Ever wonder what goes on in the head of a high-level tennis player in practice? This is something you cannot see or hear when watching them practice but it’s a habit I highly recommend you do. There are plenty of opportunities to focus your attention on aspects of your practice that will not help you improve. Don’t let the small things get in the way of having a focused practice. Here’s how.
Anyone that is busy that sees consistent success will tell you that a daily priority list helps them focus their attention on what is important rather than get side tracked with small tasks that take away from the productivity of the day. This is similar to what I recommend you do during practice. Having a check list for the different strokes you will hit during practice will allow you to stay focused on the essentials that will help with what you set out for during your practice; improvement.
To make a checklist, identify the common mistakes you do for each stroke. For example, I know I tend to stand up when I hit my backhand. I also know I’ll catch the ball late, creating a weak shot. These are just examples of what goes into my checklist when I miss a backhand. Ask myself what you tend to do wrong for all the strokes of tennis. Everyone has their bad habits in their technique but by identifying them and making a checklist out of it, you can get back on track faster to hit the correct shot more often. Give it a try and I bet that you will hit more technically sound shots than usual.