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QUESTION: How can we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 1
Frank: In my opinion, decreasing unforced errors always starts with the identification process. On numerous occasions, I have asked parents and coaches to chart players utilizing The Cause of Error Chart. (Found in Match Chart Collection at Maximizingtennispotential.com). The results were very interesting.
While the majority of the international coaches solely focused on stroke production year in-year out, the main cause of errors were consistently shot selection and NOT form.
Upon analyzing The Cause of Error Charts with high performance athletes, the leading cause of errors were Mental-Shot Selection, followed by Movement-Spacing, a very close third was Emotional-Performance Anxieties…and last on the list Technical-Stroke Mechanics!
Because poor shot selection is the leading cause of errors at the higher competitive junior levels, let’s focus on that aspect. Shot selection starts with understanding that in between each shot in a rally, there are only about 2 milliseconds of actual decision-making time. So, how much can you analyze in that small amount of time? The answer is not much.
This means that most shot selection options are learned behaviors acquired on the practice court. That is right. These tools must be wired into a player’s game way before the tournament begins. Pre-setting offence, neutral, defensive and directional options is mental training.
“High Percentage shot selection is mental readiness.”
To explain the importance of shot selection, we will use two of my students: Jack and Jason (brothers that couldn’t be more different). Jason has chosen to focus on the mental/emotional sides of tennis early in his development, while Jack was and still is too cool to listen to this silly stuff. Below are a dozen shot selection scenarios. Let’s see how each brother chooses to handle the situations.
The Tale of Jack and Jason
Situation #1: It is add-in. Holding serve means a comfortable 5-2 lead.
Jason: Selects to serve a big kick serve wide to the opponent’s weaker side. He runs a boring, successful pattern to close out the game.
Jack: Selects to go for a huge ace down the center (Like the one that he made once in tornado liked conditions back in 2014.) He misses, gets angry and rushes into a double fault.
Situation #2: Our player just hit an offensive shot and has the opponent on the dead run, stretching and lunging at a low slice backhand.
Jason: Spots the visual clues like the defensive court position, body language, open racket face and defensive strike zone of the opponent. He moves in, takes away the opponent’s recovery time and steals an easy volley winner.
Jack: Didn’t bother to learn to spot these clues, so he stands at the baseline and lets the opponent float the ball back and he re-starts the rally. Jack just missed an important opportunity to win the point.
Situation #3: The opponent hits a deep cross-court ball.
Jason: Hits a neutral building shot 4 feet over the net and back cross court.
Jack: Tries for a screaming net skimming half volley winner down the line and creams the ball into the bottom of the net.
Situation #4: The brothers are in a vulnerable position running fifteen feet behind the baseline retrieving the opponents terrific shot.
Jason: Throws up a deep, high, defensive lob to push the opponent back and gain valuable recovery time.
Jack: Goes for an offensive, down the line pass that lands near the back fence…Then screams…AAAHHHH!
Situation #5: Our player gets to the ball late. He is off balance and ends up striking the ball down by his socks.
Jason: Quickly dials his offensive shot selection down to neutral and elects to simply keep the opponent from taking an offensive position.
Jack: Is still in full flight and goes for a topspin rip off of his shoelaces. The ball rips into the net.
Situation #6: Our player is winning comfortably 6-3, 4- 1.
Jason: Continues to do the exact same, boring shot selections. He closes out the match in routine fashion. He realizes the importance of saving physical and emotional energy for the next round.
Jack: Gets bored with such a lead. He begins to throw in a bunch of more exciting, yet low percentage new things. In essence, Jack has changed the shot selections that have gained him a comfortable lead. Now the set is 5-5 and Jack is so angry that he is acting like a Crazy Person; throwing his racquet and yelling, “I Hate Tennis.” His situation is a result of his wandering mind.
Situation #7: Our player is down 1-4 but is actually controlling the court and the points. His hard-hitting baseline style is working, but he is simply missing the put away balls by a few inches.
Jason: Spots that the style is working. He adapts by staying with the hard-hitting style of play and chooses to apply more top spin to his shots and simply aim three feet inside the lines.
Jack: Is so upset that he is missing, that he does not spot that fact that he is actually controlling the points with his hard-hitting baseline style of play. So, he changes his hard-hitting style and stands flat footed and pushes every shot. Jack’s slow, short balls are now “Sitting Ducks” and the opponent has a field day hitting winner after winner. After the match, Jack says, “He was too good.”
