Perhaps
the single most important mental ingredient professional tennis
players such as Jim Courier and Monica Seles need for success
on the tour is self-confidence. Entering Centre Court at Wimbledon
to play the finals against a hard serving, net rushing opponent
can raise doubts in even the best players. But these professionals
overcome uncertainty by learning to control their thinking
and maintaining a positive attitude.
Recreational players experience the same sorts of problems
with their self-confidence. Have you ever been in the club
championships or a tight tiebreak and had thoughts like "I
can't win this" or "I know I will double fault and
lose the match"? Fortunately, recreational players can
use the same techniques that the pros use to develop their
self-confidence and maintain a positive attitude.
Tennis Player's Litany. In order for muscles to get stronger,
they have to be exercised. The same holds true for the "self-confidence
muscle". One exercise I have developed working with tennis
players is the Tennis Player's Litany (see side box). This
series of positive self-statements acts to train you to think
positively. Even if you do not believe the Litany at first,
if you tell yourself something enough times you will start
believing it. For best results, the Litany should be said
out loud before you go to sleep at night, when you get up
in the morning, and parts of it can be used before and during
matches.
Active Positive Thinking. There are two steps in learning
active positive thinking. First, you must stop making negative
self-statements. To prevent this, it is helpful to have keywords
such as "stop" or "positive". Whenever
a negative thought enters your mind, you can say the keyword
which helps block out the negative thoughts. Second, you must
replace these negative thoughts with positive ones. When negative
thoughts pop up, you can immediately replace them with positive
ones such as "I can hit my backhand" or "I
can do better next game".
Think like a coach. How you coach yourself while playing can
also influence your self-confidence. There are two types of
coaching: negative and positive. Negative coaching is self-defeating
and emotional. For example, if you miss a shot, you could
say "I can't hit my forehand volley." This negative
feedback causes you to dwell on what you did wrong and have
feelings of anger and frustration. But if you think like a
coach, you can instruct yourself to correct the mistake. For
example, you could say, "I swung on my forehand volley,
but if I just block it next time, I can hit it well".
This approach provides information you can use to play better
and you will feel more self-confident and relaxed.
By using these techniques, you can go from being your own
worst enemy to your best ally. With a little time and effort,
this new positive attitude not only enables you to play better,
but it also makes playing tennis a lot more fun.
TENNIS PLAYER'S LITANY
I LOVE TO PLAY TENNIS!
I AM A GOOD TENNIS PLAYER.
I ALWAYS THINK AND TALK POSITIVELY.
I AM CONFIDENT, RELAXED, AND FOCUSED WHEN I PLAY.
I HAVE FUN PLAYING TENNIS.
I LOVE TO PLAY TENNIS!
KEEPING COOL ON THE COURT
Imagine the pressure that Steffi Graf or Stephan Edberg feel
in the final set of a Grand Slam event. Thousands of people
are watching, there is money and the title on the line. I'll
bet you have felt similar pressure in matches you have been
in. They might not have been at Roland Garros or Flushing
Meadows, but they were important to you.
Whether a touring pro or a weekend player, the reaction is
the same. Your heart pounds, your knees shake, your breathing
is shallow, your muscles get tense, and you feel lightheaded
and faint. You also have negative thoughts and you have trouble
concentrating. ANXIETY has just set in! At any level of tennis,
the ability to overcome anxiety will determine how well you
play. So how can you overcome anxiety and stay cool on the
courts?
Progressive Relaxation
One useful technique is called progressive relaxation. This
involves tightening and relaxing major muscle groups: legs,
chest and back, arms and shoulders, and face and neck. This
method enables you to control your muscle tension, so when
you are in a pressure-packed game situation, you have the
ability to relax and play better. Here's how to do progressive
relaxation:
Begin with the legs. Tighten your leg muscles up for three
seconds, then relax (do it twice). Next, do the same thing
for the other muscle groups. Finally, tighten your whole body
for three seconds, and relax. Progressive relaxation can be
done before the match, during changeovers, or between points.
Breathing
Another obvious, yet often neglected, way to reduce anxiety
is simply to take some slow, deep breaths. Deep breaths will
lower your heart rate and relax your muscles. Muscles can
not function effectively without adequate oxygen, so by taking
deep breaths, muscles will feel looser and you will be able
to play better.
Counter Irrational Thinking
Another significant cause of anxiety is irrational thinking.
Anxious players tend to blows things out of proportion. How
many times have you heard, "he is serving 300 miles per
hours", or "I haven't made a shot all day"?
So, to reduce anxiety, these statements should be countered,
i.e., show that they are not true. For example, it might be
useful for someone to point out that even Goran Ivanisevic
can't serve that fast or the fact that you just hit a great
backhand passing shot. When this is done, anxious players
usually see the absurdity of their thinking, relax, and are
able to play better.
