PLEASE HELP - I'm depressed with my game.

[Robbie_1988]

G'day folks I need help and would be grateful to receive any.

My situation is this. I've been playing tennis since January 2004 and have been taking lessons since I started and still do. My problem is that when I hit the ball in lessons or when I'm just playing for fun with my friends on the weekend I play fine and hit really great shots. However, when it comes time to play a real match where points are taken into consideration and every shot matters, I'm a total different player.

When I'm playing for fun with my friends:
I can be all out aggressive and take vicious swipes at the ball and everything goes in. My topspin backhands i'll go down the line at will and succeed 80% of the time. My slice backhands can be hit crosscourt with angle skidding through low or down the line spinning away from the opponent. My shoulder height forehands can be blasted flat and they'd go in. Pretty much I feel invincible when I play for fun and just having a hit and I don't make many errors.

When It's a match situation:
I'm a frikkin P*ssy/Wimp. I just get all scared and nervous and I don't play my normal game. I begin to hit my forehands really slowly but with tonnes of topspin and the opponent isn't being moved around the court. I just dump routine topspin backhands into the net and float my backhand slices too wide or long. In other words I frikkin suck.

My coach has given me a test to find out my tennis number and he says I'm about a 4.5-5 NTRP number. But that's just a test. My problem is I break down and don't play as well as I should in a real match situation. I know my problem is all mental or am I missing something else? Please if anyone has had experience in this area help me out. I've been playing tennis for about 2 years and 4 months and my problem is really getting to me.

 

[Tomba]

Pretend you don't care about winning. Just play and have fun. If you win, it's bonus.

 

[ta11geese3]

I have this problem, too. I was thinking, though, that even if you hit some out, the chances are that if you do your normal stroke, more will go in than not, right? So just try going for them... Also, try hitting crosscourt several times to try to get into some sort of rhythm.

 

[theartoftennis]

Have this exact same problem. It's not as easy as you think to just think "oh, I better hit this ball as hard as i can like I do in practice." It's an extremelly difficult situation.

 

[donnyz89]

first of all, you DONT HAVE TO and is not suppose to hit the ball as hard as you can every point. You just need more practice, to a point where you feel comfortable with the shots that you can hit them during a match. Only practice can solve your problem. And when hitting with friends, go for consistancy, depth, height rather than power. I know too many player who wants to hit that super fast, powerful shot but thats 1 foot over the net. Then they never do anything like that in a match. They can hit them, but just not on a consistant basis because of lack of consistancy. Tennis is not about who can hit the hardest or fastest, its about getting the ball in the court. Learn to set up points and pull the trigger. You are afraid because you are not prepared enough. When I see a short ball hanging, I'm able to whip it and aim for a corner rather than keep the point going because I practiced enough to know I'm capable and confident, but do I make them all? no, but I go for it and the reward is much greater than the risk.

 

[Koaske]

I agree with Donnyz: Tennis mathces are not won by those who hit the hardest ball, they are won by those who can keep the ball in. However, I think this is mostly a mental problem rather than lack of practice. Of course, practice can help increasing the consistency of your shots greatly. But to get over this mental barrier that appears in matches, you have to keep few things in mind.
1.Don't think of winning during the game. Just play as well as you can, that way, victory might come automatically.
2.Don't be afraid to miss. Even pros miss shots , so it's likely that you miss them too. Don't punish yourself if you miss. Some shots go in , some don't. It won't improve your in-percentage if you think about what will happen if you miss the shot.
3.Relax. You have to be able to relax. Take a deep breath or something. People have various methods to help them relax.
4. Concentrate. As I said , concentrate on your strokes and playing well instead of winning and other stuff. Also, don't think of points that you lost earlier in the match. You're not going to win them anymore, but you can win the current one.
5. Don't let your game shatter. Sometimes in the match you might have bad moments when your shots don't work well. At this point your main goal is to get them to work again, even if it means that you'll end up losing the set. You're not going to win anyway if you continue to play with the strokes that are not working at the moment.
6. Your main goal is to have fun, not win. Once again, don't think about winning.

 

[SpinMeister]

Stop playing matches and work on technique. Your worst ennemy is yourself. If your coach only knows how to teach hitting balls, find a new one who knows about the mental game.

I'm tired of retards saying that brains isn't important. You won't learn everything on the court.

Play some chess!

 

[travlerajm]

For many people, this problem can be fixed by getting on the treadmill.

