Once a Week is Not Enough — SS #13

What does playing piano have to do with improving a skill in tennis?

Everything.

Imagine this with me:

After your first piano lesson, your teacher lets you walk out without a word.

No instructions to practice that song at least three times, or work through that scale every day.

Nothing.

Just a, "See ya next week."

You might think, "Hang on... what the hell is going on? Isn't this guy going to tell me to practice? If I take an entire week off and don't touch a piano... I can't expect to go very far. What gives?"

Now here's the kicker... most tennis players never make this connection when it comes to playing tennis or improving their skills.

The Common Misconception

Club and recreational tennis players often fall into the mindset of thinking that a single weekly lesson is enough to drive improvement. It’s the old one lesson with a pro and one tennis match will do mentality.

You believe that merely showing up for that one session will magically embed new skills into your game.

That’s far from the truth!

Let’s say you’re working on your Serve +1 strategy of serving wide on the deuce side and then hitting an aggressive shot into the open court.

You have a great session!

But then, for the rest of the week, you don’t practice that pattern again. When you return for your next lesson with a pro on it, you find yourself almost back at square one.

Sound familiar?

The Science Behind Motor Learning

Motor learning and skill acquisition rely heavily on repetition and consistent practice. I would think that it is obvious without the academic backing, but studies have shown that it can take thousands of repetitions to develop “muscle memory” and make a skill automatic.

This concept applies to any physical activity, whether playing the piano or perfecting your tennis strokes.

When you practice a skill consistently, your brain forms and strengthens neural pathways associated with that skill. This process, known as consolidation, is crucial for making lasting changes to your game.

Without regular practice, the skill doesn’t become ingrained.

The Solution

So, what can you do to ensure that the skills you're working on become permanent parts of your game?

We will use that example of the serve wide and attack the open court Serve + 1 pattern, but you can tailor these according to any skill you’re trying to make permanent.

1. 12 Sessions: I use this as something of a benchmark with my players, but I more often refer to it as four to six weeks. The main idea is this: if you’re really trying to lock down and nail that serve out wide and attack into the open court pattern, that should be the main focus of at least 12 sessions. You might think I’m nuts suggesting this to you, but you want everything about that pattern to be as automatic and grooved as possible. Think about all the stuff we have covered so far in motor learning.

2. Practice More Frequently (Duh): Instead of practicing a skill just once a week, try to incorporate it into your routine multiple times. Even short, focused practice sessions a few times a week can make a big difference. You have roughly two to three days to practice the skill again to reap the most benefits!

3. Integrate Skills into Match Play: We’ve covered this one before, but apply the new skills in practice matches. Add some pressure to your executing it. This not only reinforces the skill but also helps you learn how to use it in challenging conditions.

4. Stay Consistent: Consistency is key. Make a schedule and stick to it. Regular practice will help reinforce the neural pathways needed to make the skill automatic.

Learning tennis is like learning any other physical skill.

Just like you wouldn’t expect to master a piece on the piano by practicing it once a week, you can’t expect to make significant improvements without consistent practice.

Reassess your training habits and ensure you’re giving yourself enough opportunities to reinforce and consolidate new skills.

My best,
Malhar

P.S.: There are two ways I can help you:

1. Virtual Private Lesson/Consult: come prepared with video footage or questions about how to organize your practice sessions so that you can truly improve your skills. Rec players think they need technical help… while that may be the case, learning how to practice is often more beneficial.

2. Stroke Analysis: have a problem stroke you haven’t been able to fix? Don’t know how? Need a breakdown and assistance on what to change? We’ll put you side-by-side with an efficient/professional-level stroke and talk you through how to change.
   
   NB: The actual time does on the booking not matter! Booking in and paying for the session will trigger an email with instructions on how to submit your footage.