Please help my mental game

[TraceR]

Today I played a match that started out great. All my attack shots were working, my serves were strong, and next thing I know, I'm up 5-0 in the first set. I thought I had it in the bag. I was playing with a lot of confidence the whole time, and figured I could close it out without much difficulty.

But of course, that did not happen. My opponent started winning games, and I started losing confidence with each one. He eventually got up to 5-5, and by that time I was frustrated and playing very badly, missing a lot of shots.

I wasn't tired or distracted by anything, it was just my mental state that did me in. I've always had difficulty closing out matches, but this was a real eye opener, and I know I've got to do something about it. The whole time I would try and tell myself to not think about the score, or to just let the other guy make the mistakes, but none of that worked. This wasn't even a serious match!

If you guys have any advice on how I can completely disregard the score to avoid this dilemma, I would appreciate it. What goes on in your mind when you try to close out a match? How do you keep up your level of play?

Thanks!

 

[dozu]

Zen and Art of Poker

 

[Limpinhitter]

Focus on executing your gameplan, and your shots, one at a time. Let the score take care of itself. If you are having difficulty closing out matches, it is because you are distracted by the score and imminent victory, and you are not executing your gameplan and shots the way you were when victory was not imminent. We've all been there. It takes discipline NOT relish the "thrill of victory" too soon, and to remain focused on gameplan and execution until it's over.

PS: Don't overlook the fact that when an opponent is down 5 love he/she will often feel the inhibition of having nothing to lose, feel less pressure, and actually play better than earlier in the set/match. You have to remain focused on your gameplan and execution and will be ready close out the match when your opponent come back down to Earth.

 

[ATP100]

No matter what the score, remember, its just practice.

 

[Fuji]

I think the biggest thing when closing out a set, regardless of score, is to really just keep hitting. Don't let yourself lull into a relaxed/sleepy state. I know it happens sometimes to me, where I'm up 5-0 or even 5-5, I just sort of lull and let the pace slow way too much! I even noticed that some opponents start to drag out the match once the day dreaming sets in they'll really just start really long senseless rallies and such!

Just really focus yourself and avoid the senselessness!

-Fuji

 

[TraceR]

Good points guys, thanks for the advice! I'm angry at myself for doing stuff like this in practice matches, because I know it will just be worse in tournament play. I tell myself that I'm not out there to win so much as I am there to get better through the practice, but I know deep down I really do want to win, and that's why I start getting nervous when I get close.

I need to figure out a method for letting myself forget the score, somehow. How do you guys pump yourself up near the end of a match? How do you keep focused?

 

[Caesar]

When I'm playing a service game, I don't even keep score. I'm just constantly focused on where the next serve is going, how I'm going to execute on the next point, how he's going to return, what I will do if he plays in certain ways. I get so caught up in this that a lot of the time I will be moving across to serve the next point and my opponent will be walking to the chair because I've won the game.

You just focus on hitting that next stroke. Strokes turn into points, points turn into games, games turn into sets, sets turn into matches.

The great thing about tennis is that it requires a lot of constant thinking and concentration. Contrast it with golf - another sport that requires intense concentration. A big part of why the reason the yips is such a massive problem there is because they have so much time between strokes to think about the wider situation.

Tennis doesn't have that problem. There is so much to think about in what you're doing at that moment that it's surprisingly easy to get lost in what you're actually doing and forget about the score.

If you really have trouble tearing your thoughts away from the score, it might not be a bad idea to practice some basic mindfulness techniques. Stuff like when you're doing something routine try and concentrate 100% on that task. For example, if I'm doing the washing up then I'm not thinking about what I'm going to do next, or what I did earlier, or what the time is. I'm concentrating on being aware of what the water feels like, what the suds look like on the dishes, what the detergent smells like, etc. The washing up is my entire world for the 10 minutes or so that I'm doing it.

Sounds a bit airy fairy, but it's surprisingly difficult - and it teaches you to control your thoughts far more effectively. If you master it then not only will it make you a better tennis player, but a less anxious/more mentally controlled person in general.

 

[SStrikerR]

Hit the ball, don't think about the score.

 

[TraceR]

Is it impolite to not keep score while you are serving? Usually it's the server's job to keep score, at least with the people I play with. You are right though, I would rather not have to think about it.

 

[ATP100]

Good points guys, thanks for the advice! I'm angry at myself for doing stuff like this in practice matches, because I know it will just be worse in tournament play. I tell myself that I'm not out there to win so much as I am there to get better through the practice, but I know deep down I really do want to win, and that's why I start getting nervous when I get close.

I need to figure out a method for letting myself forget the score, somehow. How do you guys pump yourself up near the end of a match? How do you keep focused?

Practice match, hitting with Roger Federer, tournament's, they are all the same. Practice. Keeping score is just practice. If you can keep that mind set, it will work. If you can't, tennis is not the problem, find a solution outside of tennis.

 

[Zachol82]

If you guys have any advice on how I can completely disregard the score to avoid this dilemma, I would appreciate it. What goes on in your mind when you try to close out a match? How do you keep up your level of play?

