Confidence

[user92626]

Folks,

How much does confidence alone affect you? How much difference in your game?

Anecdotal story, I have played with this guy for 2 years, and at first he seemed pretty weak to me. We played at least 4 times (I can't remember exact number anymore) and I always beat him handily. Even one time I gave him 2 games in advance. I like playing with this guy since he's kinda like me, competitive, and kinda always strive to get better.

Last July I was running a knee injury which I underestimated. We played and he beat me. I took 3 weeks off to recover. Came back and he beat me another set again. (Somehow all my rec opponents refuse to play best of 3! Only league opponents do that). Ever since he thought he own me. (He showed that thru trash talking. )

OTOH, frankly these two losses kinda eroded my confidence a little. I only worry that if I push too hard my knee injury would come back. I'm already not 100% leg healthy like before. That's all.

Last weekend we have an opportunity to play again. He came in with so much confidence, which seemed amazing to me, whereas I was cautious and honestly felt I needed to try harder than I remember I had to in the past. I beat him 6-2, which is like the beginning, but it didn't feel the same.

 

[jga111]

Just look at Nadal and you know how confidence affects a player.

Certainly affects me. Often with some games I put pressure on myself and until I'm in a certain situation in the match I can never play loose.

Sometimes you have to start from the beginning again, take small baby steps, and build it up...takes time, but it will come.

 

[user92626]

Someone in the Pro section said that it would take just one match against Federer for Nadal to get back. Hehe poor Fed.

You know, I am trying to gauge how much a role confidence plays in a match. It definitely affects my game, but is it to a point that can turn a game?
I tend to think NO, unless it's between nearly equal players.

What else can you do when you feel the result isn't on your racket!?

It's interesting for me to observe how much pressure we put in this recreational business.

 

[Easy Rider]

It affects every1, it is just how you deal with it

 

[user92626]

It affects every1, it is just how you deal with it

So how do you deal with it and get out ahead?

 

[sureshs]

Just do what you can. Lack of confidence is not the problem with rec players - lack of skill and stamina are.

 

[GuyClinch]

Lack of confidence is usually a warning sign that you should prepare/practice more. I always feel more confident if I have been playing regular then if I have missed some time. I don't think lack of confidence shouldn't be interpreted as a flaw. Often people who lack confidence have good reason too.

Would you be confident that you could go out and throw a first pitch over the plate? Probably not - that's why people go out and practice or take some warmup throws. Now if you are professional pitcher you would be confident - that's because your mind knows you can do it.

 

[eaglesburg]

Sometimes just taking a leap of faith and really believing in your strokes helps. Make sure you keep your head and eyes at contact - if you are truly believing in yourself you won't doubt that the ball will go where you want it to. Just pretend you are a pro and let it rip.

 

[user92626]

The more I think about the issue of confidence the more complicated and confusing it becomes. At first my thought was like GuyClinch's -- it's all about your skills and practice. However, there have been many instance that I put others before me because of the way they behave, their attitude, ie dominant, and I end up playing the way they want. That's never good for me or anyone in that situation.

 

[Easy Rider]

So how do you deal with it and get out ahead?

There are few things that undermine confidence. Selfdoubts (makes you don't wanna do certain things or play like you usualy do), unreal demands ( perfect is enemy of good), attention on errors (you get stucked in the past moment).

you want to (before a match): Find your zone (recapture moment, match, set when you played brilliantly and try to identify good details), visualize (yourself hitting in perfect form, flawless, totally commited), positive self talk

during a match : Discipline (executing your patterns and playing the game your way), task at hand (point after point after point)

It is not easy, but thinking bad about yourself or playing in parallel match (creating possible scenarios) doesn't help at all.

Play with joy, always in the present moment, with high energy, disciplined


not much written, but hope this makes sense

 

[Kara Sanchez]

Lots of really good points above. I can definitely see how confidence can be directly related to your skills and your ability to execute. I also think it's tied to your own view of yourself and abilities. I've run into plenty of people who have inflated views of their abilities. Yes, they're confident - but they're also unable to deliver. In terms of confidence, I actually just had the opposite happen to me - so I definitely understand where you're coming from. I'm basically a noob, and at my local court, there's a guy who's been harassing me since the summer started (I briefly mentioned it in another thread). My confidence has completely gone into the ground. I legitimately felt like I couldn't do anything right. My partner even realized that I started apologizing sometimes after making a shot, even if it was in the court. I was finally able to enjoy tennis again by rearranging my whole schedule, but I was convinced by then that I was terrible and stupid for even playing (self doubt x20) - and it basically sucked. Fast forward to this weekend when I played a doubles tournament with a friend - I found myself legitimately bored by the match I was playing. I was so focused on perfection due the verbal abuse I'd gotten before, I was blind to the fact that I really was improving. To be confident, I think you've got to be able to objectively see your own progression, without letting in other influences - as difficult as that might be.

