseeinRafaonthecourt inthefifthsetofthefinalsofaGrandSlamisthesamepassionhebringsoffthecourttoimprovinghislevelofexecution—toimprovinghisalreadyterrificgame.RafaNadalgiveshis game a million percent during matches, during practice, probably duringbreakfasttoo.He’stotalinhiscommitment.

The lesson?Never quit trying to get better, to raise themechanics and thethinkingwith your own game. If one of the greatest players in the history oftenniscan feel likehisgame isnevergoodenough, socanyou.Andsocan I.Here’smyownexample.

WhenIwasontourIusedtodriveplayerscrazybychasingdowneverything,keepingthepointalive,hanginginthere.Iwagedawarofattrition.Nowadays?Thelegsandlungsaren’twhattheyweretwentyyearsago,andI’vehadtobehonestwithmyselfandadmit it.SoI looked to tinkerwithmymechanics likeRafabecauseIneededtoendpointssoonerintheseniorsmatchesthatIplay.Todo that, I needed to hit bigger from themiddle of the court andhope the balleitherdidn’tcomebackorcamebackweaksoIcouldreducetherunningIhadtodo.

WhenIstartedtotinkerwithmystrokeIwasdrivingmywife,Mrs.G.,crazybecauseIwaswalkingaroundthehouseallthetimewithatennisracketinmyhand,practicinghittingaflatterforehandandswingingatanimaginaryball.

IamproudtosayIneverbrokealampandalsomanagedtodevelopaharder,flatter,more forceful forehand.TheAussiescall itputting in the“hardyards,”andIdidmyversionofhardyardsinourlivingroom,diningroom,andkitchen.Thenouttothecourt.

Be like Rafa—dissatisfied with your game! Become a good, hardworkingtinkerer always looking to improve and youwill become a better player whowinsmoreoften.

Andspeakingofgettingbetter,NovakDjokovicoffersanamazinglessonforallofuswhenitcomestosettinggoals—namely,don’tsettleforresultsthatarebelowyour full potential; don’t get comfortable.Andmaybe at one point, theDjokerhadgottencomfortable.

Doyourememberwhenhewastheperennial#3ontour—2007,2008,2009,and2010?DoyoualsorememberthatinDecember2010heledSerbiatovictoryagainstFrance in the finalsof theDavisCupchampionship?And thendoyourecallwhathappened?Hecouldn’tlose.

In2011hewontentournaments,includingtheAustralianOpen,Wimbledon,andtheU.S.Open,andsetaworldrecordforthemostprizemoneyinasingleseason ($12million), which can happenwhen youwin 41matches in a row,secondonlytoJohnMcEnroe’s42-matchwinningstreak.

Whydidthisstunningupgradeoccur?Yes,hewentonagluten-freediet,andI believe it made a huge difference including helping his breathing. Yes, heboughtintobelievinginhisserve.Novaktinkeredwithhisservicemotionanditwasn’t working, so he went back to his original motion, which did. He wentfrombeingtheonlyplayerintheTop50duringthefirstthreequartersof2010to average more double faults than aces to having a much more consistent,reliable,productiveserve.Bothofthesechangeswereimportant,butIthinkthebiggestchangewasinsidetheDjoker’shead.

LeadingSerbiatoDavisCupglorymadesomethinghappeninhisheadthatshookhimup,gothimraisinghissightsandgoals,madehimdigdeepinsideforbig results outside that became historic. Being triumphant in the Davis Cupmadehimhungrier—Ithink—tobethebestontheA.T.P.Tour.

MaybeTheDjoker had gotten settledmentally into a #3 spot and then theDavisCupchampionshipsmashedthecomfortzoneandplayedthebiggestpartinhisturnaround.SomethingreallysignificanthappenedtoDjokovic’sattitude.I’mnot surehe even fullyunderstands it all, but that’smyguess, because thedifferenceinaworld#1andaworld#3isusuallymental.Djokovicbecamehisownprophet;hesawthepromisedlandandmovedthere.

Something similarmay have happened to the so-called perennial #4,AndyMurray, who’d lost four Grand Slam finals including the 2012 WimbledonchampionshipagainstRogerFederer.EarlierMurrayhadbroughtIvanLendlonboard—8GrandSlamsingleschampionships—tohelphimgetoverthehumpofbeingthebestplayernevertohavewonamajor.IvanhadalsolosthisfirstfourappearancesinSlamfinalsbutkeptbattlingandbelievingtogoonandwinthose

eight championships. As a coach—and a good one—he instilled in Andy thesamemassiveno-quit relentlessness, something thatmayhavebeenmissing intheScot.Anditstarted,believeitornot,withMurray’sfour-setlosstoFedererin the 2012 Wimbledon finals. Lendl recognized in the loss that Andy hadactuallybeenverycompetitiveforthefirsttimeinaSlamfinalsappearance—hewonthefirstsetandwasclosetowinningacoupleofothers.

FrommyconversationswithIvanIbelievehefocusedonthepositiveswithAndyafterthatWimbledondefeat,gothimthinkingaboutthegreatlyimprovedperformancevis-à-visthepreviousappearancesinSlamfinals,wherehelostinreally noncompetitive straight sets. The proofmay be this: a couple ofweeksaftertheWimbledondefeat,AndyeasilybeatFedinthegoldmedalmatchatthe2012 Olympics. Although it is not a Grand Slam event, Ivan Lendl basicallydeclaredita“major”andsaidthatAndyhadwonhisfirstGrandSlam!WiththatdeclarationheessentiallycalledMurrayaGrandSlamchampion.DidthattakealoadofMurray’sshoulders?Youdecide.

Strangeas it sounds (becausewhenyou seehimsitting in the friends’box,watching amatch, Ivan appears tobe so serious andgruff), he taughtpositivethinkingtoAndyMurray.Nevertheless,theyearsaheadwilltelluswhetherhecan retain that Lendl-like toughness, tenacity, and positive attitude andwin abunchofSlams.

Thelesson?Youarebetterthanyouthinkyouare;youcanplayatahigherlevelthanyouthinkyoucan;andyouhavethepotentialtobeatso-calledbetterplayers. If you’re a competitor and not just playing for exercise (and “cardio”tennisisgreat),don’tacceptwhereyouare;don’tsettleforless.Shakeyourselfup in whatever manner it takes and you’ll get results. Like Murray and theDjokeryoucanturnthingsaroundandbeatplayerswhoarebeatingyou.

This“don’tsettleforless”attitudewasdisplayedbestbyaplayerIliketocall“Sparky”becauseofhergreatintensityandenergyonthecourt.JustineHenin,who although sort of petite—about 5’ 5” and125pounds—played supersized,bigbangtennis.Shecouldhavesettledforbeingacounterpuncheraseverybodytoldhertobe(givenhersize),butshesaidno.

Justine had a different kind of game in mind for herself and used herunbelievabletimingtocrackservesandforehands,anddeveloponeofthebest-ever backhands women’s tennis has seen. She willed herself to become adominantoffensiveplayerbynotgoingwithconventionalwisdomorlisteningtomostof theexperts. I love that.Sheovercame theoddsandwon sevenGrandSlamswithabiggerbrandoftennisinspiteofhersmallerstature.BigGame—SmallPackage.

Heninroseaboveherheightwithhermind.Tough todo,butshedid.And,maybeyoucandoitinyourownway.Therearetimesyouhavetofollowyourgut,todowhatyouknowisrightforyouandcommittoitlikeJustinedidearlyinhercareer.

Now, let’s focus on one aspect of another female superstar’s greatness thatyoushouldbringintoyourgame,orratherintoyourhead;SerenaWilliams(andVenustoo)haveseriousshort-termmemoryloss.BythatImeanwhenthingsgobadinapoint,game,set,ormatch, theyhave thisability tomentallywipe theslateclean—toforgetaboutitimmediatelyandnotgetruined.Clubplayers?Wemiss a few shots and lose a coupleofgames and it gets inourmind;we loseconfidence,get rattled,anddial itdown.Believeme, Iknow.Thatwasmeontourplentyoftimes.Asyou’llreadlaterinWinningUgly,whenyougetdownonyourself—startbeatingyourselfupmentally—therearenow twoplayersonthecourttryingtotakeyoudown.Andoneofthemisyou.

Keep Serena’s and Venus’s memory loss—the ability to look ahead, notbehind—inyourmindandcopyit.Wheneithersistergetsoffhergameshedoesnot lose faith; she keeps taking her big cuts and going for her shots withoutanxietyoverthescoreorthosemistakes.Eachpointstartsfreshinhermindwithnotaintfromamistakepreviously.

It’sgreatshort-termmemoryloss,andithelpsthemstaycommittedtowhattheywanttodo.Opponentsknowthat;theyknowthatSerena,inparticular,canbe very lethal in that situation because she will not give up on herself, staystotallycommittedtoandbelievesinhergame,andcomesoutfightingharderandbetterthanbefore.That’sscarywhenyou’reontheothersideofthenet.

Nevertheless,ifyouwatchenoughmatchesyou’llalwaysseesomethingyounever thought you’d see, and during the 2012 French Open I saw it: SerenaWilliams lost a first-roundmatch to a player ranked 111th in theworld, eventhoughSerenahadneverlostinthefirstroundofaSlam—ever!—andwasupasetandleadingthesecondsettie-breaker5–1.Howcouldthishappen?Simple:Thetideturnedandsometimesyoucan’tturnbackthetideevenwhenyouareSerenaWilliamsandyouropponenthasatriple-digitranking.

Abadcallhere,anunforcederrorthere,andaplayer,VirginieRazzano,whogets in the zone andhas “home town” support and suddenly things get out ofcontrol.Itmaytakealongtimebutithappensquick.Anditdid.

Serenawaswithin two points of winning the three-hourmatch a bunch oftimesandthensavedsevenmatchpointsagainstherself.Razzanofinallywonitontheeighthattempt.ItwasadevastatingblowforSerena,right?

Nope.Justtheopposite.

Ilovedherresponsetothemediarightafterthematch:“Yaknow,that’slife.”The lesson? Winning is hard enough when you believe in your shots. It’simpossiblewhenyou let yourself become a doubter.Removedoubtwithyourown short-term memory loss and I promise you’ll get results worthremembering.Agoodwaytodothatisafteralosstowritedownwhatyoudidrightduringthematch;takesomethingpositiveoutofthenegative.

InSerena’s case shedidplenty right toget that close towinning.Shekeptfightingbigwhenshefacedmatchpointagainstheroverandoverandoverandover.Bigpluses.Inyourowncaselookatyourpluses,buildonthem.Lookatyournegatives,fixthem.Buildandfix.Moveon.Tellyourself,“That’slife.”

Serena hates to lose anymatch, especially in a Slam, but in hermind thisterriblelosswasnotsomethingshewouldusetobeatherselfupwith.Infact,sheused it to get better—a lot better. Instead of heading back to NewYork, sheheadedtotheParistennisacademyofPatrickMouratoglouforsomeconsultingandintenseupgradingofhergame.Sheusedthepain—anddon’tlether“That’slife” comment suggest there wasn’t big pain—of the French loss to gear upmassively and improve for the upcoming tests at Wimbledon, the 2012Olympics,andtheU.S.Open.

Ibelieveherfightingspirit,hergrit,andherstrengthofcharacterwasignitedbythatlossintheFrenchtoRazzanobecausewhatfollowedwasunbelievable:Serenawon theWimbledon singles and doubles championships, theOlympicssingles and doubles gold medals, and the U.S. Open singles championship! IbelieveitwasdirectlyrelatedtoherreactiontothelossinParis.

Clubplayerswhosuffera toughlossusuallygetdepressedandoutof it forweeksbecause it createsdevastation in theirmind.NotSerena.She refuses tobeatherselfup.Dothesameinyourowngame.

Now, letmegiveyouwhat isstillmybiggestcomplaintaboutclubplayersand your game:Too often you have the risk vs. reward calculation backward.Namely, when you don’t have an advantage in the point—like when you’reforcedovertothedoublesalleyinthebackcourt—youtrytoriptheimpossibleone-in-twentyluckyshotlikeoneyoumadeacoupleofyearsago.Conversely,when you get a ball right smack in themiddle of the court—just back of theserviceline—suddenlyyouthink,“Ooooooh,Idon’twannamissthiseasyone,”andplayitsafe,justpushitoverthenet.Isay:“Why?Whatareyouthinking?”That’sthetimetogetmoreaggressive,takesomerisk,uptheante.Theball’sinyour strike zone and you’ve got amuch better chance to go for a productiveforcingshotorwinner.It’saneasiershotthatoffersaneasierreward.Takeit!

Thelesson?Don’tbuntwhentheball’steedupforahomerun;don’tgoforthehomerunwhenasinglekeepstheinninggoing.

But club players often get cautious when they should get aggressive andaggressivewhen they should be cautious. (The same thing happens on higherbouncingballs:Youstand thereand let theballplayyouand trymakeagreatshotoutofnothing.Don’tdo that.Runbacka fewstepsormoreand returnaneutral,higherbouncingballtoyouropponent.)

Maybeyou’vebeentaughtnevertoretreat.Well,Isayretreatandstayinthepoint by returning aneutral ball andwait for your chance.Whenyou see thatchancearrive—likeaball inthemiddleofthecourt—thenstepitupandforcethings to happen. Federer may be able to hit a winner from anywhere in thestadiumincludingthehotdogstand,butclubplayersshouldbemorerealisticinanalyzingwhentouptherisktoproducethereward.

Finally,mylastlessonherecomesfromanunlikelytennissource:Metallica,myfavoriteband,and theirdrummer,LarsUlrich,who’smybuddy. (Hisdad,Torben,wasatopDanishtennisprobackinthe1950sand’60sandmaybethemosteclecticguythetourhaseverseen.)LarsandeachmemberofMetallicaarestill touring theworld to huge crowds even though the guys are not teenagersanymore.But their passion is still huge.Lars is in his late forties, andhe stillbringsiteverysinglenight—fullsweat,playingashardasheeverhasinfrontofcrowds bigger than they’ve ever been. They collectively do not take it forgrantedandgiveiteveryouncethey’vegot.LikeRafa,amillionpercent.

Thelesson?Intennisandinlifewhenyoudosomethingyoulove,appreciateitandrespectitbygivingitallyoucan.Nevertakeitforgrantedbecausesoonenoughitwillbetakenaway.Timeistough.Everytimeyougooutonthecourtbethankful.Begrateful.Believeme,Iam.Ifyouareluckyenoughtobeatennisplayeryoushould recognize that it’saprivilege tobeable towalkouton thatcourtandplaythegame.

I’malsogratefulthatIgettoanalyzetwenty-first-centurytennisontelevisionaround the world. Tennis is a moving escalator that’s always changing; theplayers,technology,strokes,courts,rackets,theballs.It’ssomethingIlovetobeapartof.There’sonlyonethingmissing:Ilovebeingnervous.Ilovewakingupat3:30A.M.anxiousaboutanupcomingmatchI’mplaying(whenIwasontour)oroneforaproI’mcoaching.

There’s nothing like those nerves and the excitement that comes withknowingthatinafewhourstwomenenterthearenaandonlyonemanleavesawinner.Televisionbroadcasting isgreat. Ihavefunwith it. Imakesomegreatpicks and sometimes I make a knucklehead pick, but it does not make menervous.Dissecting players’ games and talking strategy and tactics is fun, butit’snot likebeinginthering; it’snot likethosenervesyoufeelbeforeafight.That’swhat’sfun.

Andthat’swhyplaying tennis issogreatatwhatever levelyouplay.A3.5club player can have great fun and excitement playing a ladder match ortournamentjust likeaproontour.Hopefully,WinningUgly in thetwenty-firstcentury will add to your fun and excitement by giving you more mental-managementskillsthatcanmakeyouabetterplayerrightnow—today.Believeme,youarenotfarawayfrombeatingthoseplayerswhohavebeenbeatingyou.WinningUglytellsyouhow.Goodluck!

PrefacetotheFirstEdition

WinningUgly?

“Howinthehelldoesthisguywin?Hehitslikeacavemanwhofoundatennisracket!”That’stheincredulousopinionIoverheardduringthefinalsofaVolvoTennis/San Francisco Classic while Brad Gilbert was battling and beatingAndersJarrydtowinthechampionshipand$32,000.Theprizewaspartof$1.5million he would win during the year. My reaction surprised me. As one ofthousandsoffanstheretoseeourhometownhero(BradlivesjustoutsideofSanFrancisco in San Rafael, California) I didn’t like hearing him criticized.However,Ihadtoadmitthecavemanreferencewasn’taltogetherinappropriate.Braddoeshaveauniquestyle.

Itgotme thinking.Whydoeshewin?Howdoeshebeatplayers likeBorisBeckerwhoaresupposedlybetterthanhim?Looksaredeceiving,andwithBrad(whosestylehasbeendescribedas“ugly”)looksareverydeceiving.Hehaswonover$5millionintournamentprizemoney.HewasintheTop10internationallyfor fiveyears and rose ashighasnumber four in theworld in1990.He is anOlympicmedalist and has successfully represented theUnited States inDavisCup competitionmany times.BradGilbert has been one of the top players intennisforalmosttenyears.Allbecausehewasabletobeatplayerstheexpertssaidheshouldn’thavebeenabletobeat.Howdoeshedoit?

Brad’s success comes from the fact that he is a thinking person’s tennisplayer.Intennis,heisthebestintheworldatthementalsideofthegame.Whatspectators see are his strokes, and those strokes aren’t always pretty. Whatpeopledon’tseearethementalmachinationsthatleadhimtovictory,whatgoesoninhisheadbefore,during,andafteramatch.Mosttennisplayersarementallylazyon thecourt.Braduses this tohisadvantageandbelievesyoucando thesame.Heutilizeseverysecondofamatchtotryandfigureoutawaytogainanadvantage.Withoutoverwhelmingphysicalgiftsorastonishingshots,Bradwinsbecauseheoutthinksandoutplansopponents.

TimGallwey’sbook,TheInnerGameofTennis,focusedontheright-brain,or intuitive process. Brad’s focus is on the left-brain, or analytical process.

Gallweypursuedthejoysofplaying.Bradpursuesthejoysofwinning.Gallweywasconcernedwith the“innergame.”Brad isconcernedwithknowingwhat’sgoingonrightinfrontofhimandtakingadvantageofit.WinningUgly tells how to do the same thingwith your own tennis game.

Braddescribeshisformulaformakingthemostoutofwhatyou’vegot.Anditworks. Inwriting thisbookwithhim I learnedaboutapartof thegame Ihadneverfocusedonbefore:thementalaspectoftennis.Mygameimproved,andsowillyours.

After you’ve putBrad’s formula to the test, if anyone ever accuses you of“winningugly”justsay,“Thankyou.I’vebeenworkingonit.”

SteveJamison

McEnroe:AMasterLosesUgly

JohnMcEnroewashavinghisworstnightmare.Exceptitwasn’tanightmare.Itwas theMasters atMadisonSquareGarden in frontof thousandsofhis loyal,screaming, stomping New York City fans. Tonight McEnroe, defendingchampionandrankednumbertwointheworld,wasslowlyrealizingthathewasgoingtolosetoaguyhedidn’tlikeandwhosegamehedespised.Thatguywasme.Itwashumiliatingforhimandhewasseething.

Hiseyesgavehimawayfirst.Theyhadthelookofakidwhohadjustsetfiretotheneighbor’scat:scaredandmean.HisfacehadthathatefulMcEnroescowl.Onachangeoverhesnarledoverinmydirection,“Gilbert,youdon’tdeservetobe on the same court with me!” He was heading over the edge.We crossedwithinafewfeetofeachother.IncaseI’dmissedhispointheadded,“Youaretheworst.The———worst!”

McEnroe continued to go downhill, complaining about the electronic line-calling machine, arguing heatedly with a spectator during the second set,receiving a code of conduct warning later for a “visible obscenity.” He wascompletely nuts. Screaming at himself, slamming his racket, storming aroundandtauntingthecrowd(hisownfans!).Attimesitlookedlikehewashavingapublicnervousbreakdown.

Itwas one of his better performances.But, in the end, the guywho didn’t“deserve to be on the same court” with him won in three tough sets. Well,actually,twotoughsets.Thethirdwasabreeze:5–7,6–4,6–1.BymatchpointJohnwasapussycat.Butthatwasn’ttheend.

Afterward, he dropped a bombshell. McEnroe announced his “retirement”from tennis at the ageof twenty-seven.Andheblamedpart of it onme!Macexplained that heneeded a sabbatical because, “When I start losing to playerslikehim[“him”beingyours truly] I’vegot to reconsiderwhat I’mdoingevenplayingthisgame.”IfhethoughtI’dbeinsultedhewaswrong.Infact,Ilovedit.InsevenpreviousmatchesIhadwononlyoneset.ThatvictoryintheMasterswasagreatwin.Toogreatasitturnedout,butmoreonthatlater.

TheBankDoesn’tThinkI’mUgly

JohnMcEnroe and I have never exactly been what you’d call best friends. Iguessthatcanhappenwhentwopeopledon’tlikeeachother.HethinksI’vegotbad strokes. I think he’s got a bad attitude.But the truth of thematter is thatMcEnroeisright.Onpaperheshouldn’tlosetome.AndneithershouldBecker,Agassi,Connors,Chang,Edberg,Courier,Forget,Sampras,Stich,Wheaton,andalotofotherguyswithbetterstrokesandmoreso-callednaturalability.

Fortunatelyforme,tennismatchesaren’tplayedonpaper.They’replayedontennis courts. And because they are I’ve been able to beat those players andothers to the tune of $5,000,000. By 1991 I was eighth on the all-time prizemoney list. When you add in the endorsements and exhibitions that resultedfromthosevictoriesmytotalincomefromtennisby1993iscloseto$8,000,000.Winningugly?Allthewaytothebank.

It happened because I’ve used whatever talent and skills I do have in acalculatedwaythatmaximizestheirpotential; thatgivesmemybestchancetowin. It’swhy I’vebeen able to beat playerswho are supposedly “better” thanme.Youcandothesame.Makethemostofwhatyou’vegot.Playbettertenniswithoutbetterstrokes.

TheNew,ImprovedYou:20PercentBetter

First,Iwanttotellyouonethingaboutyourgame.Thewaytomakethebiggestimprovement in the shortest time is to better understand and use theopportunitiesforgaininganadvantagethatexistineverymatchyouplay.Thebigopportunitiesandthesmallopportunities.Especiallythesmallopportunities,theonesplayersneglectbecauseofignoranceorlaziness.Ifyouwanttocallthatwinningugly,goaheadandgetugly.Developyourpowersofobservationandanalysisandthenuse the information,andyourchancesofwinningwillgoupby20percentormore.

Brain-DeadTennis:TheUnawarePlayer

Mostweekendplayers,most club players,most recreational players are brain-deadonthetenniscourt.Theygooutandrunaroundwithnoplan,nothought,nonothing.Theygiveitasmuchstudyandconsiderationasjumpingrope.Andthat’swhy theycanbehad.With twoplayersof roughlyequal ability theonewho’s aware of and takes advantage of the dynamics, opportunities, andopeningsbefore,during,andafterthematchwillwin.

Thepersondrivingthefancylittlesportscarmaylooklikehe(orshe)shouldcomeinfirst.I’llputmymoneyonthegreasemonkeyinthemodifiedstockcarwhoknowshowtogetaroundthetrack.It’sthesamefortennis.Prettystrokesareokay.Butthere’salotmoretothegamethanthat.

SmartTennisIsaThree-StepProcess1.Recognizeyouropportunity.2.Analyzeyouroptions.3.Capitalizeontheopportunitybyusingthebestoption.

Recognize. Analyze. Capitalize. That applies before, during, and after amatch to all aspects of the game: mental, physical, and emotional. It eveninvolvesyourequipment.Example?Opportunityexistsearlywiththespinoftheracket. You should recognize it. Depending on your opponent and theconditions,youshouldchooseandcapitalizeontherightoption.

Attennisclubsandpubliccourtsthewrongchoiceismadeabout85percentof the time. Coming up I’ll tell you how to get the most benefit out of thatsituation.It’saverysmallelementofyourtotalmatch,butitisanelementthatcontainsopportunity.Youjusthavetoknowwhattodowithit.

Andtherearescoresofotheropeningsasmartplayerusestogainanedge.Ibelieve if you recognize and take advantage of those opportunities in enoughwaysandenoughtimesyou’llprobablywin.

“Idon’tthinkhisgameissogood.Buthemakesupforitwithhismentalability.”

—DavidWheaton,followingalosstoBradGilbert

Unlike jumping rope, a tennis match doesn’t begin when it starts and endwhen it stops. Tennis begins off the court, continues through your pre-matchregimen and into thematch, and goes on after you’vewon (or lost) the finalpoint. Smart players knowhow to prepare correctly for amatch and once thecontest is underway how to control their emotions. They know how to thinktheirwaythroughamatch,avoidinglowpercentageshotsthatcarryunnecessaryrisk at inappropriate times. Smart players observewhat’s going on in amatchandanalyzetheinformation.Theyknowhowtocapitalizeonwhattheyknow.

Obviously, it takes somediscipline, commitment, and effort. Imention thisbecausemostplayerswillbusttheirbunstoimproveaparticularstroke.They’lltakelessons,hitontheballmachine,bangagainstthebackboard,practiceinthe

hotsun.Blood,sweat,andtears,thewholebit.Thenhavingimprovedwhateverstrokethey’re tryingtoperfect, theywon’tspendaminutefiguringouthowtouseittomaximumeffectduringamatch.Brain-dead.Hardworkers,butbrain-dead.

Ahead in this book are the opportunities that you should be aware of, theoptionsyouhave, and theways to capitalizeon them frompre-match throughpost-match.Howtomentallyandphysicallyprepareforbattleonthecourt.Howtoplayagainstalltypesoftennisstyles.Howtorecognizeimportantdynamicswithinamatch.Howtohandlepressureandpsyching.Andmore.

It’sthenutsandboltsofwhatI’velearnedatalllevelsfromjuniortennistoaTop5rankingandabankaccountIneverdreamedpossible.Andyoucanapplyittoyourgame.Someoftheideasareobvious.Othersaren’tsoobvious.Someofitwillapplytoyourgameandsomeofitwon’t.Butallofitisdirectedtothemostneglectedaspectoftennis:thementalpartofyourgame.Let’sstartbeforethebeginning.

ITheEarlyEdge:TheMatchBeginsBeforethe

MatchBegins

“Idon’tthinkmuchofBradGilbert.”—JohnMcEnroe

1MentalPreparation:ThePreMatchAdvantage

TurningPro:YoungandInnocent

OneofthefirstlessonsIlearnedwhenIturnedproin1982washowmuchofanedgecouldbegainedbeforethematchevengotstarted.Itbecameobvioustomethatforthebestplayersintheworldtheirmatchhadbegunalongtimebeforethefirstserve.Theycamereadytoplayandwantedtograbmebythethroatassoonastheycould.

AsamemberofthetennisteamsatFoothillJuniorCollegeandPepperdine,Ilikedtojustshowupandplay.I’dsettleintothematchmentallyandphysicallyduringthefirstset.AlotoftimesIcouldgetawaywithitbecausemyopponentwasdoingittoo.Doyouapproachyourmatchesthesameway?

On tour this wasn’t such a good idea. The slow start didn’t work againstMcEnroe,Lendl,Connors, and someof theveterans.By the time Igot settledintosomeofthosematches,thematchwasalreadyover.OnetimeIstartedoutbylosingthefirstsixteenpointsofthematch.ItwasoversofastIalmostdidn’tneedtotakeashowerafterward.Brutal—Iwaslearningthehardway.

The top players came expecting to have me for lunch, and they’d beenthinkingabouttakingthatfirstbitesincetheyfoundoutIwasonthemenu.Fouror five games to work up an appetite? They arrived ready to eat. The maincourse?GlazedGilbert.

Beingdownacoupleofbreaksearly,withnorhythm,noplan,nocontinuity,putmeattoogreatadisadvantage.Iwasclobberedregularlybythesmartguysontour.TheyknewsomethingIdidn’t.

StartYourMatchBeforeItBegins

What I discovered by looking, listening, and losing was simple. The guysmaking money out there started honing in on their target (me, for example)before the target was even in sight. The smart ones were consciously and

subconsciouslyreviewinginformationabouttheopponentaheadofthemassoonas theyknewwho thatplayerwas.Theprocessbeganhoursbefore thematch.Thesmartplayerswantedtoseekandseizeadvantageasearlyaspossible.Andthey wanted to do it in as manyways as possible. For them, one of the bigopportunities was good mental preparation. And that means early mentalpreparation.

WhenDoesYourWarm-upBegin?

Letme tell youwhen the warm-up doesn’t begin. It doesn’t beginwhen youarriveonthecourt.Itmayforyouropponent,butitshouldn’tforyou.Asmartplayerstarts topreparefor thematchon theway to thematch,orevenbefore.Thewarm-upshouldcontinueonintothelockerroomandoutontothecourt.

Thewarm-upbeginswithyourbrain.Yourmind is usually the last part ofyoutogetactivated(if itgetsactivatedatall).Playersstretch incorrectlyforaminute,hitacoupleofforehands,andthreeserves,andit’s“Let’sstart.”Theybarelywarmupthebody,butthat’smoreattentionthantheygivetotheirmentalpreparation.Themindisaterriblethingtowaste,andtennisplayerswasteitallthetime.

Getintothehabitofevaluatingyouropponentandthinkingaboutthematchbefore you arrive at the court. If you drive to thematch your car is the placewhere your warm-up begins. If you walk to the courts, then the sidewalk iswhereithappens.Nomatterwhat,yourwarm-upstartsonthewaytothematch.

Formeitcanbeginevenearlierthanthat.ThenightbeforeamatchI’llbeinmy hotel room thinking about the next day’s competition. I’ll actually playpoints out in mymind. I can see myself making shots and winning points. Ivisualizepointswe’veplayed in thepast. I’llseemyselfmakingspecificshotsagainstthatplayer.It’salmostlikewatchingavideotapeofsegmentsofamatch.InthemorningI’llcontinuetheprocess.

Thatlittlefive-minutewarm-upyouseebeforeamatchbeginsfortheplayersontourisprobablymisleading.Itlookslikewejusttrotouttothecourtwiththatbigbagoverourshoulder,hitforacoupleofminutes,andstartthematch.Formostofustheprocesshasbeengoingonthroughouttheday—hitting,stretching,looseningup,amassage,andmostofall,thatmentalreview.

ThePreMatchMentalChecklist

Whether Iwonor lost to aplayer inour lastmatch, Iwant to thinkabout thereasons. How did I beat him? What does he do with his shot selection andpattern?Doesheattack?IsheaRetriever?Doesheservebig?What’shisreturnofservelike?DidImakemistakesagainsthimlasttime?Whatkindandwhy?What shots are his best?Hisworst?Was he forcingme to do something thatbotheredme?Doeshestartstrongandgettoocautiousonpressurepoints?Wasitaclosematch?Werethepointslong?Irevieweverythingthatpertainstomyopponent’sgame(asfarasstrokesandshottendenciesareconcerned).

It isalsoimportanttoconsiderthe“personality”ofthegameyouropponentproduces.What does he do to affect the atmosphere, mood, or tempo of thematch? Is she very slow between points? Does he get emotional? Does sheprotestalotofcalls?Ishegreatwhenhegetsalead,butnotsogreatwhenhe’slosing?Doyouropponentsgiveyoua lotofsmall talkonchangeovers, takingyourmindoffthematchlikeMcEnroetriedtodotome?Dotheyalwaysshowup tenminutes late?Do they rush through thewarm-up andwant to start thematchassoonaspossible?

Prepareyourselfmentallyforthe“stuff”certainplayersbringwiththemintothematch.IwanttobementallyandemotionallysetforthefastplayofAndreAgassi or the deliberatemethodicalmatch tempo of Ivan Lendl. I want to beready for the temperamental outbursts of Connors and McEnroe or thestonefaces ofMichaelChang or JimCourier. Itmakes a big difference tomebecauseI’mbetterabletocontrolmyowngameplan,tempo,andcomposureifIknowwhat’slikelytobehappeningontheothersideofthenet.Believeme,itcanmakeahugedifference,asyou’llseelater.

TheGamePlan

Thisprocessofreviewwill leadmeright intotheequallyimportantprocessofplanningmystrategy:

1.WhatdoIwanttomakehappen?2.WhatdoIwanttopreventfromhappening?

ByevaluatingmyopponentIstartsolidifyingmyownapproachtothematch.AsIreviewtheirgamestyleandstrokesI’mpreparingmybasicgameplan.IftheybrokedownmybackhandlasttimeI’llbethinkingabouthowtopreventthesamethingfromhappeningthistime.IftheirserveisweakI’malertingmyselfandgoingoverhowtotakeadvantageofthat.I’mplanningaspecificapproachforthatspecificplayer.AllofthisbeforeIevenseethematthecourt.

SetYourCompass

Yourbodywilltrytodowhatyourmindtellsittodo.Inthisprematchreviewyou’re programming yourmind to give the body correct information once thematchbegins and things start happeningquicklyunder fire.You’re setting thecourseyouwanttotaketoarriveatyourdestination.Thatdestinationisvictory.

Initsmostbasicformyourplanevolvesasyouanswerthesequestions:

1.Whatismyopponent’sbestweapon?2.Whereismyopponentweak?3.WhatismybestshotandhowcanIdirectitatmyopponent’sweakness?4.WhatcanIdotokeepmyopponentawayfrommyownweakness?

Yourprematcheffortcreatesamentalcompass.Youknowwhereyouwanttogoandhowyou’regoingtogetthere.Theremaybedetoursalongtheway,youropponentmaypresent some surprises, youmayget lost, but thebasic route islaidoutinyourheadinadvanceandyourmentalcompasskeepsyouoncourse.(Coming up I’ll show you how following this procedure helpedme beat bothBorisBeckerandJimmyConnors,intotallydifferentways.)

Evenifyoutendtoplaythesamepeopleoverandover(yourtennisbuddies)itisstillimportanttozeroinonthespecificplayerforaparticularday.Getyourmindon that oneplayer. If you’replaying eachother regularly it canbe evenmore advantageous to review and refine your tactics because you’ve got abacklogofinformation.That’swhenitreallystartstogetinteresting.

Watchthetourplayers.Thegreatonesareveryintentongettingofftoagoodstartbecausetheyknowthatitcanoftensetthetonefortheentirematch.Gettingtheotherplayerunderyour thumbrightoutof thechuteputs themina“catchup”position.Sometimes they’ll recover.A lotof times theywon’t.And that’swhatyouwant todo toyouropponent.Asearlyaspossibleyouwant to forcethem to be considering the idea that “maybe it’s just not gonna be my daytoday.” It can happen very early, believeme. Your prematch preparation andvisualizationcanmakeyoutheonesomebodyelseistryingtocatchupto.

You’re thinking, “Hey, Brad. Gimme a break! I’ve got a life. I can’t bethinkingabouttennisallthetime.”That’sright.ButwhatI’mtalkingabouttakeslessthantenminutesofattentiononthewaytoyourmatchandthentheeffortoffollowing a plan once you get there. Maybe you can squeeze that in foropponents you reallywant to beat. By giving yourself a good chance to startrightyou’regivingyourselfagoodchancetofinishright.That’sworththeextraattention.

LetmetakeyouthroughmyownmentalpreparationexactlyasI’veused itbeforeimportantmatches.

PreparationonTour:BeckerandConnors(DifferentStrokesforDifferentFolks)

WhenIstartedseriouslyusingmyprematchopportunities in thiswayIstartedwinningmoreoften.Let’ssaymyopponentintheroundof16attheU.S.OpenwasBorisBecker (because itwas).Myownmental reviewbefore Igot to thelockerroomatFlushingMeadowwouldgolikethis:

Becker can attackmyweak second serve. He knows how to exploit it formaximumeffect.Thisisapolitewayofsayinghecreamsit.Therefore,Idon’twant to lethimseemany seconds.Thatmeans Iwant togetmy first serve inmore consistently, to put a premiumon reducing first serve faults.Obviously,I’llhavetohitwithlessabandonandtakefewerrisksonmyfirstserve,buttherewardwill be that he doesn’t get the opportunity tomakeme eatmy secondserve.

Also,Iwanttoservetohisforehand,tryandgethimmissingsomeforehandgroundstrokes.Why?IknowthatBorishasagreatforehand.Itanchorstherestofhisgame.Butifhestartsscrewingupwithit,everythingelsecansuffer.Hegetsfrustratedwhentheforehanddoesn’tmeethisexpectations.

I’velearned(andtellmyselfagainintheprematchreview)thatwhenhestartstomiss on the forehand side, the rest of his game can start towobble. That’swhenhe’llstartscreamingathimselfinGerman.SoIwanttobesharpservingtohisforehandwithoutgettingtooambitious,getahighpercentagein.

Also,Ishouldgivehimnopace.Boriswillwinanybattleoverwhocanhitthe ball hardest. Without pace he still wants to hit the ball hard and oftenoverhitsasaresult.Especiallyontheforehandside.

Before I get to the court I go over all of that inmymental review. I alsoremindmyselftotryandopenupthecourtonBorisbyhittingintelligentlytohisforehand.Thismeans that Iknow frompastmatcheswithhim thatwhen Ihitwide to theforehand(eitherwithmyserveoragroundstroke)his tendency,orshotpattern,istohititcrosscourtrightbacktomyforehand.Ifit’sevenalittleshortI’lllooktohitaforehandapproach(mybestweapon)downthelinetohisbackhand.ThenI’llfollowitinandcampnearthealley.

So,mygameplanwhen I serve should regularly follow this pattern: ServewidetotheBeckerforehand.Lookforanopportunitytohitaforehandapproach

shottohisbackhand.Thenfollowitinandcampnearthealley.That’smy1–2–3punch.

TwoelementscomeintoplaywiththatcombinationthatI’veexperiencedinpastmatches.Firstofall,Borisisgoingtohavetomovefromhisforehandgrip(undertheracket)tohisbackhandgrip(somewhatovertheracket)whilemovingfromthedeucecourttotheadcourtonthefullgallop.InthepastI’veseenthathedoesn’talwaysdothatwell.It’sjustalittleglitchthatshowsupfromtimetotime.And, ifhedoesmake thegripchangeand takeagoodcutat theballhistendencyistogodowntheline—notallthetime,butthat’shisfirstchoice.

Watchhimonthetube.You’llseehefavorsthatshot.Whathappenswhenhedoes? There I am camping near the alley.Bingo. Forehand volley to an opencourt. I’ve run that combination of shots successfully on Boris many, many,manytimes.

And,onhisserveItellmyself,“Borishasahugeserve.Don’ttrytodotoomuchwithit.Gettheballbackinplay.Makehimplayanextraballortwoeachpoint.Keeptheballinplay.That’sthekeyformeagainstBoris,makinghimrundownanextraballoverandoveragain.BeckercangetfrustratedandIwanttofrustrate him. Obviously, if he’s swarming winners I’m in trouble, but I tellmyself that in thematch ahead I’ve got to stay in every point possible.Keepcool.Bepatient.Don’ttrytomakethingshappentooquickly.

BustingMyButtforBoris

Ialsothinkaboutthe“personality”ofthecompetitionandthecompetitorahead.BorisBeckerislikeathoroughbred.Hisphysicality,power,andmovementaresopurethatitcanbeintimidating.He’sbigandheplaysbig.IgetmyselfreadyforanyBeckermatchbyremindingmyself,“Don’tbeimpressed.Don’tlethispresence be overwhelming.Keep your eye on your game plan and not on hisgame.” I have to do that or I’d take one look atwhatBecker brings onto thecourtandretire. (And that’s important inyourowntennis.Don’tbe impresseduntilafterthematch.Neverbefore.)

Iwant him to seemebustingmybuns for everything, throwing everythingback. Iwant to showhim that I’mgoing to compete on every single point ofeverysinglegameifthematchgoesonforaweek.IwanthimtobelievethatIwillnevergiveup.IwanthimtogetthefeelingthatI’mnotgoingaway.ThatI’m permanent. I know thatBoris can get frustrated out on the court.Againstsomeone likeMichaelChang thiswouldn’tmatter.WithBecker itcanbeveryimportant.Hedoesn’thavegreatpatienceifpoints,games,andthematchdragon.

Iknowthatifhegetsimpatienthe’llstartmissingshotsbecausehe’stryingtoenditquick.AsImentallyprogrammyselfforBecker’sgameI’mgettingreadytotrytoexploitbothhisphysicalandemotionaltendenciesandweaknesses.

MyMentalReviewandGamePlanforBecker1.Increasemyfirstservepercentage.Don’ttrytohitacesorservicewinners.Don’tlethimseemanysecondserves.

2.Servetohisforehandregularly.Lookforshortcrosscourtreturn.Approachdowntheline.Campnearthealley.

3.Trytocreatemistakesonhisforehand.Don’tgivehimanypace.Repeat:NoPace.

4.Don’ttrytodotoomuchwithmyservicereturn.Getitback.Makehimhitanothershot.

5.Workhardoneverypoint.ShowBorissomehustle.Hegetsimpatient.6.Don’tbeimpressedwithanythinghedoes.Lethimpoundtheballashardashewants.But,makehimpounditoverandover!Alwaystryandmakehimhitonemoreshot.

7.Boriscangetfrustratedifthingsdon’tgohisway.Tryandmakehimstayaroundlongerthanhewantsto.IfhestartsscreamingathimselfinGermanhe’sgettingwobbly.

Does it work? Yes. Does it work all the time?Yes. Youwon’twin everytime,obviously.Butmyprocedurewill improveyourchanceofwinningeverytime. And that’s all I’m trying to do when I play, improve my chance ofwinning.

U.S.Open1987—GrandstandCourtBeckervs.Gilbert

Roundof16

I’veusedthisplanveryeffectivelyagainstBecker.Mostnotablyintheroundofsixteen in the1987U.S.Open.At the timehewas rankednumber four in theworld.IwasstilltryingtocrackintotheTop10.

Borishadrolledovermeinthefirstset6–2andthenwonatiebreakerforthesecondset.Nowhewasleading3–0inthethird.IwasveryclosetothepointofnoreturnandBorisknewit.Hecouldendthismatchverysoon.

Boris exudes somuch confidencewhen he’s ahead that it can break downyour belief in yourself. His hair gets redder. His eyelashes get so white they

almost disappear against his pale skin.He’s physicallybigger thanmeand hecarries himself even bigger. A pure athletic aura surrounds him when he’srolling, andyoucan feel it across thenet.Hehas tremendouspresence.Whenhe’srunningwithaleadtheconfidencehedisplaysgoesbeyondarrogance.Hetellsyouwithhisbodylanguagethatheknowsheisbetterthantherest.ExceptIdidn’tbelieveit.

Thethirdsetcontinueswithmeserving.Iholdtostayinthematchat3–1,butIknewifBorisholdstogoup4–1I’mhistory.Thenhemakesaseriousmentalmistake.Boris seems to have a lapse in concentration.Heplays a very casualservicegame,almostlethargic.Hedonatesacoupleofpointswithdoublefaultsand suddenly I’m back on serve at 2–3.There’s hope inmymind because ofwhat I know (and have reviewed) aboutBecker. Suddenly I can see away towin.Here’show.

Ourscheduledafternoonmatchhadbeendelayedbecauseofrain.Asaresultwe started very late and in extreme heat and humidity. The temperature thatMondayinNewYorkwaspushing90°.Onthegrandstandcourtitfeltlike190°.Itwaslikeplayingonamuggydayinthejungle,ajunglethathadjetsflyinglowoverheadeveryfifteenminutes.Concentrationwasdifficult.

Even though I don’t like hotweather I felt this couldwork inmy favor. Iknew that a fewweeksearlier IhadbeatenBoris inWashington,D.C., in thissame kind of weather when he fell apart in the last set. I felt that if I couldsomehowclawoutofthisthirdsetitmighthaveaverynegativeeffectonBoris.Itmightgethimthinkingaboutour lastmatch inhothumidweatherandwhathadhappened.

Ibelievedhehadalreadymade theassumption thathewasgoing towin instraightsets.IfIcouldstealthissetafterhewassoclosetowinningthematch(uptwosetswitha3–0lead)hemightgetupsetwithhimself.IfIcouldmakehimplaymoretennisintheseconditionshemightgetveryupsetwithhimself.

AndIknewwhatthatcouldmean.Thisbecameagreatmotivator.Ihonestlyfelt that I was nearing an opportunity to get into Becker’smind, to upset hiscomposureinabigway.AndthisopportunityexistedbecauseIwaswaybehind.Or,moretothepoint,itexistedbecauseBoriswassoclosetowinningthematchthathecouldtasteit.

IfIcouldgethimfeelingthatthingsweredraggingoninthisgrandstandheatand humidity, the quality of his game would drop because the quality of histhinkingwoulddrop.Ihadseenithappenbefore.ItoldmyselfifIcouldwinthethirdsetIcouldwinthematch.Soundtoooptimistic?Here’swhathappened.

At 2–3 I held serve to even the set at three games apiece.We’re now twohoursandthirtyminutesintothematch.I’vewonthreegamesinarowandit’s

gotten his attention. Now, we each hold serve, but Boris is becomingincreasingly unhappy and irritable. Twice he starts screaming something inGerman. I make a little joke and tell myself the translation is “My feet areburningup.Iwanttosticktheminice.”Borispicksupthepaceandisplayingmorequickly.Asthoughhewantedtoenditassoonaspossible.

Hiscomposureischanging.Weeachholdagain.Andagain.Suddenlyit’s6–allandwe’reinanothertiebreak.

Boris seems to get himself together and grabs an early mini-break. He’sserving at 2–1. It’s exactlywhere I don’twant to be, down amini-break in atiebreaker thatcouldsendmebackhome.ButBorisnowplays twopoints thatbecamecrucialintheoutcomeofthematch,bothforwhattheydidtothescoreandwhattheydidtohiscomposure.

Servingat2–1inthetiebreakBorisdouble-faults.HeputsmebackonserveandIdon’tevenhavetoswingmyracket.It’samajorerroronhispart.Ibelieveitwasbroughtonbecausehewasgetting impatient, rushing things justa littlebit.Hewantedtogetthejobdonetooquickly.Perfect.

Thenimmediatelyanothercriticalexchangeat2–2.Borisservesandattacksthenet.Ashemovestohisright(justinchesfromthenet),hisfeetslipoutfromunder him and he crashes to the ground. I see him fall, and as he franticallystruggles togetbackup, Ihitabackhandcrosscourt lob thatsendshimracingtowardthebaseline.Hedoesn’tgetthere.Attheservicelinehisfeetgooutfromunderhimagain.Andagainhisbodyslamsintothecourt.Thistimehedoesn’tgetup.

BeckerislyingfacedownonthecourtscreaminguncontrollablyathimselfinGerman.He’sfallensohardthathisgoldwatchhassliddownfromhiswristtoaroundhis fingers.He’s furiouswithhimself and aboutwhat’s happening.Heraises up to one knee and lets out a terrible scream. Nobody in tennis has ascreamasfearfulasBecker’swhenhelosescontrol.It’sthesoundofpureandtotalanguish.Itisbeautifultohear.Borisiscomingapart.

At 3–2 in the breaker I serve again to his forehand. Boris nets it andimmediately unleashes another bloodcurdling screech. This time I can’t hearhim.Anotherhugejetisdirectlyoverheadandobliteratesallothersound.It’saverystrangesensation.Thecourtisactuallyvibratingfromthejet’snoise.IcanseeBorisscreaming,but Ihearnothingexcept thehugenoiseof the jet.Boristakes a vicious swipe at the court with his racket. I know he feels like he’sdrowningandcan’tswim.Nomatterhowhardhetries,hefeelsthingsareonlygettingworse.

It’sinterestinghowdistractionsaffectyouwhenyou’vegotsomemomentumandarewinningpoints.Theheat,thehumidity,theincrediblewhitenoiseofthe

jets flying overhead, none of it botheredme.Butwhen you’re struggling likeBoris was struggling it is almost impossible to stay focused. The distractionsbecomecrippling.Yourmindgets totallyberserk.You justwant toget out ofthere.

Wecontinueto5–4inthetiebreakonmyserve.Iremembermygameplanisto go selectively to his forehand.And that’swhat I do.Boris nets it, 6–4.Setpointnow,andagainIdecidetogotohisforehandwithmyserve.Againhenetsit!Thetacticworksbeautifully.

I’vecrackedthroughtowinthebreakerandwithittheset7–6(7–4).Boris’smarchtovictoryhasbeenslowed.I’mstillalive.Morethanalive.IknowIcanwinthematch.

The fourth set is tough, but my game remains steady. Nothing flashy, butexactlywhatIhadplannedondoing.Igotabreakandgaveitback.Boriswasunhappy, but he still understands that he isn’t far from sending me back toCalifornia. I’m hanging in there, hitting to his forehand when possible andapproaching to his backhand with success. He’s seeing no pace unless hesuppliesithimself.I’mnotlettinghimseemanysecondserves.I’mpatient.

ThensomethinghappenedIhadn’texpected.Wordbegantospreadthroughthe tennis complex that Boris Becker was in trouble. The grandstand seatsstarted to fill up with fans from the stadium court where JohnMcEnroe wasbeating on Andres Gomez. And those fans wanted to see some more tennis.TheyknewforthattohappenIhadtowinthefourthset.Thecrowdpackingintothe grandstand seats was totally onmy side! Cheering for me on every shot.YelpingandhootingasIrandowneverythingandworkedmybuttoffinwhatwasarealsteambath.Theylovedit.AndIlovedittoo.

Becker was affected. The long wailing shrieks in German continued: “Myfeetareburning.Iwanttosticktheminice!”Itwaslikeashotofadrenalinintomy system. I knew that when he loses control I have beaten him. Boris wasbecoming very frustrated.He had gone from being two points away from thematch (when I was serving in the third set at 4–5, 30–30) and a trip to thequarterfinals, tohavinga lotofwork in frontofhim.And inconditions thatacamelwouldhate.

At5–allBoristhreatenedtobreakmyserve.Twicehetriesandfails.It’snotaprettyhold,butIhold.Boriswillservenextat5–6.Weheadtoourchairsforthechangeover.Idecidetochangeshirtstogivemyselfalittlementalboost,toput on something fresh and dry.And I really startworking onmy thinking. Ireviewmygameplan:“Stayalert.Don’tgiveupanystupidpoints.Makehimplaysomeballsandkeephittingtohisforehand.Lethimmakesomemistakes!”

In thebackgroundIcanhearsomething,somenoise in thecrowd.Itbreaksmyconcentration. I lookup and see two teenagers running through the aisles.They’re waving American flags and the crowd is picking up on it: “U.S.A.!U.S.A.!U.S.A.!” Itgets louderand louder.The fanshave reallygotten into it.“U.S.A.!U.S.A.!”Ilookoveratthesectionwheremyfamilyissittingwithmycoach, TomChivington. They’re standing and cheering. The emotion runningthrough the grandstand was electric. I actually got goose bumps in 90° heat;reallypumpedupandconfident.

Wegooutonto thecourtwithBoris servingat5–6.Thecrowd isbuzzing.Borisservesfourtimes.Hedoesn’twinapoint.Ibreakhimatloveandwintheset 7–5! It’s electric. The crowd is roaring and gives me a standing ovation:“U.S.A.,U.S.A.”Moreflagsarewaving.Suddenlywe’reattwosetseach.Thematchisalleven,right?Wrong.

I’vewon.Thematchisn’tover,butI’vewon.IglanceatBorisandIcanseethathe’sfinished.Hisenergyisgone.Theeyesaredeadwithnofightorsparkinthem.Hisbodylanguagetoldmehewasthroughbattlingforthatday.

Itwasn’tphysical either. Itwasmental.Boris is a super athlete in fantasticshape.Whathadweakenedwashisresolve.Borishadgottenfrustratedwiththematch.Hejustwantedoutofthere.JustasIthoughtmighthappen.

Beginning of the fifth set.My serve.And againBecker doesn’t threaten. Ihold easily. Boris has gotten only two points in two games. The rout is on. Ibreak,hold,break,andhold.I’mup5–0andittooktenminutes.Atleastitfeltthatfast.Borismanagedtogetagameoutofit,butlost6–1.

Thematchhadtakenfourhoursandseventeenminutesinoppressiveheatandhumidity—asweatbox.Eventhoughitwasscheduledtobeanafternoonmatchitwasnowalmost10p.m..Ihadlostsevenpounds.ButIwassoexhilaratedIfelt likeIcouldrunamarathon.JimmyConnors“de-exhilarated”metwodayslater in thequarters.But it tooknothingawayfromtheprideI tookinbattlingbackfromtwosetsdowntobeathiminfive.NeverbeforehadBorisBeckerlostafterleadingbytwosets.

PreMatchPreparationPaysOff

Alotofthingswentrightformethatday,butIwasonlyabletotakeadvantageof them because I’d prepared myself before the match for the game andtemperamentofBorisBecker.WhenhehadmeontheropesIstillsawawaytowin because I understood his game and his temperament. I had gone into thematchwith strongmental preparation. I knewwhat Iwanted tomakehappenandwhatIwantedtopreventfromhappening.Partofithadtodowithstrokes

andstrategy.Partofithadtodowithpersonality,bothmineandmyopponent’s.ThatpreparationservedmewellwhenIneededit.

WhenthingsweregettingdesperateIhadamentalcompassthatkeptmeoncourseandgavemeawaytogetbackinthematch.InsteadofrollingoverandacceptingdefeatIbelievedtherewasawaytowin.

Boris Becker is a gentleman. Later that night I was at a disco calledHeartbreakonVarickStreetinManhattan.AtaboutmidnightIfeelataponmyshoulder. It’sBoris.He congratulatesme andwe talk about thematch over abeer.Hesayshehatesthatkindofheatandhumidity.ItellhimIloveit.Hesaysthey’vegottodosomethingabouttheplanesflyingoverheadduringamatch.ItellhimIlovethoseplanes.HekidsmealittleandsaysIwon’tbesoluckynexttime around. Five months later I beat him in theMasters atMadison SquareGarden—noplanes,noheat,nohumidity.

EveryPlayerIsUnique,ButConnorsIstheMostUnique!

Against Jimmy Connors my “auto”-visualization or prematch analysis andconclusionsarecompletelydifferentbecausehisgameandpersonalitydiffersomuch from Becker’s. First and foremost I remind myself to block out theelements—notthesunorwind,butthechaoshecancreatewiththefansandtheofficials.Jimmytreatsthecrowdlikehe’saconductorandthey’retheband.Hegetsthemtodowhathewants.

AtanimportantpointJimmycouldsuddenlyget14,000peoplegoingcrazy,cheering for him and against his opponent (namely,me) in an uproar. I’ll tellmyselftoexpectitandignoreit.It’spartofhisgameplan.Asyou’llsee,againstConnorsthisiseasiersaidthandone.

(If it had been Jimmy instead of Boris in the U.S. Open match I justdescribed,ConnorswouldhavedonesomethingdisruptivewiththecrowdwhenI started tomakemymove in the third set. And, when I pulled ahead in thetiebreak,Iguaranteetherewouldhavebeensome“stuff”goingontoshakeupmymomentum—anargumentaboutalinecall,anobscenity,orsomethingelse.Hewouldneverjustletyoucruisetovictory.)

Also,withJimmyI’llplantohitsliceshotsintohisforehand(Icallitslicingtheroastbeef).Nothinghard.Justaballthatstaysloweronthebounce.IknowthatwhenithitsontheservicelineConnorswilltendtochiphisforehandback.Ifhedoes,that’stheoneI’mwaitingfor.Iwanttobereadytostepup,bustit,andmoveinbehindit.

TheConnorsservicereturnalsoneedsspecialprematchconsideration.Hehasoneof thebest service returnsever.His specialty ismakingaplayoff agreat

serve.Hemanagestogettheracketontheballandkeepitinplay.Whatshouldbe a winner or an ace comes back at you and Jimmy stays in the point. Hedoesn’tnecessarilykill theball.Hemakesfantasticgetsandthenisable tohittheballwithdirection(toputitwhereyoucan’tmakeyourbestshot).

Heimmediatelytakesyouradvantageandturnsitintoadisadvantage.Andhedoesitbecauseheguessesalot.Whenheguessesrighteventhebestservecancomeback.

Buttheimportantthingishedoesn’tkillthatservicereturn.Whatthisallowsme todo is go for awinnerorone that produces aweaker returnoffmy firstserve. Ifheguesses right it’llcomeback. IfheguesseswrongIwin thepoint.And,ifIfaultIknowhewon’tstickthesecondservebackdownmythroatlikeBecker.

Itchangesmyentirestrategyinserving.BytakingthepressureoffmysecondserveJimmyallowsmemoreleewaywithmyfirstserve.Iknowgoinginthataservethatwouldaceanybodyelsemightcomeback.I’mnotgoingtoletmyselfbe surprised.That’swhatConnorsbrings to theparty. If you let it botheryouhe’llgetyoulettinguponthatfirstserveortryingtohitbiggerandbigger.Myapproach is to go for great serves and expect them back. I don’tworry abouthavingtoserveupsecondsifIfaultonthefirst.

In fact, the truth is thatmy second serve bothers him (as you’ll soon see).Jimbolovespace.Hefeedsonit.Mysecondserveisalollipop.Ihonestlythinkitbothershimalittlebecauseithasnopace.So,Idon’tworryabouthavingtohitsecondservesbecauseConnors(unlikeBecker)doesn’tmakeyoupaythebigpenalty.

