Erasing Double Faults caused by nerves

[bman]

Anybody have any thoughts on how to help someone who has a fine serve, but under the pressure of a match, constantly double faults? Talking about a 5.0 level player here. I know this almost seems too general, but I'm sure many here have dealt with this either as a player or a coach.

[lobndropshot]

Double faults are necessary!

Double faults are a necessary part of serving. I you are not double faulting you are most likely not serving well.

What is the nervous situation you are talking about?

[GeoffWilliams]

Fearless second serving requires some double faults. Intend to hear that phrase: fearless, in his mind, before the serve. Practice using it in his head. Intend to be fearless and the nerves will no longer be a factor. Accept some doubles.

[don_budge]

Video please...

Anybody have any thoughts on how to help someone who has a fine serve, but under the pressure of a match, constantly double faults? Talking about a 5.0 level player here. I know this almost seems too general, but I'm sure many here have dealt with this either as a player or a coach.

Any chance of seeing some video of the serve in question. I suspect that there is a flaw in the swing...which causes a nervous reaction in tight situations. Double faults are not acceptable. At least not in tennis.

Sometimes in relationships they can offset each other...then they can be a blessing.

[lobndropshot]

Any chance of seeing some video of the serve in question. I suspect that there is a flaw in the swing...which causes a nervous reaction in tight situations. Double faults are not acceptable. At least not in tennis.

Sometimes in relationships they can offset each other...then they can be a blessing.

I would like to hear an argument as to why double faults are not acceptable.

Please

[bottle]

You lose!

[blake_b]

I would recommend that your friend learn to get more topspin on his second serve. A topspin serve will still go in even if the player is a little nervous. The male pros tend to use more topspin than the women, and they also tend to have fewer double faults.

[don_budge]

The Yips and The Shanks and Double Faults...Psychologically devastating!

I would like to hear an argument as to why double faults are not acceptable.

Please

You lose!

This thread has the potential of being a real beauty...all that is wanting is a video shot of the aforementioned serve.

Double faulting due to nerves reminds me of a couple of maladies that plague golfers under pressure. A couple of the worst afflictions you could ever wish on a person who golfs are the yips and the close cousin, the shanks. If you have ever experienced either of these while living on a farm then you know that you can come dangerously close to having serious thoughts of hanging yourself in the barn at the end of a round that was derailed from one of these psychologically devastating afflictions.

When playing delicate shots in golf one finds that you cannot trust the hands or the wrists too much, for that matter. The mind can play tricks on these delicate appendages and it is best to rely on the big muscles when the pressure is mounting. Big muscles are more reliable and less likely to be afflicted when the heat is on. That being said...both of these afflictions are commonly thought to be psychological problems in nature but I think many times it is some deviation of proper technique that is the root cause. The hands and wrist tend to jerk a bit anyways and the mind can do some real damage once you get it into your head that something bad is going to happen...it usually does.

I suppose that if one is serving aggressively and fearlessly, as geoffwilliams puts it, that an occasional double fault is going to be produced. It seems to me though, that they should be rare events as opposed to something that is acceptable and the standard of ones service game. Why should anyone miss a serve in the first place let alone two in a row? Afterall if your motion is perfect and you are standing there on the baseline with the opportunity to throw the ball up to the chosen location to blast it into the promised land...why would you miss if you are in control of your faculties. Put some topspin on the mustard, as blake_b suggests, and your control over the placement of the ball is complete. If you miss the first one...surely you can make the necessary adjustment to get the second one in.

But the real problem is as bman puts it...this reaction is occurring in tight situations. In tight situations the serve should become even better as the concentration and the efforts to produce good tennis increases. Great servers once they are rolling are really tough to stop. Double faults at key points in a match are potentially psychologically devastating and if doubts start to creep into your service game...you are in a world of doo doo. It will probably be just a matter of time before some other part of your game becomes suspect and any opponent worth his salt is going to recognize your predicament and his confidence is most likely going to buoy.

Perhaps an occasional double fault is tolerable but double faulting at key points is a big no-no. A cardinal sin in tennis...as I wrote to Robin Söderlings father. By the way lobndropshot...Robin is in Monte Carlo awaiting the birth of his first child and most likely chomping at the bits at having his promising career derailed in the middle of his most productive years.

[lobndropshot]

You lose!

do you really lose if you play to win?

[don_budge]

Tics and nerves...

Tennis is such a mental game. It is such a physical game. What about emotions and the psychological aspect? Fear and courage?

When you have a problem where the tendency is to breakdown under pressure...it suggests emotions. Fear is a human condition. Fear of failure. Fear of losing. Fear of success...even. Because tennis is such a science of body movements as well...sometimes if there is a flaw in the technique fear can manifest itself in that flaw making it virtually unmanageable and less predictable under pressure. But first we must identify what is triggering those emotions.

Nerves can play havoc on the hands and wrists in particular. Responses that are unsolicited will sometimes be associated with a certain swing or a particular motion. The service motion is particularly complicated and therefore it is imperative to strive for perfection the most in this aspect of the game. Perfection in this case would be actions or motions that are based as nearly to the force of gravity as possible. You will always be able to count on gravity...that is, unless you are on the moon.

After failing a number of times under pressure the mind is going to start playing a very mean trick on the poor victim. The mind is going to remember all of those times when the thing let you down and it is going to proceed to make it happen again. One could develop a repeating tic in this regard...programmed by negative reinforcement in the neurosystem. This can happen to anyone...even the best in the world...we are all human in the end. Once doubt creeps into the neuromuscularsystem...it is going to be an internal battle that you will surely lose. Afterall...it is your opponent that you are fighting. Not yourself.

I would dearly love to see some video...bman. The most interesting would be to see first and second serves in game condition.

[bman]

OK I will work on it. Will try to get video up.

[don_budge]

Evidence...symptoms.

OK I will work on it. Will try to get video up.

This could very well evolve into a very fascinating thread if you do. Thanks bman.

[docjoque]

Double faults are a necessary part of serving. I you are not double faulting you are most likely not serving well.

What is the nervous situation you are talking about?

I guess Anna Kournikova and Dementieva had great serves then

[lobndropshot]

My point is that you should not be afraid of double faulting. Could you imagine if Anna or Dementieva got 80% of their first severs in? They would have been killed! We would not even be talking about them. Yes they could have improved their technique. But, they had what they had; and thier faulty sever technique forced them to take a lot of risk.

The way I see they won a lot of matches and have pretty good results because they were willing to double fault. Perfect is the enemy of good.

[don_budge]

Elena Dementieva...serving lessons

My point is that you should not be afraid of double faulting. Could you imagine if Anna or Dementieva got 80% of their first severs in? They would have been killed! We would not even be talking about them. Yes they could have improved their technique. But, they had what they had; and thier faulty sever technique forced them to take a lot of risk.

The way I see they won a lot of matches and have pretty good results because they were willing to double fault. Perfect is the enemy of good.

One thing that I will never get over as long as I live is that I never had a chance to teach Elena Dementieva how to serve. I always felt that if I could have helped her with that...well one never knows.