Invisible Greatness: Part 4

[klacr]

A decent article...certainly thought-provoking.

I think practicing with other players, weaker or stronger, is valid, though I am not convinced Allen Fox is right. I think the value of coaches allowing (when the time is right) kids to play and practice with players better than them is invaluable, perhaps the most invaluable aspect of training there is. Kids can really go up a notch in this kind of scenario. Crucially they learn to develop more time on the ball...because they have to, and they learn about placement and the importance of strategy. They quickly, sometimes instinctively, learn how to survive in higher tempo rallies when mixing with better players. It's a bit like sink or swim. My training methods with better players work this way. I find I can really elevate players considerably by mixing them with better players at the appropriate stage of their development.

It must to be done at the right time or players sink. You don't want to have to send kids back down to a lower squad. Judgment and timing are everything here. You run the risk of upsetting parents if your judgement of a child turns out to be misplaced.

As for parents, most are fine. It's just the minority of poor ones that stand out.

Stotty

So practicing with better players is a good thing. I don't disagree. But what happens if you're the better player thats now playing with a weaker player? Shouldn't they also play with someone better? Where does it stop?

Yes, Everyone wants to play with someone better, but kinda sucks if you're the better player now playing down. Just being devil's advocate.

A popular idea is with the 33% rule. 1/3 of time you play against someone better for the challenge and humility. 1/3 of time you play with someone equal for competition and progress report. 1/3 play against someone weaker to work on game and try new ideas.

For me personally, put me up against the best. Beat the snot out of me, sink or swim. See if I survive, and when I do (because I always do) I will learn far more and be that much hungrier and wiser on the next go around. I'll believe I'm the favorite in the match, no matter who I play and will continue to believe that until they beat me. I want the pressure. I'll thrive on it. Put my back against a wall. Make me feel the stress and pressure and see what I do in a tough situation. If I was a brain surgeon or I was an F-16 fighter pilot I'd love to see how I do. Bring me your toughest situation.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

A decent article...certainly thought-provoking.

I think practicing with other players, weaker or stronger, is valid, though I am not convinced Allen Fox is right. I think the value of coaches allowing (when the time is right) kids to play and practice with players better than them is invaluable, perhaps the most invaluable aspect of training there is. Kids can really go up a notch in this kind of scenario. Crucially they learn to develop more time on the ball...because they have to, and they learn about placement and the importance of strategy. They quickly, sometimes instinctively, learn how to survive in higher tempo rallies when mixing with better players. It's a bit like sink or swim. My training methods with better players work this way. I find I can really elevate players considerably by mixing them with better players at the appropriate stage of their development.

It must to be done at the right time or players sink. You don't want to have to send kids back down to a lower squad. Judgment and timing are everything here. You run the risk of upsetting parents if your judgement of a child turns out to be misplaced.

As for parents, most are fine. It's just the minority of poor ones that stand out.

Stotty

[hockeyscout]

The Pussy Generation...

Clint Eastwood calls it "The Pussy Generation". He has a point and so does hockeyscout. Many good points. Even though he may have gone over the deep edge.

Today's game is so, what is the term they use...physicality? What a joke. The game is so dumbed down it qualifies as a FUBAR...fucked up beyond all recognition. Credit the racquet manufacturers and the morons that allowed this catastrophic equipment change that enabled the rest of the engineering. I hardly think that I am being romantic about the sports days gone by...merely pragmatic.

I haven't read the article but I might thanks to hockeyscout's "manifesto". It's a strange world nowadays. Kids have to wear a helmet to go for a bike ride. Kiddies tennis is the foundation for the modern game. The basic idea is to get some toddlers to play to fill up the courts so the money keeps rolling in. That's fine...but don't expect to ever duplicate what hockeyscout writes about...The School of Hard Knocks.

These days even the adults are getting their asses protected by the bigger fish as they play in USTA rated tournaments. It used to be that Men played in a tournament and the boys played in their age groups. Now it's sandbagging to play below your ranking so that you can add another meaningless trophy to your meaningless trophy cabinet.

