3 match situations you will face every time you are on the court – The Gigi Method

THERE ARE 3 MATCH SITUATIONS YOU WILL FACE EVERY TIME YOU GET ON THE COURT.  EACH REQUIRES A DIFFERENT MENTAL APPROACH AND RISK TAKING TO HELP YOU WIN THE MATCH!

If your team is better, this is a time to play steady tennis. If you play your game and they play their game you should win since you are the better team. You should not try risky shots, instead, you should play “vanilla” doubles and let the opponents beat themselves. At the same time, do not commit the cardinal sin of underestimating your opponent. Being the favorite does not mean you should be too relaxed because it is easy to get careless and suddenly find the match tighter than it should be. You should still focus on playing the next point…one point at a time!

2. YOUR TEAM IS WORSE THAN THE OPPONENTS

If you are worse than your opponents, then you have to take risks and try different things. Go for all your shots, take chances, play different formations, mix up the sides you play each set, and do anything you can to disrupt the rhythm of the better team.  There is always a way to get yourself into a match and at least compete effectively. Even if you’re a 3.5 team against a 4.5 duo, you have a better chance of winning more points if you mix it up.  Pay attention to being consistent.  It is very important to generate positive energy with your partner. A point here, a point there and well, who knows what might happen? Know that the lessons you learn from playing this way against a better team will help you significantly when you compete against peers at your level. Even if you lose, learn from it… it will make you a better player!

3. YOU ARE EVEN OR VERY CLOSE WITH YOUR OPPONENTS

Tennis is a game of errors!  At any level, the partnership with the least amount of errors will likely win the matches.  If you are evenly matched with your opponent- this is often a good starting assumption for most competitive situations – then you have to carefully calibrate prudence and risk!

Most of the points you play are going to end in an error. YES, there are the winner returns, the ace serves, the poaches put aways, the drop shots winners, the slamming overheads, but it is mostly errors that will dictate the outcome of the match. The trick in this matchup is to execute your shots just forcefully enough to compel your opponents to try for more thus making them generate the error. When you are even with your opponents it is important to not take risks on the big points. There is a small fine line between not taking a risk and pushing the ball.  Stay mentally strong, focused and positive on key points and that will help you seal the deal!

Spend 3 hours with Gigi Fernandez in New York City on August 30, 2018. 4 pm – 7 pm – competitive doubles specialty course! Register here

Find out more about the Gigi Method:

The Gigi Method is a way of playing the game of doubles that assures you are positioned in the right place, cover the correct area, have reliable shot selection and employ winning strategies leaving only the execution up to YOU!
The six steps of the Gigi Method: 

1. Positioning
2. Court coverage and movement
3. Hold Serve – Strategies for holding serve, even if your serve is weak and your partner doesn’t help.
4. Break Serve – Return Strategies that will give you the best opportunity to break serve.  
5. Shot Selection – Optimal and high percentage shot selection based on the three different formations that you face in doubles:  2 up, 2 back and 1Up/1Back
6. Competition and Strategy

http://www.gigifernandeztennis.com/the-gigi-method-tgm.html