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2011 Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen i


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Game Face for Womens Doubles

By Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen

This is not a free e-book! This book does not come with any resell rights whatsoever. Ifyou received this e-book for free, from any source other than Kathy Toon or Amy Jensen,please send an email to [email protected] You may not alter this e-book in anyway. It must remain in this original PDF form.

2011 Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen. All rights reserved.

Any unauthorized use, sharing, reproduction or distribution of these materials by anymeans electronic, mechanical, or otherwise is strictly prohibited. No portion of thesematerials may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, without the express writtenconsent of the publisher.

Published by

Good Sports Productions, Inc1563 Solano Avenue, #124

Berkeley, CA 94707www.goodsportsproductions.com

2011 Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen ii


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Contents

Introduction 1Chapter 1 Got Game Face? 4Chapter 2 The 4 Rs: An Overview 10Chapter 3 Step 1: Reaction 15Chapter 4 Step 2: Recovery 22Chapter 4 Step 3: Readiness 26Chapter 4 Step 4: Ritual 31About the Authors 36

2011 Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen iii


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Have you ever stopped to consider how the best doubles teams

deal with the pressure of competition. How do they consistently

perform at their best - individually and as a unit? How do they

sustain great teamwork despite individual differences in game styleand personality? What does it take? What makes them so special?

How do the best doubles players get the best out of themselves and their partners

regardless of who they play with? And how can you imitate their example?

Take a second and consider this: the top complaint that players have is -

I cant execute in competition, under pressure, when it counts the most!

Each of us has our own unique peak performance zone. This zone has a very specific

chemistry behind it one you can train for and learn to control. The book by one of my

coaches, Kathy Toon, Get Your Game Face On calls it your Game Face and gives you

Introduction

2011 Kathy Toon & Amy Jensen 1

I

ntroduction


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the tools to get in the zone. When you are in the zone, you can play your best tennis on

demand, when it counts, on a consistent basis.

Game Face for Womens Doubles: A Fast Start Guide is the application of the Game Face

routine to the specific demands of womens doubles players.

The most common complaints from female doubles players are:

Chemistry I just dont seem to play well with her.

Communication What she said really upset/distracted me.

Concentration I keep thinking Im letting my partner down.

Captaincy She wont listen to me. or She always tells me what to do.

ThisFast Start Guide will help you address these issues so that you can play the best doubles

of your life and enjoy the game more!

These sport psychology techniques grew out of work pioneered by sports psychologist

James Loehr. Dr. Loehr discovered that the time between points was what differentiated

the best tennis players in the world from the rest.

Here is a little background on my journey as an athlete. I have played tennis all over the

world, from my local club courts in Australia to the worlds biggest tennis events the

Grand Slams. I have won a record three consecutive NCAA doubles title, and that record

still stands. This is my story:

I didnt even qualify for NCAAs doubles as a freshman. Then I transferred to UC

Berkeley (Cal) and started to work on my Doubles Game Face.

I won my first NCAA title sophomore year with Amanda Augustus as an unseeded

team. We were the FIRST unseeded team/player to ever win an NCAA title and

the FIRST Cal players in the history of the program to win an NCAA title.

Introduction



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I re-peated by winning another title the following year with Amanda.

And as a senior I won a record breaking 3rd NCAA title with a new partner,

Claire Curran.

What happened at Cal was a culmination of athletic potential, expertise, education, trust,

and a whole lot of hard work. Coaches Jan Brogan and Kathy Toon applied Dr. Loehrs

research to my own game, as well as a multitude of other Cal tennis players. They also

implemented this system with hundreds of other athletes at Cal in their High

Performance Class. They trained and coached athletes on how to best use their time

between plays. What we now call Game Face was developed at UC Berkeley. It is directly

responsible for 4 NCAA doubles championships and 2 NCAA singles championships 5

national titles over the span of 10 yrs.

Now you can make the Game Face Doubles your own. This Fast Start Guide will get you

going. It will give you the basic principles and techniques you need. The hard work of

applying them to your training and to your tennis game is up to you.

Introduction



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Got Game Face?


1Got Game Face?


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Got Game Face?

Time and again, youve watched great doubles players and established doubles teams such

as McEnroe/Flemming, Navratilova/Shriver, Woodbridge/Woodforde, Bryan/Bryan,

Fernandez/Zvereva, Stosur/Raymond, Williams/Williams and others deliver the most

amazing performances. The greatest players perform at their best when the stakes are

highest.

How do they do it? How do great athletes deal with the pressure of competition? How do

they get their A game to show up in the heat of the moment? How do they maintain

great teamwork despite individual ups and downs?

