For me, the hardest thing in tennis is the waiting. The stillness and silence that is essential before hitting the ball. Timing is completely based on the ability to pause and be still so adjustments can happen before contact.
Why is it so difficult?
Nothing happens on a tennis court with a player that does not also happen outside the court as well.
Have you ever noticed how active your mind is throughout the day (and night!)? Regardless of the activity, the mind is constantly chattering.
The same thing is happening on the tennis court. The ball is hit towards you and there are dozens of comments or ‘feelings’ that arise in us related to our ability to hit this ball back in a particular way or in a particular direction.
In life, we don’t notice it so much because we can usually successfully achieve our mundane activities despite the chatter. However, in tennis or other highly skilled activities this chatter will prevent us from successfully playing and then it gets our attention.
So, what can we do?
By bringing our attention to the body, we get into ‘real’ time from where timing becomes much easier.
Our first reaction to the oncoming ball usually takes us away from ourselves and into the world of doubt and desire. However, if at that moment we can instead stay ‘here’ with ourselves, our whole experience can change.
One way to do that is to bring attention to the body, either by focusing on our preparation. When we do that, we will see that, all of a sudden, it seems like we have so much time.
In that waiting; in that stillness and silence great discomfort can also arise, but eventually, by facing this discomfort, without judgment or any attempt to escape from it, perhaps some comfort will emerge.
There are no short cuts to becoming still and being comfortable with silence and I do not wish to suggest there are, but something like this can perhaps give you a taste and then your journey will be driven by the depth of your desire to grow by facing the mysteries of life.
Enjoy the journey……………