MyReviewandGamePlanforConnors1.Expect Jimmy tomanipulate thecrowdatkeymoments.Beprepared fordisruptionandstayfocused.

2.Servebigonthefirstserve.IfImisshewon’tcomeinonmysecond.3.Hitslicetohisforehand.4.Hedoesn’tlikejunk.Massagetheball.

TheMasters1987—MadisonSquareGardenConnorsvs.Gilbert

ConnorsandIfacedeachotherinthe1987Mastersseveralmonthsafterhehadbeaten me in the U.S. Open quarterfinals following my five-set comebackagainst Becker. Neither of us was in great shape. I had just played four

tournamentsonfourdifferentcontinentsinfourweeks.Jimmyhadbeenfightingabadcold.

Nevertheless,Iwentintoourmatchwithgreatfocusandmotivation.Partofitcamefromadesiretoavengethatlossat theOpen.Hehadkeptmeoutofthesemisandgivenmeoneofmytoughest losses.I feltstronglythat if IstucktomygameplanandkeptmyconcentrationIcouldbeathim.ItlookedlikeIwasright.

I began thumping on him immediately and went up 6–4, 4–1. I felt like Icouldjustgrinditoutandwinthematch.Andtoaddtomyconfidenceitlookedlike Jimmy agreed. His attitude during the second set became completelydifferent from what it usually was. He almost looked like he was clowningaround.Hegotpulledwideonashotandkeptrunninguntilhewasnearlyinthestands. Then he stopped and started kidding with a couple of fans (he tooksomebody’snapkinandblewhisnose).Thecrowdlovedit.Alittlelaterhegotupset with himself and starting grabbing his crotch (amoveMichael Jacksonstolefromhim).Thecrowdwasthoroughlyentertained.Also,itwasapparenthewasfeelingtheeffectsofthecold.Heappearedwindedattimes.

Now, at 3–5 in the second set (and down a set) Jimmy is getting ready toserve.Heturnstoafanbehindhimandsaysloudenoughformetohear,“I’vegotGilbertrightwhereIwanthim.”Jimmy’sgotthisbiggrinonhisface.Thecrowd is laughingandapplauding: “Jimbo.Jimbo.”And I like it, too. I figureConnorsknowshe’stiredandoutofthematchandjustwantstohavealittlefunwiththeaudiencebeforeit’sover.Bigmistake.

ThenexttimeIlookupatthescoreboardConnorsandGilbertaretied5–5.Justlikethathehadheldandbroken.Hehadworkedonthecrowdandgottentome; not by creating turmoil, but by going for some laughs and changing thetenorof thematch.Icouldn’tbelievehehadbrokenmyconcentration.Hehadgottenmewatchinghisanticsandbelievingthathewasthroughfortheday,thathewasgoingtolaydown.Ihadlostmyfocus.Itwasashocktorealizewhathadhappened. Such a shock that I woke up. I hold and so does Jimmy. Six-all.Tiebreaker.

IknewIwasintroubleifwewenttoathirdset.Thecrowdwasbeginningtobeafactor,andifJimmytookittothreetheywoulddefinitelybecomeamajorasset for him. I reviewedmy game plan: “Keep some balls in play.No pace.Makehimtrytohitwinners.Nothingfancy.Let’swinitrighthere.”

AndIdid.Connors let itgetawayfromhimeventhoughheled5–3atonepointduringthebreaker.Thenhemadeacoupleoferrorsonbackhandvolleystoevenitupatfiveapiece.Myserve.Igoforabigserve.Fault.MynextserveisalollipopandJimmynetsit.Hehatesjunk(remembermyservicestrategy?).

Onmatchpointwegetintoalongrally.Hehitsadeepapproachshottomybackhand.I’mreadyandjustcrushitforawinnerandthematch.Thecomebackwasover,Gilbert6–4,7–6(7–5).Jimbohadalmostworkedhismagicofcrowdcontroltotakebackthematch.Thistimehefailed.Asyou’llseelater,I’mnotalwayssofortunate.

Connorsissuperbatturningthingsaroundwhenhe’sbehind.Hestopsyourmomentuminavarietyofwaysandmakesyoucomeoutofyourgamebytakingyououtofyourconcentration.Hetriestomakeyouplayonhisterms,notyours.He can do it by joking aroundwith the crowd as he did here.Or, he can useintimidationandragetotakecontrol.

Atthe’87MastersIrecognizedwhathadhappenedbeforeitwastoolate.Ihad gotten ahead by followingmy pre-game plan and staying focused.WhenJimmy successfully got me “unfocused” I was able to get back on coursebecause I had a strong understanding of his tactics. They had been mentallylocked in place during the prematchmental review and planning. I realized itwasn’tmystrokesthatwereresponsibleforhiscomeback,itwasmymindandthefactthatithadweakened.

TotallyGreat,TotallyDifferent

So,twogreatplayers,BeckerandConnors,withtotallydifferentgames,styles,and temperaments. Both require special attention, specific game plans andattitudes that I try to cement in place before I even see them on the day of amatch.

One capitalizes on my weak second serve. The other doesn’t. Oneorchestrates the crowd. The other doesn’t. Becker gets frustrated if thematchdragson.Connorslovesbeingouttheresomuchheactuallyhatestoseeitend.Borishasahugefirstserveandagreatsecondserve.Jimmyhasneither.

BeforeIeverseeanopponentonthedayweplayI’vecompletelyreviewedourmatchhistory,hisgame,andmyplanforthematch.I’vementallyreviewedexactlywhatIwanttomakehappen.AndIknowexactlywhatIwanttopreventfrom happening. I knowwhere Iwant to go and how I’m going to get there.OlympicswimmerNelsonDieboldsaidrightafterhehadwonthegoldmedalin1992,“Goodmentalpreparation isas importantasgoodphysicalpreparation.”It’strueinallsports,especiallytennis.

TheprocessIgothroughingettingreadyforBeckerandConnors(orLendl,Chang,Courier,oranyotherplayer)isexactlyhowyoushouldmentallyprepareforyourownBeckersandLendls.Ifyou’resmart.Don’tthinkbecauseyouplay

A,B,orCtennis that theadvantagesdon’taddup.Ibelievetheyaddupevenmore.Here’swhy.

TheguysIplayaregenerallysizingmeupjustlikeI’mtryingtofigurethemout.They’realsomastersatnotlettingmedowhatI’mtryingtodo.Youdon’thavethatproblem.Mostofyouropponentsarementallylazybeforeandduringthematch.

Dependingonyourlevelofplayyoumaynotmeetoneplayeramonthwhoseriouslyconsidersyourgameandknowshowtoexploitit.Plus,theirrelativelymodest level of tennis skillmakes them vulnerable to a playerwho’s good atexploiting opportunities. Good early mental preparation is an opportunitywaitingtobeexploitedbyyou.

BeReadytoPlayWhenIt’sTimetoPlay

In early visualization and planning, your subconscious starts to pull ininformation from other encounters. The brain starts throwing switches andturningdialsthatprogramyouforthatparticularplayer.It’stoughtodooncetheactionbeginsbecausetoomuchelseisgoingon.Youneedthatmentalcompassyouestablishbefore thematchstartsasa reliable referencepoint,one thatcangetyoubackonawinningcourse.

Makeitanewhabit.Yourmatchbeginsbeforethematchbegins,inyourcaroratyourhomewhenyoucalmlyreviewwhatyouknowabouttheopponentandhow you plan to use the information. It takes very little time, but get it donebeforeyouarrive.Bythetimethatfirstpointisunderwayyou’llhavealready“played”youropponentandbeintothematch.

TheImportanceofPreMatchPreparation(AndaLittleBitofaHustle)

Here’s a terrific example (although an extreme one) of the tremendousadvantage the average player can getwith goodprematchpreparation.Andofwhatadisadvantage“justshowingup”canbe.ThisparticularplayerattheSanFranciscoTennisClubusedgoodmentalpreparation,goodphysicalpreparation,andsomegamesmanshipagainstaguywhojustshowedupandwantedtostartplaying.Here’swhathappened.

Forabigmatch (andhe liked tobet$100per setwithcertainplayers) thisfellow(abitofahustler)wouldgettothecourtonehourearly.Hehadalreadyspent time lookingoverhisnotes (yes,hekeptnotesofpastmatches).Hehad

givensomeattentiontohisgameplan.Nextwouldbethestretchingexercisestogetcompletelyloosenedup.

Nowwouldcomethewarm-up,beforehisopponentevenarrivedatthecourt.The“hustler”wouldhitwiththeclubproforthirtyminutes,goingthroughthestrokesandtouchingupanythingthatwasgivinghimtroublethatday.Nothingintense. Just a real good warm-up. Then he would leave the court, go to thelockerroom,andchangeclothes.

So, now that he’s reviewed his game plan, checked his notes, done hisstretchingexercises,hadagreatwarm-up,andchangedintodryclothes,wouldheheadbackouttothecourt?Ofcoursenot.Itwastimeforthefinalstageofthehustle.He’dmakesurehegottheretenminuteslate,apologizeforthedelay,andsuggestthattheycutthewarm-upshort.

Obviously,hisopponentwouldbealittleupsetbythelatearrivalandwanttogetstartedtosavetime.They’dmoverightintothematchwithonlya“quickie”warm-up.The“pigeon”wouldbehandingover themoney in straight sets.Hewould have saved himself $200 if he’d anticipated the behavior and preparedproperlyhimself.Hegottakeninstead.Hehadnoplan,nosystem,nonothing.He let the other player control events because hewasn’t prepared.He’d havebeenalousyBoyScout.

The interesting thing about what this “hustler” did was that everything(except arriving intentionally late) was excellent preparation. It’s how aconscientiousplayershouldgetreadytoplayamatch.Throwinginthatlasttwistbyarrivinglatewasprobablyunnecessary(nottomentionunsportsmanlike).Hewas way ahead by doing everything else. You can give yourself that sameadvantage.

Havingthe“Want”toWin

Most recreational players really don’t care enough aboutwinning to domuchmore than show up for the match and chase down some balls during it.Recreational players are usually long on running and short on thinking. Thatdescriptionprobably fitsmanyof thepeopleyouplay. If itdoes,you’re luckybecauseyoucantakeadvantageoftheirmentallazinesstowinmoreoften.Butonlyifyoucareaboutwinningandarewillingtopushyourselfmentallytodoit,onlyifyouactivateyourbrainfromthe“gitgo.”

Doitandtheearlyedgeisyours,andwithitoftengoesmatchpoint.

Next:Yourmindisready.Makesureyourequipmentis.

2ToolsoftheTrade:HowEquipmentCanHelpYou

Win

Hey,What’sinThatBigBagtheProsCarry?

WhenBradleywasachildhewasn’tverygoodatthebasicskillsaroundthehouse,likecleaninghisroomorwashingthedishes.Hejustcouldn’tseemtofigureouthowtodoit.

—Mrs.ElaineGilbert,Brad’smother

Theplayerwhounderstandsthesignificanceofgainingasmalladvantage(andofdoingsorepeatedly)mightstillunderestimatetherolethattennisequipmentcanplayinhelpingyouwin.Mostplayersfigurethey’rereadyforthematchifthey bring along tennis shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, racket, and a jockstrap orsports bra.They’re all set right there—they’re hoping the opponentwill bringthe tennis balls. A player who’s serious about winning goes beyond the bareminimum,andthatlistisabareminimum.

Theseriousplayerwantstoinsurenotonlythattheequipmenttheybringtoamatchhelpsthem,butthatitdoesn’thurtthem.Theymakesureeverypossiblepiece of equipment they might need during a match is with them when theyshowup.Becauseofthestakesinvolved,tourplayersareverysurethey’vegotwhattheyneedwiththem.It’snojokeatthatlevel.Iflosingisnojoketoyou,dothesame.

Mywife,Kim,thinksIgooverboardwhenitcomestopackingmyequipmentbefore a match. She says I’m a fanatic about it. I pack the same way for apracticesession.IammeticulousaboutwhatIbringtothecourtandtakegreatpainstomakesureeverythingImightneedisinorder.Inasense,it’smyoffice.Myneedsarespecificandprobablysomewhatdifferent fromyours,buthere’sthe listofequipment Imakesure iswithmewhenIarriveoncourt.Youmayagreewithmywifewhenyoureadit.

MyToolsoftheTrade

TheSecretEnergyDrink:Water

Water is the best energy drink of all.But since it’s usually free, people don’tappreciateit. Ibringwater.Idrinkwater.AndIdrinkit throughoutthematch.I’velostbecauseIdidn’tdoit.NowImakesureI’vegotwaterwhenIpracticeorplayandImakesurethatIdrinkit.NotjustwhenI’mthirsty,butcontinuallythroughapracticesessionormatch.Iwanttoavoidevengettingthirsty.Bythenthetollisalreadybeinginflictedonmybodybecauseofdehydration.SoIbringitandIdrinkit.Iavoidthelossofmusclestrengthandcoordinationthathappenswhenyoustarttodehydrate.

So I can “hydrate,” Imake surewater is always available. I bringmyowneventhoughmostoftheplacesIplaysupplywaterandotherliquids.Byhavingyour own container next to your chair you’remore likely tomake a habit ofsippingonit.InthetwohoursbeforeamatchImakesuretodrinktwoorthreeglassesofwater—moreinhotweather.

Dehydrationhurtsyourgame, evenbeforeyouknow it’shappening.That’swhy drinkingwater throughout thematch is vital. It’s one of those “obvious”thingsthatclubplayersarecarelessabout.Thenexttimeyouseeatournament,watch the pros. They take a drink on the first changeover. Because they’rethirsty?No.It’sinsurance.Youdon’twaittofillupyourgastankuntilyourunoutofgasdoyou?Don’twaittodrinkwateruntilyourtongue’shangingout.

Ialsostayawayfromcarbonateddrinks.Plainwateristhebest.And,here’sagoodruleofthumb:Drinkwaterbeforethematchtoprotectyourselfinthefirstset.Drinkwaterduringthefirstsettoprotectyourselfinthesecondset.Inotherwords,drinkwaterbeforeyouneedit.

EnergyFood

You’veheardaboutthe“sugarshakes”?Ithappenswhenyourblood-sugarleveldropsandsuddenlyyourkneesgetweak.Itcanhappenattheworsttimesandhitwithout warning. The solution is simple. Eat something. Before you can eatsomethingyou’vegot tobringsomething. Ineverassume that there’llbe foodavailableatthecourt.I’vebeensurprisedtoomanytimes.NowIbringmyownstuff.

Forme it’s fruit.At leastacoupleofbananas.Easy todigest.Goodenergyright away. Candy bars? Nutritionists don’t like the idea. They say the quicksugarrushisalwaysfollowedbythebigenergylet-down.Idon’tknow.Itseems

like if that’s true, just be sure to bring enough candy bars along. When theenergyfromonewearsoff,eatanotherone.Inanycase,bringsomethingalong.Icantellyouthis:ifyougetcaughtneedingaquickboost,acandybarisbetterthan nothing. And don’t assume there’s a snack machine at the court withanythinginit.Becausewhenyouneeditmost,themachinewillbeempty.

ExtraRackets

Other than breaking your leg during a match, nothing can put you out of itquicker than breaking your racket or a string. The pros bring plenty, eight ornine.You’re thinking, “Who’sgonnabreak eightornine rackets?”Other thanMcEnroe,nobody.Butthere’ssomethingelseinvolved.

Obviously,extrasare important incaseonebreaks.But Ialsobring racketsalongwith different string tensions. Some are strung looser and some tighter.The reason is thatonadaywhencontrol isaproblem, Imightgo toa tighterstringtensionforbettercontrol.OnadaywhenI’mgettingoverpoweredbytheotherguy’sstrokes,Imightchoosetogowitharacketstrunglooser.Itgivesmemorepoweroffthesamestroke.

For you?Obviously you should bring two rackets,minimum. It’s a sloppyplayer (or onewho’s pretty cheap)who doesn’t care enough tomake sure heplayswith the samekindof racket for the entirematch.Someplayersbring asecondracket,butit’slikeasparetire,beatup,wornout,andjustgoodenoughto let you limp along.You don’t want to be limping along in a tennismatchbecauseyourgoodracketjustlostastring.So,twoistheminimum.Ifyoucanaffordtheluxuryofhavingathirdstrungslightlylooserortighter,doit.You’llfindincertainsituationshavingthatoptionwillsaveamatch.

Tape/Band-Aids

ItakeenoughtapeandBand-Aidsalongtowrapamummy.Iwanttomakesurethat if for some reason a blister develops it won’t takeme out of amatch ormakewinningthatmatchevenmoredifficult.I’vegottenderfeet,andasoretoemakesstartingandstoppingfourorfivehundredtimesnofun.I’mreadytotapeitupinasecond.

ExtraShoes

“TurfToe”soundslikeahorsethatraneighthintheKentuckyDerby.It’snot.“Turf Toe” happens when a toenail starts to disintegrate from constantly

slammingintothefrontofyourtennisshoe.Firstitdisintegrates,andthenitgetsinfected.I’llspareyoufurtherdetails,butthepainisincredible.It’sliketryingtoeatpopcornwhenyou’vegotanabscessedtooth—excruciating.I’vehadTurfToeandeventuallysolvedtheproblembyhavingthetoenailonmybigtoetakenoff surgically. I just decided I didn’t want to be bothered by it anymore. Butduring thedayswhen itwasaproblem, I’d switchshoes if it started tobotherme.I’dputonashoethatwasasizeorsize-and-a-halftoobigjustsoIwouldn’tslamintothefrontofit.

Newshoescanalsocauseblistersandotherachesandpains.Youneverknowwhenapairofshoeswillrubyouthewrongway.Ifyoureallydosomerunningduringamatch,anewpairofshoesthatdoesn’tquitematchupwithyourfeetcan become a painful problem. It happened to me in the finals of the ’87Volvo/StrattonMountain Tournament against Jim Pugh. For whatever reason,thelittletoeonmyrightfootbeganthrobbingwheneverIstoppedsuddenly.Itwaslikeatoothache.Anditwasgettingworse.Hewasupabreakat5–2inthefirstset.

AtthatpointIrealizedifthiskeptupIwasintrouble(infact,Iwasalreadyintrouble). Even if I could play through the pain, it was becoming a majordistraction. I grabbed an old standby right shoe out of my bag and put it onduring thechangeover. Ithelped. Ididn’t loseanothergameduring the restofthematch,andwon7–5,6–0.Ipickedupacheckfor$114,000wearingabrand-newleftshoeandabatteredoldrightshoe.AfterthatIstartedthinkingofthatoldrightshoeasmy“rally”shoe,kindofagoodluckcharmthatwouldgetmegoingwhenIneededamentalboost.I’vestillgotitathome,my$114,000oldrightshoe.

I’llusuallybreakinanewpairofshoesbywearingthemaroundthehouseforacoupleofweeksbeforetheyeverseeatenniscourt.Whenyou’vehadthekindoffootproblemsI’vehad,youareverycautiousaboutwhatyouputthemin.Ihadforgotten todo thatatStrattonMountain.FortunatelyIhadawell-stockedequipmentbag.

ExtraSocks

Ibringdrysockstopreventblisters.Whenyourfeetgetwetfromperspiration,you start sliding around inside your shoes, and that can cause a problem. Ithappens because a tennis shoe is generally a little bigger thanyou’dnormallyweartogiveyoualittleroominthetoe.Whenyoustartslidingintothefrontofthatshoe,problemscomeup.

OnahotdayIchangesocksduringamatchtopreventblisters.Italsogivesmealittlepsychologicallifttoputsomethingdryon.Whenit’slateinamatchand Iwant toget into a “charge” stateofmind, I’ll change socks. Just a littlethinglikethathelpsgetyourfocusbackandtellsyourbodytoreallygetgoing.

Flex-All454

Areyouoverthirty-five?Areyouunderthirty-fiveandplayingalotoftennis?Eitherwayyou’regoing togetsore,especiallyaftera tournament.Thereareabunchofproductsonthemarketthatyourubonforachesandpains.Somesmellworsethanothers.Someworkbetterthanothers.Findonethatdoesn’tsmelltoobadthatworksforyou.IputFlex-All454onbeforeIplayandduringamatchorpracticewhensomethingstartshurting.

InoticetheolderIgetthemoreofitIuse.FirstIwasbuyingitbythetube.Thenby the jar.Do theysell itby thebucket? It’sagreatquickfix forasoremuscleoranachingback.Iputitonbeforeandafterplaying.Itworks.

I.B.’s

Ibuprofen is the longname.Advil,Nuprin, they’reallbasically ibuprofen. It’swhattakesouttheachesandpains.ItaketwojustbeforeIgooutonthecourtandtwomorewhenIfinish.Itreallyhelpsreducethestiffnessinthejointsandmuscles.

ElectrolytePills

InhotweatherIworryaboutcrampingup.Waterhelpsreducethechanceofthathappening,butifIstarttofeelanycrampsItakeelectrolytepillstostopthem.It’seffectiveandworksfast.Changcouldhaveusedtheminthequarterfinalsofthe 1989 FrenchOpen against Lendl. He cramped up and could hardly walk.Fortunately for Michael it completely psyched Lendl out. In fact, here’s aninteresting question. Would Chang have beaten Lendl if he (Chang) hadn’tcrampedupandchangedhisstrategy?Maybe.Maybenot.

Grips

Gripsgetsoakedoroccasionallyunravelduringamatch.Idon’tliketohavetochangeracketsbecauseofthat,soIcarryspares.IuseatypethatwasmadebytheRockyMountainSportsCompany.It’safabriclikeatowel,onlyit’sinstrips

thatyoucanwrapon.Inadditionto itseffectiveness itbecamekindofagoodluckthing.I’dbeenusingitforyearsandwinningalotofmoney.WhenIheardthat the companywas stoppingproductionof it I got concerned. I arranged tobuythefive-hundredtheyhadremaininginstock.Ifiguretheyshouldlastuntiltheyear2001.

Ifyouplayintenselyanduseagrip,carryextras.

ShoeLaces

You’reright.NowI’mgettingparanoid.You’rethinking,“Geez,doeshecarryextrajockstraps,too?”No,butnowthatyoumentionit...

StringaLings

Theseprolongthelifeoftheracketstringsalittle.IncaseonestartstofrayI’llsticktheseonsoIdon’thavetoswitchrackets.Ihatetochangeifit’sworkingwellforme.OnceI’mcomfortablewithsomethingItendtostickwithituntilitfallsapart.Andthathappenswithrackets,shoes,socks,shoelaces,andstrings.

ACapWithaVisor

Ikeeponeinthebagonapermanentbasis.SometimesI’mhittingoutsideandsometimesinside.Ialwayshaveonestashedinthere.MinehappenstobeabeatupoldOaklandA’scapthatI’vehadforyears.BeforethatIhadaRaiderscap.

Towels

Sweating is your body’s cooling mechanism, but it also can cause problems.Sweatyhandscansliponthegripwhenyouhithard.Perspirationinyoureyesmeansyoucan’tsee.Wipingofftheface,neck,arms,hands,andlegscanhelpalot in thecooling-offprocess.Towelsaregreat forother thingsaswell. I splitmy pants during an exhibition inAsia and the officials stood aroundmewithtowelswhileIchanged.

Also, I use the towel for something completely unrelated to sweat. Onchangeovers I’ll put it over my head to block everything out—that helps mefocusonwhatishappeninginthematch.It’slikeaminioffice.Youseealotoftheprosdoingitasaself-madeseclusionduringamatch.Itblotsoutthecrowd,theofficials,theotherplayer,everything.Whenyoureallywanttositdownandhavealittleserioustalkwithyourself,thetowelisimportant.

Ice

Notrealice.Ibringtheartificialicethatcomesinabagyoucancarrywithyouallthetime.Whenyouneedit,justactivateit.Thismeansifyousprainanankleorpullamuscleyoucaniceitdownimmediately.Butbecarefulwiththisstuff.Itisverycold.Leaveitontoolongandyoucanactuallygetfrostbite.

Sweatbands

They’rereallyjustmini-towels,butveryimportantbecauseyoutakethemoutonthecourtwithyou.Youcanusethemrightnow.

DryShirts

Ikeepextrashirtsinmybagforacoupleofreasons.Obviously,whenonegetssoakedIwanttochange.Butalsowhenthingsaren’tgoingright(orifIwanttogivemyselfalittleboost)I’llchangeshirtsjusttochangethingsaroundalittlebit.Puttingonafreshshirtgetsmyattentionandhelpstoshakethingsupalittle.It’sasmallfreshstart.

JollyRanchers

Thesearenothappyfarmers.They’recandy.Again,justsomethingI’vegottenused toand like to tuck inmycheekfora littleboost.Somethingfamiliar thatrelaxesme.Dentistsandnutritionistswon’tlikeit,butIalwayshavetheminmybag.

PaperandPencil

During apractice session Iwill get some ideason a strokeor onhow toplaysomebodymoreeffectively.Iwriteitdownimmediately.Someoftheideasarevaluableandgetforgottenifyoudon’trecordthemrightaway.

Sunglasses

I carry a pair of RayBan sunglasses for outdoor matches where glare is aproblem.Somesurfacesunderbrightconditionsoutside justseemtokickupalotofglare.Thesunglassesreducetheeffectconsiderably.

Sothat’swhatatleastoneplayerontourhasstuffedinthebagyouseebeingcarriedoutonthecourtbeforeamatch:eightortenrackets,food,candy,grips,socks,shirts,towels,waterorjuice,shoelaces,everythingthatcouldbeneededduringamatch.MywifethinksI’mlikeakidwantinghissecurityblanketallthetime.ButIdoknoweverysinglethingIcarrygetsusedatonetimeoranother.

Pre-FlightChecklist

Beforetakeoffapilotgoesthroughachecklisttomakesuretheplaneisreadytofly, sinceonce thosewheels leave theground itmaybe too late.But ingoingthroughthechecklistthepilotisalsomentallysettlingintothejobahead.Hisorhermind is focusingon the specificson the list,but it is also locking into theupcoming flight itself. Packingmy equipment bag ismy “checklist”—it startsbringingmeintothematchahead.

I recommend that you pack yours too if you want to win.Make it a verydeliberateprocess.It’spartofmy“D.R.M.”approach:Don’tRushMe.Yougainin twoways.You’ll have the equipment you need for any circumstances thatcome up during thematch. You’ll also have started off in the right frame ofmind,totallyfocusedontennis.

ItmayseemlikeI’mgoingoverboard,butI’mnot.Iwanttowin!When$2millionisatstake,likeitwasduringatournamentinGermany,Idon’twanttotake even the slightest chance that a blister, a cramp, dehydration, hunger,brokenrackets,strings,sweatysocksorgrips,shoelaces,oranythingelsecouldaffectmytake-homepay.Idon’tleaveanythingtochance.

You’re thinking, “Listen, if Iwas playing for $2,000,000 I’d take an extrapairofsocksalong,too.ButI’mjustplayingforfun.”That’sright.Andit’salotmorefuntowin.

I tell players Iworkwith if theydon’t really care aboutwinningor losing,then don’t keep score. It must be a sorry son-of-gun who doesn’t feel anydifferentwithavictorythanwithadefeat.Thatpersonshouldseeadoctorandhavehisorherpulsechecked.

YourEquipmentChecklist

TheBasicDailyRequirement

For yourself, shorten the list.Here’swhat you should take to the tennis courtwithyouforeverymatch.

1.Water. Bring it. Sip it throughout the match. Don’t wait until you getthirsty.Anddrinkwaterbeforeyourmatch.

2.TwoRackets.Twoistheminimum.Andremembertoalternatethemfrommatch to match. They’ll last longer. Bring a third that is strung a littlelooser,andafourthstrungtighterifyouplayalot.

3.EnergyFood.Fruit.Acandybar.Somethingforaquicksugarboost.4.Flex-All454.Ifyou’reoverthirty-five,stopkiddingyourself.Whysuffer?Takeanythingthat’llhelpyouplaywithlesspain.

5.I.B.’s.Ditto.6.Chemical Ice. For emergencymuscle pulls, twisted ankles, and assortedotherproblems.Thequickeryougeticeonit,thequickeryourrecovery.

7.Towels.Onlyifyousweat.Anduseitforyourownisolationboothwhenyouwant to concentrate. Put it over your head during a changeover andthink.

8. Sweatbands. Again, only if you sweat. If you don’t sweat, maybe youshouldbetryingharderduringyourmatchesorplayingtougheropponents.

9. Cap With Visor. The team insignia is up to you. However, I dorecommendtheA’sorGoldenStateWarriors.

10.DryShirts.Keepseveralinyourbagsoyoudon’thavetopackoneeachtime.

11.AdditionalEquipment.Howmuchdoyouplay?Howmanytournamentsdoyouenter?Doyoureallywanttohavetheequipmentnecessarytowinavailable? Then decide for yourself what additional emergency supplieswould be good insurance. It’s hard to bring too much. It’s easy to beundersupplied.

TheCompletelyEquippedPlayer

It’shardtobringtoomuchtothecourt,butit’snotimpossible.IfoundthatoutwhenImetPeterPammer.(That’snothisrealname.Hesaysheneverrealizedhehadoverdone thingsuntil Iasked if Icouldmentionhisname in thisbook.“No. Please don’t use my name.”) He’s a recreational player dedicated tofinding,buying,bringing,andwearingeverythingwhenitcomestotennis.Likewhat?

Peter brings water, two kinds. One with carbonation, one without. Threerackets.A visor.Neoprene sleeves for both elbows and both knees.A canvasstrap that hewears over the neoprene on the elbow that hurtsworst that day.Gum.Candybars.Fruitjuice.Ben-Gay.Eyedrops.Breathmints.

Hehasarosinbagwhichhetakesoutonthecourtwithhim.Beforeeachofhis serves he runs the rosin bag on the grip for better traction or something.(After amatch he’s spread somuchwhite rosin dust around, it looks like it’sbeensnowingonthebaselines.)Hebringstowelsandice,pills,andagolfgloveto prevent blisters on his hand. Sweatlets. Headbands. (Have you ever seenanybodywearing a visorand a headband?)Hewears high tops to protect hisankles.

When Peter got into his full battle gear, he looked like the PillsburyDoughboy.Butdoyouknowwhat?Henever lostamatchbecausehehad toomuchequipment.Andheprobablywonafewbecausehewasprepared.TheBoyScouts should give him an honorary merit badge for “Tennis EmergencyPreparedness.”

Soforyourself,carrymy“basicminimums.”Itwillensurethatyou’rereadyforanyemergencies,bigorlittle.Andwhileyou’repackingitandgettingready,yourbrainwillknowit’stimetostartthinkingtennis.

Next:You’vepackedyourbag.Nowstretchforsuccess.

3StretchingforSuccess

In1988Ithoughtmytenniscareerwasover.Myleftanklewasexplodingwithintermittent jolts of pain. At times when I’d push off on that side it felt likesomeone had stuck a screwdriver in andwas twisting it around. It became soswollen and painful any time I played for an extended period that I’d hobblearoundfordaysafteramatch.Bonechipsandtendondamagethreatenedtokillmytennislife.Tenorfifteenyearsagosurgerymightnothavebeenabletosolvemyproblem,butIwaslucky.Doctorswereabletogetmebackonmyfeetagainandplayingwithoutpain.

Now,Ifacedanotherproblem.Comingbackisalwaystough,butinmycaseitwasmadeespeciallydifficultbythefactthatconditioninghadneverbeenhighonmylistofpriorities.WhenIwasnineteenortwentyIdidn’tseemuchsensein it andas Igotolder that attitude just stayedwithme. Ithurtmygame.Mycoach,TomChivington,hadbeennoticingthatmyeffectivenessseemedtodropsignificantlyinmatchesthatwentthreesetsorbeyond.Iwasstubbornanddidnothingtochangeit.

After theankle surgery IknewIwasgoing tohave to reallyworkat it if Iwanted to get back to the physical level Iwas at before (whichTom claimedwasn’t thatgood). If Iwanted tobebetter thanbefore, Iwasgoing tohave toworkatconditioningwithgreatdisciplineandintelligence.

I approached the job seriously. When you drop off the tour and sit homewatching theguysonTVbattle itoutoncourtsaround theworld,youseemalongway from the action, a longway frombeing competitive. Itwas scary. IrealizedhowmuchIlovedcompetingduringthosemonthsofrehab.

That’swhenIstartedworkingconscientiouslywithMarkGrabow,oneofthetop conditioning and strength experts in the theUnited States.He is a formersoccerplayerwhorepresentedtheUnitedStatesinthePan-Americangames.HehasworkedwiththeStanfordUniversitymen’sandwomen’stennisteamsandiscurrently the strengthandconditioningcoach for theGoldenStateWarriors intheNBA.ChrisMullin,amemberofthe1992OlympicDreamTeam,isoneofhisstarpupils.HehasalsoworkedwithAaronKricksteinandJenniferCapriati.

And, more important, he has worked with thousands of recreational tennisplayersonpreparingforatennismatchcorrectly.

NotonlydidMarkgetmeintothebestshapeI’deverbeeninphysically,healso developed a pre-match routine for warming up and stretching that hasbecome extremely important tome in starting thematch at peak performancelevel.

Togetherwe have refined a pre-game program that you should go throughautomaticallybeforeamatch.It’sshort,painless,andeffective.Itwillhelpyourtennis and prevent injuries. It’s another opportunity waiting to be takenadvantageof.

Mark’sMagicalFour(orFive)Minutes

Yourgoalduring thisbriefpre-gamewarm-upprogramis twofold: toenhanceyourtennisabilitiesearlyinthematch(whichwillaffecthowyouplaylaterinthematch)andtopreventinjury.Ideally,youshouldspendtwentytotwenty-fiveminutes preparing your body for the stress of playing a match (at any level)beforeyoueven toucha racket.However, it’s a rare recreational tennisplayerwhowilldothat.Don’tworry,becauseyoucandoatremendousamountofgoodforyourselfandyourgameifyouincorporatefour(orfive)minutesofMark’srecommendationsintoyourroutine.

Thefirst3minutesareforliterallywarmingupyourmuscles.Thesestretchesare called dynamic flexibility movements. The next minute is for stretchingmuscle groups. These stretches are called static flexibility movements. Thedynamic (or moving) warm-ups should be done first. Static (or stretching)movementsshouldreallybedoneafteramuscleiswarm.

DynamicFlexibilityWarm-Up

Tennisisaskillsportthatstartsfromthegroundup.Everythingisinitiatedwiththe legs. This is the part of the body that should get the first and the mostattention,thelargemusclegroupsofthelegs.Recreationaltennisplayersalmostalways automatically warm upmainly the arms and hands. They go onto thecourt,doacoupleofbend-oversorcalfraises(whichIcallpretendingtostretch)andimmediatelystartslappinggroundstrokesateachother.Watchyourfriendswarmingup.Youseemostlyarmsandhandsmovingaround.

Whatyouwanttodofirstisaverysport-specific(i.e.,specificallyfortennis),lowintensitywarm-upthatwillraisethecoretemperatureoftheprimarymuscle

groups between the hips and the feet—thismeans the legs. Thesemovementsactually raise the temperature of themuscles being used because of increasedblood flow.Themuscleswill subsequentlybeable tocontractmore forcefullyandquicklywithlessriskofinjury.Itmeanswhenyoustartyourmatchyouwillmovebetter.Theresultswillshowupinyourgame.

Yourwarm-upwillmimicthe legmovementsusedduringamatch,butatamuch lower intensity. The following fundamental movements will get yourlargest muscle groups ready for action. Do them while your opponent ispretending to stretch or fiddling aroundwith equipment. The time involved isbrief(betweenfourandfiveminutes)andtheresultsarevaluable.Incidentally,you’ll know you’ve done the job right if you get a little bit of a sweat goingduring the firstmovements—even a littlemoisture on your forehead indicatesyou’vegottenthebloodmoving.Afterthatyoustretch.

CIRCLETHESQUARE

Thisisthefirstmovementofyourwarm-upandshouldbedoneverygentlyandata lowintensity.Basicallyyou’regoing to jogaroundyourhalfof the tenniscourt(the“square”)whilealwaysfacingthenet.

Startbackatthepointwherethedoublessidelineintersectsthebaseline.Thenslowlyjogforwardalongthedoublessidelinetowardthenet.Whenyougetoneyardfromthenetchangedirectionandglideparalleltothenetatthesamepace.Yourbodywill stillbe facing thenetasyou jogsidewaysalong it.Whenyoureachtheotherdoublesalley,changedirection(whilecontinuingtofacethenet)andbegin jogging slowlybackwards toward thebaseline.Keep at a very easypace.Whenyougettothebaselineagainchangedirection(whilestillfacingthenet)andjogsidewaysalongthebaselinetotheoppositealley.

Repeatthepatterntwotofourtimes,graduallyincreasingyourpace.Youarejoggingaroundonehalfofthecourt(alwaysfacingthenet)andputtingyourlegmusclesthroughagreatallaroundwarm-up.

If you do nothingmore thanwhat I’ve just outlined you’ll have done yourlegsagreatservicebyusingforward,backward,andlateralmovement.You’vegottenthebloodmovingintothebigmusclegroupsandtheresultswillshowupinyourgame(nottomentionlowertheriskofinjury).However,MarkandIalsorecommendyouadd something to theCircle theSquare routine to increase itseffectiveness.

KICKYOURBUTT

Afteryou’vecircledthesquaretwice,addthistowhatyou’redoing.Asyourunforwardtothenet(andthenbackwardsawayfromit)beginincreasingtheheightof your heel kick.On each step raise your heel up towardyour butt as if youweretryingtokickyourselfinthebehind.

Don’t overdo it. The key to a good warm-up is a gradual increase ofmovement.Thiswillcontinuethewarmingupofyourlegs,especiallythequads(thefrontsofyourthighs).Dothisforaminimumofonetimearoundthecircle.

THEHIGHSTEPPER

Finally, add this to your Circle the Square procedure after you’ve doneKickYourButt.Whenyouaremovingforwardandbackward(towardandawayfromthe net) bring your knees up higher and closer to your waistline—step high.Imaginebringingyourkneesuptoyourchest.

One timearound thecirclewith this andyou’re ready to runhard from thefirstpoint.Ifyouhavetimetocontinuethisroutine,takeadvantageofit.

StaticFlexibilityWarm-Up

Whenthe largemusclegroupshavebeenactivatedandwarmedupit’s timetovery briefly do some static (non-moving) exercises. Once you’vewarmed themuscles, a better stretch is possible. Better stretchingwill allow for a greaterrangeofmotionwhenyoustartplaying,withlesschanceforinjury.

THESTORK

Thisstretchingexercise iseasy to remember.Youendup looking likeastork.Startoutbystandingnearthenetsoyoucanholditifyouneedbalance.Raiseonefootupbehindyou(bringyourheeltowardyourbutt)andgraspthetopofyourfootwithyourhand.Verygraduallyandgentlypullyourfootclosertowardyourbutt.Don’toverdoit.Thiswillcontinuetostretchoutyourquads,orthighmuscles.

Do this for fifteen seconds on each leg, gradually stretching and releasing,stretchingandreleasing.

BOWTOTHEEMPEROR

Standing with your feet slightly apart, bend over at the waist as if you werebowing to royalty. Keep your knees slightly flexed and your back relativelystraight.Letyourarmsextenddowntowardtheground.Dothisfortensecondsandrepeat.

You’llfeelitinthebackofyourlegs(thehamstrings)andlowerbackasyoubendfartherover.Don’tforcethisoranymovement.Anddon’tbounceasyouattempt togeta full stretch.Never strainwhile stretching.Themovementsaregradual,gentle,andsmooth.

PULLYOUROWNGROIN

Groin injuries are very common, and this simple little exercise is greatpreventivemedicine.

Standwithyourfeetabouttwenty-fourinchesapart.Graduallytransferyourweightovertoyourrightfoot(withoutmovingeitherfoot).Asyoudothisflexyour right knee (it will move slightly forward) so you can accommodate theweighttransfer.Keepyourleftfootsolidlyonthegroundandyourlegstraight.

You’ll start to feel a pull in your left groin. Gradually move into it andstretch.Holditfortenseconds.

Thendothesamemovementfortheotherleg.

This seriesofexerciseswillprepareyourbody for the jobahead. Justasmostplayersdon’tstartthinkingaboutthematchuntilitisunderway,theyalsodon’twarmup their bodiesuntil thematch is fouror fivegamesold.Those fourorfivegamescount.

Giveyourbodyachancetohelpyougetofftothebeststart.Warmitupandstretchitforsuccess.Yourresultsearlyinthematchwillbebetter,andthiscandramatically affect what follows. You’ll also have reduced your chance forinjury.

Itonlytakesaboutfiveminutes,somakeitahabit.Andfinally,ifyouwanttopreventstiffnessandkeepyourselflimber,dothe

staticflexibilityexercisesafteryourmatch.Thisisveryimportant,especiallyasyougetolder.You’llbea lot lessstiff thenextdayifyouhaveagoodstretchrightafteryouplayandbeforeyoucooloff.

Next:Yourbodyiswarmedup.Nowwarmupyourstrokes.

4TheMicrowaveWarm-up:DefrostYourStrokes

Quick

Asyoumove through thepre-matchpreparation to thebeginningofplay,youcome to the last important element before thematch starts: warming up yourstrokes.Mostrecreationaltennisplayerswasteorminimizethispartofthepre-match routine because they don’t understand how much it can contribute towinning.

Here’s a fundamental rule for me:Have a plan. Each stage of the matchshouldberecognizedashavingsomepotentialforhelpingyouachievevictory.Havingaplanhelpsensurethatyouaccomplishit.Knowingwhatyouwant toaccomplishduringthewarm-upwillgetitdone.

TwoExtremes:BothWrong

There are two kinds of warm-ups I see with club players: too much or notenough. Some players come out and warm up for a month. Are they hopingthey’ll suddenlygetbetter? It’snotgoing tohappen in thewarm-up.Are theyafraid to start thematch?Are they trying to loseweight?Whichever it is,youknowthetype(andIhopeyouaren’toneofthem).Theygooutonthecourtandfortwentyminutestheyworkonalltheirstrokes...withyourhelp!

Don’t let your opponent use you as a human ball machine. When you’rereadytogo,getstarted.Tellyouropponentyouhavetoleavealittleearly.Tellthemyouwanttomakesureyoucangetthematchfinished.Oragreeinadvanceon how long the warm-up will last. Don’t let them drag you through theirpractice session. They can practice on their own time. This is a warm-up.Besides,puttingyouthroughallofthatdoesn’thelpyourgame.

Most players, however, hate the warm-up. In fact, generally the worse theplayeristhelesstheywarmup.It’slikephys.ed.inhighschool,somethingyoudo to graduate. Theirwarm-up iswasted and the opportunity is thrown away.Theyrushthroughitandhittheirfavoriteshotafewtimes,ignoretheirweaker

ones,andmoveintothematch.Ifyou’resloppy,rushed,andcarelessduringthisvaluableperiod immediatelypreceding thematch it’sguaranteed to carryoverintothematchitself.Theplayerwho’spreparedcantakeadvantageofonewhodoesn’tfullyutilizethewarm-upperiod.

Thewarm-up is your final opportunity to set the stage for getting off to agoodstart,togetajumponyouropponentthatcanaffecttheentirematchandget you ready to play your best. Have a plan for this period and execute it.Here’showtodoit.

ThePlan:ShortandSimple

Thewarm-up doesn’t have to be long, but there are three things youwant toaccomplishwithit:

1.Continuethephysicalwarmingupofyourbodyandmindthatbeganwithstretchingandpre-matchplanningandvisualization.

2.Getyoureyesandbodyworkingtogetherforsuccessfulstrokeproduction,whichincludesmanagingnerves.

3.Learnasmuchasyoucanaboutyouropponent.

The tour players come out on court already warmed-up.What happens infront of the crowd just before thematch is the very last bit of preparation. Ithelpswiththebutterfliesandloosenseveryoneupalittle.Butforyouthewarm-up on court is probably theentire preparation. Somake it count. It’swhy thesandbagger who warmed up with his club pro before the match had such atremendous advantage. He was up to speed and off to the races four or fivegamesbeforethepigeonwokeup.

HowtoDefrostYourStrokesinSevenMinutesandForty-FiveSeconds

Hereisaveryspecificwarm-upprocedureguaranteedtosetyouupcorrectlyforthematch,bothphysicallyandmentally.Whenyougoonthecourt,useit.Youropponentwillprobablygoalongwithanythingyousayifyou’reniceabout it.Youmaychoosetouseyourownvariation.That’sfineaslongasyouremembertocoverall these strokesand tohavea regular routineyou follow indoing it.Thepatternyouestablishaddstotheprocessoftellingyourmindandbodythattennisisontheagenda.

NinetySeconds:VolleytoVolley

Youwanttogettheeyesandhandsworkingtogether.Don’trunoutonthecourtand start banging groundstrokes. Especially if you’re a B or C player andespeciallyifyouhaven’tplayedforseveraldays.

It’sdumbtostarthittingtheshot thatrequires themostmovementandusesthe biggestmuscle groups firstwhen you haven’t played in aweek. If you’replayingallthetimeit’sdifferent.Thenyoumaywanttostartwiththegroundiesandlatermoveontovolleys.Mostplayersaren’tsolucky,however.

Tellyouropponentyouwanttohiteasyvolleysbackandforth,bothofyouinsideyourserviceboxesfourorfivefeetfromthenet.It’sjustalittlewake-upcallfortheoldeye-handmotorfunction.

Believe me, it works. It gets your eyes watching the ball and your rackethitting the ball with the least effort and best chance for good contact. Youropponentisgoingtomakeafacewhenyoustartit.Forgettheface.Theyhaveno plan and are only proceeding by habit of laziness. This is a real help inestablishingagoodrhythmforyourself(and,unfortunately,foryouropponent,too).

Poptheballbackandforthtothebackhandandforehand.Stayontheballsofyourfeet.Justmakegoodcontact.Itgetsyoureyessuccessfullytrackingtheballsothatthesweetspotofyourracketgetsalittleuse.

FourMinutes:GroundstrokestheCorrectWay

Firstthingtoremember:Tryandhityourinitialgroundstrokesdeep,justinsidethe baseline. In fact, if the ball is a little long, great. Aim for just inside thebaseline.Trytohityourfirstsixorsevenshotswithplentyofdepth.Don’tletaballfallshort.Payattentiontowhatyou’redoing.Ifaballlandsinorneartheservicebox,correctitandgoforthatbaseline.

Why?Nerves tend to shorten strokesandshots.Get the strokeextendedbyhittingdeep.Itsetsanearlypatternofhittingtothebackofthecourt,whichisoneofthesinglemostimportanthabitsyoucanhave.Inyourmatchit’sbettertohit oneoutof five shots long than fouroutof five short.So start hittingdeepearly.

Remember,you’renot tryingto impressyouropponentwithpower in thosegroundies. Start out nice and easy.Work yourway up to speed (whichwon’thappen until the fourth or fifth game). It’s very important to establish acomfortableandeffectiverhythminitially.Clubplayerslovetostartthewarm-

upbyflailingawayimmediately.Avoidit.Goeasy.Letyourbodycomeuptospeedinacomfortableway.

DON’TCHEAT

Duringmostwarm-upstheaverageplayerwillrunaroundtheirweakestsideongroundstrokes (the backhand) about 70 percent of the time. I’ve seen playerswarmingupwhoactuallycaughttheballinsteadoftakingaswingatitontheirweak side. They love to hit what’s comfortable and avoid what isn’t socomfortable. Ifyoucount the timesyouactuallyavoidhittingfromthatside itwouldsurpriseyou.

In fact, you shouldbedoing just theopposite: runaround the stronger sidewhenpossible.Hityourbackhandasmuchasyoucan.Getitfiredup.Getusedtohittingit.Believeme,ifyouropponentissmartyou’llbehittingitplentyoncethematchbegins.Sodon’tignoreit.Giveitatleastequaltime.It’llpayoffshorttermandlongterm.

One of the reasons you see a big difference in a player’sweaker side andstronger side as they keep playing over the years is this: they are constantlylooking tohit theshot they likeandavoid theshot theydon’t like. It feedsonitself.Overthemonthsandyearsaplayerletstheweakersidekindofwitheronthevine.Lackofattentionequalslackofeffectiveness.

In amatch itmightmake sense to run around it. In thewarm-up give theweaker side a little real attention. Among other things it will build up yourconfidence. You’ll get used to hitting it. And the warm-up is a regular, nopenaltyopportunitytoworkonit.

ThirtySeconds:Overheads

Overheads get ignored in the warm-up, especially by B and C level players.Here’swhy. Itmay be the shot you hitworst and hatemost.Nobody likes tolook bad in front of their opponent. Nobody likes to look bad in front ofthemselves.That overhead canmake you look real bad. It’s themost difficultshot to time right, especiallywhenyou’ve just started.Soa lotofplayers justdon’twanttomesswithit.Whatdotheydo?Theywaituntilitcountstohittheirfirst overhead. This is not intelligent. They figure it’s just easier to skip itentirely.Don’t.

The overhead warm-up does two things. Obviously, it warms up theoverhead. But it also starts warming up your serve. It gets you doing all thethings you need to be doing during the serve: looking up, following through,

transferringyourweight.Itgivesyoujustalittlemoretimetobringtheserveuptospeed.Yourobjectiveismodest.Justmakesolidcontactontheswing.Don’tworryaboutpower.Don’tworryaboutgreatangles.Justtakearelaxedcutattheballanddon’tgetfancy.

FifteenSeconds:TheToss

As the toss goes so goes your serve. When was the last time you actuallypracticedyourtoss?Beforeyouserve,practiceyourtossfourorfivetimes.Justfocusondoing it smoothlyandputting theballwhereyouwant it.Toss itup.Thencatchitwithoutmovingyourfeet.It’sagreatwaytoimproveyourservewith very little effort. (And during thematch if your serve starts to give youtrouble, slow things down and take a couple of practice tosses. I’ve found ithelpstogetthingsbackontrack.Ifyourtossisallovertheplaceit’simpossibletohaveareliableserve.)

Finally,onthismuchoverlookedbutcrucialpartofthegame,don’tbeafraidtostopyourservicemotion if the toss is terrible.Catch it!Toss itagain.Clubplayerswillchaseabadtossintothelockerroomtryingtosalvageit.

OneMinute:TheServe

Iwantyoutohitfourservestobothcourts,bothwideanddownthecenter.Mostclubplayerstendtohitjusttothedeucecourt.Iwantyoutohittobothcourtsfor this reason. The service warm-up is aimed primarily at setting up a goodcomfortable motion for yourself early in the match so you don’t needlesslydouble-fault.

Hit your initial serveswith an easy, relaxedmotion. Keep yourwrist veryloose—almost floppy. Hit your first three or four serves with almost a lazymotion.Aimfortheservicelineorbeyond.Thengraduallyincreasevelocity.

Youwanttohelpyourselfasmuchasyoucanforthatfirstservicegame.Youwanttobecomfortablewiththestrokeandyoudon’twanttobeservingtotheadcourtforthefirsttimeduringthematch,soservetoitinthewarm-up.

ThirtySeconds:ServiceReturn

Whenyouropponentishittingservesduringthewarm-up,don’tcatchthem,hitthemback.Practicehittingtheirservewithagoodservicereturn.Ibelieveitcanbeoneofyourmostimportantweaponsanditisseldomworkedon.Workonit.And work on it in the warm-up. Hit some focused, rhythmic, and connected

returns. Remember, this is probably the shot you’ll hit first (especially if youfollowmylateradvice).Thetimetogetitgoingisinthewarm-up.

That’s the “quick-and-slick-it’ll-do-the-trick” 7-minute-and-45-secondMicrowave Warm-up. Yes, it may take a couple of minutes longer if youropponentwantstohitsomeoverheadsoranythingelse.Butyourgame,atleast,willbereadytoroll.Dothisandyoucomeouthot(oratleastwarm).

LearnAboutYourOpponent:TheQuickStudy

Anotherobjectiveduringthisfinalstageofthepre-matchopportunityistoseeifyour opponent is showing you anything about their game that you can useagainstthem.Thisisimportantwithsomeoneyouhaven’tplayedbefore.Here’showtodoit.

Hitaballdownthemiddle.Whichwaydotheystep?Dotheyrunaroundthebackhand? If you’ve never seen your opponent before, they’ve just told yousomething;namely,theyfavoronesideovertheother.

When they’re at the net volleying, throw a surprise lob up. Do they coversmoothly?Aretheyquickorclumsywiththeirfootwork?

Also,whenthey’reatthenet,hitaballlowtotheirfeet.Dotheybendtheirkneesordotheydroptherackethead(thelazyman’svolley).

Duringtherallypayattentiontohowtheymoveandhowtheystriketheballwhenthey’removing.Aretheysharpononesideandinconsistentontheother?Dotheyhitoneshotmorethananother—slice,topspin,orflat?Dotheytakebig,looping strokes or short, compact strokes? Remember the following GilbertGoldenRule:Thestrokesthatareprettiestinthewarm-uparetheugliestunderpressure. Never be too impressed by what you see in the warm-up. But dorememberanylittleproblemsorglitchesintheirstrokesormovementthatyoumightwanttoexploitinthematch.

5Four“Nervebusters”:OvercomingPre-Match

Nervousness

Finally,wedealwiththeissueofnervousnessatthebeginningofamatch.Youknow what nerves are, don’t you? Nerves mean you’re afraid, you fearsomething. Do you know what fear is? It’s a defense mechanism. It’s yourbody’swayofgearingupfortrouble.Whenyourmindorbodysensesdanger,fear is the natural way to get ready to deal with it—the “fight or flight”mechanism. The adrenalin starts pumping. The senses are heightened. Allsystemsarego!Onlysometimestheydon’t.

It’snatural tofeelnervesbeforeabigmatch,whether thecause isacertainplayer you really want to beat or a tournament you’ve entered. In thosesituations,ifyoudon’tfeelnervesyou’lllose.Thequalityplayersarehelpedbynervesbecausetheyusethegoodpartandcontrolthebadpart.Theyknowthattheenergyfromnervescanworkforyou,makingyoutryharder,focussharper,anddomore.That’sthegoodpart.Thebadpartcancausedamage.

Thedamageismajor,too.Uncontrollednervousnessmakesyourlegsheavyandyourfeetsticktotheground.Nervestaketheoiloutofyourstrokes.Theyfreeze you up. Ever hear about “The Elbow”? Nerves. And it happens at alllevels of tennis. Maybe most of all among the pros, because of the stakesinvolved.

Nerves can make you stop thinking on the court and try stupid shots. Anervousplayerwillkickhimselfafterwardandsay,“WhydidItrythatdropshotfrom behind the baseline?” Nerves, that’s why. Nerves can make you reallybraindead.Whatwaseasytodosuddenlyisn’tsoeasy.

Maybe theworstcaseIeversawhappened toMiloslavMecir.Hegot“TheElbow”bigtime.DuringaWorldTeamCupmatchhewasservingtoConnors5–3inthethirdsettowinthematchandthetitleforCzechoslovakia.Allhehadtodowasholdserve.Nervesgothim.Hestarteddouble-faulting.Bytheendofhisservicegamehehaddouble-faultedfourtimes!Duringhisnextservicegame(at5–all)hestartedfaultingagain.Itgotsobadhestartedservingunderhandon

secondservesjust togettheball in.Therewasnootherwayhecouldgetit inthebox.Itwaspainfultowatchbecauseyoufeltsosorryfortheguy.Hewasagreatplayer,butnervestooktheirtollonhimandhelostthematchbecausehecouldn’tcontrolthem.

I’vehadmyownexperiencewithnerves.IplayedDavisCupfortheUnitedStates in ’86 when we lost three to two to Australia. And I lost both of mymatches.Itwasahorriblefeeling.Iwasdepressedandembarrassed.InsideIfeltlikeI’dletmycountrydown,andnerveswereabigpartofit.Ihadwantedtowin for theU.S.A. somuch that Iwas tight,nervous, anxious,wanting toendpointstoosoon.Nerveswilldothat.

That experiencewasmyworst in tennis, because the losses laid onme forthreeyears.That’s a long time towait to redeemyourself.When I finally gotinvitedbackIhadlearnedalot.IwonbecauseIhadaferociousdesiretoprovemyselfandIwasmuchbetterathandlingnerves.LetmetellyouwhatIdo.

During thewarm-up nerveswill start affecting you immediately.Your feetdon’twanttomove.Youcan’tcatchyourbreath.Yourmovementisstiff.Andsoareyourstrokes.IhavefourverysimpleandmechanicalthingsIdotoloosenthegripofnervesbeforeamatch.

Gilbert’sNerveBusters

1.BreatheLikeYou’veGotAsthma

When you get nervous your breathing pattern changes. It’s the first thing youshould check. Your breathing tells you about the level of your anxiety. And,moreimportant,yourbreathingcanhelpyoucontrolyouranxiety.Whenyou’renervousyoutakeshort,shallow,quickbreaths.Andthat’sexactlyhowyoufeel.Everythingisjumpy,racy,andoutofsyncwhenyougetnervous.

When that happens, control your breathing. Take smooth, rhythmic, deepbreaths.Youcanstartevenbeforeyou’reonthecourt.BeforeamatchthatreallyhasmetightImakesurethatI’mbreathingcorrectly—deep,smooth,rhythmic.IsoundlikeI’vegotasthma,butithelpsreducemynervousness.