I played in my first sanctioned tournament when I was 15 or 16. I had won a local "novice" tournament so my Dad thought I was ready for the real thing. It was a 16 and under event, i never played in a 14 and under event, in or around 1970 and I met the local bad boy and top junior of the day who played out of the Jean Hoxie school of tennis in Hamtramck...near Detroit. He absolutely lambasted me 6-0, 6-1. Notice it wasn't a double bagel. Even in my first go round I knew the importance not getting double bageled. He not only thoroughly outplayed me and outclassed me tennis wise...he also came over the net to threaten me after I had called a close one out. He was leaving no stone unturned. I was thoroughly disgraced. Beaten and chastised. Baptism by fire. Son of a bitch.

Well I had only begun to play at the age of fourteen so I was forever playing up and trust me...I wouldn't have it any other way. The ass kicking good old Tony Lamerato gave me at Stoepel-Evergreen public courts stuck with me all of my life. Like hockeyscout says. But there came a day when my Henry Ford Community College went to play Western Michigan University. Tony was the number one player on his team and I was playing number one singles for the little Community College from Dearborn. I remember one of my teammates was giving me the business on the ride over to Western's courts...sort of stirring up the bad memory of my youth. It was perhaps four years later. Ed Sedo was more or less conceding the point to Lamerato...but I was in my seat sorting out a game plan. My plan? Attack the forehand low with slice and then move it high and deep to the two hand backhand...and vice versa. It worked perfectly and I beat the son of a bitch in his own backyard. The only revenge in life...is success.

I went on to play number one singles at Ohio University for two years. Clearly at the age of 20/21 I was still playing catchup to every single player that I faced. Everyone had been playing longer and had more tournament experience...not to mention money and support. But nobody had more balls than I did. I think that I broke dead even over the course of two years in terms of wins and losses but I will tell you one thing...I had a hard edge after the experience. During my senior year I played against five players that played at Wimbledon that year...in school competition and tournament competition. I lost to each of them. But I didn't concede anything to any of them.

hockeyscout is right on a number of points. I haven't read the article. But I never played with training wheels. I get bounced around my fair share. Everyone does. I never hesitated to play up. In fact I loved it. I would rather get my ass kicked on the show court than pound some hapless fool into next week on some back court. Everyone is different though. These days it is all about making sure nobodies feelings get hurt so all kinds of protective measures are built into the thing. Particularly since when you start them off so young you want to keep them in the program. It's makes sense...dollars and cents.

By the way...Daddy's money does count for something.

In my world, daddy money means daddy earned it. My kids will do the same. I give them an opportunity to play and compete. My wallet is not open when it comes to my kids. We'll see what they earn. Agree here 100 percent. Your dad did right by you. Hell of a post don_budge - I will print that off for my two girls. They will enjoy it.

[don_budge]

The Pussy Generation...

Clint Eastwood calls it "The Pussy Generation". He has a point and so does hockeyscout. Many good points. Even though he may have gone over the deep edge.

Today's game is so, what is the term they use...physicality? What a joke. The game is so dumbed down it qualifies as a FUBAR...fucked up beyond all recognition. Credit the racquet manufacturers and the morons that allowed this catastrophic equipment change that enabled the rest of the engineering. I hardly think that I am being romantic about the sports days gone by...merely pragmatic.

I haven't read the article but I might thanks to hockeyscout's "manifesto". It's a strange world nowadays. Kids have to wear a helmet to go for a bike ride. Kiddies tennis is the foundation for the modern game. The basic idea is to get some toddlers to play to fill up the courts so the money keeps rolling in. That's fine...but don't expect to ever duplicate what hockeyscout writes about...The School of Hard Knocks.

These days even the adults are getting their asses protected by the bigger fish as they play in USTA rated tournaments. It used to be that Men played in a tournament and the boys played in their age groups. Now it's sandbagging to play below your ranking so that you can add another meaningless trophy to your meaningless trophy cabinet.

I played in my first sanctioned tournament when I was 15 or 16. I had won a local "novice" tournament so my Dad thought I was ready for the real thing. It was a 16 and under event, i never played in a 14 and under event, in or around 1970 and I met the local bad boy and top junior of the day who played out of the Jean Hoxie school of tennis in Hamtramck...near Detroit. He absolutely lambasted me 6-0, 6-1. Notice it wasn't a double bagel. Even in my first go round I knew the importance not getting double bageled. He not only thoroughly outplayed me and outclassed me tennis wise...he also came over the net to threaten me after I had called a close one out. He was leaving no stone unturned. I was thoroughly disgraced. Beaten and chastised. Baptism by fire. Son of a bitch.

