Hey guys!
I’m glad to see you made it… especially on a Monday. I want to address something that I saw some of the best players in the world suffering from this past week in the 2009 French Open.
I mean this “something” was everywhere, on the courts, in the stands, in the (…soft drinks). Ok not the soft drinks… laughing. But it definitely had a major affect on last week’s tournament results.
That “something” is the idea of doubt. The concept of doubt is an element that you want to avoid at all costs… if at all possible. Now this is easier said than done, I know.
The reason for that is because, many times, it’s something that you usually don’t see coming right away. It often appears without warning, and before you notice what’s beginning to take place, it’s already too late.
That’s why I refer to it as the “silent killer.” By the time you recognize your sense of uncertainty, it’s already started to take over your core, which is your mind, and eventually the match.
Hey, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an amateur playing in the park on weekends or big-time pro. Sadly, doubt comes for everyone. California local, Alexa Glatch, got a heavy dose of it in her match against Lourdes Dominguez from Spain.
After storming out the gates of the 2nd set to a 5-2 lead, her nerves took over, eliminating her chances of closing out that set and her hopes of winning the match.
“I wasn’t exactly sure what to do, I think, at times,” “You know, it was just that little bit of doubt that cost me.” Said Alexa.
Don’t get it twisted though. Just because doubt won this battle doesn’t mean Alexa is some kind of push over. Tons of players were experiencing doubt and problems of uncertainty last week. It has nothing to do with skill set. It’s all in your head.
And that’s not just me who thinks this way. Fabrice Santoro, a very seasoned tennis vet, echoes the same feeling. He said this game has changed from when he started to play.
The danger of doubt has never been more critical than in the today’s game, when every player fights tooth and nail like a pit bull shredding a T-bone on like every single point. You have to be fierce and almost mentally invincible if you want to win out there.
Now what Santoro said is true, but don’t get discouraged. There is still hope 
. Although, it’s rare to see the warning signs, there is a way of preparing for a “doubt attack.” You can protect yourself by being prepared and possibly guard against it having an affect on you… EVER!
How? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you probably won’t become invincible. But if you understand why doubt, in your sport, in this case tennis, is created in the first place, then you’ll elevate your level of awareness and give yourself more mental protection in the places within a match where its most likely to rear its ugly head.
In tennis, doubt is mainly allowed to attack you through two common mental handicaps (1) Self Comfort and (2) Fear of Failing.
| 1. Self-Image: This is commonly referred to as the way a player feels about his or herself. It’s extremely important for a player to maintain a positive self-image if he wants to be successful out there on the court. If athletes do not feel good about themselves, their performance will take a huge blow.
If a player has a negative self-image, it can shatter any hopes of a positive (…winning outcome), even is he is one of the most gifted athletes. I see this happen a lot when players find themselves deep in a hole on the losing end of a match. I mean, they were OK when the match first started, but when their opponent would get the best of them for a few points of even a few games in a row, they started to get down on themselves. They begin to worry and “doubt their own self-worth which is directly connected to one’s mental core. They begin to internally question their own talents and ability to win the match and even wonder if they should be out there at all. I mean it was obvious. It shows in the negative body language amongst other things. And then, your opponent sees this and begin to smell blood. This form of doubt often appears when a player has a sizable lead in a match, say 5-1 or 5-2, and they don’t want to mess it up, so they start playing tentative. They “doubt” that they can finish the job they started. So, they go away from what got them in that position, which was their game plan, then start playing “not to lose” instead of “playing to win.“ I mean, you probably have your circle out there, family and close friends, and want to do any and everything NOT to let them down… even it means playing out of character. And if you lost, you would just be devastated and embarrassed. And see, this sort of overwhelming pressure you put on yourself creates breathing problems, muscle tension, and panic which are some of the worst things that you want to tangle with during a match. |
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These two doubt forms greatly affect an athlete’s ability to perform at the highest level, but you can make sure this doesn’t happen to you by following the two following steps.
1. Have a positive attitude - A positive attitude will make sure you have a fighting chance to win every match you play. Even if you just hit a bad shot, focus on what you did correctly. You’ll see an immediate improvement in your overall play.
2. Stick To Your Game Plan. When the pressure is at it’s greatest, when you’re trying to close your opponent out, remain calm and execute your the same strategies that helped you get to 5-1 or 5-0. Nothing else matters. If you lose, it’s not your fault. Your opponent just played better. But at least, you made him EARN IT! That’s what’s important.
Have a great “doubtless” week guys.
Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp.com
