As one of the top tennis players in the world, Venus Williams has mastered the art of staying focused on the most basic techniques that make her successful on the court. Through practice and dedication, Williams has developed superior footwork and balance technique that enables her to hit balls harder, deeper and more accurate. She is a great example to all performers about how to be successful by staying focused on basic fundamentals. 
During the quarter-finals of the 2003 J&P Cup, Williams was playing Francesca Schiavone who she was supposed to defeat easily. The match, however, went to three sets with Williams finally winning (2-6, 6-3, 6-3) after a long afternoon of rallies. When asked why the match was tougher than expected, Williams said “I just couldn’t find my balance. My footwork was off today. I need to focus on getting it right in the semis.”When Williams met Denisa Chladkova in the semi-finals, she won 6-3, 7-6. Her balance and footwork were more consistent which helped her hit more punishing ground-strokes. Williams’ focus on technique, rather than on parts of the match she could not control such as how Chladkova was running down balls, enabled her to be more consistent and at the top of her game.Her sister, Serena Williams, used a similar technique during the 2003 singles final of Wimbledon against Venus. When Venus strained a stomach muscle during the match and was in pain, Serena knew she could not get distracted by her sister’s situation because there was nothing she could do to help her. To stay focused on what she could control, Serena told herself “Focus on the ball. Focus on the ball.” Serena’s narrow focus on a controllable technique helped her win Wimbledon for the second time.Like the Williams sisters, performers in sports, performing arts, school or work need to stay focused on executing the small techniques required for them to be successful. The basic techniques of your sport, art, studies, or work are the only things in your control. Everything else can be a potential distraction. Great performers execute the small techniques well. An elite tennis player maintains good balance by using proper cross-over steps to get back into position after hitting a shot. A successful student, athlete and artist know how to listen for the most important details, and practice even the smallest techniques. In short, the consistent execution of these small techniques can create big results.You can start today to improve one important technique critical to your success by answering these questions: 