Well I had only begun to play at the age of fourteen so I was forever playing up and trust me...I wouldn't have it any other way. The ass kicking good old Tony Lamerato gave me at Stoepel-Evergreen public courts stuck with me all of my life. Like hockeyscout says. But there came a day when my Henry Ford Community College went to play Western Michigan University. Tony was the number one player on his team and I was playing number one singles for the little Community College from Dearborn. I remember one of my teammates was giving me the business on the ride over to Western's courts...sort of stirring up the bad memory of my youth. It was perhaps four years later. Ed Sedo was more or less conceding the point to Lamerato...but I was in my seat sorting out a game plan. My plan? Attack the forehand low with slice and then move it high and deep to the two hand backhand...and vice versa. It worked perfectly and I beat the son of a bitch in his own backyard. The only revenge in life...is success.

I went on to play number one singles at Ohio University for two years. Clearly at the age of 20/21 I was still playing catchup to every single player that I faced. Everyone had been playing longer and had more tournament experience...not to mention money and support. But nobody had more balls than I did. I think that I broke dead even over the course of two years in terms of wins and losses but I will tell you one thing...I had a hard edge after the experience. During my senior year I played against five players that played at Wimbledon that year...in school competition and tournament competition. I lost to each of them. But I didn't concede anything to any of them.

hockeyscout is right on a number of points. I haven't read the article. But I never played with training wheels. I get bounced around my fair share. Everyone does. I never hesitated to play up. In fact I loved it. I would rather get my ass kicked on the show court than pound some hapless fool into next week on some back court. Everyone is different though. These days it is all about making sure nobodies feelings get hurt so all kinds of protective measures are built into the thing. Particularly since when you start them off so young you want to keep them in the program. It's makes sense...dollars and cents.

By the way...Daddy's money does count for something.

[hockeyscout]

I modified the above, this morning to better reflect my thoughts.

[hockeyscout]

Of all the series I have ever seen on tennisplayer.net this one is undoubtedly the worst. If you want to lose take his advice. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. First off, I hate coaches who rip on tennis parents. A word of advice buddy, they pay the bills, show respect and shut your mouth. If you have nothing to say positive about a sports dad or mom, don’t say it. If you don’t like a dad or mom, don’t do business with them and explain to them why its impractical if you want to be a man about it. Often times, things get solved. Real quick.

My advice now for winning.

Do as a one-year-old does and you will be good!

One step at a time.

Fall down, get up, cry, fall down, get up, don't cry, have a short memory, try new things all day, be fascinated with the process (young kids don't want to sleep, life way to fascinating to have to go to bed), eat, sleep, get up, and go back at it again.

Sport and business is a "kids" game - treat it just like that, and things will always go well for you.

Passion, if you have a kids enthusiasm for it (no matter what happens) no one will beat you.

Have the same passion for losing as you do for winning.

Failure is great - don't be scared of it.

Embrace it in your life.

Losing? Overmatched? Well, that's great. It's an opportunity. Keep swinging away. If you lose confidence, really, you’re a loser (sorry).

I once had a business go bankrupt, and my family was wondering why I wasn't sad or thinking about going back to school. They all thought the world would judge me as “he went broke.” Literally they expected me to be ashamed. Personally, I did not give a rats ass. My grandmother told me to bankrupt the piece of shit company, and fry bigger fish, or do as she did and re-organise for pennies for a dollar.

As she said, “"Fuck it.” Life goes on. Success await."

Smart lady.

When I was nine or ten mom would send me over to grandmas.

Grandma always told me, eat, sleep, work, swim with the sharks, don’'t be afraid to get the crap kicked out of you, play with the old kids - men, earn your bruises - battle scars and one day you will be an Orca and eat their liver.”

My mom did not care much for grandma’s life lessons, but, I learned quickly I never took it on the chin when I played sports against my old age group. Later on in business I was not afraid to compete ruthlessly with the old men, and I made sure whoever I dealt with treated me fairly and respectfully (or else).

People tend to project their own fears onto others, and great athletes have no interest in taking part in it.

