Pathological Losers: My Vic Braden Interview

[stotty]

Everyone loses, as a matter of fact the great Rod Laver lost nearly all of his matches against Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall during his rookie year as a pro. This was after he had just won his first Grand Slam in 1962. Did Laver quit? Was he a loser? Of course not, the loses Laver endured made him an even greater player. It is through our effort and perseverance that we improve ourselves. Winning and losing are equally important stepping stones in our quest for self improvement.

Norman Ashbrooke

In some cases (Laver being one such case), what doesn't kill you does actually make you stronger. Laver must have been grateful for the era of players around him, especially those (Hoad and Gonzales) a few years older and who had raised the bar. Laver climbed up on the back of those players to become truly great.

Djokovic in the present day has enjoyed the same for having Nadal and Federer around a few years in front of him. He owes a certain amount of his lofty level of play to those two.

The timing (as in space and time) of Djokovic and Laver emerging in their respective eras was downright perfect.

[JeffMac]

The Mystical Tennis Clubhouse

My dear Mr. Watcher...thanks so much for coming so nobly to my defense against the virulent, vicious, verbal and vitriolic backhanded blitzkrieg of the expatriate, Swedish spy who goes unmerrily by the non de guerre of Don Budge. Unlike DB you--my dear and faithful Watcher--are apparently sensitive to the fact that I suffer from a litany of ailments which would shock even the great John Hopkins himself. Even a third rate Hunter Thompson wannabee such as myself should not be kicked when he is down. Yes, the rumor is true. I have but eight and one-half days to live. The diagnosis is stage nineteen rectal cancer because I have worshipped incessantly at the throne of the King of Kings. No, not that charlatan from Galilee. I'm talking about the real "big guy." Burger King. DB has pierced me to the quick as I thought we had come to a rapprochement after his initial, irrational, insipid and irascible global, catastrophic condemnation of the Laver article back in February. But alas, his dagger is still drawn. Venom still drips from those malevolent, twisted, blonde infused Swedish socialist utopia lips that are feared too, by none other than the great Mats Wilander himself. But I digress...which is what gonzo journalists are wont to do. It is part of genre that is a discernible and identifiable "style," despite the counterfeit Swede's contention that it is not an art form, and is mere...what did he say? Drivel perhaps? Hmmm...Drivel is probably too kind a word. Anyway, where IS my LSD? Ludes? Budweiser? Weed? Where is my favorite Maroon Five tribute band...? Anyway, as much as I love Budge's quasi-robotic pre-Tracy Austinesque forehand, I must agree with Watcher. The DB wannabee who likens himself in some fashion or another to the former king of so many 40's baseline battles has drifted into a sort of fugue-like existential case of what clinicians like Vic Braden and I (oh! I'm such a name dropper too) Intermittent Explosive Disorder, characterized by a tendency to lash out in all directions indiscriminately, combined with extreme discursiveness--and yes Watcher, there is convolution too!--and just plain old garden variety crankiness. In sum, he seems to be suffering from a form of PTSD that tends to culminate in what the old Teutonic, Germanic tribes referred to as a severe case of leibensnied, (sp?) otherwise known as generalized, global envy syndrome. Think: the great Grumpy Cat himself! Once again, it has been proven that life is one big Rorschach test in which we externalize our internal reality outward at all times. DB, your picture is a little troubling right now. So, I dutifully and humbly ask: "DB, how can I be of help to you now, in your time of greatest need?" Believe me, I understand extremis just as much as the lost, wondering youthful Agassi himself. That's my zip code too most of the time. Now, I know that you said you are eagerly anticipating my next magnum opus. Thanks for that. But over and above this what else can I do? I want us to be BBF again, just like right after the moment in time in which I first publically revealed that I had insulted, offended, savaged, pillaged, humiliated and disgraced Rod Laver--and by extension you--because after all you are the living personification of DB. Lavers true friend and protector in spirit. How noble of you. Remember those halcyon days of 2015 gonzo yesteryear? I certainly do. I only hope that we can patch things up the way Watcher and I have. He and I are now what Hunter Thompson, the Maharishi, Tim Gallwey and Oprah Winfrey call members of the "Mystical Tennis Clubhouse." It would be great if the three of us could put little cuts on our fingers, rub them together and become blood brothers just like Sparky and Our Gang used to do back in the day. And then go out and TP a few houses like we used to do. In the meantime, try to avoid those red-eye flights. The etiology of your lugubrious pickle may be nothing more complex than mere, run of the mill aeronautical sleep deprivation. That was a cantankerous Lendl's problem too, by the way. And besides, if you don't fly nocturnally you won't have to worry about a wannabee gonzo asshole like me bothering the great wannabee DB in the middle of the night seeking that exclusive interview, and then writing about it in a grossly self-serving, self-aggrandizing manner. Take care my good friend. I'll look forward to another of your glowing reviews. And please take it easy on my friend the Watcher, because after all he is always Watching. Just like the big guy at BK.

