99% in during practice, 99% out during points!

[Pisolino227]

Hey guys, I'm on the verge of quittig tennis. I'm super consistent durig practice, but as soon as we get into point play I can't keep a single ball in. It's destroying me mentally and I'm pretty much on the verge of quitting. I'm a usta rated 5.0- it's not like I'm new to this sport. With the people I play I feel like if I don't hit a great shot on the first ball I'll lose the point. I don't know what to do anymore :-(

 

[LeeD]

Play the mental game of rally tennis. Don't first strike, instead respond to your opponent's forcing shots, making them hit a few (and you too), before the first forcing shot.
It's a mental game. But you have to be confident of your speed, your fetching, and your abililty to hang in thru long boring points.
Pretend you're playing wuss tennis, each point lasting longer than 10 shots, with the winner just more consistent than the loser.

 

[Donny0627]

if you have made it to 5.0 then absolutely dont quit

 

[drakulie]

How did you get to 5.0 without being able to keep the ball in play during matches?

 

[LeeD]

I can sympathise and understand.
At the peak of my tennis skills, I was S/V and first strike only, never relying on fetching, running, getting, or getting the ball back. It was either winner or loser, loser more often, which is why I'm a falling level player now.
I never said I was smart.

 

[Chanto]

Stay with tennis. Play more matches with people you lose to often if you can, make friends so that there's less pressure to win. After a while, you will do better.

 

[Pisolino227]

This has started within the last six to ten months.

 

[supineAnimation]

How did you get to 5.0 without being able to keep the ball in play during matches?

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Have you gotten the yips or something? I gave lessons to a guy in CA years and years ago that developed some weird mental meme where he would panic on nearly every groundstroke he tried to hit and they'd either fly into the fence or bounce before the net or he'd whiff altogether. But it was pervasive and had nothing to do with whether he was playing or practicing. He took a month off and it was gone when he resumed playing. But he was a solid (southern CA) 4.5 and he had very good technique and mechanics. It was when a catcher suddenly can't throw the ball back to the pitcher from a crouch: total mental. If that's what you're talking about, maybe take a few weeks or even more off from playing or hitting altogether?

Other than that, I'm with drakulie... it doesn't make sense.

 

[Pisolino227]

I made a few adjustments to my strokes, and decided to take balls much early than I used too. Like I said this problem has arisen within the last 6 months or so. A sports psychologist told me it's the yips and gave me all these anchoring techniques and told me to do a lay off etc etc. It's only getting worse.

 

[aceX]

I think this happens to everyone to some extent. Although practice may seem to be preparing you for match play, in this case it certainly isn't. I'll give you my inexpert suggestion; take it or leave it:

Turn every practice session into a match, with your complete match routine. Get your hitting partner to read this and do the same, or if you don't want to do that just tell him "I'm gonna thrash you today", it should have the same effect. Get on your game face and tell yourself you want to win. Tell yourself that the match actually matters and that there's no way that you'll let yourself lose. Psyche yourself up, you've trained hard to get to your skill level, you're not gonna lose today. Do a normal pre-match warm up but just a warm up and then get straight into a serious match. Play every point as if there's a million dollars and a GS trophy on the line.

If you're doing it right 99% of your hits should be going out during these practice matches. This is good. Keep doing the same highly-strung, psyched up practices until gradually that 1% in will become 99% in and this should flow on to your proper matches.

In the end you may be playing your practices with such high intensity that your matches will feel like a breeze.

Good luck

 

[fuzz nation]

I'm actually thinking in the opposite direction.

Sometimes in my singles matches I'll actually say "rally mode" to myself so that I think more about the consistent grinds that I sustain on the practice courts. If I can resist becoming too amped up, I can stay loose and more consistent. For my personality, this is a useful cue. Most of my intensity is ideally about good movement and getting set up for more shots sooner. Then I can take more swings without any rush.

I play a good deal of doubles and that mode of constant aggression can be not so good for me when I bring it to a singles setting. If I can resign myself into that rally mode, I can resist quick sucker shots that I'm likely to miss and usually stay more comfortable hitting even six or eight shots before seeing any opening. Otherwise I'll want the point to be over after hitting no more than three or four balls, no matter what's happening.

 

[EP1998]

How are you practicing? Are you playing with any pressure or doing dead ball drills? I would start with building some pressure into your practices and see how that goes. For example, only allow yourself one serve. Start the game down a point. Bet your practice partner lunch or a six pack of their favorite frosty beverage.

