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Winning Ugly

Winningugly I’ve been reading a bit about Brad Gilbert recently. Not only is he one of the most successful tennis coaches out there, he was also a pretty good player. He’s the first to admit that he wasn’t the most talented, but he got to number four in the world. The secret of his success? Hard work,  and making the strengths he had work, instead of worrying about weaknesses.

Being talented can make you lazy, why practise when it comes this easy? Being average can mean being tenacious and recourseful enough to somehow make it work.

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5 responses to “Winning Ugly”

  1. Paul Colman Avatar
    Paul Colman

    I’m always torn between whether I agree with Gilbert or not. On one hand I agree with his argument, in terms of producing a result. But, I think that ultimately the game, as a spectacle, can suffer.

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  2. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    I must admit, some sportspeople forget they are supposed to be entertainers (I always prefered McEenroe to Lendl).

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  3. Paul Colman Avatar
    Paul Colman

    Good title though.

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  4. Paul H. Colman Avatar
    Paul H. Colman

    Just finished reading this. Thought it was good fun. Bet Gilbert’s a good bloke to have a beer with.
    (Incidentally I’d rather have a beer with McEnroe than Lendl.)

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  5. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    I might have to get it. By the way, Richard Evans’ biographies of McEnroe are great too.
    Wouldn’t want a beer with Boris becker unless the the broom cupboards were locked.

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