🎾 Tennis Chiến Lược Encyclopedia Mindgame¶
Giới Thiệu¶
Tennis Chiến Lược Encyclopedia Mindgame — tài liệu 103 trang từ thư viện sách tennis.
Chủ đề chính: Giao bóng, Strategy
Tóm tắt nội dung (trích từ tài liệu gốc): TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA Start winning against players you've never beaten before ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in anyform whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated and signed permission from the author. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES The information presented herein represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. This e-book is for informational purposes only and the author does not
Lưu ý: Nội dung dưới đây được trích xuất tự động từ PDF gốc tiếng Anh, giữ nguyên ngôn ngữ để bảo toàn độ chính xác kỹ thuật.
Nội Dung Gốc (Tiếng Anh)¶
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
TENNIS STRATEGY
ENCYCLOPEDIA
Start winning against
players you've
never beaten before
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in anyform whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,recording, or by
any informational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated and signed permission from the author.
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES
The information presented herein represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. This e-book is for informational purposes only and
the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities resulting from the use of this information. Although the suggestions may be helpful,
it is always your choice as to how you interpret and act upon this information. Accordingly, Tomaz Mencinger and Tennismindgame.com expressly
disclaim all andany liability in relation to any act or omission that is done by any person in reliance on all or any part of this material, information
or opinion. Tomaz Mencinger's qualifications are that of an experienced top athlete and coach which must in no way be misconstrued with that of a
sports psychologist, as he is not associated with sports psychologists in any shape or form.While every attempt has been made to verify the informa-
tion provided here, the author and his resellers and affiliates cannot assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
FOREWORD .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
INTRODUCTION -- THE SECRET OF PLAYING GOOD TENNIS ....................................................................... 9
1. TENNIS STRATEGY -- THE WAY TO WINNING .................................................................................................. 13
1.1. So what is strategy and what is tactics? ................................................................................................ 14
1.2. Whom are you playing against? ................................................................................................................. 14
1.2.1. Tennis ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
1.2.2. Yourself (negative you) ........................................................................................................................... 15
1.2.3. The opponent ............................................................................................................................................. 16
1.3. Make Your Mind Your Best Ally ................................................................................................................... 17
PART I -- GENERAL TENNIS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS .................................................................................. 19
2. 4 BASIC TENNIS LAWS ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.1. Don't miss .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2. Play more crosscourt shots than down-the-line shots ............................................................ 22
2.3. Correctly cover the court ................................................................................................................................ 23
2.4. Second serve to the inside or to the weaker shot ....................................................................... 24
3. TENNIS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS .......................................................................................................................... 25
3.1. 6 general tennis strategies ............................................................................................................................. 26
3.2. Basic tennis tactics ............................................................................................................................................... 29
3.2.1. Serving .............................................................................................................................................................. 29
3.2.2. Returning Serve ......................................................................................................................................... 30
3.2.3. Playing from the baseline .................................................................................................................... 31
3.3. Advanced tennis tactics ................................................................................................................................... 34
3.3.1. Serving .............................................................................................................................................................. 35
3.3.2. Returning Serve ......................................................................................................................................... 36
3.3.3. Playing from the baseline .................................................................................................................... 37
3.4. Expert tennis tactics ........................................................................................................................................... 40
3.4.1. Serving .............................................................................................................................................................. 41
3.4.2. Returning Serve ......................................................................................................................................... 43
3.4.3. Playing from the baseline .................................................................................................................... 45
3.5. Review of basic, advanced and expert tennis tactics ............................................................... 49
3.6. Expert tennis playing tips ............................................................................................................................... 55
PART II -- PLAYING AGAINST A SPECIFIC TYPE OF OPPONENT ............................................................... 59
4. THE FOUR GAME TYPES ................................................................................................................................................... 60
4.1. 16 Combinations of winning against any type of player ........................................................ 62
4.1.1. If you are a counter-puncher .............................................................................................................. 63
4.1.2. If you are an aggressive baseliner ................................................................................................... 66
4.1.3. If you are an all-court player ............................................................................................................... 69
4.1.4. If you are serve-and-volleyer .............................................................................................................. 73
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
PART III -- SPECIFIC SITUATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 77
5. DIFFERENT COURT SURFACES AND STRATEGIES .......................................................................................... 78
5.1. Clay .................................................................................................................................................................................... 78
5.2. Hard court, indoors ............................................................................................................................................. 79
5.3. Grass -- synthetic and true grass court .............................................................................................. 80
6. SPECIAL SITUATIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 81
6.1. Playing in the wind ............................................................................................................................................... 81
6.2. Playing a lefty .......................................................................................................................................................... 82
6.3. Winning against a better player ................................................................................................................ 85
PART IV -- UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME ............................................................................. 89
7. TACTICAL DECISIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 91
8. STATISTICS AND INTUITION .......................................................................................................................................... 92
9. HOW TO APPLY ALL THIS? .............................................................................................................................................. 94
EPILOGUE .................................................................................................................................................................................... 95
SPECIAL BONUS REPORT ................................................................................................................................................. 96
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................................. 103
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA FOREWORD
FOREWORD
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
FOREWORD TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Author,s Note
The English language is going through a change that makes using a third person pronoun to
refer to a person of unspecified gender difficult, even for native speakers of English. There are
many pitfalls. For example, you cannot always write in the plural or always use they instead of
he in the singular. Native speakers instinctively know when they can do so without ambiguity
and when they can't, because they learn by speaking and thinking in English all their lives. I am
not a native speaker of English. So, please accept my apology for simplifying things by writing
the traditional way using he/him/his as though speaking to a male reader. I am not really doing
so. This book is for girls and women too, and by he, him, or his, I mean a person who
could be either male or female. Again for simplicity, I write as though for a right-handed reader.
