| The importance of a confident mindset, | | | | crowd.McEnroe commented:"Massu looks like he is on |
| determination, focus, skill, practice, effort and a | | | | an ice skating rink with sneakers on. Part of his brain |
| refusal to be intimidated emerged once again at | | | | is saying: 'I am the higher rank. I should win this |
| Wimbledon as deciding factors in nearly every match. | | | | match.' Another part is saying: 'It's not my day. |
| It is worth taking a close look at the power of these | | | | People are against me.' The second part is winning. |
| factors in some of these matches.Justine | | | | But he is not out of this yet. He should keep telling |
| Henine-Hardenne had won the championship at | | | | himself: 'This isn't over'.McEnroe continued: "It's not as |
| Eastbourne in the week before Wimbledon. She was | | | | bad as it appears to him. It's just that he is looking at |
| asked what would be her most important match at | | | | the glass half empty."Massu went down swinging but |
| Wimbledon. She answered 'whichever match comes | | | | lost the match. His glass was now empty.McEnroe |
| next'. Her success plan is to focus on the next match | | | | observed after Andy's win:"The best players maintain |
| without worrying about who she would be playing | | | | a high level of effort and focus. A good lesson when |
| later in the competition.Most self-help experts teach | | | | you are up is that you keep pushing and get as far |
| us that we need to concentrate on the first or next | | | | ahead as possible."Consistent effort pays off in |
| step and not allow thoughts of future steps to | | | | everything including dieting. Those who eat a fairly |
| interfere with our current efforts. If we concentrate | | | | relaxed diet consistently lose more weight than those |
| on one step at a time and complete it to the best of | | | | who eat a stricter diet sporadically. It also pays not |
| our ability, later steps will often take care of | | | | to celebrate too soon when your diet seems to be |
| themselves. Alcoholics Anonymous have learned this | | | | working - success can be doubled by pushing on |
| with their emphasis on one day of sobriety at a | | | | instead of by taking it easy too soon.However, the |
| time.In the end, Justine lost to Amelie Mauresmo of | | | | main lesson from McEnroe's commentary in this game |
| France in the Wimbledon final but her focus on one | | | | and his own behaviour as a player is that we need to |
| step at a time helped her to, at least, reach the | | | | get over our disappointments about our own |
| final.On the second day of Wimbledon, Federer was | | | | mistakes or life's injustices as soon as possible and |
| asked how he coped with being the favourite. His | | | | then rejoin the fight with energy and determination. |
| success plan was the same as Justine's. He replied:"I | | | | Cry babies don't usually win anything!Sharapova did |
| have to focus match by match. I cannot afford to | | | | not win Wimbledon this year but she did progress |
| look ahead."People who look ahead at all the | | | | well into the second week. Her secret is that she |
| obstacles they may have to confront tend to give | | | | trains the same way she plays. Her practice matches |
| up before they start. Worry about the future | | | | involve the same intensity and desire to win as her |
| dissipates energy. Focus on the present concentrates | | | | actual competition matches.This kind of attitude is |
| it. Federer's plan worked and he became a | | | | also demanded in the martial arts. Instructors insist |
| Wimbledon champion once more.Incidentally, some | | | | that students train as if they were fighting for their |
| spectators at Wimbledon cannot look ahead because | | | | lives. They will behave on the street in the same |
| people in front to them are wearing huge hats. How | | | | way as they behave in the training hall.Martina Hingis |
| can they do that?Is it possible that they think that | | | | is now playing well after injury problems. She was |
| the frustrated people behind them want to focus on | | | | interviewed after a practice match in which she had |
| their hats rather than the match itself? They | | | | just beaten James Cracknell, the tall Olympic rowing |
| probably don't bother to think at all. Pardon the rant, | | | | gold medallist.Martina was asked what advice she |
| but my negative thoughts about the mad hatters are | | | | would give to Cracknell. She replied "Lots of practice |
| now gone!Throughout Wimbledon, commentators like | | | | like anything else!".Agassi was 36 and this was his last |
