Nü Tennis

📰 Seth Godin's Blog

Rethink the traditional zero-sum model of informal tennis to focus on fun and improvement, not just winning

intermediate Published 12 Jun 2026
Action Steps
  1. Rethink your tennis goals: Focus on improvement, not just winning
  2. Experiment with non-competitive drills: Design exercises that emphasize skill-building over competition
  3. Build a supportive community: Encourage fellow players to focus on mutual improvement, not just beating each other
  4. Configure your gameplay: Introduce rules or variations that promote cooperation and fun
  5. Test new formats: Try out alternative tournament structures or game modes that prioritize enjoyment over competition
Who Needs to Know This

Coaches, tennis instructors, and recreational players can benefit from this new approach to improve their skills and enjoy the game more

Key Insight

💡 The traditional zero-sum model of tennis can be limiting and discouraging for recreational players; a new approach can prioritize fun, improvement, and community

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🎾 Rethink tennis: from zero-sum to fun-sum 🎾

Key Takeaways

Rethink the traditional zero-sum model of informal tennis to focus on fun and improvement, not just winning

Full Article

Every day, about 16,000,000 hours of tennis are played. The percentage of that devoted to tournament play approaches zero. So why is informal tennis built on a zero-sum model? In a game, every shot is designed to have the opponent fail. The goal is to have your opponent miss the ball, hit it into the […]
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