Better net results

Original post:  May 8, 2013

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to improvement is success. There are many examples of athletes who are very successful at one level. They might have one superlative skill which covers for a number of other flaws. At more junior levels, it's easy to overwhelm the competition. As you rise in ranks, it becomes far more difficult because there are other competitors who may be able to match your greatest skills and flash other talents that the lesser player is unable to match.

There are even successful professionals who rely heavily on a singular talent. Andy Roddick is one of the best American tennis players in recent history. Recently retired, he was once known for a ferocious serve. For many years, he held the world record at over 140 miles per hour! He could often win matches through the sheer power of his unreturnable rockets. He was even able to win one major championship. Unfortunately, he was never able to harness all of his talents and reach the level of the superstars. He often came close, but never quite broke through. He came very close--he advanced to five other major championship finals only to lose each time.

Four of those losses came at the hands of one man:  Roger Federer. This Swiss champion is widely acknowledged as one of the best tennis players of all time. Federer was never able to match Roddick's sheer power on his serve. His serves are often 20-30 mph slower. Despite this difference, he is still able to locate them with pinpoint accuracy. This ability to literally freeze opponents in their tracks enables him to obtain results on his service game that are equal to Roddick's. He then separates himself with his overall game (which is far superior in just about every aspect).

This video demonstrates how lethal his serve can be. Using the same motion over and over again with almost robotic efficiency, he sprays the serve in different directions. It makes it nearly impossible to predict where he intends to go until it is too late!

When we are faced with similar situations, it will be important for us to learn how to raise our game. We will need to learn how to neutralize our opponent's greatest strength and transition the battle to areas where we can bring other talents to bear. In the end, it may be the only way to succeed!