Mental Game of College Tennis
June 14, 2010 by PatrickCohn
Dr. Patrick Cohn, author of Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness for Tournament Players, and Stephanie Nickitas, Head Coach of the Women’s Tennis Team at the University of Central Florida, discuss the mental game challenges college tennis players face. Listen to the interview to learn more about improving your mental game of tennis.
Stephanie was a standout player at Florida from 1996-99, earning All-America recognition six times for the Gators. A member of the Gators’ 1996 and 1998 NCAA national championship squads, Nickitas won 128 singles matches during her career and four collegiate Grand Slam titles.
Use the player below to listen to the interview with Stephanie Nickitas and Dr. Cohn:
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To listen to the entire interview with Dr. Cohn and Coach Nickitas or for more interviews on the mental game, visit Peaksports Network:
Peaksports Network Online Mental Training Program
Winning the Mental Game Battle
February 1, 2010 by PatrickCohn
Tennis is a mental game. You’ve probably at some point in your tennis career lost focus, composure, or had trouble regaining confidence and momentum during a match. If you’ve struggled with any of these mental challenges, you know how important the mind game of tennis is. The mental game of tennis is important for tennis pros as well.
At the Chennai Open, Marin Cilic experienced the mental grind of a tennis match. Cilic reached the finals only to compete against Stanislas Wawrinka, a player he’s never beaten before on four different occasions. Wawrinka lead the first set 5-3 breaking Cilic’s serve. Cilic then battled back in the first set to even it at 5-5 and ended up pulling out the first set in a tiebreak. In a thrilling 2 hour 40 minute match, Cilic clenched his first victory against Wawrinka winning the title and the match, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3).
”This was the longest final I have played in and also the toughest. It was a mental battle out there with a lot of long rallies and returns. It is not easy to maintain your top game over such a long match. It makes me very proud that I have once again come out well in the first week. It was not easy to adjust to the heat. A lot of sweat and hard work went into winning this week. I am very pleased really, very happy,” said Cilic.
Long, grueling matches can make it difficult to stay patient and focused for the entire match. You might become impatient trying to end the point too quickly. You might focus on your missed chances to win the set. You might question your ability to pull out the match. All of these thoughts don’t help you perform your best.
Maintaining your focus is crucial during long matches. Tiebreakers especially challenge your focus when every point counts.
“The two tiebreaks … it was important for me to win the first one to get the mental advantage as it had a lot of rallies, it had a lot of running, and the match went for almost three hours. It wasn’t easy to maintain yourself on the court all the time mentally and to stay focused,” said Cilic.
When you lose your focus on the match, stop, regroup and refocus on what’s important. You have plenty of time in between points to refocus from distractions. Put the last point behind you and approach the next point as if it were the very first point of the match. Think of the next point as starting the match without any mistakes. Once you’re ready to play the point, focus on the cues that matter most, such as the placement of your serve or return of serve.
Your tennis psychology tip is to stay patient and pace your focus during long matches. Stay committed to your strategy, focus on what’s important and keep believing in your ability to win the match.
Tennis Podcast: Boost Focus with Imagery
June 14, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number twenty five 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, you’ll learn how to use visualization to improve your focus. Many tennis players lose focus during match play. Dr. Cohn teaches you the top mental strategies to refocus when you get distracted.
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*Download The Tennis Psychology Podcast #25 (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
Tennis Podcast: Embracing Mental Training
June 7, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number twenty four 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, you’ll learn how to get kids interested in mental coaching. Many tennis players don’t buy into mental training. Dr. Cohn teaches you how to educate tennis players about the mental game.
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*Download The Tennis Psychology Podcast #24 (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
Tennis Podcast: Accepting Criticism
May 31, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number twenty three 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, you’ll learn how to help tennis players by giving constructive criticism. Many tennis players have trouble accepting criticism and take it personally. Dr. Cohn teaches you the top mental strategies to boost your tennis players confidence.
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 #23 (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
Mental Game of Tennis Tune Up or Overhaul?
May 15, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Do you need a mental game tune up or complete overhaul? Today, I’ll explain how you know this.
A powerful mental game is critical to your success on the court….
In fact, many of the top players in the world believe that a strong mental game allows their physical talent to prosper:
“Confidence means a lot. It’s a very mental game. So if you’re winning a lot of matches, then things are going smoother on the court.”
~Novak Djovkovic
“I think more than anything, tennis is a mental game. If you tell yourself you’re not tired, lo and behold, you aren’t.”