Sartre equals Nausea. Nihilism.

Thompson equals disillusioned idealism. A laugh on a crazy ride.

Budge equals prolonged convolution.

Has Williams passed away?

McCullough equals sincere voice. A spark and a smile. Two valid perspectives on the topic poorly described as mental game.

[TheWatcher]

McCullough. Your words appear positive, although I tire after a sentence. And when you attack Budge. I assume you live in spite of the King.

Budge. Only you can enlighten yourself. This you know. McCullough is only himself.

[eaglesburg]

Look at it this way: If I hadn't taken those liberties with the "prey" I would not have been able to inform and entertain you as I prefer to believe I have. I think that Laver and Braden actually enjoyed themselves for the most part. After all, everyone likes to pontificate from the platform of the expert. And no less myself--although unlike these interviewees I am still in the process of acquiring expert status. I am not on their level and no doubt will never be. At any rate, I am not quite done attempting to unravel the "mystery." That search for "truth" that you mention will soon culminate in a definitive answer to that question of which approach to competition works best and for whom. Who is right? Laver and Braden or...? I'll be interested to see what you think of this last article in the series. I pursue no prey, but rather chase the illusive chimera that is the grail of mental mastery as realized in the Flow State. This is actually what most people refer to as "God." However, this is a misnomer because that notion is truly "all in your head." Once the Flow State replaces the thousands of religions which have slithered across the Earth in the last two-hundred thousand years, we may finally experience world peace. Almost everyone will play tennis, of course. It will be hard to find an open court which may lead to further armed conflict, unless a major initiative is launched to build, build and build more courts. But there is time. The human genome changes very slowly. We are dozens and dozens of generations away from...Tennis Heaven.

I somewhat agree with your thoughts on religion. It probably just is feelings and things people use to have a sort of rulebook in life. It can make people happier and just feel more comfortable in general about their decisions in life.
However, we are seeing now that people are trying to press their religion upon others which is entirely unacceptable. Today there are some who it seems are almost trying to incite a Third World War between Christians and Muslims. Once people hopefully understand that it's all in their head maybe the conflict can cease. When people feel spiritual, I think it's probably just the flow state and pretty much just in their heads. They shouldn't necessarily stop believing or following, it's just that by understanding religon's true nature maybe some violence can be averted. At that point perhaps religion will become a force for good like it was meant to be.

[JeffMac]

Watcher Reveals the Mental Game

My Dear Mr. Watcher. I have just come out of a deep meditative trance in which I was fortunately not visited by grumpy cat, a.k.a. that Swedish man with the feared backhand and a wearisome disposition. I must not mention any names due to my well-known sense of decorum and civility, but I trust that you must know who I am referring to. He is that guy who has cavalierly appropriated the name of a former tennis hall of famer. And that’s fine. As for me, I have decided--after careful consideration and consultation with my spirit guides Haagen and Das--to change my user name to Guy Forget, for reasons that I’m certain only you can decipher. But to continue from my habitual digressions: As I found myself more and more isomorphic with the Universe I realized that we are kindred spirits. We are students of Watts, Suzuki, the French philosophes, the Transcendentalists, the existentialists, the perennial traditionalists, the Greeks, the geeks, the Hotel Californians and that secret New Mexico Hopi peyote sacred death cult. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to let that leak out. Sorry. Anyway, possessing this wealth of recondite knowledge we are members of the illuminati, the cognoscenti and, of course, the Readers Digest and the Book of the Month Club. I also know for certain that we have been friends in our past lives. I don’t suppose you remember the time that we snuck into the Nebraska State Fair in 1896? Remember those two Pentacostal missionary chicks we picked up? We pretended to speak in tongues in a vain attempt to lose our virginity. Oh, I know you couldn’t forget that. Or the time that we rode with Bedford Forrest in ’63. Yeah, that’s right, 1863. Lincoln’s Union terrorists scared the poop out of us at Chattanooga, right? and we high tailed it to San Francisco where we hid out until the war was over, and later died in the great venereal disease outbreak of ‘66. And I think I know who you are now. You are that graduate assistant in philosophy and religious studies at the Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Am I right? I knew that was you! So now that we have established your heuristic gravitas I must ask you a question pertaining to this post: Can you tell us what IS the mental game? And is it something other than what Jim Loehr explored in his landmark book entitled The Mental Game? Now, it is a virtual certainty that grumpy cat is going to blast whatever you say into complete and utter oblivion. He'll try to turn your answer into a capsized jigsaw puzzle. That's how he gets his kicks and combats his (SAD) seasonal affective disorder, which unfortunately afflicts a great many Swedes including the always semi-suicidal Bjorn Borg and golfer Anika Sorenstam. But do it anyway. Stay strong, O.K.? Thanks. P,S. I really like the way you try to spin everything in that Zen Koan style of prose. I've said it before and I'll say it again: You've got a big future in literature...that is if you don't decide to enter the priesthood.