Smiling
Perhaps the simplest and most hard to believe technique that
is effective in reducing anxiety is the act of smiling. This
does not mean finding something funny or laughing, rather
simply raising the sides of the mouth and smiling.
Smiling influences our feelings in two ways. First, we are
brought up believing that when we smile, we must be happy
and relaxed. Second, research has shown that when we smile,
biochemical changes result in a relaxing effect. So next time
you begin to start to feel the pressure, breathe, tighten
and relax your muscles, think realistic thoughts, and, most
importantly, SMILE!
STAYING FOCUSED ON THE COURT
One of the most difficult things professional players have
to deal with is maintaining concentration throughout the whole
match. With increasing pressure and fatigue, thoughts can
wander, resulting in mistakes and lost points and games. The
same thing can happen to recreational players during matches.
Things may pop into your head that have nothing to do with
tennis, for example, being distracted by players around you
or remembering what you have to do the next day. These problems
boil down to one thing: the inability to focus on the things
that will enable you to play well.
Good concentration involves focusing on only those things
that are necessary for you to play your best such as the ball,
your opponent, and yourself. Poor concentration involves focusing
on things that hurt your tennis such as other people, things
that happened yesterday or will happen tomorrow. Fortunately,
there are several simple techniques that can be used to improve
concentration.
First, when concentration begins to wander, reminders that
I call keywords can be used to refocus attention. When you
are distracted, you can repeat a keyword that enables you
to regain the proper concentration and reminds you to do things
that help you to play better. Keywords such as "loose",
"shoulders", and "attack" are common.
There are two good reasons to use keywords. First, repeating
these keywords out loud or to yourself blocks out the distracting
thoughts. Second, they remind you of things you need to do
to play well.
Another way to improve concentration involves using a key
object. This consists of picking an object to concentrate
on when you are playing. The most obvious key object is the
ball. You could also use the corner of the service box that
you want to serve into. Also, breathing can be used as a key
object to regain concentration. When concentration is lost,
you can focus on your breathing by taking deep breaths. It
helps you concentrate better and, by getting more oxygen into
your body, you are able to relax and play better.
It is important to emphasize that good concentration takes
time and practice. Here's an exercise you can use. In alternate
games, concentrate on something different and see what happens.
For example, in one game think about the ball. The next game,
focus only on your opponent. Finally, concentrate only on
your body. This exercise will teach you to be aware of what
you can concentrate on. It will also help you control your
concentration.
By practicing these skills, you will develop the ability to
maintain your concentration. But, if you lose your concentration,
you will also have the skills to regain it.
TENNIS IMAGERY
Mental imagery is a technique that has been used by the world's
best tennis players for many years. It is common to see professionals
close their eyes during changeovers and rehearse points. This
technique can also be used to help recreational players to
play their best.
Tennis Imagery refers to repeatedly imagining a tennis performance.
Tennis Imagery involves the total reproduction of actual performance
including visual, auditory, tactile, and muscular sensations.
Thus, it is more than just "mental" rehearsal. Tennis
Imagery can be used to enhance technical, mental, and physical
aspects of tennis.
Developing a Tennis imagery Program
1. Goal-setting - Prior to beginning the Tennis Imagery sessions,
you should ask yourself a question: What do I want to work
on? Your goal can be technical, mental, or physical.
2. Performance hierarchy - You can make a list of tennis situations
in order of the amount of pressure they provoke from least
to most. In between these extremes should be situations of
increasing difficulty and stress. You should be sure that
your performance hierarchy is consistent with your ability.
For example, if you are a beginner, then you should not imagine
yourself playing Boris Becker at Wimbledon.
3. Step-by-step progression - You should begin your Tennis
Imagery at the lowest step until you are able to perform well
at that level. Then you can move on to the next step. Your
goal is to imagine yourself playing well in your most pressured
match situation.
4. Tennis Imagery sessions - Tennis Imagery sessions should
be done in a quiet, comfortable place and should be done about
three times a week for 5-10 minutes. Doing Tennis Imagery
between points and on changeovers can also help.
5. What to imagine - During each session, choose a particular
opponent and setting, then in your mind's eye, play out several
game scenarios while working on your chosen goal. For example,
see and feel yourself hitting winning forehands or imagine
yourself being relaxed in a tiebreak.
6. Rewind the film - Tennis Imagery is like a film running
through your head. If you make a mistake, you should rewind
the film and repeat it until you do it right. You should not
let the error go by because then you are reinforcing the old,
bad images you are trying to change.
By using Tennis Imagery, you will find that will be more self-confident
and relaxed because you will actually be able to see yourself
playing well. Tennis Imagery can then help you to play better
and enjoy your tennis more. |