Left-handers, please accept my apology.
Tomaz Mencinger
This book is a gold mine. Oh, how I wish I'd had it when I was a teenager.
That's because there's much more to playing tennis than how you hit the ball. Yet many players
obsess about the details of form, never getting into the game itself. They blame all their prob-
lems and every lost point on how they move their feet or swing the racket. They forever pursue
that elusive goal of satisfaction with their results by tweaking or perfecting yet another detail
of mechanical technique.
I am continually amazed to discover that players highly knowledgeable about the fine points
of mechanical technique often lack even a basic understanding of strategy and tactics. Their
knowledge in this area is often limited to a few maxims of conventional wisdom, which they
don't understand and therefore apply by rote -- often misapplying them as a consequence.
They have no idea how much more there is to know about strategy, tactics, and the inner
game.
I suppose this overemphasis on form is partly because your strokes are the part of your game
that shows. But the object is to win the match, not to impress people with how good you look
out there. You'll never experience a sense of fulfillment in that.
What's more, your strokes improve faster if you don't worry about them. Consciously thinking
about your strokes as you hit them is the hard way to develop them. It's the kiss of death to try
to do that during match play.
Tennis instruction itself overemphasizes form. Form is easy to teach (even if the teaching isn't
effective). You teach from a huge body of established knowledge on the mechanics of stroke
production, so little trail blazing is necessary. With high-speed photography and video, produc-
ing snazzy instructional materials is a snap. Hence, there are no end of books, articles, and vid-
eos out there on how to hit the ball. The sheer abundance of this material gives the impression
that that's all there is to tennis.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA FOREWORD
No. There's more. Much more. But, unfortunately, there's a limited supply of good instruction on
the mental aspects of play -- strategy, tactics, and the inner game.
The Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia changes that. It's the first truly comprehensive guide to ten-
nis strategy and tactics. But that isn't all. A crucial factor in the success of any endeavor is your
approach. Just ask anyone who's made it to the top of Mount Everest. In The Tennis Strategy
Encyclopedia, Tomaz Mencinger starts you off on the right mental approach with the secret to
playing good tennis.
Then he systematically guides you through the four basic tennis laws, the six general tennis
strategies, basic tactics, advanced tactics, expert tactics, and special tactics. Then he shows
you how to modify your strategy for game-type, integrating it with a mental plan for the inner
game in each type of match. Next, he shows you how to adapt your game to different court
surfaces and special situations (viz., wind, a left-handed opponent, etc.) Finally, he explains the
process of shot selection and the intuitive play. Throughout, The Strategy Encyclopedia is well
organized, stays on track, and gets straight to the point clearly and concisely.
Let me be frank: this is an excellent book, the best tennis book I've read, and I've read nearly all
of them. I'm no slouch on tennis strategy and tactics myself, but I've learned a lot from it and
applied it to my own play with great success. Deeper understanding of the game and the inner
game not only makes you win more, it also enriches your playing experience, increasing your
fun and enjoyment.
So, read on, win, and enjoy!
Kathy Krajco, http://www.operationdoubles.com
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
INTRODUCTION
The secret of playing
good tennis
INTRODUCTION TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Is very simple but very difficult to implement and understand. It is... to play good tennis. All
right, now what does that mean? Of course, we all try to play good tennis, don't we? No, prob-
ably not.