Sartre equals Nausea. Nihilism.

Thompson equals disillusioned idealism. A laugh on a crazy ride.

Budge equals prolonged convolution.

Has Williams passed away?

McCullough equals sincere voice. A spark and a smile. Two valid perspectives on the topic poorly described as mental game.

[JeffMac]

Flowosophy For Sale!

I concur with everything that you have said here re: religion. That is why I am starting a new religion. It is called Flowosophy and a thousand bucks will get you in on the ground floor as a member of the Board of Directors. No, I'm just kidding. It's only five hundred. But seriously, the tennis community through their tennis clubs and organizations must and will become the springboard for this much needed spiritual revolution. And from the tennis clubs it will spread out in all directions as humanity gradually heals and evolves. Praise the Flow! And Keep on Flowing! Because the Flow Knows! What the Flow Knows! And don't forget it.

I somewhat agree with your thoughts on religion. It probably just is feelings and things people use to have a sort of rulebook in life. It can make people happier and just feel more comfortable in general about their decisions in life.
However, we are seeing now that people are trying to press their religion upon others which is entirely unacceptable. Today there are some who it seems are almost trying to incite a Third World War between Christians and Muslims. Once people hopefully understand that it's all in their head maybe the conflict can cease. When people feel spiritual, I think it's probably just the flow state and pretty much just in their heads. They shouldn't necessarily stop believing or following, it's just that by understanding religon's true nature maybe some violence can be averted. At that point perhaps religion will become a force for good like it was meant to be.

[don_budge]

J. Donald Budge…and don_budge. Gonzo versus Prolonged Convolution Journalism.

The talk of comparisons to one Hunter S. Thompson make me feel slightly nauseous. As a matter of fact I already feel slightly nauseous from a cold that I picked up on my first visit to the States in ten years. But I was already feeling sort of nauseous from some of my observations of the "hope and change" that has been delivered as promised from the current "Supreme Commander". President Oblabla. He who talks a lot but says little…little of meaning.

Be that as it may I will never see the current "Star Wars" movie either…I must admit that I have never seen any of the other "Star Wars" movies. However...I have read all of the collective works of Fyodor Dostoevsky among others. This talk of literary credentials and philosophic musings are somewhat lost on me. Hunter S. Thompson wrote "gonzo" journalism…or "gonzo" literary style which in the end isn't a style at all. It is the musings of an insane person…which is entertaining to some. I guess.

The two articles about "Laver and Braden" belong in the lower third of all of the articles that have been posted in "Tennisplayer.net". They are neither informative or educational. They are an attempt at entertainment and belong in the same category that the mainstream media currently resides in. "Truthiness"…it's not something that I aspire to or feel entertained by, particularly when it applies to tennis or life in general. The "Laver" story was particularly disrespectful in content as it more or less challenged a rather impeccable image to appear rather ordinary…a chance encounter in the middle of the night by an overzealous tennis nut. That being said my only interest in Laver would be on the tennis court. He can have his private life to himself. After recently flying all night to and from Sweden all that I can say is if someone would have approached me under those conditions they may have wished they had not.

I cannot wait for the final chapter of "The Apocalypse" series of tennis writings. But at the same time I reiterate…we are all losers. No one here gets out alive. GeoffWilliams was another exponent of Hunter S. Thompson. He fancied himself as some kind of Thompson wannabe also. He wrote of "gonzo" tennis…there was another character here on the forum that wrote of "Apocalypse Tennis". He too has gone in remission…hopefully by the wayside. I can't say that I miss either one of them…but at the same time one might say that they were amusing in an entertainment sort of way. Much as the mainstream media is these days. Nauseous feelings aside.

Budge equals prolonged convolution.

My dear Mr. Watcher...thanks so much for coming so nobly to my defense against the virulent, vicious, verbal and vitriolic backhanded blitzkrieg of the expatriate, Swedish spy who goes unmerrily by the non de guerre of Don Budge.

He is that guy who has cavalierly appropriated the name of a former tennis hall of famer.

JeffMac…I guess one might say that you just went "gonzo" on me. What I wrote wasn't all that terrible. If you are a journalist or an opinionated person you expect to have differences of opinion. In my case I revere classic tennis and the associated icons. That makes us different…so much for diversity. Diversity really is pie in the sky. It isn't religion or race that necessarily make people suck or hate each other…it's only their tendency to be human. It's human nature. That's what takes the cake.