2.GetHappyFeet

Letme tellyouabout footwork. It is themost importantpartof thegame. It’severything. And nerves can destroy it. Good footwork gets you to the rightposition in time. Ifyou’re there in timeyouhaveoptions. Ifyouhaveoptions

youhaveabetterchanceofwinningthepoint.Youcanslicetheball.Youcanhit over the ball. You can hit it early. But mainly you can hit it squarely.Options. The more options you have the less likely you are to be attackedeffectively and themore likely you are to control thepoint.That’swhat goodfootworkcandoforyou.Here’swhatbadfootworkcandotoyou.

Ifyouhavebadfootworkandgettotheballlate,orwaitfortheballtocometoyou(ordon’thaveyourselfinthebestpositiontohittheshotyouwant),youhavefeweroptions.Theballisplayingyou.Ifit’stighttoyourbodyallyoucandoisfightitoff.Badfootworkhurtsyourtiming,yourbalance,yourpower,andyourconsistency.

Pre-matchtensioncanabsolutelykillfootwork.Nervesmakeyourfeetstickto thecourt likeyou’vegotVelcroon thebottomofyourshoes.Nervesmakeyou stop moving. Your legs get sluggish. Short, quick, light steps becomelunging, slow,big steps.And itgoes right throughyourbody.The strokesarebad. The timing is bad. The contact is bad. And your confidence evaporatesbecauseyoucansensethat“I’mjustnothittingtheballtoday.”Badfootwork.

Howdoyougetgood footwork?Simple.Think“toes.” Ifyoustayonyourtoes(theballsofyourfeet)youhavetobetakinglight,quick,shortsteps.Heelsarefordiggingin,forcarryingtheload,forholdingyourground.Beingonyourheels ishowyougetpassed in tennis.Andnervesputyoubackonyourheelsquicker than anything else. So when it comes to good footwork, think like aballetstar—getuponyourtoes.

Iconsciouslytellmyselftomovemyfeet.It’sanorderIgivetomyselfwhenI’m nervous. “Bounce. Get up on your toes, Brad. Stay light on your feet!Bounce.”Ikeeptellingmyselftobounce,tostaylight,tokeepmoving.Ithelpsme work into good footwork and out of nervousness. I want happy feet, notheavyfeet.

Movementreducesnerves.Lackofmovementincreasesnerves.You’veheardpeople say, “He got nervous and froze up.” They’re not talking about bodytemperature.They’retalkingaboutmovement,orlackofit.

You’llnoticeinyourowngamethatwhenyou’refeelinggood,whenyou’reconfidentandahead,youmovenaturallyand smoothly.Butmainlyyoumove.Samewith the pros.When they’re relaxed they don’t just stand there leaningbackontheirheels.They’reupandbouncing,moving.

It’stheplayerwho’stight,afraid,andtiedupbytension(orjustexhausted)whostandsthereflatfooted.Andyoucanfight thetendencytofreezeupwhenyou’renervousbyremindingyourself(orderingyourself)togetuponyourtoesandbelightonyourfeet.

Rememberthisnotonlyduringthewarm-up,butinthepressurepointsofthematch.Watch Courier before a big point.Watch him shift from foot to foot,kneesbent,bouncingonhistoes.Ishenervous?Youbet.Butheknowshowtodealwith it.Thegoodonesnever just stand there.They fightnerves and stayloosebymoving.Andsoshouldyou.Talktoyourself.Tellyourself,“Toesnotheels.”

Thereisanotherbenefittodoingthis.Itisgoodbodylanguage.Ittellsyouropponent that you’re loose (even if you’re not). It tells them you’re not tired(evenifyouare).Ittellsthemyou’reconfidentandpositive(evenifyouaren’t).

Inadditionto thegooditdoesyourowngameitworksonyouropponent’smind.Especiallylateinthematch.You’vebeeninabattleforthreesets.Youropponent is looking for some signof fatigue,ornerves,or resignation inyou.Theylookacrossthenetandseetheopposite.You’reup(onyourtoes)!You’reenergized (or at least look likeyouare)!You’rebouncing lightly from foot tofoot.Yourbodylanguageistellingthemthatyou’rereadyandeagertofighttotheend.Believeme,itdoeshaveaneffectnotonlyinthebeginningofamatch,butduringit.

3.ReadtheLabel

During the initial part of thewarm-up,when I’m anxious and trying to settledown,there’sanotherlittletrickIusetofightnerves.Ireadtheprintontheball.I try to see “Wilson” or “Penn” or “Slazenger” as the ball is coming at me.You’ll find that trying tosee thewritingnotonlyhelpsgetyoureyes trackingtheball,butitgetsyourmindoffnervesandontosomethingelse.Atfirst,youprobablywon’t seeanything.Youreyeswill improveandyou’ll start seeingablur.Ifthat’sasfarasyouget,fine.Whatmattersisthatyou’vetakenyourmindoff aproblembydistracting it.Nerves aren’twhatyou’re thinking about.Thelabeliswhatyou’rethinkingabout.

4.SingaSong

Thisonesoundsalittlestrange.Idistractmyselffromnervesbysingingundermy breath early in thewarm-up. I’ll get a TomPetty song going throughmyheadandsingthelyricstomyself.I’mjust tryingtokeepeverythingcalmandeasytostartwith.Andbelieveitornot,thislittletrickworksforme.Sowhenyougooutonthecourtandyoufeelthatpre-matchtightness,remembermyfourNerveBusters:

1.Breathlikeyou’vegotasthma2.Gethappyfeet3.Readthelabel4.Singasong

Youmaythinkit’samazingthatIcanevenhittheballwithallthatbreathing,bouncing, reading, and singing going on. I use it selectively. Mainly, I’mcheckingmyselfouttoseehowI’mmovingandwhethernervesareaproblemthatday.IfIneedtohelpmyselfgetthroughnervesduringawarm-uporduringamatch,I’llgotothislist,startingwithmybreathingandmyfootwork.Iwanttogetthemundercontrolimmediately,beforetheycostmepoints.

YourMindCan’tThinkofTwoThingsatOnce

Obviouslynervesreduceyoureffectivenessduring thematchaswellasbeforethematch.WhenIfeelpressureduringplaythereissomethingelseIconsciouslydotoreducemytension.

IknowthatnervesgetworsewhenIthinkaboutthem,whenIstartworryingabouttheconsequences.Ireducethat tendencybyreallyfocusingonmygameplan at pressure points in thematch:What am I trying to dowith this serve?WhatamIlookingtotakeadvantageofinmyopponent’sshots?Istayfocusedonmygameplan.Idivertmyattentionawayfromnervesandtowardthenextpoint (where it should be anyway!). By thinking about that, I’m not thinkingaboutnerves.

TheConnorsApproachtoNerves

There’soneotherapproachtonervesthatyoucanconsider,butit’sonlyworkedforoneplayer that Iknowof: JimmyConnors.Hehasauniqueattitudeaboutpressure. His perspective is this: Pressure usually represents opportunity. Themorepressurethemoreopportunity.Andhelovesopportunity.

Hefigures,howmuchopportunitycantherebeplayingthefinalsoftheEastPodunk/FredandMillie’sDonutShopandRadiatorRepairTennisTournament?Notmuch.Nofame,fortune,orflattery.Howmuchpressure?Notmuch.Ontheotherhand,howmuchopportunityisthereplayingthefinalsoftheU.S.Open?Maximum. Careers are made there. Legends are created there. How muchpressure?Maximum.

Jimmyjustseestheopportunity.Hedoesn’tfocusonthepressure.Heknowsthat in themost pressurized situations he can do himself the greatest good in

termsofhiscareer.Andhereallygothimselfjackedupwhensomethingbigwasatstake.Matchpoint inaSlamevent?Hecouldn’tbehavingmorefun.It justcame natural for him. For the rest of us it’s not so natural. Try my NerveBusters.Theywork.

ReadyfortheContest

Nowyou’re ready to begin.You’re ready to take advantage of your opponentimmediately when the match gets going. You’re ready to jump off to adominating start;maybe up a break,with good rhythm, good concentration, afocusonyourgameplan,andconfidence.Nowletthegamesbegin.

Next:Asmartstarttoyourmatch.

6StartSmart:GrabbingtheEarlyLead

Mental Preparation, Tools of the Trade, Stretching for Success, Winning theWarm-up—everything you’ve read in those chapters so far gives you thefoundation for the best possible opening to the match, and one that carriesforwardintothecompetition.You’llstartstrong,physicallyandmentallyprimedto find a quick break and a pattern that can give you a substantial edge forwinningthefirstset.Youarecreatingpositivemomentumforyourself.

IknowthatifIcangetofftoagoodearlystartinthematchitimprovesmychances forwinning the first set.Letme showyouwhy statistically this is soimportanttomeandwhyitcangiveyouarealadvantage.

According to the A.T.P. (Association of Tennis Professionals) a Top 20playerwhowins the first setwill go on towin thematch 89.6 percent of thetime!AttheU.S.OpenwhenJimmyConnorshaswonthefirstsethehaswonthematch eighty-eight out of ninety times!Winning the first set, then, carriessignificantweight.Andgettingofftoastrongearlystartsignificantlyboostsmychances of winning the first set. That’s why I’m so conscientious aboutpreparingforthebeginningofamatch.It’swhyyoushoulddothesame.

HittheDeckRunning

Thisnextstepisthepointoftransitionfromthepre-matchpreparationintotheheart of the contest. I consider the first two games to be included in thistransition. I use this period to gain an edge thatmay be ignored by the otherplayer. I’m looking for those moments in a match where my opponent isprobablyasleepatthewheelordoesn’tunderstandandexploitthedynamicsofthesituation.

At the top levelsof tennis thisdoesn’thappenoften,butasyougo throughtheranksmoreandmoreopportunitiesareoverlooked.ThedifferencebetweenaTop10playerandaplayertryingtobreakintotheTop25isn’ttennisstrokes.It’s tennis smarts, the mental part of the game. I found that out in my own

journey from the tennis wilderness into the Top 10. For recreational tennisplayersit’sthesame.Lotsofopportunitiesgetignoredbecauseaplayer’smentalgameisweak.

The“transitional”periodpresentsopportunity.Severaldifferentelementsarepresent for the first and only time and they can be an asset or a liabilitydepending on how you approach them. Very likely your opponent doesn’trecognizethem.Andiftheydotheyaren’tsurehowtocapitalizeonthem.

Beforeyou’recaughtupintheheatof thebattleyou’vegot this in-betweenperiodwhereit’svaluabletoknowwhattodotogainadvantage.

HowtoGettheBestPossibleStart1.Neverservefirst.2.StartyourmatchlikeIvanLendl.3.Playthefirsttwogamescorrectly.4.Utilizethefirstpitstop.

1.NeverServeFirst

Here’sabetyoucanwin90percentofthetimewithyourtennisfriends:“Whatchoicesdoestheplayerwhowinsthespinoftheracket(ortoss)have?”Mostofthetimetheywillsaytheansweristoserve/receiveorselectwhichsidetobeginthematchon.Wrong!Thereisoneotheroption.Itistogivethefirstchoicetothe other player. Knowing all of this and how to use it can be important. Asyou’llsee.

Mostcluborpubliccourtsplayers liketowinthespinof theracketsotheycanelecttoservefirst.Ibelievethatyoushouldalmostalwayschoosetoreceiveserve first. But it’s a big thing for most players, serving first. When youropponentspinstheracketandinformsyouthatyourchoiceof“up”or“down”iswrong, have you ever caught yourself wondering if they may already have“hooked”yousotheycanservefirst?That’sokay.Letthem.Don’targuewithaplayerwhowantstoservefirst.Infact,youcanhelpthemtodoitbyelectingtoreceiveservewhenyouwinthespin.

Theymaythinktheygetanadvantagebyservingfirst,butinmostcasestheydon’t. In fact, they get a disadvantage. At the pro level in men’s tennis it’sgenerally better to serve first in amatch.With some exceptions that isn’t thecaseinrecreationaltennis.Here’swhy.

SixReasonsYouShouldn’tServeFirst

1.THEFIRSTSERVEISNOBIGTHREAT

You’ve heard the expression, “First one to hold serve wins!”? At times it’salmost trueat theclub level.Howbigaweapon isyouropponent’s serve?Oryours?Theperceivedadvantageofservingfirstmayapplyinmen’sprofessionaltennis, but it really doesn’t anywhere else. (Incidentally, if you have a greatserve, congratulations, but you’re the exception.) Find out for yourself. Keeptrack of your service holds over several matches. Here are some of the prosaverages for holding serve: Edberg, 85.2; Stich, 87.2; Courier, 84.5; Agassi,80.2;Becker,84.4;Me,77.9(source:A.T.P.statistics,1991).Howdoyoumatchup?

2.THESERVEISWEAKESTEARLIEST

Okay,verylikelythetypicalclubplayer’sserveisn’tmuchofaweaponunderthebestofcircumstances.It’sevenlessthreateningwhenaplayerisn’twarmedup, isn’t into the match, isn’t relaxed, and isn’t really comfortable with theirserve,whichexactlydescribestheconditionsforyouropponentservingfirstinthematch.It’samazinganybodyeverwinstheirfirstservetoopenthematch.

At the pro level there’s a very careful approach to the serve.You’ll see intheirwarm-upjustpriortothematchthattheservemaygetthemostattentionofall.Inmostcasesitmustbeworkingandworkingwelltowin,sotheymakesureitgetslotsofattentionbeforeplaystarts.Eventhenaproisn’tservingathisorher strongest early in the match and, obviously, neither are you or youropponent.Amediocreservethatcan’tovercomealltheearlyhandicapsbecomesuseless,evenaliability.

3.YOUGETMOREWARM-UPTIME

Theserveisacomplexphysicalmovement.It isoneshotwhereyoucan’t juststickyourracketoutinfrontofyouandblocktheballbackoverthenet.

Butonethingiscertain.Theserveiseasierifyou’rewarmedup.Lettingyouropponentservefirst(andrelatively“unwarmedup”)givesyouadditionaltimetoloosenup,torelaxintothematch,tohitmoreballs,andtogetreadytoserveupto your potential. You’re stealing just a bit of real match play time to settledown.Thiswill be an assetwhenyou stepup to the line to serve that secondgameofthematch.

4.THEPSYCHOLOGICALEFFECT

Think about how you’d react if your adversary on the court chose to let youservefirst.Whatgoesthroughyourmind?“Hey,youdon’tthinkIcanserve?I’llshowyouwhat Icando!”That,or something like it, isanatural reaction. It’salsoadumbreaction.

Tryingtoserveharderisabigmistake.It’saformulaforfaulting.That’swhyyouwanttogiveyouropponentsthechancetopsychthemselvesoutbyhavingthemservefirst.

5.LOSINGTHEFIRSTGAMEISN’TLOSING

Oneoftheeasiesttimestobreakserveisonyouropponent’sfirstserviceofthematch.Especiallyifit’sthefirstgameofthematch.However,iftheyholdyouhaven’tlostathing.They’vesimplydonewhatthey’resupposedtodo;namely,holdserve.

Technically,thematchis“onserve”eventhoughyouhaven’tservedasingletennis ball.Tactically, if youropponent holds in that first servicegameof thematchitdoestheleastdamage.

6.THEQUICKEARLYBREAKCANBEVERYIMPORTANT

MywholeapproachtowinningisbasedongrabbingsmallopportunitiesasIgoalong—getting them, holding them, and looking for more of them. Each oneseparately may not seem very significant, but taken together they give you asubstantiallybiggerchanceofvictory.That’swhy this firstgameof thematchcanbeimportant.

Mostplayersbeginamatchwithageneralfeelingthatiftheyloseserveit’snobigdeal.ItwashowIapproacheditwhenIplayedcollegetennis.“Plentyoftime to get it back later.”Maybe.Maybe not.What you do know is that bygrabbingaquickservicebreakyouhavegivenyourselfarealadvantage.

Oneofthegoalsofpre-matchfocusing,thestretching,theplannedwarm-up,andelecting to receive first is toget thisadvantage. Ifyouaresuccessful (andyoushouldbe25to35percentofthetime)youwillhavegivenyourselfabetterchanceofwinningthematchbeforeyouevenserve.

You’veputyourself ina strongposition forwhat follows.Youmayhaveabreakinhand.Youmayhaveforcedyouropponent togetaggressive toosoon(trying to breakback immediately).Thismayhelpyou to holdyour own firstserve as they force shots and commit errors. If you get lucky theymay evenpress a little harder on their second service game of the match and give yousomeeasyopportunitiestobreakforasecondtime.Thisisyouridealscenario.Anditdoeshappen.

Thinkaboutwherethiscanputyou:upthreegamestononewithtwobreaks!Thisisahugeadvantageandputsyouinapositionwhereanybodybettingtencentsonthematchwouldbetonyou.Youshouldwinthematch.Youmaynot,but the odds really go in your favor. A player up two breaks in the first setshouldwinthatset.Aplayerwhowinsthefirstsetistheodds-onfavoritetowinthesecondset.Andunlessyou’replayingabestoffivesetsthat’sallyouneedtowin.

This is your goal.You’re thinking, “That’s no goal.That’s a fantasy.”Notreally.It’snotasimplegoal,ofcourse,butit’swhatyou’retryingtoaccomplish.Youwant togetoutof thegatefast.Youwant tostuffyouropponentasearlyandashardasyoucan.Getthemontherun.Agoodplayeronagooddaymightget out of your grasp. Most of them won’t if you continue to exploitopportunities and avoid the temptation to get mentally lazy about payingattention to the “outer game.” Instead of starting thematchwith the idea thatyou’llworkyourwayintoit,beginwiththegoalofworkingyouropponentoutofit.

Iuse thestrategyof lettingmyopponentserve firstabout15percentof thetimeinmyownmatches.Thereasonfornotdoingitmoreoftenisobvious.Thepros do warm up properly. And the pros do have a weapon with their serve(usually).However, thereareexceptionsevenat the top levelsof competition.I’veneverbeenconcernedaboutlettingMichaelChangorJimmyConnorsservefirst. (You’ll notice thatChang andConnors rarely choose to serve firstwhentheyhave theoption, for the reasons I’ve justoutlined.) I’vealso letMcEnroeandLendl serve firstoccasionally just to throw thema little curve right at thestartofamatch.

How about letting someone like Boris Becker (with his huge serve) servefirst?ThepotentialadvantageIgainwhenIuseitisthesameastheoneforyou.As big as his serve is, it isn’t at its best in the first games.And occasionallyBecker’s serve acts up on him early in a match, so my choice can even beeffectiveagainsthim.

OneotheroptionIuse(butonlyrarely)whenIwinthetossistohandoverthechoicetomyopponent.It’salittlepsychologicalployIusewhenthingsarestillalittleedgyatthebeginningofamatch.Bygivingupthedecisiontochoosewhether toserveorreceiveImaythrowtheopponent justslightlyoffbalance.I’mbasicallysaying,“Yourserveisn’tathreat.Takeyourpick.”Iftheyelecttoservefirstthat’swhatIwantanyway.Iftheyelecttohavemeservefirstthey’readmittingtheyalsoaren’ttoosureabouttheirserve.SoitcanbackfireifIwanttoreceivefirst.Butusuallythey’llchoosetoserve.

TheExceptionstotheRule

TheExceptionstotheRule

Here’swhenyoushouldn’tletyouropponentservefirst.Obviously,ifyouplaysomeone whose serve is really big and works as a weapon right from thebeginning,don’t let themstartusingitagainstyouimmediately.Dependingonyour levelofplayand theopponentonaparticularday thiscouldbe thecase.Butitwon’thappenoften.

TheWindandtheSun

Theothersituationoccurswhenyou’replayingoutsideandthesunfactorsin.Ifit’s in the eyes of the server at one end you want to correctly exercise youroptionswhenyouwin thespinof theracket.Asyouknow,youcanchoose toserve or receive, or to select which end of the court you start at. The choicedeterminingwhichendofthecourtyoustartatisthemostimportantonewhenthesun isaproblem.Select theend thatputs thesunatyourbackfor thefirstgame. (If the elements are a factor, never hand over the choice to youropponent.)

Youropponent(ifthey’repayingattention)willthenelecttohaveyouservefirstsotheydon’thavetoserveintothesunimmediately.That’sokaybecauseyouhavethenforcedthemtoplaythefirstgamefacingthesun.Throwthemafewlobsinthatfirstgameandletthemstareintothesunwhilethey’retryingtohitanoverheadinthisearliestpartofthematch.

Youalsomayget lucky.Onceyou’vechosen tokeep thesunatyourback,youropponentmight still elect to serve first, into the sun! If thathappensyoucanbereasonablysuretheplayerisbrain-dead.

Windcanalsobeafactoroutdoors.IplayedamatchagainstMarkEdmunsoninLasVegasinwindsthatweregustinguptofiftymilesperhour.OnonepointI ran over to hit a backhand and thewind suddenly gusted and blew the ballaroundtomyforehandside!LaterIhitalobthatwentoffmyrimandsailedoutover the side fence. The wind actually blew it back over the fence and ontoMark’s court for awinner. I eventually lost thematch, but not before I got aprettygoodcaseofwindburn.

Ifthesunisn’tafactor(acloudyday,anightmatch),windbecomesthefirstconsideration.Ifit’sblowingbaselinetobaselineIchoosetostartthematchwiththewindinmyface.There’smoreroomforerrorbecausethewindwillknockyourballdownandkeepitfromgoinglong.Typicallytheopponentwon’tbeasconcernedaboutthewindasaboutthesun.Theyusuallyelecttoservefirst.This

meansthatinthefirstgameyou’vegotthemservingwiththewindattheirback.Toughertogettheballintheservicecourtinthatcircumstance.Youradvantage.

SoasageneralruleIliketostartwiththesunatmybackandthewindinmyfaceifIhavetheoptions.Youshoulddothesame.Ifitmeansyouhavetoservefirst,that’sokay.You’vestillgainedtheadvantage.

2.StartYourMatchLikeIvanLendl

IvanLendl isoneof themostpowerful sluggers ever toplay tennis.Whenhereallyripsityoucanalmostheartheballsayouch!Hepulverizesit.Buthere’swhat you don’t know. He never starts at full throttle. Ivan understands theimportance of working his way up tomaximum speed and power. He knowsyou’reneverthereinthefirstfewgamesofthematch.Nerves,thecrowd,newconditions,andotherfactorsalmostalwaysmakeitimpossibletoreallyletitoutrightaway.Ivandoesn’t.Hekeepshisgameverymuchundercontrolinitially.

Duringthefirstthreeorfourgameshe’shittingatabout65to75percentofhisfullpower.Heveryconsciouslyresiststheurgetoreallysmackit.Hewantstowork hisway into a good rhythm.Heunderstands the correctmethod is tostartbelowitandworkuptoit.It’sveryhardtobringyourselfdowntoyourbestpaceifyoustarthittingtoohardrightaway.Youcanspendtherestofthematchlookingforyourrhythm.Ivannevermakesthatmistake.

Andthatgoesforhisserve,too.Bytryingtoslugtheballbeforeyourbodyandmindarereallyacclimatedtothematchyoucantakeyourservicedownforthewholeday.Theserveiscomplex.EvenLendldoesn’tgoforittooearly.

WhenIplayedhimforthefirsttimeatHartfordin’82Icouldn’tbelievethegreat Lendl was hitting such manageable shots. I was thinking, “Geez, theylooked a lot heavier when I watched him play other guys.” This went on foraboutfourgames.Inthefifthgamehecrankeditup.SuddenlyaservewentbymethatIdidn’tevensee.Iwashittingeverythinglate.Hestartedswingingmewideleftandright.Icouldn’tgetinpositionforanything.Hewasrolling.Andherolledrightoverme6–2,6–2.Hehadworkedhiswayuptomaximumspeedandpoweranduseditwhenitwasthere.Notbefore.

Lendl’s approach is the correct one. Start below your maximum pace andrhythm in your first few games. Don’t try to cream those early shots. Letyourselfbuild intoasolid,comfortable“power”rhythm.It’llhappenifyouletyourselfresistthetemptationtohithardandwinquick.

3.PlaytheFirstTwoGamesCorrectly

Thefirsttwogamesofthematchcansetthetemperatureforwhatfollows.Thementalandphysicalattitudeestablishedhereisvaluablebecauseitcanstartyouon a course thatmakeswinning a lot easier.You and the opponent serve andreceiveserveforthefirsttime.Youarebothgettingyour“sealegs”andworkingyourselfuptoattackspeed.ThereareanumberofconsiderationsIbringtothesefirstgamesthatincorporateLendl’sapproachandaddtoit.

NoUnforcedErrors

Remember during these first two games that you’re not as loose as you’ll belater.Evenifyouwarmupcorrectlyyoustillaren’t reallyset to let itallhangout.Sonounforcederrors.Don’tbeafraidtoswingattheball,butdon’ttrytoimpress theotherplayer. Justmakesomeballs.Thepatternyouwant toset inplaceisoneofconsistency,ofsuccessingettingtheballbackoverthenetandintotheoppositecourt.

ServeSensibly

Whenyou’reservingforthefirsttimeit’sveryeasytofault.Remembertoavoidthe temptation to tryandhitbig.This is thepoint in thematchwherecarelessflubsaremade.Don’tputyourselfinapositionwheretheotherplayerwinsanearlygamejustbystandingthere.Don’tgivethemfreebee’s.Yourgoalsshouldbemodest:1.Gettheballin.2.Getittotheirweakerside.

Alotofplayersarelackadaisicalontheirfirstservicegame.Theydon’tseemtocare.Ifyouletyouropponentbreakyourightoutofthechuteyou’vejackedthem up. You’ve adrenalized them. You’ve given them the opportunity topressureyou.Andpressuregenerallyhurtsyourgame.Sobesmart.Gettheballin.Keeptheballinplayearlyon.Eliminateerrors.

Don’tRelax

Playerswho serve first andhold (or receive first andbreak) almost always letdowninthenextgame.There’sasenseof“Whew,Igotthroughthat.NowIcanrelaxforasecond.”Bang.Theotherplayerwinsatlove.Don’tletthemoffsoeasily.

Remember, if you serve first and hold, a subsequent break is “longer.”BythatImeanifyoubreaktheminthatsecondgameandthenholdyourownserveyou’reup3–0.Psychologically thatseemsa lotheavier than it is. It’sstill just

onebreak.Butit’sthreegamesdifference.Itfeelsworsetoyouropponent.Andthatmeansitisworse.

Ifyoureceivefirstandbreak(whichiswhatyoushouldtryandaccomplish)don’t get careless on your serve in that second game. The tendency is to getfeelinga little toogooda little toosoon.Don’tgoforaces.Anddependingonthe level of your game, don’t be too ambitious. You’ll be surprised at whathappensinyourfirstservicegameifyoujustgetyourfirstservein.

TestThemEarly

Also, I like toworkmyway to thenet if I canearly in these first fewgames.Don’tforceit,but if theopportunityarisestakeit.I looktodoitwhenI’mup40-love and can spare a point. The other player is a little tight. They haven’tmadeanyshotsandtheymayjerkonethatgivesyouthefreebee.

4.UtilizetheFirstPitStop

Iget askedwhy thepros takea rest after the first game.Whynot just changeendswithoutsittingdownforabreak?Goodquestion,becauseinyourentirelifeI’ll bet you’ve never seen a tour player skip the opportunity to sit down afterplayingthatfirstgame.Itcan’tbefatigue,canit?Answer:It’snottorest.It’stothink.

Changeoversarewhereyougetyourself togethermentallyandemotionally.The first changeover has added value because it gives you an opportunity tocheck your bearings before anything too drastic has happened. I use it as anopportunity toestablishagain inmymindwhat it is I’mtrying todo. I reviewmygameplan.

Itakemysipofwater,wipeoffthesweat,settledown,butmainlyIthink.Ireview my strategy. What am I trying to make happen? What do I want topreventfromhappening?OnsubsequentchangeoversIwanttoreviewanythingthat might have occurred that surprised me. Has my opponent hurt me withanything? I givemyself a little pep talk: “Stick to your game plan.Don’t getovereager.Bepatient.Remembertogetthatfirstserveinandtothebackhand.”

That first pit stop is very important because the beginning of amatch is adisruptive period. A lot of things are happening and a lot of adjustments arebeing made. It’s easy to lose your focus, your plan, your attitude. This firstchangeoverisuniqueinthatessentiallyyouarestilllookingahead.Thereisnostrongpatternemerginginthegameyet.Youaren’tlookingatwhatwentwrong

or right.You are still in the process of trying to force your gameplan on theotherplayer.

I realize tennis isasocialeventandthatchangeoversarewherea lotof thesocializingusuallygoesonattenniscourts.It’sachancetocatchuponthelatestnewsandgossip,ortotalkaboutthematchitself.Youprobablyaren’tpreparedto put a towel over your head and startmeditating. But a player dedicated towinningiswillingtodelaythesmalltalkuntilafterthematch.

You are still trying to steal that early lead. If youbroke serve youwant tohold.Ifyouheld(orlost)serveyouwanttobreak.Thatinitialchangeovergivesyouachancetoapproachthejobcalmlywithyourplanclearlyinmind.“Getmyfirstservein.Don’tgetfancy.Makehimplay.”

I think of the changeover as my isolation booth. I want to use what I’mlearning in thematch tomy advantage.A smart tennis player is accumulatinginformation as play goes on. And they’re using that information to theiradvantage.Thechangeover iswhereyouhaveanuninterrupted time to reviewandplan.

Watchtheproswhenyouseeamatchontelevision.They’renotsittingtherelooking off into the crowd or talking to the ballboys. There is heavyconcentrationgoingon.That’swhy the towelgoesover theheadoccasionally.They want to really stop and think about what’s going on. Don’t waste thatopportunityinyourownmatches.

PlayTennisLikeYou’dDoBusiness

A smart businessperson constantly tries to think ofways to improve business.It’s amazing how they’ll suddenly get on the court and stop thinking.On thechangeoverthey’llsit therelikeacowlickingablockofsalt.Notathoughtintheirhead.Asmartplayerconstantly tries to improve theirchanceofwinning.Alwaysthinking.Alwaysanalyzingwhat’shappening.

Itcanevenbeagoodideatohaveanotebookinyourequipmentbagthatyoucanrefertointhebeginningof(andduring)amatch.Itcanlistyourstrengths.Youropponent’sweaknesses.Yourmaingoalagainst thatplayer.Maybea tipyougotatyourtennislesson.Thingsyou’vethoughtoutbeforethematch.It’simportantinformationthatcaneasilygetforgottenduringthematch.Duringthechangeovertakeitoutofyourequipmentbagandreviewit.

Adultsatsomeofmytennisclinicshavetoldmethatthey’replayingtennistorelax.That’sabsolutelyokay. I tell themwhen theystartplaying tennis towinremember someof the things I’ve said. I’ve always foundwinning a lotmorerelaxingthanlosing.

Oneofthebiggestmisconceptionsrecreationaltennisplayershaveaboutthegame is that there’snotmuch to itmentally.Someof thebignames in tennisalsofeltthatway.Fortunatelyforme.

Next:Playsmartduringyourmatchbytakingadvantageofwhatyousee.

IIPlayingSmart:FindingaWaytoWin

“Brad’sverycunningatfiguringoutanopponent;probablybetteratitthananyplayerintheworld.”

—AllanFox,InstructionEditor,TennisMagazine

7TheKeytoVictory

TheNewYorkTimessaysI’mgreatatmakingmyopponentsplaybadly.ArthurAsheagreed:“Braddoesn’thaveanystrokesyou’dwanttowritehomeabout.”They’re right. I don’t overpower people. I don’t have any flashy shots. I winbecause I have the ability to implementmy basic game strategy successfully:maximizemystrengthsandminimizemyweaknesses.ThatmeansIconsistentlygetinapositionwhereI’mhittingashotIlikeratherthanoneIdon’t.

At the same time I want to maximize my opponent’s weaknesses andminimize their strengths. Iwant them to be hitting shots they don’t like frompositions they don’t want. I’ll lose if I go strength to strength. I’m good,however,atworkingmystrengthsagainstmyopponent’sweaknesses.

Thegoalofmygameplanistoturntheotherplayer’sowngameagainsthim.I did it toMcEnroe that night at the ’87Masters inNewYork (more on thatcomingup), againstBecker in theU.S.Open in ’87,and I’vedone it tomanyotherselsewhere.

AheadaremykeysfortakingaplayeroutoftheirAgameandmakingthemtrytobeatyouwiththeirBgame,forpickingapartaplayer’sstrokesandgameplanandturningtheiradvantageintoyouradvantage.

Who’sDoingWhattoWhom?

Inordertofollowtheplansuccessfullyyouneedtounderstandwhat’sgoingoninthematch,withyourgame,youropponent’sgame,andwiththeinteractionofthetwo.MycoachatPepperdine,AllenFox,usedtotellme,“Alwaysbeaskingyourselfduringamatchwho’sdoingwhattowhom.”Thatmeansknowinghowandwhypointsarebeingwonandlost.Itmeansknowingwhat’sgoingonoutonthecourt.

Areyoulosingpointsbecauseyouropponentissuccessfullyattackingyouatthenetoreatingupyoursecondserve?Doestheotherplayerbeatyoufromthebaseline? Is your opponent crushing overheads? Are your forehands falling

short?Areyougettingpassedwhenyoucometothenet(andonwhichside)?Istheotherplayerrunningaroundthebackhand?Aretheygreatwiththegroundiesuntilyoupressurethematthenet?Whatistheirstyleofplay—Retriever,servevolley,orsomethingelse?

Thecorrect tennis response to any situationduringyourmatchcanonlybedetermined by knowing “who’s doing what to whom.” A successful playerknowstheanswer.Theymaynotknowtheexactnumbersandpercentages(e.g.62percentof firstservesgood),but theyhaveasenseof it. It’sanabilityyoucandevelopifyouworkatit.

Most recreational tennis players don’t know who’s doing what to whomduring theirmatch.They don’t pay attention.They don’t observe and analyzewhat’sgoingon.Believeitornot,I’veevenhadaplayeratoneofmycampstellmehe didn’t realize his opponentwas a lefty until themiddle of the first set.“NowIknowwhythoseshotstotheadcourtkeptcomingbacksogood.”Right!Hewashittingintotheguy’sforehandthinkingitwashisbackhand.Hewasnotawareofwhatwashappeningoutonthecourt.

TheCombinationtotheLock

Every player’s game is like a combination lock.Without the combination it’stough to open, but with the combination it gets a lot easier. Knowing who’sdoingwhattowhomgivesyouthecombinationtothelock.

For me that came relatively easy once I really started applying it duringmatcheswhenIturnedpro.WhenIwasakidgrowingupnearOaklandIwasamajorsportsnut.IwasfanaticalabouttheRaiders,Warriors,49ers,Giants,andA’s.IalwaystriedtofigureoutwhatwasgoingtohappennextinthegamesIsaw,whowasgoingtodowhat.

OneofmyidolswasKennyStableroftheRaiders:TheSnake.I’dwatchhimat quarterback and try to guess what playwas going to get called.Would hethrow to Casper or Balitnikoff, and inwhat pattern?Or, with theA’s, wouldCatfishHunterthrowaknockdownpitchrightaftersomebodyhitahomerunoffhim? (Answer:Yes.)Or howwould the infield and outfield position itself forvarious hitters in different situations?Howwould theWarriors get the ball toRickBarrywith ten seconds left in the game? Itwas just automatic forme. Ilovedtoanalyzewhatwasgoingonoutthere.

Later,whenIwasstartingoutontour, itwasthesame.Istudieda lot—notbooks,butotherplayers.AnytimeIsawsomeonenewI’dgowatch themplay

andcheckouttheirgame.Anotherplayerwouldsaytome,“Hey,BorisBeckerfromGermanyisoncourt3,”andI’dgoovertoseehimhit.

FatFritzandMyLittleBlackBook

Initially, Iwaswatchingmore out of curiosity thanwith any great purpose. Ididn’tworkhardonusingthatinformationinmymatches.Thischangedonedayduringmythirdmonthontour.IplayedamatchagainstFritzBuehning.Hewasabigguywithapowerfulserve.Infact,hewastoobigtogetaroundthecourtwell,butwhenhisservewasworkinghedidn’tneedtogetaroundthecourtverywell. Fritzwas built like a lineman forU.C.L.A., his almamater. In fact, hisnicknamewas“Fratz”(shortforFatFritz).Ifiguredhe’dbeapushover.

TypicalofmymatchesinthosedaysIjustshowedupandexpectedthatifIplayedwell I’dwin. I hadn’t given any thought toFratz, his game, or how toexploit it. I lostquick instraightsets6–2,6–2.Whatburnedmeupmore thanlosingwasknowingthatifI’dgivensomethought(beforeandduringthematch)towhat I shouldbe trying todoI’dhavebeatenhim.Abigguy like thatwhoisn’tquickanddoesn’tliketobendhisknees?Pieceofcake.Juststartmovinghim aroundwith groundstrokes andwhen he comes to the net give him somedippersthatdroplowandthrowupanoccasionallob.Ididn’tgiveanythoughttomytacticsandgotblownoffthecourt.

After that I got serious about collecting and using information about myopponentsagainstmyopponents.After that I startedwriting thingsdown. It’swhenIstartedmylittleblackbook.

Nowalotofplayershavealittleblackbookwithnamesandnumbersinit.YannickNoah’shadsomanyinitheneededhelpjustcarryingit.Butmylittleblackbookwasdifferent.Ithadnamesinit,buttheywerethenamesoftennisplayers. It had numbers in it, but they were the numbers of unforced errors,winners,andforcingshotsonparticularstrokes.Icountedmistakesonbackhandvolleys, overheads, forehand and backhand groundstrokes. I kept track ofwinnersonthoseshotsandwatchedwhattheylikedtodoinspecificsituations.

Most recreational players watch a match like they’re looking at somebodyplayNintendoatavideoarcade.They just stare. I’dwatchamatch like Iwasstudying for a history test. In 1984 when I first checked out Boris (inPhiladelphia),Isawthatwhenhewasattackedonhisbackhandsidehelovedtogodowntheline.Andthatwhilehehadahugeforehand,ifhestartedtomissafewshotswithittherestofhisgamecouldsuffer.Asyousaw,Ilaterusedthat

informationabouthimagainsthimtobeathimseveraltimes,includingthe’87U.S.Open.

Numbers,patterns,andtendencies.I’dseePaulAnnaconealwaystrytocometothenetonabigpointandmakeanoteofit.I’dwatchMcEnroeswinghiscanopenerservewideontheadcourtwhenheneededapoint.ImarkeddownthatConnorsoccasionallyhadtroublewithshotsthatcameinlowtohisforehand.

TheTennisLieDetector:Pressure

AsIwaswatchingandstudyingaplayeroverseveralsetsI’dseehimfall intopredictablepatterns incertain situations.Especiallyunderpressure.Pressure isthe ultimate lie detector. That’s when strokes speak the truth. On a big pointwhat does a player do? They avoid (or try to avoid) the shot they don’t feelcomfortablewith.That’swhentheflawsaremagnified.It’swhenyouseewhattheir“true”gameislike.

Here’showpressureworks.Whenaplayerwithaquestionablebackhandisup 4–2 in a set theymay hit that backhand okay.No pressure, right?They’rerelaxed and ahead. When they’re down 2–4 that backhand may get a littletentativebecauseofnerves.Andonasetpoint?Forgetit.Pressuregetsrighttotheheartofthematter.Underpressureiswhenaplayerwilltrylikethedeviltoavoidhittingtheshottheydon’treallytrust.IwanttoknowwhatthatshotissoIcantrytoforcethemtohititunderpressure.

Forexample,ifit’syouropponent’sbackhandthatissuspect,youknowthatthey’lltrytorunarounditonabigpoint.That’swhenIwouldtrytosetitupbyswingingthemalittlewideontheforehandfirst.Bypullingthemwideontheirforehand side and then hitting to the backhand youmake it so they can’t runaround it. Or if they do they’ll be hitting off balance. That’s how you useinformationaboutyouropponentagainstyouropponent.

AgassiatFirstGlance

IscoutedAndreAgassiin’86atStrattonMountain.HerewasthisskinnylittlekidwithscragglyhairtakingabsolutelythebestcutattheballIhadeverseen.Unbelievable!Andpeopleweretellingmehewasn’tgoingtodomuchbecausehehadkindoffloppedoutasajunior.Ididn’tbuythat.

ActuallyIhadseenhimforthefirsttimewhenIwasattheAlanKingClassicinLasVegasin1981.Ijusthappenedtoseehimworkingoutonabackcourtat

Caesar’sPalace.Eventhenhispowerandabilitytotaketheballsoearlygotmyattention.Hewaselevenyearsold.

It took me a while to put together that the kid with the bleached hair atStrattonMountainwasthesamepersonI’dseenfiveyearsearlierinLasVegas.Onlynowhishairwasbrighterandhisstrokeswerebigger.In’86Iwrotedownthathisgroundstrokeswerebrutal.Especiallyfromthemid-court,wherehehadthis great ability to take the ball on the rise and just really “de-struct” it. Heradiated confidence. He was hitting the ball a ton and I could imagine thepressurehecouldputonaplayer.Ialsomadeanotethathisvolleysdidn’tlooktoostrong,butthattherestofhisgamewassogooditdidn’tmatter.

WhenAndrelostinthefinalsofthreeslams(twoFrenchOpensandtheU.S.Open)Ithoughtmaybethathisstrokeswerebig,buthisheartwassmall.ThenheputitalltogetheratWimbledonin’92andshowedwhathehadinside.Andit’salot.Andrehasatonofheart.

It’s funny.A lotofmyearlyobservations inmy littleblackbook still holdtrue.Someofthemdon’t.IsawMatsWilanderforthefirsttimeinBangkokin’81.Istudiedhimwhileheplayedamatchanddidn’tseeanythingspecial—nobigserve,nobigpower,nooutrageousshots.IfiguredhewasjustanothersolidSwedish player. I was right about Andre’s potential and wrong about Mats.Seven months later Wilander won the French Open. I had to make a fewadditionstothe“Wilander”sectionofmyblackbook.

IsawthatStefanEdberggenerallypreferredtogocrosscourtonhisforehandvolley. Iwrotedown thathisone-handedbackhandwasoneof thebest in thebusiness (Lendl’swas theother).But I alsonoted that his forehandwasnot aweapon—extremely weak for a top player. His grip was bad and the wholestroke was not as impressive as everything else in his arsenal. Believe me, ImadeanoteofthatbecausetherewasverylittleIcouldwritedownabouthimthatwasnegative.

Ikept jottingdownlittle thingsInoticed.ThenwhenIhadamatchcomingupagainstaplayerI’dcheckmynotebookandseewhatwasthere.Itwassortoflikescoutingreportsinbaseball;helpingthepitcherknowabatter’stendenciesandlettingthebatterknowwhatapitcherlikestodoincertainsituations.ItgavemeagoodideaofwhattoexpectandhelpedgetmethinkingaboutwhatIhadtodotokeepthatplayerfromplayingtheshotshewasmostcomfortablewith.

BeaGoodScout

Doyourownscouting.Whenyou’reatyourcluborthepubliccourtswatchingamatchwithplayersyouexpecttofaceinthefuture,payattention.Wheredotheymakemistakes?Whatshotsdotheyliketohit?Dotheypoundtheoverhead,butmissthevolley?Dotheyhitagreatangledcrosscourtforehand,butmissitdowntheline?Aretheyfastgettingtonet,butslowchangingdirections?

Dotheyhaveagreatfirstserveandnosecondserve?Aretheyconsistentwiththeir backhand except when it’s attacked? Do they come to the net on shortballs?Can theymakeagoodapproachshot,anddoes ithave topspinorslice?Whatdo theydowhen theyneedaforehandpassingshot,crosscourt,ordownthe line? A backhand passing shot? How bad is their backhand? And whathappensunderpressure?

Lookforpatterns in theirplay.Howdo theywinpoints?Howdo they losepoints?Whatistheirstyleofplay?

Watchasetandkeeptrack.Whentheyloseorwinapointmakeanoteofit.Rememberwhattheydoatgamepointorsetpoint.You’llseeapatternoftheirweaknessesandstrengths.It’spartofwhatyou’llusebeforethematchinyourpreparationandduringthematchindecidinghowtoplay.

KnowThyself(AndThyTennisGame)

Dotoyourselfwhatyouaredoingtoothers.Learnaboutyourgame.Youmaythinkyouknowyourstrengthsandweaknesses,butyou’reprobablynotasbad(orasgood)asyouthink.Takenotesafteramatchorhaveafriendwatchoneofyoursetsandkeeptrackof“who’sdoingwhattowhom.”

Takealessonfromyourclubpro.Butnotthekindoflessonyouusuallytake.Sitdownforcoffeeandaskhimorhertotellyouwhatthey’dtellanotherplayerabouthowtobeatyou.Howareyouvulnerable?Whatareyourstrongpoints?Have them analyze your game (and your opponent’s,while you’re at it).Andpaythemfortheirtime—it’sasvaluableashittingballs.

Whenyouplayamatchhaveafriendkeeptrackofyourgame.Findoutjusthowmanydoublefaults,unforcederrors,andwinnersyouhit.Believeme,it’svitallyimportanttoathinkingplayer.Infact,acompanyinFloridajuststartedmanufacturing a pocket computer that allows you to do just that. The TennisAnalystgivesyouinformationaboutwhyyouwonorlost.Ifyou’retoobusytowriteitdownthiswillkeeptrackofitforyou.It’srecognitionoftheimportanceofknowingwho’sdoingwhattowhom.

“AFoolIsSomeoneWhoDoesn’tKnowWhatTheyDon’tKnow.”—Anon.

Know.”—Anon.

Ibelievethemosteffectiveathletesaretheoneswhoknowtheirweaknesses.Ofcoursetheyknowwhattheycando.But,justasimportant,theyknowwhattheycan’tdo.

The Snake was a beautiful example of that. He knew his limitations andworkedaroundthem.Heknewhecouldn’treally throwlongsoheworkedthefourteen-oreighteen-yardpasstoperfection.Heknewhehadslowfeetsowhenhe dropped back and got trapped he took the punishment instead of risking astupidmistakerunningaround.

He’d look forhis spotsand if theyweren’t therehewaswilling to take thebeating.Hewouldn’t riskmistakes trying something he knew he couldn’t do.Stablerwasaveryintelligentathlete.Hemaximizedhisstrengths.

But, just as important, Kenny Stabler minimized his weaknesses. (Soundfamiliar?Maximize,minimize.)Andhewas toughashell.You’vegot to lovethat combination. Itwon aSuperBowl for theRaiders, right?All through the’80sJoeMontanadidthesame.Heknewwhathecoulddoandheknewwhathecouldn’tdo.Itriedtobringthosesameassetstothetenniscourtandsoshouldyou.

Abetterunderstandingofyourowngame(with input fromaclubpro)willgiveyoubetterresults.You’llhaveaclearunderstandingofwhatyou’vegottoworkwith.Your tacticsouton thecourtwillbecomemorecalculatedand lesshaphazard.

TakeNotesDuringandAfterClass

Ialso recommend thatyou takeoutanotebookduringachangeoverandwritedowninformationasitoccurstoyouinamatch.Asyoudoitmoreoften,you’llbelikeacomputerlogginginformationaboutwho’sdoingwhattowhom.

Andof course thebest timeof all for recording information is right after amatch.Always spend a little time reviewingwhat just happened in thematch.Grade yourself and come to some conclusions about what you did right andwrong. Add information about your opponent.Why did you win or lose? It’samazinghowperceptiveyoucanbeifyoujustdecidetofocusonit.

Havingcollectedallofthisbefore,during,andafteramatch,you’llwanttouseittoyouradvantage.We’llgettothatinaminute.

DrawingtheWrongConclusions

Ikept thatnotebookofmyscoutingreportsgoinguntil1986.ThenIstartedtonotice I was being influenced too much by my belief about my chances ofwinning.I’dseesomebodyouttherewholookedbadandI’dbethinking,“Hey,there’snowayI’mgonnalosetothisguy.He’splayinglikeaplumber!”

MyreactiontoWilanderwasanexample.Ididn’tthinkhewasaplumber,Ijust didn’t thinkhewas anything special.Wrong attitude to havegoing into amatch. Or I would do just the opposite. I’d see Becker and catch myselfthinking, “Holy Cow, there’s no way I’m gonna beat this guy. He’s playingawesome!”It’snotgoodtogointoamatchthinkingyoucan’twin.

Ididn’twanttoassumeanythingotherthanthatI’dhaveachancetowinifIgaveiteverythingIhadphysicallyandmentally,thatI’dhavetofightlikehellin every match. So I quit scouting players myself. I asked my coach, TomChivington,totakeoverthatjob.Hebegandoingmyscoutingandgivingmetheanalysisofaplayerbeforeamatch.

Foryourownscoutingreportsjuststicktothebasics.Strengths.Weaknesses.Patterns. Unforced errors. Favorite shots in certain situations. You can do itwhilewatching amatch.You can do itwhile playing amatch.You can do itafter a match. But do it. By knowing “who’s doing what to whom” you cancapitalizeonatremendousadvantage.Here’sagreatexampleofhowIusedthatadvantagetobeatagoodfriend.

TheCombinationtoKrickstein’sLock

AcoupleofyearsagoIfacedAaronKricksteinduringatournamentinBrisbane,Australia.Wegetalongwelloffthecourtandworkoutoccasionally,butduringamatchhe’sjustanotherguytryingtotakemoneyoutofmykids’collegefund.JustlikeeveryotherplayerIfacehe’stryingtokickmybuttandsendmehomealoser.It’snothardformetogetmotivatedagainsthim,butitishardformetofacethatbazookaforehandAaron’sperfected.Hecontrolsplaywithitbyhittingroutinewinnersfromthebaselineandgenerallyputtingmeonthedefensiveineverypoint.

Ihadn’thadmuchluckagainsthimovertheyearsbecauseIcouldn’tfigureoutawaytoneutralizethatpower.He’djerkmearounduntilhe’dopenedupthecourtandthenblastawinner.HewasdoingittomeagaininBrisbane.

Thensomethinghappenedduringapoint thatgotmyattention. Ihit a slicebackhand thatunintentionally landedshortonhis forehandside.Heran inandhitit.Butnothingspecial,justaroutineforehandandnotthemonsterheusuallyunleashed.I trieditagaina little later.This timeI intentionallyhitasoftshort

slicetohisforehand.Heranin.HitareturnwithnothingonitwhichIputaway.Alightwentoninmyhead.

WasIontosomething?Kricksteinlovedtocamponthebaselinewheretheballwouldsitupforhimandhecouldknockitoffwiththatbigpowerspin.ItwaslikeplayingT-ballforhim.Butwithasoftslicethatlandedshortjustinsidetheservicelinehelosthisfavoriteshot.Hecouldn’tgetundertheballbecauseitstayedlow.Itmeanthecouldn’treallycrankthetopspin.Anditwassoft,soitgavehimnopacetouse.Hewashittingfromanawkwardpositionandhewasontherun.

Hecouldn’thit a forcingshotandneverawinner.Whathegavemewasaplayable ball that I’d drive deep to his backhand. He was suddenly out ofpositionplayingashotthatwasn’thisfirstchoice.He’dmakeaweakreturnandthereI’dbewaiting.Fromthenonitwaseasy.

ThePayoff

I had applied part of the formula just like you should be doing with youropponents. I had minimized Krickstein’s great forehand strength from thebaseline andmaximizedaweaker aspectofhisgame.Suddenly Iwasmakinghimtrytobeatmewithabackhandthatwasn’tasstronginsteadofthatworld-classforehand.Hewasleadinginthefirstset3–2whenImadethediscovery.Ithenwonsixgames ina rowandwenton tobeathiminstraightsetsandwin$32,400.Byknowing“who’sdoingwhattowhom”andbeingabletocapitalizeonitIhadfoundasolutiontohismajorweapon.

You’re thinking I’m a little dense for not figuring it out sooner? I was soworried about his forehand that it never occurred tome that I should try andmakehimhit it fromadifferentposition,especiallyone thatwascloser to thenet.Idiscoveredthataccidentally.ButonceIsawitItookfulladvantageofit.

Okay, that’s how I’veused information about a player’sgameagainst him.Recognize. Analyze. Capitalize. Next let me give you the combination to thelocks of the players you face in tournaments, ladder matches, and just yourregularTuesdaygame.When facingaparticular styleorproblemyou’ll knowthebestoptionsforyoutocapitalizeon.

Next:Whattodoandwhentodoit.

8DestroyingYourOpponent’sGamePlan

IdentifytheProblem

Youknowwhotheplayersarewhogiveyoutrouble,theopponentwhosestyleofplayortypeofshotsbeatyoumoreoftenthannot.ForyouitmaybeaServe-VolleyPlayeroraRetriever.Itcouldbealeftywhoalwaysgivesyouproblems.Itcouldbesomebodywho’sveryfastoutonthecourt,abloopster,orsomeonewith a huge first serve.And, of course, you get playerswith combinations oftheseabilities.

Everyplayerateverylevelhasatleastoneopponentwhosestylegivesthemfits.You’ll tellyourself,“Theirgamejustdoesn’tmatchupverywellforme.”ThatopponentformeisIvanLendl.I’veneverbeatenhim.AtlastcountIwas0forlifetime.He’slikeatennisversionofDarthVaderforme.MysonZackevengavemeadinosaurtoytocarryinmybagwhenIplayagainsthim.“Maybeit’llscarehim,Daddy.”Ihopeitdoes.WhenIvanseesmeheadingoutonthecourtto play him it’s gotta be tough for him not to drool. He’s beatenme sixteenstraighttimes.

Ontour,beatingthat“nemesis”playerismoredifficult,becauseprosdeveloptheirparticulargame to suchahigh levelofproficiency that it’s tough to findanycracks in theirarmor.Secondly,whenyoudo force themaway from theirbestshotstheirnextlevelofshotsisstillprettydarngood.That’swhyLendlissotoughformetobeat.

WhenIforcehimoutofhisAgame,hebeatsmewithhisBgame.AndIvandoesn’thaveanyCgame.Fortunately,Idon’thavetomakealivingplayingjustLendl. And neither do you. However, there are opponents who give youheadachesjustlikehegivesme.Andagainstthoseplayerskeepwhatfollowsinmind.

The typical weekend or club player’s game is one-dimensional. It’s prettyeasy to crack open. They’ve usually got a single shot they like and are fairlygoodat.Theyplayacertainstyleandgowiththat.Makethemchangestylesor

takeawaytheirfavoriteshotandyou’llwinbecausetheirnextalternativeisn’tnearlyaseffective.Infact,it’sprobablyprettybad.Sohowdoyoudoit?

First,theBadNews

Here’sthetruth.Somedaysyouwon’tbeabletodoanything.Youwon’tbeabletoturnitaround.Youropponentwillsuccessfullydotheirthingandyou’lllose.They’ll successfully attack yourweaknesses andmake you play their game attheirrhythmandyou’lllose.Somedaysyouwillnotwinregardlessofwhatyoudo.I’velearnedthatlessonwellwithLendl.

Now,theGoodNews

LetmetellyousomethingelseI’velearnedandapplyeverysingletimeIgooutonthetenniscourttocompete.Mostofthetimethereisawaytowin.Youjusthavetofigureoutwhatitis.Clubplayersdon’tbelievethis.Youprobablydon’tbelieveit.Andifyoudon’tit’sbecauseyou’vefallenintoacommontrap.

Don’tOverestimateorUnderestimate

Theaverageplayertendstogointomostmatchesthinkingthewrongway.Theybelieveprettystrokesmeansomething.Theyassumebetterconditioningmeansmorethanitdoes.Theyassumetheopponentwho’sgotmorenaturalabilityorhadmore experiencewill probablywin. They think past results dictate futureresults.Thatkindofthinkingwillgetyoubeatbecauseitleadsyoutothewrongconclusions.

That’swhy I had to quit scouting playersmyself and havemy coach do itinstead. I started tomake assumptions aboutwhowas going towin or lose. Istarted to overestimate or underestimate players. As a result I either assumedvictoryordefeat.Assumingvictorywill getyoubeat and sowill expecting tolose.

Theonly thingIwanted toassumewas this: IcouldwinanymatchagainstanyoneifIworkedhardoutonthecourtphysically.Butmorethanthat,IcouldwinifIworkedhardmentally.WhenIgointoamatchItakemylunchbucket,myhardhat,andexpecttoworkformypay.Icametobelievethatitwasn’tuptomyopponentwhetherIwonorlost.Mostofthetimeitwasuptome.Andit’suptoyou,too.

So if that’s truewhyhaven’t IbeatenLendl?Simple. I’vehadchancesandblownthem.InpartIII,onpsyching,I’llexplainhowaguylikeLendlwilltrytobeat you with his racket first. If that doesn’t work he’ll beat you with hisgamesmanship.OnthosedayswhenIcouldhavebeatenhimphysicallyhebeatmeupemotionallyormentally.He’samasterofit.ButthepointisIcouldhavebeatenhim.Heknewhowtotakebackcontrolofthegamewhenithadslippedaway.Mychancewillcomeagain.

