12 Points to get a better Tennis Mindset for matches

mindset Jun 16, 2022
Liam Broady

Not only Tennis but in life

I thought it appropriate to dedicate this Mental Edge Friday to the tennis mindset needed for matches, since it is the grass court season and I’m coaching Liam Broady, going into our 5th Wimbledon together.

I also contend that being able to compete effectively at the highest levels of tennis is a recipe for competing in life so even if you’re not a tennis player I’m confident that you will identify with much that I write and hopefully learn something new as well. 

 

The fears you face

In order to give yourself the best chance of winning, it is firstly necessary to understand some fears that players face before a match.

 

Losing

The most common fear is the fear of losing. This fear causes players to tighten up. They play a very cautious game style even when they know that it’s not their best, not what they practise and yet still hope that somehow the opponent will lose to them. This is possible if their opponent feels the same way, but clearly at the highest levels, players need to express themselves. 

 

How good the opponent is

Another common fear is players thinking only about how good the opponent is and about their strengths. They are anxious about how to combat them without ever fully considering and committing to their own strengths. They are thinking more about delivering their best game for the opponent to worry about.

 

What other people think

Some players get paralysed when they worry about what other people will think of them, especially if they lose. 

This is also very common when a player faces a large show court for the first time and cannot shake off the nerves worrying about the crowd if they don’t play well.

Liam did very well at Queens, overcoming the feelings that were overwhelming him when he played against Marin Cilic at Queens on Centre Court this week. Although he had played on a big court before, including centre court at Wimbledon, this was different because he knew he had a real chance of winning.

The first set was played with a racing mind thinking about how badly it was going, but he could use his tools and pull it round and make it a very close three set match that he almost won.

 

A Tennis Mindset

A huge key to a good tennis mindset and mental toughness is learning that it’s not that the nerves and chaos in the mind won’t happen. That somehow you will grow out of them completely. It’s having creating the strength to make sure you use your tools and routines to turn it around. Inexperienced players think of using their tools after the match or are so panicked that they feel helpless and not strong enough to use them the moment it’s needed. 

 The fact is rarely will any tool work immediately. Mental strength is about sticking to your process of how to overcome nerves, panic, overwhelm, worry, etc. Until your mind calms down and focuses. A strong tennis mindset is remembering where the light switch is in the dark. Being brave enough to move and still look for it, if panicked rather than sitting frozen with fear of the dark.

Included is a podcast on an ATP Interview with David on Liam Broady's Tennis Mindset in preparation for Wimbledon

 

 

 

 

Mental fatigue

Mental fatigue can also occur if a player stresses and overthinks for days or a night before a match. To the point where they get little sleep, so by the time they walk on the court, their energy is severely depleted. They are completely flat, almost numbed to the outcome. 

Players worry about so many things such as not playing well, being the favourite. Letting people down, being embarrassed on court if they make a bad or stupid error or not executing what they practise and therefore never playing to their potential.

 

Normal thoughts

These thoughts are normal, so a starting mindset is to accept this. Build a bullet proof routine and strategy of how you will tackle whatever your big fears or anxieties are and focus your mind on implementation until you overcome the overthinking and can focus. Be aware that this takes years of practice until you get to a point where rarely you feel overwhelmed. The best players in the world are the bravest and the most relaxed because they have used their tools so often that they trust themselves implicitly to use them when needed.

 

Prepare without considering the possibility of losing 

Another strategy is to know that you can lose but to prepare without considering the possibility of losing. Imagine the boxer going into a world title fight. Thinking about how he will avoid being knocked out or losing on point rather than focusing on how he is going to punish, knockout and beat his opponent. You cannot consider losing until you have lost. Until the last point, no matter how slim the chances are, play to convert the slim chance. 

Always remember that whether you do things the right way or the wrong way, you will win and lose. So why not train yourself to do the things you know will help you in the long run? See what happens rather than focusing on one short-term win when you have a career to consider.

 

Here are 12 points to help your Tennis Mindset:

 

1. Belief - knowing that you can win is all you should need to have the confidence to fight with enthusiasm

2. Detailed preparation - leave nothing to chance. It’s not just talented players who win, it’s players with good preparation who win.

3. Be creative - in how you approach your problems, so you find what works for you. Every player must find their own recipe for success.

4. Be brave - no matter what the consequences, if you know it’s the right way for you to play.

5. Find a coach- who is knowledgeable and makes you feel like a winning player.

6. No Shortcuts -Winning players will not look for shortcuts. They trust the work over many years. 

7. Be hungry - A successful player is always a hungry player and they must keep the hunger to keep improving.

8. Avoid Complacency -Winning can create complacency, and complacency is cumulative and destructive to a winning mindset.

9. Know discomfort -It’s uncomfortable moving into new territory until you know the power of discomfort. People are always more afraid of their light than their dark, of what they might do than what they can’t.

10. Know the conditions - Winning is learning to produce a high level performance in unfavourable conditions.

11. Change Mindset -Results do not facilitate change, a change in your mindset facilitates results.

12. Learn to win - You can learn how to win. It usually takes longer than you want or think.

 

Click below to download your free infographic on the 12 Points:

 

Written by 

David Sammel