The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailers! Click Here to Order
QUESTION: Why is repetition so important in developing athletic royalty?
Frank: Most professional coaches view repetition as the godfather of mastery. Repetition is essentially motor programming.
Developing a motor program begins with a thought, which is messaged through the nervous system, down the spinal cord and into the muscular system. The more we pre-set the protocols the more it “grooves” the pathways. So, the more familiar the habit, the easier it is to execute the proper protocol during match play.
Repetition doesn’t just involve the physical strokes. It also applies to the athletic, flexible skills movements, the cognitive processing skills and emotional responses. All four of these components need appropriate, deliberate repetition.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re actually doing it, imagining it or observing it, you are developing a pathway.”
Neurological-connections are strengthened by repetition. One of the most important keys to repetition is to “practice in the manner in which you’re expected to perform.” Often, improvements are maximized through manipulating the exercises with variations. Examples include:
Athleticism– Varying the direction, physical reps and/or sets.
Strokes– Varying the strike zones, tempo and/or movement.
Emotional– Varying the performance anxieties and their pre-set solutions.
Mental– Varying the different patterns used to beat the different styles of opponents.
Applying each of the four components under stress effortlessly requires an intuitive process. What appears to be a natural talent is actually a learned behavior through repetition. Mastering each component requires repetition.
It’s important to note that repetition isn’t always good. Repeating the same old flawed mechanical stroke or repeating the incorrect emotional response to stress is only ingraining that flaw deeper, making it harder to fix later.