Knowing “who’s doing what to whom” puts you in a position to consideryouroptionsandcapitalizeonthebestone.NextIwanttotellyouhowtotakeadvantage of the following types of players, shots, or situations that may begivingyoutroubleoutonthecourt.Theyinclude:

TheRetrieverThePlayerWithSpeedTheAttacktoYourBackhandTheServeTheReturnofServeTheServe-VolleyPlayerTheWeakServeTheLefty’sServeTheHeater

TheRetriever

You know who the Retrievers are that you play. In fact, you may be oneyourself. Don’t feel bad. I’ve been accused of being a Retriever myselfoccasionally. A match I played with Boris Becker in the semis of the 1989ThriftwayA.T.P.ChampionshipinCincinattiwasdescribedas“likewatchingaman chasing a chicken aroundwith a stick.” Iwas the chicken.Boris had thestick.

Thedescriptionmayhavebeen accurate, but the chickenwon thematch inthreesetsbygettingeverythingbackoverandoveragain.OnthatdayIwasagreat Retriever. In fact, I eventually won the tournament with wins overSampras,Chang,andEdberg.

Justsowegetourtermsstraightlet’sagreeonwhataRetrieveris.Thebasicgarden variety Retriever (also known as a Pusher, a Rabbit, or a GoldenRetriever)staysonthebaselineandgetseverythingback.Theydon’tusepace.Theydon’tusedepth.Theydon’tusespin.Theydon’tuseangles.Theydon’tusetouch.Buttheydodriveyounuts!

Everything comes back. They chase everything down and they do itrelentlessly. They’re married to the baseline and will stay there all day. AsRetrieversperfecttheirgametheymaystartdevelopingspin,depth,and/orpace.Buttheirbasicgameplanstaysexactlythesame:geteverythingback.

The Bloopster orMoonballer is a variation of the Retriever, a refinement.HaroldSolomonperfectedthisstyleandAndreaYeagergotprettygoodatit—hitting balls very high over the net, deep in your court,with extreme topspin.ThomasMusterandJoseHiguerasusethisstylealottoday.Theystandoutthereand just keep hitting these hard, heavy topspin shots that bounce up shoulderhigh.

Moonballs are frustrating because they hypnotize you.You stand there andbefore long you quit thinking. TheMoonballer keeps looping the ball to youwithoutmistakes.Overandoveragain.They’relikethegardenvarietyRetrieverbecause they really test your patience. The main distinction between theMoonballerand the typicalRetriever is that theMoonballerhits thesame shotbacktoyouallthetime:thebiglooper.

ARetriever’s style of play can be very effective against an opponent whodoesn’t know how to break it down or gets frustrated. Boris got frustrated.TowardtheendofourmatchinCincinnatiallhewantedtodowasgetoff thecourtandtakesomethingforhisheadache.Hewasreadytolose.

TheClubVarietyRetrieverHere’showitlooksattheclublevel.Iwaswatchingamatchbetweenacoupleof4.0playersattheSanFranciscoTennisClubafteraworkoutthere.Oneoftheplayers isaclassicRetriever.HisnameisMasonGrigsby,buthisnicknameisTheGreatGrigsby because he’s so steady at the baseline. Iwas just casuallywatchingwhenthefollowingpointoccurred.DuringtheexchangehisopponenthitagooddropshotandMr.Retriever,TheGreatGrigsby,racedtowardthenet.Ididn’tthinkhehadanychanceofgettingtotheball,buthedidandpusheditbacktohisopponent’sbaseline.

TheGreatGrigsbywas now at the net in position to close out the point. Ithought. Tomy surprise (and before his shot had even landed) he turned andheadedbacktothesafetyofthebaseline.AclassicRetriever.Hehadgonefrombeingthreefeetawayfromthenetbacktothebaselinewithoutevenbotheringtoseewhatshothisopponentwasgoingtohit.Hewantednopartofthenet.Thebaselinewashissecurityblanket.ThatstyleofplayistypicalofaRetrieveranditcandriveyouupthewallifyoudon’tknowwhattodoaboutit.

Beating aRetriever is toughbecause thepointsgoon forever and they testyourpatiencetotheextreme.BjornBorgandChrisEvertwerethegreatestofall

time at it. Today the best examples out there are Alberto Mancini, ToddWitsken,andMichaelChangbeforeheaddedalittlenetgametohisarsenal.Allofthemspecializeinthat“everything-comes-back”style.

Changisparticularlytoughbecausehecangettoabsolutelyeverything.Hiscalfandthighmusclesaresodevelopedtheylookliketheybelongonapersontwicehissize,andtheygeneratetremendousspeedandgivehimsupercoverage,maybethebestofanyplayerintheworld.TheysaywhenMichaelwasakidhecouldoutrunhisshadow.Theproblemformeisthathecanstilloutrunmostofmyshots.However, speedalonedoesn’twinmatches.Here’show Iplay (andhave beaten) him and how you can applymy technique to your own favoriteRetriever.

1.PATIENCEISYOURGREATESTALLY

The average Retriever’s success is based on the same principles as Chinesewater torture. It’sdull. It’s repetitious. It’s slow.Thesame thinghappensoverandoveragain.Anditwilldriveyouupthewall.Retrieverslovebeingahumanbackboard.Pushtheballtothemandtheypushitrightback.They’lloutrunyou.They’lloutsteadyyou.Andthey’lloutlastyou.Yourmindbeginstogo.

PreparetoSufferIfyou’regoing to thedentistyouprepareyourselfmentally.You tellyourself,“It’sgonnahurt, but it’ll beover soon.”Youadopt a certainmind set.By thetimeyouhear,“Openwide.Thisisn’tgoingtohurtabit,”you’rementallysettosuffer.YouneedtodothesameagainstaRetriever.Preparetosuffer.Therightmindsetisimportant.Itmayormaynothelpatthedentist’soffice,butitwilldefinitelyhelpagainsttheRetriever.

Preparing yourself mentally for what’s ahead is necessary because aRetriever’sstyleworksonyourheadasmuchasanything.Youmustgointoamatchagainstthiskindofplayerreallyunderstandingthateveryrallyisgoingtobelong.You’regoingtohavetohit fourorfiveorsixorsevenormoreshotsthanyou’dnormallyhavetohit.And,whenyoudohitagoodshotexpectingawinneroraweakreturn,theRetrieverwillgetitback.Mentally,youhavetogetready for lots of tennis balls coming back over the net. Know it. Believe it.Expectit.Here’swhy.

Retrieversmaybedull and repetitious, but they’re alsovery consistent andpatient.ConsistencyisaRetriever’sprimaryasset.Atanylevelofplaythisisavaluable tool. At the club level, among average players, it may be the mostvaluabletool.Consistencyistoughtobeat.Ontouraplayerhastohitwinnersto

beat another player.However, atmost other levels it’s the onewho keeps theball in play best who usuallywins, and the Retriever really keeps the ball inplay.Unforcederrorsdetermine resultsmore than spectacular shotsdo.That’sthekeytotheRetriever’sgame.It’salsothekeytobeatingit.

The Retriever’s game may be consistent, but it’s also limited. If you’repatient and know how to take advantage of their game you can break themdown.ThisiswhathappenedtoChang.OtherprosstartedtoexploithisbaselineRetrievergametotheirownadvantage.Theystartedtoneutralizehisadvantageinspeed(moreonthatcomingup)andexploithisone-dimensionalgame.Untilhedevelopedanetgameandimprovedhisserve,Changwasgettingbeat.Now,he’swinningagain.

WhyYouLosetoaRetrieverTheRetrieverbeatsyoubecauseyouchoosethewronggameplan.Asmoreandmoreballskeepcomingbackatyou,frustrationsetsin.Yougetimpatient.Youtryharder.Yougoforbetterandbettershots,deeper,harder,moreangled.Youendup trying for shotsyoudon’thaveandneverdid.You try shotsMcEnroewouldn’tattempt.ThePusherkeepsthemcomingbackuntilyouscrewup.

Theykeepretrieving,knowingyou’lleventuallymakeanunforcederror.Orpossibly you’ll just give up and start pushing the ball back, too. You’ll lose.They’re better at pushing than you are. That’s why it’s important to set yourattitudegoingin.RecognizethatpatienceisagreatallywhenaRetrieverstandsontheothersideofthecourt.

Havingpreparedyourselfmentallyforalongdayattheofficewithpointsthatgoonandon,herearetheothertacticsthatcantiltamatchinyourfavoragainstthePusher.

2.GETTOTHENET

YourprimarygoalwhenplayingagainstaRetriever is tomake themhit somerealtennisshots.Insteadoftheirusual“pushitback”or“keepitinplay”stuffyouwant toforce themto trysomethingspecific.Youwant toget themoutoftheircomfortzone.Thefirstway todo it isbycoming to thenet.Even if thatisn’tyournormalgameyoumustgettothenet.Thatmeanswhenyougetashortball (evenamediumshortball)get to thenet.Goontheoffense,butdo it therightway.Notbytryingtohitwinnersfromthebaselineorotherlow-percentageshots,butbycoming to thenetwhen theopportunitypresents itself.Andevensometimeswhenitdoesn’tpresentitself.

WhatthisdoestomostweekendRetrieversisjerkthemoutoftheircomfortzone. It forces them to decide what specific shot they’re supposed to make.Should theypass crosscourt?Should theypassdown the line?Should theyhittheballrightatyou?Alob?Suddenlytheyfacetheproblemofhavingtomakequickdecisions.

Hey,Retrieversdon’tliketohavetothinkofallthatstuff!It’seasierjusttokeeppushing theball over thenet into that bigwideopen court you’vegiventhem by staying at the baseline. It gives them all that room for error. Take itaway! Narrow their options by narrowing their target. I honestly believe youcouldalmostcometothenetwithoutyourracketinhandandwinsomepointsfromaRetriever.Justthesightofapersonstandingthereshakesthemupalittle.Buttakeyourracketalongjustincasetheyactuallygettheballoverthenet.

Awordofcaution.I’mnotsuggestingthatyoushouldberunningtothenetevery time a point starts (unless you’re comfortable with doing that). Beselective.Onshorterballs,startcominginregularly.Onballsinyourmid-court,ifyou’vegotagoodchanceofmakingadecentapproachshot,considercomingin.Adeeperball?Occasionally, just for the surprise effect.Howabouton theRetriever’ssecondserve?Goodidea.Ontheirfirstserve?Nowyou’llseethemstarttogetuncomfortable.You’lllikewhatyousee.

Obviously,whatyou’retryingtodoisunsettlethem,getthemwatchingyouinstead of the ball. They’ll start rushing their shots andmishitting their shots.Suddenly, they’ll start giving youwhat at the club level is the key to victory:unforcederrors.TheRetrieverwhostartsmakingunforcederrorswilllose.

3.BRINGTHERETRIEVERTOTHENET

YouhaveanotheroptionwiththeRetriever,andagainit’saimedatgettingthemoutoftheircomfortzone,forcingthemtodosomethingbesidescampingatthebaseline.

This option involves drawing them in toward the net like I did withKrickstein.Bringtheminclose.Makethemhitsomeshotsatthenet.Letthemshow you a good approach shot, a good backhand volley (fat chance), someoverheads (not if the sun is shining), some half-volleys (callme collectwhentheydo),andanythingelseyoucanofferuptothem.Bydoingthisyou’vetakenaRetriever’sAgameawayandforcedthemtorelyontheirBgame.

Inorder toaccomplishthisyou’llhavetohitsomeshortshots.Ifyoudon’tthink you can hit that kind of shot, practice it. Remember, you’ve done itaccidentallyplentyoftimes.Nowtrydoingitonpurpose.Becauseonceyou’vedonethatyou’veeffectivelysetyourtrap.TheRetrieverhatesthenet.

TheGreatGrigsbyAttemptsaVolleyRememberTheGreatGrigsby,theRetrieverIwaswatchingwhogotdrawnintothe net?Here’s the rest of that story.After he’d raced in close to the net andpushedtheballdeeptohisopponentheranrightbacktohisownbaseline.Hisopponent then hit another drop shot. The Great Grigsby came charging in asecondtime.Andagainhehittheballoverthenettothebaseline.Andagainheturnedandranrightbacktohisownbaseline.Thiswasgettinginteresting.Hisopponent then hit a third consecutive drop shot. I had never seen anyone hitthreestraightdropshotsinmylifeandgetawaywithit!Thinkaboutit.Wouldtherebeafourth?

No.TheGreatGrigsbyranuptothenetonceagain.Forwhateverreasonhefinallydecideditwastimetotakeadvantageofhiscourtpositionandfinishoffthepoint.Hehitavolley.OratleastIthinkhewastryingtohitavolley.Fromhisstrokeitwashardtotell.Notonlydidhehittheballthreefeetwide,butonhis follow-through his racket banged into the net. Now I was beginning tounderstandwhyhekeptretreatingtothesecurityofhisbaseline.

Three consecutive times he was brought into the net. Twice he went backimmediatelytothecomfortofthebaseline.Hewasactinglikeitwasillegal togetclosetothenet.LaterIaskedhimwhyhedidn’tjuststaytherethefirsttime.Hetoldme(andthisisakeytocrackingopenaRetriever’sgame),“Ijustfeelmorecomfortableatthebaseline.”FromwhatIhadseenIcouldunderstandhisthinking.Takethemoutoftheircomfortzoneandyou’llwin.

4.SOFTERISHARDER

Inmost cases aRetriever feeds off your pace.They love to takewhat you’vesupplied(energyintheformofahardhitball)andturnitrightbackonyou.Theharder you hit the ball the harder they hit the ball! Only they aren’t hittingharder, you are.And theharderyou swing themore likely it is you’llmake amistake.Theyjuststicktheirracketout(andwiththenewwidebodiesthat’salltheyhavetodo)andlikemagictheballcomesbackharder.It’snotmagic.It’sphysics.Throwaballagainstawallwithoutanyzipanditcomesbackwithoutanyzip.Throwitagainstawallwithsomezipanditcomesbackwithzip.InthecaseofaRetrievertheyarethewallandyouarethezip.Thewallusuallywins.

Themiddle-levelplayerwhofacesaRetrieverfallsintothetrapoftryingtohit theballharderandharder towin thepoint.ThePushersitson thebaselineblockingbackhard-hitshotafterhard-hitshot.Theyloveitbecausetheyknoweventuallyyou’lloverhitandmakeanerror.Finallyyouhitoneover theback

fenceorintothenet.AndtheRetrieverwon’tevensay“thankyou”fordoingalltheworkforthem.

5.HITYOURSECONDSERVEFIRST

Teaching pros like to say that the average weekend player has two primaryserves: slowandslower.There’sa lotof truth to that.While someoneon tourlikeGoranIvaniseviccanpumptheball inat130milesperhour, theweekendplayerservesatlessthanhalfthatspeed.Sodon’tworrysomuchabouttryingtoserveupacesandservicewinners.EspeciallyagainstaRetriever.Infact,think“secondserve”againstthatkindofplayer.

Onceagainitrobsthemofpace,makesthemtrytogenerateit.Itwillmakethemactuallyhavetotakeaswingattheball.Theydon’tlikethat.Whentheystart tryingtogenerate theirownpace,watchtheunforcederrorsstartpoppingup. And if they just block your soft serve back it’ll fall short.When it doesyou’vejustbeengivenatickettothenet.Useit.

NoInsultIntendedLetmeclearupone thingyoumayhave thoughtaboutwhenIsaid thatBorg,Evert, Chang, Krickstein, and some others would generally be classified asRetrievers.Obviously,playersoftheircaliberdon’tjustpushtheballorblockitback. Imean no disrespectwhen I call themRetrievers.They have taken thatstyleofplaytoitshighestlevel.Havingsomeonecometothenetdoesn’tbotherthemlikeitwouldtheRetrieversyouplayagainst.

WhenIcometothenetagainstMichaelChang,believeme,he’sgottenwayshecanbeatme.Theproblem is if Idon’t come to thenethe’ll retrieveme todeath.Iplayedhimrecentlyinthesemisofatournamentandlostthefirstset6–0. I started coming to the net in the second set and came close towinning it!Why didn’t I start coming in sooner? That’s what I’m askingmyself. In anycase,unlessyou’rebetterattheirkindofgamethantheyareyouhavetofigureoutanotherwaytobeatthem.

NexttimeyouplayaRetrievertrybringingsomeofwhatI’vesuggestedintothematch.Give yourself some time to get used to the new tactics.Develop asenseofwhentodowhatandwhatworksbestforyou.You’ll liketheresults.Andasyougetmorecomfortablewith ityou’ll seematchpointgoing inyourfavormoreoftenthanitdidbefore.

ThePlayerWithSpeed

Occasionally you face an opponent who’s extremely quick. They get to dropshots. They cover lobs. Shots that pull them off the court are no problem.They’re like waterbugs. They skitter all over the place and have you tryingharder and harder to hit a shot they can’t reach. Forget it. They’ll get toeverything. And by the time you’ve hit that one winner (and onemay be allyou’llget)you’vecommittedlotsofunforcederrors.

Michael Chang has that kind of speed. I’ll force him way wide on hisforehand and come in behind it. He’ll run it down andmake a return. I’ll becominginandhitavolleywidetohisbackhandandstartlickingmychops.Nowaycanhegetthereintimetodoanythingwithit.Changwillgetthere.Hewillmake a shot. He will beat me with a passing shot. Tremendous speed andcoverage.Veryquick.

Who’s yourMichaelChang, that playerwith unusual speed?Here’s a verydirectapproachtominimizingtheiradvantage.

DON’TLETARUNNERRUN

Playerswith speed love to runand they love tohit theballon the run.Swingthem wide off the deuce court and they’ll hit a good running forehand. Andthey’lldothesameontheotherside.They’rerealgoodatitbecausewiththeirspeed,theygettoalotofballsandgetalotofpractice.

Don’tlet themusetheirspeed.Takeawaytheirasset.How?Hitdeepdownthe middle. Make them play more in the wheelhouse. Suddenly instead ofrunningtotheball(whichtheylove)you’reforcingthemtorunawayfromtheball, togetoutof itsway.You’re crowding themandnot letting themexploittheir speed. Think of wherever they are standing as a target and them as thebull’s-eye.

Quit trying just to hit shots out of their range. Part of their success comesfrommistakesyoumaketryingtohitashottheycan’tgetto.Don’ttrytomakeitharderforthemtogettoyourshot.Makeiteasier!Hititatthemandseewhathappens. They’ll overrun shots. They’ll start to hit shots off balance. They’llstarttohitweakreturnsmorefrequently.

But remember that it’s important with all of these tactics to use themintelligentlyandprudently.Whenyou’reontosomethingthatworksdon’tuseitexclusively. Mix it in with the rest of your game. Keep your opponent offbalancewonderingwhatyou’lldo.Yourresultswillbebetter.

TheAttacktoYourBackhand

One of the first tennis tactics any player uses or encounters is “attack thebackhand.”Formostrecreationalplayersthebackhandisusuallytheweakest.Ifyousomehowhadtoplayamatchagainstaplayeryou’dneverseenbeforeandcouldn’t warm up against (or spy on), the very first thing you’d test is theirbackhand. Automatic. Most players have a better forehand than backhand,includingyouandtheplayersyou’llface.

Sowhat doyoudo if your backhand is questionable andyou face a playerwho really exploits your liability, who knows how to get everything to yourweaksideanddoesitrelentlessly?Untilyougetalessonfromyourclubproandworkonit,isthereanywaytominimizethedamage?Yes.

1.BECONSERVATIVEWITHYOURBACKHAND

Whenyourbackhand isbeingattackedyour first instinct is toattemptabettershot than you’re capable of hitting reliably. You try to be an overachiever.Instead you become an underachiever.When your opponent comes to the netyour mind short-circuits: “Crisis. Danger at the net. Do something!” Theproblem is you have limited resourceswithwhich to “do something” on yourbackhandside.Yourbrain tellsyourbody todomore.Youpanicandsqueezeoffadesperateshotthatgoeslong,wide,orintothenet.

Instead,dojusttheopposite.Think“less”not“more.”Justgetthedarnballoverthenetandbackinthecourt.Don’tworryabouthittingthatgreatbackhandreturn. Be conservative. Be patient with your backhand. Your first duty is toavoidtheunforcederror.Initially,forceyouropponenttomakeashot,toatleasthittheball.

If the other player volleys your conservative backhand shot for a winnerregularly,moveontootheroptions.Butfirst,makethemhit theball.Andyoudothatbynottryingtogetmoreoutofyourbackhandthanisthere.Makesureyourmediocrebackhanddoesn’tmakeworld-classerrors.

2.RUNAROUNDTHEBACKHANDWHENAPPROPRIATE

You’re thinking,“This is tooobvious.”You’d love to runaroundeverysinglebackhand you get for the rest of your life. But the important thing is tounderstandwhenyoucandoitmosteffectively.

If your opponent is hitting constantly to your backhand, but withoutmuchpaceordepth, thinkof itasaninvitationtohityourforehand.Runaroundthebackhandandtee-offontheball.Smackit.Whenyoubegintotakeadvantageofthat opportunity your opponent will start trying to hit a better shot, one withgreaterdepthandpace.Iftheycandoityou’vegotaproblem,butiftheycould

doiteasilytheywouldn’tbehittingshortorwithoutpacetobeginwith.Increasethedifficultyoftheshottheyhavetohittogetittoyourbackhand.

Again, shot selection is important. The player who tries to run aroundeverythingonthebackhandsidewillfindthemselvesgettingjammed,hittingoffbalance,and losingevenmorepoints—not tomentiongettingexhausted.Lookforopportunities to runaround thebackhandwhenyouropponent’s shot lacksdepthorpace.

Also,keepthisinmind:Runningaroundaballnearthealleyontheadcourt(for a right-hander) can pull youwide and off the court. In this situation youshouldgoforawinneroragoodforcingshot.Otherwiseyouropponentcanputyouonastring;you’vegiventhemthewholecourttohitto.Runningaroundaball hit in the deuce court (or close to the center line) leaves you right in themiddleofthecourtandyoudon’tneedtobeasambitiouswithyourshot.

3.GETTOTHENET

Youropponentcan’tforceyoutohitbackhandsfromthebaselineifyou’reatthenet.Evenifyourbackhandvolleyisweakitmaybeanimprovementoveryourbackhand groundstrokes on that particular day.Aweak ormishit volley oftendropsinforawinner.

If you’re losing lots of points on your backhand groundstrokes get into apositiononcourtwhereyoudon’thavetohitbackhandgroundstrokes.Lookforyourchancesandcometothenet.

4.ATTACKTHESECONDSERVE

There is another way you can take the offensive before your opponent has achance to pressure your backhand. It allows you an (often overlooked)opportunity to get to the net.Most players don’t think “attack” off someone’sserve.However, if your opponent’s second serve is typical (which is to say avariationontheNerfball)itshouldn’tbedifficulttohitashotthatallowsyoutofollowittothenet.Juststandasteportwocloserthanyournormalpositionforreceiving.Whenyouhityourreturnofserveimmediatelyfollowittothenet.

Youhavenowtakenyourvulnerablebackhandoutofplayaswellasforcedyouropponenttomakeamoredifficultshot.

Bereasonable.Don’t try forawinnerwhenyoumakeanapproachshotoffthe player’s second serve. Go for placement. Get it in and even go for theirbackhand.Turnaboutisfairplay.Seeifyouliketheresults.

Remember, this is what smart tennis is all about. Testing and probing.Shrinking the gate through which a player can attack your weaknesses and

findingawaytogoaftertheirsoftspots.

5.DON’TFORGETTHELOB

Manyplayersmake themistake of hitting a shot over and over againwhen itisn’tworkingforthem.Sometimesthey’lldoitforthewholematch.Itmaybethe approach down the line, a slice serve, a forehand volley, a forehandgroundstroke,oranoverhead.Orabackhandgroundstroke.Theynevergiveuptrying to make it work. If you’re going down the dumper you’ve got to dosomethingelseoryou’lllose.

At some point it’s important to quit trying to correct the stroke and startwinning some points. And with a backhand that isn’t working (for whateverreason)youhaveanotheroptionwhenit’scostingyougames:thelob.

Ifyouropponentiscomingtothenetonyourbackhandsideandyouhaven’tmadeapassingshotsincethataccidentaloneinthewarm-up,remembertolob.Find out if they can hit an overhead.Do it once. Twice. Three or four times.Maybethey’llgetdizzylookingupandhavetositdown.Makethemshowyouthattheycanhitanoverhead.Notonce,butseveraltimes.Andpreferablythrowituptotheirbackhandside.

When a smart opponent sees you having a particular problem, you have toprevent them from exploiting it. You’ve got to keep the flesh wound fromhemorrhaging,andyoucandothatbyknowingandusingyouralternatives.

TheServe

Ask the experts what themost important shot in tennis is and they’ll say theserve. Is it? Maybe on tour. For recreational tennis players that answer isdoubtful.Howoftendoyouoryouropponentshitacesorservicewinners?Howmanytimesdoesyourserveforceareturn thatputsyouinapluspositionyoucan take advantage of? And, most important, how often do you hold serve?Probablynotasoftenasyoushould.

Theprosexpecttoholdaboutfouroutoffiveoftheirservicegames.Myownholdpercentage is77.9 and I’mnot agreat server.PeteSampras andMichaelStichcangetcloseto90percent.Forrecreationaltennisplayersholdingserveisoften a 50–50 proposition. The serve can be themost important shot, but formostrecreationalplayers,itisn’t.Evenamongwomenprostheserveisn’tmuchofaweapon.ForMartinaNavratilova(inherprime)andSteffiGraf itcanbe.But generally it isn’t the asset you’d expect from “themost important shot intennis.”

Hey, I’m not being critical. I usually don’t control play with my serve.However,I’mgoodatmanagingitsoitdoesn’tgetexploitedbadly.Idothatbygoodplacementandgettingthefirstserveinalot.

Mostclubplayersjustusetheirservetogetthepointstarted.It’soneofthereasonstherearesomanyservicebreaks.Theserveisthetoughestshottolearnand themost difficult tohit,especially underpressure.Most of the timeyourserve probably doesn’t do more than give your opponent a chance toimmediately take theoffensive.Why?Foralmostallclubplayers thereturnofserve isaneasier shot tohit than theserve,especiallywith themorepowerfulrackets.Especiallyunderpressure.

Thisisbecauseit’susuallyeasiertoreactthantoact,andtheservicereturnisareaction.Ashortswing(somethingbetweenaswingandblockingitback)canoftenput the receiver in chargeof apoint immediately.Add in theoccasionaldouble faults at pivotal moments (donating points and games to the server’sopponent)andyoucanseewhyservingisn’ttheadvantageformostplayersthatitcanbeforguyslikePeteSampras,MichaelStich,RichardKrajicek,orGoranIvanisevic.

Ifthereisoneshotinyourcollectionthatyoucanworkonthatwillhelpyourcause,it’stheserve.IcansaythatbecauseI’veseenlotsofplayersatclubsandpublicparksaroundtheworldfortwentyyears.Ifyoucandevelopapenetrating,varied, and reliable serve you’ll be looking for new opponents soon. Yourbuddies will get tired of losing to you. But good luck. Jimmy Connors wentthroughhiswhole career andcouldn’t developa threatening serve.Buthediddeveloptheworld’sbestservicereturn(untilAgassicamealong)andwithithewonoverahundredchampionships.So,whileyou’rewaitingforthatgreatnewweapon, the serve (the one thatwill become “themost important shot in yourgame”),there’ssomethingelsetothinkabout.

TheReturnofServe

I want to tell you what can become the most important shot for you with aminimumamountofwork.It’syourreturnofserve.It’saloteasiertoimprovethis than it is trying to learnabigserve.Withastrongreturnofserveyouareconstantlyputtingpressureonyouropponent,capitalizingonweakserversandneutralizingbetterservers.

Thereturnofserveisanopportunitytoattackyouropponentwhereithurtsmost, by taking the offense away from them and by constantly threatening tobreaktheirservice.Aplayerwho’salwaysstrugglingtoholdislikeafighteronthe ropes. They worry about just surviving. It’s mentally and physically very

damaging toknowyourserve isgoing tobeneutralizedor takenadvantageofoverandover,thatyou’reconstantlystrugglingtoavoidbeingbroken.

How important can it be? Ask Connors. He was able to neutralize hisopponent’sserviceandthenworkthepointtohisadvantage.Attheprolevelhemadethereturnofservehismostimportantshot.OneyearatWimbledonJimmyplayedRoscoeTannerandgotacedalmost twenty-five times.Jimmystillwonthematch.Hemadegreatplaysonmostoftheotherservesandkeptthepointsgoinguntilhecouldcapitalize.

Amoredramaticexampleisthe’92WimbledonfinalbetweenAndreAgassiand Goran Ivanisevic. Andre got aced thirty-seven times. That’s nine gamesworthofaces.Thenadd inGoran’sservicewinnersandyou’vegot towonderhowAndreevenstayedinthematch,letalonewonit.Hewonbecausehisreturnof serve is a monster, the best ever, even better than Connors’—at leastaccordingtoJohnMcEnroe,aplayerwithagreatservewhofacedbothofthem.

So here was a great match-up between a super server who had over two-hundred aces in the tournament and a great service returner.Who won? Thegreat service returner.Knowingwhat your options are on a service return canproducequickresultswithlittleeffort.

What Iwant todo is showyouhowyoucancapitalizeonyouropponent’sservebyknowingwhattodowithyourservicereturntactically.Whetherit’sabig serve and volley, aweak first or second serve, or anything else, you’ll beable tominimizetheirserveandmaximizeyourservicereturn.You’ll lovetheresults.

TheServe-VolleyPlayer

Thegreatserve-volleyplayersareincrediblytoughwhenthey’reontheirgame.GuyslikeEdbergandIvanisevic(andMcEnroeathisbest)putsomuchpressureonyoutomakebetterandbettershotsthattheoddsswingintheirfavor.It’sonething tomakea toughbackhandpassing shotwhen thenet is coveredand it’searlyinthematch.It’ssomethingelsetotryandhitthegreatpassingshotonsetpointormatchpoint!OnthebigpointsI’dmuchratherbetryingtohitavolleyupclosethanapassingshotfromthebaselinewithsomebodyalloverthenet.

Stefanisoneofthemostdifficulttoplay.Hewillserveandvolleyoneverysingle point. He makes you hit the difficult shot over and over again. Eventhoughhisserveisn’tasfastasBecker’shegetssuchajumpintothecourtwithhisservicemotionthathe’salmostalwayshittinghisfirstvolleyfrominsidetheserviceline.Becausehisservehassuchtorqueonithehasmoretimetogetin

behind it.Andhe nevermisses the volley.Those volleys are like havingbeesattackyou.Theyjustkeepcomingandstinging.

The hard truth of the matter is that when a serve-volley player is reallyplaying well you may have to kiss your lunch goodbye. But don’t give upwithoutafight,becausetherearetacticsyoucanusetotaketheplayawayfromthattypeofgame.AgassiusedthemsuccessfullyinthefinalsofWimbledonandyou can use the tactics in your own matches. You won’t face attacks likeIvanisevic’s,butyouwillfacecapableplayerswhogetinbehindtheirserveandcause problems for you. Here are the tactics you need to apply. I know theyworkbecauseIusedthemagainstEdbergtodefeathiminthesemisofthe’91L.A.Openwhenhewasrankednumberoneintheworld.

1.WATCHTHECORRECTMOVINGOBJECT,CALMLY

Whensomeonestartsattackingyouat thenet it’shumannature towatchthemandnotthetennisball.Atalllevelsofplay—A,B,andC—thereisanautomaticurge towatch theplayer attackingyou.But theplayer isn’t attackingyou, theball is. The player doesn’t come over the net, the ball does.Watch the ball.Concentratetotallyontheball.

Itellplayersatmytenniscampstostartwatchingtheballasearlyaspossible.Startwatching itwhile it’s still in itscan!Unfortunately,mostplayersatmostlevelsgetdistractedwhenabody ismovingat themat the same timea tennisballisflyingoverthenet.Theirfocusshiftsofftheballandontothebody.

Goodcontactisalmostimpossiblewhenyou’rewatchingtheattackingplayerwithoneeyeand theballwith theother. It’swhysomanyofyour returnsgowide,long,orshort.Youdonatethepointtoyouropponent.IknowbecauseI’vedoneitalotmyself,especiallyagainstMcEnroe.He’llcomeinsometimesandstaybacksometimes.SoyougetcaughtbysurpriseandsuddenlyMaciscominginbehindaserve.That’swhenIdoeverythingIshouldn’t.Itakemyeyeofftheball a little. I rushmy returna little.Andeven if Imanage towobble theballoverthenethe’stherewaiting.WithEdberg(whohasn’tnotcomeinbehindhisservesincehewasseven)youexpectitandit’salittleeasiertomakeyourselffocusontheballandswingnormally.

YouneedtoblockouttheserverliketheTexasRangers’greatslugger,JoseCanseco,blocksoutthepitcher.Heseesonlyabaseball.Ifhedidn’the’dmisseverytime.TedWilliams,thelastbattertohit.400inaseason,saidhewatchedtheballsohardhecouldseetheseamsturningoverasitgottotheplate.That’showyouwatchamovingobject.

You’llnoticesomethinghappenaswatchingtheballbecomesautomatic.Youdo see the server, but peripherally.Your primary focus is still the tennis ball.Increasinglyyouseetheonrushingplayerwithyour“secondary”levelofvision.Formanyplayers it’s the otherway around.They see the opponentwith theirprimaryfocusandtheballsecondarily.

Whenyou’reseeingthatballmoreclearlyremembertostaycalm;avoidthepanicattack.Withaplayercomingatyouthereisagreattendencytospeedupyour swing, to jerk it. You tend to lose balance and form. Stay calm. Yourprimary goal, the goal thatwill produce the best results, is to take a rhythmicswing,controlled,balanced,andsteady.Thekindofswingyouwouldprobablytakeiftheserverdidn’trushthenet.

With better focus on the ball and a less frantic swing you’ll make bettercontactwiththeball.Watchtheball,notthepersonwhohitit.Don’tjerkyourswing.You’renowinapositiontobeginmakingsomechoicesonyourservicereturnthatcancausethenetrushersomeproblems.

2.HITASOFTRETURN

Whenyou’rebeingattackedatthenetanaturalresponseistohittheballharder.Youwanttogettheballbackpastthenetrusherbeforetheycancoverthenet.Anatural reaction, the old “fight or flight” impulse. You can’t take flight whenyou’reattackedat thenet, soyoufight,and thenormal fight response is tohithard.Resist it.Takesomepaceoffyourreturnofserve.Resist thaturge tohithardandtohitquick.

First of all, swinging fast and hard causes errors. In your panic to dosomething immediately, you give away a point. But more than that, a goodserve-volleyplayercanhandleyourpace (ifyoumanage tohit it in thecourt)andsimplyuseitagainstyou.They’llangleoffavolleywithashort,crispstrokebeforeyoucanevenfinishyourswing.

Apoorvolleyeralsogetsalittleadvantagewhenyoupoundareturn.How?Themostcommonmistakeabadvolleyermakesistakingtoobigaswingonthevolley.Whenyousendtheballbackhardtheydon’thavetimetowindupandoverswing.Theyjuststicktheracketout,makecontact,andangleoffavolley.You’vemadethemabettervolleyerthantheyare.

Returningwithlesspacecanhelpyouaccomplishsomethingthatcanbeevenmore important.Bythe timeyouropponentgets to theball itwillbedroppingbelow the net (or at least dropping). The net rusherwill have to hit up on it.Hitting a ball that’s fallenbelow thenet is a lot harder thanhittingone that’sabovethenet.MaybeJohnMcEnroecanangleitoffforawinner,butletyour

opponenttryit.Icanguaranteethattheplayeracrossthenetfromyouwon’tlikea low, soft return that’s dropping.Their volley (if they canmake it)won’t bepenetrating,won’tbelow,andwon’tbeaproblem.

Obviously,youcanalsogetthatballdippingbelowthenetwithtopspin.The“dipper” is more difficult to execute, but just as effective. Either wayworks.Bestofall,mix’emup.Hitwithlesspaceoccasionally.Byvaryingyourshotsyoukeep’emguessing.

3.BUSTARETURNRIGHTATYOUROPPONENT

WhenIcometothenetagainstIvanLendlImakesuremyhealthinsuranceispaidup. IcallhimtheTerminator.Oneofhis tactics is to“seekanddestroy.”He’dassoonhityouaspassyou.Obviously,mostplayersontourcanfightoffaballhitdirectlyatthemfromthebaseline,butLendlwillnailyouoccasionallyeven when he’s up close. I got hit so hard one time I had “Wilson” spelledupsidedownandbackwardsonmychestforaweek.

But it’s legitimate. After all, a player who’s covering the net is basicallytrying to limit your escape options. They’re stealing the court fromyou (withtheirbody)andforcingyoutohittoasmallertarget.Onewaytoescapeistogorightat them.A runningback in footballgenerally tries togoaround tacklers.Whennecessary,EricDickersonwillputhisheaddownandgorightthroughthetackler.

Ivanisn’tafraidtogothroughanetrusherinhisownway.Hewantsyoutohavetokeepinmindthathemightgocrosscourt.Hemightgodowntheline.Hemight lob.Orhemightput the tennisball right intoyourbellyatonehundredmilesanhour.Hecanmakesomeoneatthenetlooksillyalotofways.Andbyoccasionallyhittingatthatplayerhe’saddedanotheroptionhisopponenthastoworryabout.Youcandothesame.Don’tbepolite.

Aplayerwhowants to come inbehind their serve shouldhave to factor inthatyouaren’tafraidtohitatthem.Itmeanstheyhavetoconsideranadditionaloption.

Whentodoit?Doitwhenyourotheroptionsarelimited,whenthenetrusherhas closed off easier shots and forced you tomake a difficult one towin thepoint.Thentheybecomefairgame.

And, just so you don’t hurt yourself by swinging too hard, remember this.WhenIsay“bustit”Idon’tmeanwildflailingoroverswinging.Takeafullcutattheball—aimforahigh-velocityswing,butstayincontrol.Mostplayerstendtoslapattheballwhentheywanttohitharder.It’sallarmandhand.Bustit,butdon’tbreakit.

Do this just enough to keep your net rusher guessing. One of the addedpayoffsis thattheywill tendtohitballsthataregoingout.Becausetheball isgettingtothemquicker,becausetheelementofsurpriseisatwork,becauseit’shardertojudgeaball’sdistancewhenit’scomingrightatyou,playersarelikelytotakeafastreflexswingataballhitdirectlyatthemevenifit’sheadedout.

Rememberthisaboutsportsmanship.It’snotappropriatetohitatsomeoneifyou’relookingatasitter.Inotherwords,ifyou’rehittinganoverheadupclose,orifyouhaveanotheroptionthat’saneasyshotforawinner,it’sinappropriateto nail someone just to get their attention. But if they’re closing you off andyou’re looking at tough shots to get out of the point, your opponent is alegitimatetarget.Putyoursightsontheirbellybuttonandletitfly.

4.RETURNSERVECROSSCOURT

Letme give you a rule that applies generallywhenever you return serve, butespeciallywhen the server attacks you by coming to the net.Hit your servicereturncrosscourtwhenpossible.

It’sagood idea toreturnservecrosscourtbecauseof the logistics involved.Whenyoutrytoreturnaservedownthelineyouhaveimmediatelybroughtthesidelinesintoplay.Youareflirtingwithhittingtheballwide.Beingjustalittleoffmeansthatyouloseapointwithoutevenmakingyouropponenthavetohitthe ball.Also, as you know, the net is higher at the sides than in themiddle.Finally, you havemore court to hit to going diagonally, or crosscourt. Prettysolid reasonsforgoingbackcrosscourt ifpossible, right?Morecourt, lessnet,nosideline.

Butthere’sanotheradvantagetohittingcrosscourt.Byknockingyourservicereturnbackdiagonallyyouforceyouropponentwho’scomingtothenettomakeamore difficult volley. If theywant to hit to the open court (away fromyou)they have to hit down the line. Suddenly they have tomake a shot that givesthem less court, more net, and brings the side line into play (this applies oneitherthedeuceortheadcourt).Ortheycanmaketheotherchoiceandhittheballbacktoyou.That’sokay—itsavesyoualotofrunning.

So, as a rule (and especially on big points), go crosscourt on your servicereturns.It’llpayoffwithmoreballsstayinginforyouandmoremissedvolleysforyouropponentwho’sapproachingthenet.

5.LEARNTOLOVETHELOB

Thelobisoftenoverlookedbyclubplayersreturningaservebecauseit’sashotthat seems difficult in that situation. Give it a chance. Remember, you don’t

reallyevenhavetoswing.Basicallyyoujusthavetoblocktheballbackusingthe server’s pace. Always try to lob to their backhand side. You’ll see goodresults.

The element of surprise is what is important in this response. The serve-volleyplayerwhoknowsyou’rejustgoingtokeeptryingtomakeapassingshotwilltrytogetcloserandclosertothenet.Ifyouoccasionallythrowupalobitforcesthatplayertoprotectthemselvesbynotclosingtothenetasmuch.Whenyou’vegotsomeonewhoiscampingonthenet,hoistalobuptotheirbackhandside.It’llkeepthemhonest.

Thisisaresponseyourarelyseeontourbecauseofthedifficultyofmakingaloboffapro’sserve,andbecauselobstendtogeteatenupatthatlevel.Attheclublevelthelobcanbeausefulreturn-of-serveoption.

6.MIXANDMATCH

ThetacticsI’vesuggestedherewillwork.Theserve-volleyplayer tendstoputyouonthedefensiveandgetyouontherun.Younevergetarhythmgoingandeverythingisreactive.ByaddingwhatI’vesuggestedtowhatyou’renowdoingyou’llmake yourself less predictable, less defensive, andmore varied. You’llforce the serve-volley player to domore andmore towin a point. Eventuallytheirmistakeswillstartmountingup.That’swhenyou’llwin.

Also,keepinmindthatpointsusuallyendquickerinaserve-volleygame.Itcanbeextremelyaggravatingtohaveyouropponentwinpointssofastoverandover. Keep your perspective. A point is just a point, whether it’s an ace or atwenty-shot rally. Ifyouropponent is serve-volleyingandwinningpoints, staycalmandresisttheurgetohitoutinanger.

AndreAgassineverlosthiscoolwhenIvanisevicwasthrowingallthoseacesathimduringWimbledon’92.Andrekept looking forhisshotson theservicereturn anddidn’t letGoran’s servicewinnersbreakdownhis composure.Youshoulddothesame.Stayincontrolwhenyouropponentstartsendingthepointsquickly.Makethemhitavarietyofshots.Don’tgivethemfreebees.Iftheycancounter what you’re doing for the whole match, they deserve to win. Butchancesaretheywon’t.

TheWeakServe

The playerwho can take their opponent’sweak serve and use it to their ownadvantagehasatremendousasset.Inmyowngamemyserveworksagainstmelike this. My first serve is good enough. On a day when I’m “on” it can be

effective. I played Agassi in a Volvo semifinal match in 1991 and aced himfifteentimesandhitabunchofservicewinners,beatinghiminstraightsets(6–1,6–2)becauseofit.Butthat’smyfirstserve.Mysecondserveisanotherstory.

Thesecondservehasmepsychedout.AllmycareerI’vehadaweaksecondserve.It’sjustsomethingI’veneverbeenabletoovercome.There’salittlemorepressure with that second serve especially on big points or when I know thereceiverisgoodatcapitalizingonmyweakness.Mysecondservestinks,andithasreallycostmeagainsttheplayerswhoknowhowtotakeadvantageofit.

Lendl is the best (or worst) for me. He’s like Freddy Krueger when he’swaitingformysecondserve.Heabsolutelyeatsitup.Beckerisanotheronewhofeedsonmyweaksecond.McEnroedoes,too—notbyusingpowerlikeLendlorBecker,butbytakingtheballearly,chipping,andchargingthenet.EitherwayI’mimmediatelyplayingcatchup.

Sowhathappens?Toprotectmyselfagainstaplayerwhocantakeadvantageoftheweaksecondserve,I’mforcedtomakesuremyfirstservegetsin.TodothatIhavetotakesomethingoffofit.Doingthatreducesitseffectiveness.Youcanseetheprogression.Byknowinghowtocapitalizeonaweaksecondserve(mine)thereceiver(Lendl)hasforcedmetochangemyfirstserveorsuffertheconsequences.Fortunately,I’mgoodatworkingthefirstservetomyadvantage;notnecessarilywithpower,butwithgooddirection,consistency,andmovement.Imaximizethefirstservebecausemysecondserveoftenmakesmevulnerable.

That’swhatyouwanttodototheplayerwiththenothingsecondserve.Youwanttoforcethemtogetmorecautiousontheirfirstserve.

TheNerfserveisprobablytheoneyou’llhavetoreceivemostfrequentlyattheclublevel.Whether it’sasecondserve that’sweakorafirstserve thathasnothing on it, you will see the Nerf serve often. You’ll see it most of all atimportantmomentsinthematch.That’swhentheplayerservingtoyouismostlikelytogetnervousanddevelopTheElbow.Thetennisballcomesoverthenetwithnothingtoit,nopace,nodepth,nospin.It’slikewatchingsandgothroughan hourglass. It takes forever. And it’s a son-of-a-gun to take advantage of.Here’sopportunitywaitingandyoucan’tcapitalize.

Theproblemisthataballjustsittingtherewaitingtobecreamedbringsoutthe beast in you. You know it’s opportunity knocking. But instead of justopening thedooryou try to tear itoff itshinges.BANG!Ashardasyoucan!BANG!Asbigasyoucan!BANG!Asdeepasyoucan!BANG!Itgoesinthecan.Unforcederror.Dumbmistake.Ingolfthey’dsay“toomuchclub.”Youdothatafewtimesandyougetgunshyandchangeyourtactics.

PrettysoonyouseeaNerfballserveandyouhitaNerfballreturn.Yougettimid.Youhadopportunitystaringyouinthefaceandyouhandeditrightback

toyouropponent.Backandforthyougo.Everysooftenyougetupthecourageagainandtakeaferociouscutataweakone.Intothebackfence.Thenit’sbacktothepattycakereturn.Thereisasolution.Herearethetacticsyoushouldusetocapitalizeonaweakserve.

1.MOVEINSIDETHEBASELINE

Waitingfortheweakserveinyourusualspotonorbehindthebaselinemeansyouhavetoberunningforwardtogettoaweakserve.Youhavemadetheshotmoredifficult bymakingyourselfgo farther toget to theball.Step inside thebaseline two feet,maybe three feet,dependingonhowbad the server is.Nowyou’re in a positionwhere you only have tomove forward slightly to get theweakerserveandyoucanswingnormally.

2.KEEPYOURFEETMOVING

Theeasiertheshot, thelaziertheplayer.It’snotthatreceiversdon’ttrytokilltheball,it’sthattheyquitdoingwhat’snecessarytohitwithforce.Theyswingattheballwithaswattingmotionliketheyweretryingtocatchahummingbirdwithabutterflynet—allwristandarm.It’slikethebrainistellingthem,“Hey,this is no sweat.An easyone.Take abreak!”With aweak serve coming, thetendencyistoletup.Badthinking.

The laziness first showsup inyour footwork. I seebig lunging stepsornostepsatall.Aplayerwillstandtherewaitingfortheballtoarriveorwaituntilthelastsecondandlurchattheball.Instead,youshouldkeepyourfeetmovingwith short peppery steps.WatchConnors’s feet, or Lendl’swhen he’s gettingreadyfortheweakserve.Light,quick,andontheirtoes.Theycangettoandsetup for the ball with much more consistency, much better balance, and muchbetter timing.Start thefeetmovingbeforethetoss.Staylightandlooseontheballsofyourfeetwhenyousmelltheweakservecoming.

3.SHORTENYOURGRIPANDYOURBACKSWING

Theurgetooverhitaballthatlookseasy(the“sitter”or“duck”)willbereducedifyougripdownalittleonyourracket.Thatwillshortenyourswingandhelpyou maintain control of the racket. I’ve seen players grip down five or sixinches.That’s toomuch, or at least unnecessary. Justmove your hand two orthreeinchesuptowardtherackethead.You’remuchbetterabletocontrolthingsthat way. And psychologically the shorter grip tends to reduce your urge tooverswing.

4.HITWITHYOURRACKET,NOTYOUREGO

Havingdoneallof theaboveyou’restillgoing tomakeunforcederrors ifyoudon’tcontrolyoururgetokilltheball.Icallitgetting“bigeyes”;theplayerseesthatsoftservewaitingtobedestroyed,theeyesbugoutinanticipation,andthemindshort-circuits.Result?Unforcederror.Keepyoureyes inyourhead.Youjustwanttomakeagoodreturn,sohititwithyourracket,notyourego.Andthatgoes for any sitters—volleys, overheads, groundstrokes. Manage your shots.Power is usually less important than placement. When you start seeing thepattycake second serve make it a priority to “place” your return to theopponent’sweakside.Whentheplayeracrossthenetseesyousuccessfullyandconsistently capitalizingon theirweak second theywill start taking somethingofftheirfirstserve.Youhavemadethemchangetheirgame.YourAdvantage!

TheLefty’sServe

Theleft-handedplayerhastwoadvantagesoveryouifyou’reright-handed.Oneis inyourheadandtheother ison thecourt.Let’s lookat thecourtadvantagefirst.

Aleft-handedserver’sstrongsideistheadcourt.Thisisthecourtwheretheycanmoreeasilyservetoyourbackhand.Theycanreallymoveyouoffthecourtifthey’reabletoswingtheirservewide.Aright-handedplayer’sstrongservingcourttoaLeftyisthedeucecourt.Againbecauseit’seasiertoservetoaLefty’sbackhandonduececourtwithaspinserve.

So it all evens out, right? On one side you have a serving advantage (thedeuce court), and on one side the Lefty has an advantage (the ad court). Theproblem for a right-handed player is this: more ad points come up on the adcourtthanonthedeucecourt.Howdoyouthinkitgotitsname?Thismeansthatin every match a Lefty has more game point opportunities on the court thatfavorstheirserve.Theycanswingaright-handedplayeroffthecourtonthosepointswhenitcountsmost.

A right-handed player has amuchmore difficult time trying to exploit theLeftyontheadcourt.IfyoudotrytomoveaLeftywideofftheadcourtyou’reforced tohitamoredifficult serve (lesscourt,highernet, tougherangle).Andeven if you succeed, the ball is still coming to the Lefty’s forehand (andpresumablystronger)side.Ifyouhittotheirbackhandyou’reservingupthegutand leavingyour left-handedopponent in themiddleof thecourt.Not thebestoptionswhenyouwanttogetthepointofftoagoodstart.

Again, you’re going to have to take away the Lefty’s advantage byminimizingtheirstrength.Here’showtodoit.

1.BEANALLEYCAT

If you face a Lefty who’s consistently able to swing you off the ad court byservingwidetoyourbackhand,youhavetocheat.BythatImeanyouhavetotakeawaythatwideservebymovingclosertotheadcourtalley.Itreducestheirtarget area dramatically when you start cheating to your backhand side. Getclosertothatalley(andafewstepsforward,orclosertothenet)whenreceivingtheirserve.

ThePieChartforTennisThismightexplainitbetter,anditapplieselsewhere.Dependingonwhereyouarepositionedduringapoint,yougiveuppartsofthecourtingreaterorlesserdegree.IthinkofitlikethepiechartsinUSAToday.Ifyou’restandingexactlyonthecenterofyourownbaselinetheopponenthastwoequalpiecesofpietohitat:thedeucecourtandtheadcourt.Ifyoumovetoyourright,whathappens?Theleftsideofthepiegetsbigger.Ifyoumoveleft,therightsidegetsbigger.Obviouslythebiggersideisaneasiertargetforyouropponent.

SowhenyoufaceaLefty’sserveontheadcourtmovetoyourleftandgivethem a sliver of pie on your backhand side and a nice chunk of pie on yourforehand side. You’vemade it harder for them to serve to your backhand, toswingyouoffthecourt.Youtemptthemwithmorecourtonyourforehandside,buttotakeadvantageofittheywillhavetohitamoredifficultflatserveupthemiddle.

You’d probably make this adjustment somewhat anyway. What I’msuggestingisthatyou“overadjust.”Don’ttrytobesecretaboutit.Don’ttrytosneak over a little bit. Do it big-time. Let your opponent know you’re takingawaytheiradvantage.Forcethemtoservetoyourforehand.Forcethemtoserveupthecenterofthecourtontheadcourt.Andforcethemtodoitonbigpointswhenyou’vegotatwoorthreepointadvantage.At0–40standinthealley(oreven outside the doubles sideline). See what they do. You’ll love it. Adjustsomewhat if they can effectively hurt you down themiddle. Find a receivingpositionwheretheyhavetroubleswingingtheservetoyourbackhandandcan’tgetitbyyourforehand.

You are disrupting their preferred routine.Youhave taken awaywhat theywouldliketodoandforcedthemtoacceptasecondaryoption.Youhavedeniedthem the chance to routinely hit their strength to your weakness. You have

forced them tohit amoredifficult serve toyour stronger side.This is exactlywhatyouwanttoaccomplish.

Nowfor theconsequences.Willyougetaceddown themiddle?Ofcourse.But challenge your opponent tomake thatmove. TheLeftywill see the hugeopening, thatbigpieceofpieyou’veconceded,andstartchanging theirgame.Initially,they’llgetgreedyandgoforthebigacedownthemiddletoteachyoualesson. “You can’t step around your backhand on me, buddy.” Remember,you’re challenging them.Disrupting them.Probing them. If theydon’t get theace it’ll eitherbeoutor inyourwheelhouse. If it is in,nail it.TheLeftymaynow decide to try your backhand side even though you’ve given them only asliver tohit to.Acoupleof faults and they’ll be trying togodown the centeragain.

Iftheyhappentobesharpthatdayyou’llhavetogiveupsomeofthealleyyou’veclaimed.You’llhavetogivethemasmallerpieceofthepietohittoonyourforehandside.Butit’smorelikelyyou’llstarttoseemistakes.They’lltryto steer the serve into that little opening on your backhand side (producingfaults)orblasttheballdownthemiddleforanace.You’vemadethemchangetheir game from something that works against you to something that isn’t aseffective.

Does itworkall the time?No,but itworksoftenenough tobeadisruptingfactorthatcanchangetheirgame,especiallyifyoukeepadjusting.Keepmixingyourpositionupsoyouropponenthastoreacttowhatyou’redoingandnottheotherwayaround.Keepchangingthepiechart.Givethemabigchunkonyourforehandsideonetimeandlessthenexttime.Onetimemakeyourmovewhentheycanseeyou.Thenext timemovejustafter theymaketheir tossandcan’tseeyou.Taketheirmindofftheballthey’retryingtohitandmoveitontoyou.Especiallyat40–loveorlove–40.Nowyoucanreallythrowitintheirface.

2.DON’TGIVECREDITTOALEFTY

SotheLeftyhasacourtadvantage thatyouhave todealwith.Whatabout thepsychological advantage? This second advantage is more subtle, but just ascommon.BothclubandproplayerstendtogetbentoutofshapeattheprospectofevenplayingaLefty.Wetendtoputourselvesunder thegunandexpect tolose.Iusedtoworryaboutitalot.IjustfeltthataMcEnroeoraConnorshadsomuchtostartwiththattohavetheaddedadvantageofbeingaLeftywasalmostunfair.

WhileConnorsdidn’treallymaximizehisservepotential,McEnroedid.Hisgreathookservewashellacious.Itwouldswingwide(thecanopener),bounce

low,andrunyouoffthecourtintothestands.Tryandhitawinnerwithhimatthenetwhenyou’resittinginthefirstrowofseats.Tough.I’dgetmyself inalosingframeofmindjustthinkingaboutit.

WhatIhadtodowastellmyselfthatthecourtadvantagecouldbeminimizedsomewhat.That I could reduce the effectiveness of his best servewith properpositioning.FromthatpointonIthoughttheLeftyandIplayedonanevenfield.Isimplified it.Oncewegot into thepointwewereplayingeven. Iquit tellingmyselfthattheLeftyhadsuchabigadvantage.IquitworryingbecauseIknewtheLeftywasatadisadvantagewhenIwasservingtothedeucecourt.

ThebestthingyoucandotoneutralizethepsychologicaladvantageistoplaymoreLefties.Get used to knowing thatwhen you hit a forehand to the deucecourt against a Lefty it’s going to your opponent’s backhand and probablyweakerside.Knowthatthrowingupalobonthealleysideofthedeucecourtisgoingovertheirbackhandside.TheusualtacticsyouusearereversedagainstaLefty.WhenyouincludeLeftiesinyourregularscheduleofpartners,suddenlytheperceivedadvantageevaporates.

PuttingItIntoPracticeAgainstMcEnroeRememberthe’86MastersmatchagainstMcEnroeatMadisonSquareGarden?(He retired for sixmonthsafter Ibeathim.)The reason Iwon thatmatchwasbecause I used the strategy I’ve just outlined. I had played and lost to himseveralmonthsbefore,butthematchhadbeenclose.Ilost6–4inthethird,butforthefirsttimeIreallyfeltthatIcouldbeathim.AndIthoughtaboutitalotheadingintothatmatchattheGarden.

InpreparingmygameplanIdecidedtodoexactlywhatI’vejustoutlined.Iintendedtocrowdthealleyontheadcourtwhenheserved.Inaddition,IwantedtostepinslightlyclosertothenetwhenIgotachancetoseeasecondserve.Iknew that by coming in a little I’d get more aggressive. This was good. IfMcEnroesenses thatyou’re tentativeaboutwhatyou’re trying todohesmellsbloodandtakesadvantageofyourindecision.