The Surprising Secret of Superior PerformanceThese questions intrigued sports psychologist James Loehr. Loehr sought answers by

studying the performance of great tennis players. His research revealed a surprising

secret: top tennis players used the time between points (plays) to achieve the emotional

balance and stable physiology needed for high performance. More specifically, successful

players followed a distinct pattern of activity between points, whereas poor competitors

failed to complete one or more of these activities. Here is how Dr. Loehr put it:I spent years studying footage of top players it was nearly

impossible to determine a players mental toughness by

simply observing how they perform during points. The

between-point time reveals what is really happening in terms

of mental toughness. From my studies over several years I

discovered that the top mentally tough competitors

consistently completed four rather distinct patterns of

activity between points. Players with competitive problems

however failed to complete one or more of these activities.From this understanding I developed a between-point

training sequence of mental and physical activity modeled

by the top tennis players.

Got Game Face?



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As mentioned this research has incredible implications for the ways that tennis players

should train to get the most out of their games. Tennis players and teaching pros alike

typically spend ALL of their time working on skill development, but it is of little or no

value if a player cannot execute these skills in the moment, under pressure, regardless of

nerves, anger, distraction, or emotional upset with their partner. That is why Game Face

Doubles is so incredibly important. It will give you the ability to leverage what you can

already do by being able to access it when you need it the most!

To simplify, the surprising secret of superior performance, is exactly this:

To maximize your performance on game day, you need to prepare

physically and mentally for the between-point moments; those

times when youre not actually playing a point. Training and

maximizing your between-point time will take you to an entirely

different level of execution and competition. In going for peak

performance, every second counts and needs to be trained.

Few athletes know this powerful discovery today, and coaches of any sport, rarely teach it!

This research is the core of what we call the Game Face Routine.

The Game Face Routine

Imagine you have an important competition tomorrow. How do you want to feel? Take a

moment and brainstorm a list of feelings.

In our work with athletes, the following words often come up:focused, confident, relaxed, joy,

fun, calm, and energy orpumped.

What are they describing? It has many names: the zone, flow, the ideal performance

state, treeing, playing out of your head, and so on. We call it Game Face.

Got Game Face?



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Many athletes experience high-stakes competition as threatening, anxiety-provoking, and

even frightening. Yet top athletes typically respond with high focus, clarity, passion,

confidence, excitement, and engagement. All great athletes get nervousthats just part

of the territory. The difference is great athletes learn to control their nerves. And when

nerves do happen, they dont last very long.Instead, these athletes find the zone. They

have their Game Face on!

In our terminology, getting into that zone is a product of faithfully following your Game

Face Routine. This routine is an on-the-court tool designed to help you deal with the

pressures of competition.

The Game Face Performance Triangle

Your Game Face has a very specific chemistry behind it. We perform differently under

pressure because the stress of competition actually causes our chemistry to change. The

key to being a consistently strong competitor lies in learning to control your chemistry.

Some athletes learn to control their chemistry through trial and error, while others never

learn to. Based on Dr. Jim Loehrs work in tennis, we now know that athletes can train to

control their chemistry and thus their Game Face.

Believe it or not, Game Face is not all mental. It is a multidimensional state, a unique set

of interactions between physical, mental, and emotional factors, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The Game Face performance triangle

Got Game Face?



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The emotional corner of this

triangle represents your feelings.

In competition, athletes with their

Game Face on are driving feelings

of confidence, energy, optimism,

and calm. The mental corner of

the triangle represents your

thoughts and images. Game Face

thoughts and images center on

executing the important tasks at

hand. Lastly, the physical corner of

the triangle represents what you do

with your body, or what you look

like on the court. It refers to

keeping strong body language

regardless of the outcome of

individual points.

The emotional, mental, and

physical components of

performance are inseparable. They speak to one another through the language of

biochemistry. The link between the mind and the body is the limbic system, a set of brain

structures located at the core of the brain. The limbic system acts as a switchboard

connecting the brain to the network of nerves throughout your body. The limbic system

sends messages from the brain to the bodys organs. Once these messages reach their

destination, they stimulate the release of chemicals directly into your bloodstream. In

other words, your Game Face has a specific chemical composition. When you are wearing

your Game Face, you are sending very specific messages through your limbic system,

resulting in what Dr. Loehr calls Ideal Performance State.

Got Game Face?



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All this means that what goes on in your mind has a direct effect on your body and vice

versa. Your thoughts prompt certain emotions that in turn have bodily or physiological

consequences. For example, thoughts about losing can lead to feelings of fear and anxiety.

