The BuildingBlocks ofTennisSuccess

BY MEHRBAN IRANSHADHTTP://TENNISFILES.COM

© Copyright 2015 - Tennis Files

The Building Blocks of Tennis Success by Mehrban Iranshad of

Tennis Files

The purpose of this eBook is to help you become a better tennis player by providing you with fundamental advice on how to approach the game.

The information contained in this guide is for informational purposes only. Any legal or financial advice that I give is my opinion based on my own experience. You should always seek the advice of a professional before acting on something that I have published or recommended. Please understand that there are some links contained in this guide that I may benefit from financially. The material in this guide may include information, products or services by third parties. Third Party Materials comprise of the products and opinions expressed by their owners. As such, I do not assume responsibility or liability for any Third Party material or opinions. The publication of such Third Party Materials does not constitute my guarantee of any information, instruction, opinion, products or services contained within the Third Party Material. The use of recommended Third Party Material does not guarantee any success and or earnings related to you or your business. Publication of such Third Party Material is simply a recommendation and an expression of my own opinion of that material. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior written consent of the author. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners. Users of this guide are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes to making decisions and all information, products, services that have been provided should be independently verified by your own qualified professionals. By reading this guide, you agree that myself and my company is not responsible for the success or failure of your decisions relating to any information presented in this guide.

© Copyright 2015 ­ Tennis Files

The Building Blocks of Tennis Success

Table of Contents (clickable)

1. What Do You Want From Tennis?....................> 1

2. Training the Right Way…………………………..> 2

3. The Importance of Good Technique…………..> 4

4. Mental Fortitude…………………………………..> 5

5. Competing Effectively……………………………> 6

6. Fitness and Nutrition……………………………..> 8

7. Final Thoughts……………………………………..> 9

The Building Blocks of Tennis Success

Chapter 1. What Do You Want From Tennis? 1. Setting Goals To maximize your success, it is crucial to first define your ultimate goal in tennis . Do you want to be a professional tennis player, play in college, achieve a certain NTRP rating, be top 10 in the section, or simply beat the neighbor next door? Aim high, but be realistic. If you’re 40 years old, you might shoot for a certain NTRP rating rather than the #1 ranking on the ATP Tour. Next, you need to make short­term goals that will help you achieve what you ultimately desire in your tennis career. For example, in six months I want to develop a more powerful serve, or, by next year I’d like to earn enough points to qualify for national­level tournaments. 2. Long­Term Development vs. Short­Term Gain Always keep your long­term goals in mind. If you stay focused on what you want to become, rather than on the obstacles along the way, you will persevere and achieve your aspirations. Roadblocks are simply a distraction from what you want to achieve in life. You will break through them with discipline, determination, and desire. You must focus on long term development, not short term gain. The inherent problem with humans is that we want results and we want them as soon as possible. However, this mindset hinders long­term growth. Instead of trying to win today, focus on developing your game so you can compete and beat the best years down the road when it really counts. For instance, let’s say you know that your backhand is technically deficient but you are still winning matches by hiding your weakness. If you are short­term gain oriented, you will keep using the same technically deficient backhand. However, the long­term thinking player will realize her ultimate goal in mind, and understand that she must work hard on changing her backhand mechanics so that she can have a technically superior and reliable backhand moving forward. If this change means enduring a few losses or periods of error­prone play while developing the backhand so she can reach her long­term goal of becoming a successful professional, so be it.

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Chapter 2. Training the Right Way

1. Have a Plan on the Practice Court

You need to have a plan every time you step on the practice court. The number one reason why your game stagnates is because you don’t have a plan when you practice. For example, if I have weak volleys, but my practice sessions consist of hitting a trillion groundstrokes and then calling it a day, my volleys will never improve.

You must (1) Identify a weakness in your game; (2) Make a plan to fix the weakness, and (3) Implement your plan. Remember IPI if you like acronyms. Your practice plans should be specific, just like your short­term and long­term tennis goals. Sample practice plans include: (1) Today I’m going to work on hitting my volleys past the service line; (2) I will focus on hitting more topspin serves to increase my first serve percentage; (3) I’m going to spend 5 extra minutes this practice session hitting crosscourt backhands.

You will not improve if you step on the court without a plan of action. Having a plan is especially critical if you have a technical flaw in one or more of your shots. If you don’t identify your weaknesses, make a plan to fix them, and implement your plan, then you will reinforce inefficient mechanics deeper into your muscle memory.

