Happy Holidays from Timeless Tennis!

Tennis and Virtual Reality: Do You Want to be On-Court with Carlos Alcarez? | 2022 US Open Men's Singles Final Highlights

*This Video is shot in VR180. For a total immersive experience on court, please wear your VR Headset. No VR Headset? No problem. View this video on your Cell Phone and move your phone up/down/left/right. Or simply do so by using your finger on the video. And enjoy!
Courtesy: ESPN 

Novak Djokovic: The 60 Minutes Interview

           Novak Djokovic on Mental Strength

*Mental strength is not a gift but is trained through a process.
*Doubts and fears are part of being human. 
*The best athletes exhibit mental strength by the ability to NOT STAY in a state of doubt and fear too long, and transition and re-set quickly.  

5 Lessons to Learn About Tennis (and Life)

 

5 Lessons to Learn About Tennis (and Life)
1. Only 2 Paths Exist. Making excuses or making progress. Real growth starts when you're tired of your own excuses. 
2. Closing things out to victory. Often, this is the hardest part. Don't let up when you're closer to victory. Push a little harder.
3. Control yourself. Anyone will control you when you're easy to offend. Control your emotions and react less.
4. Focus on focus. Avoid the temptation to blame distractions, others or your situation. If you're passionate about success, work on improving your focus.
5. Keep a certain healthy mental distance from things. Take nothing personally, and save yourself from 99% of mental problems. The only thing that counts is the next point, the next task, the next goal. 

Contrasting Playing Styles in Tennis: Intensity & Focus vs. Flow & Smoothness

 
                       Click Image to Enlarge

The Benefits of Water for Tennis & Life

Novak Djokovic, Tennis' Premier Player 2023

 

Novak Djokovic Wins Nitto ATP Finals 2023, 7th ATP Finals and World No. 1 🏆

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Semi-Final Match Highlights! | Nitto ATP Finals 2023

Iga Swiatek Wins 2023 "WTA Finals" Women's Finals Title and World No. 1

Novak Djokovic Wins 2023 Paris Masters Championship (7th Title)

Tennis Video of the Day: 5 Biggest Tennis Mistakes & How to Fix Them (By The Tennis Mentor - Coach Ashley Neaves) *For Players at All Levels

       Courtesy: The Tennis Mentor (Coach Ashley Neaves)

1. Late Preparation - Anticipate better with improved ball reading, beat the bounce. 
2. No recovery after ball hitting - Explode into recovery before the opponent hits the ball, again beat the bounce. 
3. Overuse of the the arm in ground strokes - Keep the non-dominant arm on the racket longer.
4. Standing too close to the service return position - Start back, step up, split just before the opponent hits the ball, then move to return position.  
5. Not training sufficiently on the second serve - More second serve practice with spin and net clearance. 

6. (Bonus): Hitting the ball too flat too often, resulting in too many errors - Think intentionally about hitting "up on the ball" to create "shape" on the ball trajectory and then execute.  

Tennis Ball-Striking: An Irreverent Video Argument that Ball-Striking Trumps All in Tennis

            (Apx. 28 and 1/2 minutes) Courtesy: PowerFlail

Tennis Focus: For Better Ball-Striking & Timing, Focus on the Imaginary "Spot Target" on the Ball

Tennis Swing Path Determines Spin vs. Pace

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Tennis Quote of the Day: Professionalism and Preparation

The players who approach the game with professionalism, preparation, precision, productive chores and thoroughness will always get their chances and rewards. 

Novak Djokovic, 2022 Wimbledon Champion, paraphrased from his Semi-Final Press Conference on July 08, 2022

Luck Favors the Believers

Novak Djokovic

 

Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth US Open Mens Single's Championship & 24th Grand Slam Title | 2023 US Open Final

Coco Gauff Wins First US Open Womens Single's Championship | 2023 US Open Final

It's Time | 2023 US Open - Play!

Ten Lessons from the classic “The Art of War” for Your Next Tennis Match

Ten Lessons from the classic The Art of War by Sun Tzu:

1. Know yourself and your enemy. This is the first principle of warfare, and it is essential for success.

2. Engage only on your terms. Don't fight a battle that you cannot win.

3. Use deception to your advantage. Keep your enemy guessing and off balance.

4. Be flexible and adaptable. Don't be afraid to change your plans if the situation demands it.

5. Strike at the enemy's weakness. Don't waste your time and resources attacking their strengths.

6. Use surprise to your advantage. Catch your enemy off guard and they will be more likely to lose.

7. Conserve your strength. Don't waste your resources on unnecessary battles.

8. Be patient and persistent. Don't give up easily, even if you are losing.

9. Use your intelligence and cunning. Don't rely on brute force to win.

10. Win without fighting. This is the highest form of victory.

The Next Shot

 

Focus on Yourself

 
                                 Courtesy:
    Habits That Make a Champion, Allistair McCaw

Play Tennis, Live Longer

 

Life Lessons in Tennis

 
                (Click on Image to Enlarge) 
           Courtesy: www.tennisfitness.com 

Top Three Tennis Quotes

Wimbledon 2023

Wimbledon 2023 - Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) Wins Men's Singles Championship and 2nd Grand Slam Title

Wimbledon 2023 - Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) Wins Women's Singles Championship

Always Like Never Before - Wimbledon 2023 - Play!

