Playing Confident Tennis Under Pressure
A tournament is a tournament… A match is a match, no matter if you are playing the best player in the world…
Or are playing in a final…
Or are playing in front of your entire friends and family…
Or would move up in the rankings if you were to win…
Or are playing in the biggest tournament of your life.
No matter the circumstances, a tournament is just a tournament and a match is just a match.
When you assign greater significance to an event, you heap more pressure on yourself and most tennis players crumble under the weight of excessive pressure.
Although, in bigger matches, what really changes?
You have the same ability as in previous matches. The court dimensions remain the same. The ball is the same ball you play with in practice and other matches. The game is the same game you have played for years.
What does change is your interpretation of the importance of the situation or your mindset heading into the match. The good thing is that you can choose your mindset.
Unfortunately, many tennis players neglect their mental preparation and don’t understand that undue, excessive pressure is something they do to themselves and, thus, they can undo this overwhelming pressure by consciously choosing their mindset.
Former No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, hit a rough spell over the course of a year.
Djokovic has under performed in tournaments that he dominated in previous years. The pressure of high expectations seemed, at times, to get to him.
Djokovic is looking to regain his form as he heads into Wimbledon not by changing racquets or overhauling his game. Djokovic has improved his game by consciously deciding to change his mindset. Instead of approaching majors as ‘must win’ events, Djokovic has decided to treat all matches the same, as just another tournament.
At the recent Wimbledon warm-up, the 2017 Aegon Eastbourne International, Djokovic’s newfound mindset helped him win the title as he beat Gael Monfils in straight sets.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: “Of course Grand Slams are different from any other tournament, but a tournament is a tournament. Going out, especially, for a top player to go out on the court, regardless of the, say, the level of competition or the category of the event, you always are, you know, expected to deliver. Of course it’s up to you how you deal with it and how you carry that.”
It is up to you regarding how you approach each tournament and that approach or mindset will affect the level of pressure you experience and how you play on the court.
So what mindset will you adopt for your next tournament?
Try this tip to improve your mindset in the next match:
Before you even step foot on the court, know you have the choice for your mindset.
Tell yourself, “This match is no different than any other match I’ve played. This is just another match so have fun.”
Let go of the thought about the outcome and what it means to win or lose this match. Will anyone remember the outcome in one week?
Tennis is a mind game. You want to work on your mental game in the same way you work on your serve–with consistency and dedication.
One way to start the process is to grab your copy of my “Tennis Confidence” program today:
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 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
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?
“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
“On behalf of all of our coaches who attended the 2004 ITA Coaches Convention, I would like to thank you for serving as a featured clinician. I know that the coaches felt it was both enjoyable and informative. We greatly appreciate your taking the time to prepare and present such an outstanding clinic for the benefit of our coaches.”*
~Nancy Breo, ITA Convention
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