Always have a plan when you are on the practice court! Ask yourself: “What do I want to improve today?” before every practice session.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” ­ Alan Lakein

2. Train with Quality Practice Partners

Evaluate your training partners. Do they share your passion to improve? Will they help you achieve your ultimate tennis goals? If not, you may want to reevaluate whether you should keep practicing with them.

Add more highly­skilled tennis players to your training schedule. The next time you play against a tough player in a tournament or USTA league match, ask to practice with him or her sometime. Training with high­level training partners can really improve your game.

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I have found that my intensity, focus, footwork, and decision­making abilities automatically elevate to a high level in order to match my training partner if he is an exceptional player.

If you get used to hitting with tough players , facing that caliber of player in a tournament will not phase you as much as going from practicing with Joe Schmo to playing a highly­ranked player in your section. You can rapidly accelerate your tennis growth by finding great players , training with them, paying attention to what they do that makes them successful, and incorporating those things into your game.

The following is a recent example of how getting used to playing against weak competition can put you at a disadvantage when playing excellent opponents: This past summer I played two relatively weak players in the first two rounds of a sectional tournament.

I probably could have won at least one of those matches eating a cheeseburger in my left hand. Then in the quarterfinals, I played a much tougher opponent with penetrating groundstrokes and a big serve. It took me a set before I got used to his pace and spin, and by that time it was too late.

However, weaker players and those at your skill­level can also make great training partners if you practice against them the right way . You have to know how to train smart so that you can improve your game no matter who you practice with.

For example, with weaker players you should try new strategies or styles of play that you don’t normally use to increase your skillset. You can also play with weaker players more often when you are making a technical change to a stroke. Practicing against elite competition doesn’t do much good if you are in the early stages of changing your technique. However, make sure that your practice partner can play tennis competently or it will be a complete waste of time.

Playing against players at your level is a great way to test your mental toughness, because you will likely have a lot of close practice sets and points. As a result, the skill you can rapidly develop against these players is mental toughness . The player who has the stronger desire to win and plays smart on the big points will persevere when the skill levels are equal.

“ You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyse your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward your success ­­ or are they holding you back?” ­ W. Clement Stone

3. Coaching

A high­quality tennis coach will help you accelerate your tennis growth. Great tennis coaches will recognize deficiencies in your game and tell you how to fix them. Having a great teacher

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can be all the difference between becoming a top college player and quitting the game for good.

Spend time finding the best tennis coach in your area . Many players choose a tennis coach because of convenience, proximity, or recommendations from others. While you should take those things into consideration, first ask yourself if you want to maximize your talents. If you do, then you need to find the best tennis coach available. The reward for spending a little extra time finding a great tennis coach can be extraordinary.

If you are on a budget, enroll in group lessons or spread out the frequency of your private lessons. And be direct about what you want to improve, so that minimal time and money will be wasted during the lesson.

Chapter 3. The Importance of Good Technique

1. Develop Perfect Form from Day 1

The old adage applies: “ Prevention is better than cure .” If you are at the beginning of your tennis career, learn proper form. And if you have technical flaws, locate and fix them ASAP. Ignoring technical flaws is a recipe for disaster. You can hide a weak backhand or volleys up to a certain level, but soon that weakness will be the reason you lose.

Fixing bad form takes longer than developing good mechanics from the beginning. One of the worst feelings in a match is to know you have a weakness, hope it isn’t exploited by the opponent, and then have it attacked and broken down during a match. Make sure to develop biomechanically efficient technique to prevent such scenarios.

2. Make Your Serve a Priority

All I did when I was young was hit groundstrokes. I grinded out wins regularly until the 16s age division. Then something happened. Kids with big serves started blasting them in the corners and won points before I had gotten my racquet on the ball. Suddenly, I was working hard for each point while my opponents picked up free points off of serves . Think about this: If you can hold serve every time, how often do you think you will lose a match?

Make sure you have a strong serve, because in every match you or your team serves half the time. When you serve, you start the point with complete control. Starting anything off on the right foot is a big key to success. A strong serve will allow you to begin the point with an overwhelming advantage.

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3. Focus on Footwork

Usually when people miss a shot, they believe a deficiency in their stroke technique is to blame. However, the number one cause of missed shots is when a player is out of position. I could have the crappiest mechanics in the world, but if I’m in perfect position for every shot, at least I will make more balls than the guy who is lunging to get a racquet on the ball.

When out of position, a player will be off balance , unable to hit shots in the strike zone , cannot take a full swing, and will lose control of the shot.