The only bone that I would pick with you is your references to my use of my old friends name. First of all…my name is don_budge. Not Don Budge. This is a liberty that you are not free to take. The lower case letters and the underscore fully illustrate that I am only a figment of my imagination.

My username is don_budge and this is how I signed up for the website. I didn't even know that there was a forum when I joined. My first post on the forum was more than a year after I joined. Since then I have made over 3,000 posts under the name don_budge and it personally gives me a deep sense of satisfaction to do so. My strongest wish is that J. Donald Budge…the "real" one is looking down and smiling upon my efforts if for not only my reverence for the game that he played. Classic tennis.

The rest of your insinuations and hallucinations I imagine are a result of too many "Whopper's" and too many "french fries" washed down by large Coca Cola's. I don't mind a bit. In a way I was sort of asking for it when I wrote what I wrote. As I have noted I was pretty sick when I wrote it not to mention jet-lagged and culture shocked. My two and a half week adventure to the United States of America was after a ten year absence. Going back was part deja vu and part reincarnation. Nostalgia and enlightenment thrown into the mix. You should try it some time…it beats LSD, mushrooms, ecstasy, copious amounts of alcohol and the rest of it. People that I had known forever were looking at me as if I was some kind of ghost…while others picked up on me as if it were only yesterday. It was the darndest thing.

You can and did refer to me as an expatriate and a spy. I guess you must think that I am unpatriotic. On the contrary…I consider myself a patriot. Just not in the usual sense that a normal person thinks of it. I'm just not ready to die for what somebody else thinks is a noble cause. Remember Vietnam? In that sense I don't even think of myself as rebellious. I just try to tell the truth…as close as I can figure it out. Afterall…"telling the truth in times of mass deceit is a revolutionary act in itself".

TheWatcher might call it prolonged convolution but methinks that he has yet to truly say anything. How can you if you don't speak in complete sentences? Which is perfectly ok with me…I don't care. I look forwards to reading more of him. Just as I look forwards to reading more of you. Even if you choose to go "gonzo" on me. It's interesting. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the "Hunter S. Thompson wannabe" thing. If I was…then I apologize. But you should know how bad I was feeling…I was so tired that it hurt. It's rather amusing looking back. The six hour layover from midnight to six AM (EST) (six AM to noon in Euro time)…after the eight hour flight to the Frankfurt, Germany airport was sheer torture…as I explained it to my father. I was practically hallucinating myself. I even refused to buy any food, coffee or water in the airport terminal at that point because of the outrageous prices they wanted. I was in effect a prisoner and they wanted to rape me. It's no excuse I know. I didn't mean any harm.

[JeffMac]

Happy To Be...

...at peace with you again--d_b. I'm glad you're feeling better too, and I appreciate the apology, although it wasn't really necessary. I wasn't offended by anything you said because I know going gonzo is always going to rub some people the wrong way. I expect a backlash. It's good actually because, first of all, my work has been noticed. And secondly if someone has a strong reaction, they have to be taking me seriously. That's exactly what I want. When I do go gonzo, I'm not doing it to aggravate any one, although I know that it does. More than anything, it's a way for me to harness and express my creativity. It's fun! And it's entertaining to some people. I know it's not for everyone. It's something that I have been developing gradually over time. And I'm thrilled to have reached the point that I can actually make money doing it.

It's actually a bit of a reprieve. I also work for a couple of on-line companies that commission me to write college term papers for this new illiterate generation of computer and game addicted undergrads, as well as masters theses, spanning a space from the social sciences to the humanities. It's enjoyable, but not as much fun as going gonzo. I went a little gonzo on a history paper once last year to see what would happen. The paper was rejected and I was threatened with termination if I ever did it again .

Over the years I have become just as interested in writing styles as tennis styles. You may be surprised to find out that I do revere the classic game and all of the great champions of yesteryear--despite that little te-ta-te with Laver, who by the way, I deeply respect. In fact, I much prefer the game that we had prior to the emergence of Nick B.'s whiz kids. Before the ascension of Agassi, Courier and Seles there was much greater diversity in style and tactics. Admittedly, some of it was not optimal, which has naturally led to the evolution of much better and more effective technique in the pro game overall. And then, of course, there are those racquets, which are now more like bazooka guns. It was inevitable. You can't hold science back. These factors have combined to produce--for better or worse--the greatest degree of homogenization in ground strokes and serves in the history of the sport. Again, it's a stylistic matter. Some like the taste of Scotch more than others.

To this point, I did find it very interesting, in the January edition of TP, that John Yandell lauded the Budge forehand. J.Y. has done more than any other person to elucidate the ingredients of the "modern forehand." In doing so he has done great pioneering work, by assisting in upgrading the tennis games of thousands of people. He richly deserves, and has received great credit for the work that he has done. That is why I was very surprised when he lauded the Budge forehand and stated that it might be a much better choice for a great many people, I had to heartily agree. Unfortunately, as far as the pro game goes, the pre 1990 forehand will forever remain as extinct as T-Rex. You can't survive anymore with that old DNA.

