by Robert Poole
The way coaches and players communicate in matches is usually different to the way they communicate during training sessions. In a match there isn’t usually enough time to try to change technique or make too many adjustments. However, one of the areas that does get nit-picked, by coaches in matches – almost like in a training session at times – is the serve. Why do so many coaches feel that there is a need to stress the importance of a single serve especially after a timeout? If the coach says something like “make sure you get the serve in” there is a risk of the serving player fearing making a mistake or even changing their technique to get the ball in the court. Or should the coach just trust the player to do the very best they can?
My Serving Experience
When I go back to serve, part of my routine is to get into a positive mindset, believing that my serve is going to go where I want it to go. I don’t think about the serve going in or out, because then this becomes the objective of the action rather than trusting myself to execute a skill that I have repeated many times in training. If I trust in the process, then the outcome I want to create will follow. One of the helpful tools I picked up during my time at UMO was using imagery: picturing what I want the serve to look like and feel like and then executing this with confidence.
Creating fear vs confidence
Sometimes when a server hears someone say something like “this serve has to go in,” the first thought that goes through their head is ‘does that mean I have to change something about this next serve?’ It causes a reaction in the player, either one of either fear of the next serve or, for some, a pressure situation for them to actually thrive from. There have been times where I have been given the instruction to make sure that my serve goes in and as a result I have ended up with a fearful thought in the back of my mind because suddenly I don’t have full confidence in myself, or I feel that my team does not feel they can trust me on the service line. Especially when I am low on confidence, I always prefer a more positive instruction from the coach to help me to be more confident.
Surely it would be better for a coach or teammate to give players some comfort or belief to help boost their confidence? To let them know that you trust in them and that even if they do miss the serve it’s not the end of the world. I listened to a podcast from Coach Your Brains Out, and they concluded that when servers are going for their serves with confidence, they do tend to make more errors. However, the trade-off was that servers who went for their serves also caused the opposition to be out of system more often than not. This actually led to the team winning more break points overall despite the serving errors giving the opposition a point or two. Just imagine how this mindset can boost a players confidence on the service line!
I would argue that an easy serve could help the opposition build more confidence than a service error. Yes, after a service error the opposing team is now serving, but they didn’t earn the point, per se, and so there would still be some element of doubt in their minds as to whether or not their side out is functioning whereas they might see the ‘easy’ serve as a sign that their opponents are not confident. With an easy serve you are just allowing your opponents to execute and earn a point that then can be built upon from their serve. Remember, it is not only your team going through the emotions of the game, but also the opposition too.
Next week we will take a look at some of the questions to ponder if you find yourself constantly having to tell your athletes to “get the serve in”…
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