1. TRAIN ALMOST EVERYDAY

Practice in the manner in which your expecting to perform. Design patterns and positions to expose your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Winning two tough matches a day for 5 days straight is the criteria for winning a national title. Try it for a week! If it sounds too tough, try to play 3 sets a day for a week!

2. REHEARSE SHOT SELECTION

The most common type of error in national level tennis is low percentage shot selection. Abiding by the laws of offence, neutral and defensive is a factor. Spotting tendencies as they occur is a factor. Repeat winning patterns. Shut down the opponents winning patterns. Also, the "window" your ball travels above the net is crucial in the development of depth. Consistent depth is a key to consistent wins!

3. SIMPLY MATCH THE BALL SPEED

Champions have mastered this secret skill. Fighting the compulsion to always increase the ball speed is a sure fire way to be more consistent. When you don't have the feel in a match, shift to this plan. This is also a super warm up routine. It shows the opponent your stable vs crazy!

4. HIT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BALL

Intermediates are happy simply hitting the ball. Top players understand that to hit short angles, topspin lobs and slice shots requires more detail. The hidden gem here is that it trains you to watch the ball more carefully. You simply can't hit the outside edge of the ball traveling at you at 100 mph if you eyes are wondering.

5. SPACING

Proper movement and positioning around the strike zone is called spacing. Using adjustment steps to align each stroke is an underlying factor in the ability to actually use good form. A common cause of short ball errors is spacing!

6. PROPER FORM

This includes grips, backswings, follow throughs, core balance and keeping the head still during the strike zone. Cleaning up flawed strokes involves "trimming the fat" vs adding more to the players stroke.

7. MASTERING SPIN

In high level tennis, spin is simply used as a consistency tool. The key ingredient in hitting the ball hard and in is spin. Also, as the ball speed increases in a rally, a player then must slow down the ball with spin to regain a positioning advantage. Controlling the point consistently is done with spin.

8. REPAINTING THE LINE

It's not the players job to paint the lines. Keep balls down the center when you aren't feeling a clean groove. Gunning for lines is wonderful way to make boat loads of errors, allow a cheater easy access to cheat, let the opponent off the hook, increase frustration and complicate even the easiest of matches.

9. INCREASE YOUR FITNESS

Being more fit has wonderful benefits. It increases your over all confidence, allows you to stay in points longer, think clearer, problem solving better, accelerate and decelerate quicker, use cleaner strokes, calm the breathing and heart rate, recover faster after long points, recover after long matches and prevent injuries.

10. INCREASE YOUR FOCUS ABILITY

A common issue with inconsistency is playing solid, winning tennis three games in a row; then getting bored or unfocused and giving three games right back. Staying in the moment and focusing on your next points performance goals is key. This is done by mastering between point rituals. Also play an inner game with yourself. Focus on simply winning three points in a row when you are bored!

Errors are caused by a slew of factors. Focusing on solely strokes production isn't in your best interest. Ignoring the other elements at play is a big mistake. Try charting a few matches and categorize the causes of errors.

My bet is that you'll be surprised at the different causes of errors.

CAUSE OF ERROR CHART

• Flawed Stroke/ Form
• Shot Selection
• Movement/ Spacing
• Emotional/ Focus

CONGRATULATIONS Jimmy Fernandez and Eric Wilson!

Jimmy and Eric, Boys 16's Champions winning four open doubles titles in a row!

• Balboa Bay Open
• Laguna Niguel Open
• Chapman Open
• Costa Mesa Open