A couple of other things: I actually don't drink at all, or take drugs. I just play the part of a reprobate on the internet. It's fun in perhaps a way similar to what you have done by taking on the I.D. of d_b. Hmmm, nice little rhyme there huh? However, I do have to plead guilty for liking Whoppers. Do you have Burger Kings in Sweden? If so, then I'm moving there too. I'm a quarter Swedish, by the way. Grandma Johnson RIP. And I wasn't questioning your patriotism either. I don't know anything about it, and it's none of my business. When you go gonzo, you necessarily say things that can be construed or misconstrued in a myriad of ways. It's all part of the inherent agitation of the style that some find entertaining. However, I can see where you might be offended, and I apologize.

As for the Watcher, I too look forward to more of his posts. It is true that his syntax is unusual. But that's part of his appeal. Inscrutable people like the Watcher thrive on being cryptic and mysterious. As one who was once deeply, deeply attracted to Zen Bhuddism and it's literary proponents, I am entranced by the Koanesque nature of his musings. And the fact that he considers me--I think it was something akin to "boring"--does in no way make me like him less. And besides, he is too intelligent to really mean that. Every time I write about him I end up saying that he could have a future as a writer. Seriously. Some people really like his unique style because it's challenging in the same way that working on a puzzle is. It forces us to think, ponder and analyze. If humans didn't love doing that we'd still be swinging through some trees instead of talking about forehands, and such.

I think that's about all I've got for you right now, but I'll look forward to hearing back from you soon. I enjoy your posts very much. As far as I'm concerned, you too are a very good writer. And I consider you to be one of the most thoughtful people on this website. Cheers!

JeffMac…I guess one might say that you just went "gonzo" on me. What I wrote wasn't all that terrible. If you are a journalist or an opinionated person you expect to have differences of opinion. In my case I revere classic tennis and the associated icons. That makes us different…so much for diversity. Diversity really is pie in the sky. It isn't religion or race that necessarily make people suck or hate each other…it's only their tendency to be human. It's human nature. That's what takes the cake.

The only bone that I would pick with you is your references to my use of my old friends name. First of all…my name is don_budge. Not Don Budge. This is a liberty that you are not free to take. The lower case letters and the underscore fully illustrate that I am only a figment of my imagination.

My username is don_budge and this is how I signed up for the website. I didn't even know that there was a forum when I joined. My first post on the forum was more than a year after I joined. Since then I have made over 3,000 posts under the name don_budge and it personally gives me a deep sense of satisfaction to do so. My strongest wish is that J. Donald Budge…the "real" one is looking down and smiling upon my efforts if for not only my reverence for the game that he played. Classic tennis.

The rest of your insinuations and hallucinations I imagine are a result of too many "Whopper's" and too many "french fries" washed down by large Coca Cola's. I don't mind a bit. In a way I was sort of asking for it when I wrote what I wrote. As I have noted I was pretty sick when I wrote it not to mention jet-lagged and culture shocked. My two and a half week adventure to the United States of America was after a ten year absence. Going back was part deja vu and part reincarnation. Nostalgia and enlightenment thrown into the mix. You should try it some time…it beats LSD, mushrooms, ecstasy, copious amounts of alcohol and the rest of it. People that I had known forever were looking at me as if I was some kind of ghost…while others picked up on me as if it were only yesterday. It was the darndest thing.

You can and did refer to me as an expatriate and a spy. I guess you must think that I am unpatriotic. On the contrary…I consider myself a patriot. Just not in the usual sense that a normal person thinks of it. I'm just not ready to die for what somebody else thinks is a noble cause. Remember Vietnam? In that sense I don't even think of myself as rebellious. I just try to tell the truth…as close as I can figure it out. Afterall…"telling the truth in times of mass deceit is a revolutionary act in itself".

TheWatcher might call it prolonged convolution but methinks that he has yet to truly say anything. How can you if you don't speak in complete sentences? Which is perfectly ok with me…I don't care. I look forwards to reading more of him. Just as I look forwards to reading more of you. Even if you choose to go "gonzo" on me. It's interesting. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the "Hunter S. Thompson wannabe" thing. If I was…then I apologize. But you should know how bad I was feeling…I was so tired that it hurt. It's rather amusing looking back. The six hour layover from midnight to six AM (EST) (six AM to noon in Euro time)…after the eight hour flight to the Frankfurt, Germany airport was sheer torture…as I explained it to my father. I was practically hallucinating myself. I even refused to buy any food, coffee or water in the airport terminal at that point because of the outrageous prices they wanted. I was in effect a prisoner and they wanted to rape me. It's no excuse I know. I didn't mean any harm.

