Sally:    Hi Billy, I saw that you lost that tough match out there.
 
Billy:  Oh Sally, it was terrible.  I won the first game easily and was winning the second before Rob got those 2 really really bad net balls….he didn’t even say sorry…..then I noticed that the table was shiny and it really disturbed me….then Betty on the next table started chooooing really loudly and I couldn’t focus because she was so loud….then I noticed that Rob’s coach started changing sitting positions and I started to watch him to see if he was illegally signaling Rob….then there were all these balls bouncing into our courts and Rob kept calling let just as I was about to serve my best serves…..then at 9-9 Rob did the unthinkable…..he pulled off a no-spin serve with a low 5” toss and that cheater, (who only tossed the ball 5” instead of 6”) He beat me!
 
So what do excuses do?
 
Excuses will blind your eyes to see the real problems.  As you can see in our story….  Instead of realizing the strategy change that Rob had made after the first half of the second game, Billy focused on the external distractions.  Billy was focusing on the net balls, on other players in the gym, on the brand of the table, on his opponent’s coach, and countless other minor elements.  
 
When you focus on the distractions, then you will be unable to see the subtle details about what is actually happening in the match.  You must pay attention to details in order to see your opponent’s strengths, weaknesses, game patterns, tendencies, and closing shots at the end of the match.