Playing to Win the Short Run Versus the Long
What matters more, a.) doing whatever it takes to get a win? or b.) doing things to the best of your ability and being satisfied with the outcome? Upon first look, it is easy to say that winning is what matters most, which is my instinctual perspective as I will adapt my game to my opponents to win. However, does that provide internal satisfaction knowing that you played down to the level of your opponent? It would appear that you have to do what will satisfy your internal feelings about how you win.
To give some clarity to the source of this discussion, I had my tennis team’s state tournament over the weekend. I went undefeated, but decided in doing so to hit a “boop” second serve to ensure that the point was played versus giving up a double fault. The reason why the “boop” serve worked was that the level of play wasn’t making me pay for such a soft serve. So the serve ensured the point was played out where I felt confident that I would be able to win it out, and I did. However, there is some level of guilt involved in that decision.
As I have been doing some reflection on the weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I will do what it takes to win. However, doing that serve may help me to win in the moment, but it is definitely a hinderance to winning long term as better players will stuff it down my throat. Even scarier will be if they rip that serve at my double’s partner, putting them at risk.
So the discussion becomes an existential determination of winning in the moment versus winning long term. I think that I have to force myself to serve the lower percentage “harder” serve so I can be a better player in the long run. However, since I am on a team and they needed me to win this weekend I need to reconcile with myself that playing down is ok.
However, it is funny because I think to myself if my opponents did make me pay for the “boot” second serve then I would have had to adjust and hit the higher risk “harder” second serve. This makes the moral of this blog that if your opponent hits you a “boop” second serve than rip it back at them or their partner. You just might make them a better player in the long run as they have to evolve their game. Winning/results are what matter most, sometimes you have to decide if you want to win in the moment or in the long run. Just always be winning!