I'll tell you what works for me. Since everyone's mentality is different, there's no guarantee that it will work for you but at least you'd have another option to try.

Focus on your actions, not your thoughts. If you just hit a bad shot, figure out what you did wrong and fix it. For example, most people shorten their swing and don't follow through correctly when they're under pressure because it "feels" like a big swing and thus give the false impression that you will hit the ball out. You must first REALIZE that "hey, I didn't follow through correctly on that shot," then just follow through despite what consequences MAY happen. Don't think about the IF's and the MAYBE's, just FIX your mistakes.

If you strip the game of Tennis down to just being out there and performing certain sets of actions at specific time, then that's really what it is. Focus on what your body is physically doing. If you hit a good shot, don't "feel" good and congratulate yourself, since that will sometimes lead to a follow-up mistake. Rather, you should FOCUS on what your body did CORRECTLY at the time so that you can repeat it again and again.

Hope this helps.

 

[fuzz nation]

Good points guys, thanks for the advice! I'm angry at myself for doing stuff like this in practice matches, because I know it will just be worse in tournament play. I tell myself that I'm not out there to win so much as I am there to get better through the practice, but I know deep down I really do want to win, and that's why I start getting nervous when I get close.

I need to figure out a method for letting myself forget the score, somehow. How do you guys pump yourself up near the end of a match? How do you keep focused?

You can only win the match when you're playing a match point, so stop trying to do it through the rest of your outing.

Pop quiz: What's the difference between serving at 15-all in the third game of the first set compared with receiving when you're down 40-15 at 4-all in the 2nd set (and you're also down a set)?

My answer: Nothing. All you can do is use your best plan to win that next point. Match point is no different than all the others that led up to it. You can actually practice the ritual of planning the next point, playing it, then "wiping the slate clean" and planning the next point. I call this learning to count to one. Try working on this during your workouts by playing occasional tie-breakers, but you can also remember to do it during matches.

Calm down - it's your responsibility to announce the score when you're serving. Do it and then get back to your plan for this next point. It's easier to deal with many small tasks one at a time compared with trying to move an entire mountain in one huge push. Plan the point, play the point, repeat. Do it long enough and after a while, you'll realize that the mountain is about eight or ten feet away from where it was when you found it.

 

[halalula1234]

Happends to me so much but i eventually just very recently found a way to overcome this..

I also realise that a lot of people who gets angry are people who likes to hit winners and they loose patience and become angry/mentally worked when they miss their shots.

I do not know how to explain this but for me in the past i would get angry and loose patience and sometimes abuse my racket. and THINK TOO MUCH about past points or my opponent's winners etc....

Once i stopped showing too much emotions and kept a straight face and just forgetting the errors i make and just GET ON with the game like its a new moment with each point. So when he hits a blazing winner and shouts "come on" or do whatever to get into your face, just ignore him...turn around and continue with the next point... I didnt realise it was that simple..just dont let your emotions control you..after that i started to win more tough matches and when you do it once you will know what to do next time.

Im still not perfect at it but I really feel that i am doing much better mentally this way and this actually help me win a lot. I hope wat i jst said help you in a way as well.

 

[DeShaun]

Remind yourself of your game plan. It should be clear and simple. E.g. "Hit the ball to his (weaker side)...keep it away from his (stronger side)."
Stay relaxed so you can better make your shots. If your game plan on balance has been working, its continued relentless execution on your part can be a godsend to keeping your mind on the right path when the match is becoming a very tight affair.

Often times you can ride It out, or stave off those emotionally troubling swings in a match's momentum when everything seems to be favoring your opponent; it may take only a single error, or an instance of bad shot selection on his part to disrupt his flow. If this happens and he sees that, during the while when he was enjoying a monopoly on the momentum, you never once seemed perturbed or ruffled, the mere sight of this can amplify his dread; now, he could be sensing that the balance of bon chance is leaving him and shifting over to you, and that his best chances thus far, for crushing your spirit, have come and gone. Now it may be his turn to ride out (or try to interrupt) your mini-purple patch. At such moments, if he is not the strongest competitor, he will have to exert himself mentally if he is not to tighten up.

Many matches are won by the guy who (as the saying goes) reacts to those good times--those purple patches--just as he does the bad times, by being the more relaxed, more detached player throughout both periods, and kind of waiting to see how the other guy actually handles the very biggest points. You must still go for and hit all of your shots, but by refusing to let go of missed or blown opportunities you gain absolutely nothing. So, let it go, whether it's a winner from your baseline you hit through his legs just inside his baseline, or a dinky poke he annoyingly pierces your defense at net with, just let it go.

The easiest way I know of letting go is by never attaching to begin with, so there is nothing to separate from. NEVER STAY ATTACHED TO A POINT AFTER IT HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT BEFORE AND WHILE IT IS BEING PLAYED ALWAYS HAVE A CLEAR INTENT. Constructing a point one stroke at a time, take your very best (not necessarily hardest) shot, but make sure to let it go immediately after, or else you could negatively affect the very next shot that you will have to hit.