Holy moses did I just choke!

[jerseybeemer]

I just played my first ever USTA league event. The local coordinator had her mixed doubles partner get injured and had been asking me to join the team so I could play with her. I am about a 3.5, but self ranked as a 3.0. She wanted me to play knowing that my self ranking would put us in a good spot to win.

I don't know what happened, but I had a mental block that made it impossible for me to hit a forehand. I mean totally impossible! All of my other strokes were totally fine, but I couldn't hit a forehand with any confidence and it literally felt like the first time i held a racket every time I went to hit one. I cleared the back fence during warm-ups and bounced a few on my side of the net.. I swear I typically have a very very good forehand, like most club players it's the center of my game. Tonight was down right embarrassing, i was forced to run around it and hit a backhand or otherwise just junk ball a deep forehand slice. Someone please tell me this has happened to them and how not to let it happen again.

Background...I play 2-3 times a week for about 3 years almost exclusively singles against other strong 3.5's. This has happened to me once or twice before, lasted about 2-3 weeks then just went away. HELP! I don't want to struggle with this for the next month.

 

[charliefedererer]

This quote is from Arthur Ashe, the great tennis champion, and champion of civil rights, AIDS awareness and the importance of an education:

"I don't care who you are, you're going to choke in certain matches. You get to a point where your legs don't move and you can't take a deep breath. You start to hit the ball about a yard wide, instead of inches."

Arthur knew and taught a lot about life and tennis. Obstacles and setbacks didn't discourage him, but instead inspired him. And he in turn inpired us.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

I just played my first ever USTA league event. The local coordinator had her mixed doubles partner get injured and had been asking me to join the team so I could play with her. I am about a 3.5, but self ranked as a 3.0. She wanted me to play knowing that my self ranking would put us in a good spot to win.

I don't know what happened, but I had a mental block that made it impossible for me to hit a forehand. I mean totally impossible! All of my other strokes were totally fine, but I couldn't hit a forehand with any confidence and it literally felt like the first time i held a racket every time I went to hit one. I cleared the back fence during warm-ups and bounced a few on my side of the net.. I swear I typically have a very very good forehand, like most club players it's the center of my game. Tonight was down right embarrassing, i was forced to run around it and hit a backhand or otherwise just junk ball a deep forehand slice. Someone please tell me this has happened to them and how not to let it happen again.

Background...I play 2-3 times a week for about 3 years almost exclusively singles against other strong 3.5's. This has happened to me once or twice before, lasted about 2-3 weeks then just went away. HELP! I don't want to struggle with this for the next month.

Yeah I haven't really encountered that problem specifically, at least not on my forehand side, that's my best shot to make. But I do get that tense tight feeling in matches, and it gets worse as you make unforced errors.

Taking deep breaths usually helps me out as does just kind of laughing at your own mistakes, and telling yourself hey I don't care if we or I win/lose/draw I'm just here to have some fun.

 

[jerseybeemer]

I wasn't that tense, a little nervous, but I didn't feel stiff or anything. All my other shots felt great, serve, backhand and volley's were about as good as I can hit. We actually won the match, and the second set was 6-1 because i totally threw in the towel on trying to hit a normal forehand. After we won I remember joking to myself that my forehand was so bad I might screw up the handshake. Someone tell me they have a "magic pill" for this...please.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Were you trying to hit it too big and show off your "weapon"?

 

[Larrysümmers]

I'd say just mellow out. Take a breather and just go step by step. think about the fundamentals of it and take it from there.

 

[jerseybeemer]

I wasn't trying to go big in any way, it felt like I was swinging with my left hand, I had no coordination at all. The only times it felt right was when a hard first serve came at my forehand, which tells me I psyched myself out because I only had to time to react to those shots and not think about my swing. Very frustrating, my partner was tolerant but I doubt she would of been if we had lost. Of course, she plays on 10 different teams and this was my first time ever playing a match that counted for anything. I think it was worse because I didn't want to let her down.

 

[charliefedererer]

and this was my first time ever playing a match that counted for anything.

Stress is real. You've got to do more match play to get over that added stress that competition brings. That little bit of adrenaline can give us strength, but can cause a lack of focus and interrupt coordination. As you grow more comfortable with USTA play, you'll be knockin 'em dead with that forehand. Don't worry about it. It's just part of the learning process.

 

[halalula1234]

when i get underpressure its usually my shots the require lots of concentration and prep that breaks down. But i have improve on this quite a lot over the months. Now it doesnt happend as much. I usually try to remain calm and not going all John Mcenroe/serena like i used to do, take a few breaths and clear my mind hahah and it works well i guess. u can try it might help.

 

[coach13]

Choking is believed to occur when an athlete pays too much attention to skills that have already been mastered.

Research shows that when athletes get nervous about performing, they become self-conscious. They start to over-think, trying to make sure that they don't make any mistakes. Consequently, the natural fluidity of performance is lost.

What can athletes do to insulate themselves from choking?

The answer to what goes through a star athlete's mind as the pressure mounts and the moment of truth nears is quite simply: nothing at all.

Athletes will be better able to insulate themselves from choking, if they can:

1. Be well-prepared.
2. Focus on the task at hand, rather than the outcome.
3. Stay in the present moment, rather than think too far ahead.
4. Shift focus to objective, rather than subjective, performance goals.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
editorial staff, sportsvisionmagazine.com
- training visual, cognitive and intelligence skills

 

[gameboy]

What you experienced is quite common. There are a ton of club players who play .5 level or higher during practice or rallies, but cannot reproduce the same shot in USTA matches.

This is also the reason why it is impossible to rate someone just from a video.

Things will get better as you get more experience and your body acclimates to the match pressure. But it will take time.