Improving the backhand is very similar to my business strategy.
This is not the literal translation of Richard Branson's article, published on LinkedIn. Here is a link to an English-language source that those who want to read the original.
This article is intended to reveal the secrets of the development of my business career. I often say that I consider work only as part of my life and, of course, no more important than entertainment. These are two sides of the same coin, so I would like to dwell on one of my most favorite entertainments - the game of tennis. Fortunately, the methods that I mastered, trying to improve tennis equipment, can be successfully applied in business.
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I have always been an avid tennis player and dreamed of playing at Center Court at the Wimbledon tournament. I did not have enough talent to become a professional, but all my life I was an avid amateur. I admire the intensity, artistry and excitement of a great tennis match. In addition, it is a great way to keep fit and relieve tension. If you ever want to visit me on the island of Necker, then if I'm not on a kiteboard, then I'm on the tennis court.
The mental component of tennis has always attracted me. As long as you have an opponent on the other side of the net, the most difficult opponent is yourself. You should be in the right frame of mind in order to make the best of everything possible and be ready to immediately leave failures behind. The key lesson that goes far beyond tennis is to look at all the issues separately. Forget about the last mistake and move on to the next call. Tennis makes you move so fast that if you get stuck in the past, even for a couple of minutes, the opportunity will pass by and the match will be lost.
I did not play tennis from September to December until my elbow was damaged, but I returned just in time for the Necker Cup. My main goal was a game with Boris Becker, who himself recently recovered from a prolonged injury. I tried to get maximum advice from a professional, going into all the details and writing down all the lessons taught to me. If you do not begin to write down what you have learned, you will forget it before you finally understand. Andre Agassi once gave me simple advice - to make sure that my legs are always in motion so that I would be in the right position for hitting the ball. “Watch the ball and move your legs” - these are his exact words. I often recall his advice on the court.
Expert advice is very important if you want to improve any special skill. We were lucky, on Necker we have a tennis coach, with whom I practice morning and evening (he also trains our guests, many of whom are also avid players). I had the opportunity to train all these years with great coaches, from Arthur to Mike and our current coach Josh. They have strengths and weaknesses, which makes me work in different directions - I try to get experience from each of them. I ask a lot of questions, ask obvious things at first glance, without fear of appearing silly - sometimes they bring the most useful answers.
Now I play again and again working hard to improve my backhand. I will practice with Josh, repeating numerous exercises to strengthen the wrists - this has always been my weak side, so I constantly perform special exercises aimed at improving the technique of the game.
I have four approaches that help me improve the backhand.
Much of it all comes down to constant training, which over time leads to new success. It depends not only on how much time was spent on hitting the balls, but also on the quality of training. Renowned sports coach Vince Lombardi, considered the greatest football coach of all time, like no one else could inspire and motivate players to win. Popular Lombarti quotes can and should be applied to a business strategy: “It doesn't matter that you are knocked down. It really is important whether you can rise after the strike, "We are determined by our abilities and actions," "Leaders are not born, they become due to hard work - this is the price that must be paid to achieve the goal." And most importantly - "Practice does not lead to perfection, only perfect practice leads to perfection." The further I get from the ideal result, the more I train, gradually approaching it.
This article is intended to reveal the secrets of the development of my business career. I often say that I consider work only as part of my life and, of course, no more important than entertainment. These are two sides of the same coin, so I would like to dwell on one of my most favorite entertainments - the game of tennis. Fortunately, the methods that I mastered, trying to improve tennis equipment, can be successfully applied in business.
')
I have always been an avid tennis player and dreamed of playing at Center Court at the Wimbledon tournament. I did not have enough talent to become a professional, but all my life I was an avid amateur. I admire the intensity, artistry and excitement of a great tennis match. In addition, it is a great way to keep fit and relieve tension. If you ever want to visit me on the island of Necker, then if I'm not on a kiteboard, then I'm on the tennis court.
The mental component of tennis has always attracted me. As long as you have an opponent on the other side of the net, the most difficult opponent is yourself. You should be in the right frame of mind in order to make the best of everything possible and be ready to immediately leave failures behind. The key lesson that goes far beyond tennis is to look at all the issues separately. Forget about the last mistake and move on to the next call. Tennis makes you move so fast that if you get stuck in the past, even for a couple of minutes, the opportunity will pass by and the match will be lost.
I did not play tennis from September to December until my elbow was damaged, but I returned just in time for the Necker Cup. My main goal was a game with Boris Becker, who himself recently recovered from a prolonged injury. I tried to get maximum advice from a professional, going into all the details and writing down all the lessons taught to me. If you do not begin to write down what you have learned, you will forget it before you finally understand. Andre Agassi once gave me simple advice - to make sure that my legs are always in motion so that I would be in the right position for hitting the ball. “Watch the ball and move your legs” - these are his exact words. I often recall his advice on the court.
Expert advice is very important if you want to improve any special skill. We were lucky, on Necker we have a tennis coach, with whom I practice morning and evening (he also trains our guests, many of whom are also avid players). I had the opportunity to train all these years with great coaches, from Arthur to Mike and our current coach Josh. They have strengths and weaknesses, which makes me work in different directions - I try to get experience from each of them. I ask a lot of questions, ask obvious things at first glance, without fear of appearing silly - sometimes they bring the most useful answers.
Now I play again and again working hard to improve my backhand. I will practice with Josh, repeating numerous exercises to strengthen the wrists - this has always been my weak side, so I constantly perform special exercises aimed at improving the technique of the game.
I have four approaches that help me improve the backhand.
- Recovery is a natural return to my normal position between blows in order to properly prepare for a biting or direct blow.
- Early preparation is a reaction to the opponent’s strike and moving to the position as quickly as possible.
- Confidence - to have the courage to strike at the left, thereby forcing the enemy to make mistakes.
- Practice - repetitions to train muscle memory and improve my left jab as a whole.
Much of it all comes down to constant training, which over time leads to new success. It depends not only on how much time was spent on hitting the balls, but also on the quality of training. Renowned sports coach Vince Lombardi, considered the greatest football coach of all time, like no one else could inspire and motivate players to win. Popular Lombarti quotes can and should be applied to a business strategy: “It doesn't matter that you are knocked down. It really is important whether you can rise after the strike, "We are determined by our abilities and actions," "Leaders are not born, they become due to hard work - this is the price that must be paid to achieve the goal." And most importantly - "Practice does not lead to perfection, only perfect practice leads to perfection." The further I get from the ideal result, the more I train, gradually approaching it.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/299270/
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