I’ve already mentioned how critical footwork is to your success in my How to Beat a Pusher: 5 Surefire Tactics article. If you haven’t already started working on your footwork, you need to do so immediately to improve your game.

In the morning or after a tennis session, do some footwork drills ( suicides, spider drills, and recovering to the middle after hitting a groundstroke are some examples). When you play matches, focus on getting to the ball as quickly and efficiently as possible.

One of my coaches used to begin our sessions by making me catch tennis balls with my hand instead of using my racquet. That drill forced me to get into perfect position to hit the ball. Remembering this concept helped me develop more efficient footwork.

4. Avoid Tournaments When Changing Your Technique

Playing a tournament in the middle of changing your stroke mechanics can set you back for months . Here’s why: you will, at some point in the tournament, revert back to your old mechanics so you can win. This is because you can’t win playing with a new technique that you are not accustomed to using. The point of a tournament is to win, so if you know you can win a match using your old technique, you will go back to it.

As a result, you will reiterate the old technique into your muscle memory during competition. This is exactly what you do not want to happen.

Instead, keep practicing until the new technique feels natural to you, and you don’t have to think about it, before entering any more tournaments.

Chapter 4. Mental Fortitude

1. Focus on the Process, Not the Results

When you play a match, you play to win. However, players tend to focus all their thoughts on winning rather than executing a game plan. Instead, think about what strategies you need

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to implement to win you points. It will prevent you from tightening up during crucial moments and keep you focused on optimal strategy.

2. No One is Unbeatable

If you don’t think you can beat your opponent, you have given up before the match has begun. Everyone is human. Tell yourself before every single match that you can and will beat your opponent. Be confident. Be a warrior. You will make the big shots when it really counts. Give it everything you have.

3. Discipline and Work Ethic

The problem with humans is that we naturally prefer to do what is most comfortable. We rather follow the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, if we always take the easy route, we will never achieve greatness.

“If success was easy, everyone would be successful.”

If you are willing to put more work and effort into your passion than everyone else, your chance of success in that field is greater. The following must be your mindset moving forward: “I am going to kick everyone’s butt the next time I compete, because no one will put in the amount of work that I will.”

You have to break free from the chains of laziness and pursue your dreams. Don’t let insignificant, unimportant things stop you from reaching your goals. If you want something bad enough, you will make time for it.

Knock low­priority items off your schedule to free up the time you need to pursue your tennis and life goals. Define your goals, figure out how to achieve them, then stay disciplined and work your hardest to achieve them.

Chapter 5. Competing to Improve Your Game

1. The Importance of Competition

An older gentleman who was watching matches at a tournament I played in recently commented that people who play tennis casually never reach their potential because they never challenge themselves . I could not agree more.

To truly highlight what you need to work on, there is no better way than to play in a tournament. Tournaments mean competition, where the goal is to win. The desire to win in a

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The Building Blocks of Tennis Success

competitive environment tests how you perform under pressure. As a result, if your technique, footwork, or mental attitude is not solid, it will break down on big points.

Sure, you can hit a running down the line passing shot in drills and practice matches, but can you hit that shot at 5­all, 30­40?

Another important tip is to enter tournaments that have tough players in the draw. If you play the local club tournament or small tournaments and win against easy competition, it might feel good, but your opponents will not have the ability to expose the flaws in your game that you need to improve.

For example, you might be able to protect a weak backhand by running around it most of the time against weaker players. But when you play someone with pinpoint precision and powerful strokes, that player will exploit your backhand. As a result, you realize your weakness and make it stronger because it was exposed by competing against a high­level player in a tournament.

If for whatever reason you cannot devote the time to play tournaments, you can either play another form of competitive tennis ( USTA Leagues) or serious practice matches.

The level of pressure faced when you play competitively is as follows, from highest to lowest: Tournaments > USTA Leagues > Practice Match. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and play a tournament!

2. Implement Optimal Strategy

Playing a tennis match against an opponent is like any other competition. You must assess the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, and then formulate a strategy to defeat your adversary based on those strengths and weaknesses.

I frequently see players who lose a very winnable match because they did not implement the right game plan against their foe. They don’t ask themselves basic strategic questions, like: “Does he have a weak backhand?” “Does she struggle against heavy topspin?”

To start recognizing your opponent’s strength and weaknesses, vary your shots in the warm­up and take note of the results. Hit slice, topspin, high balls, low balls, hard shots, slow shots, and any other variations you can come up with. Then see how your opponent reacts to them.

