Second Set

[krizzle]

I lose the second set in a hurry. Often, it's when i've won the first set. Twice this year, i've won a set (6-4 or 7-5) only to lose the second 1-6. Several times i've almost climbed back (down 5-0, have momentum back, lose 5-2) What do I do? I've heard things such as "start each set strongly," or "Pretend you didn't win the set and you're down" or things like that. Why does this keep happening to me, and how do I avoid doing this?

Thanks,
K.

 

[LeeD]

Try a little. Don't take it for granted.
Remember, when you opponent loses the first set, he TRIES A LITTLE HARDER on the second set.

 

[MyFearHand]

Personally if I lose the first set I'm going into the second set even harder than I went before. Often times in the first set I don't go for my shots as well as I should and my whole game starts to feel really mechanical. If I lose playing like this then I think hey what do I have to lose and really start hitting like I should and going for more winners etc. I'm also going to try to run down anything I think I have a 25% chance of getting to or more. Basically what I'm trying to say is you should be more afraid of most opponents in the second set if you beat them in the first. They're mostly going to come out playing their best tennis and really wanting to take it to a third set.

 

[BU-Tennis]

Most people feel like they should continue playing the same way in the second set as they did in the first after winning the first set. Now this works often, but many times people take this piece of advice too strictly. That player you just beat in one set is not going to be playing the same way in this set, and often times they start playing extremely different.

The trick to not losing the second set is squashing any hopes of your opponent early on so he feels completely defeated, and this often just leads to them going for insane shots and the match is quickly yours. If you can hold strong the first three games then you've reduced his confidence he can come back, and if you can break him the first couple games then they will probably just lose fast.

The way I do this is too start hitting nice high percentage shots, nice and deep into the court so they can't attack because often that player is trying to be more aggressive. However, playing more aggressively rather than more conservatively may work for you, but remember do not be afraid to change it up.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

I think psychologically you have a hard time understanding that tennis is not like sports with a fixed time. You can't just build a lead and then run out the clock.

In tennis, nothing matters until the last point is played. You need to get this mindset in order to play your best. It helps prevent complacency, and it also helps to get you through the rough patches when your having a bad couple of games.

In your next match, try reminding yourself that your goal is to win the last point. Regardless of the score in the first set, all you care about is match point.

 

[mikeler]

Check out Brad Gilbert's take on this situation:

http://books.google.com/books?id=FXv-L3RajRwC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&dq=wounded+bear+happy+camper&source=bl&ots=N1WkA15o5L&sig=FLFrbA0AsAFgfIGbbgJIvcOUpa4&hl=en&ei=c7zTTfzVIcuztwensYHACg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=wounded%20bear%20happy%20camper&f=false

 

[fuzz nation]

Once again, I agree with our pal BU-Tennis.

One of the most useful mental disciplines in tennis can be learning to forget the overall score and get comfortable with planning your attack for each individual point. Take a second before the start of each point, whether you're serving or receiving, and revisit a simple plan in your head in terms of how you want to at least start the point to try and get control of it. You might decide to do the exact same thing for several consecutive points, but this ritual can be good for keeping you sharp and "in the moment". When the action starts, you'll already know what you want to do.

This sounds simple, but it can be mentally demanding and you may need to practice this ritual by playing tie-breakers during practice grinds. Do a mental check-in on your plan before each point. As you get used to this method, it can make the overall match score have less of an effect on your energy and outlook. It's usually much easier to concentrate on winning a point instead of an entire match. Learn to only win the point... lather, rinse, repeat.