The Lesson Lounge - Tennis Warrior

Your Link to Professional Thinking!

Keeping your perspective

Okay, it's time to have a heart to heart chat!

Players often confuse the amount of time that has passed with the amount of time they practice. For instance, a student may become frustrated at their progress and I'll say, " you are making great progress. What's the problem?" Their response is, "I have been practicing for a year, I should be much better. How long is this going to take?" I explained that actual practice time is what counts not just the duration of time that passes.

To illustrate I add up their yearly play and practice time. Let's see you take a one hour lesson a week and play another hour and a half in that week. That's two and a half hours a week. And much of that time is not intensive practice. Two and a half hours a week times four equals ten hours a month. Multiply ten hours times twelve months and you have one hundred and twenty hours a year of practice and play.

In contrast when a pro was learning he/she played a minimum of three and a half hours a day six days a week. That's twenty one hours a week, eighty four hours a month. In a month and a half the pro has practiced one hundred twenty six hours. That's more than you have practiced in a year! In reality you have only practiced a month and a half. Hey, you're doing great!

I'm not telling you to practice three or four hours a day (unless you have the time). But you must keep your perspective as you're learning. Do not confuse time passing with time practiced. For the amount of time you have played and practiced your progress is suburb.

Now, get back out there and log in more quality practice time. I don't want to have this discussion with you again! :)

Tom Veneziano