Tennis Psychology
The Foundation of Winning Tennis
Tomaz Mencinger
The field of tennis psychology is not just common advice
and tactical or mental tips. It is based on general and sports
psychology and then applied to tennis specifically. There
are many common elements in the psychology of tennis which
can be found in other sports too. An athlete that wants to
perform at his peak needs to learn:
1. How to refocus
Many players start the match with good concentration but
they drop their level of concentration because of disturbing
outside events, pressure situations, emotional reactions to
various events and so on. A player needs to learn how to quickly
and effectively refocus to be able to play his best tennis.
2. How to control his arousal -- to manage his intensity
and body energy
A player's arousal can be too high or too low and in both
cases he is not able to play his best tennis. Arousal affects
his body and mind abilities -- a player may have too much
muscle tension and his decisions are usually not tactically
intelligent. Learning to find the 'ideal state' is the key
in controlling one's arousal and one of the most important
aspects of tennis psychology.
3. What elements of the tennis game can a player control
A player may get upset (and it happens often) about an event
that he cannot control or even influence. For example -- the
noise of the planes flying over the court, windy conditions,
court conditions, his opponent's luck and so on. By being
focused on these events he wastes his energy which could be
used on elements that he can control -- his attitude and effort,
how he intends to play, …
4. How to control his thinking
Negative thinking affects players much more than they are
aware of. It affects body abilities in two ways -- being aware
of them (feeling tension) and being unaware (the pendulum
experiment); moreover it evokes negative feelings -- emotions
that cloud the player's judgment and affect his body abilities
-- again. By being more and more aware of what he is thinking
a player can then change his thoughts to a more positive and
solution based thinking. The awareness of our thoughts is
quite a challenge in the psychological approach to tennis.
5. How to use imagery
Imagery or visualization is extremely useful in almost all
aspects of the tennis game. A player can improve technique,
strategy, physical abilities and his mental preparation of
certain events. Another use of imagery is when a player misses
a shot and then quickly sees in his mind how he hit the ball
correctly. Using imagery is an incredibly efficient technique,
not only in the psychology of tennis but in everyday life
too.
6. How to build confidence
Confidence is one of those elements where tennis psychology
can help really quickly and with very simple tools. A player
who is not confident will hesitate in his decisions, will
be afraid to take risks and his shots will usually miss by
just a little. Doubt can be seen in reality as small misses
that happen regularly. When a player builds his confidence
he is able to play at his best and doesn't lose his hope when
a big challenge appears.
7. How to find and get rid of limiting beliefs
Limiting beliefs are one of the most limiting and troublesome
aspects of human's psyche. They are mostly deep in the subconsciousness
and are sometimes hard to find. A limiting belief for example
is when a player believes that he is not good in tie-breaks
and he will then self-sabotage himself in those crucial moments
to prove himself right. Having no limiting beliefs means that
the player is in total acceptance of everything that happens.
Outside events are just events with no meaning. The player
accepts them and deals with them.
8. How to empty the mind -- Inner Game principles to enter
the zone
There are three main principles of the Inner Game -- quieting
the mind , non-judgment and trusting the body. The player
must first learn to apply them in training. And when he experiences
these effects in training he knows what to look for in the
match. He then plays the inner game -- how to perform at his
peak. These are the fundamentals of tennis psychology and
by understanding these principles and applying them daily
a player develops mental toughness. He knows how to apply
the tools and as a very positive side effect gains a lot of
self confidence. He now knows that he has ways of dealing
with his own mind and that most of his competitors do not.
He is aware that he has the edge in the most stressful situations
in the match and that gives him inner strength and belief
that he can persevere through tough matches.
Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis
coach. He teaches tennis players how to apply tennis
psychology to make their mind their best ally. More resources
at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesfactory.com
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