I know what you're thinking - WTF does the treadmill have to do with me getting nervous in matches?

Well, I used to have the same problem. Then I discovered that my heartrate was skyrocketing past 150 bpm due to the extra adrenaline during matches, even when I didn't feel winded at all. It's a simple fact that you can't play your best tennis when your heart beats that fast.

By getting on the treadmill for 20 minutes every day, I lowered my resting heart rate from 68 to 58. And my pressure-match heartrate dropped from 150 to less than 120. This makes a huge difference in my ability to execute my shots!

Keeping your heartrate down is IMO an underrated part of tennis, but most pros are well aware of its importance.

 

[thinkfacility]

You have to think about what kind of shots you're receiving too. During a match people tend to hit it down the middle with some reserve, so smashing it down the line for a winner is going to be much harder than smashing it down the line from actually going down the line.

When you're practicing with friends, you're both going for big angles, so you can both make sharper corners for yourself. On the other hand, when all the balls are coming at you down the center with little pace, it needs a slight adjustment.

While you might think that you're just hitting wimpy balls back, you also have to ask yourself: Are the balls that I'm returning the same pace as the balls my friends hit me?

Personally when I rally with my friends we both generally hit it deep with topspin. However, once a match starts we try to disrupt each others rhythm as much as possible so that we can't hit those "practice" shots we're so used to.

My advice would be to have someone feed you different types of balls as you stand in different areas of the court, not just along the baseline, but even a couple right at the service line.

 

[jimiforpres]

Just breathe. Breathing relaxes your muscles and that should help. Also, try to find so sort of competitive 1 v 1 game and play that really aggressively, that should help. Like SpinMeister suggested, chess can really help you mentally because the mental side of tennis and chess are very similar.

 

[Osteo UK]

There might actually be a simpler answer to your problem than you realise.

Often, practice can involve little or no thought in execution of shots - you can hit shots back and forth as neither you or partner are trying to "play tennis" - all very autopilot for the pair of you, which is fine if you play a match in that manner.

Next time you practice, really decide where and how you want to hit the ball - and be honest with yourself - are you hitting the shot you wanted or is it not right?

 

[papa]

Well, remember that your playing against the ball and not the person that hit it. Try to really concentrate on the ball and watch it the entire way (when its on its way to you - watch the "opponent" after you hit) and see if you can see seams or trademark -- even if its just the color of the trademark. By doing this it quiets the brain - gives it something constructive to do.

Do the same thing in practice.

 

[SCSI]

I suffered from the same problem for more than 10 years until I started playing more competitive matches and, more importantly, reading "the Inner Game of Tennis".

It is normal not to play at the same level as when you practice under pressure. I know some guys who have played hundreds of competitive tennis matches, but still get a bit tight.

Just get the right perspective on tennis; it won't kill you to lose a match. Don't be afraid to lose. Play your game. However, work on your game so every part of your game is real solid and dependable, otherwise they will let you down.

In match situations, go for big targets and be sure to move your feet. Early in the match, play safe and really focus on making good contacts and getting under the ball. Once you feel comfortable, start latcheting up your game.

 

[vinky]

Inner Game of Tennis, anyone?

 

[nViATi]

If you play more matches you will get used to it. It's one of those things that come along with experience. It's also part of the reason why pushers beat so many people. Trust me I know what it feels like being nervous.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Only Reason You Suck When you play games is because you have an ego. Seriously.

 

[Eviscerator]

I know players that are walls in practice, then when the match starts they cannot sustain any type of rally before making an unforced error. My suggestion to them is understand that you are only playing a game for fun, and it is not life and death. You are not playing for ranking points nor millions of dollars so just swing away and let the balls fall were they may.

Besides a possible mental deficiency in your game you might be taking your eye off of the ball to soon to see where your shot is landing. You might have to play a few points and force yourself not to look at the results, but rather extend the time you watch the ball hitting your strings. So I would suggest having someone use a camcorder and tape you in practice, then in a match as well. Look at the way you strike the balls in both situations, and see if you are doing anything differently. You might be very surprised at the results.

Good luck

 

[BillyBee]

Only Reason You Suck When you play games is because you have an ego. Seriously.

I totally agree! This is actually a fairly profound statement.

Tell yourself to hit away and then DO IT. Stop caring so much about winning, and start caring about playing your best and getting better.

Tell yourself you'd rather lose and hit away then play it safe and win. And mean it 100%.

