Don’t announce your weak spots to a competitor. Fix them quietly and let them find out it’s no longer weak.

Naming your weakness out loud feels like honesty, and with the right people it is. With someone who is competing against you it is a map. They will aim at it, and you will have handed over the targeting information yourself. The repair is the part that should be public, and only once it is done.

Keep two lists in your head: what you tell a coach or a friend who is helping you, and what you say across the net. The first can be everything; on the second, say less and work more. Next season they can discover the backhand is fine now.