~Venus Williams
How do you know if you can benefit from a mental game overhaul or just a tune up?
In my opinion, you need to stay on top of your mental game all the time. The sharper your mental game, the more consistent your physical game.
However, some players need more… They need a complete mental game overhaul.
Some signs you need a mental game “overhaul” are when:
- You consistently under perform in matches compared to practice
- Fear of failure has you paralyzed with tension on the court
- Your perfectionism gets in the way of closing out matches
- You worry so much about what others think you can’t focus on
the court - You feel terrible about yourself when you lose
- Your strokes are so controlled you miss easy shots
- You’re so frustrated with mistakes that you throw away sets
- You can’t comeback when losing because you lack composure
Truth be told, most tennis players know the mental game is important to their success, but do not understand how to use or apply it.
Until now….
My brand new “Tennis Confidence” audio and workbook program
teaches you, in simple terms, how to apply mental game strategies to your game.
From pregame mental preparation to between point mental routines to post-match mental toughness assessments, you learn my top strategies step-by-step.
************************************************
Only five days left to grab my entire “Tennis Confidence” Audio
and Workbook system for half-off! Special ends May 20 at midnight!
Tennis Confidence Audio and Workbook Program
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If you are in need to complete overhaul or a minor tune up, jump over to peaksports.com and see how my new program can do this:
Tennis Confidence Audio and Workbook Program
Your Tennis Confidence Coach,
Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
p.s. Lots of folks are already taking advantage of my special half-off sale, which ends at midnight next Wednesday. Don’t let less talented players beat you anymore… Take action with your mental game today:
Tennis Confidence Audio and Workbook Program
The Real Culprit to Tension in Tennis
May 13, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Do your strokes feel controlled or tight in competition compared to practice? If so, I have an important tip for you today…
I wanted to follow up with you on my last post by highlighting a recent question I received from a tennis player:
Question:
“I don’t understand how I can hit backhands in practice easily and when I go to play a match, I can’t hit one backhand. I freeze and the tension won’t let me hit the backhand.”
Here’s my answer:
If your strokes feel tight in matches compared to practice, that’s a sign your mind is getting in the way and not allowing you to let go…
You must find the real culprit to the tension. You probably think tension is the real problem.
But having worked with high-level athletes for over 20 years, I know better. The “tension” you feel does not happen all on its own. Something else is at the root of the problem, which most players and coaches don’t see on the surface.
Here’s what I mean: Most likely, when you play in matches, the outcome is more important to you (for many reasons I won’t go into here). For most players, they want to play well or win so badly and they can’t handle failure.
This mindset causes you to worry about failing or not playing to your capabilities, a root cause of fear of failure.
Now take note, here is the real culprit to the tension – the fear of making errors cause you to lose trust in your strokes. The lack of trust causes the tension, but this started with the fear of messing up or wanting to play well so badly.
OK, the short version… “I want this badly” > “Don’t screw up” > avoidance mindset > lack of trust > tension > “my backhand feels tight and controlled.”
So, you have to get to the root cause of the tension instead of band aiding “tension” with relaxation training. Most people don’t get this and look for quick fixes to rid themselves of tension.
What’s the solution? The only way you are going to play freely and trust your strokes is to rid yourself of the fear or pressure-packed expectations you have about match results….
You’ll learn how to do this (and a lot of other cool stuff) in my new program, “Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness for Tournament Players.”
I want you to stop thinking of using band aids to address the problem. A complete overhaul and tune up of your mental game is on the way….
My new program is going to change the way you think – literally – about your game!
Doors will open Thursday at 9:00 AM eastern time. And I’ve got a special surprise for you and my other followers.
Your Tennis Confidence Coach,
Dr. Patrick J. Cohn
p.s. Preview Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness for Tournament Players
Trust: Mental Toughness for Tennis Players
May 13, 2009 by PatrickCohn
How much practice time do you think about technique and how to hit good shots? In Tennis Confidence video 1, I discussed the “academy mindset” and how young tennis players get trapped into a training mentality, which can lead to choking in matches. This mindset is OK for some of your practice, but not all of your practice time.
Two mindsets are important to playing to your potential in practice. The first is the training mindset, which you use in practice when trying to improve your game. The second is the performance mindset, which you use for matches when trying to perform your best and you are not worried about “how to” hit a good shot.
This leads me to a recent question that I received in my tennis psychology survey: “Why is it that I hit better when I don’t think about my technique? My shots are worse when I try too hard to think about how to hit.”
