Challenging Questions in Tennis

Challenging Questions in Tennis

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You are in a very tough match. Your opponent is striving to win and making you work hard for every point. You struggle physically and mentally and think about whether you have the strength to go all the way.
The inevitable questions come to your mind: Is my struggle worth it? Is the effort worth it? Why should I try my best? Do I HAVE to try my best?

The truth is that every competitive player has been in this situation: give up or keep fighting…

Why “give up”?
Well, for the simple reason that giving up gets us back to our comfort zone – going back to the intimacy of our home, relaxing with family and friends, and… just resting.

On the other side, the “keep fighting” mode means continuing the hard work and the understanding that if we win then we’ll have to get back on the court the next day (during a tennis tournament) and go through this “struggle” all over again.
It is not easy to keep going. It is not easy to keep fighting. The idea of giving up is so… tempting. It is a lot easier to give up than to fight… It is a lot easier to stay in comfort than not.

I don’t blame you if you decide to play and lose. I don’t blame you if you don’t want to continue even though you could. But I will tell you that what you do on the tennis court will reflect what you will do in life!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

One of Those Days / Mental Tennis Tips

One of Those Days / Mental Tennis Tips

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Sometimes we have… one of those days – when the feel of the ball is lost, when the wrist “breaks” at contact and we lose control of the racquet, when the feet are not listening and the reactions are slower than usual… Yes, that’s the day I’m talking about.

What should you do when things don’t feel right during a match?
It will be challenging, but do not give up! I was there before and I know the frustration…
Here are a few tips to consider when you go through that feeling:

  • Remain calm and do not show your frustration – your opponent should not be aware of what is happening to you.
  • Try changing your game plan – put more spin on your strokes, hit with a higher margin for error, move up to the net, etc.
  • Fill your mind with positive thoughts.
  • Acknowledge the rough time you’re going through but tell yourself that it will not last long, and make yourself believe it!
  • Prepare for a long match – when only winning matters and not the quality of your play (within the limits of fair play though).
  • Pay attention to your opponent’s mistakes and use the information to your advantage.

Above all, it’s not the end of the world if you lose a match, so… relax and do your best.

Ready to take your tennis game to new heights? Join Ultimate Training for Tennis Players and unlock your potential!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

How to Handle Bad Line Calls in Tennis

How to Handle Bad Line Calls in Tennis

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As you have probably noticed by now, all articles I send your way are based on personal tennis experience…
In this article, again, I come with advice that you can take with you on the court, especially knowing that Saturday morning is match time for most of you! 🙂

One of the things that I “brag” to my students about is the fact that I have never argued with any of my opponents in my entire tennis life! And here is why:

– Arguing creates negative energy that negatively affects your game (there are very few exceptions when arguing actually helps someone’s game).

– There is a chance that you actually did not see the ball well – you “could” be wrong.

– If you do think that your opponent was unfair with the call, politely disagree with them. You will let them know, in that way, that you are watching them and you too keep a good eye on what is happening on the court.

– Do not get angry – stay positive! This is my best advice because I am a firm believer in the idea that if you stay on the positive side, good things will come (or turn) your way.

– And lastly – regardless of the match outcome you DO want to be able to look into your opponent’s eyes and feel good about yourself at the end of the match. Don’t let the bad calls ruin a potential friendship even though your opponent may not be perfect in calling the shots correctly all the time!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

How To Relax For Peak Performance in Tennis

How To Relax For Peak Performance in Tennis

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Getting nervous before or during a match is completely normal.

I lost many matches as a junior player only because I did not know how to level my state of mind while playing.

There were times when I embarrassed myself by losing to lower-ranked players when everybody who knew me expected me to win easily against them…
But, fortunately, over the years, I have become better at controlling not only my temperament on the court but also my internal emotions.

Here are some techniques that helped me (and still do) before and during tennis matches:

1. Control your breathing – do it slowly and deeply – visualize the air going in and then out.

2. Focus on the strings as soon as the point ends – try to clear your mind and keep your eyes on a particular spot – do not let your eyes shift for at least 10 seconds.

3. Relax your muscles – feel (imagine) your shoulders tensionless.

4. Walk slowly and with confidence.

5. If you have a ritual that makes you feel better (fixing your strings, pulling up your t-shirt sleeves, using the towel, drying your hands, etc.), stay with it.