The next bit of homework you have is to be honest with yourself about this new game plan and execution of taking the ball early. You might not be as technically sound with this yet as you want to be. Therefore when you are under pressure, your technique breaks down a bit because you dont own it yet. Give it time. Also, do you have a game plan associated with the new technique? How does it play into how you win points? It could be that you are somewhat uncertain out there and this is making you tight.

Something else to try is a reset plan between points. Maybe something like the four stages from Jim Loehr.

Another thing is what else is going on in your life. If you have a lot on your mind, work problems, stock portfolio tanking, relationship, looming decisions, all can impact your ability to concentrate on court. Sometimes competitive tennis is just that one extra thing your mind cant handle. This happens in the pro ranks too so dont worry about these people questioning that you are a 5.0.

No one is good at tennis all of the time. Everyone goes through slumps. Just let yourself go through it, try to fix it, but dont beat yourself up over it. You will get through it and be a stronger player from the experience.

 

[brad1730]

Do you feel that you are in the same shape as you were 6 months ago? Are you from a cold climate? 6 months ago you were coming off the summer season. We're just now starting our summer season. It seems a shame to stop now - just as it's getting warmer.

 

[UCSF2012]

Maybe become a pusher for a few matches. Or a semi-pusher (go enough to keep it in, but not enough to be a winner outright). See if you can find your range, perhaps.

 

[GetBetterer]

Study your opponent during warm-ups. Do they go for more forehands, or more backhands. Do they practice both first and second serve? Do they come up to net? This all shows how your opponent will play, and I hope it builds your confidence of winning.

 

[tennisguy2009]

do what I do, don't keep track of score at all
so some opponents might cheat a few points off you once in a while by changing the score
big deal its only a game, not like its your career at stake
if you have no idea of the score you can just hit the ball.

Same thing goes for thinking about how you are hitting the ball, (ie do not think are my feet in position?, are my shoulders turned? etc etc), rather just think about what you want the ball to do, not how you are going to do it. Visualize where the ball is going to go and how its going to fly after you hit it.

My choice in choosing the ball path almost always means sending the ball to where my opponent is not, I think that is really the key to tennis, sending the ball to where opponent is not, that always creates problems for all types of opponents, and you really don't have to think about it, because its that obvious.

I'm 5.5 level. all the above works great for me. I play absolutely 100% identical at match point when im going to lose, match point when im going to win, in matches and in practice.

 

[skyzoo]

do what I do, don't keep track of score at all
so some opponents might cheat a few points off you once in a while by changing the score
big deal its only a game, not like its your career at stake
if you have no idea of the score you can just hit the ball.

Same thing goes for thinking about how you are hitting the ball, (ie do not think are my feet in position?, are my shoulders turned? etc etc), rather just think about what you want the ball to do, not how you are going to do it. Visualize where the ball is going to go and how its going to fly after you hit it.

My choice in choosing the ball path almost always means sending the ball to where my opponent is not, I think that is really the key to tennis, sending the ball to where opponent is not, that always creates problems for all types of opponents, and you really don't have to think about it, because its that obvious.

I'm 5.5 level. all the above works great for me. I play absolutely 100% identical at match point when im going to lose, match point when im going to win, in matches and in practice.

So should I forget about the score and ask my opponent what the score is every time I go up to serve? Forgetting the score is near impossible for most.

 

[aceX]

If I can resist becoming too amped up, I can stay loose and more consistent.

That was my whole point about suggesting your practice be more "amped up". The reason you're hitting well in practice is because it's relaxed and the match is more tense. Telling yourself to relax in a match won't work because physiologically your body is not relaxed. By forcing your body to have a physiological reaction to your psyche-up in practice you can see what's happening. More importantly you can become accustomed to the pressure. If your practices are not intense but your matches are; a tightness in the arm is not surprising. Train under pressure and you will be confident that your shots will hold up under any amount of stress.

I think this is part of the reason that Nadal is money under pressure. He goes through the exact same high-intensity rituals at the beginning of every match and is ultra focused and determined during every single point. I've heard commentators say that while other pro players will practice in a relaxed manner, Nadal will work the same shot over and over with intensity. This level of intensity does not feel uncomfortable to him because he is used to it. That's why for the 2010 season thus far Nadal is number 2 in the break points saved category even though his serve is not huge.

Personally I could never stay loose when facing break point. If there's one thing you can be sure of in tennis it's that those big points will eventually come and catecholamines are going to be dumped into your blood stream like it or not. If you've practiced with intensity you'll welcome the pressure because you know you can handle it.