The problem starts in practice when you spend too much time in the practice mindset working on your strokes. Some of this is critical to your improvement, but you don’t want to get trapped in this mindset when you play. And that’s the mental game challenge. Can you trust in your skills learned in practice when you go play matches? You have to perform your best in matches, not hit perfect shots.
Let me digress for a moment. As you progress through the stages of learning a motor skill, the skill becomes more refined and more consistent. With overlearning – or a ton of practice – you can perform the skill without much thought. It just happens and you react to what’s happening on the court. At the advanced or expert stage of learning, your skills are well-learned, which allows you to play virtually on autopilot. This level of learning allows you to think more about strategy and targets instead of how to hit a good shot.
With a well-learned forehand, you can make a good stroke without thinking about how to make a good stroke because of your prior practice. But you get in your own way when you try to “coach” yourself through the shot (well-learned skill), thus reverting to an earlier stage of learning. You regress to a learning stage instead of playing shots based on instinct or practice. You get in your own way because you are giving your body too many instructions or “verbal commands” such as how to follow through properly, as Tim Gallewey would argue.
So your tennis psychology tip for today… You have to simplify your thinking on the court when you play. You have to trust what you have practiced. I refer to this as the study and take the test analogy: You study hard (through practice) and then take the closed-book test in matches. You test the effectiveness of your practice in competition – you don’t continue to study in competition.
One option is to perform with simple feelings or images instead of coaching yourself with verbal commands. For example, maybe you focus on tempo or balance only instead of all the “how-to” of stroke technique. Less is often better when it comes to how many thoughts and feelings you play with.
7 Reasons Tennis Players Choke in Matches
May 11, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Do you have trouble performing as well in matches as you do in practice? Are you losing to players who you should beat? Or, do you get so frustrated after mistakes that it affects your game for several points?
Many players have asked me help them solve these mental game issues. And I’ve started to do this with my podcasts and videos at SportsPsychologyTennis.com.
If you are not playing to your real level in competition, your mental game is getting in the way of peak performance.
Knowing this is the easy part… The hard part is trying to find out how your mental game is hampering success.
Get this: if you are not getting it done in matches, you’re probably stuck in old, ineffective ways of thinking that hold you back.
Why would you play great in practice, but not in tournaments? I have seven big reasons to share with your today…
You might not perform as well in matches because:
- You want to win too badly, try too hard, and focus too much on results
- You are afraid to fail and thus tighten up and over control in competition
- You are too concerned with others’ opinions or not disappointing others
- You lack competitive self-confidence in matches and are overcome with self-doubt
- Your high expectations cause you to feel frustrated quickly after errors
- You focus too much on making perfect strokes and thus limit your ability
- The pressure of match time causes you to become anxious or tighten up
To play to your potential in competition, you must first understand how your mindset limits your game. Here’s why: I take a different approach for all seven of the above scenarios when helping my students improve their mental game.
On another note… I promised more details today about my new mental toughness program for tennis players.
I’m gong to teach you how to overcome all the above mental game scenarios and more with my new program titled: “Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness for Tournament Players.”
You’ll learn the top eight mental game lessons for tennis players – the same lessons I teach my personal coaching students.
How will you learn my top lessons? I’ve made it easy and effortless for you to improve your mental game. You’ll download all eight sessions from my website to your computer:
- Eight powerful 25-30 minute mental game lessons on MP3 audio
- Eight tennis confidence workbooks to guide your through the lessons
- Eight post-match tennis confidence assessments to measure your progress
As a bonus, you’ll also appreciate:
- Eight prematch mental preparation podcasts to tune up your mind prior to matches
- Prematch tennis confidence and mental preparation guide
You’ll be able to access my new Tennis Confidence program this Thursday, May 14 at 9:00 AM eastern time. And I’m going to do something I’ve never done before – only for my subscribers.
So stay tuned… You’ll get more details with week. Make sure you grab my tennis psychology report to help you stay focused between points and get weekly tips.
Tennis Podcast: Second Set Mental Game
May 10, 2009 by PatrickCohn
Welcome to session number twenty 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, you’ll learn how to stay mentally tough throughout the whole match. Many tennis players are mentally strong the first set, but then lose the second set badly. Their mental game gets in the way of peak performance. Dr. Cohn teaches you the top mental tactics to play aggressive tennis.
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*Download The Tennis Psychology Podcast #20 (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
