What is the importance of pre-match for Serena Williams, Roger Federer and the others

Mental preparation, studying the opponent and asking questions is fundamental to approaching a match well: Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and the others know well what the importance of pre-match is. Them, the greatest champions of this tennis era, learned from experience to better manage these moments, and above all to take advantage of them.

According to Brad Gilbert there are important indications to follow. Start the game before the start. Gilbert said that the most successful and intelligent players would review, on a conscious and unconscious level, the information on the opponent as soon as they knew who they would face, and this process began hours before the game. They wanted to try to gain an advantage as soon as possible and they wanted to do it in every possible way. For them, one of the great opportunities was good preventive mental preparation.

When does the heating start? It simply doesn't start when you hit the court. Maybe that's the case for your opponent, but it doesn't have to be for you. An intelligent player starts to prepare for the match on the way or earlier. Warm-up should continue in the locker-oom and then on the court, starting with the brain. Players warm-up the body somewhat, but devote even less attention to their mental preparation. Instead, get used to evaluating your opponent and thinking about the match before arriving on the court. If you go there by car, that's where the heating starts. If you go on foot, starts on the sidewalk. Be that as it may, your warm-up begins on the way to the game.

The pre-match checklist. That I had won or lost the last match with a player, I wanted to reflect on the reasons that had led to a certain result: how had I managed to beat him? And all the other questions. I was reviewing everything related to my opponent's game. It was also important to consider the personality of the game produced by the opponent: what did he do to influence the atmosphere, mood or rhythm of the match?

The game plan. The analysis of the opponent is used to plan the game strategy. By evaluating the opponent, he begins to realize your approach to the match and, by reviewing his game style and his shots, he prepares your game plan.

Adjust the compass. Your body will try to do what your mind tells it. In this pre-match review, program your mind to provide the body with the correct information once the game starts. You are setting the route you want to follow to get to the destination. And the goal is victory.

Mental preparation. What is my opponent's best weapon? What are his weaknesses? What is my best shot and how can I use it against my opponent's weaknesses? What can I do to keep the opponent away from my weaknesses? Your opponent may bring you surprises, but it's important to focus attention on the specific player for a given day. Focus on that one opponent and if you regularly play against him. Stronger tennis players, like Roger Federer or Serena Williams, are determined to start well because they know that this can often affect the whole game. Dominating from the start puts the opponent in the position of chase: sometimes it recovers, very often not. And that's what you want to happen: force him as soon as possible to think that maybe it's not a day.

Be ready to play when it's time to play. Your challenge begins before the start of the match, in the car or at home, when you calmly review what you know about your opponent and how you plan to use that information. It takes very little, but make sure you are done before you arrive. By the time the first hit is on the court, you will have already played against your opponent and you will be in the game.

The will to win. The majority of those who play for fun don't want to win so much that they do much more than show up on the pitch and chase the ball. They usually run a lot and think little. This description probably suits many of those you play with. If so, you're in luck because you can take advantage of their mental laziness to win more often. But only if you want to win and are willing to mentally try to do it and if you immediately activate the brain.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aYAzaB