Keep a little Balance
It's been a while. The truth is, this article was written a month or so ago and has been sitting in the editor. We've been kinda tied up with this virus thing, and posting videos etc. but now we're back - and with some time to write will definitely post a few new offerings. Tennis is in a new and uncharted territory of no tournaments, canceled Grand Slams, and padlocked facilities- even though, ironically enough, tennis is one of few sports that features social distancing all the time!
There are multiple types of balance that come up in discussing tennis. There is the balance of your body as you set to strike the ball, the balance of your tactics between defending your court and attacking your opponent's, and the balance of your shot selections. "Should I drive it or slice it, drop shot or lob?" The balance I'm referencing today is none of the above. This balance is about keeping a steady head, and treating yourself fairly while competing.
Are you the type of player that really enjoys the winner? The down the line flat pass zings off your strings and as it lands inside your opponent's sideline, you pump your fist, lean back, and shout "come on!!" to the heavens? That's cool, it's an emotional response to a moment of high intensity. What would the balance be? How would you respond if you hit the net with the same shot? Keeping a balance would indicate you might want to make sure neither response is over the top.
Common among some juniors anyway, is anger, frustration, and verbal outburst when we are dissatisfied with the result. This is often accompanied by a barrage of verbal self-abuse, "how could you miss?, you #@** idiot!", etc. You know the type, you've all witnessed it. The question is, will this same player treat herself with kindness, gratitude, and achievement when things go well? Often not. Often, there is only the negative response to failure, and little or no positive when things go better. What kind of balance is that? How will his/her confidence and performance be affected by only negative and self-deprecating responses to perceived failures? The answer is obvious.
Whether you are a player who stays pretty calm and level-headed when responding to the ups and downs of matches (Federer?), or one who gets super-pumped at success, and angry at perceived failures (Kyrgios?), a little balance would do you a lot of good. Keeping your emotions in a match on a balanced scale will help you play your best. A player who is emotionally out of balance, is going to struggle at staying in the moment, each and every moment.
Keep a little balance in your emotional game, and you will keep some better results.
