"Thoughts" in-between/during rallies

[Avenger]

lately I played lots of MS
before, what I always think: smash smash smash! (as before I was a double player)
now it seems more: look for gap, smash when needed

[JustinG]

I think, calling it "thinking" is not correct from my perspective. I'm not thinking in the same way, like, when I make a shopping list. It's
more of a "flow" type of thought. Hard to explain...but you know when you're experiencing, you can feel it, like you said.

Cheers

[MSeeley]

Great topic!

I personally use in between rallies to decide what serve/return and next shot to expect, and to visualise anything that either my partner suggested to me, or I felt I didn't do very well in the previous rally (footwork or shot production). As others have said, when winning, I have a tendency not to think too much, just consider what I am doing that is working (good drops/quick into the net etc). When things are not going so easily, I focus a lot more on deciding on suitable strategies to try in the next rally.

Mid rally, the thought process is a lot more "subconscious". This is a bit like, what you called, pattern recognition which comes from experience. However, in general, this pattern recognition is accompanied by a conscious thought that determines what to do next e.g. I see someone with their non racket leg forwards in singles, and I decide to try and exploit this - the noticing is subconscious, the association with how to proceed next is subconscious, the decision to change my shot accordingly is however a conscious one. Similarly, when lining up to play an overhead winner, I will be thinking about what shot to play up until the stroke begins (i.e. is it a smash, drop, clear, straight, cross, centre etc).

Once again, a great topic

[Mark A]

Mid rally, the thought process is a lot more "subconscious".

I think this, more than anything, separates the wheat from the chaff: the true greats can keep their heads, while for the rest of us the rally degerates into a bash fest. There will sometimes come a point in a rally where the "correct" shot will occur to me like a bolt of lightning, but most of the time it's "speculative" attack, or just staying in it.

[MSeeley]

Mark: I would say there is a very large range in between. I would argue that when professional rallies get flat and fast, there is probably more reactions than pure thought (e.g. I doubt they are thinking "I should wait with my racket here because I expect the next shot to come there" - that will be down to experience in these situations). On the other hand there is obviously a lot of thought going into some of their shots at certain times. I agree though, that too many people play on "autopilot" just hitting standard responses to standard shots. Perhaps then we should differentiate between singles and doubles? I feel there is a difference in requirement. What do you think?

[staiger]

no, it is subconscious and instinct which you build from experience and practice for fast rally ......

[visor]

when we say subconscious or instinct, that is not exactly true... because during the rally, we're constantly processing information and anticipating our shots and opponents replies, depending on their court positions, stance, racket head position, strengths and weaknesses, abilities, etc.

it is not higher level cognitive thinking like solving math equations, but it is still mentally draining and requires absolute focus

[Mark A]

Perhaps then we should differentiate between singles and doubles? I feel there is a difference in requirement. What do you think?

I agree - I think it's possible play more shots "ahead" in singles than in doubles. Singles is more chess-like, even the way I play it: I've often played a shot knowing where the next four or five are going to go. There's less time in doubles, so a two or three (rarely) hit combo is as far as I can see.

And if you look up some Tennis/Golf/Martial Arts reference materials on Mental, they'd say something like - "no mind", "clear your mind", "Self 1 should let self 2 do its job", etc in order to perceive things and thus act/react faster.

So which one is it? Comments?

I always try to have a shot in mind whatever the situation; letting the rally descend into knee-jerk flailing doesn't work for a control player like me.

[CanucksDynasty]

In mixed doubles...

"Ooo...she has a nice ___"

[LD rules!]

In mixed doubles...

"Ooo...she has a nice ___"

What ? Racket ???

[visor]

No, "serve", you silly.

[MSeeley]

Haha, nice one visor

[PopsiclePete]

I try to think as little as possible, I twist my racquet in my hand if I receive the serve, if I'm the non-receiving player, I look to see where the server is just in case I need to do a drop shot.

I would say 95% of the time, I try and clear my emotions from the last rally though

[staiger]

In between rally , I would think about the score ........if winning at 19 and opponent score around 17/18. I would think about the tactics to get those two points before he can get one closer to my score. If opponent score was not even close , then my tactics would just to close out the match try not to make any error and get the shuttle back in play.. not too tight on those net spin and have a small margin on every single shot.

[wilwat]

I really only think when playing singles, which for me is largely why I greatly prefer singles.
Doubles is too fast for me to think on a cerebral level

If the shuttle is coming to me I'm thinking about what shot to play, if I just hit it I'm mostly thinking about my position on court and what the most likely replies are going to be. In between rallies it's usually thinking about how to win the next point. Maybe thinking about what I did wrong in the last rally.

[dlp]

Focus on - controlling your bodylanguage between points, look energetic, relaxed, determined will help to achieve that as a mental state. Think either what serve to do and likely return or what serves to expect.

Try not to think about previous errors, outcome of match, score, etc

[milford30]

i think relax the hand and move your fat ass sums it up for me :P

i do find myself mainly thinking on the lines of, did my last straight smash work? *looks at large space* i better drop this shot cross court...