Get Through Performance Slumps In Tennis
Tennis can be a long, demanding journey filled with a lot of ups and downs…
When things are going well, it’s easy to be excited about playing matches.
Sometimes, when you are playing at your peak, you neglect to realize there will be tough times at some point. You fall into the trap of expecting that things will always go well.
For these players, performance slumps blindside them and hit them hard.
Accepting the fact that there are highs and lows during your tennis career doesn’t mean that you should expect the worst to happen after a string of good matches… It’s a matter of keeping a balanced perspective.
Understanding that there will be both good times and bad times in your tennis career will help minimize the negative impact of a bad match…
You will be able to get over the match quicker and get back to the drawing board to work out potential kinks in your game.
If you learn to look at the big picture, you will be better equipped to manage the emotion after a poor performance while keeping your confidence intact.
Jamie Murray is the first British player in doubles to be ranked No. 1 but things haven’t always been easy.
Murray experienced early success as a youth but he hit a difficult patch later in his teens. As a 10 year-old, Murray was ranked No. 3 in Europe and was the junior world No. 2 when he was 13 years old.
MURRAY: “I was really good under-12 and under-14 in Europe. From there, I thought I was going to be able to make a go of it. But then it started to change. I wasn’t really a great junior by the time I was 17, 18.”
Murray definitely experienced some ups and downs after he hit the pro circuit.
Murray turned professional in 2004 and won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2007. It wasn’t until 2015 that Murray reached the finals in a doubles Grand Slam event. Finally, in 2016, Murray won his first doubles title at the Australian Open.
Murray stated that maybe “success came quickly in 2007” so he never foresaw that there would be down times. This oversight caused a lot of frustration and anxiety for Murray.
MURRAY: “Everything was going good, everything was going up. I guess there was some naivety, I was young. You just kind of expect that things will keep going that way. Obviously it didn’t. I had spells where my ranking dropped. I was outside the Top 100 for a little while. I was battling for a good couple of years.”
Now armed with a better perspective and understanding of the peaks and valleys of performance, Murray is better prepared to navigate through the rest of his tennis career.
Try this tip to navigate through the peaks and valleys of performance:
After a bad match, give yourself some time before you sit down to evaluate your performance. This brief mental timeout will allow your emotions to settle down.
Next, objectively evaluate your play. Draw two columns in a notebook; “Things I did well” and “Things I need to work on.”
Give yourself credit for your successes and create a plan for how you will work on improving your game.
This is in contrast to beating up yourself for the mistakes you made.
Focusing on future improvement and being objective will help you move through the valleys more quickly.
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?
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!
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?
“I want to let you know that your Tennis Confidence CDs have been extremely helpful to me. I listen to them in the car, and the program is helping me overcome a lifetime of tournament performance anxiety. Thank you!”
~Wing Wu
Download Our Free Tennis Psychology Report!
Discover if you are making one or more of these “costly” unforced mental game errors during matches!
Download our free Tennis Psychology Report:
Six Unforced ‘Mental Game’ Errors Tennis Players Make Between Points
You’ll discover:
- How your mind can be your best or worst asset on the court.
- If you are using your mind effectively between points.
- One strategy that can help you let of go the last point.
- The top mental game skills you need to master to boost your confidence and performance between points.
Click here to download your FREE report today: Six Unforced ‘Mental Game’ Errors Tennis Players Make Between Points
What are tennis players saying?
“Dr. Cohn, one of my goals is to become a world-class-coach, There are a few coaches from the US who inspired me the most-John Wooden, Son Shula, and Pat Riley. After working with you, I now also list your name among the most influential coaches in my field!”
~Franz
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal 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 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our mental coaching students saying?
“Since you last worked with AJ in early September, his National ranking has improved from 349 to 148. His tournament record at one point, since talking with you was 17-4, with 3 of the 4 being in third sets or tiebreakers and 2 of those matches being the same player, whom he has since beaten (you may recall he was on an 0-9 losing streak when we contacted you). His tie-breaker record is at least 90% through last weekend when he won the 18s District tournament with a semi and final match tiebreak win. Your help has definitely improved AJ’s results and his on-court demeanor has substantially improved.”
~Dawn Woodman, A.J.’s Mother
Leave a Reply