Roland Garros (French Open) 2023 Champions

Roland-Garros (French Open) 2023 Men's Singles Championship I Novack Djokovic of Serbia Wins 3rd Roland Garros & All-Time Record 23th Grand Slam Title

From Paris with Love | Roland-Garros (French Open) 2023 - Play!

Tennis Quote of the Day: Professionalism and Preparation

The players who approach the game with professionalism, preparation, precision, productive chores and thoroughness will always get their chances and rewards.

Novak Djokovic, 2022 Wimbledon Champion, paraphrased from his Semi-Final Press Conference on July 08, 2022

Tennis Quote of the Day: Your Deadliest Opponent

 
                      (Click Image to Enlarge)

Tennis Video of the Day: Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti at Court-Level Angle | Monte Carlo 2023

Observations Made and Lessons Learned: 
1. On vivid display are the players' physical intensity, crisp footwork, heavy ball spin, and high net clearance. 
2. The extraordinary speed, quickness and fitness exhibited at this level of play. 
3. As for ball spin and net clearance, observe that 90% of the time the players are hitting "up" on the ball (and intentionally thinking about hitting up on the ball) to get that heavy ball spin and high net clearance. 
4. The players are only infrequently hitting through the ball with a flatter shot, and then only when they are inside the baseline to put the point the away. 
5. Notice also how quick the players' grip changes are, namely forehand vs. backhand; and how strong their semi-western grip is on their forehand. 

2023 Miami Final | Daniil Medvedev (Russia) Wins Men's Singles Championship

2023 Miami Final | Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) Wins Women's Singles Championship

Tennis Quote of the Day: Excellence is never an accident.

 

Carlos Alcaraz Champion

 

Elena Rybakina Champion

 

Indian Wells (2023 BNP Paribas Open): Carlos Alcaraz of Spain Wins Men's Singles Championship and World No. 1 Rank

Indian Wells (2023 BNP Paribas Open): Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan Wins Women's Singles Championship

Tennis Quote of the Day: The Enforcer

 
  (Click to Enlarge Photo Poster)

Novak Djokovic and 22 Grand Slam Championships

Novak Djokovic Makes History with 10th AO Championship & 22nd Grand Slam Title

 

Australian Open 2023 | Novak Djokovic of Serbia Wins 10th AO Men's Singles Championship and 22nd Grand Slam Title

Australian Open 2023 | Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus Wins Maiden AO Women's Singles Championship and 1st Grand Slam Title

Australian Open 2023 | The Story Starts Here

Tennis Word of the Day: Concentration (from Ken Rosewall)

More on "the Flow" - How Even Everyday People Can Better Experience It

 *Source: "Boost Your Brain with the Flow State", by Richard Huskey, Ph.D., University of California, Davis, Bottom Line Personal (October 24, 2022). 

What is the Flow? Tennis players and athletes at every level call it "being in the zone." And they describe it as a supreme mental state of effortless decision-making and intense creativity in their sport. People say that you lose your sense of self and time, and that you enlarge your sense of awareness and perception.

Indeed, this state of ultimate performance is experienced not only by athletes but by musicians, engineers, artists, authors, and people from every walk of life in their endeavors. 

So how can we achieve it? And do we first have to attain high skill levels before reaching it? 

Professor Richard Huskey has carefully studied and meticulously researched the Flow for over 10 years and how it affects the human brain.  And he suggests that the Flow is not reserved for only elite performers with high skills, but that all of us -- even everyday people -- can better know and experience it, and thus benefit from it. 

So how can we all better know and experience the Flow? 
1. Find an performance activity or skill you are naturally or instinctively good at. The Flow refers to an active effort aimed at control of results, not a passive state of just "taking in" an experience. Tennis, pickleball, chess, painting, baking, music and so on are among countless examples of active efforts with a goal. Recall moments when you were in effortless control of superior results, and how you felt. 

2. Know that the Flow is its own reward. People experiencing it describe extreme joy and boundless fun simply because they are doing it. There is no ulterior or higher motive such as making money or just finishing a task. Thus, focus on a performance activity that you truly enjoy for its own sake. 

3. Understand that the Flow narrows your focus exponentially on the task at hand. There is no thought of external things such as past events or long-term goals. Think of when you were doing something that you mentally "got lost in." 

4. Recognize that the Flow only happens when there is both skill at what you are doing and high challenge to your skill. Recall a time when you were doing something that you are very good at, and then pushed to the limits (and beyond) of your skill. Most performers say that there is no sense of time and that things seem effortless. One example might be a record-setting marathon runner who didn't stop until the finish line, and then only realized how exhausted she was and how much time went by.

5. Once you determine your "high-skill" performance activity that you can use as a conduit,  make a conscious decision to cultivate the Flow through it. Push yourself to the next level. Test your limits. If you're a chess player, seek out a superior opponent and challenge yourself. If you play piano, seek out and try new, more difficult songs and pieces. 

So what benefits do experiencing the Flow offer us? 
For Professor Huskey, the benefits of the Flow are rich and varied - we elevate our performance abilities, we boost our good mood, we increase our resilience and adaptive skills, we improve our productivity, and we reduce life stress and anxiety. In short, we become happier. 

*For further reading and analysis, see Professor Huskey's "Boost Your Brain with the Flow State." 

Happy New Year 2023 from TimelessTennis.net