Do you really know how to compete?

There is a certain type of player who can be found everywhere from Club Matches to Grand Slams.Your killer forehand will be neutralized, your serve will be absorbed, your weak back-hand will be exposed and, above all, your mind will be made to experience all negative emotions possible. They might have no killer forehand, a pooper of a serve, a backhand that travels more or less at the speed of smell and no style whatsoever. But they are lethal. They have learnt the other game. The mind game.

At club level they´re easy to recognize. They roam around the courts or hang out at the bar looking for their next victim. They look inoffensive. Grubby shoes, acrylic socks, shorts that were worn when it was cool to have your circulation cut off, a tee shirt three sizes too big that looks like the before shirt in a detergent commercial and up above, a hat, that was given out as a consolation prize at the thursday mix- in last november. The supermarket hemp bag thats being used as a sports holdall contains two or three rackets of different brands and vintages, a couple of cans of hairless balls, a small towel so stiffened with sweat it stands up on its own, and an assortment of moldy arm-bands and knee braces.

Harmless, Right? This guy is a shark.Those three crappy rackets have been fine tuned, the plastic grips changed to leather, lead weights added to acheive precise balance, and the whole strung to perfection. Those grubby shoes are cutting edge , the acrylic socks hide the extra cushioned foot gloves, the dingy shirt breathes by itself. Even the shorts, which went out of mass production when Lendl retired, have terry cloth lining in the pockets to keep the hands dry.

For this guy, tactics are everything. They have to be, because, in his case, talent is seriously lacking. Before he goes near the court, the mind games have begun.

You will never feel in control of this match. When you are a break or a set up, you can’t seem to pull away and play your best game. You feel that you are being pulled down to a place where doubt is magnified and determination converted to lethargy.

Suddenly, his eccentric little rituals that amuse you at the start of the game have become nerve wracking. The way he bounces the ball sixteen times before a serve; the repertoire of grunts and oral flatulence which seems to have a pattern but doesn’t; the hand towel used at every opportunity and carefully replaced just so on the net; the unused balls sent to the furthest corners of the court and collected at leisure after every single point.

You feel angry, humiliated. You want to make excuses for your deplorable play. You dont even have enough energy to throw your racket at the fence. The last time you felt this bad was when your hamster fell in the blender.

You’ve just played a Competitor.

Watch Federer or Nadal, forget the strokes and observe what’s going on between the points. Both are supreme Competitors. They dominate the court with their presence and each will try and impose his own rhythm and tempo on the match.

Nadal`s tactic is to slow the tempo down, to make his opponent realize he must work for every point. Watch next time when you see a fast rally how he will suddenly execute a slow slice backhand, which will not quite travel at the speed of smell, but it will bring the tempo backdown to where he is comfortable.

Federer´s tactic is exactly the opposite, he wants to whirlwind his opponent, giving them no time to think or get comfortable and he always keeping them guessing. He doesn’t mind long rallies as long as they’re played at a fast pace.

It’s mesmerizing to watch these two players in combat against each other, It is the ultimate mind game. Federer may look to be the better player but Nadal, by far , is the better competitor.

Understanding the fight

You’ve got an upcoming match; before you go near the court you must have the right mentality. Understanding the hidden rules will help you to gain the advantage even against a stronger opponent.

Before the match begins 50% of it belongs to you and the other 50 to your opponent. This is the attitude to have. Having acheived that, your first objective is to insure that your 50% is working at optimum level. Only at that point, can you begin to see what percentage can be taken away from your opponent.

Don’t think about winning or losing. You are there to compete. You are there to win points. If your opponent wins a point then, you must throw everything youve got to win the next one. Don’t think about games; don’t think about sets, think about that next point.

Every point counts, every point won is chance to sow doubt in your opponents mind. Before and after every point, show an aggressive attitude. Always walk tall, stay in control, focus only on the ball, your racket and your opponent. The mere fact that your opponent sees you have a plan will force him to counteract it. That is where you want them.

Dont be scared of nerves. Learn to channel them. It is normal that in a stressful situation we enter a fight or flight state. Stress hormones will cause you to tense in preparation for action or retreat. If you have maintained the correct attitude your brain will choose to fight automaticaly.

If you are in fight mode, energy and a agression will combine to form a perfect focus on yor objectives.

If you allow yourself to fall into flight mode, however, focus will be lost and it will be difficult to control your energy. This will lead to indecisiveness and lack of control.

It is possible to change from flight to fight in an instant. It’s a question of narrowing your focus on to what you can control. Assertive positive thoughts play an important part, as do thoughts of determination, perseverance, and courage, but only once you have decided to fight can they be used.

Any sport involves equivalent measures of attitude and aptitude. You cant have one without the other.

But it’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.