Seeing how Novak got DQ'd from the US Open yesterday because he had a mini temper tantrum and unintentionally bounced a ball off a line judge's throat, it seems like the perfect time to post about Too Good Court Principle #3, "Ball Like Buddha."
It's hard to blame Novak. He had an outburst most of us have had on the court, but got unlucky. The truth is, as fun and rewarding as tennis is, there is no doubt that tennis is a frustrating sport.
Anyone who has gotten even a little serious about tennis has lost their cool on the court by getting flustered, silently (or not so silently) dogging their opponent's style of play, chucking their racquet, rocketing a ball into the stratosphere, yelling at themselves in raging disbelief after a mistake and/or declaring to friends and teammates that they are"quitting this dumb $%@&!*# sport" once and for all. Then just like that person who dramatically announces they are done with social media, we're all back on the court in short order, probably losing it all over again.
Tennis gets the best of us all now and then. That's tennis. But the more we can do to not let tennis control our moods and madness, the better player we will become.
Let's be honest, the sport attracts a lot of Type-A personalities. Tennis courts everywhere are riddled with control freaks. And there are so many aspects of tennis we can't control--sun, wind, what our opponent does, the bird that flies over us during our toss, the way our opponent grunts when they hit the ball, the crack in the court that shoots the ball out of our reach, the past, the future and the list goes on. Control freaks can't control any of that, so it puts us at loggerheads, and tennis can make us absolutely crazy.
But control is key to tennis success. Controlling what you can--your attitude, your effort, your emotions, your breathing, yourself.
That's what it means to "Ball Like Buddha." It's hard to perfect, and you'll have better days than others, but it's a worthy pursuit that we believe in chasing. Here are some ways to find that zen zone.
- Be present. Don't worry what just happened or what might happen, only what needs to happen in the moment.
- Be patient. It pays. Enjoy the process of solving the riddle, not just the answer.
- Breathe. It seems obvious, but controlling your breathing will help with your shots and lower your heart rate, which keeps your head clear.
- Stay calm to drop bombs. Emotions cause commotion. Try to be accepting of every outcome on the court. They aren't good or bad, they just are.
If you can learn to "Ball Like Buddha," you'll find that a tennis court is your zen zone--throwing your opponent off rather than throwing tennis tantrums.
TOO GOOD TIP: Sometimes it's hard not to dwell on an easy shot you flubbed, a lead you blew or to get ahead of yourself and start thinking into the future about points you haven't won yet. To help ground yourself in the now and be in the moment, focus on your strategy for the next point. Where will you put the ball? What weakness of your opponent are you trying to exploit? How will you execute your mechanics? All of these things will keep you in the moment.