November 2025
Quotes per day and their meanings
November 3—"Running yourself into trouble." - Curly Davis
This happens when we make a terrible decision to hit the ball, leading to either overrunning or attempting a stroke that we shouldn't. Both scenarios put us in the wrong position. The trouble starts with bad decisions, being presented with too many options, and changing our minds about handling the oncoming ball.
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November 4 - “The more I see where I’m hitting the ball, the more mistakes I see.” - Cam Brown
It’s one of the oldest cues in tennis: "watch the ball," but it's still one of the best. If you see where you’re hitting the ball, you won’t see the ball, and you will make more mistakes.
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November 5—"Never hit a drop-shot out of desperation”
When hitting a drop-shot, make sure you are in control of the point and inside the baseline. This will give you options besides the drop shot and keep you balanced.
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November 6 - "Disguise to neutralize.” - Curly Davis
When taking your shot, aim to avoid telegraphing where you intend to hit the ball. Try to decide where you will hit the ball in advance, but be careful not to reveal your decision through your body language.
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November 7 - "Being a perfectionist is a two-edge sword.” - Curly Davis
The key lies in balancing the positive aspects of perfectionism– ambition, diligence, and attention to detail while learning to manage its pitfalls by practicing self-compassion and setting realistic goals.
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November 10—"Don't regret the past or doubt the future."
When playing tennis, it's essential to focus on the point you are about to play. During the game, feel confident hitting your chosen shots, and don't doubt what may happen.
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November 11—"Approach shot: Do you get it or give it?" - Curly Davis
We have two types of approach shots. The type you get is when you receive a short landing ball from the opponent and can move toward the net once you hit it. The type you give is when you create the opportunity to move forward toward the net by placing your opponent in a defensive position on the court.
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November 12—"Tennis is a situational competition."
Like many sports, "everything we do is correct... sometimes." Your stroke or shot selection depends on many factors. There is no "black and white" answer.
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November 13- “Focus on what's happening on your side of the net.”
You have no control over the opponent, their line calls, or their actions. Focus on what you can control, and that is only you.
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November 14- “If you can feel the change, you can own the change.”
When making adjustments in your tennis game, you must feel those changes to make them a habit.
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November 17- “If it doesn’t feel strange, then there is no change.” - Curly Davis
When you make adjustments in your game, they will feel strange to you. However, those adjustments will become habits and feel less strange over time.
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November 18- “Good or bad thought, go with your first thought." - Curly Davis
We often confuse ourselves by overthinking where to hit the ball. My advice is to go with the first thought you have.
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November 19- “First decision, then action, then repetition.” - Curly Davis
When learning a specific stroke, you must first decide to incorporate it into your game and then take action through repetition.
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November 20- “Serve- the toss finds the swing, the swing doesn’t find the toss.” - Curly Davis
Too often, we adjust our swing to where the ball is tossed during a serve; essentially, the swing is chasing the toss. Instead, we should maintain a consistent swing path and allow the toss to meet the swing.
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November 21 – “Competitors Compete.”
In a match, you vie for every point, making it challenging for your opponent who understands that you never "take a point off," implying they can't either. You consistently compete, strive, run, and aim to return the next ball.
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November 24- “Passing shot Patterns.”
When your opponent is at the net, you have four strategies to consider: 1) "Dip & Rip" - hit the ball low at your opponent's feet, forcing them to pop it up, then aggressively strike the next ball. 2) "Dump & Jump" - once more, play the ball at your opponent's feet, then quickly move forward to capitalize on their short return. 3) "High Low" - first, hit a high lob, then follow with a low shot at your opponent's feet. 4) "Outside Inside" - in doubles, this tactic is very effective; target the outside of the court to open up the inside for your next shot.
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November 25- “Improving doesn’t happen in a straight line.” - Curly Davis
Every tennis player experiences frustration when improvements in their game are not apparent. Patience is key because progress can sometimes feel like taking two steps forward and one step back. Reflecting on your achievements thus far will assist you in not getting too frustrated.
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November 26 – “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
During a match, players often focus too much on the strokes that aren't effective. Concentrating on the strokes working well and developing a strategy based on those is a better approach.
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November 27 – “Losing a tennis match isn’t failure… it's research.”
Disappointment is a natural reaction to losing, and loss is inevitable. However, the critical area to focus on is the lessons learned from the experience of loss.
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November 28 – “We miss easy shots for 1 of 3 reasons.” - Curly Davis
Unfortunately, we have all experienced the frustration of missing an easy winning shot. These misses often occur because we are either too anxious, too casual, or too greedy. Being too anxious can lead us to rush and hit a hasty shot towards the open court. Being too casual may result in underestimating the shot and not moving quickly enough to the ball. Being too greedy can cause us to hit the ball harder or aim closer to the line than necessary.
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