Was your Christmas wish fulfilled as a tennis player this year? Did your stocking hold that nice reliable backhand all wrapped up and tied with a pretty bow? Was that nasty slice serve you wanted to use on your next opponent delivered to you in a brown paper package tied up with string? What about the cherished gift of mercurial movement around the court. Was that waiting for you under the tree this year?

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My guess is no.

The new outfit you got or even that shiny new racket you can’t wait to use won’t lift your game like a nice solid set of fundamental skills would.

The great thing about sports is that you get back what you invest plus or minus your natural talent.

If you lack superior natural athletic gifts you can, in skill intensive activities like golf, tennis, bowling, darts, archery and even pitching a baseball, acquire a performance level to rival all but the most gifted of fellow competitors.

Don’t wait until next Christmas or your upcoming birthday in hopes of getting a magical gift to lift you to the next level. Do something about it today.

Have your coach take a good honest look at your game and ask them to put together a plan of attack to polish the rusty skills and when necessary add new skills to your game to give whatever natural talent you have a chance to shine through.

You can’t control much in life except your willingness to recognize and work to change what needs to be changed.

Start today and by next Christmas you’ll have surprised yourself with the positive changes in your game.

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Howie Burnett is a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and tennis director at the Island Country Club on Marco Island. Burnett welcomes questions on strokes, tactics or etiquette. To reach him, call the tennis shop at 394-4464 or e-mail him at islandclubtennis@hotmail.com.