My interview with Nam Nha Tho- Learn the basics

                         

Nam Nha Tho- Cathay Pacific Championships Slideshow: Tennismania’s trip from Accra, Ghana to Vietnam was created by TripAdvisor. See another Vietnam slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

If you’re a beginner looking for inspiration and a way to boost your tennis, this interview will certainly provide you with the key elements you require to get as good as you can be.
Here’s an interview granted by Nam Nha Tho, a promising contestant at the Cathay Pacific nationwide tournament that took place in Vietnam. He has played in quite a number of minor competitions over the past 3 years and hopes to continue playing in more tournaments in the future. He is a friend but most importantly, a good example of a knowledgeable tennis player willing to share his experiences with other upcoming tennis players. I believe you’ll enjoy the insights he shares with us today as you read along.

Q;  How long have you been playing tennis?

A; I've been playing for only 3 years, starting at the age of 12. My first tournament was the one I played last year and also the one in which I recorded my best performance that was, coming 6th citywide.


Q; What have been your major challenges during these three years of tennis?

A;   I’ve had many challenges. Arranging time for both school and tennis is perhaps the one of the most challenging things so far. Once you've been able to arrange time for these on your schedule, you also need to recover quickly from your training sessions fast enough to prepare for school. So for people who start playing tennis very early and want to take it up seriously, it is advisable to home school so that they can concentrate on their tennis.
There's another challenging issue which is the challenge of finding a good partner. Of course, when you're in the city team already, you have many players to play with, but if you're non-professional, it's usually hard to find a good partner to train with you.

Q; So do you have an official coach then?

A; Generally speaking, yes. As I earlier on said, I'm non-professional so I hire a coach who trains many other players, amateurs as well. He used to be a pro tennis player himself, so he understands my game. He and I combine all the drills we know into our training, but during the school year I don't practice with him regularly. We practice just about 1 or 2 hours a week only. I spend the rest of the time playing with friends.

Q; Do your friends also play in competitive tournaments with you?
What have been your best moments in the game so far?
And what keeps you motivated to play further?

A; Yes actually, there are 3 friends, including 2 junior pros, whom I play in tournaments. Besides this, I don't play with them a lot. My other friends are older, some are even adults, but I improve my game by just playing matches.
To your second question, the best moment of the game is of course, winning matches. My first competitive match ever was a win, and the feeling was ever-lasting with my fighting to come back after a rain delay.
Both wins and defeats keep you motivated. Obvious improvements in mental and technique encourage you too. Most of all, you need to have a passion. Enjoy the sport and you'll keep the fire burning.

Q; So which kind of drills do you perform with your coach to improve your mental techniques for these tournaments?

A; I read many articles on this so I know a lot. Mostly, I do drills which improve my techniques. About mental training, I'd suggest playing matches, or making practice as real as possible. Playing matches don't help you improve you weaknesses much, so playing points would be more advisable if you want to improve both techniques and mentality at a same time. Play as many tournaments as you can also.

Q;So what would you have to say to beginner tennis players out there who want to improve their play

A; Most importantly, find yourself a good partner. Practicing with coaches can be helpful, but a partner who plays better than you will help you improve a lot. Play matches with him/her, and soon you'll find yourself fit for faster paced matches.
At that stage, reduce the number of matches you play, but, practice more to consolidate and improve your play. However, even Federer is ranked no 3 now. At all events, find yourself a better partner, as you can always improve no matter how good you are already.

Nam Nha Tho at the Cathay Pacific tournament

Q; How would you describe your style of play?
    Who is your favorite player and what should we expect to see from Nam Nha Tho in the next few years?

A; I'm a rather offensive player as I take after my idol Federer. I watch him play a lot so I try to be dominant like him on court, and that normally works.
I'm training hard every day for all tournaments down the road. I'm getting into the school team and hope to play tournaments for students only, avoiding all the junior professional tournaments. I know by myself that I started tennis rather late, so the chances of being a good pro are quite small, but if any chances come, I will welcome it!

Thanks very much for having this interview. It's been a pleasure having you and we hope your words encourage other players in their quests.

Sure thanks I had a great time. It'd be lovely to talk to you again in the near future!

         
              For tips on how to achieve some of the successes achieved by Nam Nha Tho you can view my article Amazing: 4 simple steps to help you start playing tennis

Simple ; 3 effective steps to improve your tennis (the essence of practice)

  Hey guys, so I watched this short but inspiring video made a mentor and friend,  at Performance Corps which touches on a how practice has aided people like you to become superstars at what they do. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this, you may want to also check out the article Simple; 3 effective steps to improve your tennis.

3 effective steps to build confidence in a game

Tennis was never work for me, tennis was fun. And the tougher the battle and the longer the match, the more fun I had -Jimmy Connors

       So, how was that first game? Hope you learned some valuable lessons when you played. Today we're going to look at some 3 ways of building your confidence during a game.