Most players are not focused on playing good tennis: they are focused on trying to beat their
opponent. (In fact, some are focused on not losing, but that's another story.)
When you try to beat your opponent, you are too focused on him instead of on tennis demands,
statistics, and rules. Some of the shots you may play are very low-percentage shots. But if you
see that they would bring success against your opponent, you try them anyway. Big mistake.
You beat yourself, because you play against statistics and tennis laws.
The other problem is that you may try shots that you are not skilled enough to execute with
good percentage and effectiveness. You are trying the right tactic but you are not good enough
to do it.
Your ego is your biggest problem here.
You don't want to admit that you are not good enough, and you have zillion excuses why "to-
day" for some "strange and unlucky" reason your shot didn't go in.
Sorry, you are not good enough. There is no mysterious force preventing you from playing your
best. It's not your bad karma or Murphy's Law. No, you are just not good enough... yet!
This doesn't mean that you won't be good enough or that you can't improve. But you must
face the truth and reality if you want to play your current best tennis. Your current best tennis
depends on the condition of your game, both outside and inside -- your skills, tactics, physical
abilities, and mental toughness.
You must be totally honest with yourself and accept yourself the way you are now -- maybe
with a solid forehand, weak backhand, insecure volley and overhead, and a low fitness level.
Only then you can realize what your good tennis looks like.
And only then will you be able to set realistic goals and prepare tactics for your best tennis.
Maybe it won't look like Roger Federer's, but you will win matches and you will be satisfied.
That doesn't mean that you must resign to your fate. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't try
better shots. That doesn't mean that you should risk and just go for it.
There is intelligent risk and not-so-intelligent risk.
There is also the golden middle that you need to find inside your mind: you need to accept
your current state � your technique, tactical knowledge, physical abilities, and mental skills. You
need to feel good about them and yet desire to improve.
Your four main areas will not serve you well if you feel bad about them. You will miss many more
serves if you feel bad about your serve and think that it sucks than if you accept you serve as it
is and feel good about it.
10 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA INTRODUCTION
It's technically the same serve with the same motion -- but in the first case you won't hit it well
and in the second case you will.
You need to nurture yourself and your four main areas like you would nurture a garden with
apples, cherries, peaches, apricots and other fruits. You see them flower in the spring, and ev-
erything is going really well. But you don't look for mistakes, and you don't feel that your apple
tree is too low or too wide.
You just accept it as it is, because it's a developing thing, not a defective thing. You are therefore
motivated to water it, to cut some branches and to make it more productive.
We are so used to being motivated only if something is wrong and we try to fix it. This isn't the
best approach. Why? Because we begin our fixing process in the negative mindset. We are filled
with negative energy, and we work with it. We block our creative powers, because we use only
the left side of the brain, which is strictly analytical.
Only when we accept our current state, feel good about it and are still motivated and enthusi-
astic about improving it, do we get the best results. We won't force the creative process; we will
have positive energy and will be able to use the whole brain. That's when beautiful and great
things happen.
So, search your life experience for when you felt like that before. When did you feel good about
something and still wanted to improve it? When you find that memory, you'll know what this
means.
And now transfer this idea, this experience to your tennis game. Question your beliefs about
your tennis, and see where you may not be thinking logically. Does your weak backhand really
mean anything about you? Is there any logical connection between your backhand and you as
a person?
When you cut that connection and realize that there is none, then you'll be able to see your
backhand with compassion and will do your best to help "it" grow and improve. But as long as
you see your backhand as "bad," "weak," a "loser" backhand, then "it" won't respond to your
attempts to fix it.
You won't go with the flow and with the improvement that comes in due course. You will force
things too much, and that will slow down or even stop your progress. Actually, you can even
make your backhand worse by constantly feeling bad about it. It will become less and less reli-
able. You are feeding your backhand with negative energy, and it shows.
So, back to the secret -- how to play good tennis. You've probably heard these phrases before:
Just play. Point by point, and Play the ball, not the opponent. Are they clearer now that you've
read this far?
If you want to play good tennis and win matches, you need to focus on playing good tennis. My
personal judgment is that a good player is focused 80% on playing good tennis and only about
20% on how to outplay his opponent.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 11
INTRODUCTION TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
He does adjust his game to make it difficult for his opponent, but his main focus is on the game
of tennis.
Because that is the real game played out there: two people are demonstrating to one another
which is the better TENNIS player. Not which is a better human being! They are both playing
this game called tennis, which has certain rules. And the better player of this game wins the
match.
