JAK'S MONTHLY ESSAY SERIES: Achieving Your Personal Best

CAN YOU HANG?

By Jak Beardsworth

To put that question into context –the key word being “hang” - allow me to describe a recent Tennis Channel panel discussion between regular contributors, and former players, Prakesh Armitraj and Coco Vandeweigh.

The host had asked both for their thoughts on an upcoming match (at the time, pre-2025 AO)) between Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils. Armitraj, despite Monfils’ long time record of consistently losing to the Serb. Nonetheless, Armitraj offered that he had a gut feeling that the resurgent Frenchman, would, against the odds, prevail this time around.

Vandeweigh was quick to respond with, “No way he can hang with Novak,” accompanied by a classic eye roll. Her reference was with regard to Monfils’ suspect rally tolerance from the back of the court, or his past inability to match Djokovic shot for shot from there.

Back in Clubland, even in doubles, you have to be able to “hang,” especially in those cross court duels from the backcourt against a formidable opponent. If your consistency ceiling is low, you’re in trouble.

You can’t “hang.” Or, misguided, won’t. Instead, in a hurry to make unreturnable shots.

Impatiently avoiding long, somewhat neutral points typically leads to pressing to win points too quickly, and lots of unforced errors among many Clubbers. Here’s a mind-set I recommend that you embrace: A) expect your shots to come back, B) don’t even mind. You don’t win the war without engaging the enemy. Make them play. Or hell, let them play. Or, play with them not against them.

Club matches are mostly lost, not won.

Nonetheless, commit to being aggressive, but with safe margins (wiggle room) to the lines and the net – still playing to win vs not playing to not lose. Especially in TBs! And, of course, avoid being impulsive with glory shot expectations in the key moments.

Copyright© 2007- 2025 by Jak Beardsworth Tennis. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

COMMENTS WELCOME: JB1tennis@comcast.net

Past Essays

Check back often for more essays.

• April 2025 -OFF THE GRID BODY POSITIONING
  [read more]
• March 2025 -CAN YOU HANG?
  [read more]
• February 2025 -Roy Emerson Explains The Way To Your Best Tennis
  [read more]
• January 2024 - Win the First Set. Lose The 2^nd. Then the Tb Crapshoot.
  [read more]
• December 2024 - Believing In Your Shots
  [read more]
• November 2024 - The Walking Wounded
  [read more]
• October 2024 - HEY!… MAYBE IT'S JUST YOUR GYRO NEEDING RECALIBRATING
  [read more]
• August 2024 - The Game's Most Difficult Skills & the Most Taken For Granted
  [read more]
• June 2024 - KNOW YOUR DOUBLE'S IN-POINT SITUATION WHEN BACK or RETURNING SERVE
  [read more]
• April 2024 - Coulda, shoulda got that: The Art of Poaching
  [read more]

• March 2024 - Get Your JuJu On
  [read more]
• February 2024 - Giving Opponents too Much Respect
  [read more]
• January 2024 - Rally Ball Or Pull The Trigger
  [read more]
• December 2023 - The Forgotten Stop Volley
  [read more]
• November 2023 - "You're Only as Good as Your Second Serve"
  [read more]

Essay Archives

Click a year to view more essays