At the International Tennis School, we pride ourselves on taking no shortcuts and being one percent better each day. Our tennis players are improving all the time and have generally grasped the methods of professionalism we are instilling.
This term, one of the main areas of focus is ‘playing intensity’. Players are regularly asked to rate their performance out of ten – one being no effort and ten being a high intensity level for every moment of the session.
It’s amazing the ratings we get sometimes and it falls back to my constant reminder to players, that the rating in their mind may be different to that of the coaches. Our coaching staff form an individual player rating from the players’ best moments, which display what they are really capable of. When that player falls below that standard, we question them and ask for their own rating. SIMPLE.
Well, maybe not so simple. Being able to train at your highest level for a long period of time takes major effort, focus, routine, determination and honesty. Yes, honesty. Am I actually putting my ten out of ten effort in, or am I a five out of ten and trying to act like a ten?
The honesty level is where the common ground needs to be reached. The player must understand what rating the coach thinks they are at. The player must ask that question first, then be honest about their day to day performance based on the coach’s rating. This will allow them to actually rate their moment to moment high intensity performance.
Ask yourself the question, “What’s my intensity of performance rating?” Then ask those around you for their rating of you. It can be hard to hear sometimes, but honesty is the key to personal performance success.
Go ITS!
Cheers, Greg
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