Winning the match doesn't mean that one player is better human than the other player. It means
that he plays the game of TENNIS better than the other person does.
Imagine that your coach was feeding balls to you from the basket and you have certain targets
to hit. You are not playing against your coach, but you are playing the game of tennis -- aiming
to hit this ball fast and precisely into that target.
It's almost the same when you play a match. Your opponent will send over the ball, and then you
will show him how fast, how precisely and how tactically correctly you can hit the ball over.
In the long run, the one more skilled at doing this wins the match. That person is a better tennis
player in that moment. That doesn't mean the winner is a more worthy person, even though
that's what the whole world tries to tell us.
Now, what if I take Roger Federer and make him play baseball against minor league players?
Would he be better than them? I'm sure that he wouldn't be! Is he less worthy now? Does that
make him a lesser human being? No, it has nothing to do with his inner sense of worth.
Back to the secret: one of the main points about the secret of playing good tennis is to see it
separate from you -- from your inner self worth. If you can keep the distance between missing
an easy shot and feeling anything about yourself, then you have found one of the secrets to
good tennis.
The next secret is that you need to focus on the game of tennis. Play the game, not the oppo-
nent. Understand the basic tactical patterns -- when to hit crosscourt, when to hit down the
line, how to cover the court properly, where to serve and return, and so on.
These tennis "rules" must make 80% of your game against anyone. The other 20% of your tactics
are adjustments to your opponent's weaknesses and strengths.
So that brings us to the third secret -- how to play against a specific type of player, considering
your tennis skills and the outer conditions. But that's only 20% of the whole game.
So, next time you get on court, see if you can play only the tennis game and not compete with
your opponent. See if you can cut that connection between missing a shot and your inner
worth.
12 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA INTRODUCTION
The Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia will show you ways of playing the game of tennis and the
ways of playing against your opponent. And of course there will be mental tips too since that's
what usually tips the scales of a match in the crucial moments. But first you must get there . . . .
1. Tennis strategy --
the way to winning
When you progress in your tennis career, you quickly realize that there is more to tennis than
just fancy technique. Actually, you realize that technique doesn't mean anything against expe-
rienced players. Some play all sorts of shots with sometimes awkward, sometimes funny move-
ments. And yet they win matches. Others have great technique and can make you realize that
you are a tennis greenhorn.
They are masters of tennis strategy. They know how to deal with any situation and know how
much they can adapt their style of play so that they are still successful. They don't beat them-
selves, and if they lose, their opponent was really the better player.
What is their secret? First, they are clear on how they must play the game to be most successful.
They know exactly what their style of game is, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses
are, and how to make the best of both.
They also know what their opponent's preferred style of play is and how he is likely to play. They
realize that even in the first few minutes of the warm up.
When an experienced player -- a tennis master strategist -- starts his warm up, he attentively
watches and observes his opponent. He looks for weaknesses in technique, movement, weight
transfer, reaction time, and overall tennis knowledge.
He makes mental notes about his opponent's strengths and tendencies, about the types of
shots he prefers. He also observes mental characteristics -- whether his opponent is nervous,
too emotional, or quickly annoyed. How does he approach the match? Is he overconfident, re-
spectful? Does he believe that he has a chance?
Yes, you can spot all these nuances with a good eye and lots of tennis experience in the first
5 minutes of the warm up. Much more information will come during the match, but an expe-
rienced tennis strategist already has a plan before the first point. His plan is based on his pre-
ferred tennis strategy and perceived opponents preferred strategy of play.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 13
INTRODUCTION TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
1.1. So what is strategy and what is tactics?
Tennis strategy is one of the four main areas of the game -- besides technique, physical prepa-
ration and mental game.
The broadest definition of tennis strategy is using your strengths, both natural and learned,
against your opponent's weaknesses to gain the advantage and win more points.
Your game type is your strengths and your way of playing the game.
You can also view tennis strategy as an overall plan on how to play against a certain opponent
on a specific court.
Tactics, on the other hand, are more detailed ways of achieving this general strategy. If your
main strategy is aggressively playing from the baseline, your tactics to do that can vary. One
player's tactics may be to use as many inside-out forehands as possible (like Jim Courier). An-
other player's tactics may be to hit the balls on the rise and put pressure on the opponent (like
Andre Agassi). The same strategy (aggressive baseline play) but different tactics.
Tactical decisions are even smaller units in tennis strategy and tactics. These are actually the
building blocks of a single point. Every time the ball comes over the net, you need to decide
what to do with it. You will learn about tactical decisions at the end of this tennis strategy en-
cyclopedia.