| former champion, John McEnroe, stressed the | | | | Wimbledon but deep down he probably believed he |
| importance of thinking positively and not allowing | | | | should get into the second week of Wimbledon. He is |
| your own mistakes or unfair line calls to make you | | | | a stickler for preparation. He lifted weights to add |
| negative.John, the world expert on apparently | | | | punch to his serve so that he could win easy points. |
| negative behaviour on court, expelled his own | | | | He always has a game plan.His second round match |
| negativity by throwing his racquet down on the court | | | | was against Seppi of Italy . Agassi is Seppi's idol. |
| and yelling complaints at the line judges and umpires. | | | | McEnroe observed that this created an intimidation |
| His most famous comments are:"You cannot be | | | | factor. How can you play better than your idol?We |
| serious! The ball was out! The chalk flew up! | | | | are all faced with this type of intimidation factor in |
| etc.McEnroe often mentions the importance of | | | | every field of life. There is always some one who |
| banishing negative ideas in favour of positive | | | | appears to be better or tougher than us. If we allow |
| thoughts.One example occurred when he was | | | | such people to dominate us and make us feel inferior, |
| commenting on the Nicholas Massu v Andy Murray | | | | we will fail to discover the extent of our own |
| match. Murray started well and was soon 4 games | | | | potential.Instead, we need to learn from our idols |
| up. One commentator said:"The start's almost too | | | | instead of over estimating themAgassi, for example, |
| good."McEnroe wasn't having this:"Don't get negative | | | | taught many players to return serve with power. |
| now; don't think something bad is going to | | | | Hewitt, as a boy, watched Agassi and said "Hey! I |
| happen!"Too many of us worry when things start | | | | can do that too!" Hewitt has the typical Australian |
| going well for us. We have been programmed to be | | | | attitude: "No worries - if he can do it, so can I."Agassi |
| wary when things seem too good to be true. Our | | | | plays his tennis in a business like way. He never |
| programming tends to bring about the decline in | | | | wastes a second on the practice court. He makes |
| fortune that we anticipate.However, McEnroe warned | | | | every ball count and practices with intensity. In his |
| that Murray needed to be careful in case Massu | | | | competition matches, he bustles around the court |
| started to believe that he could get something from | | | | without appearing to let emotion interfere with his |
| this match. McEnroe, constantly stresses the | | | | performance.Eventually, Agassi won the match but |
| importance of belief in winning matches.However, | | | | was beaten later in the competition. At some point in |
| everything was clicking for Murray and Massu was | | | | the broadcast of this match, one of the |
| beginning to look worried. Murray won the 1st set 6-1 | | | | commentators came up with this wise remark:"Stick |
| but Massu put up more of a fight in the | | | | the racquet out and some good things can happen."In |
| secondMcEnroe had practical advice for the losing | | | | other words have a go; try something and you might |
| player: "Massu has to gradually get back into the | | | | get some good results. If you don't stick your |
| game. He must cut down on his errors. He must | | | | racquet out; if you don't take some kind of action, |
| make Murray work harder for his points." McEnroe | | | | you will never know what you might have |
| never writes a player off. With effort, belief and a | | | | achieved.Wimbledon 2006 teaches us to focus on |
| thoughtful strategy, he can come back and | | | | doing our best one step at a time. It tells us to get |
| win.However, Massu was looking like road runner and | | | | over any cry baby thoughts as soon as possible. We |
| had to chase every point."Aye, aye, aye" lamented | | | | need to believe in ourselves and never write |
| Massu. He drew the crowd in with that cry of pain.He | | | | ourselves off.Consistency is more powerful than |
| had to get belief from somewhere. He could think | | | | occasional flashes of brilliance. We all need lots of |
| about the pressure on the 19 year old that he was | | | | practice. It helps to be well prepared and to have a |
| playing.But the 19 year old, Andy Murray from | | | | game plan. We should spend more time learning from |
| Scotland, was playing well and was apparently | | | | others rather than just admiring them. It helps to |
| unaffected by the pressure from the home | | | | stick out your racquet and see what happens! |