Be Quick, But Don't Be in a Hurry

Although tennis is my favorite sport, I have played a lot of other sports too. When I was in junior high, I used to go to a lot of basketball camps during the summer.

As I got older and started playing a lot more tennis, I was amazed at how many of the lessons I learned at those summer basketball camps really stuck with me and improved my tennis game.

One line that always stuck with me from a camp was "Be quick, but don't be in a hurry." This is great advice for anyone in almost any aspect of life. And I have noticed that this tip is crucial to success on the tennis court too.

I have played a lot of tennis players who are very fast and athletic players. They seem to be moving at 100 mph on the court, but they never seem to get in the "swing" of things. They are hurried players, and because they are going so fast, they make poor decisions.

There is a big difference between "quick" and "hurried." As a tennis player, you have to be quick. You have to see the ball coming, adjust, move, and hit great shots. But you should never feel panicked or hurried on the court. When you are quick, you are calm, patient, and take advantage of the right moments at the right time. When you are hurried, you are impatient, frantic, and make hasty shot selections.

When you walk out on the court, think about calming yourself down, getting in a rhythm, and reacting quickly to your opponent's game. You can try this by simply asking yourself the question, "Am I being quick today or hurried?" As you feel hurried, think about making every move you make on the tennis court as efficient as possible. This will help you feel more in control and will help you enjoy your tennis matches more.

This concept carries over into all aspects of life. In most anything you do, avoid feeling frantic, panicked, or rushed. A lot of times you will need to get many things done in a short amount of time. So act quickly and manage your time well. But don't let all of those tasks make you run so fast from point A to point B that you feel like all you are doing is playing catch-up all day. Be quick, but don't be in a hurry.

Easier said than done, but just try to make changes like you do on the tennis court. Make sure all of your moves are efficient and helping you win points. In all your activities, be efficient and make sure they are leading you to a desired end goal.

Just for fun, when I got done writing this post, I googled "Be quick, but don't be in a hurry." Surprisingly, there is a book with the title Be Quick--But Don't Hurry. I haven't read it, but it did get a 5-star rating on Amazon. If anyone reads it, let me know what you think.