Hello everyone, welcome to the second Tennis Lesson Hotline...online!  I want to thank Bret Essing and Vivian Saron for giving me suggestions for beginning this email distribution list! Bret said, email him to remind him that the hotline message had changed and Vivian said why not just put the message online! Good idea! It's actually becoming a fun challenge! I have decided to see how many people I can get on the email distribution list receiving my monthly lesson. So far, we began with 3 on February 1st and we're up to 20 now! My first goal is to reach 50! If you know of any tennis enthusiasts that would like the free lesson, email me their address or give them my email address and have them email me at tom@tenniswarrior.com  Thanks! 

Also, as many of you know, I teach different than most pros. Approaching the game strictly from the standpoint of the thinking influencing the technical, rather than emphasis on the technical. This is difficult and confusing for most people to understand at first, but once they catch on it's fun! The only book out there I have found that is compatible with this type of teaching is "The Inner Game of Tennis" by Tim Gallwey. If you get a chance, purchase a copy; I'm sure you'll enjoy it and pick up some excellent mental pointers for your game. Tennis is 80% mental in a lot more ways than you'll ever believe! 

Hope you enjoy this month's lesson! Read it twice! Repetition is the chariot of genius!

Welcome to the Tennis Lesson Hotline , sponsored by Tom's Tennis Tapes, "educating players one mind at a time." I'm Tom Veneziano. This lesson lasts approximately 2 minutes and changes on the 1st of every month. 

Last lesson we covered the Sleeper Technique. In order to think correctly and apply the Sleeper Technique you'll need to know a little bit more about a technique that should be familiar to most of you by now. It's called the Refocus Technique, which gives you the ability to bounce back and refocus after a mistake or failure! You accomplish this by a little internal self-talk after a mistake. The phrase I use is, "the next shot is more important than the last mistake." The principle is, do not serve or return serve until you have cleared your mind of the last mistake. 

If you are going to come back from a love 40 deficit you better be able to deal with the failures that got you there in the first place! You cannot begin using the Sleeper Technique and make a comeback if you are still preoccupied with your last mistakes!!! 

Now, when I teach the Refocus Technique everyone usually nods their head yes, I got it, I understand! "The next shot is more important than the last mistake." But, there is a subtle mental error that's extremely important that everyone seems to make in regard to this technique! Even though everyone says yes, I got it, one day they come to a lesson, miss an easy shot and go ballistic! They spend the next couple of minutes upset with the easy shot they missed! After a while, I question them, "what happened to, the next shot is more important that the last mistake?" The answer, "but this is an easy shot I make all the time." 

Then, it dawned on me!!! When I'm teaching the Refocus Technique, in my lesson's mind it means "the next shot is more important than the last mistake" on mistakes they think it's okay to miss on! But, if it's a mistake on a shot they think they're supposed to make, the principle doesn't apply! They have unknowingly justified not using the Refocus Technique because it was a mistake on an easy shot, which in their mind is not the same as a mistake on a difficult shot! Wow! They have misapplied the principle by creating two categories of mistakes. Mistakes they think are okay to make and mistakes they think are not okay! They use the Refocus Technique on the shots they think it's okay to miss, and become annoyed and frustrated on shots they miss that are easy. 

The obvious solution is: From now on, do not separate them! Use the Refocus Technique on the difficult misses as well as the easy misses. "The next shot is more important than the last mistake" on all mistakes! The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly! 

If you would like more information email me your name and address and I will mail you a price list for my audio cassettes. Thank you.

© 1999 Tom Veneziano, 10855 Meadowglen #1022, Houston, TX 77042

Your personal email tennis pro, 

Tom

"Tom deals with the thinking end of tennis like no one else. It's almost too difficult to explain, you have to experience it. He has an uncanny knack for getting right to the heart of the matter. You come away thinking, that's right: it makes sense!"

Colleen Cremer, Houston, TX.

"It's interesting to note that everyone can use these tapes from beginner to championship level. You can apply the information to whatever level you play on."

Dan Hanusa, Houston, TX.

" Tom's audio cassettes have changed my thinking, aligning it with the correct information needed to improve my game. He's right there with you, inside your head, challenging you to make those changes. It's like having your own personal coach! I highly recommend his tapes for everyone."

Linda Zimmerman, Houston, TX.

"On the way to my HLTA match I listened to Tom's tape, "Some Before Match Pointers." Call it a coincidence, but I won my first HLTA match ever! I just seemed to be in a better frame of mind. Thanks, Tom."

Mary Ogden, Houston, TX.

"Tom and I have been friends for over twenty years. It's not surprising to me players talk so positively about his tapes. He's always possessed exceptional athletic ability along with an unusual analytical mind. Tom simply likes to think! At times he would drive me crazy, but he was the driving force behind my journey into tennis. I'm 6'1" and Tom is 5'6" but I could never beat the little imp! All joking aside, if Tom's thinking is on audio cassettes, you should listen! You'll never view tennis the same way again!"

Sam Lacava,Tennis Professional, Stewartsville, N.J.

Thank you all for the testimonials! I appreciate it!

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