MESSAGE #336 PISTOL PETE…

In Pete Sampras’ new book, “A Champion’s Mind. Lessons from a Life in Tennis,” he talks about how he used to practice…

“When it came to the x’s and o’s, one of the first things Tim did was get me to shorten my practice sessions. This was something Tim learned from Jimmy Connors, who may have practiced less-in terms of minutes spent-than any other top player. Jimmy was legendary for his short, intense practices. He sometimes practiced for as few as forty-five minutes, but always with total focus and purpose. He ran for every ball, hit his best shots, and kept up the pressure all the way. He could wear out a guy accustomed to two-hour practices in less than half that time. With Jimmy, you didn’t play two points and then stop, drink some Gatorade, and chitchat.”

Sampras, Pete, Bodo, Peter. (2008). A champion’s mind. Lessons from a life in tennis. Crown Publishers: New York.

So practice doesn’t make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect. It’s not quantity, it’s quality. You don’t have to spend more time doing homework, paperwork, or working out…

You just have to spend that time more wisely.


Thanks for reading.