The game of tennis is not so much about who plays better: it's more about who executes his
game better. If you watch one player, for example Robbie Ginepri, you'll see that his main stra-
tegic game is the same regardless of whom he plays. He makes but small adjustments to his
game and only if he has to.
Don't fall into the trap of changing your game for your opponent. Play your game very well, and
make your opponent adjust to you.
Don't fall into the trap of exploiting your opponent's weaknesses if you are not up to it. To do so,
you'd probably have to change you favorite type of play. First take advantage of your strengths!
Play your own game the best you can and only then adjust if you have to.
1.2. Whom are you playing against?
Since you are reading this book and have come so far then it's pretty accurate to say that you
want to learn how to play tactically good tennis. But before you jump to conclusions and want
to find out how to outplay your opponent you need to know something else.
You are not playing ONLY against your opponent. There are TWO more opponents that you
must deal with. Tough, isn't it? You alone against three opponents.
14 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA INTRODUCTION
Three opponents
1.2.1. Tennis
Surprised? Yes, the tennis game itself is actually the main opponent that you play against. Tennis
is very demanding and challenging. If you have ever seen beginners play tennis (and remember
how it was for you), then you know what I mean.
It is very demanding for the mind to calculate the ball's trajectory so quickly and send appro-
priate commands to the body, which must move with coordination and balance and precisely
right timing to hit a little yellow moving ball while your racquet is moving as you are moving.
And even when you are a good player this game is still very challenging. You may be totally
focused but still unable to hit the ball in the middle of the racquet most of the time.
So before you actually try to play your opponent, which in this case is your opponent Number 3
(yes, there is one more opponent before that -- you'll see soon), you need to know how to play
tennis strategically correctly so that you don't beat yourself.
These are the most typical ways of beating yourself:
� playing too many down-the-line shots
� not covering the court correctly at the baseline and at the net
� serving in the wrong directions
� going for too much
� not going for anything
� changing your decisions
� attacking in the wrong directions
� defending in the wrong directions
� and many more ...
The first part of the Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia will deal with tennis strategy and tactics re-
gardless of your opponent (except playing to his weaker shot). You need to play tennis correctly
before you upgrade your strategy to the next level, which is playing specifically to take advan-
tage of your opponent's weaknesses and your own strengths.
1.2.2. Yourself (negative you)
It's just a part of yourself that you are playing against. We could say that it is that negative,
doubtful, fearful, or angry you. Any emotional way of thinking is NOT in your best interest.
This part of yourself will stop you and will interfere with your game and your progress whenever
you reach a critical situation in the match.
You may overreact to bad line calls and your game falls apart.
You may miss an "easy" sitter and lose focus for the next two games.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 15
INTRODUCTION TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
You may have a set point or a match point and not take advantage of it, quickly losing that set
or match.
And there are many more situations and responses for each individual player.
This is another part of the tennis game. You can find answers and solutions for it in The Mental
Manual for Tennis Winners. In it you will learn how to:
� quickly refocus
� control your emotions
� think positively and not too much.
In my 20-year tennis career I recognized 29 situations that prove to be the most critical for play-
ers. The Manual is written with the player under emotional and mental stress in mind.
If you were ever coached during (or before) a match, you saw that your coach was not analyzing
or explaining things to you. He gave you quick, simple and useful instructions on how to get
back into your best tennis "mode".
He also knew what to tell you when you were "down" or "too high" so that you were able to
quickly find your ideal emotional state.
This is exactly how the information in the manual is presented. For each specific critical situa-
tion, you'll find coaching tips that work for most players. And for those players who may find
an occasional coaching tip not the best for them, the manual has special free space for writing
down your own tips and ideas.
1.2.3. The opponent
Finally, when you know exactly how to play good tennis and you know how to control your
mind and emotions to make them your best ally, you are ready to start playing against your
opponent.
There are certain traps that many players fall into. The most common is changing your game
too much. Players do this to play in a way that makes things difficult for their opponent. They
may know the best way of dealing with that opponent, BUT their tennis skills are not good
enough to be able to execute this tactic consistently and successfully.
The adjustment of your game needs to be within your current knowledge and tennis skills. The
second part of The Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia deals with different strategies and tactics de-
pending on your style of play and your opponent's style of play.
16 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA INTRODUCTION
1.3. Make Your Mind Your Best Ally
Here's why playing tennis can be very challenging unless you make your mind your best ally:
you have to play against tennis, against your opponent and against the negative you!
