Mind
Training for Tennis - Tennis Tip
9
http://www.tennispsychology.com
How
To Win Matches You Should Not Win!
Often
in tennis, the player who should win, doesn't! Why?
Because certain players - even if they are playing worse than their opponents,
simply know how to win.
They
usually seem to manage to find a way, regardless of how they play on the
day. I like to think of this as the 'X factor', that intangible quality that all
champions possess, which pulls them through matches they should otherwise lose.
So how does this work? Why would the better player not always win? What is
the X factor? (and how can you get it?!).
The
number one quality a player can possess on court (and possessed
by all those who have the X factor) is an unquenchable belief
in their own ability.
This
belief means that, regardless of how badly a match is going, it
is still possible for these players to pulll out the win. This means
that at those times when they are down a set and two breaks,
and on the brink of defeat - they simply refuse to give up -
and refuse to lose.
This
never-say-die quality often brings them through many of these matches
successfully, which builds their self-confidence for future comebacks
whenever they have needed it.
Needless
to say, they also soon gained the great reputation as "the
player who simply cannot be put away" - and this begins
to put fear into their opponents even before they walk onto the
court.
At
this time of writing, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are truly developing
this X factor at the highest level, where they truly believe
that they can win against absolutely anyone.
At
the beginning of their careers, they would sometimes crack under
extreme pressure, but now they fear no-one. This is the X
factor - and all the greats had it - such as Agassi, Sampras, Courier,
Borg, McEnroe and Laver.
It
takes time to develop this level of inner belief, but once it happens, it transforms
the player and creates a new aura of confidence that follows them everywhere
they play.
An
on-court characteristic that is helpful in developing this
'X factor' is relentlessness, which I have spoken about before.
By
simply never, ever giving up, you often mentally wear
down your opponents until they can finally self-destruct
towards the end of a tough match - causing them to make uncharacteristic
errors or double faults at crucial times in the final set to hand
you the match a platter.
This
attitude of relentlessness helps you to set up a powerful inner mental blueprint
that says "I am unstoppable". This level of belief allows you to produce
your greatest shots even on break points down, allowing you to hit the
lines and play without fear.
Slowly but surely, this relentlessness causes a powerful
chain reaction. It turns itself into consistent results -
and consistent results means eventually being seeded in most
of the tournaments - and being seeded in tournaments puts fear
into your opponents.
Needless
to say, fear from your opponents only gives you more confidence.
Result? Success!
Now,
this relentlessness is not just something we want you to feel
on court, it is a quality we want you to display on court
for the benefit of your opponent.
The
more your opponent can see that you simply refuse to ever get disheartened,
slow up, or give up - the more disheartened they will
become! Not to mention that this powerful relentless body
language give your own game a big boost as well.
So
this quality not only helps you on your side of the net, it affects the
other side of the net as well! (It maybe be helpful to also read my tip on body
language from the archive as well - see links at bottom of this tip).
So
remember that if you are ever being totally outplayed in a match, don't
worry too much - it does not mean that you are necessarily going to lose!
Work on developing this X-factor and you will walk off the court a winner more
often, regardless of how you play.