[TheWatcher]

Reconciliation of the initial that should be unnecessary. The focus is not Gonzo. Braden has articulated a hidden truth faced by one percent. This fact has a great meaning and exposes the futility of much effort.

[JeffMac]

What! One Per Cent????!!!!

Watcher, Watcher come out wherever you are. "You can't be serious!" I say.

Watcher, I used to think you were a brainiac--albeit with somewhat strange syntax. A person who had penetrated to the very core of Life itself. A holder of the Grail. An existential Powerball winner. Now, I don't know what the heck you're "Watching," but what ever it is, it is not the same movie we're Watching. In fact, I think we all need to Watch out for you. You are clearly an agitator and subversive, sowing the seeds of revolt.

I'm disappointed in you and really shocked! And you've made me cry.

The number of tennis players who are significantly hindered by neurosis is at least 10%. And perhaps a bit higher. Do you think you have a better handle on this than the great Vic Braden? He is rolling over in his grave and trying to reach out to you with helpful messages psychically planted into your cerebral complex when you are sound a sleep at night down in mamas basement.

Can you hear him yet?

Oh, and by the way, I am still psychically connected to him. We talk every so often. He gives me financial advise. Relationship advice too. I am asking him to intercede on my behalf--with you--in order to bring you back from the proverbial brink of abject psychosis caused by your hyper-dependence on your vast array of electronic gizmos.

FYI I worked down in the tennis trenches for about 40 horrible, miserable years. I coached hundreds if not a thousand players. Everyone from snot nosed kids with Tourettes syndrome who hated authority figures to filthy rich touring pros who laughed at my tennis outfits and never bought me lunch. I've watched hundreds if not a thousand tennis matches.

I played in the neighborhood of 2,000 competitive matches myself. I even played on grass a few times, and on Budweiser a lot! I can assure you that the number of head cases who find their way on to tennis courts is not a measly 1%.

Sorry.

What is the real reason you seem to need to minimize this problem? My theory is that you're trying to show us how smart you are. Smarter even than the great Wizard of Coto de Caza himself. But it's backfired.

And oh, "if it were only so," the tennis gods cry aloft. We'd rarely then, if ever, have to suffer the vicarious torture of watching a fellow human being choke, explode or tank. However, whenever I have gone down to the courts I have seen dead, bloody bodies lying all over the place. First responders are crawling about like ants on meth not knowing who to minister to first.

It's a "disaster" as our next president--the great Trump would say.

But fear not my dear Watcher. I am at this very moment finishing the work which will provide the healing balm of fearlessness and lazer (sp?) sharp focus in the crunch to the suffering, slobbering, hopeless tennis masses.

I say let them FLOW!

Soon my next masterpiece will travel mysteriously, electronically from the bowels of the great Sonoran desert to the fabled city by the bay. Just a few blocks away from the legendary Tenderloin itself. And from there--God willing--it will one day appear tightly framed within the boundaries of Watchers I-PAD.

The time is nigh for us all to embrace The Ninth Element a.k.a The Paradoxical Pivot. Let the huddling, troubled tennis masses be Saved!

Praise the FLOW dear Watcher! Praise the FLOW!

Reconciliation of the initial that should be unnecessary. The focus is not Gonzo. Braden has articulated a hidden truth faced by one percent. This fact has a great meaning and exposes the futility of much effort.

[John Yandell]

Is it 10 percent?

[JeffMac]

This Matter of Percentages.

In my next article, which is almost done, I reveal Vic Braden 's quantification for this category of competitor. My forty plus years in and around the game cause me to basically agree with his conclusion.

However, we just don't yet know with sufficient accuracy. One of the things I want to accomplish before I go on to live with the Angels in that big clubhouse in the clouds is to come up with a way to objectively determine this.

I am working on it as we speak.

I feel that it is important to do so because then we can better tailor performance enhancement approaches to individual players. That said, I think we can say with assurance that it is not as low as 1% as our colleague the Watcher says.

I'm beginning to think that the Watcher simply revels in being consistently contrary. The DSM identifies this condition as the Oppositional Personality Disorder. I'm not saying his behavior rises to the necessary level for this DX, but it might.

At any rate, I still find him wildly entertaining. I actually wish he would post more because I'm one of those people who likes to try to solve word problems. That's why I love to write and play Scrabble. And that's why I'm a fan of the Watcher.

However, I wish he would answer the question I posed to him a couple of weeks ago: What actually constitutes the mental game in the Watcher's unique world? As you may recall, he stated that what I've been writing about in these pages is NOT the mental game. So, I must ask what is it then?