To explain this graphically :
TENNIS
YOU against OPPONENT = 1:3
NEGATIVE PART OF YOU
And then you wonder why you lose? You have practically no chance of winning! That is, so long
as you are playing against someone who is mentally a good player and is not damaging his
game with his negative part.
The score is actually a little different and it is usually 3:3. That's because your opponent also has
to deal with tennis and with his negative part too.
So it looks like this:
YOU against OPPONENT = 3:3
TENNIS TENNIS
NEGATIVE HIM
NEGATIVE YOU
BUT, if you make your mind your best ally then the battle looks like this:
YOU against OPPONENT = 3:2
TENNIS
(without negative part -- every part
of your mind is playing for you)
TENNIS
NEGATIVE HIM
Now those are much better odds, aren't they? This is the way to winning. When your negative
part doesn't exist and when most of your opponents still have it, you have the edge.
How does one make his mind his best ally?
The Mental Manual for Tennis Winners (http://www.tennismindgame.com/mental-tennis-tips.
html) shows you the way. But remember, there is a difference between knowing the path and
WALKING the path.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 17
INTRODUCTION TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
The Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia will show you how to master the "TENNIS" part and the "OP-
PONENT" part.
So let's first learn how to play intelligent strategic tennis!
18 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
PART I
General Tennis
Strategies and Tactics
I PART GENERAL TENNIS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
The tennis game is based on certain rules. The court has certain dimensions, and the height of
the net is different at different parts of the court. There are geometry laws that govern the ten-
nis game in the same way as they do in mathematics.
And then there are players. We are humans and we cannot do some things perfectly or as fast
as supercomputers. A tennis court is too big, and the balls fly too fast for a human being to have
total control over them.
That's why playing excellent strategic tennis doesn't mean that one never misses. It means that
the player chooses shots, combinations of shots and court coverage that give him the best
PROBABILITY of winning the point in a certain situation.
2. 4 Basic Tennis Laws
If you are just starting with tennis competition, or just want to refresh your knowledge of how
to play points, then following these four basic tennis laws will give you the foundation to build
on.
Tennis matches on all levels still have one common characteristic: there are more errors in the
game than winners. Especially shots that one of the players cannot reach.
I tracked these statistics in a match between Roger Federer and Jiri Novak in the Masters Cham-
pionships a couple of years ago.
Only 4% of the shots were clean winners. This means that only every 25th shot was unreache-
able, including service returns. (Aces didn't count, because I wanted to know how many win-
ners they hit in exchanging regular shots.)
So the first and the most basic tennis law is...
2.1. Don't miss
Although I don't like negative instructions and could maybe say this as "hit inside," I wanted to
point you to four ways (ok, maybe five) of missing the court.
You can lose a point by:
� hitting into the net (too low)
� hitting too long (too hard and/or too high)
� hitting too much to the left
� hitting too much to the right
� (you can also miss the ball completely)
20 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
---
[Cuối tài liệu]
IV PART UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME
Here is another trap you fall into when you underestimate pushers. You forget about the game.
Tennis is challenging even without a tough opponent. You start thinking only about hitting
good shots consistently and producing more winners than errors. Unfortunately, you are trying
to do this while playing someone who's nick name is "The Backboard."
If you underestimate your opponent, you don't give your best effort. You aren't fully focused.
You don't put enough effort into movement, and your intensity isn't high enough.
Combine this with the challenge of hitting a tennis ball only six centimeters in diameter moving
at 40 kilometers per hour while you too are moving and your racquet is changing its orientation
every 1/100 of a second as you swing at that ball.
If want to hit good, fast and precise shots, then your body and brain must function at between
99.78% and 100% of their capability. And if you underestimate, then you put forth maybe 70�
80% of your maximum effort.
In this state tennis becomes 200% more difficult. The problem isn't your opponent. It's trying to
hit a moving tennis ball while moving with a moving racquet. This is too difficult for a human
body and brain to perform unless totally involved in it.
So you actually lose the contest against tennis' demands, not against your opponent.
Combine Trap Number 2 and with Trap Number 1, and it's no wonder why you lose. You have no
chance to beat both the tennis game and your dogged opponent with but 80% of your effort.
Hopefully you are now convinced to put everything you have in this match.
NOW, what are good strategies to beat the pusher?
Disclaimer
Remember, there are NO SHORTCUTS. Unless you are two levels better than the pusher and can
outplay him with your better shots and your tactical knowledge, you will have to work really
hard. For a long time. But, it can be done.