InthatmatchIhadtwogoals:takeawayhiscan-openerserveontheadcourtandbemoreaggressive.Whathappened?Bytheendofthesecondsethisservehadstartedtoweaken.Hewastryingtoforceitupthemiddleontheadcourt(Iwasgivinghimthatbiggerpieceofpie)andhestartedmissing it. Justa little,butmissingitnevertheless.IwaschallenginghimsomuchthatonhisfirstserveI’dbestandinghalfwayinthealley.Justtemptinghimtogoupthegut.Andonthatdayhecouldn’tdoitenoughtohurtme.Hewasmissingenoughsothathehadto letuponhisserveandbring it in tomyforehand.ThenI’dmixupmy

returns, busting it one time and massaging it back the next. It kept him offbalance.

Ihadminimizedhisstrongestweaponinservingandmadehimtrytobeatmewithsomethingelse.OnmostdaysMaccouldadjust.Butnot thatnightat theMastersinNewYork.Ifitworkedagainsthim,believeme,itwillworkagainsttheLeftyyouplay.

TheHeater

TheHeater.TheBomb.Theservewithalotofstickonit.Thesedays,atleastattheprolevel,servesarecominginfasterandharder.Thenewracketsaremakingballistic missiles out of fuzzy balls. In fact, the tennis balls themselves seemdifferentfromafewyearsago.Ibelievethey’reharder.Thatcombinedwiththenewerracketsmeansthere’sjustmorefirepoweravailabletogoodserverstoday.Stich, Krajicek, Wheaton, and a lot of the other young players are changingtennis with that power. Believe me, it’s not just the result of their servicemotions.

Ongrassitcanbecomealmostajoke.Atthe1991WimbledonMen’sFinalsbetweenStichandBeckertheaveragepointlastedlessthanthreeseconds!InthesemisthatyearStichbeatStefanEdbergandEdbergneverlosthisserveonce.Powerserving.

WhenIrunintoaguywho’sinthezonewithhisserveonaparticularday,just firingaces like it’snothing, there’snota lot I cando. Imean, inorder toreturnaservefirstyouhavetoseeit.Whenaballiscomingupthegutat131milesanhourit’sbymebeforeIcanwink.It’slikethestoryofthecowboywhosaid hewas the fastest gun in theWest. Somebody at the bar said, “Prove it,partner.ShowmethatfastestdrawintheWest.”Sothecowboygotup,puthishandsabovehisgunsandstood theremotionless.Five seconds laterheasked,“Want to see it again?” That’s how it is playing against a Heater by PeteSampras.“Wanttoseeitagain?”Andmyansweris“No!”

It’s unlikely you’ll ever be on the receiving end of a serve that breaks thesoundbarrier.Butyouwillfacesomeservesthatarebigenoughtoputyouonthe defensive, forcing you tomake errors or throwbackweak returns. In thatsituationthereareacoupleofimportanttacticstokeepinmindthatIusewhennecessary.

1.MOVEBACKTHREESTEPS

When someone is beating you with a particular shot or style of play it’simportanttochangewhatyou’redoing.Givetheplayerwho’scruisingalongontheothersideofthenetadifferentlook.Makethemreacttowhatyou’redoing.That’s true inalmostany situation in tennisand it’s truehere.Whensomeonecomesinwithaserveyoucan’thandle,changeyourcourtpositionforreceivingserve.

First of all, move back. Don’t fall into the macho mindset where you’rethinking, “Hey, I’m gonna stand my ground. I don’t care how hard he’sserving!”Don’tbeproud.Backup.Maybefivefeet.Theextradistancewillgiveyouthetimeyouneedtoreacttotheball.

2.MOVEINTHREESTEPS

Then move in closer. Get inside the service line closer than you’d normallypositionyourself.You’lltrytoblocktheballback.Gripdownontheracketandmake contact in front of your body. The idea, of course, is to start disruptingyouropponent’ssmoothride.You’remakinghimthink.You’retryingtogethimtochangewhathe’sdoing.Andbelieveme,movinguporbackwilldothat.

When a server sees you standing up close, challenging him, the result ispredictable.They’lltrytohitevenharder.Andwhenyoumovebackbehindthebaseline five feet theystart trying to takeadvantageof theanglesavailablebygoingwideoneithersideofyou.Inbothsituations,doyouseewhathappened?Yougotthemtochangetheirgame.

Sounds toosimple,doesn’t it? Itworks.BjornBorgoftenstood twelve feetbehind thebaseline atWimbledonandhewon it five times in a row.MichaelChangstoodalmoston theservice linebecauseof legcrampsand forced IvanLendltodouble-faultonmatchpointinTheFrenchOpen.MichaeldidamajornumberonIvan’smindwiththatmove.Yes,itdoeswork.

3.MAKEYOURRACKETSHORTER

Thebigservegetsonyoutoofast.Youdon’thavetimetoreact.It’sevenmoredifficult if you’re swinging the racketwith your hands at the end of the grip.Makeyourracketmoremanageablebyshorteningyourgrip;holdittwoorthreeinchesclosertotheheadoftheracket.You’llhavebettercontrolandbeabletomoveitintopositionquicker.

4.CUTYOURSWINGINHALF

When you’re getting pounded by a big serve, shorten your swing. Think oftakinghalfofa swing. If thatdoesn’twork, thinkof justblockingyour return

back.Agassiblockedservesbackforwinners several times inearninghis firstWimbledontitle.Use thepaceyouropponent issupplyingand justmakegoodcontact. This is very effective at all levels of play and is usually ignored byrecreationalplayers.They love tohitahardballhard.That’swhy therearesomanymishits,latehits,anddonatedpoints.

MessingWithTheirMind

Ifyoucandiminishtheeffectivenessofyouropponent’sbestserveyou’vereallygivenyourselfabigboosttowardwinningthematch.Ifit’saLeftywithagoodcan-opener serve, cheat to the alley and force them to try to beat you up themiddle. If you’re playing a righty who can pound it down themiddle on thedeucecourtmovetoyourleftandgivethemjustasliverofthepietohittoonyourbackhandside.Andmixitup.

Ifsomeone’sbeatingyouconsistentlywiththeirserve,you’vegottoworkontheirmind.Movetoyournewpositionwhentheycanseeyou(butbeforetheysettleintotheirpre-servemotion).Thenlatermoveaftertheytossandcan’tseeyou.Exaggeratethemovesothatyouforcethemawayfromtheirpreferredshot.It’s poor sportsmanship to be hopping back and forth simply to distract youropponent.It’slegitimatetomovewiththepurposeoftakinganewposition.

Itbreaksuptheirrhythm,thementalgroovethattheyhave.Insteadoftearingyouupwithoneparticularserveyoumakethembeatyouwithsomethingelse.

Whenyouwatch amatchon the tube think alongwith the receiver.Watchhowtheypositionthemselvestoforceanopponentawayfromadamagingserve.Thendoitinyourownmatches.

Next:Recognizingopportunityduringamatch(thesmellofblood).

9TheSevenHiddenAdPoints

DeadlyDynamics

Recreational tennis players tend to consider most points and games in theirmatch as being roughly equivalent. The second point of a game is about thesameas thefourthpoint,15–15 isnodifferent from30–30.The thirdgameoftheopeningsetisnodifferentfromoneplayedat4–allinthesecondset.Withthe exception of ad points it’s all pretty much the same on their scale ofimportance.(Note:Forbrevityadpointsandbreakpointsarebothreferredtoasadpoints.Anypointthatcanwinagameforoneoftheplayersiscalledanadpoint.)

But thedifferencesintheimpactspecificpointsandgamescanhaveonthemomentumandoutcomeofthematcharesignificant.Therearecertainmomentsin thematch that are dynamic andvolatile.Theyhavebothpsychological andstrategicweightthatcanreallyhelporhurtyourcause.

AdPointsGetAttention

We know that an ad point presents opportunity. The playerwho has one andconvertsit(winsit)securesagame.It’sthekindofopportunitythateveryplayerfromMackTheHacktothenumberoneplayerintheworldunderstands.Onanadpoint(especiallyforthesetormatch)yousweat,yourheartstartspumping,andyourbloodpressurerises.Atleastitshould.Mostplayerswakeupforanadpoint (even theveryfirstone)becauseagame ison the line, for themor theiropponent.

Sincejustabouteverybodyrecognizestheimpactofanadpoint,playersgetalittle pumped when one arrives. You’re not going to catch your opponentunawareveryoften.Whenwas the last timeyouwonyouradpointanddidn’tknowwhatyou’ddone?(“Thatwasforthegame?”)Rarely.Andifitwasforthe

set? Never. The same goes for the people you play. Ad points get noticed.They’reobviousandtheygettreatedwithrespect.

LearningtheMoment:“SleepingBooty”

In my own approach to building victory I seek those dynamic or “impact”situations that get overlooked by the other guy. Ad points aren’t includedbecauseplayersarealerttothem.However,thereareimportantmomentsduringamatch thatsignificantlyaffect itsdynamicsand thataren’tappreciated. Icallthem Hidden Ad Points. They are situations that allow a player to get to anopportunity like an ad point, produce or deny momentum, reestablish theirpresence,orcontinuetheirdominanceinthematchatcriticaltimes.

Often they’remoments your opponentwon’t regard as offering any specialreward.Sowhentheycomeupyouropponentisasleep.Thebootyisunguarded,especiallyattheclublevel.That’swhenyoucandoyourselfsomerealgoodjustby being alert to the potential of the situation. I call it learning the moment,recognizingthedynamicimportanceofcrucialjuncturesinthematch.

Theseundervaluedswingpointsandgamescanhaveatremendousimpactontheoutcomeofyourmatchifyou’reawareofthem.Ifyoudonothingmorethanrecognize themwhen they occur (and they occur frequently) you’ll be givingyourself a significant advantage. And if you play them intelligently, yourwinningpercentagewillgoup.

YourTennisSecuritySystem

Whenthosemomentsarriveanalarmgoesoffinsideme.Justasgettingofftoadominantstartcanhaveagreateffectonwhatfollows,Iknowthatthesehidden,or overlooked, opportunities can also greatly influence the outcome. Iwant torecognizethemwhentheyarrive,bealert,andcapitalizeonthemasbestIcan.HerearetheonesI’vesingledoutovertheyearsasbeingespeciallyimportanttome,opportunitieswhereIdon’twantmymindtodrift,whereIwanttobetotallyengagedandplaysmarttennis.

TheSevenHiddenAdPoints1.TheSet-upPoint2.TheSet-upGame3.TheDictateGames4.StretchingaLead

5.StoppingtheMatchFromSlippingAway6.TiebreakerTactics7.ClosingOutaMatch

Thesearespecificsituationsthatcomeup,mustberecognized,andneedmyfullattention.Let’stranslate.

1.TheSet-upPoint

Forsomepros(theonesnotmakinganymoney)andmostrecreationalplayerstherearetwokindsofpoints:adpointsandalltherest.Wrong.Itreatthepointthat cangetmeormyopponent to an adpoint as amajormoment because itoffersamajorreward.Thatrewardistheopportunitytowin(orconvert)agame.I call any point thatprecedes an ad point a Set-up Point. The point played atlove–30,30–love,15–30,30–15,30–30,anddeuceareallSet-upPointsforoneorbothplayers.

When I’m looking at one of those scores bells are ringing inside me,especiallyat30–30(ordeuce)whenwebothhaveachancetostepupandgettoanadpoint.Thosearethepointsthatreallygetthejuicesgoing.Eachoneisabigswingbecauseitdecideswhogetsachancetocashinonthegame.Andifthe set or match comes with winning that game the Set-up Point’s value ismultiplied(IthinkofthosemomentsasSuperSet-upPoints).

If I win a Set-up Point at 30–30 or deuce I’m only one point away fromwinningthegame.Myopponentisthreepointsaway.Abigdifference.IfIwinapointat30–15(togoup40–15)thespreadisevenbigger.Psychologically it’sall positive. Winning it allows me to move into a strong position mentallywhetherI’mservingorreceiving.Infact,oftenattheclublevelifyouropponentisservingandyouwinyourSet-upPoint(movingtoadout) itmaybeallyouneedtodo.Adoublefaultcangiveyouthegame.

I know if I get enough ad point opportunities (while limiting those of myopponent) I’ll probably win the match. And the Set-up Point is where thoseopportunitiesarecreated.Inbaseballyoucan’tgetahituntilyoucomeuptotheplatewithabatinyourhands.Intennisyoucan’twinagamewithoutaconvertopportunity.TheSet-upPointcangiveyouthechance tocomeupto theplate(or to keep your opponent from doing so). It’s very important and it getsmyrespect.

Andwhat’sbestabouttheSet-upPointattheclublevelisthatyouropponentisusuallyunawareoftheweightitcarries.Theytendtoplaythemjustlikeanyotherpoint,withoutagreatdealofthoughtorfocus:30–15justdoesn’tgettheir

attention,30–30doesn’talert them.Theirwake-upcall is theadpoint,not thepointprecedingit,theSet-upPoint.

Nowiswhenyoumakesureyourmindisfocused,yourbodyprepared,andyourplanisinplace.It’swhenyoucancatchthemunaware.

RULE1:GETITINORGETITBACK!

WhenaSet-upPointarrives(eitherformeor theotherplayer)Ipayattention.TheprimarygoalIhaveinmindisthis:Getitinorgetitback!ThatmeansifI’mservingIwanttogettheballin.IfI’mreceivingIwanttogettheballback,andpreferablytoaspotthatforcesmyopponenttohitaweakershot.Andit’sevenmoreimportantat30–30ordeuce.Thesepointsrequiremorecaution.Or,toputitanotherway,theyrequirelesscasualnessorcarelessness.

Serving at 40–love you might want to try busting one in, going for yourannualace.Ifyou’rereceivingmaybeyou’lltryaspectacularreturn.Notat30–30ordeuce.Letyouropponentgofortheglory.Servingat30–lovetheservertends to get careless because that score feels like it’s bigger than it is. Payattention!Win that point and you get three straight convert opportunities.Getthatfirstservein.Don’tdouble-fault.

What’s surprising is how often club playerswill double-fault or carelesslyslamaservicereturnlongorintothenetonaSet-upPoint.They’vejustgiventheiropponentaconvertopportunity(ordeniedittothemselves)freeofchargebecause they didn’t understand the significance of the point and what it canmeantothedynamicsofthematch.That’sunintelligenttennis.

RULE2:BESENSIBLEAFTERTHESERVE

Oncethepointisunderway,besensible.Don’tgetfancy.Don’tgetbrilliant.Nostupid errors. It’s amazing how often recreational players will go for the“miracleshot” in themiddleofa rallywhenneitherplayerhasanyadvantage.Thatmay be okaywith a big lead, although even then I dislike seeing it andabsolutelyhatedoing it.At crucialmoments a risky shot is a signof a playerwho doesn’t understand the game.Let your opponent play brain-deadwhen itcounts.

This doesn’t mean you should play pattycake tennis. It means you shouldmanageyourshots,avoidinglow-percentageshotsthatcarryunnecessaryriskatinappropriatetimes.Andthat’sthestrategyyoushouldapplytoalloftheHiddenAdPoints.

PressureParalyzes

WinningtheSet-upPointcancreatepressure.Allplayersaremost tensewhensomethingisatrisk.LosingthatSet-upPointcanputyourgame,set,ormatchatrisk. Pressure will be layered on your strokes and confidence, and to somedegreepressureparalyzesmostrecreationalplayers.Recognizingtheimportanceof winning a Set-up Point and approaching it correctly will consistently keeppressureoffyouandplaceitonyouropponent.

2.TheSet-upGame

Any game that can move a player to within one game of the set is a Set-upGame. It’s similar to the Set-up Point in that it’s generally not viewed asanythingspecial,justanothergame.Butitisspecial.Itisn’tjustanothergame,asI’lldemonstratewiththe’92Wimbledonfinal.

And the Set-up Game at 4–4 or 5–5, when both players have a chance tomoveuptoasetgame,hastremendousdynamicvalue.Ifyoubreakserveyouarethenservingfortheset.Orifyouholdserve(at4–4or5–5)youropponenthasthepressureofknowingiftheydon’tholdservetheylosethesetormatch.Knowing that they have to hold serve or lose is significant pressure formostrecreationalplayers.

Itcanalsobesignificantpressureforaprofessional.AllGoranIvanisevichadtodo to stayalive in the fifth set againstAndreAgassi in the ’92Wimbledonfinalwastoholdserve.ButGoranknowsifhedoesn’tholdserveat4–5helosesthe match. Pressure? Even though he had over two-hundred aces in thetournament and thirty-seven aces up to that point in thematch, he began thatservicegamewith fourconsecutive faults!Onmatchpointhis first servewenteighteen inches below the top of the net. That’s the pressure of knowing youhavetoholdserveorlosethematch.Andthat’sthekindofpressureyoucanputonyouropponentbywinningaSet-upGame.

Gorantoldthepresslater,“ForthefirsttimeallmatchIwasthinkingintheair.InsteadofthinkingaboutmyplanbeforeItossedtheballIstartedthinkingwhen the ball was in the air.” Pressure did it and it was the pressure createdwhen Agassi won the Set-up Game. Andre understood fully the dynamics ofwinningtheSet-upGamewhenhewasservingat4–4inthefifth.

Agassisaidlaterthathe“wantedtohanginlongenoughtomakeGoranthinkabout it, toserve tosave thematch.”Heknewwhatenormouspressurewouldthen fall on Ivanisevic’s shoulders (and elbow).Andreplayed avery effectiveandsolidSet-upGameat4–4,holdingat15.Heplayedveryalert, stable,andsensible tennis. No shots with unnecessary risk. It was a classic example ofunderstandingthedynamicsofthesituation.Underneaththelongbleachedhair

wasabrainthinkinglikeawiseoldProfessorofTennis.Youcandothesameinyourmatchesifyoupayattention.

WhenaSet-upGamearrives(especiallyat4–allor5–all)aflashingredlightshould go off in your head and signal: “Pay attention. The stakes have beenraised. Don’t be casual. Stay alert. Opportunity beckons.” Your concentrationlevelshouldnotchupconsiderably.Everypointhereisabigpoint.Everypointhelpsorhurtsalotmore.

THE“CRITICAL”SEVENTHGAMEISN’TSOCRITICAL

Here’soneofthereasonsIdon’tagreewiththecommonnotionthattheseventhgameissuchacriticalgameinaset.Itiscriticalifitmovesoneplayertowithinfourpoints (onegame)of the set.This it candoat4–2or2–4.But it doesn’thavenearlythatimportanceat3–3attheclublevel.The“critical”gameoftheset for me is the Set-up Game, which moves one player to within strikingdistanceofwinningtheset.

PLAYLIKEABOACONSTRICTOR

In those important swing moments of a match I want to play like a boaconstrictor.Doyouknowhowaboaconstrictorkills?Itdoesn’tcrushitsprey.Thevictimsuffocates.Eachtimethevictimexhalestheboaconstrictortightensitsholdslightly.Thepreycan’tinhaleasmuchonthenextbreath.Eachtimeitbreathes out it can’t breathe in as much. Soon it can’t breathe in at all.Suffocation.Nothingflashythere.Justconstantsteadypressure.Andthat’smyapproachontheSet-upGameswherewinningmovesoneplayertowithinfourpointsoftheset(ormatch).

Don’t force shots.Don’tget impatient.Don’t try tomake somethingoutofnothing.Justkeepsqueezing.WhenI’mplayingtheSet-upGameI’mtryingtoget the other player tomakemistakes, to get impatient, to go for the brilliantshot.AndatapivotalmomentwhenaplayercangettowithinfourpointsofthesetbywinningthegameIputapremiumonsteadiness.Iwantmyopponenttoearn everything they get. Agassi played like a boa constrictor when he wasservingat4–4inthefifth.

Mostof the time in recreational tennisSet-upPoints andSet-upGamesareplayed looselyandwithoutmuchconsideration for theirweight.Aplayerwhorecognizesthepotentialinthesesituationswilloftenhavetodonomorethangetthe ball over the net. The opponentwill give up the points because of sloppyplayandsloppythinking.

3.TheDictateGames

Thefirsttwogamesofthesecondset(inabest-of-threematch)aremyDictateGames.It’swhenaplayerhasanopportunitytocontinuetheirdominanceovertheotherplayerafterwinningthefirstset,ortoreestablishtheirpresenceinthematchifthey’velosttheset.Here’swhatImean.

Win the first set and the percentages say you should win the match.(Remember:thathappensalmost90percentofthetimeforthetoppros).Losethe first set and you’ve got problems. However, there’s a reason the contestcontinuesafterthefirstset.Winningitdoesn’tguaranteevictory.Losingdoesn’tnecessarily mean defeat. But, win or lose, those first games of set two cansignificantlyaffectthedynamicsofwhatfollows.

RULE1:BEWARETHEWOUNDEDBEAR

Let’sassumeyou’vewontheopeningset.Youropponentunderstandsthatit’salong roadback tovictory.Dependingon their attitudeorcharacteroneof twothingshappens.Theymaygetalittlebitdiscouraged,figureit’snotgoingtobetheirdayandquittrying.Iftheydo,great!Themeekmayinherittheearth,buttheywon’twinmanytennismatches.Morelikelyyou’llhaveaWoundedBearon your hands. And aWounded Bear is dangerous. You’ve injured them bywinningthefirstset.Nowtheirfocusissharpandtheirmotivationishigh.Theyhavetogetsomethinggoingandtheyknowit.Theyarepreparedtodiginandfightatthebeginningofsettwo.

Foryourpart,it’scriticalthatyoucontinuethemomentumyou’vecreatedbywinning the first set.Starting immediately in this second set youwant to stuffthem.Youwanttoslamthedooronanyhopetheyhave.They’remotivatedandenergized.They’relookingforquickblood.Theywanttohurtyoufastandturnthis thing around. And they think they can do it! Of course they do. A goodcompetitor believes he or she can turn it around.Youwant to puncture thosehopes. And nothing hurts (or helps) their attitude and their game asmuch aslosing(orwinning)earlyinthenewset.

TheDoginaPlayerCompetitive spirit is an interesting quality in a player. Everyone has it, somemorethanothers.Yourjobistosquashthatspiritintheotherplayer,todestroyanyideatheymighthaveofbeatingyouonthatday.Butevenquittersusuallyhavealittlefightleft inthem.Theythinktheycanwin.It’sjustthatitdoesn’ttake much to convince them otherwise. A cloudy day can be enough to

discouragethem.Withquittersthatfirstsetlossmaybealltheconvincingtheyneed. With most others it takes more to get them thinking “I’m gonna losetoday.”Howmuchmoreyoudon’tknow.

AgainstJimmyConnorsit’salotmore.Iknowfromexperience.AfterIbeatJimmyinstraightsetsduring the’87Masterswealmostgot intoafight in thelockerroom.HestartedyellingatmeabouthowI’dneverbeathimagain(sofarhe’salmostbeenright).Howmywinwasanaccident.HowIdidn’tdeservetobeathim.Soundfamiliar?He’sstandingthereinhisjockstraptellingmehowIcan’twineventhoughIjustcannedhim.

Connorsisararebird,though.Hedoesn’tbelieveheshouldeverloseandhewantedmetoknowhedidn’tacceptthefactthatIcouldbeathim.

But I’ll tell you this.Nobody you play thinks like Jimmy.After losing thefirst set a lot of your opponents look at the beginning of the second set as abarometerofwhat’stocome.Iftheyloseearlytheymayquitearly.Iftheywinearly they think they’reback in it.A lotofplayerswilldog it ifyoucanstickthemearlyinthatsecondset.

Even among the top pros you see it. Ivan Lendlwas accused of tanking amatchoccasionallyearlyinhiscareer.Hewouldjustdecideatsomepoint(likeearly in the second set) “it’s not my day” and throw in the towel. GoranIvanisevicdoesitoccasionallynow.Mentallyhe’snotastoughasheshouldbe.He’llletsomethingbotherhim,abadlinecallorsomethingelse,anddecidetocheckoutfortheday.

Get’EmDownandKeep’EmDownI’veseen,inthecourseofhundredsoftournamentmatches,thatthebeginningofthe second set is often when a big psychological shift can occur. It’s a newbeginning for your opponentwho’s just lost the first set.You can smash thatnewbeginningwithastrongstart.Evenaquittercangettheirhopesupiftheygetgoingearlyinsettwo.

Butmostofallyoumustbewareof theWoundedBear.Whenyouwin thefirst set tell yourself you’ve just created a big problem—you’ve hurt youropponent and motivated them to come clawing out after you. You must payattentionoryou’llgethurt.

RULE2:BEWARETHEHAPPYCAMPEROR

DON’THAVEYOURVICTORYPARTYBEFOREYOUHAVEYOURVICTORY

Players at every level of tennis are susceptible to relaxing a bit when theyachievesomethingduringamatch.YouknowthatoneoftheLawsofTennisis

this:Thetimeyou’remostlikelytoloseyourserveisrightafteryou’vebrokenserve.Ithasnothingtodowithmechanicsandeverythingtodowithattitudes.Aplayerwhobreaksservetendstoletdownorgetcareless.Theplayerwho’sbeenbrokenplaysharder.

Theendof the first set isoftenwhen thisattitudeadjustmenthappensmostdramatically. Winning that set creates a natural feeling of achievementaccompaniedbyafalsesenseofsecurity.Afterwinningtheopeningsetaplayerbecomes a Happy Camper, relieved, pleased, and satisfied. With this newattitudecomesadeclineinmentalalertnessandatemporaryandsubtlelesseningofcompetitiveness.

Whenyou’reaHappyCamper, that’swhenyou’revulnerable.That’swhenyou’ll play a loose game or games at a critical time. That’swhen you’ll giveyourvaluableadvantagerightback. It’s trulyagreatplayerwhogetshungrierwithalead,whodoesn’tgetcomplacentandrelax.TherearethreeofthemoutthereandI’llgettotheminamoment.

TheWoundedBearandtheHappyCamperGoTogetherOfcourse, theWoundedBearandtheHappyCamperoftenappearat thesametime.Whenyou’refeelinggoodandgettingalittlecomfortablebecauseyou’vewonthefirstsetyoucanbetyou’reopponentisfeelingwoundedandthreatened.Theyaregoingtofightbackhard.And,conversely,whenyougethurtandyoursystemison“emergency”(becauseyou’vejustlostthefirstset)youropponentisacrossthenetgloatingjustalittle,relievedtobeahead.

TheWindowofOpportunity:CloseIt,orJumpThroughIt!Ifyouropponent(havinglosttheopeningset)comesoutandimmediatelybreaksyou, the first set is erased in their mind. It’s history. They feel the match isessentiallyeven.Iftheirattitudewasnegative,nowit’spositive.Justlikethatthemomentum shifts. Andwhenmomentum swings to the other player it can betough togetback.Don’t let themcrawl through thiswindowofopportunityatthestartofthesecondsetbecauseyou’vetakenalittlementalvacation.Slamitshutwithalertnessandsolidtennis.

And, of course, it works the other way. If you’ve lost the first set thebeginning of the second set is when you look to strike back immediately, toreestablish your presence in the match. You want to take advantage of youropponent’smorecasualattitudeand“stick it to’em.”Yourbiggestwindowofopportunityexistsrightat thestartof thesecondset: theDictateGames.Jumpthroughthewindow.Getbackinthematch.

McEnroeUnderstandsDynamicsYou’llseeMcEnroebecomeunhingedat thispointoccasionally.He’swonthefirstsetandislookinggood.Thenhisopponentstartsstronginthesecondset.McEnroeunderstandsthatyoudon’twanttogivetheotherplayeranyhopeatallofwinning. This iswhyMcEnroe reallywants to drive the nail in the coffin.Insteadhisopponentstartscrawlingout.

ThecrowdiswonderingwhyMcEnroewillgetcrazywithhimselfwhenhe’sjustwonasetandlosesserveearlyinthesecond.Doesn’thehaveabiglead?Isn’t there plenty of time to get the break back? McEnroe understands thedynamicsofthesituation.Hedoesn’twanttolettheotherplayeroutofhisgraspandheknowsthatthepsychologicaladvantagehegainedbywinningthefirstsetcanevaporatewithabadstartinthesecond.

BeaGoodDoublesPartnertoYourselfSports psychologistDr. JimLoehr has found that a pro doubles team talks toeachotheranaverageofeighty-threetimesduringamatch.Eighty-threetimes!That’sa lotof talk, andwe’renotdiscussingwhere tohave lunch.Oneof themost important thingswe talk about is thosemoments in thematchwherewehavetobesharpandplayheads-uptennis.It’seasytoforgetintheheatofbattle.

In singles nobody is out there to remind you. You have to be your owndoublespartner.Talk toyourself.Tell yourselfwhat’s goingon andwhatyouwanttodo.

Imentionthisbecausethebeginningofthesecondsetisadynamicmomentinthematch;oneofthosetimeswhenyou’vegottoremindyourselftobealert.Greatgaincanbemadeordamagedonepsychologically.Ifyouknowthatandremindyourselftoplayaccordinglyyou’llcapitalizeonthemomentmoreoftenthannot.AndthatappliesnotonlytothisparticularHiddenAdPoint,buttoallofthem.Talktoyourself.Beyourowncoach.

Idoexactlythat.IfIgetaheadIforcemyselftogetmymindrightbackintothe fight. I don’twant to feel any sense of relief that I’vewon the first set. Idon’twanttobecomfortable.Idon’twanttofeellikeit’sokaytorelaxalittlebit.Idon’twanttoenjoythemoment.Iwanttobeafraidofwhattheotherguymight do. In fact, I get nervous when I can sense that I’m feeling toocomfortableinthematch.Iwanttocomeoutfighting.Iknowmyopponentwill.

Inthosesituations(andtheotherHiddenAdPointmoments)Iwant toplayblue-chiptennis—nospeculatingonfancyshotsorhigh-risktactics.It’swhenIrememberthetacticsoftheboaconstrictor:squeezealittle.Thensqueezealittlemore.

Those early games of the second set canmakewinning thematch easier ifyou’vewontheprecedingset.Theycangetyoubackinto thematchifyou’velost it.Don’t thesesamedynamicsoccurat thebeginningof the thirdset?Notusually.Beginning a setwhere both players know they canwin thematch bywinning that setusually alerts andmotivatesboth players. Ifoneof themgetsbrokenearly theyunderstand theyonlyhave to recover thatbreak,notabreakandaset.Psychologicallythere’sabigdifference.

(I’lladmitthatsometimesthebeginningofthethirdsetcancreatethesamedangersoropportunitiesasthebeginningofthesecond.In’93IfacedAndreinthe finals of the Volvo/San Francisco Tournament. He won the first set andshouldhavewonthesecondset.Imanagedtofightbackandwinthetiebreakereventhoughhehadacoupleofmatchpointsinit.HeimmediatelybrokemeinthefirstgameofthethirdsetpartiallybecauseIletdownalittle.Iwassohappyto still be alive. From that point on he ranwith his lead andwon easily. I letmyselfgetvulnerableatthebeginningofthethirdsetandhetookadvantageofit.Butusuallyithappensatthebeginningofthesecond.)

4.StretchingaLead

Holdingaleadonceyou’vebrokenserveisoftenmoredifficultthangettingtheleadinthefirstplace.Actuallyincreasingtheleadisreallytough.Againithasto dowith the psychology involved. It’s the habitmost of us have of gettingcomfortable after we’ve achieved something, whether it’s winning a set orbreakingserve.Butthisisthetimewhenthealertplayerwillgettheirheadrightbackintothegame.

Any time you break serve the alarm inside your head should again startringing.Concentrateonthatfirstgameafterabreaklikeit’sthemostimportantgameofthematch.Gettheballinplayandkeeptheballinplay.Iwanttoplaymore solid tennis—nomistakes, nounforcederrors, no stupid shots. Iwant tosqueezemyopponentmoreandmore.Iwanttoraisethedegreeofdifficultyoftheshotstheotherplayerhastomaketobeatme.ThisiswhenItightenupthefocusmentallyandgetmoreaggressive.Iguaranteetheotherplayerisdoingit.Theywanttogetthatbreakbackrightnow.

AGGRESSIVEDOESN’TMEANHITTINGHARDER

WhatdoImeanbyaggressive?WhenItellyoutoplaymoreaggressivelyyoumaythinkImeanrunfaster,hitharder,andgettothenet.Attack.

Butplayingaggressivelydoesn’tnecessarilymeanhittingeverythingharder.It may mean hitting harder. But it may mean hitting softer. It can be theplacementoftheshot(downthemiddleorswingingwide).Itcanbethetypeofshot(topspinorunderspin).WhatImeanbyplayingmoreaggressivelyisbeingmentallymorealert,awareofthesignificanceofthesituationandintentonnotlosingyouradvantagethroughsloppiness.

Itightenthenooseslowly.MichaelChangandEmilioSanchezareexpertsatthisapproach.Oncetheyhavealeadtheyjustwaityouout.They’reverystrongmentallywithalead.Itisverydifficulttogetthatleadbackfromthembecauseyouknowtheywon’tgiveyouanyeasypoints.

Youhavetoknowyourowngame.Ifyoudoplaybetterwithalead,withlesstensionandpressure,goaheadandpress the issue. Ifyoumakemistakeswiththatapproach,staywithwhatgotyoutheleadinthefirstplace.Justconcentrateondoingitbetter.Asthesayinggoes,“Dancewithwhobrungya.”

Ineithercaseaprimaryfactorismentalalertnessandanunderstandingofthedynamicsofthesituation.You’vegottheleadwiththatbreak.Avoidbecomingcareless.Don’tmakestupidmistakes.Don’tgiveupyouradvantagebygettingmentallylazy.

MYMOTTO:D.R.M.

AsImentioned,mymottoisD.R.M;“Don’tRushMe.”Tennisplayerstendtospeedupwhentheygoahead(orfallbehind).Ithurtstheirgame.Youfeelgoodwhenyougrababreaktogoahead.You’repumped.It’snaturaltostepupthepace. But be careful. That’s when mistakes happen. A double fault. An ill-advisedattemptataforehandwinner.Anapproachshotatthewrongtime.Bing.Bing.Bing.You’ve lost thebreak.Sobedeliberate.Don’t race to the lineandjumpintothenextpoint.Thinkalittleaboutwhatyou’regoingtodonext.Don’tslowitdown.Justdon’tspeeditup.

Here’smyantirushingdevice.I’llpickoutaspotonthebackwall(infrontofthespectatorseats)oramarkon thecourt fiveor tenfeetbehind thebaseline.BetweeneachpointIwillactuallygotothatmarkandtouchitwithmyracketorhand,orat least lookat it. Iwalkback to it, touch it, and thengoback to thebaseline. It preventsme from jumping into points carelessly.When I’ve got aleadIwanttoavoidgettingcareless.

THEBESTATSTRETCHINGALEAD

JimmyConnors,JohnMcEnroe,andIvanLendlaretheabsolutemastersontourwhen it comes to holding and stretching a lead. Nobody else in tennis even

comesclose,althoughJimCourierisshowingsignsofwantingtojointheclub.When I’m down a break at 2–4 against Lendl the next time I look up at thescoreboardit’llsay6–2,3–0Lendl.Beforeyouevenknowit’shappeninghe’sturnedthematchintoarout.ConnorsandMacdothesame.

Mostplayersdon’tfeedonaleadliketheydo.There’ssomethinginsidethemthat gets absolutely bloodthirsty when they go ahead. It’s one of the reasonsthey’resuchgreatchampions.Whenthey’vegotyoudownandtheirfootisonthebackof your neck they’re not satisfied.Theywant to get both feet on theback of your neck.Andwhen they’ve got both feet on the back of your neckthey want to start jumping up and down on it. They are unique. And verydangerous.

ConnorsandMcEnroeinstinctivelypoundontheopponentevenharderwhentheygetahead.Ibelievetheyavoidgettingcasualwithaleadbecausetheyenjoythethrillofbeatingonanopponentmorethanthefeelingofbeingcomfortable.They go for the throatwhen they have the chance.When they get up a breaktheyneverthinkaboutjustholdingservetowintheset.Theywanttogetanotherbreak.Andanotherbreak.

Theydon’twantyoutogetanotherpoint.Lendl,too.Theygetintoafeedingfrenzy with a lead. It’s almost scary how focused and intense they can get.Courier now shows it in his game.Watch himplaywhen he’s ahead.He hitsharderandgoesformoreatcriticaltimesthanalmostanybodyelseoutthere.

BEAGOODLIAR

Very few players are like those guys.And just likemost others, I tend to getcomfortablewhenI’mahead.Thereasonissimpleandstraightforward.Pressuremakesus feel uncomfortable.Wedon’t like it. Soourmindwill seizeon anypositive development as a reason to worry less, to feel less pressure andsubsequentlythinkandplaywithreducedintensity.SowhenIdogetupabreakItrytoprovidemyselfwithamentalattitudethatkeepsmeina“hungry”mode.Here’swhatIdo:Ilietomyself.

I’llthink,“Brad,pickitupnow.You’redownabreak(eventhoughI’mnot).Don’tfallbehind.Workharder.You’vegottobreakhimback.Thisisn’tgoingtobeeasy.”Itworks.IfeellikeI’mfightingtocatchupinsteadofsittingonandrelaxingwithalead.

In fact, thebigger the lead, themore Iwant tobeconcerned. Ikeep tellingmyself that unless Iwork even harder I’ll lose. The bigger the lead themoreconsciously I work at being mentally engaged. When I’m behind it happensautomatically,theemergencyalarmgoesoffbyitself.WhenI’maheadIhaveto

workonmyselftokeepmynoseinthefight.Ibelievemostrecreationalplayersareexactlythesameway.

WhatConnors,McEnroe,Lendl,andincreasinglyCourierdoisverydifficulttoaccomplish,and Idon’t recommend it.They increase the risk levelof shotsthey take. They go into attackmodewith a confidence that’s really amazing.You’ve heard the phrase, “protecting a lead”?Not these guys. They’re out tostretch their lead.And they do it because somehowwhen they get ahead theyaren’t afraid to start taking risks. And they can do it without making manymistakes.

My approach is different and I believe better for the average club player’sgame.Mostplayersmakemistakeswhentheystartgettingaggressiveandhittingharder.MygoalistocontinuedoingexactlywhatIdidtogetahead,onlybetter.Idon’tworkon increasingmypower. Iworkon increasingmyawarenessandconcentration. I don’t want to changemy game (after all, it gotme ahead). IwanttoworkonmymindsothatIstayontrack.Youshoulddothesame.

Playersatalllevelsstartfeelingagreaturgetoexperimentwithnewtacticsandshotswhentheygetahead.It’sstrangethinking.Theygetaleaddoingonething and then want to hold or increase that lead by doing something else,usuallysomethingthey’renotasgoodatorthey’dhavedoneitoriginally!Whenyou’reahead,keepdoingexactlywhatworkedtogetyouahead.

I go even further than that. I don’t change anything when I’m leading. Iusuallykeepthesameshirt(evenifit’ssoaked),thesameracket,thesametoweltowipeoffsweat,andIwanttokeepthesameball inplayafterIwinapoint.Changenothing.

5.StoppingtheMatchFromSlippingAway

When I feel that amatch is slipping away fromme (or in danger of slippingaway)Iwant tomakechanges,strategically,mentally,andphysically.InordertodothatIhavetobeobservant.Ihavetoask,“Who’sdoingwhattowhom?”IfI can answer that correctly I’ll knowwhere the adjustments inmy game planneedtobemade.

FirstIaskmyself:1.AmIfollowingmygameplan?Then,ifIamfollowingmyplanIask:2.Whatismyopponentdoingtodefeatmystrategy?Obviously,ifforsomereasontheanswertothefirstquestionisno,I’llwant

togetbacktowhatIsaidIwoulddoinmypre-matchpreparation.I’llwanttoat

leasttryandgivemygameplanachancetowork.Mostrecreationalplayerstendtogiveupontheirstrategytoosoon.Theyloseafewpointsorgameswithitandabandon ship.Give it a chance towork!Staywith it longenough to testyouropponent.

However,ifyoucontinuetostruggleyouwillneedtoaddressslippage.Whenaplayerbreaksyouandconsolidatesthebreak(holdsserve)youhavetobeverysure it doesn’t get anyworse. I always figure I can come back from a breakdown;twobreaksdownisserioustrouble.

It’sat thatpoint in thematchwhenD.R.M. (Don’tRushMe) is againveryimportant. Iknow thatmistakes tend tocome inbunches.Suddenly, I’mnotalittlebitbehind—I’malotbehind.It’slikesteppingonabananapeel.Justlikethatyoucanfallonyourbutt.Andit’srightatthatpointthatIwanttocontrolthetempoofthematch.Iwanttobedeliberate.Iwanttoavoidrushing.Idon’twantmyopponenttocruiseonthatmomentumthey’vebuilt.

That’swhenI’llmakesuretowalkbackandtouchthemarkonthecourtorback fence between points. During that time I’ll be givingmyself a pep talk,“C’monBrad.Let’sgo!Workalittlebit.”OrI’lltoweloff.(You’lloftenseeaplayertakeatowelfromoneballpersonandafterusingitwalktotheothersideof thecourt andhand it toanotherballperson. It’s just amechanicaldevice toslowthingsdownandstoptheslidefromturningintoanavalanche.)

Tyingshoes,talkingtothechairumpireorlineofficials,straighteningstrings,bouncingtheballbeforeaserve—theseareoftenjustdevicestocooltheheattheotherplayerhascreated.Alldonewithinthelegaltimelimits(usually),butjustbringing the tempoof thematchbackdowna little. InPart IIIyou’ll seehowMcEnroe,Connors,andLendldothiswithgreatresults.

When a player starts to break open a tennis match (as Lendl does soeffectively)itcanturnintoastampede.Youcanlosecontrolofthingsquickly,justlikeacarthathitsapatchoficeandissuddenlyskiddingoutofcontrol.

When that happens tome Imake the tempo of thematchmore deliberate.Most opponents will come out of their rhythm. They’ll drop out of the zonethey’re in if you interfere with their momentum. This is going on constantlyamongthepros.

Pay attentionduring a televisedmatch to the tempobetweenpoints.Watchwhataplayerdoeswhenthey’rebehindorahead.Whenthey’reaheadtheywanttokeepplayingalongatthatsamewinningtempothathasgiventhemthelead.Whenagoodplayerstartsfallingbehindwatchthemslowthingsdown.

CHANGEYOURSHIRT

WhenI’mbehindandlookingforachange,Ishakeupmyattitude.AndIdothatbygoingtomyequipmentbag,myToolsoftheTrade.Imaychangeintoadryshirt.Orput on a freshpair of socks, have a JollyRancher, or just put anewsweatlet onmywrist. Just a little change to feel like it’s a new start, a freshbeginning.WhenI’mtryingtogetabreakbackI’lloftentiebothofmyshoes.I’mtellingmyselfit’stimetobeardownandworkhard.

Remembertheoldrighttennisshoethathelpedmewin$114,000againstJimPughatStrattonMountain?Iactuallycarrieditaroundwithmeforacoupleofyears.IthoughtofitasmyrallyshoeandwouldchangeintoitwhenIneededalittle psychological boost. I want to feel positive and confident about mychances. I want to avoid that sense of being on the run. A little equipmentchangehelps.

ACHANGEOFPLANS

Atwhatpointdoyouhavetogofurtherandactuallychangestrategy?Itvariesfrommatchtomatchandplayertoplayer.Ifyouwantaspecificpointinamatchit’s this: when you’re down a set and a break. That’s not always the time tochange,butit’sagoodguideline.Youmayhavelostthefirstsetinatiebreakerandthenlostservebecauseofgreatshotsbyyouropponent.Thisisstillaclosematch.Butifyouropponentwonthefirstseteasilyandisdoingthesameinthesecond,youbetterchange.Waitmuchlongerandyou’reterminal.

Occasionallyyouwillwanttomakeachangeinthefirstset.Ifyou’redown0–5andjustgettingwipedout,makesomeadjustmentstoseeiftheywork.Getthemgoingbeforeyoustartthesecondset.

If youwant a specific point atwhichyou shouldgenerallymake a change,though,that’sit—downasetandabreak.Atthatpointsomethinghastochangeoryouwilllose.Thematchhasbeenunderwaylongenoughtoestablishatrend.And the trend shows you congratulating the winner. Change your strategy.Analyzeyouroptionsandgiveyouropponentadifferentlook.

IfI’vebeenlosingbystayingatthebaselineI’lltrytoupsetmyopponentbycoming to the net. Ifmy second serve is getting bossed around I’ll know it’sbecausemy first serve isn’t going in and I’m lettingmy opponent see secondserves. (Remember the ’87 Open against Becker? I was very conscious ofkeepinghimfromseeingmanysecondserves.)IfI’mgettingpassedwhenIgotothenetI’lleitherattempttoimprovemyapproachshotordecidetostaybackat thebaseline. Ifmyopponent isattackingmybackhandsuccessfullyI’ll takeaction to reducemy vulnerability there (see TheAttack toYourBackhand inchapter7).

Mycoach,TomChivington,actuallybelievesIplaybetterwhenI’mbehindthanwhenI’vegotalead.Hemayberightandifheisit’sbecauseI’mbetterathandling things. I know what to do when I get behind. It’s never a panickysituation. I recognize what needs to be done and do it. Perhaps the mostimportant thingis todo itbefore it’s too late.That’showyou’llstartclimbingbackintomatches.

6.TiebreakerTactics

Duringthe1993A.T.P.tournamentinSanFranciscoIhadtoplayatotalofthreetiebreakers.Iwonthemall,includingoneinthefinalsagainstAndreAgassi.MysuccessinthosetiebreakersandotherswasbecauseIhadaplan.Hereitis.

I think of a tiebreak as a mini-set. Everything is compressed, but thecomponentsofasetareallstillpresent.Duringatiebreakyouserveforthefirsttimeandreceiveserveforthefirsttime.Youneedtobreakserve(amini-break)towin.ThetiebreakhasaDictateGame(orDictatePoints)at itsbeginning, ithas the Set-up Point, and it often requires that you hold a lead or stop thetiebreakfromslippingaway.Thedynamicsareverysimilartothoseinaregularset,butcondensedandmorepotent.

Becausetheresultsofatiebreakerdecidewhowinsthesetandbecauseit’ssocompressedI’mextremelyawareofthetempoofthematchduringthisperiod:D.R.M. ismywatchword.Playingquickly and carelessly can immediatelyputyouatadisadvantagefromwhichyouwon’trecover.Threedoublefaultsinthethirdgameof the first setmayonlycostyou thegame.Do the sameduringatiebreakandtheconsequenceswillalmostalwaysbemuchmoresevere.

IapproachatiebreakjustasIdotherestoftheset.Youshoulddothesame.Approach thebeginningofa tiebreakwith the thought inmind thatyouare

goingtoplayblue-chiptennis.Letyouropponentbespectacular.Thefirst twopoints of a tiebreak are Dictate Points. You can seize control and put youropponentatanimmediatedisadvantage, inapositionwheretheymaypressurethemselvesintomakingmistakesbecausethey’rebehind.ThosefirsttwopointsbringincreasedtensiontothematchandsoIwanttobeextremelycarefulnottogo for a high-risk shot just because I’m nervous and want to end the pointquickly.

Separate those first twopointsof the tiebreak from the setyou justplayed.Don’t just glide into them. Gather your thoughts and refocus (walk back andtouchthemarkonthecourtwhileyouthinkoverwhatyourgameplanis).Thisis not just an extension of the last game of the previous set. Make yourself

isolatethosefirst twopointsandplaythemwithrenewedalertness;get it inorgetitback.

Youdon’twantto“playafraid,”butyoudon’twanttointroducelooseshotsornewtacticsunlessyou’reverycomfortablewiththem.Continuetousewhatwassuccessfulingettingyoutothebreaker.

Thetiebreakisaseparateentityandneedsattention.Don’trush.Bedeliberateandknowwhatyouaregoingtodo,especiallyatthebeginning.

Eachplayer’s initial serve in the tiebreak isperformedunderhighpressure.Soagainmygoalistogetitin.Idon’tliketotrytodotoomuch.Ithinkofthosefirstpointsasbeingsimilartothestartofthefirstset.Iwanttobesureearlyinthetiebreaktoplaywithinmygame.Iwanttoavoidbeingtooambitious.Oftenwiththeincreasedpressureofatiebreakaplayer’snervousnesswillcausehimor her to try an inappropriate shot. Iwant toplay steadier tennis, not flashiertennis,atthistime.

Toooftenplayerswillapproachatiebreaklesswiththethoughtofwinningitthan with the hope that their opponent will lose it for them. That’s notconservativeplay;it’sconstrictingplayanditwillhurtyou.Goforyourshotsiftheypresent themselves,butdon’t try to jam inawinner justbecauseyougetimpatient.

The tendency to just hope your opponent “loses it” is especially commonwhen you get a lead during a tiebreaker.You go ahead 4–1 and suddenly getnervous,hopingtheopponentwilljusthandittoyou.ThisiswhenIwilllietomyself, tell myself that I’m behind so I don’t get complacent and lose myintensity.It’swhenyouhavetotalktoyourselfaboutwhatyouwanttodo.

Andof course thepoint in a tiebreak thatprecedes a setpoint isone that Itreatasveryspecial.ASet-upPoint ina tiebreak(forexample,5–3) isalmostalwaysundervaluedattheclublevelandevensometimesattheprolevel.Itcanmoveme(ormyopponent)uptoanopportunitytowinthesetormatch.Iwantno stupid mistakes, no unnecessary risks. Squeeze your opponent like a boaconstrictor.Atthiscrucialmomentinamatch,whereyoucanmoveuptoasetpoint,makesureyourgameisundercontrolandyou’rethinkingcorrectly.

7.ClosingOutaMatch

Itmayseemoutofplacetoincludetacticsforclosingoutamatchinachaptercalled “The Seven Hidden Ad Points.” After all, what’s so hidden about theopportunity presented when you’re serving for the match? The reward is

obvious:winning thematch.While the reward is obvious, the dangers aren’t.Closingoutamatchisadelicatetimefortheplayerwhohasthechancetodoit.

One of two attitudes usually prevails in the recreational player at suchmoments:anassumptionthatthejobisalmostdoneandvictoryisinhand,orasubtlefearthattheywon’tbeabletofinishthetask.

Moredangerousthaneitherofthosemindsetsiswhatisgoingonacrossthenet with the player in danger of being closed out. One of the most commonmistakes tennis players make is to underestimate the opponent who is inimmediatedangerof losing thematch. It’s an extensionof theWoundedBearsyndrome.Thatplayer is a lethalweapon.Theywill frequentlyplay theirbesttennisjustasyouareinapositiontowinthematch.Alwaysremember:Afishfightshardestwhenyougetitnexttotheboat!Andatennisplayer(atanylevel)doesthesame.

Regardlessofwhat theymayhavedonepreviously in thematch,expect theworst. This means expect their best. Assume they’re going to be faster andtougher,tohitdeepershotswithfewermistakes.Theywillfighttheirhardestasyoutrytodragthemin.

ThewayIpreparemyselfistoliealittle(again)tomyself.ItellmyselfI’mtheoneintrouble.I’mtheonewhohastoworktosavethematch.I’mtheonewho needs to be most alert. I want to feel that just when I’m closing in onvictory I’m at the most dangerous point. I also remind myself to expect myopponent’s best tennis to surface at this time. I don’twant to be surprised byoutstandingefforts.

I’ll be sure to keep nerves under control by monitoring my breathing andfootwork(NerveBusters#1and#2).D.R.M.ismytempo.Idon’twanttodragalong,butIwanttobeverysurethatI’mmentallyandemotionallyundercontrolbeforeapointstarts.

AndwhenthepointstartsIreturntomybasicconceptofwinningtennis:nomistakes,nofreepoints,nostupidshots.Iwantmyopponenttogethispointsthehardway.Iwanthimtoearnthem.

DonatetoCharityNottoYourOpponent!

One basic element of my approach to a tennis match (and especially to theHiddenAdPoints) is to be very stingywhen it comes to givingmyopponentfree points. I work hard at managing my concentration and making sure Iunderstand the dynamics of the match. The Seven Hidden Ad Points are

recurringswingmomentsinthematchwhereIwanttobeespeciallyconnectedtowhat’sgoingon.

Iwanttomakemyopponenthavetodosomethingspecialtowinthepointorthegame.Ireallybattendownthehatchesandtrytoproducemymostfocusedthinking and smartest tennis. Is the first point of a game important?Yes. Is agameplayedat3–2important?Ofcourse.Allgamesareimportant.ButformetheSevenHiddenAdPoints are the points that have the greatest potential forgain while being the most commonly overlooked or undervalued, especiallyamongrecreationalplayers.

If you recognize them as they occur in your matches and respond as I’vesuggestedyouwillwinmoreoften.You’llbetakingadvantageofthedynamicswing moments in the match. Improve your results there and you’ll improveyourresultswhenitcomestowinning.

Next:Whattodowhenyourshotsfallapart.

10ThePlayer’sPitStop:StrokeRepair

TourplayerswhoarerankedintheTop20or25playafewmatcheseachyearwherethey’reinthezone.Imeantotallyinthezone.Whennobodyontheplanetis going to beat youon that day.Whenyou feel nopressure andknowyou’llwin.Whenshotscomeoffyourracketwithasweetnessandpowerthatalmostmakesyoulaugh(orcry,becauseitdoesn’thappenmoreoften).

Whenitdoeshappenyouhopeithappensinthefinalsofagrandslamevent.Itdid forSamprasagainstAgassi in the ’90U.S.Open.Nobodywasgoing tobeat Pete that day. And late at night over a cup of coffee he’ll tell you that.Michael Stich against Becker at Wimbledon in ’91. Boris could have stayedhome,Stichwasinthezonesodeep.

Sometimesthezonelasts longer thanonematch.Ithappenedformeduringthesummerof’89.ItstartedinWestGermanywhereIwonbothmyDavisCupsinglesmatches.IhadjustwonthetournamentinMemphisinthespring.ThenIgot into a serious zone. I won tournaments in Stratton Mountain, Vermont;Livingston, New Jersey; and Cincinnati. Along the way I defeated Jim Pugh,DavidWheaton,JimCourier,BorisBecker,MichaelChang,PeteSampras,andStefanEdberg.Atonepointmymatchrecordwas17and0.Ibecamethefirstplayer since Becker in 1986 to win three consecutive tournaments. I wasscorchingthetour.

ThenIwentintotheU.S.Openandlostinthefirstround.Nerves?No.Foodpoisoning.Somebad shellfish the night before I playedToddWitsken. Itwasbad luck, but I still stayed hot after theOpen.Twoweeks later I got into thefinalsinLosAngeles,andlaterIwonthetournamentinSanFrancisco.Itwasaphenomenalsummerandanunforgettableyear—fivetournamentvictoriesplustheDavisCupwins.That’swhatyoucallreallybeinginthezone.Butitdoesn’thappenoften,anditusuallydoesn’tlastthatlong.

TheNo-Zone:WhattoDoWithDogMeat

Usuallywhen amatch is underway there is an ebb and flow to the quality ofyour play. It’s true for everyone at all levels of tennis. The dynamics arechanging constantly. A single player rarely performs at their highest level ofplay(inthezone)forthewholecontest.Yourgamevariesineffectivenessandreliability.Sometimesyou’reseeingandhittingtheballjustfine.Thensuddenlythewheelscomeoffsomepartofyourgameandyou’redogmeat.

Thisbookisn’taimedatimprovingyourstrokes.Gotoagoodteachingproforthat.Theycanseeexactlywhatyourparticularproblemis.Theycanevaluateyourswingandgiveyouspecific ideasonhowtoimprove.Iwant togiveyousometipsonwhatyoucandoduringamatchwhenaparticularstrokesuddenlygoes sour. It may be that you start faulting on your first serve. Maybe yourforehandgroundstrokesarefallingshortorbeingnetted.

Whatevertheproblemis it’sgoodtohaveanideaormental imageyoucanusetobringthatstrokebacktolifebeforeitcostsyouthematch.Thesearetipsthathaveworkedformeovertheyearsandhavebeeneffectivefortheplayersatmytenniscamps.Butlikesomanytipsyoureadorhearabout,somewillworkforyourgameandsomemaynot.Thenexttimethewheelscomeofftrytheseandseeiftheyhelp.

TheFailingForehand

Ifthereisonestrokethemajorityofrecreationaltennisplayersfeelcomfortablewith it’s their forehandgroundstroke. Itmaynotbegreat,but it’sgreater thanthe restof theirshots.Yourunaroundyourbackhand tohit it.Youstayawayfromthenet tohit it.You’deatbreakfastwithit ifyoucould.Sowhenitgetswobblyyou’reintrouble.

BETTERLATETHANNEVER?WRONG!

Therearealotofthingsthatcangowrongwithanystroke,andtheforehandisnoexception.Withoutquestionthemoststabilizingthingyoucandotorestoreitwhenitgetsintroubleistocheckoutyourracketpreparation.Areyougettingyourracketbackintime?Probablynot.Morethanlikelyyou’retakingtheracketback late.And the reason is usually understandable.We tend to get casual orcareless on those physical movements that we’re comfortable with. Hey, weknowthatwecanhittheshotwithourforehand.Nosweat.

When you take the racket back late (when the ball is almost on you)everything else in the swing is thrown off—footwork, balance, timing, andoptions. This can happen because of carelessness, casualness, fatigue, or the

other player’s forcing shot. When you suddenly find yourself missing thatforehand,focusimmediatelyonanearliertakeaway.

