Head Game

Watching the final of the US Open was less painful than watching the Aus Open final. Not because I like Del Potro more than I like Nadal. Both are very cool.

I wanted Federer to win both though. I thought he was the better player in both too. I thought that his mind lost the game rather than his body in both too.

I guess the difference was that in the Aus Open, it seemed like he just completely threw in the towel in the last set. It was a complete capitulation. In the US Open final, it was him being disgruntled and irritated that took his head out of it.

Not really sure what my point is or why the one felt less bad than the other, but it did underline for me just how much of a mind game tennis is. These guys are all awesome, but their frame of mind seems to dictate just what level they play at. And it seems to be a fine line between the supremely awesome Federer of the first set, the very good but not good enough Federer of the last set of the US Open, and the damp squib Federer of the last set of the Aus Open.

I have seen a hypnotist show where a guy is told to lie on three chair. Head on one, lower back on the middle one, and heals on the third. He is then told to lie as stiff as a plank and a girl climbs onto his stomach. The hypnotist then removed the middle chair! No tricks, he stayed as stiff as a plank balanced only on his head and heals and she didn't fall!

The mind is an amazingly powerful thing. In work, in play and in life. Learning to understand it really well is what can change very good into remarkable.