Calming Down

[Swan Song]

Does anybody know how to make yourself not choke when it's set or matchpoint?

[@wright]

Give your opponent chances to choke, like make him come in and volley, hit him low slices, or other shots that he can easily botch. I call them "pressure shots".

[Swan Song]

tnx @wright

[corncob3466]

i always tell myself that i will not lose this game. it kind of puts me in a zone where i get very competitive and i play better.

[Hawaii 5.0]

Never leave for others what you can do yourself.Why let them hit an error when you can hit a winner and end it early.I don't trust my opponent and I say hit your shots no matter what.By playing to their weakness or high error count will make you win, but not make you better.Don't play to them because it will build their confidence and they'll gain momentum.All they need is more and mor chances.Use the shots that got you there.If you give me pressure shots I'll win everytime because the aggressive player just needs time to zone in when the are missing and if you give them shots they'll take them.You must play like your down becuase your guard wont let down.It's war and it's your against the world(excuse the sounds of this)and only you can win it or lose it.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

If you get to a match point, you've obviosly been doing something right. Chances are your anxiety is because you are thinking of the future and fearing failure. Billy Jean King preaches about "staying in the now" which essentially keeps you grounded. Try staying in the now and this might help with you closing out sets and matches.

[Verbal_Kint]

Read The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

Marnix

[polakosaur]

focus on the ball and nothing else, focus is one of the biggest differences between the pros and non pro players

[Anonymous]

Sounds like it's time for some slow, deep breaths! Inhale with your nose and exhale through your mouth. I don't know but you can search the Web for more such details.. Walk between points more slowly, take more time.

[Phil]

If it's that bad, just don't play.

[jayserinos99]

I take pressure as opportunity. You have to want to live for these moments. As Jerry said, anxiety happens from fearing failure. So what if you fail? It's only a tennis match. Go out there and go balls out!

[@wright]

Balls to the wall, baby. When I'm starting to play too tentatively, I'll just start smacking the ball while trying to stay pretty relaxed, it works pretty well for me.

[Cypo]

I figured out something that helps me stay in the here and now recently - make sure that I see a big fuzzy ball just before I swing through. When I'm really watching the ball, that's they way it looks. It seems to be suspended in the air. If I don't see it like that, I'm not really focused on it.

[Kobble]

"Really, that was match point!" Simply do not keep track of the score, and then learn to lie to yourself. Just look at alcoholism, it is not the alcohol that defines the strength of the addiction, it is the denial. Even if you look like this :? , this :shock:, or worse yet, this :cry:. you must convince yourself you look like this 8). Actually, I am just kidding. I like the qoute that Gary Player said in a magazine that people choke because they are scared they are going to be exposed for something they are not. Have fun.

[deputyhawg]

Does anybody know how to make yourself not choke when it's set or matchpoint?

There is no substitute for experience... play tournaments, and play them often. The confidence you will gain from experience is immeasurable! :wink:

[Cypo]

I read a good sounding tip in a not so great book last night - The gist of it was, be aware from the beginning what's going on - know what got you to match point and then focus only on doing it.