Glass half-full or half-empty?

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

In general, do you view the glass as half-full or half-empty and how that does affect your tennis? When you're down a set, do you always believe in your ability to come back? If you're playing poorly, are you confident that it will pass?

I tend to be a "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" type of person which I think translates well to tennis: it allows me to adapt quickly [hopefully].

 

[swizzy]

tennis is awesome. you can get blown out in a set and completely change gears and win the next.. woody allen said it best.. i believe that the glass is half full, of poison.

 

[stapletonj]

half full, every time

where there's life, there's hope.

(and if you are a Christian, even when there's death, there's even more than hope)

sorry, it IS Sunday morning after all...

 

[fundrazer]

My philosophy is if you fill the glass halfway, then it's half full. If you drank half, then it's half empty

But actually answering the post...it depends. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I tire out as matches drag on, leading to more errors. Not swinging as fast as I need to be or something. Although I remember the last match I played. Was absolutely awful in our warmup. Was really awkward because I was shanking or mishitting everything. I was nervous because of that, but I guess it didn't really bother me that much. I ended up streamrolling the first set and going up a break in the second before my level of play started dropping off.

I guess it's like this. I know I can play winning tennis and turn a match around or calm some nerves, but as it stands, I don't necessarily trust myself in a match that goes three sets. At som point I know the errors will start coming Stuff to work on I guess.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

I tend to view the glass as completely full- half water, half air ( or some other combo). And, of course, there is the glass, itself. That's gotta count for something. But, does the glass restrict the contents or lend them shape/form?

 

[Fusker]

I'm an engineer, so I see the glass as twice the volume it needs to be.

 

[Mongolmike]

Depends. Is the glass really glass, or is it plastic and the general term glass is being used instead?

I answered "what glass?" because I would have to say pressure in tennis really does not bother me. I embrace it, realize everyone faces it - maybe many times in a match... no big deal. League, tourney, social... whatever.

Plus, if it is my serve, I am always confident. In fact, I am surprised when I can't hold serve. I don't have a big serve, but I do have a good+ 1st and second serve... couple that with the "no pressure" attitude... I expect to hold serve. When playing doubles, I always am ok with serving first (and want to serve first). Start of a tie break, even with only one serve... I'll serve, I don't mind. So even if I'm down, but it is my serve... let's go.

Of course there are plenty of times when I've not held. Times when I've doubled faulted on game point or a few times on match point. It happens, but I don't feel it was a pressure influence... it was a technical error IMO, no different then times I've doubled fault at 15-15 or something.

So bring me another bottle, I'll decide if I need to use a glass or not.