How to Improve your Tennis Confidence
Confidence breeds success… And success fuels confidence! Which one comes first? Confidence or success?
The confidence-success loop is an important concept in sports but often athletes are perplexed as to how to enter the loop.
Common questions from athletes regarding confidence and success include:
“If I am not confident how can I succeed” and “If I am not successful, how can I feel confident?”
This does appear to be a difficult dilemma but there is more to confidence than just wins.
While winning does boost confidence there are several other means to improve confidence.
Other elements that can boost your confidence include:
- Preparation – How fully do you prepare? Preparation is everything. Have you ever been out of practice for a significant amount of time then abruptly thrust into a match? Your confidence was probably very low. If you prepare physically, technically, emotionally and mentally, you will feel more confident in achieving positive results.
- Perspective – What is your definition of success? Many tennis players get tripped up because they equate success with wins. In reality, success is an individual concept. Success could mean hanging tough against a top-ranked opponent or making your high school tennis team. A positive perspective on success gives you more opportunities to succeed and more avenues to build confidence.
- Progress – How much have you improved? With each step forward, your confidence subsequently grows. Success is not a final destination but a series of small steps forward. Giving yourself credit for small successes cultivates confidence and, ultimately, greater success.
As you add to your confidence through other methods, positive results will eventually come and soon you will find yourself landing in the confidence-success loop.
Low confidence has plagued Maria Sharapova throughout the 2019 season.
Sharapova is a 5-time Grand Slam winner and former WTA top-ranked player.
Ranked outside of the Top-50, Sharapova has been working on building her confidence one step at a time.
Sharapova has worked on preparation more intently by seeking out some extra coaching help.
Sharapova is also focused on progress and knows that success is a process that requires patience.
SHARAPOVA: “I’m still building the confidence and my form and that’s something that’s just going to come with time and with match play.”
Sharapova has maintained a positive perspective and understands that confidence and success are a matter of meeting small challenges head on.
SHARAPOVA: “I just haven’t had that [confidence] yet, so will just hopefully try to build on it. There’s never the perfect scenario. I’m going to be coming up against tough players, long matches, and there are always going to be tests. And I always have to play my best tennis no matter who I play.”
Confidence is not an all-or-nothing proposition. So, it is important for you to commit to building your confidence on a daily basis.
Improving Your Tennis Confidence:
Be proactive with confidence. That means do something today in order to improve confidence tomorrow. Rely on years of practice and competition–not your last shot, game, or match–to feel confident.
Stop making comparisons to your competition and focus on your talents and strengths. What unique talents do you possess? Quickness? Strength? Great form?
Fuel up your confidence on match day. Don’t leave it to chance. Don’t wait until you are winning or performing perfectly to feel confident. Be a front seat driver to your confidence, not a back seat driver.
Related Tennis Psychology Articles:
- Do You Have Unshakeable Confidence?
- Does Confidence Waver During Matches?
- Boost Confidence Using Positive Memories
- Download our a FREE Tennis Psychology Report
*Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Tennis Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Improve Your Mental Game for Tennis
Tennis Confidence 2.0
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Tennis Confidence is a complete mental training program developed Dr. Cohn. You learn the same strategies Dr. Cohn teaches his personal students to help them improve mental toughness and consistency – from managing unrealistic expectations to coping with perfectionism.
Read more about Tennis Confidence Program>>