The coach in the article is scared shitless, and passing it down to his players. Why is he so scared of getting his ass beat down? He can't do what he wants to do against a good player's. No kidding. So what? Suck up the 6-0 losses, and try to get to 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.

Don't be afraid to start at the top, and go for broke!

Society always wants to put you in your place, and pigon-hole and project people to a certain level, and make them follow their system. Why let them do it? Pick your own route, and don't be afraid to go out and play with the big boy, and look bad.

You gotta admire a 23 year old Donald Trump going for broke and competing where his dad did not want to compete in New York against the ruthless mafia and politicians - show some ambition man, and don't be scared of venturing into ground no one else is willing to!

It's where America is going wrong - we aren't encouraging our young people to put themselves in positions anymore where they can massively fail.

Biggest compliment I ever got was when I was 21, a USA Hockey coach told me, "Man, you think BIG like an American." I didn't take offense.

I like people with unrealistic expectations, they tend to fair better in the long run if they have the patience to stick with it, and internalize with a clear head what is happening around them.

I call the tennis my older daughter plays gypsey tennis. She plays players she has no business playing. She gets killed. But, she plays like a gypsy, and takes more and more and more. She see's their ability, and in practice that is the level she tries to reach. It's a game daily to keep emotions in check, play hard, not get frustrated, and try, little by little to take, take and take. One day that small time gypsy will become smart, big, strong, adaptable, and the king.

I am not a big fan of U10, and U12 tennis, trophies, awards, Eddie Herr, ITF internationals ETC ... how many kid wonders have really panned out? What happens at 10, 11, 12, 13, ect, is not important. What's important is being willing to get your butt kicked day in and day out, and finding solutions to getting better where every other player would give up, and cave in.

I hired a real good hitting partner from London, and that's all she needs. They compete, and she is closing the gap (plus, she will harangue whoever shows up to the court, old woman, men, boys, girls, whatever, whoever, whenever) and just ball for the sake of balling.

If tennis works out for her great, and if it doesn't, she will be set for life because she will learn an important lesson - you need to earn it the hard way in the jungle of tennis, and success doesn't come for free, or through traditional pathways (you have to create your own).

That's why NBA players are so good. The 10-year-old wants to play with the 16-year-olds, the old men. Every once in a while the big boys will let them play, and they will kick the crap out of them. If they have worked their asses off imitating the older guys, and developing serviceable skills, they play with the older ones under the condition they shut their mouths, compete, don't whine, cry and compete ETC. Lebron or MJ did not go to academies or compete in wonderfully organized USA Basketball events as kids - they played street ball, and got there asses handed to them daily. That is development.

Nothing wrong with having visions of surpassing # 1 - if you are backing it up, showing up first at the office, and leaving last.

Many are afraid of putting work, money, time and effort into something, and having it not work out for them!

And, likely they are right. 99 out of 100 times it won't work out. But, the lessons learned in 2 or 3 failures will vault you to success in the end-game of life if you have the intellectual patience to stick it out.

Don't look back.

Like I said before, I always competed against older guys. They were brutal. They beat the crap out of me. I used to nurse bumps and bruises, and think to myself when I got older I would beat the living crap out of them (in sport, woman, life and business).

Oh, I took some bad shots, but, it was all worth it.

Later on in life - I meet these guys who used to give me a daily beating and humiliation.

And, its the same old shit with these dudes. Really, it's pitiful. Pussywhipped by life guys, who basically got off on picking on me when I was inferior to them, and weaker.

I benefited from the fact they were basically insecure cowards, who weren't willing to do what it took to get better.

Compete.

That's tennis - work, work and work, until you make your enemy retreat, and become a coward.

Things always even themselves out, and certain people always pass up their peers, mentors and associates, and its no accident (it happens for good reason).

The playground bully always gets his day of reconning, but, he's required to build you into a strong person and without him around you would have been nothing.

I think my old man even told these nasty asbestos miners to give me a good shit-kicking, just to see if I would come back for more.

I always did.

If I didn't, I knew what the end game would be - life as an asbestos minor in a cold village near the North Pole till I died of lung cancer.

Commitment - it earns you a way out.

Hey, that's motivation to win isn't it?

What is this crap about not playing against superior competition - like come on, give me a break.

Hey, shit happens in life.