But I digress. There are a couple of tricky issues which must be dealt with in order to make this determination concerning quantification of the pathological. First, it depends on what metrics you use in order to identify those with performance inhibition syndrome a.k.a. the chokers, exploders and tankers.

Another interesting and related question is: Is there a way to accurately determine if there is a threshold level for these behaviors that we can agree on? I believe that we can eventually measure this objectively resulting in greater accuracy, which will allow us to be better prescribers for these players.

Additionally, I want to move the conversation in the direction of looking at these behaviors differently than in the past. I see them as more fluid in nature, and less static. As they change and fluctuate, ebb and flow over the course of a tennis match we then need to be flexible enough--and knowledgeable enough--to be able to deal with them in an optimal fashion.

The second problem that we face vis-a-vis quantification is that the number of players who fall into this category is going to be hard to determine in the first place. This is due to the fact that many of these people either quit prematurely because they discover that they can't handle the pressure, or they never pop on our radar screens because they've already crossed tennis off their list as something too potentially daunting to even try.

This explains the reason why someone like the Watcher would underestimate the percentage of these players. Many are invisible. Like the old saying goes, "You don't know what you don't know."

The up shot is that they usually gravitate toward safer, less competitive activities. There are many to chose from. Or maybe it's team sports where there is less pressure because it's "shared."

In particular, I have seen a great many juniors fall by the wayside through the years because they had not yet found a way in which to enjoy competition.

The article that I keep trumpeting presents a solution to this exact problem. I guess you could say that the Paradoxical Pivot might be a true "game saver."

[stotty]

The up shot is that they usually gravitate toward safer, less competitive activities. There are many to chose from. Or maybe it's team sports where there is less pressure because it's "shared."

In particular, I have seen a great many juniors fall by the wayside through the years because they had not yet found a way in which to enjoy competition.

I have come across the "shared pressure" observation a lot as a tennis coach. I actually feel the pressure can be equal of even greater in team sports. It's interesting how a whole soccer team can get nervous collectively. It's a human dynamic. Once you get one or two key players getting nervous, it can quickly permeate through the whole team; Brazil's 7-1 drubbing by Germany in the 2014 World Cup being a fine example. The whole team got terribly nervous and then mentally collapsed....fascinating. Every player was affected and there was not one Alpha figure in the team to offer any resistance to the collapse.

I think also you feel a kind of "responsibility pressure" in a team which you don't get in individual sports. You can feel horrendously guilty for letting others down. I played soccer so have first hand experience. It can get so that you dread someone passing you the ball. The pressures are different for team sports, but make no mistake, they are there.

I find human dynamics very interesting. In every sense and scenario, not just sport. Just watch a room of people change and take on a different life as different people enter and leave.

Good point about juniors not able to find a way to enjoy competition. It's very true and a difficult problem for coaches to tackle.

[JeffMac]

Pressure

Certainly, there is pressure in team sports. I know because I played baseball when I was a kid. My Dad didn't like it when I failed to get a hit, and never hesitated to let me know it. However, for the sub-population that I am referring to, I believe that most of them would find tennis singles for more difficult to manage emotionally than any team sport.

These are those "pathological" individuals, who suffer from various degrees of "narcissistic damage" incurred in childhood, who therefore find it very difficult to deal with losing, per se, or even the prospect of losing. They are typically much less daunted by the possibility of losing while on a team. This is that loss that is "shared," or distributed in such a way that it is easier for these individuals to cope with it.

And then there is the interesting matter of doubles. A team sport? Technically yes, albeit with much less "sharing" than most.

We all know of players who have become "doubles specialists" because their skill set was well suited to the game. I have also known a number of players--and perhaps you have too--who have chosen doubles over singles because their psyche is more suited to it. They experience less pressure due to the "sharing" of it.

Conversely, I have also known some players who felt more pressure in doubles than in singles. Often, this is due to a fear of letting down their partner. This is that "responsibility pressure" to which you refer.

The pressure in doubles, or any team sport, is actually three fold. First, there is the aforementioned "responsibility pressure." Secondly, in the face of either real or "perceived failure," there is the fear of the ego-dystonic shame that may ensue. And thirdly, there is is the fear of criticism or censure by a partner--which in some extreme cases, although rare--may even include a conscious or unconscious fear of abandonment.

For example, I'm talking about that classic dreaded gut punch of, "You're terrible! I don't ever want to play doubles with you again!" The credo of doubles requires that we be totally supportive of our partners, of course. Nevertheless, consciously or unconsciously, the fear that this dictum will be violated may be lurking.

I had an experience in a doubles match about thirty years ago that encapsulated all three fears. I was playing with a friend who was an ATP tour pro in a non ATP tour event, against non ATP players, who nevertheless were very good. There were dozens of people watching which didn't make it any easier.

