Bailey’s Blog

• smooth and even paced movement encorporated at times with explosive first steps to the ball and when recovering
• don’t want a start point and finish point i.e. search for rhythm and flow….keep momentum happening
• always keep good body alignment, this comes from the balance move i.e. correct use of the rear leg
• we want to connect the begininning  and the end point
• we don’t want to rush our movements, be quick but don’t hurry, seek effortless effort
• the arms and legs can’t be disjointed. They must work together
• the body must move as one machine
• none of the joints should lock, all body parts must be relaxed and free
• energy feels stored in the legs
• the hit goes horizontally, but the primary relationships is downward…hands up,you down 
• there must be a unity of rotation and transfer in the direction of intent 

YOU DON’T MISS

1. Success has nothing to do with prestige symbols but creative accomplishments
2. How do you suceed - Passion and Gradualness
3. The secret to happiness - Never worry about what other people think of you
4. Life is a constant process of relating to people. He who masters relating in a positive way will be rewarded tenfold
5. It is much better to experiment than theorise
6. The Bailey Method is a ‘way of learning’  

Tournament Players -

Find instant calm with these solutions for handling nerve-racking tournament play!

TRY THESE STRATEGIES WHEN YOU…

Arrive back at the hotel room anxious

Tournamnet play is a main source of stress, so it is crucial mentally clock off when you leave the courts. Develop a daily ritual to disengage from the match and psychologically shift into leisure mode. “Change out of your tennis clothes and put your rackets out of sight,”. Tryt not to let the win or loss dominate your evening, and schedule evening activities with friends, partner or coach, rather then simply watching TV.

Suffer pre-match nerves

“The usual concern  players have about tournaments is that they’ll be effectively performing, and they will be scrutinised by colleagues, fans or the coach,” says Jim Taylor , psychatrist at Work Fit Analysis. To shake off any nerves, warm up very physically and discuss the match plan with your coach. “If you are psychologically and physically prepared, the chances of becoming overwhelmed by anxiety are much lower.” Also avoid caffiene in the hour or two before the match, because it can ramp up anxiety levels, especially if you are already tired.

Wake up worrying

Worries abour results that keep you up all night are usually “unresolved sressors”, according to clinical psychologist Dr Brendan Loyd. “Its head chatter - your thoughts swirl around and around and you don’t get anywhere. “Because there’s nothing else to distract you at 2am, worries tend  to seem much more overwhelming  than in the cold light of day. Get perspective by pinpointing what is exactly worrying you (rather than getting carried away by spiralling anxiety) and formulate a clear plan to deal with it.” Still worrying? Don’t just lie there. Apply Taylor’s ”10-minute rule”. After 10 minutes of worrying, get up and read a book or watch television. Your worry will gradually subside , your body will relax, and you’ll get tired and go back to sleep,” he explains.

Run late to a match      

Even the most easygoing players can lose their cool when they’re running late, especially for an important match. Next time your stuck in a traffic jam (or panicking over something stressful), try this trick: imagine you’re a stranger watching yourself. Does your behaviour seem appropriate? Giving yourself a reality check like this is usually enough to bring instant calm. Still stressed? Take deep breaths and visualise a peaceful scene.

Going to tournament

It all comes down to preperation. Planning ahead is the key to eliminating stress. The week before you leave, make a list of who is handling “what” (your pet, the mail, your voice messages), and keep the weekend before take-off free to cope with errands. Then relax. There will always be something that is not done, but the question to ask yourself is, “Will the world end, because you didn’t do that?”  

Weight training for tennis is essential. To play tennis well you need to be strong and powerful an weight training is perfect for this. One important thing to remember is that you don’t want to be a body builder or a weight lifter. You want to be strong, then powerful for tennis. The whole body should be targeted with emphasis on calves, legs, groin, lower back, abdomen, shoulders, forearms, wrists and specific band work on tennis stroking and rotator cuff strengthening.

