Late last December, I wrote a series of posts highlighting the “12 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Players.” Throughout 2023, I am taking a more in-depth look at one of those habits over the first weekend of each month. The deep dive for March is “seek outside perspectives”. The very best players in Adult Senior tennis understand the value of receiving 3rd party advice on their tennis technique, tactics, and performance.
On the surface, it may seem surprising that many of the top players in adult open tennis work with a coach. One of the reasons is that many of these players are recognized as elite coaches in their own regard. It is a reasonable expectation that their tennis journey is a largely self-guided endeavor. To be clear, the best Senior tennis players have significant agency in their own development. However, those players are also smart enough to know that it is not efficient to make a go of it alone.
First and foremost, a coach provides an external perspective on technique and performance. A coach can offer insight and feedback that might be otherwise overlooked from a personal perspective. The divergence between what a player perceives in their stroke mechanics and what is actually happening can be significant.
A coach may be able to offer ideas for strategy and tactics that are not currently in a player’s arsenal. Those gaps in shots or court coverage may represent a weakness to be eliminated or a strength that could produce a tactical advantage. Good coaches can identify the skills needed to propel the player to a higher level of performance.
Insight from a coach can provide clarity of personal development opportunities and goals. Additionally, a coach can be a powerful accountability enforcement mechanism. It is one thing to know that you need to work on a specific shot, but quite another to face a coach after failing to practice prescribed actions in the time since the last lesson.
Overall, engaging with a tennis coach can make a significant difference in the journey to a higher level of performance. A coach can help define improvement objectives and goals while also serving as an accountability mechanism. The very best players in Adult Senior tennis inherently understand the benefits of working with skilled coaches.
That practice can propel, support, and sustain performance at the highest level.
“The 12 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Players” summarizes the original concept as well as each deep dive on the topic published to date.