Those feelings cause various physiological responses: increased heart rate, shortness of

breath, muscle tightness, narrow vision, and reduced blood flow to the hands and feet.

Those bodily sensations, in turn, can cause even more fear and anxiety. All of these

responses stand in the way of your performing at your best.

The same is true on the positive side: positive thoughts lead to feelings of energy, fun, and

challenge. These feelings in turn produce positive physiological responses, which lead to

even more positive thoughts and feelings.

Now heres the key point: this virtuous cycle can be trained.The Four Rs of the GameFace Routine will help you drive your Game Face during a competition. But the state of

your Game Face, as well as your ability to access it, depends on a combination of

physical, mental, and emotional training. If you want your Game Face to show up

consistently over the course of a tournament or a season, you must train for it on a daily

basis.

Got Game Face?



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The 4Rs: An Overview



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The 4 Rs - An Overview

Now that you have a core understanding of the science and physiology behind the Game

Face Routine, lets jump in and see how we can apply this to your doubles game.

There are 4 steps we call them the 4 Rs that constitute a successful Game Face

routine: Reaction, Recover, Ready, and Ritual. Lets briefly review what the 4 Rs look like

on the court. In the next chapters we will:

Break it down: cover the essentials of each step and

Put it back together: apply each step to womens doubles.

Heres just one example of the 4 Rs in doubles. This is a sneak peak into Amys own

Game Face routine. As mentioned earlier, she used this tool to win a record-setting three

consecutive NCAA doubles titles. This has not been achieved by any other collegiate

player in the history of NCAA tennis.

Reaction

My Reaction started as soon as the previous point ended. No

matter what had just happened, I was trained to react in a very

consistent manner. The first few seconds following the point was

my time to process. I found it was key for me to portray a strong,

powerful, and confident image, no matter what just happened! If

we played a particularly good point, or just won a key point, I

would celebrate with a fist pump. I'd do a small hop-step to turn

around. If we lost the point (especially if I missed the shot), this

was a bigger challenge. I had a fiery temperament and so I had to

work hard to eliminate anger from my repertoire. I needed to use

the energy from anger and channel it into playing better tennis.

Relaxation, strong posture, and changing my inner dialogue

during my reaction was the key to utilizing the energy of anger.




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The use of disciplined posture in those first three seconds made all the difference in the

world. I also worked hard on controlling what I said right after the point, as this affected

my partner also. I began to use more empowering language such as Right Back and

Cmon. For the most part I found I played best when I didnt have much to say at all,

but rather when my mind was quiet and still.

Recovery

Recoverys was to allow my body, mind, and emotions to recover

from the point. I would walk in the direction of my partner with my

racket in the non-dominant hand. I liked to maintain a pace that

allowed me to relax, yet not lose my physical intensity. Once I met

up with my partner we would connect verbally or physically with a

high five. Then we would walk side-by-side out of the court. The

intent was to connect as a team whilst individually relaxing. We each

needed to recover physical, mental, and emotional energy. The

conversation was minimal and always encouraging. The key to

maintaining our intensity for an entire competition was to balance

the energy spent during the action with the energy recovered

between plays.

Readiness

Readiness represented the time I used to get mentally ready

for the upcoming point. We would stand on what I liked to

call the magic spot - at the center mark on the middle of

the baseline. We discussed any pertinent information and

planned the strategy for the next point: What is the score?Where should we serve? What formation should we use?

What are the opponents tendencies? What are the weather

conditions? Etc.




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Then we would come up with what the objective was for the upcoming point: Serve up

the middle and poach, Attack a second serve and come in, Take the return up the

line and then approach on the next ball, and so on. We always maintained a strong and

confident posture during this discussion. I felt it essential that we both brought good

energy, and a sense of trust and commitment to the plan for the upcoming point.

Ritual

When I served, my ritual started a bit behind the

baseline. I wanted to approach the line with some

energy. After a quick body scan, I would know if I was

tight or nervous. My breathing helped me to feel

challenged and amped up for the point. I'd set my left

foot close to the baseline and bounce the ball three

times. I generally picked one objective to focus on such

as: Keep my left hand up, or Full extension at the

top. This technique kept me focused on the process of

serving rather than the outcome. Finally, I liked to

mentally see where I wanted to the ball to go, as well as

feel and hear the perfect contact.

