Are you prepared strategically as you could be?

I'm sure most reading this would think "Yeah... I think so." But lets dive into this further. I got this idea from a book I'm currently enjoying.

"Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master" written by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison.

I grew up watching tennis as it was my older brother's favorite sport. I certainly remember Brad Gilbert. As I recall, and as the book describes, Brad was not the most talented player on tour; nor did he have the prettiest of strokes. Yet, Brad was among the top ranked players in the world for years, has beaten some of the all time greats and certainly made a nice living for himself in the process. How did he do it? Brad excelled as a thinker. Out-smarting and out-strategizing his opponents. It's a good read. I recommend picking it up.

One trick Brad did was he kept a little black book as he called it. No, not the kind of little black book you might imagine. His black book was filled with scouting reports and information from his matches. It can be a valuable resource. Try it. Next time you play your club mates or play in a tournament, keep track of the score and write a brief entry what happened in the match. That's the best time to record details you might later forget. Do it while it's still fresh in your mind. Furthermore, players you see at tournaments, scout their matches before you play them. Get every advantage you can. Get the details.

• What is their best stroke? 
• How's their backhand?
• Are they athletic? 
• Is mobility a problem for them?
• What's their style? 
• Two winged looper? 
• Modern defender? 
• Blocker?
• What equipment do they play with? 
• It's important to note & prepare yourself if they play with any type of pips or an anti-spin.
• Are they short? 
• Yes, I asked that question as at times I will take a little off the ball to place it wide knowing shorter players can have a hard time getting there.
• Are they prone to unforced errors? 
• Do they largely wait for you to make the error? 

Sooner or later you will have a database of information impossible to forget because it's recorded.