Playing Mind Games Can Provide Boost on the Tennis Court

By Angelika Sadar
Guest Columnist

Middle State Court Reporter – Summer 2000

Jimmy Conners once said, tennis is 95% mental.

Many players know a match can be won or lost based on their state of mind, but few know how to control their mental game.

Staying focused on the match is easier said than done. A lack of concentration during a match, losing one’s cool after a poor return or thinking negative thoughts will often cost a match. As a result of sports psychology, we know that our mental state can affect our psychological state.

Our psychological game sets the limits of what we can do; our mental game lets us do it. Considering that about only 25 to 33 percent of playing time involves the mechanics of hitting the ball, players who use sports psychology techniques regularly have a distinct advantage over those who do not.

Players of all levels can benefit from using the time between points to improve their chances of winning. For example, the time between points can be used for deep breathing, which relaxes muscles and results in more fluid movements.

Just as strokes and playing strategies are developed sequentially, a mental game plan must start with the knowledge of what can be controlled. Following are some sports psychology techniques to practice and to begin incorporating in your game.

Imagery: This involves realizing how your body will feel as you hit the ball; how your body will be positioned on the court; the sound of the ball hitting the strings and where the shot will land. Using imagery before each shot will let your mind know what is about to happen. Once your mind is prepared, chemical changes in the brain tell the muscles how to react. Practicing imagery before each serve will let your body know what your mind wants it to do. It also prepares your muscles for the actual activity. Using imagery is an integral part of any successful player’s game.

Letting go of negative thoughts: Tennis is not a game of perfection. Every player will make more than one error in a match. This is to be expected. Confident players know the importance of not dwelling on a poor shot and moving on to the next point, always anticipating a positive outcome. Negative thoughts create negative energy that diverts the mind to memories of negative shots. Negative thoughts lead the mind to recall prior negative events. The negative thoughts trigger muscles to recall those past negative shots.

Memory in place, our muscles are prepared to engage in a way that is consistent with the negative thoughts. The next time the same shot presents itself, we have increased the likelihood that we will miss it again. When a missed hit occurs, (as it will), the player who can replace the image the poor shot with the shot they had wished they had made will leave an imprint of the desired shot on the brain’s memory. An average match requires 900 to 1,000 decisions, each which must occur within approximately one second. The player whose brain has an imprint of positive shots is more likely to hit those positive shots.

Play to have fun: Of course, everyone likes to win. Paradoxically, the more we think about winning a match, the more difficult that becomes. The best thing to do is to focus on the point being played at the time. If we are thinking about the outcome of a game, set or match, our minds will be trying to focus on two things at once; the point being played and the set outcome. This confuses the mind, which, in turn, does not know which signals to send to the muscles. Consequently, when we think about winning the match, we lose focus on the point being played and jeopardize the very thing we want. Rather than playing to win the match, those who play to play their best on any given point will have more fun and are more likely to win!

Tennis is a game of habits - habits that are learned and reinforced. The best players at any level develop the habit of being responsible for their own shots, emotions and scores. Just as you work on practicing your mechanics, so must you practice your mental game. This is something that can be practiced while driving, doing routine chores or any other common activity.

The skills practiced off the court can be taken onto the court. Once you have practiced your mental game during lessons, drills or friendly games, begin to incorporate it in your competitive matches and watch the fun begin!