First off, I was afraid I would be held "responsible" for letting him down if we lost. Secondly, I was afraid that my play would not be good enough, we would lose, causing me to have to slink away in shame. And thirdly, if my poor play led to a loss, I was fearful that he would never want to play doubles with me again. Or even hit with me, for that matter.

I'm happy to report that on this day I rose to the occasion and more than held my own. I stayed very focused because I didn't want to let my partner down. Ironically, it was my friend who actually succumbed to the pressure by missing those two critical, easy, high volleys late in the third set, leading to our defeat.

In my world doubles means, "Never having to say your sorry." So, I expected no apology, didn't ask for one, and never received one. And that's fine. It was a great experience that I am grateful for and will never forget!!

Now, I believe I have come up with a methodology that can help all athletes, whether they play individually or on a team, to deflect pressure, thus enhancing performance. I consider it a major breath through. It is called the Paradoxical Pivot. It is coming to a computer screen near you soon.

[don_budge]

Vic Braden…a jolly guy in his own right

Certainly, there is pressure in team sports. I know because I played baseball when I was a kid. My Dad didn't like it when I failed to get a hit, and never hesitated to let me know it. However, for the sub-population that I am referring to, I believe that most of them would find tennis singles for more difficult to manage emotionally than any team sport.

These are those "pathological" individuals, who suffer from various degrees of "narcissistic damage" incurred in childhood, who therefore find it very difficult to deal with losing, per se, or even the prospect of losing. They are typically much less daunted by the possibility of losing while on a team. This is that loss that is "shared," or distributed in such a way that it is easier for these individuals to cope with it.

And then there is the interesting matter of doubles. A team sport? Technically yes, albeit with much less "sharing" than most.

We all know of players who have become "doubles specialists" because their skill set was well suited to the game. I have also known a number of players--and perhaps you have too--who have chosen doubles over singles because their psyche is more suited to it. They experience less pressure due to the "sharing" of it.

Conversely, I have also known some players who felt more pressure in doubles than in singles. Often, this is due to a fear of letting down their partner. This is that "responsibility pressure" to which you refer.

The pressure in doubles, or any team sport, is actually three fold. First, there is the aforementioned "responsibility pressure." Secondly, in the face of either real or "perceived failure," there is the fear of the ego-dystonic shame that may ensue. And thirdly, there is is the fear of criticism or censure by a partner--which in some extreme cases, although rare--may even include a conscious or unconscious fear of abandonment.

For example, I'm talking about that classic dreaded gut punch of, "You're terrible! I don't ever want to play doubles with you again!" The credo of doubles requires that we be totally supportive of our partners, of course. Nevertheless, consciously or unconsciously, the fear that this dictum will be violated may be lurking.

I had an experience in a doubles match about thirty years ago that encapsulated all three fears. I was playing with a friend who was an ATP tour pro in a non ATP tour event, against non ATP players, who nevertheless were very good. There were dozens of people watching which didn't make it any easier.

First off, I was afraid I would be held "responsible" for letting him down if we lost. Secondly, I was afraid that my play would not be good enough, we would lose, causing me to have to slink away in shame. And thirdly, if my poor play led to a loss, I was fearful that he would never want to play doubles with me again. Or even hit with me, for that matter.

I'm happy to report that on this day I rose to the occasion and more than held my own. I stayed very focused because I didn't want to let my partner down. Ironically, it was my friend who actually succumbed to the pressure by missing those two critical, easy, high volleys late in the third set, leading to our defeat.

In my world doubles means, "Never having to say your sorry." So, I expected no apology, didn't ask for one, and never received one. And that's fine. It was a great experience that I am grateful for and will never forget!!

Now, I believe I have come up with a methodology that can help all athletes, whether they play individually or on a team, to deflect pressure, thus enhancing performance. I consider it a major breath through. It is called the Paradoxical Pivot. It is coming to a computer screen near you soon.

Let's not set the bar too high for the race of man in general. Take a good look around you and what do you see? Losers? Pathological and otherwise.

Vic Braden may have been a charlatan in his own right. Does anyone remember him back in the late sixties and early seventies? His spots on CBS and other networks carrying tennis were amusing but honestly speaking they were little else. I was never even aware that he has a "serious" body of work until I realized he has a cult of followers here on this website.

My father claims that he gave my Aunt Gloria tennis lessons down in old Ottawa Park in Toledo, Ohio way back when. No doubt he went on to bigger and greater things but when he appeared on those old tennis spots he seemed to be little more than a jolly joker…giggling and carnival huckstering the virtues of playing tennis. His only message seemed to be that tennis was amazingly fun. Interestingly…this may have been his greatest find.

The rest may be window dressing. But please continue JeffMac…I like your posts every bit as much as your articles. Just be a bit careful when you are stepping on Superman's cape…or not.