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MESSAGE #1127 THIS IS YOUR BRAIN…

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Brad Gilbert once said that you can win with 60% of your game and 100% of your brain, but if you have 60% of your brain and 100% of your game, you won’t win.

What does this mean?

Physical skills are important, but mental skills are more important.

I received an email recently from a top tennis player in Idaho that read:

“I was in the final of the Men’s 50’s Idaho Senior Games, down 0-5 and getting frustrated. I took a break on the changeover, cleared my head of all thought except for the plan I formed–Serve into the body, groundstrokes deep to the corners followed by short angles to the open court. Instead of questioning why things were happening, I set out to focus on the things I could control…attitude, effort, strategy, cutting down on errors. I won the first set 7-6, and the next 6-2. It wasn’t pretty…but I won the Gold Medal and qualified for the US National Games next year in Houston. I keep a copy of your ‘Top 10 things Champions Do’ list in my bag. Thanks for the list, Ed…that gold is as much yours as mine!”

When was the last time you worked on your mental game?

MESSAGE #774 BELIEVE!!

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Yesterday, Melanie Oudin did it again at the US Open.

The 17 year-old from Georgia scored yet another upset, by beating Nadia Petrova.

I hope by reading my blog messages this past week, you are starting to believe that anything is possible on and off the court. Many great players have lost to no-name players. It’s not about the ranking, it’s about who plays better on that day.

In my book, “Game. Set. Life.” I talk about Brad Gilbert’s philosophy, according to Andre Agassi…

“One of the biggest things I’ve gotten from Brad is how to stay in a match when things aren’t going my way. He believes that 5 percent of the time your opponent is in the zone and you won’t win; 5 percent of the time you’re in the zone and you can’t lose. But the other 90 percent of the time, it’s up for grabs; there is a way to win. You’ve got to figure out what that is. And to do that you’ve got to stay positive. You’ve got to believe.”

Melanie Oudin is certainly following that philosophy.

In fact, written on her pink and yellow Adidas Barricade tennis shoes is this…

“BELIEVE”


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #765 I’M IN THE US OPEN!!!

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“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome.”
-ARTHUR ASHE

Well, I have a few big days coming up.

I head into NYC today for the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference. I will be speaking alongside industry leaders, such as, Patrick McEnroe, Brad Gilbert, Mary Joe Fernandez and Peter Burwash on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, I will be doing a book signing at the US Open Bookstore just before Billie Jean King.

As I tell my close friends, this is going to be…

Average.

You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low. Everything is a stepping stone to something better. Once you think you’ve made it, you’re done. I will never think I’ve made it. I seek to constantly improve.

Bruce Springsteen was once asked backstage after one of his concerts, how he gave such a great performance every night.
Bruce said, “That’s easy – two things…

#1. Every night I tell myself that this is the most important concert of my my career…and #2…

It’s only rock and roll.

What does this mean? Your effort should be all out, but your attitude should be a little relaxed.

It’s only rock and roll.
It’s only tennis.
It’s only a talk and book signing…

Next blog message from NYC…


Thanks for reading.