“IT’SATTHENET.AMIREADYYET?”

Theracketshouldbebackwhenthetennisballcomingtowardyouisatthenet.Whenthatballcrossesthenetyoushouldbeready.Canyoutaketheracketbacktooearly?Maybe.Butbettertooearlythantoolate.ForeveryplayerwhotakestheracketbacktoosoonIseeahundredwhotakeitbacktoolate.Whenyourmatchisunderwayandsuddenlyyoufindyourselfcussingatyourforehand,saytoyourself,“It’satthenet.AmIreadyyet?”

BackhandBlues

Most recreational players have low expectations for their backhandgroundstrokes. They expect a certain (modest) level of production and arewilling to tolerate mistakes, up to a point. That point differs from player toplayer,but itusuallyendsupwith this statementuttered in total frustration:“Iknow I haven’t got much of a backhand, but this is ridiculous!” It’s thebackhand blues. Some C level players have such a poor backhand they can’teventellwhenitgoesbad.That’stheexception,however.

Whenyourbackhandgetssobadyou’rerunningarounditeventopickupatowel, it’s fix-up time.Themostusefulcheckpoint Ihaveconcernshowmuchyou’retryingtoaccomplishwithyourbackhandgroundstroke.

DON’TASKASKINNYDOGTOFLY

We all have a tendency to ask for more than a shot can give us. With thebackhandgroundstroke,askingforevenalittlemorethanitcangiveisusuallyamistake.Recreational tennis playerswith a questionable backhand (if yours issolid, congratulations) tend to try to do too much with it, especially underpressure.

As Imentioned in chapter 8 (DestroyingYourOpponent’sGamePlan) it’svery effective to come to the net against a weak backhand simply because acommon reaction by the other player is to panic, to try and hit that darnbackhandbetterthanthey’veeverhititintheirlife.Result?Theattackingplayerdidn’tevenneedtobringtheirrackettothenet.Theopponent’sbackhandself-destructs.

Whenyourbackhandstartstohurtyoumorethanitusuallydoes,loweryourexpectations.Stoptryingtodomorewithitthanyoucanreasonablyexpect.Get

itoverthenet.Keeptheballinplay.Goforplacementinsteadofpower.Keepyourheadwhenyourbackhandisunderattack.Makeyourshotandforceyouropponenttoatleastmakeaplayonit.

IfIputyouinfrontofaballmachineandsaidtojusthitbackhandsoverthenetandinthecourtyou’ddookay.Why?Becauseyou’dbejusttryingtohittheball over the net and into the court.When your backhand bites you during amatch,rememberthatgoal.Hittheballoverthenetandintothecourt.Makethatthegoal.You’llachieveitandthebackhandwillstarttoimprove.

YourServeGoesSouth

When the serve disappears it’s the most frustrating of all stroke breakdownsbecauseyoucan’treallyblameanyonebutyourselfforthetrouble.Whenyourbackhand, forehand,volley,oroverheadcomeapartat leastyoucan lookoverthenetandblameitonyouropponent.Theyhadtohittheballbeforeyoucouldscrew up, right? Not with the serve. All they did was stand there. Tough toblamethemforyourdoublefaultwhenthey’rejuststandingthere.

(Note: I don’t underestimate the effect that “just standing there” can have.Don’t forget Chang beat Lendl in the quarters of the French Open by “juststanding there.” On match point Michael was cramping up so bad he couldhardlymove. To cut off Lendl’s serving anglesChang camped on the serviceline.ThemightyLendlcollapsed.Hedouble-faultedhiswayoutof theFrenchOpen. It was an unbelievable tactical move that had an unbelievablepsychologicaleffect.Sothereareexceptions,butgenerallyyou’vegotnobodytoblameforyourservicefaultbutyou.)

LOOKINTHEMIRROR—DOYOUSEEPETESAMPRAS?

Start correcting the problem during a match by remembering this. Your bestservemay not be as good as you think it is. It isn’t a cannon. It isn’t an acemachine.Anditisn’tworthdouble-faultingfor.Andthat’swhatyouriskdoing.Most recreational players (especially guys) believe if they can get everythingrighton the toss, the extension, thewrist snap, and the follow-through, they’llhaveasuperserve.Sotheypursuethatelusivemonsterattheirownexpense.

Here’sanindicationofhowitworks.Attherecreationallevelaverycommontimetodouble-faultisafteraserviceace.Reason?Theplayerwhoservesupthatace loves it and figures the puzzle is solved. “Hey, I’ve got itworkingnow!”Bang.Fault.Bang.Fault.Doublefaultaftertheace.Whichwastheaccident,thedoublefaultortheace?

Mysuggestionistogetarealisticviewofyourserve.Asformyownserve,Ioccasionallygetmyfirstworkinganditcanspitoutafewaces.ButalotofthetimeIknowIhavetomanageit.Itisn’tgoingtooverpowermyopponentandIhatedonatingpoints.So Ikeepa realisticviewofwhat Icanaccomplishwithmyfirstserve.AndI’vetoldyouhowmysecondserveis—theworst.SoIdon’tgetintoamachomindsetoftryingtoshowtheotherguyhow“big”myserveis.Andneithershouldyou.

DOWNSHIFTFROMFOURTHTOTHIRD

WhenyoustartmissingthatfirstserveIwantyoutodownshift.Let’scallyour“maximum” serve fourth gear. That’s when you’re going full out and reallytakingabigcutattheball.Whatusuallyhappensisaplayerwhoismissingthatserve will keep missing it because they don’t want to back away from thechallenge.Theykeepbangingtheirheadagainstthewalltimeaftertimehopingthe serve will come back. Forget it. Shift gears. Not from fourth to firstsuddenly,butfromfourthtothird.Downshiftslightly.Don’ttrytodoasmuch.Don’t worry about the ace. Don’t worry about service winners.Worry aboutstartingthepointwithoutafaultordoublefault.

Doesthatmeanyoushouldjustbloopitoverthenet?No.That’sgoingallthewaydowntofirstgear.RememberwhenMecirhadall thosedoublefaultsandstarted servingunderhand?Hewent from fourth to first.Mentally, you shouldjustdropitdowntothirdgear.Getsomeballsinandsomerhythmback.Thenmovebackuptofourth.You’llliketheresults.

TheVanishingVolley

The easier the volley is, the lazier the player gets.Watch the players at yourcourts.Whenanyonegetsa“duck,”thekindofballthat’sjustbarelyflappingitswayoverthenet,theygetlazyorpassive.Theywaitfortheballtoarrive.Theydon’tmoveforward.Theyassumeit’sgoingtobeeasy.Andofcoursetheyblowtheshot.Usuallywithahugelast-secondswipeattheballthatgoeslong,wide,orintothenet.

MOVETOTHEBALL

The closer you are to the net, the better your chance of making a successfulvolley—thenet is lessofafactor,youhavebetterangles touse,andyouhavemoreofyouropponent’scourt tohit to.Neverwait for theball toarrive.Thisisn’tthePostOffice.Youdon’twaitfordelivery.Intennisyou’vegottogopick

itup.Andwithavolley, that’sespecially true.Thequickeryoupick itup thebetter. The extra step or two into the net will improve your percentage ofsuccessfulvolleysdramatically.

Soasyou’regoingintohitavolley,getclosetothenet.Everystepyoutakecloser to it improves your chance of success.Watch JohnMcEnroe or StefanEdberg.Bothofthemcloseoutpointsbygettingsoclosetothenettheycouldlick it.And theydo itwithgreatswiftness, likeahawkswoopingdownon itsprey.

TheUnderachievingOverhead

Soyoutakemyadviceandnowyou’reontopofthenetforthosevolleys.Onlyyou’re not getting a chance to hit any volleys because your opponent realizesyou’re up so close even rimshots off your racket can dribble over the net forwinners.Sotheystartlobbingyouandnowit’syouroverheadthatismissinginaction.You’resnapping theminto thenet.You’repushing themdeep.They’regoingsowidethey’dbeoutevenifyouwereplayingdoubles.

GOFORPLACEMENT

When that happens it’s because you are usually thinking “power” instead of“placement.”Mostofthetimewhenanoverheadiscomingtowardyouthegoalbecomestoendthepoint,tohitanoutrightwinner.Again,it’sthetrapofaskingmorefromashotthanonecanreasonablyexpectittogive.Ifyouroverheadgetsshakyduringamatch,you’vegot to regroup.Don’t try todosomuchwith it.Resistthinking,“I’vegottoendit.”Goforplacementinsteadofpower.You’llhave immediate results because you’ve taken the pressure of hitting hard offyourswing.Itwillbemorerhythmic,moreloose,andmuchmoreeffective.

PlayinginWind

The wind can affect your strokes because it works on your mind. If you’reuncomfortableinthewind,herearesomeideasthatwillhelpyouneutralizeitsnegativeeffects.

1.STARTWITHTHEWINDINYOURFACE

Sun is the most important factor to consider when electing which end of thecourttochoose.AsImentionedinchapter6,“TheSmartStart,”ifthesunisaproblemI’llstartthematchwithitatmybacksomyopponenthastodealwithit

first.However,ifthesunisn’tanissue(atnight,ornotinthelineofsight)thewind is the next consideration. If it is blowing north to south (baseline tobaseline) Iwill elect to start thematchwith it inmy face. That first game isshakyenoughwithouthavingthewindpushmyshotslong.HittingintothewindallowsmetohitoutandIhavetheassuranceofthewindknockingtheballdownabit.

2.LOWERYOURTOSS

Atennisballdoesn’tweighmuch.Awindydaycanmakeitseemlikeit’saleafblowingaround,especiallyonyourtoss.Ifthewindstartstoaffectyourserve,bringyourtossdown.Reduceitsheightafewinches(ormore)andyoureducethewind’seffect.

3.SHORTENYOURSTROKES

Thesamegoesforyourgroundstrokeswhenyou’replayinginarealbreeze.Tryto make your shots more compact and concentrate on good contact. You’llreducethenumberofmishitsandincreasethenumberofshotsthatgobackoverthenetonawindyday.

4.THEBESTWEAPONAGAINSTWIND

Finally,rememberthatifwindismakingyourtennislifemiserabletheultimatewindcheateristhis:Buildyourownindoorcourt.Theninvitemeovertoplay.Idon’tlikeplayinginwindeither.

AFinalFactAboutFootwork

Tipsaretips.You’llfindoneinTennismagazinethatworksforyouandyou’lltell a friend. It won’t do anything for them. Players differ so much in theirphysicalskills, theamountof timetheyplayandpractice,andtheirmotivationlevelthatit’srarethatatipwillhelpeveryone.ButthereisonetipI’llgiveyou(again) that does work for everyone. It’s this: Good footwork improves yourtennis.

Alloftheproblemsyoufacewithstrokeshavemanysolutions.Butthefirstandmostimportantthingtocheckisyourfootwork.Ifit’sbaditcanhurteveryshotyouhit.Or,itcanimproveeveryshotyouhit.Wheneveryoustarthavingaproblemwith any shot, check your footwork.You know how to do it: get on

your toes (the balls of your feet). If you stay light and on your toes youwillincreaseyourchancesforgoodstrokeexecutionsignificantly.

PracticeDoesn’tMakePerfect,butItHelps

Therealkeytoimprovinganyofyourstrokesistoworkonthemwhenyou’renotplayingamatch.Mostplayersthinkthey’llgetbetteriftheyjustplaytennis.Theyplayandplayandnevercanfigureoutwhytheydon’t improve.Practicemaynotmakeitperfect,butitsuremakesitbetter.

In golf if all you do is play and never hit a shot out of a sand trap exceptduringtheround,youwon’tgetbetteratsandshots.Infact,you’llprobablygetworsebecauseasyoumisssomeyou’llstarttogetnervousabouttheshot.

PRACTICELIKEJACKNICKLAUS

Thegreatestgolfer in thehistoryof thegamemayalsohavebeen thegreatestpracticerinthehistoryofthegame.Hepracticedwithapurpose.Heknewwhathe wanted to work on and he isolated it on the practice range. He was verymethodical about fixing the problems that occurred during a match byaddressingtheminhispracticesession.

Youcanmakeagreatimprovementinyourtennisgamebydoingthesame.Workingonaspecificproblemevenfor thirtyminutesonceamonthwillgiveyouterrificresults.Ifyoucandoit twiceamonthyouwon’tbelievewhatcanhappen.

HowtoImprove?1.Checkonswingmechanicsbytakingalesson.Yourclubprowillgetyouswingingcorrectly.

2. Practice what you learned during the lesson. Use a ball machine, thebackboard, or a wall. Don’t just flail away without a plan. Start byswingingeasilyandgoforconsistency.Playlittlegameswithyourself.Trytohittheshotyou’reworkingontwotimesinarow.Thenthreetimesinarow. Isolate itandconcentrateon it.WhenIwasakid I spenthoursandhourshittingagainstbackboardsandwallsinPiedmont,California.Iwouldplayentire imaginarymatches in theU.S.Openagainstan imaginary IlieNastase.ThewallwasNastaseand itwasgreatpracticebecause thewallwouldnevermiss.

3. Play someone you know you can beat without much trouble. Look foropportunities during the match to work on the shot that you practiced

againstthebackboard.Youmaylose.Don’tworryaboutit.Ifyourbackhandisweak,makesurethatyouneverrunarounditinthis

practicematch.Ifyourbackhandvolleyisinquestion,lookforchancestohitit.Clubplayersdon’tliketodothisbecausethey’reafraidtheirfriendswill find out about the results. Don’t let your ego get in the way ofprogress. You’ll be winning points from those same friends with whatyou’veimproved.

4. Bring the shot into your regular matches. You’ll find that instead ofexpectingdifficultiesontheweakstroke,you’llbelookingatitwithmoreandmoreconfidence.Bothyourshotandyourattitudeabouttheshotwillbebetter.

5. Play against someone who is better than you are, who will beat you.Playing your buddies all the timegets you into the habit of putting yourmind and your game on automatic pilot. Go against someone better andyou’vegot todigdowninsideyourself.You’vegot toworkharder, thinkmore, runmore, andyou’re still going to lose.Great.That’swhyyou’rethere.It’llpayoffwhenyougobacktoyourregularopponents.

Alittleattentionintheformofpracticewillproducebigresultsinyourgame.Winning is a lotmore fun than losing, and improvingyourweakest areaswillmakewinningeasier.

Next:Stealingfromthesuperstars.

11LearningFromtheLegends

The superstars of tennis exhibit physical skills that are almost uncanny. Inhisprime, JohnMcEnroe’s eye-hand coordinationwas equal to any athlete in theworld—ifyou’veeverwatchedacat’spawtoywithaballofstring(oramouse),John’shandonarackethadthesamedelicategraceanddeadlypurpose.BorisBecker’soverwhelmingphysicalitywouldmakehima superstar inalmostanysport he chose. Early in his career when he was diving after shots he almostmade tennis a contact sport. Boris as a star quarterback, home run king, orbasketballhero?Noproblem.AndwhataboutAndreAgassi?Howcanaplayertaketheballthatearlyandhititthathard?HistimingisbetterthanaRolex.Thesame level of outrageous physical gifts applies to all the great ones: Sampras,Edberg,Connors,andothers.

So, can you learn anything from them? After all, they’re blessed withphysicalgiftsmostpeopleonlydreamabout.Youcan’t“learn”anaturalgiftcanyou?Yes,youcan,butnotnecessarilyinthewayyouthink.Obviously,certainmechanicalfundamentalsapplytoalllevelsoftennis—turnyourshoulders,useyourlegs,keepyoureyesontheball.Allstuffyou’veheardbefore.

I’d like you to think about a different areawhen it comes to learning fromthese tennis superstars. It is this: their attitude and tactics during amatch andhowtheseapplytoyourtennis.

Keepinmindthatveryfewrulesapplytoeveryone.Whatworksforyoumaynotwork for someone else.Asyou think aboutwhat these superstars bring totheirgamerememberthey’veoftensucceededwithtotallydifferentapproaches.Studywhattheydoandlookforwhatcanhelpyourownapproach,givenyourstyleofplayandtemperament.

AndreAgassi

It’sshowtimewhenDoubleAarrives.Neonclothes.Neonhair.He’slikearockstar. He gets away with it because when it comes to tennis he delivers the

product.I’ve never seen a guy his size get so much stick on the ball. It’s really

unbelievable.He’s just got seriousheat.Becauseof it, heputs immediate fearintoyoubecauseyouknowhecanjustracktheballandcontrolplay.Whenhe’sonhisgame,hejustmovesyoubackandforthatwill.It’snofuntoplayAndrewhenhe’s“on.”

Healsoisaguywhoplaysonemotion.Ifhe’sfeelingmentally,emotionally,and physically good, and things areworking for him, he is definitely the bestplayerintheworld.(ExceptforJimCourier,whowhenhe’s“on”isalsothebestintheworld.Twobestintheworlds?Right.Ithinkthatoneofthegreatrivalriesofthe’90sisgoingtobeAgassiandCourier,twophenomenalathleteswhogobackalongwaywitheachother.TheybattledwhentheywereJuniorsandthenatNickBolletiericamps.Onthecourtagainsteachothertheytakenoprisoners.WhentheymeetinthefinalsofaSlamevent—andIdon’tthinkitwillbelongfromnow—be sure you stopwhatever you’re doing andwatch it on the tube.There’llbebloodonthetrackswhenthey’redonewitheachother.)

OneofAndre’sgreatestassetsishisabilitytotaketheballextremelyearly,ontherise.Connorshasalsodonethatthroughouthiscareer,butAndretakesitevenearlierandhitsitharder.Thewayhedoesitisalmostimpossibletocopyormoreproswould.Many timeshisgroundstrokesarevirtuallyahalf-volley,hetakesitsoclosetothebounce.However,thebasicideaissomethingyoushouldkeepinmindforyourowngame.

Taking the ball early means sending it back to your opponent harder andsooner.It’sdevastatingtohitashottoAndreandhavehimblastitbacktoyoubeforeyou’ve even finishedyour swing. It seems like it happens that quickly.Yourownopponentswon’tlikeseeingtheballcomebackatthemsoonereither.

For your own game don’t think about hitting the ball early. Think abouthittingitearlier.Normallyyou’dwaitforthetennisballtolandonyoursideofthecourt,bounce,rise,andstarttofallbeforeyouhitit,belowthetopofitsarc.That’s because it’s easier to hit that way; it’smoving slower and you’ve hadmoretimetoget to it.But thatstrategyalsogivesyouropponentmoretimetogetset,attack,orrecover.Italsomeansyouhavetoswinghardertocreatepaceorgetdepthbecausetheballislosingspeedbythetimeyouhitit.

Sothink“earlier”insteadof“early.”Here’showtostart.Whenyougetaballthat’scomingdeeptoyouthenaturaltendencyistoback

upandwaitfortheballtodropbeforeyouhitit.Instead,forceyourselftomoveintotheballandtakeitjustslightlyearlier—10percentearlier.Whenpracticingmakeitagoal.Lookforballsthatyoumightotherwisebealittlelazyon.Step

into them and hit 10 percent sooner than you normallywouldafter they startdescending.

Getusedtoitandthenstartlookingforanopportunitytotaketheballrightatthetopofitsarc.Nowyou’llseesomeresults(bothgoodandbad).You’llhaveyourshareofmishitballs,butasyougetcomfortablewithtakingtheballearlieryou’llseeitgobackharder,deeper,andfaster.

Theother thingtonoticeaboutAndrewhenyouwatchhimplay is thewayhisfeetandracketaremovingtogetheratalltimes.Theydon’tmoveseparatelyand neither should yours. Don’t move your feet and then suddenly jerk yourracket into position. Bad timing is guaranteed. That’s a pretty basic idea, butAndre really is the best example of how to do it.When you see him play ontelevisionwatchthatgreatearlyracketpreparation.

When Andre swings wide to either side his racket moves back almostimmediately.Whenhe is receivingservehis racketmovesbackassoonas theservermakes contactwith the ball. It’swhy he can take the ball so early andwithsuchprecision—hisracketpreparationisexcellent.It’sunsurpassedonthetour.

TheLessonFromAgassi1. Practice taking the ball 10 percent earlier for more damaginggroundstrokes.

2.Moveyourracketandyourfeetsimultaneously.

The results will show up in your scores.Who knows, youmay even startwantingtobleachyourhair.Believeme,ifIthoughtitwouldgivemeAgassi’sgroundstrokesI’ddoit.

IvanLendl

IvanLendlhits theballharderandwithmoreaccuracy thananyplayeron theplanet.Hejustknocksthecoverofftheball.ThemajordifferencebetweenhimandAgassiisthatIvanisusuallyfourorfivefeetbehind thebaselinewhenhemakescontact.Andreisofteninsidethebaselinesohisshotgetstoyousoonerandisgoingfaster.ButtherearethreeotherelementsoftheTerminator’sgamethatyoumightwanttoincorporateintoyourownapproach.

Firstofall,Ivanisknownforhisconsistency.Itissomethingheiscarefultoestablishattheverybeginningofamatch.AsImentioned,whenhecomesoutandbegins the first severalgameshewillnotmissaball.That’sbecausehe’s

hittingatonly65percentto70percentofhisfullpower.Youshouldapproachthebeginningofyourownmatchesthesameway.Setyourtiming,rhythm,andconfidenceinplacebeforegoingformorepower.

Second, Ivan has a favorite little spot on the court that is sort of his ownpersonal pitcher’smound.Have you noticed howhe likes tomove about fourfeet leftofcenteron thebaseline?He isactually runningaroundhisbackhandjust slightly (sometimesmore than just slightly).He just loves toparkhimselfthereandstartcrankingtheforehand.Fromthatspothelovestomoveyoubackandforthasheopensupthecourt.

WhenI’veplayedhimhe’llsettle inon thatspotandstartmovingmerightandleft,widerandwider.Finally,I’llhitoneshortandhebangsoutawinner.Hefeelsveryconfidentandstronginthatposition.

Inyourowngamelookforthespotonthecourtthatgivesyouyourfavoriteshotandworktogetthere.Ifyoulovetheforehand,setupyourownpitcher’smound and fire away. If it’s the forehand volley, start really looking foropportunitiestocometothenet.Don’twaitforaninvitation(averyweakshot).Forcetheissuealittle.

Thatpersonalpitcher’smoundformeisjustbehindtheserviceT.Itsetsupmybestweapon,theforehandapproachshottotheadcourt.I’malwayslookingtogetthatshot.IcallitmyequityshotbecauseifIgetitenoughI’llusuallyownthematch.WhenIdogetitIhavegreatconfidenceinhittingit.Mostplayersarethe same. Knowwhat it is that works for you and then actively try to get inpositiontouseit.

AnotherelementthatIvanisamasterat isstretchingalead.Hemaybethebest thereisatstayingaheadwhenhegetsahead.Andoneof thereasonshe’seffective at it is that he takes intelligent riskswhen he’s got the cushion of alead. Not wild shots, but ones that are more forcing, more angled, morepowerful.He likes to build on themomentumof getting ahead by upping thelevelandrangeofhisgame.Hedoesitinameasuredandcalculatedway.Whenhegetsa lead thepressureheexerts isverynoticeable,buthealwaysoperateswithintheboundariesofhisgame.

Whenhe’saheadhestartsgoingforhisaceswithmore regularityandwithmoreconfidence,becausehe trustshissecondserve.Ifhe’sreceivingservehereallytriestopunishtheball,especiallyonhisopponent’ssecondserve.LendlwaitingforasecondserveislikeinvitingTheAlienoverfordinner.Youknowit’snotgoingtobefun.Ivanwilltotallydestroyaweaksecond.It’soneofthereasons I’ve never beaten him. I’m forced to go with a weaker first serve toinsurethatIdon’tlethimseeasecond.

Howdoeswhathe’sdoingapply toyou?Whenyouget ahead increase thepressure on your opponent. Don’t be careless or swing wildly. Seize theopportunity topressyouradvantageand forceyouropponent tocomeupwithmoredifficultshots.

Finally, Iwant to stress Lendl’s great patience during amatch.During the’80shemaintainedamentaldisciplinethatwasalmostlikeBorg’s.Lendlneverrushed into a point or through a shot. He was very methodical. Almost allrecreationalplayersare just theopposite.They (thismeansyou)get impatient.Theyattempt tohit thewinner toosoon.Theywant tomakeanapproachshotmore than it’s supposed to be (the approach shot sets up thewinner—it isn’tsupposedtobethewinner).

I’llwatchtwoclubplayersduringapointandsuddenlyoneofthemwilltryandend itwhen theyhadnoadvantage,noopening,no reason todoso.Theyjustgotimpatient.Lendlinthe’80sknewwhentostrike.Hewaspatient.Infact,oneofthereasonshisgamehassufferedinthe’90sisthatheisn’taspatientashe used to be. Maybe he just can’t wait to get home to his family, but hedefinitelydoesn’thavethepatiencethatheusedtopossess.

LearningFromLendl1.Startthematchat65percentofyourpowerpotential.2.Knowwhereyourown“personalpitcher’smound”isandgettoit.3. Stretch a lead by taking intelligent risks. Pressure your opponent whenyou’reahead.

4.Bepatient.Don’tforceashotthatisn’tthere.

Ivanisgreatatmaintaininganadvantage,notsogoodatcomingbackwhenhe’sbehind.Infact,earlyinhiscareerhewouldtankitoccasionallywhenhegotbehindordidn’twanttoplay.Differentplayershavedifferenttendencies.Igetcautiouswhen I’m ahead and try to squeezemy opponentwith steady tennis.Lendllikestoupthelevelofhisgame.It’sworthtryingwithyourowntennis.

BorisBecker

Borisisanout-and-outsuperathlete,maybethebestoneinprotennis.Youcanjustsensehiseagernesstocompete.Healsohastremendouspresenceoutonthecourt.By that Imeanheplaysbig,andheplaysbigoffofeverything.Hehasheavyartillery,andwithithe’sconstantlyputtingpressureonyou.It’srighthererightnow!

TheBecker serve is humongous.You can’t really get a sense of itsweightwatchinghimonTV.Itjustgoesrightthroughyou.Inaddition,ifhisserveisonitallowshimtotakechanceswithotherpartsofhisgamebecauseheknowshecancomebackwiththeHeater.

HavingsaidallthatIhaven’tevengottentothestrongpartofhisgame:hisself-confidence. At his best he’s so confident in his ability to come back ordictateplaythatheneverdoubtsthathecanwin.Hemaygetmadathimself,butheneverthinksthathe’soutgunned.Henotonlythinkshecanbeatyouwithhisstrengths, he believes he can beat youwith hisweaknesses. Total confidence.AndBorisissimilartoLendlwhenitcomestostretchingalead.Infact,hewillgofurtherthanLendlandactuallytakemorerisks.

BasicBecker1. Believe in yourself. Think positive thoughts about your game and yourabilitytowin.

2.Whenyougetalead,goforit.Don’tbetimid.

JohnMcEnroe

Whenhewasplaying,JohnMcEnroe’shandshadtheprecision,softtouch,anddexterityofabrainsurgeon’s.Heinventedandstartedroutinelyusingshotsthatmostplayershadpreviouslyseenonlyindreams.Forexample,intheearly’80sMacwouldoccasionallycome to thenetbehindaweakapproachshotandhisopponent would absolutely crush the ball! Four or five times a match Johnwoulddesperatelylungeatthepassingshotandnotonlygethisracketonit,buthe’dhitasoft,drop-shotwinner.Thisisnottaughtcurrentlybyanytenniscoachintheworld.Tryit.Believeme,ifyousucceedindoingitit’sanaccident.

But there are two tactical elements that Johnwasknown for that areworthconsidering.First,McEnroeplayedaggressively.Hetooktheactionrighttohisopponent.Whenhewasplayingwellyoufeltthepressurebeforeheevenhitaball because you knewhewas going to start attacking.Hewanted to see youmake the passing shot against him. He wanted to see if you could make thepassingshotagainsthim.Hegotinclosebehindthenetbecauseheknewitwaseasier for you to choke at the baseline than for him to choke at the net.YouknewthatJohnwasgoingtoputhisgamerightintoyourface.

Secondly,McEnroewasflexible.Ifyoudidstartpassinghimorlobbinghimsuccessfullyheadjusted.Hecouldbeanall-courtplayerwhenitsuitedhim.Ifyou showed him the passing shot he would stay back and come in very

selectively.Hisgame(andmind)wereveryadaptable.Hewasaverysmartandobservanttennisplayer.Hewasalwaysawareofthedynamicsofthematchandwaslookingforwaystoexploityourweaknesses.

Mac’sAttack1.Probe.Aggressivelysearchforyouropponent’sweaknesses.Putpressureonthem.

2.Beflexible.Ifwhatyou’redoingisn’tworking,change.

One of the remarkable things about John’s game was that his great tennisskillswerecomplementedbyhisintelligenceonthecourt.Heknewwhathehadandhowtouseitmosteffectivelytoexploithisopponent.

StefanEdberg

Stefan’stacticalapproachistheoppositeofMcEnroe’s.Thisisagoodexampleofhowdifferentstylescanbeequallyeffective.McEnroewilltestyouhereandtestyouthere,tryingtofindaweaknessandexploitit,comingin,stayingback,constantlyprobing.Edberg’sapproachisblunt:“Iwillserveandvolleyoneverysinglepointandattackthenetconstantly.Ifyouwanttobeatmeyou’llhavetodoitwithmeatthenet.”

He has polished his serve-volley game until there are no cracks or roughedgesonit.Hismovementofftheserveisjustterrific.Hejumpsintothecourtontheservesothathe’shittinghisfirstvolleyfrominsidetheservicelinemostofthetime.Andhedoesn’tmissthatvolley.

Stefanwillserveandvolleytwenty-twoconsecutivetimes.Youcanpasshimcleanlytwenty-twoconsecutivetimes.What’llhedonext?Numbertwenty-threewill be a serve and volley.WhereasMcEnroewill retreat to the baseline andlook for something else to hurt youwith, Edberg will force you tomake thedifficultshotonemoretime.Andonemoretime.Andonemoretime.YouhavetobeverysolidtopasssomeonelikeEdbergfortheentirematch.

Hehasno fearof anybody.Even ifhe’sgettingpassed regularlyheknowshe’sbetteroffnear thenet. It takesa lotofpressureoffhimwhenitcomes todeciding what to do next. Edberg’s fellow Swede (and my coauthor’s tennishero)BjornBorgwouldstayonthebaselineasrelentlesslyasStefanattacksthenet.Heknewhisgameandhemadeyoutrytobeathimwhenhewasplayinghisstrength.

StefanEdbergalsohasagreatabilitytocoveraweakness.Hehasprobablyone of the weaker forehands of any number-one-ranked tennis player in thehistory of the game. He basically uses a backhand grip to hit a forehandgroundstroke.Heunderstandsthatandalsohastheabilitytolimitanydamageitmightcause.

Heoffsetsthedamageintwoways.Hetakeshisforehandoutofplayonhisservice games by coming to the net. The rest of the time when Stefan hits aforehandhedoesn’ttrytodomorewithitthanhehasto.Heunderstandswhatitcan do and doesn’t try to push more out of it. And he gets away with it.Remembertheoldsaying,“Don’tfixitifitain’tbroke”?Well,hisgame“ain’tbroke” and neither is Stefan. In 1990 he was ranked number one and earned$1,995,901.By1993hehadwonover$13,000,000.Maybethat’swhyhehasn’tbotheredtoimprovehisforehand.

Also, likeBorg,StefanEdberghas total control of his emotions.Haveyoueverseenhimgetrattledormadoutonthecourt?Onhiswaytowinningthe’92U.S.OpenhewasdownabreakinthefifthsetbothtoLendlinthequartersandtoChanginthesemis.Thelookonhisfacewasnodifferentthenfromwhatitwasatthestartofthematch.Ittoldyounothing.

He understands that for him getting emotional doesn’t work. He’s in totalcontrol, and when you’re on the other side of the net it’s discouraging. Younever get a chance to seeEdbergget discouraged.His composure is the samewhetherhe’saheadorbehind.Hewon’tallowyoutheboostofseeinghimgetdownonhimselfmentally.

Edberg’sExcellence1.Developastyleofplaythatbestfitsyourstrokes.Haveaclearideaofwhoyouareoutonthecourt.

2.Haveaplan.Staywithit.Don’tgetnervousifitdoesn’tworkimmediately.Makeyouropponentbeatyouatwhatyoudobest.

3. Don’t let your opponent know you’re discouraged. Your body language(andyourverballanguage)cangiveaboosttotheopposition.

4.Knowwhereyouarevulnerableandreduceyourexposurethere.

Stefan isworkmanlike in his approach to playing.His game can be almostboringtowatchbecauseit’ssopredictable,buthegetsfantasticresults.Hehasaverysimplestrategybasedonhisstrengthsandhepursuesitrelentlessly.

JimmyConnors

JimmyConnorsisthepitbulloftennis.Eventoday,pasthisprime,heisagreat,greatcompetitor.Heistenacious.Heisasupertactician.Heisopportunistic.Heissmart.Heisballsy.Heisrelentless.Jimmyplaystennislikehe’sintheRomanColosseumfightingforhislife—hewouldhavebeenagreatgladiator.

Until Agassi came along Connors had the greatest return of serve in thehistoryofthegame.HeusedittotakeawaythebigserveadvantageofguyslikeKevinCurran, IvanLendl,andRoscoeTanner.Hewouldmakeaplay,get theballback,andforcethebigservertohitsomeadditionalshots.GuyslikeCurranwereusedtogetting twoor threepointsagameoff theirservice.Jimmymadethemplayacoupleof extravolleyspergame.That eventuallywould translateintoabreak.

Jimmystartsamatchlookingimmediatelyforweakspotsinyourgame.Ifhesensesa flaw insomepartof ithe’s likeashark inbloodywater.He’llattackuntilyoushowhimthatyoucanbeathimwith it.Connorswill findout in thefirst couple of games what your problem is that day and immediately startrippingatit.

Histenacityandgritarewithoutequal.Hegoesfulltiltfromtheopeningbell.WithJimmyit’swar.WithJimmyit’spersonal.Hegetscrankeduplikenobodyelseinthegame.Hereallywas—andis—oneofthegreatactsintennis.

LearningFromJimbo1.Nevergiveup.Repeat.Nevergiveup.2.Aggressively search for your opponent’sweaknesses.Whenyou identifythem,keepattackingthem.

3.Improveyourservicereturn.Youcan turnyouropponent’sserve toyouradvantage.

JimmyConnorsisthetennisversionofahiredgun.Hecomesoutwithonepurpose:towin.Andsoshouldyou.Thatmaysoundobvious,butwithJimmyyoucanjustfeeltheincredibledesiretobeattheotherguy.Hecaresonlyaboutwinning.

Jim“TerminatorII”Courier

A ton of game iswhat JimCourier has and he brings it to the parkwith himeveryday.Hetriestothemaximumoneverysinglepointofeverysinglegameofeverysingleset,whether thescore is5–0or0–5.He justhasanamazingly

consistent, high level intensity during amatch.Watch him and you’ll see justhowtotallyfocusedandcommittedtovictoryheis.

YouusedtoseethatlookofferociousdesireinConnors’seyesallthetime.Obviously, all great players have that desire. But few of them have it all thetime.Courierdoes.Igetthefeelingheprobablybrusheshisteethferociously.

Anotheraspectofhisgameyoushouldbeawareofishiswillingnesstoreallygofortheshotthat’sinhisrange.WhenJimseesaballthathelikes,onethathecanopenupthecourtwith,makeastrongapproachshotoffof(oronethathecanjustreallylayinto),hefiresawayat110percent.He’snotafraidtotakehisshotwhenheseeshisshot.He’snotbashful.Hedoesn’twaituntilhegets theperfectopportunitytowhacktheball.Jimbangsitifit’sevenclosetobeinginhisrange.Andhedoesitwithoutgettingcareless.Whenhesmellsachancetostarttakingcontrolofapointheimmediatelyseizeshisopportunity.

He’s also great atmixing up his shots.He drives the ball hard and flat, heloopstheball,hehitsgreatangles,andhegetsdepthonhisshots.Youneverseethe same thingoverandover, soyoucan’tget intoagroovewithone typeofball.Hekeepsvaryingtheprogram.Andhecanmashhisserve!Believeme,thisisapackageofstuffthatisgoingtowinhimmoreGrandSlamtitles.

Finally, I want to get back to something I mentioned earlier: pressure andnerves.JimCourierhandles theminaveryuniqueway, totally theoppositeofwhat I do.When thepoints arebig,when thepressure is on, Jimhits theballharder and harder. You don’t see him getting conservative or playing it safe.That’swhyIcallhimTerminatorII(LendlistheoriginaltennisTerminator).

Whenyou’reacrossthenetfromCourieryouknowthatonbigpoints(Set-upPoints,GamePoints,Tie-breakers,MatchPoints)he isgoing tohitharderandlet it all hang out. Knowing this really puts you under the gun. You knowCourier is going to blast away with all his firepower and it tends to get youtryingtodothingsyoushouldn’t(goingforaces,tryingtoendpointstoosoon,overhitting).

JimCourierwasthenumberoneplayerintheworldin1993.He’sfallenoffthatpeakashe’sstruggledwithhisgameabit,butCourierhasdedicationandheart.Onanygivendayhecanlightupjustaboutanybody.

CopyingCourier1.Desire.Cometoplay.Givethematcheverythingyou’vegot.Lockintothematchfromtheveryfirstpointanddon’tcheckoutmentallyorphysicallyuntilafterthelastpoint.

2.Mix itup.Useallofyour shotsandworkondevelopingmoreweapons.Andthenincorporatethemintoyourgame.Don’tletyouropponentseethe

samethingoverandover.3.Guts.Don’tbackawayfromopportunity.Whenthepointsorsituationarebig tell yourself tohit away.TryCourier’s approach. If yougodown, atleastyougodownwithyourgunsblazing.

4.Takeyourshotwhenyouseeyourshot.Thisreallyispartofnumberthree,“Guts.”Whenyougetachancetomakeaplay,tostarttakingchargeofapoint, take it.Develop your sense of smell. Thenwhen you even sniff alittleopportunity,capitalize.

JimCourierdoesn’thavethesamelevelofnaturalphysicalgiftsthatPeteandAndre have, but he neutralizes that small differencewith desire.He plays redhot.Soifhedoesn’tburnouthe’sgoingtobeaforceintennisforyearstocome.

Pete“theHeat”Sampras

Pete the Heat comes to the tennis court bearing gifts—his gifts as anextraordinary athlete. He’s right at the top when it comes to talent. LikeMcEnroehecanhitshotsotherplayersonlyseeintheirdreams.He’llattackthenetandhisopponentwillwhistleanearperfectpassingshotdowntheline.Petewilldiveat theballandontheabsolutefullstretchhitasoftdropvolleyforawinner.Cruel.

His techniquesarehard tocopybecausehe’s so relaxedwhenhehits shotswithwhat I call his “loosey-goosey” technique:wristy, flashy strokes that callfortremendousskill.Butthereisalotinhistacticalapproachthatyoucanthinkabout.

Pete servesbigandknowshehasadominatingweaponathisdisposal.Onthosedayswhenhe’sservingupaces(andservicewinners)likehewaspickinggrapes,hestartstakingchancesonhisreturnofserve.Heputsbigpressureonthe other guy’s serve because Pete knows he’s going to hold his own servewithout trouble.He starts attacking serve by taking some risks and pressuringyou on every serve. When you’re serving against him in that situation yousuddenlyfaceenormouspressure.Itreallydestabilizesyourservinggame.

But,justasimportant,whenPetestartsmissinghisfirstserveheisn’tafraidtobackoffofit,tospinafewfirstservesinandgethisrhythmback.Hedoesn’tjustkeeppoundingtheHeateroverandoveragainunsuccessfully.Hegoesfromfourthgeartothirdgear(orsecond).Then,whenhegetshisrhythmgoingagain,it’sbacktoPete’sHeat.Goodmentalmanagement.

One other thing: Pete doesn’t get caught up outside the lines.He’s alwayscomposed and doesn’t let himself get concerned with the crowd, bad calls,disruptions, or anything else. He won’t let what’s going on outside the linesbotherhim.You’ll seehimsettlehimselfdownwitha fewdeepbreathsandacoupleofballbounces.Verycool.He refuses towasteenergyor emotionsonanythingexceptwhat’shappeninginsidethelines.

Pete’sPrinciples1.Whenyou’reholding serveeasily, increase thepressureyouputonyouropponent’sserve.Takesomechancesandgetmoreaggressive.

2. When you miss three or four serves in a row, shift gears. Don’t be asambitiouswithit—instead,spinafewservesinandgetalittlerhythmandconfidencegoing.

3. Play inside the lines. Don’t let outside distractions bother you. It takesenergyanditbreaksyourconcentration.

Pete theHeat isoneof thegreatonesoutontour.Hehasgreatskills,greatcomposure, and he’s a smart player. That’s the combination for becoming alegend.

BradGilbert

From Tom Chivington, Brad’s coach, Foothill Junior College tenniscoachand1992N.C.C.Men’sTennisCoachoftheYear

WhenBradcametomeatFoothillCollegefromA.S.U.in1980ittookmeawhile to figure him out. The first time I saw him hitting on a court Imade amentalnote:“Noforehand.Nobackhand.Novolley.Weakserve.”Ialsomadenoteofsomethingelse:“Winsmatches.”

This iswhat’sknownasacoach’sdream,akidwhocan figureouthow towinwithoutanyoutstandingweapons.Bradwasdoingthat.

ThroughhiscollegecareeritneveroccurredtomethatBradwouldmakeitasa pro (or even try tomake it). However, he did something right after he leftFoothillthattoldmehehadafuture.

Atthattime(early’82)hehadtoqualifytogetintotournaments.Incaseyoudon’tknowaboutit,qualifyingiswherethestarsoftomorrowfightforthetwoorthreeavailableopeningsinthatweek’stournament.Theferocityandintensity

ofthosematchesislegendary.Thekidsaredesperatetogetinanditisbloody.In1982Bradwontwenty-eightqualifyingmatchesinarowagainstplayerslikePatCash,GuyForget,MiloslavMecir,andothers.

Theydon’tkeeprecordsonthingslikethat,butIdoubtifit’severbeendonebeforeorsince.ThatshowedmeBradhadsomethingspecialgoingforhim.

ManyoftheexpertshavecriticizedBrad’sabilitiesbecausetheydon’tseeinhim the kind of obvious brilliance apparent in players likeMcEnroe, Becker,Agassi,orSampras.Whenheplayedasanamateurtheysaidhecouldn’tmakeitas a pro.When he turned pro they said hewouldn’tmake a living out there.WhenhegottoNumber4intheworldandearned$4millionhestartedtomakebelieversoutofa lotofpeople.Theyadmiredhisability tofindawaytowin.That’swhenhegottaggedwiththelabel“WinningUgly.”

However, before you dismissBrad’s shot-making ability letme assure youthathedoeshavesomeassetsinthatdepartment.Heworkswithabroadrangeof shots that are dependable.Brad is a counterpuncher.He’s at his bestwhenhe’sbeingattacked.

His physical condition is also important. After surgery in ’88 Brad beganworking exclusivelywithMarkGrabowon conditioning, andhe improvedhisstrengthandstaminadramatically.Thelongerthematch,thebetterIlikeBrad’schances.

Healsohasgreatanticipation.Heisalmostalwayspreparedforwhathappensoncourt.

But where Brad excels, where he is as good or better than anyone in theworld,isinhismentalapproachtothegame.Heunderstandstheimportanceofmatching up your strengths to the opponent’sweaknesses.He knowswhen toattack and when to be cautious. He has great court awareness and reallyunderstands the dynamics of the match. His pre-match preparation is superb.WhenBradarrivesatthecourtheistotallypreparedforthetaskahead.

Brad’sbasicapproachtothegameisoneeveryclubplayershouldcopy.BradGilbertabhors unforced errors.He hates stupidmistakes.He absolutely can’tstandtogivehisopponentthefreepoint.WhenyouplayBradGilbertyouhaveto provide it all yourself.You can’t borrow anything. For a recreational, highschool, or college player I believe there is nothing that could improve resultssooner than fully understanding and applying that philosophy. Don’t donatepoints.Bradmakesverysurehegivesawayaminimumofpoints.

Bradgetsdescribedasaveryconservativeplayer,onewhodoesn’tdomuch.But Brad is actually doing a great deal. It’s just not flashy. He is extremelyanalyticalwithopponents.Heknowswhattoexpect,whataspecificplayerwill

do in a specific situation.What the player’s favorite shots are andwhat shotsaren’tsohot.Heplayssmartatimportantmomentsinthematch.

InworkingwithmystudentsI’vefoundthatthosewhoapplyBrad’sthinkingandapproachtotheirowngamesimproveagreatdeal.

Itsoundseasy,butit’snot.Mostplayersarementallylazyoutonthecourt.I’ve always felt that maybe the reason Brad tended to excel in this way wasbecauseasakidhecouldn’tfallbackonthekindofastonishingphysicalgiftsthatsomanyathletesareblessedwith.Maybeherealizedearlyonthatinordertowinheneededtodeveloptheanalytical,mentalsideofthegame.Ibelieveheprovedtoalotofaverageplayershowvaluablethispartofthegamecanbe.

BasicBrad1.Learntohateyourunforcederrors.2.Beobservantofyourowngameandyouropponent’s.Knowwhat’sgoingonduringthematch.

3.Trytoplayyourstrengthtoyouropponent’sweakness.4.Readnumberoneseveralmoretimes.

BradGilbertunderstandsthegreatdegreetowhichatennismatchisplayedinthemind.Observationandanalysisarefundamentaltohissuccess.Hemayhavemoreinhisapproachtothegamethattheaveragetennisplayercanlearnfromthan anyone else on tour. He doesn’t win with superstar strokes. He winsbecausehemaximizeswhat he’s got in that department.Hedoes that becausehe’sagood thinker.Heunderstandshow toget ready foramatchandhow torecognizeandcapitalizeon thedynamicsofamatch.He’sbrilliantatbringingdowntheeffectivenessofhisopponent’sgame.Ifthetypicalclubplayerwoulddothesametheimprovementwouldbedramatic.

Next:Gamesmanshipain’tnogame!

IIIMindGames,Psyching,andGamesmanship:Tales

FromtheTour

“Betterparking.”—BradGilbert,whenaskedwhatbeingseededeighthintheU.S.Openmeant

12TheMastersofRage:ConnorsandMcEnroe

Goout andbuy themost expensive tennis racketon themarket.Practiceuntilyourhandsbleedandtakelessonsuntilyou’rebroke.Thentakesomevitaminsandgetagoodnight’ssleep.Youcandoallthis,butitwon’tdoyoumuchgoodifyouropponentpsychsyououtduringthematch.Orbeforeitevenstarts.AndIknow.I’vebeenworkedoverbysomeofthebestinthebusiness.Infact,JohnMcEnroepulledoneofthegreatestpsychjobsinthehistoryoftennisonmeandhewasn’tevenonthecourtwhenhedidit.Hepsychedmeoutbeforethematchstarted—thedaybefore.

Wewerescheduled toplay in thefinalsof theTransAmerica/SanFranciscoChampionshipin1984.Iwasstartingtogetsomeattentionin thetennisworldbythenandsinceI’mfromtheBayAreaIreallywantedtolookgoodinfrontofmyhometownfans.Andwhatbetterwaytodoitthanbybeatingthenumberoneplayerintheworld,JohnMcEnroe.However,Machadotherideas.Oneofthemwastoworkonmebeforeweeverhitatennisball.

The night before our match McEnroe was quoted by the San FranciscoExaminer:“BradGilbertdoesn’tswingattheballhardenoughtobreakanegg.He doesn’t hit the ball. He waves at it.” I read his quote that night at myapartment and got so mad I couldn’t finish dinner. “He wants to see a littlepower? I’ll show him some power. I’m gonna knock that little s—— off thecourt!” Needless to say, the outcome of the match had just been decided.McEnroehadgottentomeinmyownhome.

ThenextdayIwentoutonthecourtattheCowPalaceandtriedtosmashthefuzzoffeverysingleballIhit.Iwhackedservesandpoundedgroundstrokes.Iwentforacesonmysecondserve.Iwentforwinnersoffhisfirstserve.Iwantedtoshow thehometownfans thatMcEnroewaswrong, thatBradGilbertwasabig power hitter.What I showed themwas that JohnMcEnroe is a great conartist.Hehadpulledmeoutofmygame.Ilostinstraightsets.

McEnroehad to love it.Hewon thematch6–4,6–4,and thepsychinghadbeenthedifference.Laterhetoldareporter,“Bradseemedtobeplayingalittle

more aggressive than usual. I think it hurt his game.” And he said it with astraightface.GreatpsychingbyMac.

TwoKindsofPsyching

Therearetwotypesofpsychingthatcanhurtyou.Thekindthatyouropponentdoes toyouandthekindyoudotoyou.Bothcanhurtyourgameifyoudon’tunderstand what’s going on. With McEnroe in San Francisco I didn’t reallythinkaboutwhatwashappening.HelaidoutthetrapandIfellrightintoit.

Thementalgamesthatgetplayedduringamatchcanaffecttheoutcomejustasmuch as the physical and tactical part of tennis.Remember this:Themindgamestheotherplayerusesallhavethesamegeneralpurpose—todisruptyourconcentration.Theyupsetyouremotionalequilibriumandtempo,theypullyouout of your game. You become the one getting jerked around. Instead ofcontrolling the tempo,pace, and“attitude”of thematch,you’rebeingdictatedto.

Herearesomespecificthingsyoucandotocounterthetactics,psychologicalandotherwise,intentionalornot,thatcomeupmostofteninyourownmatches.Isay,“Beware theTurtle, theRabbit,and theHooker” (as inslowplay,quickplay,andcheating).Also,IwanttomentionacoupleofspecialpsychjobsthatI’verunintothatyoumight learnsomethingfrom.ButIwant tostartwiththemostcommonmental“disorder”thatoccurs in tennis:anger, inyouandintheother player.Both can takeyouout of your game anddestroyyour chanceofwinning.

TheBestatBeingtheWorst

The two greatest “game”-players of all time were JohnMcEnroe and JimmyConnors.When it comes to controllingwhat’s going on out on the court theyruled;theycontrolledthecrowd,theumpire,thelinesman,thereferee,eventheball boys and girls. They controlled the altercations and disputes and, just asimportant,when in thematch they occurred. Theywere great at dictating thetempoofplay,speedingituporslowingitdowndependingonwhattheyweretryingtodototheotherplayer.Theycouldcontroltheenergy,theatmosphere,andtheattitudeonandaroundthecourt.

In a longmatch they could take you throughmore ups and downs than anelevator.And at their best (orworst) they could domore to hurt youwithoutevenhittinga tennisball thanmostplayerscoulddowitha racket.Theywere

likeBartSimpson’seviltwins.Here’showtheKingofGamesmanship,JimmyConnors,manipulatedthingstomakeanger(hisandmine)hisweaponofchoice.

ConnorsGoesBallistic:Chicago’85

Jimmy and I have had some unbelievable battles and come close to bumpingheads a few times (remember the locker room screaming he did after his ’87Masters loss?).He takes nopushing fromanybody, and I hate to get knockedaround too, especially by someone who’ll use their “legend” status to get anadvantage.AndJimmywoulddothatanytimehecould.HepulledsomethinginChicagothatgotmeasangryasI’veeverbeenduringamatch.

In1985wewerescheduledtoplayintheWindyCityatanimportantpointinmycareer.KeepinmindthatI’djustbrokenintotheTop20butstilldidn’thaveanywinsagainstbignameplayers.I’mmovingupintherankingslittlebylittleandsuddenlyhere Iam in thequartersagainstConnors,who’s rankednumberthree in theworld.Awin against himwould be a big notch. I also thought Icouldbeathim.Letmegettothegoodpartandshowyouwhathappened.Andwhy.

Wesplit the first twosets6–4,4–6and I’m reallyplayingmy tailoff.Thethird set is tough tennis, neither one of uswanting to give an inch.We keepholdingserveuntilit’s4–5intheset,Jimmyservingat30–40.Ican’tbelieveit.I’ve got a match point opportunity looking at me. I know the sportspsychologistssayyou’reonlysupposedtothinkofwinningjust“onepointatatime” and all that stuff, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m wired and thinking,“Gilbert, you’re going to take out Connors.You’removing into the big time,baby!”

WithamatchpointfacinghimConnorsgetsreadytoservetostayaliveinthematch. He’s very deliberate. Bouncing the ball eight or nine times. Focused.Patient.I’mthinkingifIgetachanceIwanttoattackhimbeforehecanattackme.“Comeinfirstchance,”I tellmyself.Thenheserves.Nothingspecial(hisspecialty).ItcomesintomybackhandandIhitaslicerightbackdowntheline.Anddeep.Iraceinbehindit.Jimmycoversandhitsalobuponmybackhandside.I’mnotexpectingitandgetcaught.Butthelobisweak,notverydeep.Ibackpedalacoupleofstepsanddokindofa twisting leap. Istretchup,swinghard, and pound an overhead right back down the line on the deuce court.Connorsguesseswrong.Hewasheadingeastandtheball’sheadingwest.Ithitsthesidelinebehindhimandthelinesmansignalsgood.

I’vedoneit.I’vewonmatchpointandbeatenalegendinabigtournament.Istart jumpingupanddownandpumpingmyfist in theair,excited,exuberant,

andproudofmyself.Iruntothenetwithmybigpawoutandgetreadytoshakehandsandacceptthecongratulations.ButJimmyisn’tinacongratulatingmood.

BeforeIcaneventaketwostepstowardthenet,hestartsfreakingout.He’sscreamingandyellingatthelinesman,pointingatthelineandpointingataspotoutsidetheline.He’slikeawildman!Somadhe’sgotstuffcomingoutofhisnoseandspitcomingoutofhismouth.Heslamshis racket into thecourtandruns back to the chair screaming about the call. He’s holding his head in hishandsandshoutingstuffyou’dgetarrestedforifyousaidittoacop.Hepointsbacktoa“spot”hethinksheseesoutsidetheline.

MeanwhileI’mstandingat thenet likeakidwaitingforSantaClaus.Iwasgoingtohavetowaitfor thecongratulations.Ihonestlydidn’tknowwhatwashappening.Thematchwasover,wasn’tit?WasheputtingonalittleshowsohecouldclaimIdidn’treallybeathim?Inhisminddidhewanttoclaimitwasn’talegitimatewin?WasthisavariationofwhathepulledinthelockerroomafterhisMaster’sloss?Whatwasgoingon?

Jimmykeepsupsomeunbelievableheat, literallyscreamingintheumpire’sfacefromacoupleoffeetaway.He’sjustreallyroastinghimwithatiradeabouttheballbeingtwoinchesout!Herunsbackandpointstoa“mark.”Thecrowdiswhistlingandbooingandstomping.They’reinanuproar.

I’vegotbothhandson the topof thenetandam just standing therea littleconfused.Waitingforthingstoquietdown.Thingsdidn’tquietdown.

Suddenly I hearwhat I can’t believe. The umpire turns on themicrophoneandsays,“Overrule.Ballwasout.Mr.Connorsserving.Deuce.”Heoverrulesthe linesman’scallonamatchpoint !Youcouldhavestucka fork inmyeyeand I wouldn’t have screamed any louder. Only you couldn’t hear me. Thecrowd drownedme out. The screaming fans—8,321 of them jammed into theUniversityof IllinoisArena—letoutanoise likeabombexploding.Theplacewentabsolutelywild.

Itmeantmoretennisforthemandtheyfeltgreat.IfeltlikeI’dbeenmugged.They love Jimmy inChicago (these days they love him everywhere, but backthen only a few cities had taken him to heart) so the crowd was in totalpandemonium.Firsttheywerebooingtheoriginalcall.Nowthey’rewildfortheoverrule.

Icompletelyloseit.Iraceovertothechairscreaming,“Howthehellcanyouoverrulefiveminutesafterthepointisover!”Iwascrazy.Theumpiresitsupthere like nothing’s happened. He’s looking down on me like I’m a ballboywho’snotdoingagoodjob.

IwassofuriousthatIstartedshakinghischair.I’dcompletelygoneovertheedge.He’salarmedbecausehe’ssittinguptheretenfeetabovethegroundanda

guywho’s obviously out of control is shakinghis chair and screaming at himlike amadman.He looks like he’s just seen the ghost ofBillTilden, hangingontothearmsofthechairlikeit’sacarnivalride.Iwasfurious.

It didn’t help. The overrule stood. The match continued. Jimmy serves atdeuce.Ididn’twinthatpoint.Orthenextpoint.It’s5–all.NowIserve.Losethefirst point. Lose the second point. Lose the third point. Lose the fourth point.Jimmyservesat6–5.Ilosethefirstpoint.Thesecondpoint.Thethirdpoint.Thematch point. Match point! I just lost match point. I lost the match. A totalnightmare. I hadn’twon a point in three games.And Jimmy had grabbed thematchfromme.Jimmyhadgottentoanofficialatmyexpense.Justacompletedisaster.Iwasdestroyed.

Here’sthepoint.Jimmyhadintimidatedtheumpireintogivinghimanotherchance.Theballwasveryclose.ObviouslyIthoughtitwasin.Andthelinesmanthought itwas in.Onaball that closeonmatchpointyougenerallydon’t getoverrules.Unlessit’sConnorswho’syellinginyourfacedemandinganoverruleand 8,000 fans are backing him up. The chair umpire caved in to Connors’spressure.Butthatwasn’twhereJimmydidtheworstdamage.Theworstdamagewaswhathedidtome.TheworstwasthatIfolded.

