Help with strengthening the mental game

[Wildman]

I've been working on the Wardlaw Directionals for a while with great results. During play, I routinely crush my opponent in the first set--last match I played I gave up only one game because of two unforced and avoidable errors.
Now, when I get into the second set, I usually trail far behind, conceding my two first serves and failing to break my opponent's. My unforced errors increase, and I usually double fault more often.
I know it's in part because I get tired and it's more difficult to concentrate and remember all the strategy points, but getting tired is part of the game. How have you solved this issue. How do you stay on course with your mental game when you're tired?
And also, it is due in part because my opponent's adjust their game and play better (or i get cocky). In any case, how do you retain mental strength for the long haul?

 

[Larrysümmers]

unless youre fitness is poor, for what ever reasons, i think its more of youre putting unneeded pressure on yourself. instead of playing the score, focus on playing one ball at a time, and have confidence in your strokes.

 

[DeShaun]

I think it is difficult to play very well when the serve has gone off its rails. In these second sets where you are dropping your first two service games, is that because your pace and placement have become much less heavy and accurate than they were in the first set, or it that rather because your opponent is finally getting a read on your serves and is starting to get his teeth into them?

How much of your poor performance in second sets would you say owes to his level rising versus your level dropping? My overall level almost always drops whenever I am wandering mentally during my service games. So, if I make an extra effort to hold my very first service game in the second set, this invariably helps to establish the preferred tone for the rest of the match. For what it's worth, I too am a fast starter who rarely plays poorly during the first set--I usually come out prepared to engage in a battle right away and tend to win many first sets. I think that establishing the preferred tone immediately at the start of the second set, by putting forth any extra effort needed to hold the first very service game, is extremely important for sending the message across the net: "Hey, you there, you are not off the hook yet. We now continue with your regularly scheduled beat-down," as opposed to saying, "Hey, would you mind dragging me to a third set while I catch my breath over here?"

 

[Wildman]

Okay, I think my opponents generally react with a bit of rage after being giving up the first set so easily, and generally play more aggressively in the second.
My most common problem is to chase the returns of serve, normally because I tend to land about a foot and a half inside the court, and also because serving does tire me a lot.
I think one of the best advices that I read above is to play one ball at a time. perhaps that's going to help me focus on something immediate.

 

[salsainglesa]

meditate daily.

 

[austintennis2005]

force yourself to things you dont necessarily want to do---for instance if you hate running try to run 3 miles or so and use your mind to push your body when you dont feel like doing it.... then push yourself to get a better time each time you run 3 miles...you have to push yourself against the pain barrier with your mind in training and against the stopwatch...at least this works for me.

 

[soderlingpower]

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

- Key to success in tennis + life
Try to block the world out and just have one thought in the mind, keep it simple like, "HIT THE BALL WITH GOOD CONTACT"

Keep thinking this or your own saying till you have focused.

Do this while playing and it becomes a good habit.

Help me choose some strings. Thanks.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=418347