Mind
Training for Tennis
- Tip 17
Winning
Body Language In Matches
http://www.tennispsychology.com
Nadal
and Federer have a fabulous rivalry going on at the moment, and
the mental side was evident in their recent French Open final.
A big part of Nadal's apparent "aura of invincibility"
when they play on clay comes from his powerful, positive body
language - that is, the way he walks, acts and behaves
on the court during matches.
This
has a massive psychological effect on both himself and his opponents.
We are going to discuss winning - and losing - body language today.
Body
language is one of the key factors that I believe affects Federer
when they play each other on clay. Federer has been
very much used to most players being already scared of
him before they even walk onto court - but Nadal is completely different.
Instead, Nadal's powerful body language - such as running all over
the court on his way back to the baseline before he begins the hit-up,
and his total appearance at all times that he believes
he will win - powerfully emphasizes that he is not willing to give
that kind of respect to anyone.
Sure - off the court he is highly respectful at all times,
but he (quite correctly) refuses to give this advantage to Roger
while they are on the court.
All
the top players have their own different types of body language,
which speaks volumes to their opponent without even having to say
a word. Serena and Venus Williams have very powerful
and physically intimidating body language, as does Andy Roddick.
Roger Federer and Justine Henin had a quieter and more form of subtle
body language, but which is just as powerful.
The
important thing to know is that body language not only intimidates
and affects the play of your opponent (which some players seek to
do, and others are not focused upon at all), it also has a powerful
effect upon the way you play as well.
Let's
discuss some of the body language aspects that will help to boost
your performance, and also the ones to avoid.
1.
Winners generally walk faster than losers on the court.
Always keep your pace in between points and games fast and confident
- with your head and shoulders up, never slumped.
Andre Agassi used to be a great example of this, while
Roddick is another. Moving confidently between points
and games has a powerful effect over your own mental attitude and
performance, and shows to your opponent that you mean business.
Avoid
slow walking unless you are deliberately slowing down the quick
pace of your opponent. Players who losing a match tend to
walk slower and slower as the match wears on, and their heads and
shoulders begin to drop lower and lower with each game - avoid
this at all costs! It will have a negative affect
upon your performance and boost the morale of your opponent.
Every
time you change ends and pass your opponent at the net, walk confidently
and quickly, and also do not show any exertion - breathe normally,
not heavily - and show them that you have heaps of energy left (even
if you don't!) - as this might start to bother them if they start
getting tired themselves.
So,
even if you are not winning the match, act like you are. This
really confuses your opponent. Basically you need to become - right
now - the winning player you wish to be in the future - and you
do this by behaving the way this future player would behave, walking
the way they this future players would walk, and playing the way
this future player would play, etc etc.
2.
Become "the machine" in your opponent's eyes. Never
show your frustration or annoyance to them in any way whatsoever
- hide it in any way possible.
Never
show your opponent that their game is "getting to you"
even if you are not winning the match - and eventually they will
begin to wonder just what it takes to get you down.
Let's
face it - no-one wants to play "a machine"! By demonstrating
a relentless 'Terminator' type of attitude on court, along the lines
of "I do not stop until I achieve my goal" -
it can psychologically and mentally wear down your opponent, and
cause them to make crucial unforced errors at important times in
the match. Lleyton Hewitt has won many matches from this attitude.
Of
course, it's fine to show positive emotions any time - just keep
the negative ones to yourself, or they will boost your opponent's
morale, and their game - which is the last thing you want to do.
3.
Create a winning feeling inside yourself during your matches,
to boost your performance. When you hit a fabulous shot or
win a big point, briefly squeeze your hand into a fist and say to
yourself "yes!". (You do this purely to yourself,
not towards your opponent). This reinforces the winning
feeling and help deliver optimum performance.
This is a great little habit to cultivate in your matches, to boost
your performance. While some players like to use this as an
intimidation tactic towards their opponents (which can
sometimes backfire, as it can make the opponent angry and more determined),
I am actually talking about using this method purely to strengthen
your own performance.
This
uses your great shots to help to create a stronger "winning
feeling" within your mind and body - which helps to deliver
a stronger performance from you as the match wears on.
Remember,
no-one even needs to know that you are doing this - this is purely
something that you quietly do, and say, to yourself - in order to
strengthen your winning mood.
4.
Everyone gets nervousness, angry or frustration at times - even
the champions. The key is to use it positively by channeling
these emotions into your shots rather than using them
for self-sabotage purposes, such as verbal self abuse,
racket-throwing etc.
This is also along the lines of "not showing any weakness"
to your opponent - and something the elite champions seem to have
over their lesser opponents - emotional control.
This
is not to say they don't get angry, frustrated or down - they do
- it's just that they know what to do with these feelings,
when they occur.
So
whenever you are feeling negative, nervous or frustrated in any
way, channel this valuable emotion into your shots, rather than
using it for self-destruction - leave that to your opponents instead!
Emotional
energy is very powerful and champions always seem to know how to
use it - the right way.
So
that's it - bringing these four principles into your game will make
a huge difference to your results, and will even allow you to win
some matches that you might have otherwise lost, because the "slight
edge" they create is often all you need to close out those
tight matches. Try it and see!