So what, you don't have to answer to no one except that voice in your head when you go to sleep at night in a dark room when you ask yourself "Did I do all I could do today to be the best?" It's that simple.

Great athletes and businessmen all have the same attitude, "Shut up, get to work, no drama (well, except when you use it to suit your purpose), tell yourself every day you are the best even though you are not, have the biggest persona and get out there and get it done."

And, be prepared for some long, and hard days, and doubters.

The problem is when the "experts" get involved, or read articles from consultants like this one on "Invisible GREATNESS." It's a sham! I have never known research groups, PR firms, self-help gurus, personal coaches to be any help.

In fact, they trying to teaching lessons which are best learned the hard way.

Great people and mentors come along in your life when you, yourself have earned the right to have like-minded individuals of such character around you.

Wins and losses don't matter much. It's a journey. The great athletes are the same. Work hard, focus, put in more hours than anyone else, and all will take its course.

If you want to "win" be the biggest liar in the world, tell yourself you will be number one and keep taking small step after small step with REAL faith, and conviction.

There are a lot of pretenders and dreamers in the world - separate yourself from them with your actions.

Be happy to play anyone you can play! Whoever shows up, whenever, whatever. Be a baller. Set your sights on beating the best. Don't take losing personally. To be great you have to be a TERRIFIC loser. Only one player in the world is # 1, the rest have all lost A LOT. Play players way better than you and get killed, and learn from it and get better. Be grateful they showed you how it is done. Make that guy above you your best friend, and do what you can to surpass. Set standards high, and don’t be intimidated.

Like really, get your ass up at 4 am in the morning, and start hitting balls in a mindful fashion of what you need to do to surpass everyone else in the world.

That is how real winning is done.

In life men will try and steal your wife, your client, your money and what you have earned. And, they will be successful (if you let them). Sometimes they are to strong, and they will beat you. Admire them, and don't let it happen a second time!

Don't sweat anything - in time, it's never as bad as it seemed.

Later on you will always reflect on how everything turned out for the best if you were willing to eat shit and die for the cause. If you have passion, go for it, and it will all be worth it no matter how crazy, far-fetched or whatever the end result.

The article, generally, I can’t see the ideas working out well.

It is mindless.

As I said, there are a lot of pretenders and dreamers in the world - but, how many are really willing to do the heavy lifting required? Not many. So get to it, and quit reading these fantasy tales like "Incredible Greatness."

I like this quote:

"So I gave you power, huh? Well, let me tell you something, boy. If I did give you power, you got nothing! Nobody gives you power. Real power is something you take! "

Winning in tennis, or sport is power. Daddy's money, motivational articles, 10,000 hours on the court and Bolletierri's coaching won't get you shit.

For a player to win they have to take another athlete's power, one at a time, all the way up the food chain.

You need to surpass your peers.

And, no one is going to give it to you.

Winnings about earning the right to win, and that's only accomplished by a precious few (and it happens for very specific reasons).

[arturohernandez]

Interesting point. I have hit a lot with my son and just now is able to win some of the time at the age of 17. We played a lot of sets and tiebreaks when he was younger and most of the time I won. Now I am wondering if this was the right message to send him. Maybe I should have modified it so that he always won but continued to do better. Maybe something like just count points he won (not that I won) and get him to break his own record.

In terms of the invisible part. Couldn't be that some players are faster, more agile, more coordinated and really can just outmaneuver others. The Brad Gilbert's of the world are rare and they can only win with guile some of the time. Isn't possible that what appears as confidence and insistence simply works because a better player knows that they are better. The game is less difficult for them so they keep doing the same thing knowing that most of the time they will win.

Doesn't that confidence start to some extent at the physical level? I mean in his prime Federer could run around and hit Rafa's second serve inside out for a winner on the ad side. He could almost beat Rafa on clay through sheer athleticism. That is how good he was. He simply could do things that other players could not. With such a physical advantage it is easy to stay confident.

So maybe it all is somehow physical to some extent. Even confidence comes from imagining certain movements and outcomes and knowing that they are physically possible. I doubt that Brad Gilbert ever felt confident in that sense. But Agassi did feel confident to a great extent. And that is because he knew that he could take the ball on the rise and put pressure on everyone except Sampras on fast surfaces.

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Nate Chura's article, "Invisible Greatness: Part 4"