How to Manage Your Nerves in Matches
Do you get nervous before a tennis match?
Well good, you should have some level of excitement prior to playing.
Too many tennis players feel they must be fully relaxed in order to play their best tennis.
But not every tennis player needs to be relaxed…
In fact, when you are buying into I-must-be myth, when you start feeling butterflies in the pit of your stomach you will begin to get nervous about being nervous. This only serves to cause things to get out of control and those butterflies snowball into full-blown anxiety.
In order to play your best, you need to have some level of physiological activation.
The key is to manage these nerves. Managing your nerves is what is referred to as composure.
Composure is not the absence of nerves… Composure is staying calm, focused and in control by regulating your nerves.
Think of it as getting your nerves to work for you or using that nervous energy to fuel your performance. Intensity is necessary and critical to keep you moving forward and playing aggressively during matches.
2017 Wimbledon winner 23 year-old, Garbiñe Muguruza, won the biggest tournament of her life by using her nerves to give her an edge and fuel her game.
Muguruza beat 5-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 to take her second Grand Slam title of her young career.
In her post-match interview, the announcer said to Muguruza, “You showed no sign of nerves.”
Muguruza responded by admitting she was nervous.
MUGURUZA: “You can say of course I was nervous. I always dreamed to be here. I was composed I guess.”
If you read into Muguruza’s quote, she doesn’t just say she was nervous, Muguruza stated, “Of course I was nervous.”
Muguruza had to calm herself and find her composure early in the match after being overly aggressive and hitting the ball long on several occasions.
MUGURUZA: “Maybe I was too hungry and too aggressive at the start, but I wasn’t too worried as I thought it was only nerves.”
Once Muguruza was able to manage those nerves, she went on to dominate the match.
There is a lot to learn from Muguruza’s victory:
- No matter what situation you find yourself in (playing a higher seed, competing against a player with more match experience, playing against a player with powerful strokes, being behind in a match, etc.), it is within your control to keep your composure.
- Nerves are normal. Every tennis player experiences some degree of nerves so you are not alone in this regard.
- Nerves are necessary. You need some level of nerves to compete at a high level. Without some degree of intensity and Adrenalin, your game might not be as focused or uninspired.
Use Your Mind to Stay Composed During a Tennis Match:
First, it is important to not label prematch butterflies as anxiety. Call it excitement and recognize that it is a normal and necessary part of playing your best tennis.
Next, confidence in your game and focusing on what you can control are your friends. Remind yourself of your talents and abilities and focus on what you can control during each point–your pre-point routine and plan for each point.
Start with Tennis Confidence to learn how to improve your confidence, focus, and composure…
Learn Proven Mental Game Strategies To Perform Your Best On The Court!
Are you (or your players) performing up to your ability in competition?
Do you bring your best and most confident game to matches?
I often hear players complain about the following problems when they play in matches…
- “I get so tight or tense before matches that I can’t think straight or have any rhythm in my game.”
- “My confidence seems to disappear when I go from practice to matches and I don’t know why.”
- “I get so frustrated with hitting bad shots or with errors and it snowballs.”
- “I expect so much when I play that I unravel and lose confidence when the match does not go as planned.”
Successful tennis players have learned how to perform with ultimate confidence in tournaments.
If you are ready to improve your mental toughness and perform with ultimate self-confidence in matches, Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness For Tournament Players can help you do this!
- Players: Learn how to take control of your confidence, focus your best, and win more close matches.
- Parents: Help boost your junior tennis player’s confidence for tournaments. Just load the program on your player’s IPod!
- Coaches: Boost your team’s confidence using simple, proven mental strategies.
- Instructors: Learn how to give your students the mental game advantage.
Use Tennis Confidence to help boost your mental toughness in tennis and discover powerful and proven mental game strategies that have helped professional athletes win!
Tennis Confidence: Mental Toughness For Tournament Players
What are mental game customers saying?
“We are amazed at how much ‘The Confident Athlete’ program has helped my niece play her best tennis during matches. She literally made it to the farthest round of a tournament (semifinals) after finishing the CDs and workbook. We are going to do all 3 in the series.”
~Jason Bourguignon, Uncle
“I have really enjoyed listening to your tennis psychology podcasts on iTunes and reading your E-books. I just found your web site and I already have improved in my mental game. I played in a tennis tournament this past weekend and played with the amount of confidence I should have in myself.”
~Melanie Lewis, Junior Tennis Player
Boost Your Self-Confidence in Tennis With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal mental game coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone.
Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 (local: 407-909-1700) or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
One-on-one mental game coaching with Dr. Cohn
What are our mental coaching students saying?
“I want to let you know that your “Tennis Confidence” CD program has been extremely helpful to me. I listen to the CDs in the car and the program is helping me overcome a lifetime of tournament performance Anxiety. Thank you!”
~Wing Yu, Tennis Player
“She did really well with controlling her emotions during the matches today. We were very proud of her for not showing her frustrations during the match; I think that was a big accomplishment. She really looked in control of her emotions even when she double faulted or made mistakes. The changes we saw in her behavior in less than 24 hours were AWESOME! Thank you for your guidance!”
~Jennifer, Tennis Parent
“Thank you for all the knowledge, tools, material, and guidance you have given me throughout the MGCP course. It was truly a great experience. I am looking forward to integrating your mental training system to students at the club, as well as to athletes that truly are committed, and strive towards reaching their peak performance.”
~Tim Whitehead, Tennis Coach
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