When returning serve, my ritual was somewhat

different. I would turn my back to the court, adjust my

strings and do a quick check-in with myself: was I

feeling tight, flat, relaxed, or fired up? At this point I

wanted to keep my focus internal so I liked to keep my

back turned until I was ready to return; this gave memore of a feeling of control. When ready, I turned

around to face the court and moved to the baseline

with energy. I always kept my racket in my left hand




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while shaking out my playing arm. Again I found that focusing on one technical cue kept

me from wandering off mentally and ultimately allowed me to hit the return that I

wanted. I visualized how and where I wanted to make my first step on the return and I

felt how the perfect return would feel. Then I would crouch into a good athletic stance,

my weight on my toes, and my left foot forward. I liked to rock back and forth, like many

players do. Then, as the opponents toss went up, I would move forward, split step, and

then make contact.

Finally, the ritual for net positions is distinct for doubles and requires a slightly different

preparation. I liked to jog into the service box when playing a net position to increase my

intensity and prepare the body for explosive movements. This position requires alertness

so I continually moved once at the net, bouncing up and down, shadowing a volley with

my racquet, etc. This was how I felt the most prepared for an aggressive poach, for a lob,

OR for the ball to be hit right at me as often happens at net.

Now that you have a general grasp of the 4Rs, lets examine these steps in greater detail

to more fully understand the intention and application of each step to doubles play.




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Step 1: Reaction


3Step 1: Reaction


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Step 1: Reaction

Life is 10 % what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it

- Charles R Swindoll

Breaking it down

Step one is Reaction. If you want to maintain your Game Face during competition, you

must learn to control your reaction the instant the action stops. Your goal is to keep your

Game Face even in the face of adversity. Yeah, I know. Easier said than done!

To understand this critical step in keeping your Game Face on, you need to consider a

little psychology. Take a look at Figure 2. This simple diagram underlies a lot of animal

and human behavior. Lets take a dog, for example. Think of those TV commercials

when a dog hears the sound of dry food being poured into the bowl and comes running

to get its dinner. This is the classic stimulus-response phenomenon. The dog has

learned that a certain sound is associated with the availability of food. So now, when the

stimulus occurs (the sound of dog food being poured into the bowl), a response follows

(the dog comes running).

Figure 2. Stimulus-response diagram

Humans, too, learn to respond in certain ways to stimuli. But humans are slightly more

evolved, and we experience a critical moment between stimulus and response. In this

critical moment we form our perception of what just happened, and the perception helps

to determine our response. For example, we decide if the stimulus was good or bad,

Step 1: Reaction



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and then we respond accordingly. In sports, this moment determines whether we take the

High Road toward our Game Face or stumble down the Low Road to emotional upset

and negativity. The High Road leads to superior performance. The Low Road leads to

disappointment (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. The stimulus-response diagram applied to performance in sports

So whats a stimulus for you as a doubles player? The key stimuli are what we like to call

stressors. They are things we have learned to respond to in ways that elevate our stress.

What stressors do you face during the course of a doubles match? Weather? Bad calls?

Mistakes (yours or your partners)? Aches and pains? Obnoxious competitors? Strange

courts? The list can go on and on. How do you respond in the face of these stressors? Do

you keep your Game Face on, or do you display your negative emotions for all to see?

Too often we blame the stressors for our poor performance. But look at Figure 3 again.

What side do you have control over? Clearly, you cant control the stimuli that come yourway. The only thing you can control is your reaction to what happens. And because you

learned the way you respond to a given stressor, you can learn to respond differently.

Step 1: Reaction



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Top competitors learn to control their reaction so that they keep their Game Face on no

matter what happens on the playing field. How do they do this? In general, there are two

pathways to controlling your reaction to stimuli or stressors. One pathway is your

thoughts, and the other is what you do with your body. In other words, what do you say

(either out loud or silently), and what do you look like between points?

Thoughts

How we perceive something triggers our thoughts about it. The moment the action stops

you have something to say about it. Your mind reacts long before your body does. In

fact, the little voice inside your head directly impacts how your body responds. As soon as

you are faced with a stimulus (or stressor), it is filtered through your values and beliefs.Your values and beliefs then determine your perception of the stimulus as a challenge or a

problem.

Top competitors perceive stressors as a challenge and they believe that they can overcome

them. Billie Jean King wrote a fantastic book called Pressure is a Privilege. This is a

profound example of an empowering perspective. Typically players speak of pressure as if

it is a burden, a weight they have to carry, and a no win situation. Billy-Jean viewed

pressure as a fantastic reward, the highest compliment for her abilities and efforts..