Also, the guy who wrote about practice being everything --- he's right, too. When you've got your strokes ingrained enough into your muscle memory, there is way less likelihood that you'll lapse into choking the way you have been.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Also, the guy who wrote about practice being everything --- he's right, too. When you've got your strokes ingrained enough into your muscle memory, there is way less likelihood that you'll lapse into choking the way you have been.

Exactly...reason of Choking: You tighten up because you concentrate too much on how your strokes should be like....if you practice, your muscles will already have memorized the "proper" techniques, so your mind is not focused on whats right or wrong.

 

[Robbie_1988]

Thanks a lot folks. I am very grateful for all the input. I'll incorporate the advice tomorrow.

I really should play as many competitions and tournaments as possible. Will try that too.

 

[Jay27]

My coach has given me a test to find out my tennis number and he says I'm about a 4.5-5 NTRP number.

First of all, I certainly would not trust that test your coach gave you which said you're between a 4.5 and a 5.0. Our local teaching pro is a 5.0 and is totally awesome! He serves in the 120's, and has beautiful looking strokes. He's been playing all his life and played for a D1 school in Ohio. He has never made comments like yours and the reason is because he's a true 5.0. I don't believe you're to the 4.5 to 5.0 level (not even close). I think you're more along the lines of 3.0 to 3.5. And, I'm not ridiculing you either. It's just a fact that 4.5 and 5.0 players don't make those types of comments that you made in your initial post. Your consistency would be very good at these levels (during matches) and believe me!, you'd be hitting the ball harder in those matches with strategy (otherwise you'd never win) although, I don't believe you have to hit with great pace all the time to win. 4.5 and 5.0 players play consitently, they are able to hit the ball without thinking, and they are in great shape.

Also, what does your coach think he is (ranking wise)? Can you beat your coach? Can you beat your teaching pro where you take your lessons? If he/she can kick your arse, then you're definitely not a 5.0. As a 5.0, you'd at leat be able to compete competitively. And many facilities have teaching pros that are 4.5's. Ours has three teaching pros. One pro is a 5.5 and has been on the tour before (used to be around a 6.0), and one pro is a 5.0 (has played D1 tennis), and one is a 4.5 (has played D3 tennis). They never describe what you describe. The things they talk about is how to maneuver to get the better shot or how to hit great approach shots so they can destroy their opponents at the net.

Now that I've beat you down a little, it's time for some motivational tips. I used to have those types of problems. I used to be a different player in matches than when I was just rallying. So, I made it a point to try to hit like I did in practice. The secret is "just quit worrying and have fun." If you do that, and let yourself go while you're playing, you'll achieve what you're looking for. When I'm relaxed, I play so much better. I don't think about hitting the ball, it just happens. I have fun and I don't worry. I hustle my butt off, but I try to stay relaxed all the time. That's what you need to do, and then maybe one day...you can achieve the 4.5 and 5.0 status. Even yet, it's a tough ranking to achieve and it's incredibly competitive. I know people who've been playing all their lives and are only 4.0's (and they are pretty awesome). That's my level as well.

I don't actually know what your ranking is. It would be much easier to judge having seen you play. You can always submit a video of you hitting strokes, then we all could make accurate assumptions on your level of play. At 2 years and 4 months, and not having much success in the match realm, I can't help but make the assumption that you're not a 4.5 to a 5.0 level player. Sorry to burst you and your coache's bubble.

 

[Robbie_1988]

Hey is the NTRP rating for Australia the same as say an American one? Or is every NTRP rating the same internationally? I'm from Australia and I was given a 4.5 - 5.0 and I'm just the player. Not the coach. I just used the term NTRP but I'm not entirely sure myself of the differences between NTRP or ITN. Can you give me an answer?

And no I can't beat my coach. He smashes me. Although I find I have a more comfortable time playing with him than people similar ability to me. It's mainly cause I know my coach can beat me and I don't feel as much pressure playing him than I do with people similar to my ability because I don't expect myself to win against my coach.

Oh hey I notice there's a "national ntrp rating" where 1 is the lowest through to 7 being the highest.

Then there's the international tennis number where 10.3 is the lowest through to 1 being the highest.

Which one my coach is using? I don't know. I'm thinking maybe the ITN. Personally I think I'm the 5.0 on the ITN and I don't know about NTRP.

 

[wemic]

Same thing happened to me last night

It's funny I had this exact same problem last night. I went out to the local club to practice a few serves with my hopper when 3 dudes over on the other court asked me to fill in as a 4th for doubles.