If the warm­up isn’t enough time, continue mixing things up in the beginning of the match to find out optimal ways of winning points. Keep a mental note of your opponent’s tendencies and patterns .

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Use this information to your advantage. It truly pays to pay attention when you are playing a tennis match. Being aware of your opponent’s game will be the difference between picking apart your opponent and laying down on the couch when you should have been out there playing in the next round.

Remember this acronym: ABT = Always Be Thinking.

3. Get a Line Judge Against a Cheater

If you think your opponent is making bad line calls, request a tournament official immediately . The mistake many people make is not getting a line judge sooner (or at all). By giving cheaters the benefit of the doubt too many times, you could be setting yourself up to be cheated big­time on a very important point. Do not let a cheater cost you the match.

Chapter 6. Fitness and Nutrition

1. Take Care of Your Body

Stretch after every match. Correct muscular imbalances. Warm­up before you play. Eat healthier. Keep your body in top condition, because it pays dividends in the future. Small injuries or imbalances when you are young can lead to career­ending injuries later on in life. Invest in your body so that you can enjoy tennis for your entire life. It may take an extra 10 minutes to stretch or 30 minutes to cook a healthy dinner, but it will pay immeasurable physical and mental health dividends for the rest of your life.

2. Clean up your Diet

Feel like you don’t get to the ball that fast? Well, it may just be the burger and fries you ate before the match, or your daily lunch of pizza and a bag of Doritos.

A select few of us are miraculously unaffected by such foods. However, the majority of people benefit from eating clean food, which results in higher energy levels and a more athletic physique.

I recently cut out sugary desserts and drinks from my diet, and increased my veggie and lean protein intake. As a result, my speed on the court has improved and I feel less bloated. I was tired of feeling like crap on the court , and I wanted to do something about it .

Fitness is paramount on the court, and if you feed your body unhealthy food, you will never function at your maximum potential.

“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” ­ Bethenny Frankel.

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Chapter 7. Final Thoughts

1. Keep a Positive Attitude

Don’t let the outcome of a tennis match determine your attitude for the day. In the end, tennis is just a sport and a vehicle for self­growth (and darn good exercise, too). Be objective about your wins and losses. Ask yourself what you did well, not so well, and how you can improve your tennis game. After that, go out and enjoy your time with your family and friends. Losing a tennis match isn’t the end of the world.

2. Make Friends from Tennis

You can meet tons of wonderful people involved in the game of tennis. People that can find you jobs, help you when you have car problems, hang out with you at the bar, and increase your happiness. Make it a habit to meet at least one new person every time you play tennis . Opportunities to make invaluable and advantageous connections will be lost if you are too shy to introduce yourself.

3. Find Out What Works for You

It is good to seek advice. But don’t blindly listen to everything people tell you. Due to the different physical and mental makeup of individuals, there is no one right way to play tennis or hit a shot. And not everyone knows what they are talking about.

When someone gives you advice, consider that person’s career and how successful they have been before you implement what they say. There is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming and seem contradictory. Find the best tennis minds that you can, listen to what they say, and if things don’t improve after a reasonable period of time, try something else.

4. Please Yourself, Not Everybody Else

Do what is best for you and your life goals. Choose your priorities and make sure you spend most of your time on them. Don’t be afraid to say no if you don’t want to hit with a weak player or go to a party if it interferes with more important things in your schedule. It’s okay to do a favor once in awhile, but not at the expense of your happiness and self­development. As the kids say these days: “YOLO.” You only live once.

5. Take Advantage of Opportunities

My dad’s favorite saying is “ When the oven is hot, bake the bread.” There will be rare opportunities that come along in your tennis career: the chance to hit with a top­ranked player, a tryout for a prestigious training program, or a session with an elite tennis coach. Whatever

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the opportunity may be, jump on it! Don’t be lazy: take advantage of every single opportunity. It may be the last time you get that chance.

Thank You For Reading!

I hope you enjoyed my eBook on The Building Blocks of Tennis Success!

If you did, I would be grateful if you encouraged people to check it out by sharing this link: The Building Blocks of Tennis Success.

Let me know what you think about my eBook, or if you have any questions, by contacting me at mehrban@tennisfiles.com . You can also find me through Facebook, Twitter ( @tennisfiles), Google+, and my Youtube channel .

Keep up the passion, motivation, and discipline you need to maximize your tennis potential.

Thanks again. I really appreciate your support, and I wish you all the best!

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