The overrule completely destroyed me, my thinking, my emotions, mycontrol. Icameapart fromtheangerandnevergotmyheadbackon. IwassoupsetIlostcontrolofwhatIwasdoingonthecourt.IfeltlikeIhadbeenrobbedandbecameacompletebasketcase.IknewitwasaskingalotofmyselftobeatConnorsonce.Ifigureditwasaskingtoomuchtobeathimtwiceonthesamenight.Ihatetoadmitit,butforoneofthefewtimesinmylifeduringatennismatchIquitcaring.IfeltlikeI’dbeencheatedoutofvictory.

Jimmygot toanofficialandhegot tome. Inhisprimehewaswillingandabletodoanythinghecouldthinkoftowin.Remember,thepointofthislittleincidentisn’tthatJimmyisabadguy.JimmyisJimmy.Angeristhepointhere,uncontrolled anger. It happens on the pro level and it happens on every level.Uncontrolled anger happens for a variety of reasons and at strange times.Butwhenithappensyouhavetobereadyfor it.Youhavetorecognizeitandyouhavetobeabletoregaincontrolorit’slikeplayingwithabrokenracket.

InthiscaseIwasunpreparedmentally.I’dneverhadanopportunitylikethatinmycareer.Ididn’tanticipatethatwhathappenedcouldhappen.Thatwasmymistake.Ilearnedfromit.

Anger out of control kills you (unless you’re like Connors or McEnroe).Angerfortherightreasonhelpsyou.AgainstamasterlikeConnorsIneededtotellmyselfgoingintobereadyforanything.Mypre-matchmentalpreparationwas weak. Remember what I said about Connors’s ability to “control the

elements”? I wasn’t ready for it in ’85. I needed to tell myself that he wascapable of doing anything.Andwhenhe did it, not to play into his game.Ofcourse, I had a right to argue my point with the umpire, but when I startedshaking the chair Connors had won the mind game. If I had been preparedmentallyIcouldhavewonthematch.Mygamedidn’tfailme.Myminddid.

Andtoaddinsulttoinjury,Igotfined$1,500forabusingtheumpire.Butasyou’llseelater,Ilearnedavaluablelesson.

ToScreamorNottoScream?ThatistheQuestion

So,howisangerevergood?Irepeat,uncontrolledangeriswhatdestroysyourgame.Angerfortherightreasonandkeptundercontrolwillworkforyou.

Idomyshareofcomplainingduringamatch.Somepeoplesaytoomuch.Ihear,“Bradyou’retoohardonyourself.Youwhineabouteverything.”They’reprobablyright.ButwhatI’musuallydoingistryingtocrankmyselfupafterI’vemadeamistakeinexecutionorstrategy.WhenIgetcasual,ormissasitter,ortrytoomuchatthewrongtime,whenIgetimpatient,orkeeprepeatingthesamementalorphysicalmistake,Igetmadatmyself.Andsoshouldyou.Thatkindofangercanworkforyou.

It’s like a high school football coachwho kicks you in the butt to get yougoing.Getangryatyourselfwhenyouscrewup.Showyourself thatyoucare.Your gamewill listen. But thenmove on. Look at what’s happening right infrontofyou.Youhavetoforgetaboutwhat’sjusthappened.

Youcannotlookaheadandbehindatthesametime.Ifyougrindonapoint(orproblem)that’sover,youcan’tbeinthepointfacingyou.You’redistractedand a distracted tennis player makes physical and mental mistakes. WithConnorsthatnightinChicagoIcouldn’tlookahead.Icouldn’ttakemymindoffwhathadhappenedandfocusonwhatwasgoingtohappen.Anditcostmethematch.

So anger—controlled anger—can be a great motivator, a great way to getyourownattention.Itcangetthejuicesgoing.Useitanddon’tbeafraidofit.Control it.Don’t let it control you. I’ve never understoodhowamajor playerlikeBjornBorgcouldbesocoldduringamatch.Itwaslikehedidn’tcare.Hegot robbedoncallsplentyof timesandheknew it. Inever sawhimgetupsetevenonce.Itworkedforhim.Itdoesn’tworkformostpeople.

HowtoControlYourAnger

I’vegottenbetteratcontrollingmyangerovertheyears,betteratmovingonandaway from the problem that getsmy fuse lit. Remember the difficulty here iscontrolling being out of control. If that sounds like a contradiction, it is. Butyou’llseewhatImeanwhenyoureadmyrules.

1.PutOuttheSpark,NottheFire

Learn to recognize anger when it starts. Anger sneaks in on you before yourecognize it. It can build slowly, or it can happen quickly (like it did againstConnors).Butthetimetodosomethingisbeforeyou’reconsumedwithit.Thattakes discipline, great discipline. You have to override your natural emotionsanduserationalthought.That’stoughformostofustodo.Angerfeedsonitselfandthelongeryougrindonsomethingtheharderitistostop.Don’tletthesparkturnintoablaze.

2.ChannelYourAnger

It’simportanttobeabletochannelortunnelyourangertowardaspecificcause.Identifythesource.Wasitabadcallorcalls?Wasitamissedshotorseriesofmissedshots?Isolate it.Understandingthecausehelpscreate thesolution.Getgoodatspottingangerearly.Askyourself:Whyisthishappening?WhatcanIdotochangewhat’shappening?Ifyourforehandisdrivingyouupthewall,lookforwaysofcorrectingit.

Ifyouropponentcreates theanger inyou, let itmakeyoustronger. Iknowsome club players who have told me they can’t really get into a match untilsomethingtheopponentdoesupsets them—abadlinecall,playingtooslowly,somethingtogetthemirritated.Whenyouropponenthasgottenyouupset,turnthenegativeintoapositive.Don’tthink,“I’mgonnalosethismatchbecauseofthestuffhe’spulling.”Tellyourself,“I’mgoingtobeathimfordoingthat.He’sgonnapayaprice.”You’llworkhardertowin.

I used to get mad at my opponent personally. I’d forget about tactics andstrategies and just think about what a jerk the other guy was, or how thelinesmanhadmissedacall.Here’showbad itwas forme. Iused tostaymadabout a bad call for three or fourdays. I’d be inEurope and callmy brother,Barry, inCalifornia twodaysafteramatchandhewouldn’tknowwhat Iwastalking about. “Brad, didn’t that happen last week? Get a life!” I’m gettingbetter. I work hard to forget about the personal part now and concentrate ontryingtodototheotherplayerwhatIdon’twanthimtodotome.

Anger isvolatile.Likegasoline itcanrunyourcarorexplode inyourface.Clark Graebner supposedly got so mad at Ilie Nastase during a match thatafterwardhepickedhimupandhunghimfromahookinthelockerroom.EventhoughI’veheard thestoryacoupleof timesIdoubt it’s true.Graebner isbigenough todo it, though.Sowhoknows? Idoknow thatwith theexceptionofMcEnroeandConnors,uncheckedangerusuallythrowsaplayerofftheirgame.Ifyoucontainittheresultscansaveyoupoints.I’msurethat’swhatBorgwasdoing,containingitandusingitformotivation.

3.Don’tBeatUponYourself

Youknowyou’reintroublewhenyoustartyellingatyourselflikeyou’dyellatadogthatbityourleg.Don’tdoit.Youalreadyhaveoneopponentonthecourttrying tobeatyou. Ifyouganguponyourself therewillbe twopeopleon thecourttryingtobeatyou.Sodon’tpoundonyourself.Istilldoittoooftenanditdoesn’twork.It’sabadhabitandithurtsmycause.“I’mtheworst.Ireallystinkuptheplace.Moron!”Thosearetypicalofmycomplaintsonabadday.

Firstofall,theopponentlovestohearit.Whenaplayerhearsmeyelling“Ican’thitabackhand!”he’sgoingtohitmoretomybackhand.Besides,itpumpsthe other player up to see the competition totally lose it.Youmake them feelmorepositiveabouttheirchanceofwinningthatday.Whenyoustartbelittlingyourself like that it’shard to turn it around.Whenyoustartdigging that rut itjustkeepsgettingdeeper.Andyoustayinit.Whenyoustartyellingatyourselfabouthow lousyyouare it’samazinghowoftenyou’ll continue tomatch thatdescription.

So be careful with anger. It can really hurt your chances. You’re there.You’reonthecourt.You’renotgoingtowalkoffandgobacktowork.Ifangerisaproblemforyou,channel it.Whenyougetangry, thinkaboutwhatyou’regoingtodonext,notwhatyoudidlast.

4.HaveaSafetyValve

A good way to divert anger is to divert your attention. Develop a specificprocedureyougothroughwhenyou’reupsidedownwithanger,whenyouknowyouneedtosettleyourself.Icouldgiveyoufiftylittle“busywork”thingsthatI’veused,butherearetheonesthatI’vegonetomostoftenwhenIneedjustacoupleofmoments tostallandgetmyself together.Tieyourshoes.Straightenyourracketstrings.Toweloff.Thendoitagain.

Nothing complicated. Ultimately it comes to internal control, mental oremotionalmanagement.Justlikeyouwanttocontrolthequalityofyourtennisstrokesoryourfootwork,youshouldtrytocontrolyouranger,andyoucandoitinastraightforwardandlogicalway.Thatis,untilyougoupinsmokethenexttime.

AngerPartIITheGood,theBad,andJohnMcEnroe

JohnMcEnroe decided to hold up amatch againstme at theOlympic TennisStadium at U.C.L.A.while he protested a call that he didn’t like. It’s a greatexampleofhowheusedtotakecontrolofwhatwasgoingonoutonthecourtwhenhefeltitwasnecessary.Andhowangerwashisweapon.

Weplayedthematchin’86onanightwhenthetemperaturewasinthemid-40s. The crowdwas drinking to staywarm and a fight even broke out in thestands.Theumpirehadtostopthematchandcallforsecurityguardstobreakitup. Paper cups and programs were getting thrown around and people werescreamingandshoutingduringthechangeovers.ItwaslikebeingataRaiders’nightgameattheColiseum.Thatwasthekindofrowdysceneitwas.

McEnroestartedoutjusttearingmeup;6–1inthefirstsetandup1–0inthesecond. I was losing so bad I didn’t blame the fans for drinking just forsomething todo.Sometimeearly in thesecondset I lookedoveratmycoach,TomChivington,andkindofgavehimalooklike,“Hey,whatamIgonnado?”He’s not supposed to do any coaching during a match, but he nods his headtowardMcEnroeacoupleoftimes.Hemighthavejustbeentryingtostaywarm,butItookittomeanthatIshouldstartrushingthenet.Whynot?

I start coming in on everything. I start serve-volleying. And on some ofMcEnroe’s second serves I start chipping and charging. Out of desperation Istarted coming in on everything, just trying to get him out of his game. Youknowwhat?Itdoessomegood.Hestartsmakingafewmistakes.Istartfeelingbetter andmaking a few shots. Iwin the set 6–4 and suddenlywe’re headingdownthestretch.Thirdset:threegamesapiece.

Asyouknow, this iswhere thingsget interestingduringamatch.Mistakesarecostly.Rewardsaregreat.Macisservingat15–30,3–all.I’mthinkingthisisaSet-upPointandifIwinitIshouldwinthegame,thenholdservetwiceandI’mhomefree.

Heservesandwegointoalongpoint.Finally,hehitsabackhandslicedowntheline.Iripmybackhandrightbackdownthelineathim.Onlyhe’snotthere.

Iwrong-foothimjustenoughandhecan’tgettoit.Theballlandsjustinsidethelineandiscalledgood.

Now,somelinecallsarecloseandyoucanmakeacaseeitherway.Thisballdidn’tcatchtheoutsideofthelineanditdidn’tlandontheline.Itwasinsidetheline.You’rethinking,“Gilbert,hereyougoagain.Everytimeacallgoesagainstyouitwasabadcall.FirsttheConnorsstory.NowthiswithMcEnroe!”Okay,Idon’tblameyouforthinkingI’mparanoid.OnlythistimeIknowI’mright.Andsodidthelinesman.Andsodidtheumpire.Sodidthecrowd.Onlyonepersondidn’tthinkitwasgood:JohnMcEnroe(andI’vegottobelieveevenheknewitwasgood).

WhenMcEnroehearsthecall,heerupts.Hedropshisracketandfallsoveronhisback likehe’sbeenshot.Rightawayhe jumpsupscreaming (it’s tough toscream at the umpire lying on your back).He’s acting like it’s theworst callsincetheyinventedtennis,eventhoughI’dstakemylifeonthefactthatheknewtheballwasgood.

Buthere’swhatwasgoingonandwherepsychologicalwarfare comes intoplay.JohncouldseethematchslippingawayifIwonthatSet-upPoint.HewasthinkingexactlythewayIwasthinking.IfIwonthepoint,I’dbeup15–40andlooking at going up a break late in the match, a match where I hadn’t beenbrokensinceIgotontrack.HeknowsI’llprobablyserveoutthematchifIbreakhim.WebothknowthatthepointIjustmadeisamonsterinthedynamicsofthematch.HeseesI’mplayinggoodandfigureshe’sgottodosomething,anythingtotakethemomentumback.AndwhenIsayanythingImeanit.It’stimeforaMacAttack.

Tatum O’Neal was in the stands that night, and even she must have beenimpressed with her husband’s theatrics. Absolutely Oscar level: “BestPerformanceDuringaTennisMatchin45°Weather.”

He’s stormingaround ravingat the linesmanabouthowhemissed thecall.Hegoesafterthechairumpire,ZenoFau,aguyMacthinkshecanworkon,andpleads for anoverrule.Hebegs for anoverrule.Hedemandsanoverrule.Thecrowdgets into theact,whistling into thenight (even though theydon’t reallyunderstandwhythepointmeanssomuchtoMcEnroe).AtleastthistimeI’mnotstandingatthenetwithmyhandoutlikewithConnors.Ikeepmyheadtogether.I’mnotgoingtogetcaughtupintheturmoil.ThiscallIknowisnotgoingtogetoverruled.

Meanwhile,McEnroe somehowmanages to turn thepointdispute into totalmayhemwiththelinesman,theumpire,andthereferee.Wedon’tplayanotherpoint for over ten minutes. I don’t notice it, but I’m starting to cool down. I

stiffen up slightly. After ten minutes I feel like I’ve been hanging in a meatlocker.Sweatturnscoldrealquickinthattemperature.

McEnroekeepsupthemayhemandI’mlosingmyconcentration,myfocus,mymatch energy.Angerwasn’t the issue forme. I didn’t letmyself getmad(maybeIshouldhave)butIdidletmyselfgettakenoutofmygame.Ibecameaspectator watching a performance by one of tennis’s great actors. Mac hadgottenmegood.Eventhoughhedidn’tgettheoverrule,hegotwhathewanted.

Fauordersplaytoresume.It’snow10:15atnightandpeoplearestartingtostreamoutoftheplace,probablybecausethevendorshavestoppedsellingbeer.Iheadtothebaselinecold,upset,mentallyoutofit.Johnisjusttheopposite.Heis fired up and ready to roar. Nobody, but nobody, uses turmoil, commotion,disruption,anddisordertotheirbenefitlikehedid.Hisgameactuallygotbetterinthemidstofchaos.

I’dliketoknowhowmanytimeshe’scomebackfromablowuponthecourttoimmediatelyserveanace.You’veseenhimdoitonthetubeplentyoftimes.Guesswhat?Hedoesitagain.Goesintothemostrecognizableservicemotionintheworldandzipsonerightbyme.Ace!30–40.I’mtoocoldtogetupset.Thenaserve-volleywinner.Deuce.Thenanotherace.Andthenaservicewinner.Orwas itanace?Nowit’sablur.Machascome thunderingback,andI feel likeI’mcatchingacold.Iwishthathadbeentheworstpart.Itwasn’t.

Thematchisat3–4inthethird.Myserve.McEnroewinsacoupleofpointsand I get a servicewinner. Now something happens at 15–30 that effectivelyends the match. I’m serving. Big moment in the match; Set-up Point, Set-upGame.Hewins it andhe’s lookingat twobreakpoints.Winoneof thoseandhe’s serving for the match. Major moment right here. And I do what I’msupposedto—D.R.M.Isteadymyselfdown.Tellmyself,“Nostupidmistakes.Takeyourtime.Don’trush.”

Irealizethematchisindangerofslippingaway,thoughithasn’tyet.Icollectmythoughts.Islowdown.IgototheballboyforatoweleventhoughI’mnotsweating(Ineedahandwarmer,notatowel).Iwipeoffmygripandmyhands.Givethetowelbacktotheballboy.Iwalkbacktotheserviceline.BouncetheballandlookoveratMcEnroe.SuddenlyIhearMr.FauturnontheP.A.system:“Game delay warning, Mr. Gilbert.” Is he talking to me? This can’t behappening!

McEnroe has just shut down the match for over ten minutes and I get awarningforgamedelay?Itwastorture.Anditwasalloverforme.IscreamatFau.He looks like hemight giveme anotherwarning or a penalty. I have noplacetogo.I’mfinished.McEnroebreaksme.Holds.Game.Set.Match.Oscar.McEnroe.

Whydidhebeatmethatnight?Verysimple.Iwasn’tsmartduringthedelay.I letmyself get caughtwatching anddoingnothing. Itwas John’s showand Icouldn’tstopthat.ButIshouldhaveseentoitthatIstayedphysicallywarm,hitsomeserves,putonajacket.AskedtogotothelockerroomuntiltheMcEnroeShowgottointermission.

WhatIshouldhavedoneisanythingexceptstandin45°weathercoolingoff.Whose fault? Mainly mine, for not thinking smart during the delay. For notignoring the gamedelaywarning (after all, itmeant nothing). I letmyself gettakenoutofmygamebothphysicallyandmentally.Anditcostme.

Here’sthegreatendingtothestory.Later,inthelockerroom,Maccomesupto me with that little sheepish grin on his face. I think maybe he’s going toapologizeforhistiradeanddelayonthedisputedcall.I’mwrong.Helooksoveratme and says, “Brad, you’ve gotta bemore careful about delaying the gamelikethat.InthisweatherIcouldhavecaughtacold.”Johndoeshaveasenseofhumor.

TempestonATennisCourt

ThefactwasMcEnroewasalwayslookingforanexcusetodisruptplaywhenhewasbehind.Here’sthebestproof.Didyoueverseehimblowupwhenhewasahead? It had happened, but almost always when the dynamics of the matchwerestarting togoagainsthim(likeearly in thesecondsetwhenanopponentstartedtoclimbbackintothematchafterlosingthefirstset).

Otherwise,ifsomethingbotheredJohn,hemightjabberforfivesecondsjusttogetthecrowdstirredup,whichheliked.Whenhewasahead,hewouldn’triskchanging his momentum by causing a ruckus. If he was behind, or if hisopponentstartedtorallyinthematchyouhadadifferentstory.Thatwaswhenyougotthefour-actplay.

McEnroe knew that he could deal with the commotion. He knew that ithelpedhim.Andheknewithurthisopponent.Andheknewhecouldgetawaywith it.Umpires andofficialswerenot going tomesswithMcEnroewhenhewasontop.ThematchonthatcoldnightatU.C.L.A.stoppeddeadinitstracksfor about tenminutes because he needed some help in turning things around.AndI’mtheonewhoendedupwiththewarningfordelayingthegame!

Didhedoitintentionally?Ofcourse!Isitfairplay?Noway.FauandmanyothersrecognizedthestatureofMcEnroeandConnorswhentheywereontopofthe tennis world. They allowed them to get away with stuff that would beunthinkablefromotherplayers.Canyouimagineanyotherprobeingallowedto

shutdownamatchforthatlongona45°night?Ican’tthinkofone(otherthanConnors).MacandJimmyusedthistotheirgreatadvantageagainstopponentsoverandoveragain.

Itwasn’tuntilthe1991AustralianOpenwhenofficialsbootedMcEnroeoutofthetournamentforhisbehaviorthattennistookarealstand.Untilthentheywerecowards.Whenhewasamajorattractionandaforceinanytournamentheentered, theywere afraid to put a stop to all of his baloney.Whenhewas nolonger that draw or that force, they finally summoned the courage to dosomething.Itwastoolittletoolate.Hadtheydoneitsooner,itwouldhavebeenbetterfortennisandbetterforJohn.

Hepaidahugepriceforhisbehavior.McEnroelostalotoffriendsandalotof respect among players on tour because of his tactics.Had he kept a lowerprofileoncourt,hewouldhavebeensubjectedtoalot lessheatandhislifeinand around tennis would have been a lot more productive. How much moreproductive? JohnMcEnroecouldhavewononeor twoadditionalGrandSlamtitles.Whoknows,maybeeventheGrandSlamitself.Forgetmoney.Forgetthelessertitles.I’mtalkingaboutmakingtennishistory.

It’stoobad,becausehewasatruetennisgenius.Thetennisgodsblessedhimwithagiftfor thegamethatfew,ifany,everreceived.HockeyhadTheGreatGretsky. Basketball had Magic. And tennis had the awesome talent of JohnMcEnroe.

Whenhewasontopofhisgamethroughthe’80s,whathedidwithatennisracketwasbeautiful.Itwasreallylikeart.Buthisanticsstartedtohurthisgame.Thepress, thecrowds, thepublicity,and the imageaffectedhisnervesandhishead.

Wimbledonbecameanannualnightmare forhim.TheBritishpressworkedhimover likehewasJack theRipperonparole.ThecrowdseverywherecamereadytotauntandyellatJohnlikehewassomekindofcircusfreak.Hebecameeverybody’s whipping boy. Here was maybe the greatest player in the gamebeingheldupasanexampleofwhatwaswrongwiththegame.Eventuallyitgottohim.Theconstantcontroversieshecreatedderailedhim,andhehadtoleavetennisforhalfayear.

Andyou’llrememberheblamedhisretirementpartiallyonme(whenIbeathimintheMasters,hesaiditwastimetoreconsiderwhyhewasevenplayingthegame).Iwasjustthestrawthatbrokethecamel’sback.

John McEnroe established himself as one of the greatest players ever intennis.Hehadaterrificcareer,buthemighthavebeenthegreatest.Johndidn’tgivehimself thechance toreachhis fullpotential.But itwasn’tonlyhisfault.The tennis establishment shares the blame. They didn’t have the guts to deal

withhimwhentheymighthavedonesomegoodforJohnandfor thegameoftennis.

McEnroecame tounderstandveryearly that all ofhisbelly-achingworkedforhim.Hewasable tobring thefuryofhelluponto thecourtand thenwalkawayfromitasifithadn’thappened.HedidittomethatnightatU.C.L.A.,justashehaddoneittoothersthroughouthiscareer.Whathedidn’tfigureonwasthetollitwouldeventuallytakeonhishead,hisgame,andhislife.

BeatingMcEnroeisHeadyStuff

Andwhilewe’reonthesubjectofJohnMcEnroe,rememberwhenIsaidmywinagainsthiminthe’86Masterswas“toogreat”?Here’swhatImeant.

AfterthatmatchatMadisonSquareGardenthepressgotexcitedaboutme.Ididinterviewswithallthenationalmedia.“GoodMorningAmerica”wantedmeforanappearance.ThelocalsportsshowswerespeculatingthatImightbethenextAmericansuperstarintennis.InjustafewhoursIbecameasomebody.Inmy own head, as well. It sounded great to me: “The Next American TennisStar!” It was a long way from the foggy courts at Golden Gate Park in SanFrancisco.Unfortunately,Ifellforit.Briefly.

InjusttwelvehoursIwentfromaplayerwhonevertookanythingforgrantedtoaguywhoassumedvictory.Fromaplayerwhoalwaystookhislunchbucketandhardhatontothecourtwithhimtoonewhowantedtohavehissocksironedbeforeamatch.Fromaplayerwhoassumedhewasgoingtohavetogrubitoutandwork his behind off to have a chance ofwinning to onewho thought hecouldkeepsweat toaminimumandstillwin.Bigmistake.ThenextdayIgotmybuttkickedbyAndersJarryd1–6,1–6.

IlearnedmorefromthatmatchthananyotherI’veeverplayed.Ilearnedthehardestpossibleway thatyoumustknowwhoyouareandstaywith that. I’vewonbyunderstandingmygameandthegameofmyopponents.IrealizedI’mnot going to overpowermost players. I’mnot going to outservemost players.I’mnotgoing tooutvolleymostplayers.What Iamgoing todo ismake themplay theirweakness tomy strengthsmore often than theywant to.And,withoccasionalexceptions(liketheTransAmerica/SanFranciscotournamentagainstMcEnroewhereIwantedtoimpressthefans),I’vestuckwiththatplan.

In that ’86 Masters match McEnroe tried to get me out of my game byinsultingmeduringachangeover, saying Ididn’t“deserve” tobeon thesamecourtwithhim.WhenIheardthatIwassmartenoughtorecognizethathewas

in trouble, that he was trying to beat me psychologically because he wasn’tdoingitwithshots.

Iknewhewasthinkingmaybehe’sgoingtolosetomeforthefirsttimeever.AndinfrontofhishometownNewYorkfans!Igo tomychair,put the towelover my head, and talk to myself. “McEnroe’s worried. Stay in your game,dammit.Bepreparedforanything.Steadytennis.Keeptheball inplay.Steadytennis.”Hispsychjobdidn’tworkbecauseIknewwhathewasdoing.WhenthedisruptionsstartedhappeningIwasready.IwonthematchbecauseIhadgoodmentalandemotionalmanagement.

ThatdayJohncouldn’ttakemeoutofmygame.ThenextdayIgottakenoutofitbyme.IwentintothematchwithAndersthinkingthefroghadbecomeaprince. I was brought back to earth by 1–6, 1–6. I learned my lesson veryquickly.ThenextweekIgottothesemisoftheU.S.Indoors.AfewdaysafterthatIwasnamedtotheDavisCupteam.AndthefollowingweekIwontheU.S.NationalIndoorChampionship,beatingConnors,Edberg,andJarryd.AmonthafterthatJarrydandIplayedagaininMemphis.Ibeathim6–3,6–0.I’veneverlosttohimagain.IwishIcouldsaythataboutMcEnroe.

13Lendl’sLethalWeapon

IcallitTurtleTime—slowingthematchdownsomuchthatitseemslikeyou’replayinginquicksand.It’slikeoneofthosedreamswhereyou’rerunningashardasyoucan,butyou’renotgoinganywhere.Everything is inslowmotion.TheMasterofTurtleTimeisIvanLendl.

Turtle Time is designed (like any psych job) to change the dynamics ofwhat’s happening out on the court. There, in a variety of ways, a player canmaketimestandstill.Thevictim(you,orinthiscase,me)getsimpatient.Whenyou get impatient you tend to rush. When you rush you make physical andmentalmistakes.Makemistakesandyou losepoints.Seehow itworks?Yourtempoisrearranged.Yourconcentrationdrifts.Itcandestroyyourgameifyoudon’tknowhowtorespond.

Ivan isn’t generally a slow player; deliberate, yes, but not really slow. It’swhen things aren’t really going his way that he uses this tactic. He used itsuccessfullyonmeinamatchwhenhewasontopofthetennisworldandI’vestill got a headache. If you remember that I’ve never beaten him, you mightthinkthisissourgrapes.Hey,youmightberight.Butmainlyit’sanexampleofhowyou’vegottoknowwhattodowhenyou’regettingpsychedoryou’lllose.Here’showitwent.

Lendlvs.Gilbert:StrattonMountain,Vermont,$315,000VolvoInternationalQuarter-finals,1986

IputalotofpressureonmyselfgoingintothismatchbecauseIknewawinherewouldbeahugevictoryformepsychologically. IhadneverbeatenLendl.HewasnumberoneintheworldandIwasstrugglingattwelveorthirteen.Ihadafeeling that Imight justbeable to sneakuponhim in thequartersandknockhimout.And,asitturnedout,that’swhatwashappening.

AlthoughIvanwonthefirstsetIstartedtofindatempoandreallygotgoingin the second set towin it 6–3. I carried it over into the third andwas rolling

alongupabreakandahold,2–0.Ivanknowswe’vereachedapivotalmoment.Thesetandmatchcouldslipaway.IfIholdservetherestofthewayI’llwin.Heappreciatesthedynamicsofwhereweareinthematchandunderstandsifhe’sgoingtodosomethinghebetterdoitsoon.

Healsoknows I’mcruising right along, inanicezonewhereeverything isworkingforme—solidstrokes,goodfootwork,concentrating,positiveattitude.Ican almost hear my victory speech. As it turned out, the speech was to bedelayed.Ivanhadafewtricksuphisshortsleeve.

You’ll remember that I said Ivan is one of the greatest when it comes toholding and stretching a lead?He’s also one of the greatestwhen it comes tostopping hismatch from slipping away. LikeMcEnroe andConnors he has akeensenseofwhenthisisstartingtohappen.Hisresponse,however, is totallydifferentfromtheirs.

Thismatchwas indangerofslippingawayandIvanwasnotabout to let ithappen.He knew that at this point one ofmygreatest assetswasmomentum.The energy I had created was carrying me along and I was winning pointssmoothly.Ihadwoneightofthelastelevengames,soLendlunderstoodthatforonce Iwasbeatinghimwithmystrokes.Heknew that towinhehad toupsetthose strokes and the best way to do that (at this point) was to upset mycomposure,tobreakupthemomentumIwasridingon.IvanknewitwasTurtleTime!

Again,here’swhereweareinthematch:thirdset,myserveat2–0.Istepuptothebaselineandgetreadytoserve.Ivanhasotherplans.Firsthemakesalittlefuss just before I start my servicemotion. He’s asking the umpire to tell thecrowdnot touse flashcameras.Now,aftermore than twohoursof tennisandtwoandahalfsets,plusseveralreminders,thecrowdisdefinitelynotstilltakingpictures.How could they be?By this point they don’t have any film left.Hiscomplaintisjustalittleinterruptiondesignedtojerkmeoutofmymotion.

We play a point. Ivan walks over to a linesman and questions him aboutwhether he’s sure of the call.He asks him about a previous call and suggestsperhapsthelinesmanshouldpaymoreattention.Lendlstandsthereshakinghisheadwiththatlonglookonhisfacelikehe’sjustlosthisfavoritedog.Slowlyheheadsbacktothebaseline.

He’s shakinghishead like life isverydifficult forhim.Nobigdeal. Justalittledelay to interrupt things.Perfectly legitimate.Gradually . . . slowing . . .things...down.Gradually...changing...the...pace...of...play.Onthewaybacktothebaselinehestopstotoweloff.

Nowheaddsalittlemoretotheroutine.I’mgettingreadytoserveagain.Justas I’m ready to go intomymotion, Ivan holds his hand up and slowlywalks

halfwayovertothechairumpire.Ivanpointsatme.Ihearhimasktheumpiretotellmetoquittakingsolongtoserve,it’sdisruptingplay.Goodmove!Catchesmealittlebysurprise.He’stheoneslowingthingsdownandheaccusesmeofdoingit.IcomplaintotheumpirethatI’mservingexactlylikeIhavethewholematch.I’mticked.Theumpireagrees.ButIhadstartedtofallintoLendl’strap.

Almostimperceptiblyhe’sbreakingdownmyrhythmandmyconcentration.HewantsmeoutofthementalzoneI’minbecauseit’sgottenmeaheadinthematch. He wants me to start thinking about how he’s jerking me around bycomplainingtotheumpire.HewantsmetothinkaboutwhetherIamtakingtoolongonmyserve.HewantsmetothinkaboutanythingexceptwhatIhavebeenthinkingabout,becauseit’sbeatinghim!

His gamesmanship is working, too. Instead of thinking about winning onepoint at a time (confident and positive input) I start thinking about theinterruptionsanddelays,thepossibilitythatthismatchcouldslipaway(negativeinput). I’m letting Lendl’s actions intrude onmy concentration. I’m getting alittleedgy.Iwanttogetthismatchmovingalongfaster.I’mgettingimpatient.

Istartspeedingthingsupalittletocounterhisslowdowntactics.I’mrushingjust a little bit. This is thewrong response. It’s exactlywhat hewants, and itworks.

Lendl breaks me right back. We’re on serve and I’m mad as hell. I hadslippedoffmyfocus.Ihadfailedtofollowmyrules.Ivan’sdistractionshadkeptmefromdoingit.

Ihad started toplay fromanemotional stance. Iwas reacting in thewrongwaytowhathewasdoing.InsteadoftellingmyselfthatIwaswaswinningandthatpatiencewouldgetmeavictoryIwasworryingaboutwhetherhe’dstealthematchfromme.

TurtleStewatItsFinest

Lendlhasgottenthebreakbackandisservingat2–1inthethird.Iamfuriousanddeterminedtogetthebreakbackagain,andimmediately.

Hegraduallyedgesuptothelinetoserve.Igetready,buthe’snotquitesettogointohismotionyet.Hehassomebusinesstotakecareoffirst.Hebeginswithhis eyelash routine.You’ve seen that on television.He plucks an eyelash andlooksatit.Thenheplucksanotheroneandlooksatit.Thenanotherone.HowhecanhaveanyeyelashesleftatthispointinhiscareerIdon’tknow.He’sbeenplucking and looking at them for fifteen years. On this night at StrattonMountainhestartspluckingagain.

Next,hedeliberatesoverwhichballtoservewith.Helooksatone.Thenhetakes a long look at the other one. Then back to the first one. Then he startsrollingthemaroundinhishandlikedice.Againhelooksat themindividually.Finallyhedecidesonaball.I’mstillinthereadyposition.

Timetoserve?Ivanstartsbouncingtheballhe’sfinallychosen.Once.Twice.Threetimeshebouncesit.Fourtimes.Waitaminute.Mustbesomesweatinhiseyes.He’swipingoff thesweatandrunningthesweatbandoverhiseyebrows.I’m still in the ready position.He bounces the ball again.Herewe go.Once.Twice.Threetimes.Holdeverything!Thegripmustbeslippery.

Ivangoestohispocketforahandfulofsawdust.Rubsitonthegrip.I’mstillin the readyposition.Hespins the racketa few times.Tapshisshoe.Bouncestheballonemoretime.Staresoveratme.I’mstillthere.

Heserves.Ace!Lendlleads15–love.I’mstillinthereadyposition.Ivangoes throughthewholeactagainonthesecondpoint. I’vebeenin the

ready position so long my legs could cramp. First the eyelash routine. Thenrubbingthesweatoff.Bouncingtheballs.Puttingonthesawdust.Bouncingtheball.Finallyheserves.Fault!Intothenet.

Ivan walks away from the baseline. Straightens the strings on his racket.Wipesoffthesweat.Checkstheballs.Thewholethingalloveragainbeforehissecondserve.Maybeevenlonger.

Here’safact.Rulesornot,Lendlhasbeentimedatfiftysecondsbetweenhisfirstserveandhissecondservewhenit’ssuitedhim.ThisisTurtleTimetennisand it’s lethal. I’mstarting to lose it. Ivan slowshisway through thegame tohold.Thematchisdeadeven.

Ivanworkedhisplantoperfection.From2–0inthethirdIdidn’twinanothergame.Hewonthematchgoingaway,sixgamesinarowtowinthematch6–2,3–6,6–2.

The next time youwatch him slow things down, study his strategy. Thinkaboutwhatitmeansifyou’reontheothersideofthenetwaiting.Waiting.Youknowhe’splayinggamesoutthereandthosegamescanbeatyou.Youendupbeatingyourself.

That night in the quarters at the Volvo International at Stratton MountainLendlmanagedtobreakdownmyconcentration,rhythm,andtiming.IfI’dbeensmarterhewouldn’thavebeenabletodoit.

HekeptupTurtleTimeuntilhewasupabreakandthenreturnedtohisusualpace. Ihadbeenpsychedoutbyoneof the finestpsychologists in thegame. Ihad forgotten the rules about countering this tactic. If I’d remembered them Icouldhavewon.

HowtoBeatSlowPlayTactics

I’vealreadymentionedthatgamesmanshiporpsychingisdesignedtoupsetyourconcentration, to disrupt what you’re doing. You’ll rarely see a smart playerwho’saheaddoanythingthatcouldchangethepatternofplay.Wewantthingstostayjust thewaytheyare.It’swhensomeonefallsbehindthat they’ll trytoget under the other player’s skin. The goal is to divert attention, to get theopponentthinkingaboutthewrongthings.

Theslowplaytactictakesavarietyofforms—allof theLendlroutine,plustyingshoelaces,walkingovertogetthefarthestballtoservewith,ordoingjustabout anything to stall before playing. One weekend player I’ve seen has auniquemethodofslowingthingsdown.Whenhe’sbehindandservinghe’lltosstheballtwoorthreetimesbeforeheactuallyhitsit.It’slikehe’spracticinghistoss. Every point. Not exactly illegal, but a major annoyance and one I hopeLendldoesn’thearabout.

Remember, no smart player starts changing thingswhen they’re ahead androlling right along.Butwhenyour opponent is behind and starts playing littlegamestoupsetyou,it’sgoodtohaveaplantoprotectyourself.Whenitcomestoslowplay,here’showtokeepitfromdamagingyourgame.

FightSlowPlay,Slowly

Turtlesknowyouhave towait for themtostartplay.It’s toughtodo,butyouhavetobepatient.Whenyounoticewhatlookslikeaslowdownintheaction,beflexible.Don’tpress.Don’tforceitandgetimpatient.There’snowayyoucanmake someone play faster if they’re intentionally (or even unintentionally)slowingdownthematchtempo.

LettheTurtlecrawlthroughtheirwholerangeofbusiness.Wait.Wait.Andwait. When they’ve finally gotten around to beginning play, just before theyserve,it’syourturntoslowthingsdown.Holdupyourhandandstepawayfromtheline.Tieyourshoe.Stepawayfromthelineandadjustyourstringsorwipeoffthesweat.LettheTurtlewaitforyou.Thenwhenit’syourturntoserve,givethematasteoftheirownslowmedicine.Bouncetheballeightortentimes.DoyourownversionofTurtleTime.They’llusuallygettheidea.

Iknowwhatyou’rethinking.All thisgameplayingisgoingtodisruptyourthinkingandrhythm.You’llstillcomeoutbehind.Notnecessarily.Youarenowtaking the initiative. You’re not just being passive. You’re not standing there

beingworkedover.You’redoingsomethingtodefendyourself.Itcanbeabigpsychologicalboost.

IhavealittleruleIfollow.BeforeapointIdon’tliketostandatthebaselinewaitingformyopponenttoarriveandgetready.Itcreatestensionandmakesmerush into the point once they do get set. If the other player is not ready toproceedwhen I am I takea fewstepsaway from the lineandbounce theballseveral times if I’mserving. If I’mreceivingI’llbackawayandstraightenmystrings.ThenastheyapproachtheirlineI’lldothesame.ButIdon’tjuststandthereandwait.Neithershouldyou.Whetherthey’remakingyouwaitforthemintentionally or unintentionally doesn’tmatter. You’re still just standing therewaiting,andthatdoesn’thelpyourgame.

Lendl isoneof thebest atmaintainingagoodpacewhenhe’s leading inamatch. When he gets ahead he’s methodical and merciless. But when he’sbehind, or it’s close in the third, fourth, or fifth set, it’s like watching waterevaporatewhenhegoes intoTurtleTime.He’ll driveyoubananas, and in theprocessgetyou totallyoutofyourgame.Andofficials through theyearshavecut himmore slack, as they havewithMcEnroe, than they do formost otherplayers.

I’vefound that ithelpsagreatdeal if IcandosomethingmyselfwhenI’mbeingworkedoverbyapsychjob.Insteadof juststandingthereabsorbingtheroutinemyopponent is putting on, Iwant to respond.How?Bydoing to himwhathe’sdoing tome.WithLendl that timeI lethimget insidemyheadanddestroymycomposure.Heacted.Ireacted.

AgainstLendlitdidn’tworkjusttostandthereanddonothing.Whenhetookfiftysecondstogetready(twenty-fivesecondsisallowed)forhissecondserve,Ishouldhaveaskedtheumpiretokeephimtotime.Ifthatdidn’twork,thenexttime hewent through thewhole preserve routine I should have stepped awayfrom the linewhenhewasalldonewith itand toweledoff (or tiedmyshoes,straightenedmy strings, pluckedmy eyelash, anything). I should have slowedthematchdownandforcedhimtostandaround.

But here’s why Lendl is a master. He started working on me before Irecognized the tactics. And before I knew it was acting out of anger andfrustration.Iwasreadytoscream,hetiedmeupsobad.

Is thatwhy I lost?No. But it was part of the reason.Match dynamics arevolatile,andLendlhadtakencontrolofthematacrucialmoment.IlostbecauseIdidn’trespondcorrectly.

And just so you don’t get the wrong impression, at last count Ivan Lendl“owned”me.He’smentallyandphysicallyvery tough.Mostof the timeshe’sbeatenmeit’sbeenbecausehe’ssodoggonegood.However,mypointisthaton

those occasionswhere I’ve had a chance towin he knew how to use anotheraspect of the competition: gamesmanship. I’mnot complaining. It comeswiththeterritory.

Ivanunderstands thepsychological aspectsof thegameverywell.Here’s asmallexample.Earlyinmycareerwhenhedidn’tviewmeasathreattohimIwas occasionally invited to his estate inConnecticut to be his hitting partner.We’d work out on his court (the one he has resurfaced each year to exactlymatch thecourtsurfacesat theU.S.Open).WhenIbegan tostartplayinghimtougher in tournaments, taking him to three sets occasionally, the invitationsstopped.

Ivan knew (and so did I) that the sessions were helpingmy confidence inplayinghimoutontour.HewaslosinghisaurabecauseIwasgettingfamiliarwith his game and forgetting any sense of awe his image might once havecreated. When he recognized that it was happening he found a new hittingpartner.He’ssmart,bothonandoffthecourt.

ItCanHappentoYou,Too:WindmillandDr.J

You’re thinking that that kind of stuff (slow play) never happens where youplay. Great. And I hope it never does. But it can. I’ve saved the greatest“slowdown-the-match”gambitIknowofforlast.IncaseyouthinkTurtleTimeonlygoeson at theprofessional level, you’re about to see that it canoccur ateveryleveloftennis,includingtennisclubsandpubliccourts.Ifsomethinglikethiseverhappenstoyou,justadmityou’vebeenoutfoxedandgohomesadderbutwiser.

Again, it’sat theSanFranciscoTennisClub.DaleCraseandJuliusColbert(their realnames) areplaying the semifinalsof theclub’sB tournament.Theycall their own lines and enforce their own rules (which is what led to theproblem).Letmedescribetheirstylesofplay.

CraseisabornRetrieverwhosenicknameisWindmillbecauseofhisstrangeserve. He stands with his serving arm straight down at his side holding theracket.Thenhetossestheballup,andwithoutbendinghiselbowheswirlshisarmaroundtohit it.Heneverbendshiselbow.It lookslikeawindmill,hencethenickname.

Colbert(nicknamedDr.J)isagoodathletewhoplayedminorleaguebaseballbeforeaninjurystoppedhisrisetothebigleagues.Heplaysfullthrottle,allornothing. Goes for everything and makes spectacular shots occasionally.Ocassionally.Butlet’sgettothematch.

Windmillwinsthefirstseteasily6–2,andisaheadinthesecond4–1.Lookslikeaquickwinandatriptothefinals.ButDr.Jstartstogetitgoing.Hemakesafewof thosespectacularshotsandgetshisenergylevelandattitudewayup.Suddenlyhe’swonsixofthenextsevengamestowintheset7–5!Setsareevenat1–all.Themomentumhaschangeddramatically,andWindmillknowsit.

Nowit’sthechangeover.(Clubprotocolwastobreakoutnewballsandmakeachangeoverbeforethethirdsetintournaments.)Theysitdownforthebreak.Windmillasksforalittlefavor.Woulditbeokaytorunuptohislockerandgetadryshirt?Dr.Jhasnoproblemwiththat.They’rebuddiesandwho’sgoingtotellafriendtheycan’tputonadryshirt.Windmillleaves.IttakesDr.Jalittletime to sense that something isgoingon.Fourminutesgoby.Sevenminutes.Thirteenminutes.Dr. J is starting to boil.He can’t believewhat’s happening.EighteenminutesandstillnoWindmill.

Finally, after twenty-two minutes, here comesWindmill, looking like he’sjust hadagoodnight’s sleep, amassage, anda cooldrink.And itwas almosttrue.Hehad gotten adry shirt.Hehad put it on.Butnot beforehe’d taken ashower,shaved,relievedhimself,andeatenacandybar.

Dr. J was seething. His buddy had “gamed” him.What does he saywhenWindmillgetsbacktothecourt?Nothing.Egogetsintoit.Herefusestodeclareadefaultbecausehe’drathertakeitoutonWindmillonthecourt,reallypoundonhim,nailhim6–0inthethird.Youcanguesstherest.Thescorewas6–0inthethird.OnlyWindmillhadthe6.Dr.Jhadthe0.Hecouldn’thitaballwithintwofeetofthecourt.Hewasoutofhisskullandlostit.Hedidn’tknowhowtodeal with slow play and delay tactics. And he didn’t know how to deal withanger.

Maybe Dr. J should have disqualified Windmill (although he gave himpermissiontoleave).Maybeheshouldhavecomplainedorleftthecourthimself.Maybeheshouldhavegonehomeforlunch.Instead,hegothislunchhandedtohim.Hegotpsychedout,andhepaidforit.JustlikeIpaidforitagainstLendl.If it ever happens to you, be ready. Don’t let a Turtle break down yourconcentrationandyourgame.

14Agassi:BreakingtheSpeedLimit

AndreAgassimovesfasterbetweenpointsthansomeplayersdoduringpoints.He’s rushing all the time. He’s got so much energy he could make ahummingbird nervous. But he lives on caffeine and sugar, so I guess you’dexpecthimtobealittleonthequickside.

I likeAndreand thinkhe’sgreat for thegame.SomeplayersresenthisLasVegas flash and the showboating, but it brings people through the gate. Plus,Andre doesn’t intentionally screw around with you out on the court.Unintentionally,hedoes,becauseAndremovesyouthroughamatchfasterthananybodyinthebusiness.Thatcandestroyyourgame.

Rushingintopointsisbad.Rushingintopointsmeansyou’rerushingthroughpoints. As we saw with Lendl, rushing creates both mental and physicalmistakes. It throws off your rhythm in serving. It creates all kinds of timingproblems. It just takes you out of your game totally. Unless you’re AndreAgassi.Andrelikesrushing.

Thequickplayartistdoesn’tnecessarilycatchyoubysurpriseduringamatch(e.g. by serving quick). Instead, what throws you off is the general tempo atwhich they do things between and during points. You never really getcomfortable,set,andfocused.Theymoveyouintothepointimmediately.Andregets it going so fast when he’s serving that you feel like you could misssomethingifyoublink.Hedoesn’twalk.Hetrots.Hecouldbetheposterchildforthecaffeineindustry.

Fastplayiscommonatclubsandpubliccourts.You’lloftenrunintoplayerswhoaremovingalongjustenoughfasterthanyoutothrowyouoff.Theyserveimmediatelywhenyougettotheline.Theydon’tsitdownonthechangeovers.Oneclubplayerusedtospintheracketfortheservewhileheandhisopponentwere still in the locker room!He’d have the other player rushing before theyeven got to the court. It does happen. And when it does it requires a littlemanagement.

KnowYourSpeedLimit

KnowYourSpeedLimit

It’seasiertodealwithaplayerwho’srushingyoualong—aRabbit—thanwithaTurtle.Themain thingyouhave tobeawareof is that it’shappening.Usuallyyou let yourself get caughtup in thequickerpacewithout realizing it.You’renever quite set, there isn’t time for composing yourself or analyzing what’sgoingoninfrontofyou.Andthosearetwocrucialelementsofmygame.Iwantconstantly to be thinking about what’s happening in the match. If you startplaying faster than you normally do, you get mentally sloppy and physicallycareless.

So,whatdoyoudo?Simple.Knowyour speed limit.Thatmeansknowingthetempoyouarecomfortableplayingat.Don’tletyouropponentexceedit.Beawareofwhenithappens.Don’tbeagoodguyandjustgoalongwithit.Slowitdown!Whenyouropponentjumpsuptotheservicelinebeforeyou’reset,holdup your hand and walk away. If he doesn’t sit down for a break on thechangeovers,besureyoudo.Don’tbeafraidtotoweloff,adjuststrings,or tieyourshoes.Thequickplayartistwillrunyouoffthecourtifyoulethim.

In 1991 I playedAndre in a semifinalmatch, andwas fortunate enough tobeathiminstraightsets.GoingintothatmatchIwasveryintentonplayingatmy tempo: D.R.M. He wasn’t. Lots of times he’d quickly skate back to theservicelineandwanttogetitgoingbeforeIwasready.ImadeverysureIwasset,madesurewedidn’tstartrushingthroughpointsandgames.I’d toweloff,tiemyshoe,checkmystrings.Icheckedmystringsalotthatmatch.WithAndreyou’ve got to do that or he’ll roll you right away. (In the finals of the ’93Volvo/San Francisco he gotme back,winning in three sets and playing greattennis.)

You can do the same thingwith the Rabbits you come up against. Protectyourtempo.Guardyourrhythm.Whenyou’reontheothersideofthenetfromaRabbit,beverysureyoudon’tletthemdictatehowfastthematchmovesalong.

PlayingPossum

There’sanotherlittlesituationorgambitthatcomesupoccasionallythat’sworthmentioning as long aswe’re talking about gamesmanship. It’s called “playingpossum.”It’swhenaplayerwillfakeorexaggerateaninjury.Itcanhaveaverynegativeeffectonthepossum’svictim.

Youknowhowitworksattheclublevel.Thepossum’sopponent(you)areinaCatch-22 situation. Thematch really doesn’t count if youwin because your

opponent is injured,right?Ifyoulose,you’velost tosomebodywho’splayinghurt.Veryembarrassing.It’sano-winsituation.

It almost always takes you out of your game. You don’t try as hard. Youdon’tconcentrateaswell.Youplaysloppy.Andyoucanlose.That’swhenyouropponentwillsayasyouleavethecourt,“Youknowmylegdidn’tbothermeasmuchasIthoughtitwould.Goodmatchandbetterlucknexttime.”You’vejustbeenhadbyapossum.

SaveYourSympathy

Remember this:Whether an opponent’s injury is real, exaggerated, or fake, itgetsnosympathyorattentionfromyouuntilafterthematch.Ifyouropponentishealthy enough towalk out on the court and continue play, then he’s healthyenoughtodeserveyourbesteffort.Ignoreanythinghetellsyouabouthisachesandpains.Assumeit’sjustforeffect.Becausewhethertheinjuryisrealornot,itcanhaveanegativeimpactonyou.Itcantakeyououtofyourconcentration.

Caseinpoint:IplayedJimmyConnorsinanA.T.P.semifinalmatchearlyin1993.Heactuallycamelimpingoutonthecourt.I’mserious.Hewasnoticeablyfavoring his right foot because of an ongoing problemwith bone spurs.Now,Jimmyisagreatmanipulatorandshowman,soI’mtryingtoignorewhat’sgoingon—nosympathyforthisdevil.

Butduringthefirstset,itgetssobadhe’sactuallypullinguponsomeshotsbecauseofthepain.Thisisnoact.Icruiseinthefirstset6–1,anditonlytakesabouttenminutes.Ifigurehe’lldefaultduringthechangeover.Hedoesn’t.

I’m trying to figure outwhat’s goingon.There’s nowayhe can finish thematch—heprobablycan’tevenfinishtheset.Thisisawkward.Thecrowdcansee he’s struggling, and they’re cheering his valiant efforts. Suddenly I’m avillain beating on a legend who’s in pain. So what happens? Jimmy startsbeating me. He goes up 4–1 and then retires. I know Connors was thinking,“Gotcha,Gilbert!”Andhehad.

Savethesympathy.

15HowtoHandleHooking

Occasionally in matches you’ll run into the player who cheats on line calls(hooking).Also,youhavetodealwiththeplayerwhounintentionallymakesamistakeonacall.Bothsituationsaretoughtodealwith.I’veseenbothsidesofthecoin.I’vegivenbadcallsandI’vegottenthem.

As a junior player I had a terrible reputation for line calls. Itwasprobablydeserved. I wanted to win so much that I couldn’t give the other player thebenefitofthedoubt.ThenIcorrectedtheproblemandprobablyendedupgettingasmanybadcallsasIgave.Itwasneveranythingtobeproudof.

What do you do when it happens in your match, especially during atournament?Herearesomesuggestions.

Don’t argue about the marginal call. You may be wrong. But don’t let ablatantlybadcallgobywithoutaction.Youdon’thavetobeajerk,butletyouropponentknowyouaren’tgoingtolet themforceyoutohit toasmallercourtthantheonesmarkedbythewhitelines.

Starteasy.Askifthey’resureofthecall.Giveitalongerlook.Becontrolled.Giveyouropponentachancetobegenerous.Ifyoustartoutaccusingthemofbadcalls,they’lljustgetdefensiveandprobablygiveyoumoreofthesame.Anearlynoticethatyouexpectfaircallswilloftensharpenuptheopponent’seyes.Infact,afteryou’venudgedsomeoneonabadcall,you’llalmostalwaysseethatfor a while afterward they’ll call balls good that are out. Guilty conscienceprobably.So,initially,bediplomatic.

Ifdiplomacydoesn’twork,youknowwhatmostclubplayerswilldo?Theyrespond inkind,givingbadcalls themselves.This isn’t theway togo.Amongother things, it takes you out of your concentration.You get caught up in theissueofgoodorbadlinecallsandforgetabouteverythingelse.Believeme,itisrarewhen line callsmake the difference in amatch, so don’t let themdisruptyourmentalmanagement.

Hookingbackdoesn’twork.Screamingdoesn’twork.(I’vebeenscreamedatanddonemyownshareofscreaming.Itdoesn’twork.)Butyoucansaythatyou

thoughtthecallwaswrong.Hey,don’tbeafraidtosmilewhenyousayit.Giveyouropponentachancetobenice.

Ifitcontinues,addresstheproblemdirectly.Mosttournamentshaveapersonavailabletocomeinandassumeresponsibilityforthelinecalls.Havethemdoitsoyoucanconcentrateonyourgame.

Ultimately,thebestthingyoucandowithsomeonewhoisachronichookeris to cross them off your list of opponents. When you do find yourself in asituationwhereyoucan’tchooseyouropponent(likeatournament),standupforyourrights.TrywhatIsuggested.Itusuallyhelps.

Themostexcitingpartoftennisiswhenyouarefullyengagedphysicallyandmentally. Psych jobs are occasionally part of what goes on. It’s important torecognizewhen you’re being psyched and to knowwhat you can do about itbecausewhataffectsyoumentallyhasaneffectonyouphysically.

When Iwas coming up and playing junior tennis events, the psychingwasbrutal.Itwasgoodconditioningforwhatwasaheadinthepros.

You’ll find a lot of satisfaction in being able to defend yourself when theotherplayer (who justmightbea friend)starts to reach intoabagof tricks todisruptyourgame.Even ifwhat they’redoing is unintentional, you shouldbewillingandabletodealwithiteffectively.

Iknewahighschoolplayerwhowouldmeasuretheheightofthenetbeforeeverymatch.Itwasagreatlittleroutinehewentthrough,anditputtheopponentinareactiveorpassiverole.Theguymeasuringthenetwastakingcontrolrightaway.Hewassayingthathewasthemoreconscientiousplayer,thathewastheonewhomadetheextraeffort.Hewastheonedeterminingifthenetwasokay.Theopponentwouldstandaroundwaitingforthisguytomakehisruling.Greatlittlebitofgamesmanship.

I played a match once when I was a kid and my opponent said during achangeover,“Gilbert,you’retoocompetitive.”ItthrewmeoffbackthenbecauseIthoughtIwasdoingsomethingwrong.Ibackedoffalittle.Itwasagoodploy.

Remember this.Mostof thematchesyouplayare strictly for fun.Thebestthingtodowhensomeonestartspullingobjectionablestuffistoscratchthemoffyourlistofplayers.Imention“dirtytricks”soyougetanideaofwhatit’slikeoutthereduringatournament.Maybeit’llhelpyouwhenyourunintoaversionof it in your ownmatches, especially in tournamentswhere you can’t choosewhoyouropponentsare.Thenyoumaywanttofightfirewithfire.

16AMillion-DollarMatch:WarWithWheaton

“Bradleywasdifferent.Hewasn’tabarnburnerinhighschool.Whenhementioned collegewewere shocked.We thoughthe’d eventuallyget ajob,maybe$3.35anhour,andworkhiswayup.”

—Mrs.ElaineGilbert,Brad’smother

TheInternationalTennisFederationGrandSlamCupinMunichisoneofthoseeventsthatshowshowbigtennishasgottenintermsofmoney.Thewinnergets$2million.Buthere’stheamazingpart.Therunner-upmakes$1million!That’sarealheart-starter.It’saboutwhatJohnNewcombemadeinhisentirecareer.