We rallied for about 5 to 10 minutes and it was business as usual. The game starts and I start hitting them with pace and they land well in with a few winners tossed in for good measure, but then by the 3rd game or so, I started getting tentative after seeing a few of my shots go out. That mindset made me hit my shots more softly yet they were still going out. This of course in turn made me even more nervous which made me miss more and the vicious cycle continued spiralling downwards.

By the end, I was thinking "I hope he double faults so I don't have to mess up the next shot", it was horrible. I was no longer playing to win, I was just playing not to lose hoping they would screw up. Every shot of mine was so soft and yet they all went out.

I even resorted to dinking but my chips and pushes seemed to soar wide with the sidespin but I could execute them perfectly during practice. I felt I was letting my partner down on every shot even though he didn't really react negatively. I was surprised he even put up with me for that long. Even when I was lobbing them, they would go right to the opponent at net and he would whack it right at my partner's feet and I'd have to appologize. Man they must've thought I was a complete idiot but were too polite to say it.

I've also been playing just over 2 years now and the only conclusion I could offer is to play more matches against many different people. I dunno how much this helps but just thought I'd share it since it was very similar to your situation. I'm not saying I'm a good player or anything but I do know for a fact that during practice or when it's only "for fun", I play much better than that hideous performance.

 

[EMestizo]

The way you perform in matches is often a result of how you practice. If you want to get better and have your game grow, you have to take practice seriously. And not just "hit" with your friends. The only time you're in pressure situations to hit good shots are in matches. So, either take advantage of your practice sessions, or take the advice of a lot of people here and just enjoy it and don't worry about winning or losing.

 

[Dunlopkid]

My suggestion is convince yourself that you are practicing. This sounds easier than it is. But this is how you can go about doing it. While playing focus on ONE thing you are trying to improve, work on, or do consistently. It can even be something very basic that you already know. For example, keep telling yourself to brush up the bottom of the ball. If you simply force all your mental efforts into this area, most likely your nerves will go away.

 

[Robbie_1988]

It's funny I had this exact same problem last night. I went out to the local club to practice a few serves with my hopper when 3 dudes over on the other court asked me to fill in as a 4th for doubles.

We rallied for about 5 to 10 minutes and it was business as usual. The game starts and I start hitting them with pace and they land well in with a few winners tossed in for good measure, but then by the 3rd game or so, I started getting tentative after seeing a few of my shots go out. That mindset made me hit my shots more softly yet they were still going out. This of course in turn made me even more nervous which made me miss more and the vicious cycle continued spiralling downwards.

By the end, I was thinking "I hope he double faults so I don't have to mess up the next shot", it was horrible. I was no longer playing to win, I was just playing not to lose hoping they would screw up. Every shot of mine was so soft and yet they all went out.

I even resorted to dinking but my chips and pushes seemed to soar wide with the sidespin but I could execute them perfectly during practice. I felt I was letting my partner down on every shot even though he didn't really react negatively. I was surprised he even put up with me for that long. Even when I was lobbing them, they would go right to the opponent at net and he would whack it right at my partner's feet and I'd have to appologize. Man they must've thought I was a complete idiot but were too polite to say it.

I've also been playing just over 2 years now and the only conclusion I could offer is to play more matches against many different people. I dunno how much this helps but just thought I'd share it since it was very similar to your situation. I'm not saying I'm a good player or anything but I do know for a fact that during practice or when it's only "for fun", I play much better than that hideous performance.

Mate! That is exactly how I feel when I play. For me its a constant spiral downwards. I'll make a few errors and go soft. Going soft and tentative makes me make even more mistakes. I'm still working at getting better LOL. I'm so mentally weak.

 

[Fuzzless]

try twisting your face up before you hit the ball. i'm serious, it helps you focus your energy. like, open your eyes up really wide and put on a wicked smile with your tongue in the side of your mouth before you hit or something like that.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

try twisting your face up before you hit the ball. i'm serious, it helps you focus your energy. like, open your eyes up really wide and put on a wicked smile with your tongue in the side of your mouth before you hit or something like that.

wtf...

 

[Jay27]

try twisting your face up before you hit the ball. i'm serious, it helps you focus your energy. like, open your eyes up really wide and put on a wicked smile with your tongue in the side of your mouth before you hit or something like that.

That's seriously funny! I think I'll try...lol.