How to Not Tense Up in The Critical Moments of A Tennis Match
I don't know about you, but I have found it to be very hard to play my best tennis under pressure. Almost all of the time, my body necessarily tenses up and my shots lose their rhythm at the precise moment I tell myself that the point is extremely important. I have always found this phenomenon to be fascinating, if not really frustrating.
After struggling with this issue for some considerable time, I became awfully interested in would it would actually take to attain a condition of peak performance during pressure-filled moments on the tennis court. What I have come up with is that the smartest thing I can do is tell myself regularly that, in the grand scheme of things, the match really doesn't matter that much at all.
Whether I win or lose actually will not make that much of an impact on my overall life, so why not just go for it? Having these thoughts go through my mind does seem to take the sting off the intensity of the moment. What I've realized is that pressure during tennis regularly appears when we get too attached to winning. If we decide that we actually don't give a damn if we win, then things have a tendency to settle down and we play better.
Many of us truly DO care, of course, if we win or lose. We are proud of winning and become heavily identified in competition. It is a rare person who can actually flourish in this kind of attitude. Many of us are far better off remembering that tennis is but a minor facet of life and has little bearing on our identity.
As you gain this perspective by telling yourself that winning or losing is relatively insignificant, I have noticed it's also helpful to take 1 or 2 deep slow breaths and to feel your hand relaxing around your grip. Whether I am serving or returning, I tend to focus on my hitting hand and keep it as loose as I can. This helps my entire body relax.
I am hoping these tips help you find a higher level in the key moments of your next match.
After struggling with this issue for some considerable time, I became awfully interested in would it would actually take to attain a condition of peak performance during pressure-filled moments on the tennis court. What I have come up with is that the smartest thing I can do is tell myself regularly that, in the grand scheme of things, the match really doesn't matter that much at all.
Whether I win or lose actually will not make that much of an impact on my overall life, so why not just go for it? Having these thoughts go through my mind does seem to take the sting off the intensity of the moment. What I've realized is that pressure during tennis regularly appears when we get too attached to winning. If we decide that we actually don't give a damn if we win, then things have a tendency to settle down and we play better.
Many of us truly DO care, of course, if we win or lose. We are proud of winning and become heavily identified in competition. It is a rare person who can actually flourish in this kind of attitude. Many of us are far better off remembering that tennis is but a minor facet of life and has little bearing on our identity.
As you gain this perspective by telling yourself that winning or losing is relatively insignificant, I have noticed it's also helpful to take 1 or 2 deep slow breaths and to feel your hand relaxing around your grip. Whether I am serving or returning, I tend to focus on my hitting hand and keep it as loose as I can. This helps my entire body relax.
I am hoping these tips help you find a higher level in the key moments of your next match.
About the Author:
To get more tennis tips click this link and visit my website. You can get some good information on tennis fundamentals by clicking here. Kevin Doherty is an enthusiastic tennis player and blogger in Superior, Colorado.