The best players have a little voice that says, Bring it on! or I can do this or This is

tough, but I am tougher. In contrast, poor performers see stressors as problems. They

struggle with limiting beliefs about their abilities. Their little voice often says, I cant, or

This is too hard, or Im not sure, or This sucks.

Heres a really important point: beliefs often become self-fulfilling. The good news is we

can change our beliefs and thus our perceptions and ultimately our reactions to stressors.

Our beliefs are just habitual thought patterns. Think the same thing over and over again,

and it will eventually become an attitude or a belief. The trick to staying on the High

Step 1: Reaction



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Road in the face of stressors is to train High Road thought patterns. In a calm, non-

stressful situation, consciously choose how you would like to think about the stressors you

face in your life. Even better, write your thought down. Now repeat them to yourself

over and over and over.

Body Language

Dr. Loehr found that top tennis players learned to control their emotions by projecting a

strong, fighting, and positive physical image as soon as a point was over. The next time

youre watching top performers in action, watch what their bodies project between points.

Following a point, top tennis players like Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer will turn their

back on the court, place the racket in the non-dominant hand, and hold the racket head

up and walk calmly and confidently to take their position for the next point. And for both

of these champions this was not always the case. They had to work on the mental/

emotional aspects of their game. Clijsters was seen as jittery and perhaps vulnerable

under pressure early on in her career. Federer was known to be hotheaded as a junior

player. By changing how they use their time BETWEEN points

they both have become incredible champions!

Of course, its easy to respond positively when things are going

well. Your true test is how you respond to mistakes and other

negative events. Occasionally, top athletes will release some

frustration or anger following a mistake. The difference is they do

something that energizes them. They might aggressively slap

their hands or a thigh but at the same time say or yell

encouragement to themselves: Come On! Right now! Lets

Go! They perform this ritual within seconds of committing the

mistake, and then its done and gone. The frustration doesnt linger into the next point.

Step 1: Reaction



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Its the less successful athletes who wear their emotions on their sleeve. They show

whatever they are feeling in the moment. If they are upset, they show it. If they are tired,

they slump over and put their hands on their knees. If they are disappointed, they hang

their heads and drop their shoulders. Unfortunately, the result is always the same: they fail

to live up to their athletic potential.

Putting it back together

Step one in your Game Face Routine, then, is about training your reaction as soon as the

point ends. In tennis, the Reaction step involves these things:

1. Standing strong and confidently.

2. Saying or thinking something positive or challenging to yourself.

Your reaction is what you do with the first three seconds at the end of a point. Training a

strong reaction is critical in tennis for your own focus/concentration, but also you want to

send the right messages to your opponent at all times.

There are 3 basic ways to react to a point. Research points to ideal ratios for each type of

reaction. We call this breakdown 80/10/10. Here are the golden ratios for your reaction:

Neutral Reaction 80%

The majority of the time it will serve you to stay neutral right when the point ends. This

is when your mind is quiet and your body language remains strong and confident.

Someone watching your match would not be able to tell if you just won or lost the

previous point, but they would have a sense that things are going well for you because of

your posture and positive energy.

Celebration 10%

You are going to play some amazing points throughout the match. You are going to win

some critical points that will help you gain momentum and confidence. A celebration is

Step 1: Reaction



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when you get pumped up at the end of a point. It might be a fist pump, a chest bump

(Bryan brothers) or something verbal like Lleyton Hewitts trademark CMON! It takes

experience to learn WHEN to use bursts of positive energy in matches. This can be a

huge weapon and can greatly influence the momentum of a match.

Challenged Response 10%

We have all had matches where things are not going well; you cant get a rhythm, you

miss an easy shot, you make too many loose errors, you are tired and cant seem to get

going at all. This is when you will want to use a challenged response. This involves a

release of energy in an encouraging way. Perfecting the art of a challenged response vs. a

dejected response will take time and practice. For example, lets say you miss a shot into

the net. You could say out loud, Ah that was terrible, or you could say out loud Cmon!

You can make that! This subtle difference will have very drastic impact on your body

chemistry. The second option summons feelings/emotions that challenge you to execute a

higher level of play!

Step 1: Reaction



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Step 2: Recovery


4Step 2: Recovery


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Step 2: Recovery

Breaking it down

The second step in maintaining your Game Face Routine during competition is to take a

moment to recover as much as possible of the physical, mental, and emotional energy you

expend during play. Lack of a proper Recovery step often leads to quick, anxious

movements and thoughts between points. This can lead to problems with concentration,

negative thinking, and nerves during competition.