Weight training should be given emphasis during the off season. Gradually decrease during the pre-season, and finally reduce again during the competition phase where importance should be placed on agility, speed and tennis skills.

The most important aspect before starting on a program is - how good is your knowledge? Mistakes in training can cause frustration (get injured), boredom (no variety) and ultimately lead to lack of motivation and success. There are many mistakes which are easily avoidable. these are the most common.

1.    Inappropriate progression - If you are still growing and developing then it is best to seek a physicians advice as every player develops physiologically at different rates and stages. My advice is to get experience first and go slowly and progressively. Use a professional to get advice  about posture, technique, and type of training that is suitable. If you are a junior player or just starting out, the observe the following progressions so you can become in tune with your body and discover what actions work what muscles. 1st - Use your own body weight. 2nd - Use bands 3rd - Use weight machines 4th - Use hand weights 5th  - Use free weights on bars. Do not progress to the next stage until you have professional clearance on your  age, technique and strength level. 
2. Overtraining - More does not necessarily mean better. The muscles must have a chance to rejuvenate. Tennis players should train 3-4 times a week with a day off in between. Total training should not take more than 1 hour.
3. Lack of Intensity - You won’t get maximum results without maximum effort. Carrying out each set of a exercise to the point of momentary muscular failure, where the completion of one more repetition is very difficult (with good form) despite your greatest efforts is the only way to force the body to dig into the reserves to sufficiently stimulate an increase in growth.
4. Careless Technique   - Slow, steady movements get result. Quick thrusts or jerks in lifting will apply resistance only at the start and finish of the rep. Even with power training, good form must be kept with the lifting and lowering stage always under control. poor lifting will also lead to the wrong muscles being used while also increasing the chance of injury.
5. Poor Warm-up Practice - Muscles need to be warmed up in order to work at an efficient level. the best to way to warm-up is on cardio equipement like rowers, tradmills and step machines (at least 5 minutes) then resistance equipement at lower intensities.
6. Range of Motion - working through your full range of motion applies for most resistance exercises. However some exercises that involve deep flexion at the joint warrent special attention. Avoid exercises that put pressure on the joints by stretching ligaments or depresses discs. Exercises like squats, elbow extensions and back hyper-extensions need to be performed with good technique and without pain.
7. Lifting weights that are too Heavy - Loss of weight control due to too much weight can expose you to a wide range of injuries. Remember, attempting to lift heavy weights without the safety measure of having a spotter (someone who can help in the lift) nearby is asking for trouble.
8. Breathing - Rule number one : the most important thing to bear in mind about breathing while lifting is do it! Holding your breath causes  a dangerous bulid up of pressure in the chest and arteries, ans aslo reduces blood flow to thye brain which can result in fainting. It also helps to reduce muscle soreness and promotes recovery. Rule number two : inhale (breath in through nose) during the lowering of the resistance and exhale (breath out through the mouth) during the lifting.
9. Failing to Stretch - Stretching a muscle after warming up increases its safety margin. Flexibility exercises utilized at the end of stenuous activity may reduce pain and tissue damage. As a recovery technique it also promotes muscle relaxation by reducing the pooling of waste products from the worked muscle. I ahve always found it better to lift to relaxation music via headphones or stereo as this makes weight training a pleasureable experience, but more importantly encourages stretching between sets as well as at the end of the session.
10. Unrealistic Attitude - A strong work ethic and vision gives your workout the meaning and direction to develop maximally. Don’t expect massive gains to happen overnight. Set realistic goals and keep workouts regular.
11. Failing to Add Variety - A resistance training program should changed every 4 - 6 weeks. Strive to vary the ways you stimulate the muscles. Use different exercises that work the same muscles but at different angles. If you are old enough and/or experienced with weights then alternate with medicine balls, body weight, machines, free weights and cables etc… this will ensure energy levels will not plateau and mentally you will have a positive charged outlook to how you train.