 

[user92626]

Easyrider,

That's lots of good points. What's "playing in parallel match (creating possible scenarios)"?

 

[user92626]

Lots of really good points above. I can definitely see how confidence can be directly related to your skills and your ability to execute. I also think it's tied to your own view of yourself and abilities. I've run into plenty of people who have inflated views of their abilities. Yes, they're confident - but they're also unable to deliver. In terms of confidence, I actually just had the opposite happen to me - so I definitely understand where you're coming from. I'm basically a noob, and at my local court, there's a guy who's been harassing me since the summer started (I briefly mentioned it in another thread). My confidence has completely gone into the ground. I legitimately felt like I couldn't do anything right. My partner even realized that I started apologizing sometimes after making a shot, even if it was in the court. I was finally able to enjoy tennis again by rearranging my whole schedule, but I was convinced by then that I was terrible and stupid for even playing (self doubt x20) - and it basically sucked. Fast forward to this weekend when I played a doubles tournament with a friend - I found myself legitimately bored by the match I was playing. I was so focused on perfection due the verbal abuse I'd gotten before, I was blind to the fact that I really was improving. To be confident, I think you've got to be able to objectively see your own progression, without letting in other influences - as difficult as that might be.

Couldn't sound more familiar to me!

It's a bit much to have to basically rearrange your life to avoid some guy.

Sometimes I think if there's nothing for me to learn, I may as well take the opportunity to work on my confidence. Easier said than done, but I think an easy "trick" is to play dumb and deaf. Basically you ignore their verbal and body language.

There are just some individuals that we can't completely be ourselves with them.

 

[Easy Rider]

Easyrider,

That's lots of good points. What's "playing in parallel match (creating possible scenarios)"?

You play a match and between points, games, on changeover you think about possible scenarios : if I miss that then ... If I win this point then etc etc
You a re not focused on things that happen, but on things that could happen. So match passes by and you have "empty minutes" where opponent makes a gap ...
you are not "now and here".

 

[GuyClinch]

The more I think about the issue of confidence the more complicated and confusing it becomes. At first my thought was like GuyClinch's -- it's all about your skills and practice. However, there have been many instance that I put others before me because of the way they behave, their attitude, ie dominant, and I end up playing the way they want. That's never good for me or anyone in that situation.

Well to clarify its not just about the skills and practice - you need to put those into game situations so you become used to applying them. Then you have an handle on what you can and cannot do well on the court. if you have that - you should have the appropriate level of confidence. The people that you run into that seem to beat you with confidence..I think mentally their self talk is simple. It's like - I see guys with a game like this - I know what to do and how to do it to beat them. Even if I am losing now - I will win in the end because I have played guys just like this before..

This is why people recommend a mix of practice and competition.. The other mental tip is to not get too down on your mistakes. It's important to remember that mistakes will help in tennis and that sometimes you just make a mistake - not that you did anything wrong. Like a shooter in basketball - you might miss a jumper but you don't stop taking that shot. And that's because you are confident you can hit it.

But there is a flip side to this - sometimes you are not confident for good reason. Can't hit an overhead well - well no reason you should be confident about hitting them. Lack of appropriate confidence could hold you back.. But confidence on its own won't help you win.

 

[user92626]

GC,

If you've played long enough at a popular city court (probably most people have), you'll recognize that there are a group of players with whom you feel you know their shots well and there's not much they can do to "hurt" you. They can play very well, hit amazing shots -- and they do on many occasions -- but they generally can't beat you. You just handle their shots and games well.

Then, there's a different group of players whom you don't feel you "own" them. They don't necessarily hit good shots -- most of the time they don't -- but somehow you play as crappy as they. During a game with a player from group B, you miss a crappy shot and you're thinking...how come I could handle a shot much harder than this from group A but not now? What makes group A feel so easy, inspires you to play beautifully but it's really opposite with group B.

I have lots of instances like that.