Less successful athletes often rush between points or plays. In tennis, poor performers will

walk hastily to retrieve the ball and plunge right into the next point. Rushing between

points robs them of the peace of mind necessary to perform at a high level.

Your recovery is KEY to performing at a high level over a longer period of time. It has

often been said that life is like a marathon. However Dr. Loehr has found some evidence

that suggests otherwise. In his books Stress for Success and The Power of Full

Engagement, Loehr points to the fact that our careers, our athletic endeavors, our lives in

fact, are really a series of intense efforts and bursts of energy followed by rest/recovery

periods. Therefore the person who learns to switch OFF can reload physically, mentally,

and emotionally for the next endeavor. The ability to recover gives you a decided and

marked advantage.

The best tennis players have the ability to switch off between

points. It was thought that Bjorn Borg had an incredibly low

resting heart rate (once measured to be as low as 38bpm). Pete

Sampras often looked lackadaisical and almost disinterested

between points. He was often criticized for this. But Sampras

was known for playing the big points better than anyone. He

Step 2: Recovery



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seemingly always hitting the best serves under pressure and was able to lift his game just

at the right moments. Essentially, Sampras was a master at recovery, and this allowed

him to have deep reserves of energy that he could tap into when needed.

Lack of a proper Recovery step often leads to quick, anxious movements and thoughts

between plays. This can lead to problems with concentration, negative thinking, and

nerves during competition. Have you ever felt a match go by so fast and you come off the

court with that feeling of What just happened? Having a deliberate recovery phase in

your between point routine is the best way to ensure that this never happens to you again.


The top tennis players use a variety of physical strategies to recover energy between

points, including the following:

1. Deep Breathing 2. Eye Control 3. Pacing and Intensity Level 4. Non-Dominant Hand Use 5. Bouncing/Jogging

A common questions players often ask is Where should I recover? Recovery between

points in tennis takes about 5-8 seconds. If we want to fully recover between points, it is

powerful to differentiate the regions of the court: 1. Where the action takes place versus

2. The recovery regions areas of the court where you can feel safe, can switch offmentally and let go. Just as a batter moves in and out of the batters box with each pitch,

so do most experienced players move in and out of the court with each point.

Step 2: Recovery



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Recovery in tennis specifically involves the player moving out of the court and towards

the back fence. This gives a physical space for the recovery, and it gives the mind a

location to associate with this phase.

So lets say you have just finished a point in doubles. You and your partner both have

your reaction phase, and you physically connect somewhere on the court, depending on

where you were when the point ended. You will walk together, as a united front, out of

the court. Your body language will be strong and communication is fairly minimal.

Once at the baseline you will both individually recover depending on your role/position

for the next point:

Serving: The server will walk to get the ball or to the back fence to towel off. The

servers partner (SP) will typically recover whilst waiting on the center mark.

Returning: Once either/both players have sent the balls to the server, both players

have their own space and time to just relax/recover. Typically the players float

around somewhere behind the baseline on their respective sides.

Many inexperienced teams just go their separate ways at the

end of the point, without connecting after the reaction

phase, and without recovering as a united front. We like to

call this 2 ships passing in the night. The 2 ships

arrangement shows vulnerability to the opposing team as

they usually pick up on the fact that your team is

DISconnected. It also robs a team of the synergy created by

connecting and working together as a team. Figure 7 gives a

good example of how the best teams move, in between

points, in doubles.

Step 2: Recovery



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Step 3: Readiness


5Step 3: Readiness


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Step 3: Readiness

Breaking it down

The third step in your Game Face Routine is Readiness. The purpose of this step is to

ensure that you are mentally prepared for the action to resume, that is, you are aware of

the situation and know your job during the upcoming point.

We just learned about the importance of being able to switch OFF during your recovery;

however, it is obviously essential to learn how to switch back ON when the next point rolls

around. You must be totally present, aware of the situation, and you must know your job

during the upcoming action.

Readiness usually takes place on the center mark, or the magic spot as we like to call it.

This is where you get yourself totally present again, in the here and now, and decide what

needs to be done in the upcoming point.

You pause momentarily, assume a strong posture, and reflect briefly on two questions:

1. What is the situation?2. What is my job?

In other words, you program your mental computer before you physically act.

So, for example, Serena and Venus Williams come together. They hold their hands up to

cover their mouths and they briefly discuss the plan for the point

where to serve and what they want the point to look like. Note

that they have also confessed to sometimes joking around on

court between points. This can actually be very helpful for

performance as it relaxes and engages players to just flow in

the upcoming action.

