How to Gain An Advantage over other Players
All tennis players seek to gain an edge over their opponents….
Maybe you have tried new equipment or hired a personal trainer.
Possibly, you have changed your diet, playing style or training regimen.
Perhaps, you have revamped your strokes or serve with the help of a coach.
All these strategies can benefit your game without question.
Novak Djokovic, ranked No. 2 in the world, realizes having an edge over your opponents is everything in tennis and believes the greatest advantage to develop is mental toughness:
“Over the last 10 years, tennis has become a much more physical game. That’s partly because of technology, as the new tools allow us to generate much more power than before. You have to be ready to face even 6 hours matches. In the end though, the mental strength is the one that gives you the greater advantage.”
Developing your mental toughness is like learning a new serve.
Just like changing your serve takes a conscious choice, developing mental toughness also requires a conscious decision.
When you start down the path to a new serve, one attempt will not cut it. Getting your serve match-ready requires commitment, dedication and practice.
In the short term, it will not feel natural, but the end result will be a better serve and a new level of play. The same is true of mental toughness.
Mental toughness requires a commitment to improve your mental game and give full effort—for the long-term, not just this week.
When tennis players or tennis parents ask to come in for one mental training session, I have to stop and educate them on what I really do. There is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to mental toughness. You have to commit to the process.
Tips For Becoming Mentally Tough:
- Understand that, like you physical skills, mental skills take time to develop. Stay committed to mental training through the ups and downs.
- You want to apply mental skills, such as refocusing, when you are practicing, not just in matches.
- For every match you play, you want to assess your mental toughness and what you can improve for the next tournament.
Related Tennis Psychology Articles
- How to Maintain Focus Early in Tournaments
- How to Manage Stress When Playing Tennis
- To Be the Best, You have to Beat the Best
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Improve Your Mental Game for Tennis
Tennis Confidence 2.0
“Tennis Confidence: Mental Game Strategies for Tournament Players” is an audio and workbook program to help tennis players, coaches, and instructors improve the mental game of tennis is just 10 easy to learn sessions. Tennis Confidence: Mental Game Strategies for Tournament Players Audio and Workbook program is ideal for any junior, collegiate, and tour professional player. Tennis coaches and instructors would also be wise to teach the strategies “Tennis Confidence.”
Tennis Confidence is a complete mental training program developed Peak Performance Sports. You learn the same strategies Dr. Cohn teaches his tennis players to help them improve mental toughness and consistency – from managing unrealistic expectations to coping with perfectionism.
Read more about Tennis Confidence Program>>