I know a lot of you might be thinking, how important is this to me? Can confidence in a match make a huge difference? Well, the great thing is, by the end of this session, you'd have realized not only the importance of building confidence, but we're also going to teach you how to use your newly found confidence in winning a match.

            "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -- that is the myth of the atomic age -- as in being able to remake ourselves."- Mohandas K. Gandhi

1.The first thing we're going to be looking at is identifying the problem. Let's say in the middle of a match, you realize that you are not achieving the goals you set. How do you react to this? Ask yourself these questions. Are you over thinking your moves? Might you have underestimated your opponent? Or could you just be magnifying your errors? Whatever the problem, the key here is to identify it. It would be best to identify the problem before a game ends. This way, you can take some time to resolve the issue. Most people do not take their time in identifying what exactly the problem is so they continue to be frustrated as they play the match. Your ability to identify a said problem about your way of play, can be a  huge confidence boosting factor especially, when you look at it from a positive perspective. You will understand this better as you read on. 

2. As the old tennis saying goes, "You can only achieve if you believe." So the second step to this procedure is going to be, visualizing your success. Though simple, note that this is a very important step.

Visualize previous performance, to remind you of your capabilities and how you felt during that match.

Also, you may want to imagine the various scenarios that could occur, and how you would attempt dealing with each one of them. Finally, set a goal that is achievable yet, challenging and again, visualize how you'd feel if you succeed.

3. Now, get back in the match and achieve these goals. Remember, the most important thing is not to win but rather, to play your best out there. Majority of tennis coaches would prefer seeing their students go all out and play their best than use the wrong techniques and win a match.Again here, you should constantly feed yourself with positive talk. It comes across as something most people find difficult doing especially when they get caught up in a really tense match, but, if you're going to comeback, you need to know how to think and talk positive when things are not going exactly as planned. Note that, using wrong techniques can sometimes result in injury (you can read more on some of these wrong techniques and the injuries you are likely to suffer when you log on to my blog later on. Subscribe to receive free notifications on this). Finally, when you step on the court, relax, take your time, play well and be confident! So, there it is folks. I hope enjoyed reading these helpful tips. Leave a comment below or check out what else I've been up to here. You can also check out part 2 of this article. Have a good game!

Also for your reading; The giant move (Stepping on the court for the first time)

The giant move (Stepping on the court for the first time)

Typical tennis court

    

Stepping on a tennis court may seem really simple process to most on looker tennis fans. The truth is, stepping unto a tennis court is really simple. It is what you do when you step out on the court that actually matters. So in a great sense, your ability to learn and improve your tennis will depend on your level of confidence and how much passion you have for the game.

Other articles by this author;

The Art of the Forehand


Tips to make tennis fun for a you

If you are a passionate person seeking to learn something new, and you do have time and patience for a gradual development, tennis might be the sport for you.
Before you go out on a tennis court, arrange a good meeting time with your partner or colleague with whom you'd be playing.
Make sure you have well in advance, planned to meet a good coach who will be ready to take you through all the drills and exercises you require as a beginner.
Also make sure you have the right clothes, sneakers,  tennis racket and tennis balls with which you will be playing.
The next thing will be to psyche up yourself. If you have never been on a tennis court, you could be a little overwhelmed by the size of the court the very first time. If this happens, don't worry, just keep in mind that it is perfectly normal if you feel a little out of place during this period.

   The secret here is to stay calm and relaxed and to remember why you are here, to have fun!
Another important step in this phase is when you learn to adjust yourself to the court. Familiarize yourself with the tennis court. Most good tennis coaches get their students to do certain basic drills that make you a lot more relaxed and certainly more adjusted to the court you will be playing on.
 From  experience, it should take you about a week to get used to the court. After you have adjusted to the court , you may realize that the good thing about having the court being that huge is that, you can end up hitting some really wonderful shots because of its size.

   Now that you are on the court, try and rally (hit) a few balls with your partner before taking any lessons, this is an important step because it gives you a feel of the ball and an idea on how you play. If you're surprised you don't play like Nadal or Federer your first time, then welcome to the club! Don't by any means be discouraged if you make mistakes. The thing about tennis is, if you have fun while you play, you will develop a passion for it, and the drive to improve your play and enhance your techniques will naturally follow.

    If you have a coach, I highly recommend you let him guide you through the basic drills in tennis after your rallying session. If you want to know more about these drills, you can email me on emmSi90@yahoo.com .I would send you videos and links of some of these drills which would aid you to get warmed up as well as help develop your game play.
Hope you have a fun time out there today!
Also read; Amazing; 4 simple steps to help you start playing tennis