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This is the most interactive part of your Game Face Routine in doubles. In this phase you

come together as a team, speak and listen, and collaborate to create the next point.

So what is it that you need to know about the upcoming point? You are supposed to have

some sort of plan, but what exactly does that mean? What does it involve? You have

about 3-5 seconds to come up with a strategy that feels good and right for both of you.

The best teams know how to communicate effectively and efficiently, and they do this

time and time again, under pressure without breakdown.

There are 3 things you need to decide on before you start any doubles point:

1. Serve or Return

2. Net player

3. Type of point

Lets look at your plan in greater detail:

1. Serve or Return

a) Serve: Before you know what serve you want to hit, you really want to know WHY.

By this we mean that you are attempting to get a specific type of return back from

your opponents. The best athletes have the ability to think a few shots ahead, so

lets apply the same principle to your doubles game. Once you know WHAT you

want them to hit (based on their strengths, weaknesses, and patterned play), it will

be more clear WHERE to serve, as well as WHAT pace and spin you will use.

b) Return: To choose your return you first want to have some sort of intuitive

anticipation of WHAT type of serve may be coming at you. Try to pick up on

patterns from the server: how they start their service games, what they like to hit, and

where they serve on big points. Next decide where the weaknesses are on the court. Is

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it the net players overhead? Is it the servers backhand? Is there a big hole down the

middle that no one is covering?

2. Net player

Based on the location of the serve/return, you will

want to create a role for the net player. Be sure the net

player is active! All too often this position is neglected.

Teams assume that its the server/returners job to win

the point while the net player just spectates. You want

to be thinking differently than your opponents so when

your partner makes their serve/return, decide that its

your job (as net player) to control the point from there.

Choose your strategy/position based on what just

happened, the score, the opponent, etc. Your options

are stay, fake, poach, or stay back. In addition, you can

add other formations such as Australian, where both

players are on the same side of the court, or use the I

formation, where the net player is squatting in the

center of the court.

3. Type of point

Doubles can be like organized chaos. Thats why its so much fun! It is wise to plan the

first two shots of the point, and allow the rest will be flow and instinct.

You want to have some overarching tactical purpose to your match. Here are some

examples:

We are going to beat this team by getting to the net first and moving aggressively

up there.

We will be most effective if we isolate the weaker player.

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If we use the middle, avoid giving them angle, and have really long points then we

have a good shot at taking them apart.

Its hugely effective if you and your partner remind each other of the type of point you

want to play before you start each and every point. This brings attention to your strategy,

and also allows you to mix it up on purpose when you feel its right. It gets you both on

the same page with your tactical intention.

If one of you is trying to isolate the weaker player, and the other keeps unconsciously

hitting it to the stronger player, then your efforts will be futile. Youll never even give your

strategy a chance to work! Get on the same page and have a shared vision. You will

maximize your play as a team AND have the best chance of breaking down your

opponents game.

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Step 4: Ritual


6Step 4: Ritual


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Step 4: Ritual

Breaking it down

Ritual, the final step in your Game Face routine, is about preparation for play. It is themost well known step in the Game Face Routine. The purpose of this step is to deepen

your concentration and help you adjust your energy levels to that which is desirable for

the upcoming performance. Your ritual occurs right where the action is going to take

place. Its how you spend the last few seconds before show time. Your ritual is essential to

peak performance. Its where you utilize the previous three steps and direct all of your

preparation into action. Missing this key step can undo all of the good work you have

done up until this point.


What about you? Think about when you are performing well. What rituals do you use

when you play? How do you ensure that your body is positioned for action? Do you

bounce the ball two or three times before serving? Do you like to adjust your shirtsleeve,

your cap, or your strings? These seemingly mindless rituals are all about being

physically prepared to execute the play. They also tap into the brains subconscious power

by the relationship of association. When you do your ritual, your body automatically

knows what is going to follow.

Your best tennis usually comes when you feel that things are automatic and just flowing,

without conscious thoughts. Your ritual helps you create that space. At this point, you

should be totally present, focused on the point that is about to happen. There is limited

conscious thinking, especially about technique. The goal is to perform instinctively and

automatically, and rituals are designed to allow that to happen.

Once you and your partner have planned the upcoming point, you separate and perform

your own rituals depending on where you are on the court. From the magic spot at the

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center of the baseline, you begin to move to your next position. Lets

explore the three possibilities:

1. Server

By this point you have gathered two balls for the upcoming point,

and you have a detailed plan that involves the serve, the net player

(if there is one), and the type of point you are going to play. Walk

to a spot behind the baseline where you can begin your routine.

