Fear and worry are normal – even the greats of the game have them. But you can learn to deal with it better.
The research of the opponent this coming weekend is finished. You found out that you have to play against someone who has a lower LK than you. But what you also found out is that this opponent won against two players you lost to last season. With a lump in your throat, you stare at your phone’s lock screen.
Fear and worry are a central part of every tennis player. Not only Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Stan Wawrinka have to fight with doubts and their fears – you too. Now as a human being one has the stupid characteristic of feeling these thoughts and feelings as negative.
But it is fears that warn us, for example, not to simply hug strange dogs or to drive more carefully on the motorway in heavy rain. In these examples fear is a good thing, in the forehand from the half-field, at 4:4 and 30:30, this fear is usually against us.
If you ask ten tennis players about their biggest problem, you will get the same answer in at least eight cases: the implementation of their training performance in a points match. What is loosely shot out of the hip during training resembles a tense balancing act on eggshells in a match. We will now see how we can throw away the eggshells and let the hips rotate forwards loosely even in the points game.
It sleeps much better when you’re prepared for the worst. The Chinese general and military strategist Sun Tzu summed it up aptly: “Deep knowledge means being aware of the disturbance before the disturbance. If you think about what you can do before the league game, if everything runs against you, you will be better prepared for these phases.
It can happen to you that you are so insecure in the first service games that you cannot play three balls at a time into the field. It is also possible that your opponent has a run directly and plays you every second ball as winner on the lines. Then you can bury the bat in the sand, feel bad and surrender to your fate. Or you can make an action plan for these possible scenarios before the game.
In case of your complete uncertainty and a shaky arm, you can decide not to play too close to the lines. Centered balls are sometimes even harder for your opponent to answer because of the complicated angle. You can also optimize the height of your strokes. The moonball between the T- and baseline is safer than the fast, flat ball along the line. To put your insecurities to the test, you’ll need a lot of punches. You can only get this if you concentrate on playing safely.
If your opponent plays you against the wall and you don’t get any chance to influence the game at all, then applaud. Tell your opponent how fantastic he is playing. Make a few funny remarks: “It’s crazy that I haven’t seen you at Eurosport yet!” It is always better to acknowledge your opponent’s performance and wait for this strong phase of your opponent to end than to tear yourself apart. This way you save the mental and physical energy you need when your opponent’s performance returns to normal.
A points game is a dynamic, constantly changing process. There is only very rarely a clearly defined line that runs through an entire match. Especially in the hobby area the craziest things happen on the court – and this within a few service games. Before you worry about how your game might go, you should relax. Of course you should go to the court with a match plan and of course it is important to align your tactics. It is not possible for you to plan the complete points game the night before. But you can think in units.
Units in our case are the following areas:
surcharge
Return
Ball change
Set up strategies for how you want to act in these units. You have an influence on that. Consider how you can vary your first serve. Think about how you want to change your position on the return if your opponent is a very strong serve. All thoughts on these stages are healthier than the headaches about the big picture. Tennis players tend to worry too much about the areas over which they have no control at all.
It’s amazing how quickly we forget. We never forget our smartphone, but painful defeats on the tennis court immediately. Checking off and moving on is a good advice that prevents you from becoming a better tennis player. The attitude of defeat is fundamentally wrong for many players. Everyone wants to avoid defeats and win. But how will you learn? Should your learning effect consist of 6:2, 6:3 successes? Or do you want to learn lessons from a 1:6, 1:6 disgrace that will improve your tennis over the years? Imagine if you weren’t afraid of losing any more. What would this do to your potential on the court? You could play liberated without lead arms or feet. Your head would be clearer, not scarred with doubt. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you lose and learn for your sporting future. Is that what you’re afraid of? I don’t think so.
It is difficult to apply all three methods. But if you manage to make friends with one of these methods and use it for your next points game, you will be more relaxed on the court and probably be able to perform better.