 

[tennisguy2009]

So should I forget about the score and ask my opponent what the score is every time I go up to serve? Forgetting the score is near impossible for most.

yeah you should forget the score, at the very least not be thinking of it in the middle of a point, maybe you cannot forget the point score in a game all the time, but the games score in a set is very easy to lose track of, if you just let it go....

and your opponent will tell you whats up, you dont have to ask the score ever. When a game is over they will swap sides or hit balls to you or request some balls, signifying the game is over.

its not that hard

 

[fuzz nation]

Definitely agree with the idea of practicing with a purpose and that general focus that I need when trying to keep it together in competition.

 

[Kostas]

I'm also with drak...

OP makes ZERO sense...

How do you get to 5.0 and then get the yips like this? How do you get to 5.0 and not have dealt with something like this two or three times along the way and not know how to deal with it?

Something doesn't add up.

 

[LeeD]

I suspect OP is fully exxasperated with this match play, and as such, spices up the percentages just a touch.
I know I do/did, when I was falling out of my zenith, I"d say dumb stuff like ..."can't hit ONE friggin forehand", or "zero % first serves", or "hit every half volley short for a sitter"....
But those are just the one's that stand out, really maybe 30% of the time.
And those happen only during tough matches against my level, or against player well above my level.
Some players rate themselves by who they play. Some rate by playing lower level players, some rate by playing higher level players.
I know, as a player, I suck.

 

[Pisolino227]

I'm also with drak...

OP makes ZERO sense...

How do you get to 5.0 and then get the yips like this? How do you get to 5.0 and not have dealt with something like this two or three times along the way and not know how to deal with it?

Something doesn't add up.

99 percent is extreme--I'm just super pissed and I'm hitting with higher level players that force me to hit way better shots. If I drop a single ball short it's almost always game over. Subsequently, I've gotten into this habit of trying to come out of my shoes on every single shot--and in the course of this my shot selection has completely gone to hell along with the rest of my game. If I tone it down and try to keep it in, these guys step right into the shot and tool me all over the court. I don't know how to settle down and find the balance.

 

[LeeD]

Hear ya...
Seems the better players respect me more for being myself, NOT overhitting, staying within my parameters, and they choose to hit with me for whatever I give with my normal shots.
Better to take some off, get the points going first, then add the extra oomph gradually, until you miss.
I get most compliments on the CONTROL of my volleys, not the putaways, and the motion of my serves, not necessarily it's effects on them.
Maybe it's better to be yourself, and allow the other's to see you as you really are. They will come to you if they want to, or avoid you if they don't, but either way, it's OK.

 

[Racer41c]

I made a few adjustments to my strokes, and decided to take balls much early than I used too. Like I said this problem has arisen within the last 6 months or so. A sports psychologist told me it's the yips and gave me all these anchoring techniques and told me to do a lay off etc etc. It's only getting worse.

A couple of ideas:

* If your taking the ball earlier that would imply you have to make another adjustment if you want to keep the ball in.

* During practice increase your margin, Should keep you in points and the game.

* Check your feet, are you moving more while hitting? Happy feet always results in long balls for me.

Just some food for thought.

 

[BMC9670]

If you're a 5.0, this sounds more like a mental block - like MLB shortstop Chuck Knoblauch had. He was a top pro and developed a condition where he couldn't accurately throw to first base. It's a mental block. Happens to musicians as well.

Maybe try and take some time off, or try meditation?

 

[aceX]

Did you get past your block, Pisolino?

 

[new_tennis_player]

This is not unusual, even for top athletes. As someone mentioned, some of the best baseball hitters on the planet sometimes break down and can't get a hit for long stretches.

Elite pitchers sometimes give up a load of runs in consecutive starts. Sometimes, these "down periods" can last several seasons, or forbid, sometimes these elite pros never regain their form.

The odd thing about tennis is that there is no "offseason." If you have a chance, consider taking a couple of weeks off from tennis altogether. Try a different sport, and come back to tennis "fresh," with a desire to play, rather than an obligation to be perfect.

 

[Ripper014]

Play the mental game of rally tennis. Don't first strike, instead respond to your opponent's forcing shots, making them hit a few (and you too), before the first forcing shot.
It's a mental game. But you have to be confident of your speed, your fetching, and your abililty to hang in thru long boring points.
Pretend you're playing wuss tennis, each point lasting longer than 10 shots, with the winner just more consistent than the loser.

Aren't you the guy that praises first strike tennis?