Do “get in your own way” when playing in tennis tournaments? Does your mind game sabotage your tennis game during matches? If so, you may need to learn how to “get out of your own way.” You might be thinking: What does it mean to get out of my own way?
When a tennis junior is unable to get out of his own way, the mind is interfering with his physical talent. In a general sense, your mind sabotages your learned tennis skills. Your mental game of tennis is misfiring and causing the body to tighten up.
But another more specific view of getting out of your own way is when the mind is simply over-active. Most of the time, tennis juniors who can’t “get out of their own way” try way too hard, force their strokes, think too much about technique, or overanalyze.
I’ve done a lot of research with athletes performing in the zone. Most athletes when playing in the zone are able to get out of their own way and perform without the mental handcuffs of over analysis. Some players described their play as if they were observers (of their own performance) allowing their performance to just happen. They talk about playing on autopilot.
If you are guilty of over thinking or trying too hard, which most perfectionists do, you try to be perfect or force your strokes on every shot. This leads to a breakdown in trust in which you lose confidence and freedom of movement – you over-control your strokes.
When you are able to let go and get out of your own way, you will play freely, on instinct, and without feeling added pressure. You tennis mindset is to “just do it” and trust what you have practiced – a critical component of peak performance in tennis.
To help my readers get out of their own way, I created “The Fearless Athlete” CD Program, which is the fourth addition to The Confident Athlete series.
“The Fearless Athlete” program is ideal mental game of tennis preparation for perfectionist players who over-control and over think their performance.
Learn how to improve your mind game for tennis and become The Fearless Athlete