Tennis, Poker and Observation
If you’ve played poker you might have heard the expression ‘play the person, not the cards’. Tennis strategy is much like this too because if you get good at noticing things about your opponent’s game you are like a poker player who notices things about their opponents and can make moves in response to their observations.
So maybe you know how to hit a great forehand, backhand, serve, volley, overhead, and you’re in shape, that’s all well and good but if you don’t use tactics you probably have lost and will keep loosing games you shouldn’t.
When I was a junior player one of my coaches continually said ‘play the ball’ and ‘play your own game’ and I often tried to do that. I tried to block the other person out of my mind while I tried to ‘play my own game’ and ‘play the ball’ in matches and I lost a lot of matches, many that I should never have lost.
I was fit, looked the part, had powerful shots, and was very fast on the court. Physically I had it all. People expected me to win. People came to watch me play. But I didn’t win as much as I and they expected me to.
This drove me to learn tennis strategy because I knew this was the one thing I didn’t have mastery over. Now I understand why you can’t just ‘play the ball’ and you cannot just ‘play your own game’ and it’s because tennis is like a poker game – your opponent’s face, body, and especially their strengths and weaknesses, are what show you how to win matches. The things you notice about your opponent are what show you what you can and can’t do in a match (or in a poker game).
A great example of a fit player verses a tactical player is a match I watched a few years back. You can read about that match by clicking here or click “Tennis Strategy Lesson – Why Learn Strategy?” in the drop down menu above. What happened in that match elaborates my point about tennis strategy – that ‘playing the person’ is a large part of the strategy a player needs to implement if they want to improve their results.
I advise all players to switch on their mind before stepping on the court and to keep it turned on until they shake hands at the end. This involves match prep, good concentration, and emotional control through the match – all of which are skills that can be taught and learned.
Our mind is more often than not the reason we win or loose a match which is why, if you’re a competitive player, you should train it as seriously as you train your body.
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