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