BIG DAY IN BELGRADE - BEST SERVER AGAINST BEST RETURNER?------------------plus-----------------------PSYCHOLOGY OF TENNIS IN THE DEEP NORTH

         Whatever happens today, as the Canadian
plays the Serb, there will be a lot of sprinting,
sudden stops, heavy breathing... Determination
and courage will be all.

       I don`t know what`s in the water in Serbia.
Roanic is firmly Canadian, but he was born in
Montenegro.
         Djokovic also was born in Montenegro.
         This is a big day for Serbia, and
deservedly so! 

         It`s a big day for Canada, too! Canada
has not been in the Davis Cup semi-finals
since the early days of the twentieth century.

          Surprisingly enough, there`s a large
Canadian crowd cheering their man on
in the Belgrade arena.
          Balance and superior groundstrokes
won the day for Djokovic. Plus the judicious
use of the topspin lob over the ten foot height and
reach of the Canadian.
          Milos showed real game and courage
and was never defeated in spirit. And you have
to admire grace in defeat.
           After all tennis is a game. We`re not
killing chickens here. Fun and a sense of play
and grace under pressure - this is what it`s
all about.         

          

                      CANADIAN TENNIS IN THE DEEP NORTH

           These Canadians aren`t as quiet
as we`re used to. Is the country going through
some kind of identity change? What happened to
the polite, self-effacing pesonality
we all were used to?
        This crowd is making some real noise.
         
        Frankly, the old personality type was getting
a little tiresome, anyway. And none too exciting.

        In a country which has basically two seasons -
(1) the freeze your ass off season - where you never
see a woman`s body for about seven months of
the year, unless you light a hot fire someplace;
(2) the get your ass bitten off season, when the flies
come to life and start to feed, making that
chattering, humming sound...
          It was inevitable that someone was going to
start to shout sometime!       


    

 

NO NEGATIVE SELF-TALK! DON`T KEEP JUDGING YOUR STROKES...

THE TENNIS PSYCHOLOGIST 
                              
   title (C)2013 by William G. Milne
___________________________________________

            Please excuse legal matter above.  I posted this
blog and almost immediately lost the title, then regained it.
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            BATTLE MATCH : 

             
             Despite the fact that they did not have a huge
audience, I was moved by the intensity of the crowd and players at the Raonic vs Gasquet match. It was a five
set high-intensity battle, fought with the utmost
determination and skill to the end by both players.
              The crowd was as excited as the players. And
even if the audience was highly partisan, there was something about the feel of this confrontation
that most modern matches seem to be lacking.
             
             
           Stan the Man:

       Now that Federer is less intent on defending his
number 1 ranking and is fading from the spotlight
somewhat,  Stan Wawrinka, Roger`s long time
hitting partner seems to have unconsciously received
permission to step forward into the noon
of his own day.
         In his match with Djokovic, I noticed Stan
using 3 or 4 shots  strategy, thinking ahead, using
plays that are chess-like.
 Obviously, he`s learned a lot from Federer, 
and he`s a pretty smart
cookie, himself.

         I spent years playing tennis and also years
doing sitting, using one meditative technique
or another - allowing the river of the mind to
clear itself, without wrenching, without trying:
just allowing the river to clear on its own,
becoming unroiled, unmuddied.
         Not GRASPING after old memories
or loves, but seeing the beauty of each past
event without attempts of possessing...
          Do NOT try to FORCE thoughts from
your mind -  a dark space, empty of movement
is not the goal.
          The goal is a burning window with
nothing inside...a window that allows
quick movements and reflexes... a burning
that consumes all thoughts
           Your running and hitting will
create the burning.
 
         The twelth century mystic, Meister
Eckhart has an expression: 

"THE MORE WE HAVE, THE LESS WE OWN."

           This thought can be applied to tennis. 
The objectiveis to clear the mind of extraneous 
thoughts,without using strong-armed tactics.
            Watch the river flow in the window of your
 mind, allow all thoughts and worries
to pass. You might have a problem
with your mortgage, but thinking about it
when you`re hitting the ball is not going to
help your tennis game.
             Once you`ve been running hard, the
endorphin-filled boiling silence of your focus,
this is all you need.
              You can`t think as you`re hitting
your backhand - unless you`re just a beginner
and you must remember your form -
recent instructions from your teacher.

               This is important - do not think,
do not try for something other than what
you`re doing, and this ESPECIALLY
don`t judge yourself; don`t put yourself down, berate
yourself mentally in your mind.
               Thinking, "That was a bad
backhand - that last shot...." this quickly
becomes, "I have a bad backhand. I can`t
do a backhand.` These are deadly thoughts.
               Think this way and you WILL
have a bad backhand.

                Judging yourself harshly without
forgiveness is often a life problem. And
such negative self-talk not only becomes
depression.  It IS depression
                That and repressed anger
can really mess you up and create tension,
and when you`re tense, you simply can`t
react fast enough at the net.
                                                     Cheers! Enjoy.

ALLOW SOME SPACE IN YOUR GAME - SEE THE BALLS AS PLANETS!

              The U.S. Open is just about to wind up for the season, 2013
          
          The five set marathon match between Wawrinka and Djokovic was one of the best tennis contests I have ever seen. It had a real sense of
battle which is what tennis is all about - confronting your inner demons
and winning - first defeating self-doubt, and then beating a highly skilled opponent.
          Stan the Man has come a long way. He`s no longer defeating himself with endless shots into the net, or forehand blasts long.
Stan has the best backhand in the game, and one of the most beautiful ones.

As a great guy said to me one time; THE ONLY SIN IS SELF-DOUBT.
This is certainly true of tennis.

         The aim of the game and the name of the game is
getting into THE ZONE...Winning is secondary to this aim.

          If you can whack those balls around with slices
and topspin, while running and feeling the endorphins
click in - well, you`re half way there.

          When I`m really into it, I start thinking of the balls
 almost as planets.... and I while blasting them up and out and in all directions... AND  keeping them within the lines
 I start to feel I`m part of the Cosmos, which of course I am,
and so are you!

          By imagining the balls as planets, you get a sense of
space into your game... and the balls also seem to grow larger, when you have that sense of space.... something beyond the competition....when you forget about winning or losing, you can see better, you have more fun, and you can really focus on the ball.