6. Use positive talk: “I love this sport!”, “This is fun!”, “I enjoy playing!” etc.

7. One way of relaxing is to sing (in a very low voice) or hum your favorite song in between points.

8. Recall a time you played very well and were happy with your game.

You don’t have to do all these techniques at once during the match. Just pick the ones that work for you; I am sure you might already have one that helps you.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Tennis Competition: How to Enjoy It

Tennis Competition: How to Enjoy It

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One of my students recently told me: “Cosmin, I have a big fear of losing – especially when it comes to lower-level players because they are the last ones I want to lose to!”

Before I became a coach, I was a player myself. And I hated to lose too… because of that, I did not enjoy competing in tennis; even when I was winning!

It took me a few years to understand what was happening:

The reason we do not enjoy the competition is that we all hate to LOSE!
Thinking about losing is a negative thought. When we go into a match focusing on the negative, we attract negative things to us!

As a coach, I have played many practice matches with my advanced students – and I enjoyed every minute of that. My mentality was that if they were to beat me I would be happy for them (after all, they are my students!); if I were to win, that would be a learning experience for them. Either way, I was playing in a relaxed mode, and as a result, I really enjoyed my tennis!

The moral of this article is that every player should go into a match thinking that either outcome is a great learning experience: win or lose, we learn; we progress; and we discover new areas to better ourselves…

Ready to take your tennis game to new heights? Join Ultimate Training for Tennis Players and unlock your potential!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Tennis Grip… Based on Feel

Tennis Grip… Based on Feel

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As a tennis coach, I noticed that the simpler the instructions, the better.

One of the aspects of teaching tennis is knowing the correct grip for every tennis shot.
This subject has always puzzled me and the reason is that some tennis coaches tend to explain it in a too complicated way.

We have many names for the grips: semi-western, western, full-western, continental, eastern forehand, eastern backhand, etc. Some coaches insist that certain parts of your palm should be positioned on specific areas of the racquet grip (base knuckle on the bevel 3, etc.).

Ask most tennis pro players and they will tell you that they don’t even know nor care what grip name they use. They will tell you that they use the grip that FEELS RIGHT for a particular shot.

What does RIGHT mean?

The grip should be something that feels comfortable for each player individually. The proper grip should be the way a player holds the racquet to give them a good combination of control and comfort which can translate into ball speed, consistency, and accuracy.

An easy way to understand how to hold the racquet is to recognize what happens at contact with the ball… Considering that at contact the racquet should be facing (more or less) the target and the hand/racquet should be at a considerable distance from the body, begin understanding the grip by positioning the strings where the contact should be and holding the racquet most comfortably at the grip. Then ask yourself: even though this feels right, will I be able to impart power and the desired spin on the ball?

In conclusion, the proper tennis grip is based on the FEEL, which means the way you hold the racquet should provide you with effortless power and control.

Learn tennis techniques with crystal-clear explanations and visual aids. Join Visual Tennis Lessons program and simplify your learning journey!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Second Serve Priorities in Tennis

Second Serve Priorities in Tennis

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For many, the second serve is the shot that should just go into the proper service box and begin the point. But not for my students and me…
To give an example, I would like you to consider the following:
You just missed your first serve and now getting ready for the second one. How do you feel?
If you are like most players, then your first concern would be to get the ball in to deprive your opponent of a free point. But if you are ready to push it a little further and dare to be proactive, the second serve is really about these two main aspects:

1. Get the ball in to start the point.
2. Deliver the second serve in a manner that makes it hard for your opponent to attack you.

The first aspect is quite obvious, but the second one is often overlooked.

Now how do we make the second serve hard to attack?

With spin and depth!

Don’t just push the ball in, spin it! And spin it hard!
Consider the following: a ball being hit against a wall, flat and straight on, will come back in the same direction (more or less) from where it came; whereas a ball with spin will be carried in the direction the spin dictates.

The spin you impart on your second serve will make it more difficult for the returner to control and attack your served ball. This, associated with a deep placement into the service box, will give you the perfect combination to get you on a good start for a rally.
Now, if you add to the spin and depth the placement to your opponent’s weak side then that’s what I call the ultimate second serve. But I know that would be pushing the envelope too far for most players who read this article.

So, I’ll leave you with this thought:

Should you spend more time developing a good slice or topspin second serve?

Learn tennis techniques with crystal-clear explanations and visual aids. Join Visual Tennis Lessons program and simplify your learning journey!

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.