Okay, now that we have cleared that up, let's start preparing a cunning plan of how to beat a
pusher!
Let's see what pushers like most, and then you will know how to avoid that.
They like good pace on your shots so that they can use your power to return the ball with.
Though they are ready to run for as long as they must, they would rather move less. This means
that hitting them long shots with no angle is nirvana for them.
When you are frustrated by getting every ball back with no opportunities to attack, you start
forcing your play and make tons of unforced errors. This is what they are playing for.
98 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME PART IV
There is one big weakness in the typical pusher's game. Most have no Plan B. (Only a few push-
ers lack this weakness, and they are the baddest pushers you can play.) This means that if you
find a way to get through their defensive wall, they won't know what else to do.
That is the biggest victory you can achieve. Because that's what can break them down. Yes, even
pushers do break down. But you must work smart and long to achieve that.
When you start playing a pusher, imagine that you are trying to cut down a sequoia. That's the
mental attitude you need to be successful against a pusher.
General strategies of winning tennis
against a pusher
1.
Pushers, of course, "push" the ball, which means that their ball has no pace. If you have solid vol-
ley and overhead skills, then your best tactic is to try to get to the net. There you have the best
chance of finishing the points and keeping the pusher under constant pressure.
The pusher knows that his shots are usually not fast enough to pass you, so his main tactic is to
lob or to make you play a low volley that tests your volleying skills. So be ready to back up as
soon as the pusher hits the ball up. If you get a volley, play the ball firmly into the open court
and close in on the net.
Serve-and-volley on your serve, trying to mix spins, placements and speeds. Your main objec-
tive in serving is unpredictably, not speed.
When you volley the service return, be ready to play more volleys. Pushers rarely miss -- they
actually prefer to see you hit the ball in, because then they get to hit another shot. Hence, they
will test you -- be ready.
Attack their second serves with a chip-and-charge. Open up the court immediately, and if they
lift the ball to buy time for recovering, advance and intercept it for a volley.
2.
If your net skills are not so good, you'd better prepare for a long afternoon. You can still beat a
pusher, but it will take considerably longer (unless of course you are so good that you blow him
of the court. But there are pushers at all levels, even on ATP tour. So it doesn't matter how good
you are, you can always meet a pusher at your level. Therefore, keep reading....)
Before we go into specifics, I hope you are familiar with how Andre Agassi plays. His net skills
are not so great, but he knows exactly how to play counter-punchers -- pushers so to speak. He
works them around like a yoyo.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 99
IV PART UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME
When he was younger and inexperienced, he often lost to them because he was not patient
enough and made too many unforced errors. But he learned his lessons and is a living night-
mare of every pusher on the ATP.
Remember the sequoia analogy? Even if you are Andre Agassi -- and you are NOT -- you need
to be patient. Respect the pusher and his excellent abilities to defend. You can win the match,
but you have to put in the effort.
The best tactic with pushers is to play as many short, sharply angled crosscourt shots as you
can. If you just hit hard with no angle, you'll get every ball back to the baseline. But if you open
up the court with a short crosscourt shot, the pusher has to run much farther to reach your next
shot into the open court.
Since pushers cannot hit really hard, they usually can't hurt you from that short crosscourt shot.
So, enjoy making them run. That should be your main objective. Not winning a point with an
outright winner. When you get a really good opportunity -- a very short ball -- then hitting a
winner becomes your objective.
So keep your opponent running, and try to open up the court starting with your serve. I've seen
many of Andre Agassi's matches with a pusher where the score was something like 7:5, 6:3, 6:1.
It took Andre quite a while to start opening cracks in the pusher's defense. But once the pusher
was in trouble, Andre just kept making him run and run some more.
3.
Pushers are emotionally attached to the baseline -- or, better said, to the area up to two meters
behind the baseline. Get them out of there! Get them into their uncomfortable zone -- mid-
court or even better -- make them play at the net.
You can achieve this with drop-shots, drop-volleys, and low and short balls. But always be hon-
est with yourself about whether your skills are good enough to pull off these shots with good
percentage.
If your drop-shot is reliable enough, you can drop-shot the pusher's second serve. Pushers are
so used to being under attack that they immediately hop backward at the end of their serve.
Since their weight is moving backward, if you hit a solid drop-shot, it will be very difficult for
them to reach it.
Once you have a pusher at the net, don't panic. Know that pushers feel uncomfortable there.
They are insecure about their volley and overhead skills, so you can calmly choose your passing
shot or lob and execute.
