US OPEN TENNIS

The divisions went from the 40’s age group through the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 100’s. There were 4 competitors in the women’s 100’s doubles. I don’t think anyone in that age group plays singles. It was fascinating to observe these athletes of all ages, still trying hard in many ways, not only to win a match or championship, but to just stay in shape, to stay vertical and mobile. It was truly heart-warming to see so many happy faces and fairly fit bodies. I had not played a senior event in many years and only entered this tournament because it was local and a friend wanted to participate. We agreed to be cannon fodder for the better players in the draw. But it was really fun. It showed me how out of shape I was and how important it is to stay in shape, no matter what age. I used to compete regularly in these events and even traveled all over the country to play. Naturally, I had to be in shape to be at the winning end of these tournaments. And I was. It really doesn’t matter w …

It really is a beautiful sport. It is the perfect marriage of the body and the brain, physical and mental. I guess that is where I have missed the boat. I would work endlessly on my chops, out on the practice court hitting serves or forehands off the wall and nausea. I work out regularly and stay in shape so I can outlast my opponent on those brutal August afternoons. So when I see programs like Tennis Mind Game I am intrigued. Can Tennis Mind Game be that coach in my head? You remember how Boris Becker said that in a five set match, the fifth set is not about tennis, it’s about heart (i.e. head)? But we cannot fathom just how complex our brain works, and when we interfere in the process is when we induce errors. The mind is clearly the most important part of our game. And if we have issues in our head, they usually manifest during a match, where the pressure of competition exposes our fears, egos, and inner conflicts. Is this a Zen-like approach to tennis? Well, sort of. It’ …

The divisions went from the 40’s age group through the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 100’s. There were 4 competitors in the women’s 100’s doubles. I don’t think anyone in that age group plays singles. It was fascinating to observe these athletes of all ages, still trying hard in many ways, not only to win a match or championship, but to just stay in shape, to stay vertical and mobile. It was truly heart-warming to see so many happy faces and fairly fit bodies. I had not played a senior event in many years and only entered this tournament because it was local and a friend wanted to participate. We agreed to be cannon fodder for the better players in the draw. But it was really fun. It showed me how out of shape I was and how important it is to stay in shape, no matter what age. I used to compete regularly in these events and even traveled all over the country to play. Naturally, I had to be in shape to be at the winning end of these tournaments. And I was. It really doesn’t matter w …

I would work endlessly on my chops, out on the practice court hitting serves or forehands off the wall and nausea. I work out regularly and stay in shape so I can outlast my opponent on those brutal August afternoons. So when I see programs like Tennis Mind Game I am intrigued. Can Tennis Mind Game be that coach in my head? You remember how Boris Becker said that in a five set match, the fifth set is not about tennis, it’s about heart (i.e. head)? But we cannot fathom just how complex our brain works, and when we interfere in the process is when we induce errors. The mind is clearly the most important part of our game. And if we have issues in our head, they usually manifest during a match, where the pressure of competition exposes our fears, egos, and inner conflicts. Is this a Zen-like approach to tennis? Well, sort of. It’s not about hokey chants or good karma. It’s about discipline and temperament. So perhaps I should give this Tennis Mind Game thing a try. There was a boo …