Mental toughness gives you the ability to perform at a high level even during times of adversity. During a tennis match, you may have to deal with unfavorable weather conditions, a cheating or better opponent, a hostile crowd or your own poor performance. Learning to deal with these problems before you begin a match will help you deal with them when they arise.
Focus Between Points
A big focus of tennis coaches who practice mental training is post- to pre-point preparation. Sport psychologists who specialize in tennis, such as Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Bryce Young, recommend pre-planned patterns. Loehr and Young, who regularly speak at the major tennis teaching pro conferences, recommend you immediately turn away from the net as soon as the point has ended. Put your racket in your non-playing hand to release tension and being to fix the strings as you walk back to the fence. Analyze the last point on your way to the fence, then prepare for the next point as you walk back to the baseline to get ready to serve or receive serve. Keep your eyes on your strings, opponent or the court the entire time between points -- don't look in the stands or at what is happening on the next court.
Pre-Shot Routines
You can keep your rhythm and calm yourself by performing the same movements before every serve or return of serve. Some players bounce the ball the same number of times before each serve, or spin their racket a certain way before each return. Whatever routine you choose, make it natural so you don't even realize you are doing it before each point. Perform these routines when you practice, so they become part of the point.
Recognize Choking
Choking is fear. When you begin to choke, you start to play conservative and change your strokes. If you have been hitting topspin groundstrokes, you may begin slicing the ball, which is easier. If you are losing, you may begin tossing the ball lower on your serve and staying down on your heels to get more control -- at the expense of power and spin. Learn to recognize when you are choking and what physical responses you may be doing because of it. This will help you correct those problems, such as going back to hitting topspin or tossing the ball higher.
Use the Score
Many players let the score scare them, causing them to lose confidence and play reactive, rather than proactive, tennis. Create patterns for certain scores. For example, coach Carlos Goffi labels a love-40 or 15-40 score a red light, and has his players play conservatively, trying to end the point in four to five shots. If the game score is even or within one point, he has players use a yellow light to signal caution, trying to end the point in three to four shots. When you are up 40-love or 40-15, he suggests thinking of this as a green light opportunity, going for it with an aggressive one- or two-shot point. Use the score to predict your opponent's frame of mind and likely shot selection and play points accordingly, rather than simply reacting to what your opponent gives you.
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