Approach the baseline with authority and begin your preparation

for serve. Be sure youre precise with the pieces of your ritual and

tweak things as you progress throughout the match.

2. Returner

Again moving from the magic spot, you will walk back behind

the location where you will return the serve. Begin your ritual here.

Preparing your eyes is essential for a good return. Looking at the strings helps your

eyes find the ball at your contact point. Find ways to help yourself be alert but also

relaxed. This position is unpredictable as you dont know what you are going to get.

You need to master the art of responding to the serve.

If you feel any fear, your body will freeze up. Cultivate the perfect quality of mind in

this position. If your mind is wandering the point will be over before it even starts,

and you will be left with that feeling of what just happened? And if you are over

thinking, you wont respond effectively either.

3. Net Player (SP or RP)

The nature of this position is distinctly different. I encourage you to watch some film

and see what the top doubles players do to get ready to play the net position. Being at

net demands that you be more alert and more intense by the very fact that you have

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less than half of the time to respond as the ball is traveling faster. You need to get

yourself organized and fast!

Once you leave the magic spot, we recommend jogging to the net position. This gets

your arousal up, gets your body moving and alert, and sends a message to your opponents

that you are ready, aggressive, and you want the ball. From this point on, keep your body

moving until the point starts! Get your feet anchored, get your

elbows in, and stay low and loaded so that you can move

explosively (for a volley OR a lob).

Use your eyes well! If you are the SP, then watch the returner. If

you are the RP, then put your eyes on the SP. Do not watch the

server, do not watch the serve, and do not watch your partners

return. The SP is the first person that can hit you the ball so they

are your only concern!

Net position again requires high intensity and narrow, external

focus. You will want to be aroused but also relaxed as you need to

adapt to an unpredictable environment. Fear will freeze your

body and over thinking will block your intuitive instincts.

The Change of Ends

These steps apply to your 90 second change of ends. As you walk to the bench be sure

you are connected with your partner a united front! Teams that dont walk together for

changeovers are obviously experiencing some tension and not having much fun!

The time you have during a changeover is an opportunity to recover (rest, relax, close

your eyes, shake out different body parts, and to get ready) and to connect with your

partner and have a more elaborate discussion of your thoughts/feelings/strategy.

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How you use your time at the change over will depend on whats happening in the match.

For example:

1. When you have a lead: focus on recovery and staying relaxed. Create ways to stay

challenged. Have a strong RITUAL off the bench to wake you body up players

have a tendency to drop intensity when they have a lead.

2. When its close: again use this time to recover and stay relaxed. You are already

feeling pretty challenged/excited so just refine your strategy. Come off the bench withhigh energy to show you are confident.

3. When you are behind: focus on the ready aspect of your Game Face routine here.

Use this time to really connect and communicate with your partner. Find a way to get

into the match. Explore different strategic options.

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Conclusion

As you can see, theres a lot more to creating a strong doubles team, than just having a

partner. Game face can elevate your entire game and help you build a formidable

partnership.

You now have all you need to get started on tapping into your highest potential as a tennis

player. If you are willing to commit to building your Game Face Routine you will be

ready to take on the competition. Too often this work is ignored by players and coaches

alike. Dont let that happen to you. The mental preparation is the difference maker!

Your play will transform, your game will transform, and most importantly your

partnership will transform. Look out opponents! Here comes Game Face for Womens

Doubles!

Conclusion



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About the Authors

Kathy Toon From 1990-2004, Kathy Toon was the

Associate Head Coach for Womens Tennis at the University of

California-Berkeley, where she helped guide three doubles teams

to NCAA championship victories. Coach Toon earned

national assistant coach of the year while at cal

Her collegiate tennis coaching career includes earlier stops at

the University of San Diego and Pepperdine University. Over a

23-year coaching career, Coach Toon has witnessed first hand the correlation between thebehavior of competing athletes during down time and their ultimate athletic success.

This experience led her to write he first book, Get Your Game Face On!

Amy Jensen The Australian native is a former Cal player

and 5-time All-American. She posted a career record of 105-52 in

singles and a remarkable 94-29 record in doubles. Jensen won

NCAA doubles titles in 1998, 1999 and 2000, which is an NCAA

record. Amy has also played all the junior grand slams, held WTA

professional rankings in singles and doubles, and played in both the

US Open and Aussie Open. Jensen has coached Division I tennis for

10 years. Amy is a USPTA P-1 teaching pro. She is currently the Manager of Player

Development for the USTA Nor Cal.

About the Authors

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