John Isner’s Will to Win
July 30, 2010 by PatrickCohn
History was made at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled on the court for a record 11 hours, 5 minutes spread over three days. Both players displayed remarkable mental toughness throughout the match, but Inser took the victory 70-68 in the fifth set. “It was the will to win. Not that I outwilled him; I mean, obviously, he gave it his all,” Isner said.
Reasonably, both men were wiped out when it was all said and done. Isner “was incoherent” for 20 minutes, according to his coach, Craig Boynton. “We played the greatest match ever, in the greatest place to play tennis,” said Mahut. Each player gave it their all leaving everything they had on the court day after day. “It was really painful, but I knew I couldn’t hold anything back,” said Mahut.
To be successful in tennis you must have the mental toughness to overcome adversity, keep your composure, and maintain a high level of performance. “I kept telling myself to stay focused on finishing strong after I missed a shot. I knew I would eventually get my look,” Isner said.
Isner was able to keep his composure by sticking with his strategy, and not letting mistakes affect his ability to perform at a high level. To do this you need to develop mental strength that compliments your tennis skills, and avoid frustration. Practice and training will help you achieve mental strength, but it is import that you avoid frustration between points. Frustration only works in favor of your opponent.
“It was frustrating at times, but I didn’t let it get to me or throw me off my game,” said Isner. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Every athlete makes mistakes, but the ability to maintain confidence and focus on the next play separates talented athletes from the elite. Leave it all on the court! Let your mental strength, abilities, and preparation guide your performance.
Mental Game of Collegiate Tennis
July 11, 2010 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number sixty of The Tennis Psychology Podcast. Dr. Patrick Cohn at Sports Psychology for Tennis, is a mental game of tennis expert and helps tournament players, tennis coaches and parents improve confidence, focus, and composure using sports psychology strategies.
In this week’s tennis psychology session, Dr. Cohn talks to Kathy Toon from www.coachtoon.com about the mental game of tennis. You’ll learn more how to improve your between point routines. Kathy Toon was the head women’s tennis coach at University of California Berkley where she helped three doubles teams win NCAA championship titles.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
*Download The Tennis Psychology Podcast #60 (right click and “save as” to your computer)
Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast via iTunes
*Submit your mental game of tennis question to Dr. Cohn at Peak Performance Sports
*Download a free tennis psychology report to improve your mindset between points
Improve Your Mental Toughness for Tennis Quickly with Dr. Cohn’s new Tennis Confidence CD and Workbook program!
Mental Preparation for Matches
July 7, 2010 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number fifty eight of The Tennis Psychology Podcast. Dr. Patrick Cohn at Sports Psychology for Tennis, is a mental game of tennis expert and helps tournament players, tennis coaches and parents improve confidence, focus, and composure using sports psychology strategies.
In this week’s tennis psychology session, Dr. Cohn interviews Ian Westermann of www.essentialtennis.com about how players should mentally prepare for tournaments. Young tennis players know how to get ready physically before a match, but most players don’t take enough time to get mentally prepared before a match.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
*Download The Tennis Psychology Podcast #60 (right click and “save as” to your computer)
Subscribe to Ian’s podcast The Essential Tennis Podcast at iTunes.
Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast via iTunes
*Submit your mental game of tennis question to Dr. Cohn at Peak Performance Sports
*Download a free tennis psychology report to improve your mindset between points
Improve Your Mental Toughness for Tennis Quickly with Dr. Cohn’s new Tennis Confidence Audio CD program!
