Doesn't Matter Whether You Win or Lose, It's How You Play the Game

Amazing how much I actually learn from Tennis. Today's another lesson. Played a singles match today. Did well at first, winning first game, but subsequently fell on the losing end. Finally lost 5-3. After the match, as I was leaving, and the court lights were dimming, I asked my coach what my single biggest fault was.

I expected him to tell me, it was my stamina, or lack thereof. I was panting and panting, and it was plain obvious that the game, as it went on, will end up with my collapsing from a burst lung, or a heart attack. I couldn't run for the ball, couldn't see the ball clearly, and was heaving and ho-ing until I had to call time to get a drink and a decent rest.

Instead, he told me, it was my lack of consistency. My forehands and backhands, however good, were erratic and error-prone. When I hit the ball, it was for the sake of getting the shot across the net, and within the court. All the training and classes, and the endless drilling of looking at the point of contact, the leg movement, the follow-through, the loosening of the grip, the position of the ball... all gone when i play a game.

He's totally right. I forget all my 10+ classes worth of training each time i play. And the more i play outside class, the more i entrench my mistakes. the more i entrench my mistakes, the worse i get... with i'm playing so much, I forget why i'm playing so much.

It's not about winning the point, it's about how i hit the ball every time. He tells me, even when i mis-hit the shot, i must still do the follow-through, still must have the right back swing, still must have the correct leg movement. Every time i mis-hit, it's one thing to laugh it off, but i should learn from mistakes, instead of repeating them again and again.

I tell him, whenever i try to remember everything he tells me to, all the proper stroke and stance and all, i invariably miss/lose the ball. Too much things on my mind forces me to lose focus on the ball, on the shot... only when i ignore my training then can i actually even hit the ball.

However, he tells me, just like studying, when i get a math question wrong, i don't just move on. I force myself to understand why i did it wrong, and repeat again and again until it's 2nd nature to me. Until it's built into my subconscious, that i no longer have to think, until it makes complete logical sense. Tennis is exactly the same thing. keep doing it right, until it makes perfect physical sense. If i can study well, i can play tennis well. If i can play tennis well, I can live life right.

I can live life right!

in the meantime, going to work on my stamina....