I was invited to the 1990 Grand Slam Cup when Andre Agassi withdrewbecauseofa tornribcartilage. Iworkedmywayup to thesemifinals,whereIwas scheduled to faceDavidWheaton, a player I’d beaten earlier in a 15–13fifth-setmarathonthathadmovedmeintothequarterfinalsatWimbledon.Thisconfrontationhadtheaddedpressureofbeingworthmoremoneythaneitherofushadeverplayedforinourlives.Thewinnercouldretire;avictorywasworthamilliondollarsandachanceattwomillion.

In many ways it was a culminating point in my career, as I was playingagainst some of the greatest players in the game for the biggest purse everoffered in a tournament.Kimandmy two-year-old sonZachcamealongwithmeformoralsupport.

Pre-MatchMentalPreparation

In mentally preparing for the match at the Munich Hilton I ran through achecklist on Wheaton’s game: Huge first and second serve. Maybe the bestsecondserveinthebusiness.AtWimbledonhehadacedmetwenty-threetimes.Loves pace. Doesn’t handle junk well. His speed is not spectacular and hisfootworkisoccasionallyoff.Questionableforehand.Comesuplateonhisswingalot.Makesalotofmistakesonhisforehandreturnofserve.(I’veplayedhim

wherehe’smissedtwentyforehandservicereturns.)Whenhegetstighthetendstooverhithisforehandreturns—whenhestartsdoingthat,therestofhisgamesuffersalittle.

IalsoknewWheatoncouldtakethechoke.AtWimbledonhehadatwo-setleadandcouldn’tconverttwomatchpointswhenhehadachance.

TheAll-AmericanPlayer?

That was the picture I had of his tennis, at least of his strokes and playingtendencies.ButitwastheothersideofhisgamethatIreallythoughtabout,thementaloremotionalpart.Wheaton’savery“inyourface”kindofplayer,veryemotionalandconfrontational.Plus,atthattimeinhiscareer,hewaswrappinghimself in the flag (literally) bywearing a red,white, andblueheadbandor ashirtwithstarsandstripesonit.

ThatirritatedmebecausehewasobviouslyattemptingtocreateanimageforhimselfasbeingtheAmericanplayer,likeherepresentedAmericantennis.IhadplayedfortheU.S.A.intheOlympicsandearnedabronzemetal.SeveraltimesIhadbeeninvitedtobeamemberoftheDavisCupteamandhadbeenthrilledatrepresenting my country. I didn’t consider myself the American player andneither did great young guys like Chang, Sampras, Agassi, or Courier. ThiswearingtheflagstuffbyWheatonseemedlikeagimmick.Itwasbaloney.

I also hadn’t forgotten the tough match we played atWimbledon. I knewWheatondidn’trolloverwhenhegotbehind.Hefoughttothefinish.WiththatmuchmoneyonthetableIwantedtobereadyforanything.Asitturnedout,thematch called for everything I could muster physically, mentally, andemotionally.

JohnMcEnroe and Jimmy Connors were willing and able to turn a tennismatch into a tennis madhouse where they controlled the chaos. Lendl couldstrangleyouinhisownslow,powerfulway.However,whatIlearnedbygoingthroughthosetrialswasgoingtoservemewellinthemostdifficultandlucrativematchofmylife.

Over 14,000 fans had packed into Munich’s Olympiahalle and they wereobviouslyexcitedaboutthetennisahead.Icouldheartheirrumblefrominsidethelockerroom.Theywantedtoseesomeserioustennis.Whattheyalmostsawwassomeseriousboxing.Butthatwasstillahead.

AnhourbeforethematchIwastryingtostaycalmbyplayingwithZachinthe player’s lounge. They have a pinball machine set up there and we werefoolingaroundwithitjusttokeepbusy.I’dpulltheleverbackandhe’dlaughas

theballlitupthelightsandrangthebuzzers.AtonepointIlookeddownandhewas trying to eatmy shoelaces.He obviouslywasn’t nervous about anything.Thathelpedmecontrolmyownemotions.

Ourtimetogetherendedtoosoon.IheadedtothelockerroomandKimandZachwenttotheirseatsintheOlympiahalle.Timetoearnaliving.

WarWithWheaton

GrandSlamCupmatchesarebestof fivesets (theywantyou towork for thatmoney).Whenweheadedoutontothecourt,IwasastightasIhaveeverbeen.The lights seemed brighter and the crowd noise seemed sharper. Everythingseemed faster because of the tension and pressure. In the pre-matchwarm-upperiod I was talking tomy feet and trying to breathe deeply, fighting off thenerves and establishing a little bit of rhythm. It wasn’t easy. These werecircumstancesIhadneverplayedunderbefore.

“BitteMeineHerren,SpielenSieTennis”(“Gentlemen,PlayTennis”)

WheatonandIstartedoutintypicalstyle,scrapinganddigginghardforpointsandgames.Iwonthefirstset.Hegotthesecond.

Thethirdgetstough.Hisservehasclickedinandishuge.Twiceitalmosthitsmeit’scominginsofast.Ihaven’tbrokenhimsincethefirstgameofthesecondset and I don’t break him in the third.He’s holding easily and I’m strugglingeachtimenottogetbroken.Weheadintoatiebreaker,whichgoesdowntothewire—sixpointsall.It’smyserve,aSet-upPoint.WinitandI’mlookingatsetpointandapossiblestrangle-holdonthematch.I’mtwopointsawayfroma2–1leadinthematch.

I decide to go at his forehand when I get a chance, remembering that it’svulnerabletopressure(andthisisamilliondollars’worthofpressure).Imakeastrongapproachshotangledwidetohisforehand.Hemovestoitandgivesmeaweak forehand crosscourt. I’m at the net and poke the volley to the ad courtsideline,butIgoformorethanIhaveto.

I’vegotthewholesideofthecourtopenandIputtheballout!Atleast,thelinesmancalls itout. I slammyracket into thenet. “Ahhhhhgh!”Butbefore Ican even protest the call, the chair umpire, Stephen Winyard from Briton,overrules:“Correction.Ballwasgood.PointMr.Gilbert.”

Nowallhellbreaksloose.WheatonisscreamingbloodymurderatWinyard.Andhehadarighttobehysterical.It’sbadtooverrulecallswhenthey’reclose.

Andespeciallyatcrucialmoments.Wasmyshot in?I thoughtso,but itwasatough call either way. Very close calls aren’t what overrules are intended tocorrect. It’s theobviousmistake they’re supposed todealwith.Was I gladhemadetheoverrule?Veryglad.However,IknewwhatWheatonfelt.IhadbeeninhispositionwithConnorsinChicagobackin’85.

FamilyFeud

Wheatoncanseethatmillion-dollarcheckslippingaway.Hescramblesovertothe chair and screams that the call can’t beoverruled, that itwasout, that thelinesmanhadabetter lookat it, that theumpire isdestroyingthematch!Heisviciousmad.He’sjumpingupanddownlikehe’sonapogostick.Idon’tblamehim.

Butthat’snottheendofit.Wheaton’sbrothernowgetsupbehindtheumpireandstartsbarkingobscenitiesatthetopofhislungs.He’sscreamingsoloudyoucanhearhimalloverthearenaasherunsfromonesideofthecourttotheother.Wheaton’scompletelylostitandisactinglikeanidiot.Thebrotherisjumpingbackandforth.Andthecrowdiswhistlingandstompingandhollering.Anothermadhouse. But I’d been there before. Connors and McEnroe are world-classwhenitcomestocreatingthiskindofsituation.Theoverrulestood.

It’sWheaton’sserveat6–7.Thisisjustahugepoint—winitandI’mingreatshape,up twosets toone. I am totally focusedand ready.Wheatonmakeshistoss and serves. Ace! The ball is by me in a blur. Unbelievable. He’s likeMcEnroe. The dispute seemed to give him energy and focus, to improve hisgame.Nowit’s7–7inthetiebreak.AnotherSet-upPoint,thistimeforbothofus. Big, big, big. Wheaton gets ready to serve again. He bounces the ball acoupleoftimesandlooksoveratme.Hemakeshistossandswings.Hefaults.Ilikethis.

Againhelooksoveratmeandbouncestheballtwoorthreetimes.Quicklyhe serves again. It’s another fault.Double fault?Choke?Maybe he’s not likeMcEnroe. I lead8–7andget ready toserve. I rollone inatabout80milesanhour.Wheatontriestocrushit,over-swings,andnetsit.“Set,Mr.Gilbert.”Iwin7–6(9–7)andleadtwosetstoone.Butthetroubleisn’tover.

On the changeover Wheaton’s brother starts cursing at me from directlybehindmybackwhileI’msittingdown.He’syellingoverandover,“I’mgoingtokickyourass,Gilbert!”This is thebrother,now.He’snotevenplaying thematch,butIguesshe’sfiguringsomeofthatmoneycouldbehis.IcomplaintoWinyardthatthebrotherisdisruptingthematchandshouldbetoldtoshutup;

that he’s totally out of control. The umpire nods his head in agreement andcautionshimtobequietandstayoffthecourt.

Nose-to-NoseWithWheaton

Now,asIpassWheatononthewaybackoutontothecourt,hehassomechoicewordsforme,allunprintable.He’sincensedthatIcriticizedhisbrotherandhethreatensme.Ianswerbackwithmyownunprintables.Itwaslikeoneofthoseschoolyard fightswhereeverybody’scallingeverybodynames.Thecrowdcanseewe’reraggingoneachother,sotheystartmakingevenmorenoise,whistlingandhooting.WheatonbumpsmeasIbumpintohim.Wearenose-to-noseandyellingineachother’sface.Itisazoo.

InbackIcanhearthebrotherstillhonkingatme.Mywifeissittingnearhim.I’m hoping she doesn’t go after himwith her purse. It sounded like a boxingmatch after a knockdown.Therewas blood in the air.BrunoRebeuh, anotherumpire,racestowardus.HegrabsWheatonbythearmandpushesmebackatthe same time. He’s chattering “Stop this! Stop this. Gentleman, please settledown!”

Wheatonsaidlater,“Iwouldn’thavebeendisappointedifGilberthadthrownthefirstpunch.”Imayhavebeenupset,butIwasn’tabouttogetbootedoutofamillion-dollarmatchjustforthat.Slowlyorderisrestoredandthecrowdquietsdown for the start of the fourth set, but not before Winyard gives us bothwarningsforunsportsmanlikeconduct.

IfeltgoodbecauseIhadlearnedmylessonwell.Ididn’tlettheconfrontationor theobscenities fromWheatonorhisbrother rattlemegoing into the set. Infact,IwassocalmIgotcareless,sorelievedtogetpastthatcrisisandbeaheadinthematchthatIcameoutofmygameplan.

I’m up two sets to one, and instead of staying with my usual tactic ofsqueezingalead(steadytennis,notriskytennis),Istartgettingalittleambitious—rushingsomeshots,goingforwinnerstoosoon—justalittletooaggressive.IfeltlikeIhadthematchwon.Butit’sdangeroustogetcomfortablewithalead,tostartfeelingasifthematchisinhand.Remember,whenIgoaheadIwanttobecomeevenmorealert.Iwanttobeevenmoreconcernedabouttheopponent’scomebackpower.Ifailedtodoithere.Iforgotmybasicphilosophyandbecameahappycamper.AndjustlikethatIlosetheset6–2.Ihaven’tbrokenWheaton’sserveinnearlythreesets.

Wegotothefifth.Onesetfor$1million.IfIstoptothinkaboutthemoneyridingonitIdoubtifIcanbreathe.ButI’msomadatmyselfforlettingdowninthefourthsetmyfocussharpensupalot.Nowourmind-setsarereversed.Itwas

aclassiccaseof theWoundedBear (me)and theHappyCamper (Wheaton). Iwanted tomake something happen right away.Hemay have been relieved tohaveevenedthingsup.

BeforethestartofthefifthsetItakealongtimetogetready.Iwanttostophis momentum. I don’t want him to kick things off strong in this final set.There’snochangeoversoIwalkbackandpickupa towel.After I toweloff Iheadovertoaballboyandhanditback.Igobackovermygameplan.WhatamItryingtodo?WhatamItryingtokeephimfromdoing?

I tell myself that I’ve let him hold serve too easily by missing too manyreturns. Iwant togetmyservicereturn inplay, takea littleoffof itandmakehimhitsomeshots.Iremindmyselfagaintoworkonhisforehand,trytobreakitdownandhopehestartsmissing it. Idecide tohitalmosteverything to thatside.Ifhe’ssolidthere,Ilose.Butifhegetsshaky,ifhestartstooverhitit,I’llwin.

Wheaton serves to start the fifth.He’s strong, but not as forceful as in thepreviousset.Istayinthegamejustscratchingandclawing,nubbingashothere,massagingonethere.I’mstayinginpointsjustalittlelongerbytryingtodolesswithmy service return.Wheaton is having tohit an additional shot or twooneachpoint.He’smissingavolleyoccasionally.

That firstgameof the fifth setgoesdeuceand several times.Finally Ibusthim for the break. I lead in the fifth 1–0. My serve. My strategy has beensuccessful. He’s having to work harder for points. I’m not giving him anydonations.Wemakethechangeover.

Again,Ifocushardonmygameplan.I’vefinallygottenabreak.NowIwanttosqueezehim—nofreebees,nodonations—makehimearn it thehardway. Istandupandheadouttoserve.

I immediatelystarthittinganythingIcan tohis forehand. Ikeepmassagingthe ball with nothing on it, and he has trouble with it. I hold and so doesWheaton.IholdagainandsodoesWheaton.Ilead3–2.AswegetdeeperanddeeperintothefinalsetWheatonknowsthathehastomakesomethinghappen.OtherwiseI’lljustgrinditouttothefinish.

Andashe tries tomakesomethinghappenhestartsoverhittinga fewshotsandmakingmistakesonhisforehandside.And,truetoform,hestartstomakesomeerrorsonothershotsaswell.Idon’tbreakhimagain,but,moreimportant,Idon’tgetbrokeneither.Ikeepholdingserveuntilit’s5–4adinforthematchandatleastamilliondollarsinprizemoney.

IwanttotellyouthatIwassofocusedonthatmatchpointthatIfeltnofearornervousness.Iwouldtellyouthat,exceptitwouldbealie.Iwasnervousashell.IlookedacrossthenetatWheatonandsawaguyreadytofightforhislife.

Hewasbouncingupanddownandshiftingfromfoottofoot.Itdidn’tlooklikehewasgoingtoretirebecauseoffatigue.

I remembered my basic strategy. Just get the serve in and get it to hisforehand. I bounced the ball twice. Took another look across the net and onedeepbreath.Thenabeautifultossandagreatmotion.Whap!Myservegoestwofeet into the net.Wheaton now is really getting excited.He’s hopping up anddown.Movingbackandforth.HesensedIwasintrouble.

Second serve. Win the point and I’m guaranteed a check for $1 million!AgainIbouncetheballtwice.Lookoverthenetandtosstheballintheair.Notagreattoss.Notagreatserve.Butitdoescrawloverthenetandgravitydoesitsjob.And it goes to his forehand.Wheaton looks ready for it, but hemisfires.Swingslateandtriestooverhittheball.Heplowsitwide.Iwasneverhappiertoseeaballsailoutinmylife.Hehadtakenthecollar.Ihadbeatenhim(andhisbrother)6–4inthefifth.

Thematchhadstartedat8:30Saturdaynight,December15.Itwasnow12:47Sundaymorning—overfourhoursofthemostintensetennisIhadeverplayed.Ihad justwonamillionbucks (minusa$5,000finebothWheatonand Ihad topayforthealtercation).

Weshookhands.Barely.Hewastootiredtobemad.Ijustwantedtogetoutofthere.Ididsomeinterviews,iceddown,gotamassagetoloosenupmylegsand tooka shower. I finallygotback to thehotelat4:30a.m. In less than tenhoursIwasscheduled tostart thefinalsagainstmyfriendPeteSampras.As itturnedout,Ihadnothingleft.

Itwasokay.Ihadplayedoverfourhoursofunbelievablyhardtennisagainstaverytoughopponent.Igotfivehoursofsleepandstartedgettingreadyforthefinals.EventhoughIhadbeatenPeteinourtwopreviousmatcheshecruisedmeinstraightsets.IgaveiteverythingIhad.Therejustwasn’tmuchleftafterthestrugglewithWheaton.AndPeteplayedsupertennis.

I lookedover atKimduring theawardceremonies. I could see tears inhereyes. The last twelve hours had been like nothing we’d ever been throughbefore. The intensity had been almost overwhelming. I smiled at her and shewaved back. Zach was sitting on her lap chewing on a tennis ball. Then IcongratulatedPeteandwashandedacheckfor$1million.

TheLongandWindingRoad

On the flight back to theUnited States following the tournament inMunich Ithoughtofanotherflightandanothertournamenteightyearsearlier.ThattimeI

wasonaplaneheadingbackhomeafterwinningmyfirsttournamentasapro.I’d been a professional for sixmonths and all of a sudden I’dwon this littleevent in Taipei. I beat a guy named Craig Wittus. It surprised everyone,includingme.Andtomakeitevensweetertheypaidmeincash;nocheck,nomoneyorder,nowiretransfer.Fifteenthousanddollarsincash!

I remembered flyingbackhome fromTaipei after that firstwin.My tennisracketswereintheoverheadand$15,000incashwaspackedintheequipmentbagonmylap.Thismaysoundstrange,butIactuallygotabiggerthrilloutofthatthanthemillionbucksIearnedinMunich.Nobody,butnobody,thoughtIhadachanceoutonthetour.Ididn’thavethestrokes.Ididn’thavethenaturalability. “Who you kidding, Brad? Get a real job.” I knew my days werenumberedifIdidn’tgetresultsfairlysoon.

SotheflightbackfromTaipeiwasspecial.I’llneverforgetthefeelingIhadheading back to California holding that bag of money, sitting there in thedarknesswithacoldcanofbeerandlookingdownatthePacific.Irealizedforthefirst timethatmaybetheywerewrong.MaybeIcouldmakeitonthetour.Maybe thisclubplayer, thisguywith the“ugly”strokes,hada life in frontofhimasaprofessionaltennisplayer.JustbeforeIfellasleepIrememberthinking,“Ihopethisdoesn’tturnouttobeadream.”Itwasn’t.

17TournamentToughAlltheTime

HowtoMakeItPartofYourGame

WhenIwasakidjustgettingintotennisI lovedtoplaymatches.IfIcouldn’tplayamatch,Dadwasalwaysavailabletohitwithmeandhelpmeworkonmygame. If he couldn’t, thenmy sister Dana (who later played on thewomen’stour)ormybrotherBarry(whoalsoplayedprofessionally)wouldhitwithme.Iloved it somuch that if I couldn’t find apartner I’dgohit against awall andpretend I was playing a match. I spent thousands of hours in Piedmont,California,witharacket,atennisball,andawall.

Gradually I developed my tennis skills and began to enter an occasionaltournamentaroundSanFrancisco.EveryonceinawhilealocaleventintheBayAreawouldloomonthehorizonandI’dstartpracticingharderandpayingmoreattention—makingsuremyequipmentwasallsetandthatIgotagoodnight’ssleep.Mymothermade sure Iwas eating right. For a tournament I paid a lotmoreattentiontowhatIwasdoingbeforeandduringthematchormatches.I’msureyoudothesamething.

InthoseearlydaysI’dplaythirtyorforty“fun”matches(andhitagainstthewallforhoursandhours)foreverytournamentthatIentered.Overtheyearsthatratiograduallychanged.OnedayIwokeupandrealized(asapro)thatIdidn’teverplayamatchjustfor“fun”anymore.VirtuallyeverysinglematchIplayedwasatournamentmatch.InolongerhadonesetofrulesthatIusedfor“fun”orsocialmatchesandanothersetofrulesforpreparingforatournament.Ihadtobe tournament toughall the time. Ihad topayattentionall the timebecauseagreatdealofmoneywasatstake.

Mypointisthis.Manyoftheideasandtipsinthisbookrequiresomeefforttoabsorb and apply. But if you genuinely want to improve your game, properintegration of these ideas will give you dramatic results: you will win moreoften.And,you’llhavealotoffunbringingthementalpartoftennisintoyourgame.

Desire,Dedication,Diligence

Approachitasyouwouldapproachatournament.Applyyourselftothetaskandmakeaconscientiousefforttobeasmarterandmoreawareplayer.Workatit.MostofwhatIdiscussinWinningUgly involvesmentalalertness:recognizingopportunity, analyzing options, capitalizing on the opportunity with the bestoption.Recognize.Analyze.Capitalize.

Youmight comparemy approach to TimGallwey’s in his bookThe InnerGameofTennis.Hefocuseson the rightbrain,or intuitiveprocess. I focusontheleftbrainprocess.Theleftsideofyourbrainistheadministrator,checkingdata and establishing priorities. Inmy approach to the game, that’s crucial towinning.

MentalManagement

Inadditiontothephysicalgameoftennisthereisamentalgamegoingonthatcanhaveaprofound impacton theoutcomeof thematch.Butyouhave tobeabletorecognizeandtakeadvantageofopportunities,toknowwhat’sgoingonbeforeandduringamatch.You’llwinifyouplaygoodleft-braintennis.

Youmustunderstandthatplayingtennisisnotjusteitherarightbrainorleftbrainactivity.Itusesbothsidesinanincrediblecombinationofspontaneousandcreative mental and physical responses, plus a cold analytical approach thatinvolvesobservationandcalculation.

Acquiring these newmental habits and incorporating them into your gamerequiresasmucheffortasdevelopingnewphysicalhabitsintennis.Youhavetowant to do it or it won’t happen. You have to apply the same approach youwouldusebeforeatournament—diligence,desire,dedication.

TheEarlyEdge

As you get ready for a match, make sure you are mentally and physicallyprepared. It’s anopportunitywaiting tobecapitalizedon, sogiveyourself theearlyadvantage.Usually thatopportunity is ignored,wasted.But for thesmartplayeritisthere,waitingtobeused.

1. Pre-MatchMental Preparation: Think about your opponent and developyourgameplanbeforeyougettothecourt.

2.ToolsoftheTrade:Yourequipmentcansavematchesforyou.Itcanalsocostyoumatches.Icanusuallytellbylookingatwhataclubplayerbringsintheirequipmentbaghowserioustheyareaboutwinning.

3.StretchforSuccess:Warmupthemusclesandthenstretchthemforbetterperformanceandlessriskofinjury.

4. Get the Early Lead: Begin your match intelligently with the goal ofgrabbingaquickbreakandestablishingearlydominance.

PlayingSmart

Alwaysbelievethatmostofthetimethereisawayforyoutowin.Youjusthavetofindit.

1. TheKey toVictory:During amatch accumulate information about howyou’rewinningandlosingpoints.Ask“Who’sdoingwhattowhom?”

2. Destroy Your Opponent’s Game Plan: Know what to do when youropponentiswinningpointsbyattackingyouinvariousways.

3.The“Hidden”AdPoints:Recognizetheoverlookeddynamicmomentsinthematchandknowwhattodowiththem.Butmainly,beawareofthemwhentheyoccur.

4. The Player’s Pit Stop: When the wheels come off a particular stroke,recognizeitandmakeanefforttocorrectitbeforeit’stoolate.

5.LearnFromtheLegends:Watchthetopplayersandapplytacticsthatworkforthemtoyourowngame.

MindGames,Psyching,andGamesmanship

Beawareof thepersonaldynamicsof thematchandrecognizewhat theotherplayer is doing to affect your game—gamesmanship, tempo, or anything elsethat can crack your concentration and take your mind off the goal. Protectyourself.

Thetwomostcommonerrorsthatrecreationaltennisplayersmakearethese:

1.Theydon’tthinkaboutwhatthey’redoing.2.Theydoittoofast.

Aerobic tennis is the result, players who rush around swatting the ball,oblivioustoalmosteverythingexceptkeepingtrackofthescore.There’snothing

wrongwiththat—afterall,it’sgoodforyourhealth—butifwinningisimportanttoyou,thenincorporatingwhat’sinthisbookwillbeworthwhile.

Gilbert’sGoldenRules

1.HaveaPlan

Aplayerwhohasaplanisathinkingplayer.Evenabadplanisbetterthannoplanatall.Abadplanwillberecognizedandchangedbyathinkingplayer.Theresultwillbeabetterplan.Betterplanswinmatches.

This applies to every aspect of your tennis. Have a plan for your mentalpreparation,stretching,warm-up,andthestartofyourmatch.Haveagameplanduring the match and a routine for assessing your effectiveness during thecompetition.Knowwhatyou’redoingoutonthecourt.

2.Don’tRush

Knowwhatisthebestpaceormatchtempoforyouandstickwithit.Don’tletyourselfgetrushedintoorthroughpoints.Bethoughtful,deliberate,observant,and analytical—incorporate left brain thinking into your tennis. You can’tcontrolyourpacewhenyou’replayingaerobictennis.

Follow these rulesand theother ideas I’vesuggestedandnotonlywillyouwinmore often, but you’ll have a great time figuring out how to do it. Youropponentswill start saying, “Hey, your strokes don’t look any different.Howcomeyou’rebeatingmemoreoften?”Smileandsay,“Justmyday,Iguess.”

18TheRoadtoNumberOne

Coauthor’sNote:MuchhashappenedsinceIfirstpresentedBradGilbertwithan idea for a book called Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis. Amongother things it has become one of the best-selling tennis books of the 1990s,receiving critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, Tennis Week, theIndianapolisNews,InsideTennis,theAtlantaJournal,LosAngelesDailyNews,Tennis,theSanFranciscoExaminer,andotherpublications.Mary Carillo, John McEnroe, Barry MacKay, Fred Stolle, Cliff Drysdale,

andothernetworktenniscommentatorsbeganmentioningournewbookintheirtelevisionbroadcasts:“Boy,that’sapagerightoutofWinningUgly!”CoachesathighschoolsandcollegesaroundthenationmadeWinningUgly

requiredreadingformanyoftheirplayers.Infact,headcoachesatTexasAandM, the University of Washington, Stanford, the University of California-Berkeley,theUniversityofFlorida,andelsewheregavetheirentireteamscopiesofWinningUgly to study.TheN.C.A.A.Division ICoachof theDecade,DickGould,calledWinningUgly“superb!”MichaelChangwasevenspottedbuyingacopyofWinningUgly.It’sbeing

serializedinJapanbythatcountry’sleadingtennispublication,TennisClassic,andwillbepublishedsooninEurope.Hey,evenTonyBennettlikesit.But, along the way something else happened that brought Winning Ugly

moreattentionthanalloftheabove;namely,AndreAgassiaskedBradGilbertto become his coach. Twelve and a half months later Agassi had risen fromnumber thirty-two in theworld to number one and hadwon twoGrand SlamtitlesincludingtheU.S.Open.Suddenly such “un-tennis” publications as The NewYorker, Esquire, The

New York Times, Men’s Journal, and Newsweek were mentioning WinningUglyinfeaturestoriesaboutAgassi’smeteoricrisetothetopandtheroleBradGilbert had played in it. Recently, Brad was voted Coach of the Year by theUnitedStatesTennisRegistry.InseparateinterviewsIaskedeachofthemtoevaluatetheotherandreflect

andcommentonwhatisoneofthemostextraordinarytennisrelationshipsinthe

historyofthegame.What follows is the number oneCoach and the number onePlayer talking

aboutlosing,winning,andhowtheygottothetop.

“C’mon, Andre. Stop middle! Stop middle!” I’m watching Michael Changbounce theball during this important semifinalmatch in the ’96SybaseOpenandknowwhat’sabouttohappen.SteveJamison,mycoauthor,leansoverandgivesmealook.“Stopmiddlewhat?”heasks.

Boom!Changunloadsanaceupthemiddletotakea4–2leadinthethirdsetofamatchheshouldhavelostintwo.Jamisonnodshisheadasthecrowdroars.Andreissteamed.“Middle!Middle!”I’mthinking,“We’vegotabigproblem.Youdon’tletChangbackintoamatchlikethisoryoulose.”

Coachingvs.Playing

OnethingI’velearnedsinceAndreandIgottogetherasplayerandcoachisthatit’salottougherplayingthancoaching.Sittingonthesidelinesit’sfairlyeasytospotamatchandseewhat’shappening;who’sdoingwhattowhom.It’stotallysomethingelsetobeintheringfightingforyourlife.It’seasytogetdistracted,andAndre had gotten distracted; by the crowd, bymistakes causedmaybe byimpatience,byChang.Evenhisdo-ragstartedbotheringhim.

Sitting in the comfort of the friend’s box I could seeMichaelwas causingsomemajorbleedingservingAndreupthecenterandhewasdoingitonalmostevery important pressure point. Reason?Chang is short,maybe 5’8”, and it’stougherforhimtohit thewideservebecause thenet’shigherat thesides. It’ssimple physics or geometry.Whatever it is, it’s easier for him to do damageservingupthemiddleonbothdeuceandadcourts.AguylikeSamprasdoesn’thavethatproblembecausehe’stallerandhasthoselongarms.Petemaystand6feettallbutheserves7feettallandlovestoswingyouwide.Andhecandoitunderpressure.

Even with Chang’s new long racket he has more trouble going wide,especially under pressure. So hewas picking up lots of points, big points, bypoundingupthemiddle.Atonestageheservedmiddleninestraighttimes;fiveforcleanwinnersorweakreturns.Overandover.Whenhegotaheadinagamehemighttrywide,butotherwiseno.Middle.

World’sNumberOneatStake

This Saturday night match near San Francisco is important because if AndrewinsheadvancestothefinalsSundayagainstPeteSampras.Thewinnerofthatmatchthenmovestonumberoneintheworldrankings.Itwouldbethefirsttimein the history of tennis two players, neither ofwhom are ranked number one,would fight for control of the top spot. (ED. NOTE: Thomas Muster had beennumberoneverybrieflyinFebruaryof’96,butbylosinginthefirstroundofatournament elsewhere he was about to lose his top ranking. The winner of aSundaynight final-roundAgassi/Samprasmatchwouldbe elevated toaworldrankingofnumberone.)

Awinherewould start up ’96 real good; agreat return to form forAndre,whohadrippedachestmuscleduringDavisCupplayandhadbeenoutofactionfor three months until the ’96 Australian Open. There Chang beat him instraights.

OfftoaQuickStart

The night started out fine for Andre. He was hitting hard, very focused andmethodical,andtookthefirstset6–2.Nosweat.Thesecondsetgotevenbetterbecause Chang started making some very rare unforced errors as he tried tomake something happen. Chang donating points is like snow in Las Vegas.Doesn’thappenmuch.So,Andre isup a set and it’s4–2 in the second.Eightpointsfromatickettothefinals.Butthenitbegan.

Ididn’tnoticeatfirst,butveryquietlyashiftinthematchtakesplace.Changsettlesdownandstopsdonatingpoints,whichIexpected.ButatthesametimeAndre begins to hurry it up just a little; rushing to finish the point off tooquickly.Missinghisfirstserve,givingChangalookatthesecond.Hemayhavebeenjustalittleeagertocloseoutthematch,butwhateveritishe’schangedhisplaypattern.Verysubtle,butdefinitelyachange.

NowAndreisservingat4–2,upaset;ahugemomentinthematch.IcallittheSuperSet-UpGamebecausethisgamecanreallyleverageAndre’sposition,puttinghim just4points away fromvictory. Ifheholds servehe’sgotChangright in thecrosshairs.LosinggetsChangbackonserveandcouldcompletelychangethedynamicsofthematch.Changgetsasecondsuckofthegas.SoI’mthinking,“Hold,Andre.Getthatfirstservein.”

Nosuchluck.Changbreaksback.Uh-oh.Onserveat3–4,secondset.But,abreakisneverabreakuntilyouhold.MaybebreakingbackwilldefocusMichaelalittle,makehimalittleovereager.Maybenot.Changdoesn’tdefocustwiceinonematch.Andre keeps trying for the quick kill; hasty, trying to finish it off

maybe one or two shots early.Maybe three. And it continues that way, withChangholdingtogo4–4.

I thinkAndre’salsoa littleagitatedbecause thecrowd ischeeringChang’scomeback.Theywantathirdset,anditdoesn’tmatterwhoyouare,thecrowdwill turnonyou if itmeans theygetmore tennis.Andre throwsoffhisdo-ragwhenhelooksupatthehugeoverheadmonitorandnoticesthatit’soncrooked.Thatgetsthecrowdgoingagainandover10,000fansstartwhoopingitup.Hedoesn’tlookhappy.I’mthinkinghe’sgottogetsomepatience.

ThePerfectPoint

What I mean by that is Andre ideally plays a point with Michael that goesbetweensixandnineshots.Inotherwords,againstaRetrieverlikeChangwhogets toeverything,Andre isbestoff ifhehits theballnofewer thansix timesand no more than nine times as he constructs the point trying to build anadvantageorsetupanopening.

Morethannineshotsandyou’reinawarofattritionandMichaellooksgood.Fewer than six hits and Andre is probably forced to go for the gigundo shotbecausethepointhasn’treallyopeneduprightyet.I’mspeakinggenerallynow.

Obviously, thereareexceptions,butover thecourseofamatchthis iswhatAndre’s lookingforagainstChang:constructanopeningwithbetweensixandnineshots.

Andre is lettingChangoff thehookby trying to finishoffpoints too soon.He’s serving now at 5–6, second set; still missing that first serve and lettingChanglookattoomanysecondswherehecantakechargeofthepoint.Changbreaksatlove.

He’soncruisecontrol.Thematchiseven,butonlyinthescore.Michaelhasall the momentum and he stays tough to go up 4–2 in the third. This one isslippingawayand it’sgoing tohurt.NowayAndreshould letChangwin thismatch.

SuddenlyChang’s just8points from the finals.But even thoughMichael’stenacious,letmetellyouthisaboutAndreAgassi:heissolid.Ilikehismentalattitude thesedays.Afewyearsagohemighthavefiguredthiswasn’thisdayandgoneoutquietly.NowAndrekeepslookingforawaytodigitoutrightupuntiltheend.Hemaynotwinit,buthe’llfightyourightdowntothewire.

Chang haswon six of the last nine games and is getting close to having astrangleholdonthisthing.ButAndrestartstosettledown.Icanseehe’sgotten

backintohisrhythmandisfocused.HelooksoverinourdirectionandIcanseehiseyeslookcalm,focused.Actuallyzonedisabetterdescription.

Andrewins16of thenext21pointsandfourstraightgames.He just reallystarted racking theball anddictating thepoints;waiting for thegoodopening.And he stopsmiddle;makes the adjustment and starts anticipatingmiddle forservicereturnsthatarehuge.Justreallysweet.

Sweeter than thenextnightwhenPete showsup inhisownzone.His firstserveofthematchisclockedat126mph.That’swhatyoucallcomingoutofthelocker room ready to play. Pete said later it was the best he had ever playedagainstAndre,andthewinlethimtakeoverthenumberonespotat12:01a.m.February19.Butstaytuned,folks.

RockandRollTennis

Andrewasthewildchildoftenniswhenhefirstcameuptenyearsago;almostlikearockstarorsomethingwiththelonghair,earrings,throwinghisshirtintothecrowd.Agreatshowman.

None of that stuff mattered much to me. What got my attention wassomething that was really crazy as far as I was concerned. Namely, Andrewasn’tusinghis talentright.Anybodycouldseehehadawesomeabilities,butwhatIsawwasaguywhodidn’tcapitalizeonthoseabilities.

Hesortofgotawaywithitbecausehehadsomuchtalentthathewasabletowinmatchesinspiteofhimself.Healsolostalotofthemheshouldhavewon.

Because he wasn’t thinking out on the court he was never consistent longterm.Playersheshouldhavebeatwouldbeathim.Matchesheshouldhavewonhe lost.Now and then he’d put it together and reach perfection, likewhen hebeatIvanisevicinthe’92WimbledonfinalstowinhisfirstSlam.

Hegotuptonumberthreeintheworldatonepoint,butwatchinghimplaywasalmostpainful formeat timesbecauseof thishuge talenthewascarelessabout.I’dseehimmaketremendousshotsandthenfollowthemupwithalittledrop shot fromback of the baseline, almost like hewas playing an exhibitionandworkingtoentertainthecrowd.

So over the years I had kept track of his game just like I kept track ofanybodyelseonthetour.Iknewwhathewasdoingandhadagoodideaofwhathe should be doing if hewanted towinmore. But I never in amillion yearsthoughtaboutcoachinghimoranybodyelse.

HowIBecameAndre’sCoach

During the ’94 Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Andre and I werehaving dinner at a little Italian restaurant on Fisher Island. Since winningWimbledonAndrehaddroppedtonumberthirty-twointheworldbecauseofavarietyofthingsincludingawristinjurythatrequiredsurgeryandalayoff.Butthewristwasn’ttherealissue.

SomewherebetweenthespaghettiandthespumonithatnightAndreaskedmeifIhadanyideasthatmight improvehisgame.I thoughthewasjustshootingthebreeze,soIstartedtellinghimhowhewasn’tplayingtohispotential;howhecouldusemorestrategizingduringmatches;howhewasplayingoutsidethecourt,backonhisheelsbehind thebaseline.Heused tobe inside thebaselinewhenhehitgroundstrokesand I toldhim that.He is thegreatestplayer in thehistoryoftennisfortakingtheballontherise,soitmadenosensewhatsoevertobestandingbehindthebaselineandlettingtheballdrop.

I also told him it seemed tome hewas inconsistent frommatch tomatch;sometimesreadytogo,butothertimesalmostlikehehadn’tthoughtaboutthematchorhisopponent. I toldhimhe’dplay looseagainstaplayeruntilhegothimselfintroubleandthentrytodighimselfoutbygoingforhugewinnersfromthebaseline.

Butreally,Idon’tthinkItoldAndreanythinghedidn’talreadyknoworfeel.He’ssmart,sowhatIwassayingmadesensewithwhathewasthinking.Itreallyhappened that casually. He says, “Let’s work together when we can. Keep itloose,hitattournamentswe’rebothplayingandtalkonthephone.”Idon’tthinktheword“coach”waseverusedandwedidn’tevenhaveacontract.

At first I kept playingmy own schedule of tournaments and just let thingsprogresslikewehaddiscussedoverdinner;hittingattournaments,phonecalls.ItoldAndre that Ididn’texpect toseeanyreal results in tournaments foraboutfivemonthsbecauseofhis layoff. It turnsout thatwasagoodguess.Nothinghappened at first and Andre’s results at the Italian, French, Wimbledon, andelsewhereweregenerallynottoogood.

Then,almostexactlyfivemonthsafterwetalkedatFisherIslandoverplatesof pasta, hewent toToronto andwon the ’94CanadianOpen.Next stop: theU.S. Open, where Andre would go in unseeded because of his low ranking(numbernineteenworldwide).

TheMagicofBelieving

I feltverystrongly thatAndrecouldwin itall inNewYorkbecausehisgamehadreallyclickedinduringthetournamentinCanada.Hewasjustthinkingso

welloutonthecourtandItoldhimthathecouldgoallthewayinNewYork.HemusthavethoughtIwaskiddingbecausehesaid,“IfIwinyougottashaveoffyourbodyhairlikeIdidatWimbledonlastyear,OK?”IhadabadfeelingIwasgoingtobeshavingmychestinabouttwoweeks.

Nevertheless, Andre had a huge task in front of him as the tournamentunfolded.HehadtoplayWayneFerreira,MichaelChang,ThomasMuster,ToddMartin,and,inthefinals,MichaelStich.Andrebeatthemall.

NobodyinthehistoryoftheU.S.Openhadwonthewayhehaddoneit:thehardway,beating five seededplayersen route to thechampionship.Watchinghimgainmomentumandconfidence,seeinghisperformanceandmental focusgohigherandhigherwasstunning.Hisconcentrationjustgotwhitehot.

After that he started callingme “theBeliever.”More important than that, IsawthatAndrewasabeliever.

TwodaysafterhewonhisfirstU.S.OpentitleImadegoodonmypromiseand went on national television where my wife, Kim, got out the razor andshavedoffmychesthair.Ipaymybets.

Long-TermThinking

But Iwantedusboth thinkingbeyondone tournamentor title. I never felt thegoal forAndrewas towin anotherGrandSlam,but towinGrandSlam titles.That’swhytheonlythingIsaidtohimwhenhecameovertothefriend’sboxafterbeatingMichaelStich in the ’94U.S.Openfinalwas,“Australia’snext.”Nikegave aparty for everybody later thatnight at IlVagabondo restaurant inManhattanandI repeated thatmessageagain.Sixmonths laterhebeatPete towinthe’95AustralianOpen.

OnApril10,1995,Andrehitnumberoneandstayedthereforthirtyweeks.Pete grabbed it back, Thomas Muster had it for a few days, and then PetereclaimeditthatSundaynightattheSybasetournament.IthinkPeteandAndrearegoingtobefightingforthetopspotforawhile.

19AndreAgassion“WinningUgly”

“WinningUgly”tomeisbeingabletofigureouthowtowinevenwhenyou’renotatyourbest;whenthingsaren’tgoingyourwayandyou’vegottodomorethanjusthittheballhard.That’soneofthebigthingsI’velearnedfromBrad—howtowinuglywhenit’snecessary.

BradGilbert isagreat talker. In fact,he’salways talking.When I firstmethim on tour it really kind of botheredme because he talked somuch; alwayssaying something or trying to strike up a conversation with somebody. I’mwondering “Geez, howcome thisguy’s in everybody’sbusiness?He’s talkingallthetime!”Butthat’sBeej.He’sgotanopiniononeverybodyandeverything.

ThenweplayedDavisCuptogetherinGermanybackin’89andIstartedtogettoknowhimalittlebetter.Plus,Imethiswife,Kim,who’sagreatperson,andI’mthinking,“Ifshethinkshe’sOK,maybeheis.”WehaddinnertogetherafewtimesoverthenextcoupleofmonthsandIlearnedthateventhoughBeejmaytalkalot,whenitcomestosportsheusuallyknowswhathe’stalkingabout.Especiallytennis.

So,that’showwegottoknoweachotheratfirst;hangingaroundbeforeandafter some Davis Cup matches and practice sessions, at other tournaments, apizzaonceinawhile.Itwasverycasual,butgraduallyIgottoknowhimbetterandwebecamefriends.I’mgladwedid.

AppreciatingBrad’s“Ugly”Game

What Beej has done for my game since we got together is unmistakable andnobodyelsecouldhavedoneitbecausenobodyknowsthegamebetter.There’snoquestion inmymindabout that.Hehasa tremendousunderstandingof thewhole deal; strategy, tactics,match dynamics, and how to apply them to beatplayerslikePete,MichaelChang,Boris,Courier,andothers.

He’svery scientificwhen it comes to analyzingopponents.Bradputs themunder a microscope and can just see really clearly where their flaws are and

where they’re strong; especiallywhere the cracks in their game appear duringbig-pointpressure,whereitcounts.

I first ran into that ability of hiswhen I playedhim in tournaments. Itwasalways a nerve-racking kind of experience, because he wouldn’t let you playyourgame.

Inpreparationforhimyoucouldneverfeelascomfortableasyoucouldwithother guys, because you knew somehow Brad would take you out of yourrhythm;thathewouldjerkyouaroundoutthere.Youendedupplayinghisgameinsteadofmakinghimplayyourgame.

Itwasalmost like takinga tennis lesson,becausehewasalwayscomingupwithsurprises.Youneverknewwhenhewasgoingtoattackorwhenhewasn’t.Youneverknewwhenhewasgoingtopoundtheballorwhenhewasgoingtomassage it.What youdid knowwas that hewould never let you settle into agrooveandgetcomfortablehittingyourgoodstuff.

Playing himwas very frustrating because he had this tremendous ability toexploitaplayer’sgame;tojustpickataweaknessuntilhewouldstarttobreakyoudown.Andinadditiontohavingagreatmindfortennishealsohadheart.Hejustnevergaveuponamatch.

Andifyouwerearookie,forgetit.RookieswerebreakfastforBrad.IknowbecausethefirsttimeIeverplayedhimasarookieIwentonthecourtthinking“easymatch”andcameoff thecourt thinkingI’d justhadabaddream.Itwasugly.Ifyouwerearookie,youweren’tgoingtobeathim.

By January of ’94 I had fallen from a world ranking of number three tonumber thirty-two.MydayswithNickBolletieriwerebehindme. I had spentsometimewithPanchoSegura.IthoughtmaybeBradandIshouldhavealittletalk.

AWinningFormula

InFloridaduringtheLiptonChampionships inMarchof’94Iaskedhimifhehadanyideasaboutmygame;whatIcoulddotopickitup.Youcanguesshewasn’t at a loss forwords.Right awayhe started tellingmewhat I should bedoing to win more. Everything he said was right. Mainly what he said was,“Think.”

Hetoldme,“IfyouplaySamprasthesamewayyouplayChang,you’lllose.IfyouplayBecker likeyouplayCourier,you’ll lose.Eachplayer isdifferent.Your strategy should be different for each of them.”He’s right, and applyingwhathesaidhasturnedmygamecompletelyaround.

“WorkaPlan”

Bradbelievesthattowinconsistentlyatanylevelyou’vegotto“workaplan.”Thatmeansduringamatchyou’vegottohaveaclearstrategyforwhatyouwanttodoandthenworkhardtoforceitonyouropponent.Thatsoundssimple,butthe key to its success is having the right strategy or plan. And in order toaccomplishthatyouneedtodothreethingscorrectly.Here’ssomebasicBrad:

1.Knowyourstrengthsandweaknesses.2.Understandyouropponent’sstrengthsandweaknesses.3.Spendtimethinkingabout“HowcanIputmystrengthsonmyopponent’sweaknesses?”

Iwasn’tdoingit.Bradcouldn’tbelieveitwhenItoldhimthatsometimesI’ddecidewhereIwasgoingtohitmyserveduringtheballtoss.ForBrad,thatwasunacceptablebecausehewasthekindofplayerwhowouldthinkaboutwherehewasgoingtohithisservetwoweeksbeforethetoss.

Strategizing

OneofthefirstthingshetoldmewasIhadtogoinforthekillwhenIopenedupthecourt.HefeltI lovedtopoundthegroundstrokessomuchthatevenafterIopenedup thecourtby swingingaguyoutwide toget aweak return I’d staybacktohitanotherhardone.Bradsaid,“Whenyougetthechancetoendapointyou’vegottotakeit.Goinforthekill.”

He also got me thinking about my serve. Instead of just spinning it in, Istarted using it to help set up the point. In the ’94 U.S. Open final againstMichael Stich, Brad and I discussed the need to mix up my serves so hewouldn’t be able to get comfortable, go on the offensive, and take the net. Itworked.StraightsetsforaGrandSlamtitle.

TurningWeaknessintoStrength

Now thismay seem like fairly basic stuff, but it’s amazing how players limittheirphysical talentsbynotutilizing theirmental talents. Iknowthiswas trueforme.Infact,there’snodoubtthatmymindusedtobemyweaknessbecauseIdidn’tthinkIneededtouseit.IthoughtIcouldjustgooutthereandhitharderthantheotherguy.

Playersknew thatevenwhen Iwasplayingwell, if theycould justhang inthere longenoughIwouldprobablygive thematchaway.I really like thefactthat I’ve proven to myself that you can take a weakness and turn it into astrength.

IgetthefeelingnowtheyknowthatevenifI’mnotplayinggreatI’llbeonthemsomuchthattheymaylosealittleheart—likemaybeit’sjustnotworthit.

IdofeelthatdifferencesinceBeejandIteamedup.Playersgivemethatkindof respect and I can sense it. They know that I’m out there physically andmentally100percentuntilthelastpoint.

Another big thing is that Brad has played and beaten the same guys I’mfacingoutthere.Heknowsfromexperiencewhattheycanorcan’tdoonthebigpointsandhe’sgoodatworkingaplantomatchmygameupagainstotherguys.

Courier’sCannon

Forexample,withJimCourieryouknowgoinginthathisforehandisacannon.Butalotofplayersfearitsomuchthatthey’lltrytogettheballtohisbackhandearly in the point. I don’t do that now because I’ve learned that while Jim’sbackhandisvulnerable,it’salotmorevulnerableifhehastohititonthemove.

SofirstIgotoJim’sstrengthontheforehandside,whichopensupthecourtandexposes that runningbackhand.That’swhenhe’llhavea lotmore troublethanifhesetsupfor it.You’vesomehowgot toopenupthecourtsoyoucanmakehimhitthatbackhandwhilehe’smoving.It’salmostasurepointifIcandothat.

Brad used to try the same thing as a player by swinging Jimwide off thedeucecourtwithhisserve.Idoitonboththeserveandwiththegroundstrokesearlyinthepoint.

TheplanIworkisonlyslightlydifferentfromwhateveryoneelseistryingtodoagainstJim,but itusesmystrength(groundstrokes) tosetuphisweakness,which is not the backhand, but the running backhand. And the reason it’svulnerableishisgrip.Hishandiswrappedsofarundertheracketitlooksalmostlikehe’sswingingabaseballbat.It’sthekindofthingBradlikestonoticeandexploit.

BeckerIsTooStubborn

My plan against Boris (Becker) is really almost no plan at all because of hisstubbornness.Borisjustplaysmeverystraightup.He’saverystubbornperson

and because of it stays at the baseline toomuch and tries to poundme. Thisplaysrightintomystrength,groundstrokes.

It’salmostlikeBorisissostubbornaboutwhathebelieveshecandothatitprevents him from accepting the fact that he can’twin doing it againstme. Itpreventshim from trying something else. It’s very surprising. It’s kindof likeBorisattacksmystrengthwithhisweakness.Againstotherguysyou’llseehimmixingitupalot.Againstmehegetsalittlebitrattled.Hewaitsalittletoolongforashortball,andallowsmetoexploithismovement,whichisn’tasgoodasCourier’s. His backhand becomesmore of a weakness because of his lack ofgoodfootspeed.

TheotheradvantageIworkisoffhisserve.Ireturnservewell,whichtakesawayBoris’snaturalgame.

Nevertheless,heisaverydangerousplayer.InthesemisatWimbledonin’95Iwasup6–2,4–1andplayingabsolutelyperfecttennis.Infact,Borissaidlatermyplayinthefirstsetwastheabsolutebesttennishehadeverfacedanywhere.

ButatWimbledonBorisisneverdead,andhecamebacktolifeinthesixthgameofthesecondsetafterafantasticpointthathemanagedtowin.Thatsinglepointconvincedhimthathecouldwinthematch.AtthesametimeIhadgoneoncruisecontrolandhadmentallystartedthinkingaboutthefinalsagainstPete.Boriswoninfoursets,2–6,7–6,6–4,7–6.WemetupagaintwomonthslaterattheU.S.Openwithabetterresultforme.

PeteIsNearlyPerfect

Pete(Sampras)isthemosttalentedplayerontour.Hedoeseverythingwellandjust doesn’t have any really notable weaknesses. However, the one thing thatmaybe isn’t as strong as everything else is Pete’s return of serve.He likes tofloatthatreturnbackandthenworkhimselfintothepoint.

Brademphasizedthatthisiswhereyou’vegottohurthimquickly.IworkonservingbigintoPetetogetthefloaterreturnortheshorterreturnandthentrytohurt him right away.You can’twait for him to get back in the point.He canworkthattransitiongame,goingfromdefensetooffense,betterthananybodyinthe world. You think you’ve got him on the defense and all of a sudden heexplodesononeballandhe’sontheoffense.

SowithPeteyou’vegottomakehimpayforeveryshorterballthathegivesyou.InthepastIwouldn’tbethataggressiveincapitalizingontheshorterballopportunity.Bradmadea livingoutof looking for the slightestopening.Now

he’s got me thinking more like that; looking to appreciate and exploitopportunities.

Of course, Pete’s serve is something else. Even if you’re leaning the rightwayhecanbeatyouwithit.Youjusthavetohopeyoucanguessrightalotorthatheisn’tonit.Andifhisfirstserveismissing,I’vegottojumponhissecondserve.BradalsogetsmetolookforPetetoservethewideslicetomyforehandinthedeucecourtunderpressure.Helikestohit itandthencomeinbehinditwithanapproachshot.Sameontheadcourt;underpressurePetelikestohitupthemiddleandcomeinbehindit.

The other element of Pete’s game that you’ve really got to respect is hisrunningforehandbothonthebaselineandwhenheapproachesbehindit.It’samajorweapon,butyoucan’trespectitsomuchthatyounevergotoitandjustlethimhitforehandsfromthebackhandside.You’llseehimcampaboutthreefeettotheleftofthecenterofthebaseline.Bradkeepstellingme,“GetPeteoffhispitcher’smound.Gethimoffthatspot.”SoItrytoworkapointwherehe’snotalwayshittingfromhisfavoritespotonthecourt,whichmeansgoingtohisstrength.

Bradand I talka lotabout thatmixtureofexposingaplayer’sweaknessorvulnerabilitybygoingathisstrength.It’sadelicatebalancesometimes,butit’sthekeytocrackingopenamatch.Itworks.IbeatPeteinthefinalsoftheLiptonChampionships, Australian Open, and Canadian Open in ’95. But it doesn’tworkallthetime.HegotmeinthefinalsoftheU.S.Openthatsameyear.ButasI’vesaidbefore,whenPete’sat100percentofhisgameandI’mat90percentofmygame,itfeelslikeI’matabout60percent.

Basically,whenweplayhe’sgoingtoholdserveandI’mgoingtobeathimfrom the ground. The question is, do I break him or does he beatme on theground?Theonewhocandoitusuallywins.

ChallengingChang

Of all the top ten players, if I’m playing my game I prefer to play MichaelChangoveranybodyelse.That’sbecauseImatchupwellagainstChang.BythatImeanIfeeltheonlythinghedoesoutonthecourtbetterthanmeismove.So,if I’mon top ofmygamehe should have no say-so in thematch. I just havemorefirepowerthanhedoes.It’sliketwoheavyweightboxersgoingtoetotoeandoneofthemweighs25poundsmorethantheotherone.Ishouldwin.

What I do againstMichael is attack his strength,which is speed. In fact, Ilook forward to his speed, because if he gets to one ball he’ll have to run to

anotherone.Iwanthimtogettotheball.Mymentalityis,“Icanhittheseballsside to side a lot longer than Michael can run side to side.” Basically, mystrengthisbiggerthanMichael’s.WhatIhavetobeispatient.Brad’sgotmealotbetteratbeingpatient.

OvercomingMyOwnMistakes

Inthe’95AustralianOpenfinalsagainstPeteinthefirstsetIwasholdingserveeasilyandhadthreechancestobreakhimbutdidn’t.ThenIwasservingat4–5andthegameandsetsuddenlyjustsortofslippedaway.Petehitsagoodshot.Imakeoneerror.Suddenlyit’slove–30.Then15–40.AndthenIdouble-faulttogive away the set! A double fault to lose the first set of a Slam? It wasunbelievable.

Believeme,Iwasupset;reallyangeredbecauseIshouldhavewonthesetatleasttwiceandinsteadlostitwithadoublefault.Iwasveryangry.

Buthere’s thedifference.WithBrad I’veworked to turn that emotion, thatanger, intoapositivedirectioninsteadofnegative.Insteadofgettingmedownthat anger candriveme to another level. I feel like I get a shotof adrenaline.AlmostlikeIgointoafullcourtpressinbasketball.

AgainstPete in that secondset in theAustralian finals I justcameoutveryintense;goingaftereveryrebound,thefullcourtpress,onhimalloverthecourt.Iwas fighting for everythingandall of a sudden it’s6–1and I’mback in thematch.Notonlybackinthematch.Iwonitinfour.

WinningUgly

OneofthebiggestthingsI’vegottenfromBradishowtostayinamatchwhenthings aren’t going my way. He believes that 5 percent of the time youropponentisinthezoneandyouwon’twin;5percentofthetimeyou’reinthezoneandcan’tlose.Buttheother90percentofthetimeit’supforgrabs;thereisawaytowin.You’vejustgottofigureoutwhatitis.Andtodothatyou’vegotto stay positive.You’ve got to believe. I’ve been doing that a lot better thesedays,thankstoBrad.

Acknowledgments

BradGilbertMywife,Kim;myson,Zach;mydaughter,JulieMyparents,Barry,Sr.,andElaineGilbertMybrother,Barry,Jr.,andmysister,DanaMycoach,TomChivington,andGeorgieChivingtonAllthekidsattheBradGilbertTennis

CampsSteveJamisonEdstrom:Mydad,Ev,whoistheworld’sbestcoachMymother,Mary,whoistheworld’sbestPat,Krs,Kate,andKim,mysisters

TheEdstroms,Cronens,McKegneys,Brands,andStarks,ourfamilyDr.GeorgeSheehan—arunnerwhoinspiredalotofustobecomeathletes

BRADGILBERTisconsideredbymostexpertstobetheworld’sforemost tennis strategistand tactician.A former“GiantKiller”on theATPTour, he is now one of theworld’s top tennis analysts for ESPN.Gilbert has coached Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and AndyMurray,amongothers.HelivesinSanRafael,California,withhiswife,Kim,andthreechildren,Zach,Julian,andZoe.

BradGilbertTennis.com

STEVEJAMISON is a bestselling author who has collaboratedwithUCLA’s legendary JohnWooden and former SanFrancisco 49ersheadcoachBillWalsh,amongothers.HelivesinSanFrancisco.

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Winningugly:mentalwarfareintennis—lessonsfromamaster/byBradGilbertandSteveJamison,p.cm.

Originallypublished:Secaucus,N.J.:CarolPub.Group,1993.“AFiresidebook.”1.Tennis—Psychologicalaspects.I.Jamison,Steve.

[GV1002.9.P75G541992]796.342'01'9—dc20

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