How to Improve Your Game
with Neuro Linguistic Programing
By david Moe
After watching Pete Sampras win the U. S. Open by playing superb tennis, I saw how he used the principles of neuro linguistic programming (NLP) to lift his game to the level needed to accomplish such a feat. Neuro linguistic programming is a science of behavior modification. It can be used in sports to program one's self to succeed. The discipline teaches that if a person understands how to program their mind, body, and nervous system they can accomplish phenomenal results in a short period of time.
A principle of NLP is that the quality of our life or tennis game (a microcosm of life) is determined by the quality of the communication to our self and others. The question is how is Pete Sampras communicating to himself and others? People who study NLP say that communication is 7% verbal, 38% tonality, and 55% body language. After reviewing a video of Pete's demeanor on court I noticed how he reacted to his own errors. He was able to avoid letting it bother him as if he was saying to himself, "That's OK, Pete. No big deal, move the feet, be more alert next time." His body language showed he was in control mentally and physically. Many times after making an error he would simply restroke his shot, reassuring himself that he could perform the stroke properly next time.
Another example of Sampras applying the principle of NLP was that he had spent time watching films of great tennis players like Stan Smith, Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, and Ken Rosewall who had a presence on court which he modeled very successfully. Smith, Laver, Ashe, and Rosewall were players with fantastic control both mentally and physically. NLP is also the science of modelling. If a person wanted to perform in tennis at a level like Stan Smith then they need to model Stan Smith in every way possible. Model his belief system, his mental syntax (how he talks to himself on court during a match) and his physiology (his body language). Modeling his physiology requires duplicating the same kind of behavior patterns after making unforced errors, and even imitating the set of his eyes. Whether or not Pete Sampras consciously practices these principles he appears to come out of the same mold as the great players of the past.
What I have noticed about people who others refer to as natural athletes is their ability to learn a new skill or sport quickly. The outward appearance is that they find a role model (famous athlete) to model, but upon closer observation I have found that they model more than the physical skills, they seek out as much information as possible in order to model belief system, mental syntax, and body language.
Pete Sampras appeared to have learned a great deal by modeling the great players of the past. He adds to that wealth of knowledge his physical skills and personal style of play which can enable him to be a player who can dominate tennis for many years.
A more complete explanation of the principles of neuro linguistic programing and how they can be applied to tennis can be found in my book The making of a Winner