Even if they win some points at the net you still need to see the big the picture: they don't like
playing there and you have more chances of winning the point than they do.
100 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME PART IV
4.
When you are playing with them from the baseline, work them around. If you just keep the ball
down the center and deep, you are playing their game, and they can do it better. So you must
look for openings in their defense, and you must make them run left and right.
One way of making their defense more difficult is to take the ball earlier and thus shorten their
recovery time. Since their shots are slow, you can take their ball at top of the bounce or even on
the rise.
Don't aim for too much though. Just keep them running, and take away their recovery time. A
tenth of a second here and a tenth of second there adds up. After five or six shots they'll be in
much more in trouble than if you give them more time by waiting to hit the ball on the descent
of its bounce.
5.
Do not fall into their rhythm! The pusher is used to his slow shots while you are probably not.
If you start pushing the ball yourself, you will lose your natural stroke rhythm. And it is very dif-
ficult to find it again.
So find your preferred and natural speed of shots and stay with it. You must also be careful not
to overhit in frustration and impatience. That is the pusher's main way of winning points. If you
take that away from him, he may become impatient, too.
6.
Focus on precision and placement rather than power. Make pushers run, open up the court, try
to get to the net, give them short, low balls -- these are all tactics that emphasize placement
rather than speed.
Pace actually helps pushers play well, because their swing is slow. But they can use the energy
of your hard shots to return them harder. If you deny them that energy/pace, they may have
trouble keeping good depth on their shots.
7.
Most pushers are very quick around the court, but you can actually use that to your advantage.
How? By playing behind them, wrongfooting them.
8. And lastly, keep it simple. Figure out what works and what doesn't work against a pusher.
Then just stick with your winning strategy. We tend to complicate things, and that is really a bad
idea against pushers. Their game is simple, and it defeats complex and inconsistent tennis.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 101
IV PART UNDERSTAND YOUR MIND AND YOUR GAME
Just a few tips regarding your skill level:
If you are two levels better than the pusher and usually win, but you don't want to play for so
long or you become frustrated during the match:
� Stay focused: Don't let your intensity drop after you get a good lead. Pushers are relentless,
and you need to be relentless too. If you get them down, keep them down.
� Placement mixed with the right amount of power + patience = very disappointed pusher.
� If your strokes are better than pusher's but you frequently lose to them:
- You are probably underestimating the pusher and thinking that better tennis strokes
win matches. No, when players of similar ability play, superior tactics and mental tough-
ness win.
- Before the match, prepare mentally for a long, tough duel. Apply the tips from this
report, and you'll be surprised how effective your strokes can be when based on smart
tactics.
� If your strokes are about equal to the pusher's:
The only way to win is to push the ball back longer than the pusher does. You can't blow the
pusher off the court, and he or she can't blow you off the court. This is a match I don't want
to watch, because I haven't that much time.
So, all the best to you, and start looking to book some lessons with a pro and research the Inter-
net for its wealth of information on tennis technique and tactics. Good luck!
Hopefully you've enjoyed the pusher's journey as much as I did. Just some thoughts about me
and my ideas: I lost to pushers many times before I learned my lessons. They've taught me a lot,
and sometimes I use their tactic for a point or two in my matches just to test my opponent and
to see how they react to certain type of play.
I respect pushers tremendously, and even though my strokes are usually better, I give my 100%
for every match that I play against one. Tennis is not about strokes, it's about strategy and men-
tal toughness. And this is the best challenge you can get -- playing a dreaded "pusher."
Good luck with your tennis adventures!
Tomaz Mencinger
Make your Mind your best Ally
http://www.tennismindgame.com
102 www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger
TENNIS STRATEGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
Acknowledgements
As every bigger project takes more than one person to complete it, so did this one. I would like
to thank many coaches that have discussed tactics with me and taught me a lot. Tennis strategy
is a very deep and huge subject and it is impossible to get to the most important parts of it
alone.
I would like to thank Kathy Krajco for the foreword and her final proofreading and editing of
the book which was undoubtedly a painstaking job to do. Thanks again for all the support and
ideas during the making of this ebook.
My special thank goes to my friend Primos Rappl (www.jobo.si), who used his excellent designer
skills to make a boring looking word format text into a nice looking and clean, organized ebook
form from which you'll hopefully be able to get information more clearly and effectively.
I also want to thank you, the reader, for taking the time and commitment to go through this
extensive ebook and I hope it will help you achieve more success on the court � whether that
means external or internal rewards, whatever is more important to you right now.
www.TennisMindGame.com � Tomaz Mencinger 103