How
can players ensure
practice maximizes
ability?
Optimizing your game
through efficient and
intelligent practice
sessions is easier
said than done. While
it is true that there
are no shortcuts to
becoming a pro,
practicing all hours
of the day is
similarly not the
secret of success. All
aspiring tennis
professionals will be
familiar with the
sight of that player
at their local club
who diligently
practices and
practices for several
hours a day but never
seems to improve. This
is simply because
their current practice
regiment has been
exhausted and is no
longer able to provide
the player with the
necessary framework
for future success.
What
can players learn from
high performance
athletes that can be
readily converted in
to their current
practice routines?
Below are three key
areas to address in
order to have an
efficient and
constructive practice.
Practice outside of
your ‘comfort zone’
According to research,
in order to become a
master of your domain
you are required to
‘log’ a minimum of
10,000 hours of
practice spanning at
least a decade in time
if you are to become
World Class.
However many athletes
believe that
practicing for hours
on end is their key to
success, yet studies
have shown virtually
no benefit to an
athlete’s performance
when durations of
practice exceed four
hours per day, thus
indicating the
‘required’ 10,000
hours must be
coherently structured,
and deliberate if you
are seeking to be an
expert performer. Each
practice you
participate in offers
you a chance to master
a new skill and add
more dimensions to
your game, thus,
practicing new drills
will increase your
repertoire of shots.
Challenge yourself by
setting goals
During a practice you
should address all
aspects of the game as
often as possible,
testing yourself in
areas including, but
not limited too;
physical, tactical,
mental, emotional and
technical. For
example, instead of
hitting crosscourt
forehands with your
partner for an unset
amount of time, you
should set a goal for
each of the areas
listed above, e.g.
‘hit cross-court
forehands past the
service line for five
minutes with no
errors, whilst
recovering back to the
center of the court
between shots,
utilizing different
stances (open, closed
and semi-open)
·
Physical - Recovering
back center of the
court between shots
·
Tactical - All past
the service line
·
Mental/emotional - For
five minutes making no
errors
·
Technical - Utilizing
different stances
Now
we can see how a
simple drill has
measurable outcomes
and a specific
purpose, and so the
rate at which we can
improve our level of
performance has been
greatly accelerated.
