Tips To Play Tennis In Relaxed Way

Tennis matches are stressful. We all want to win them, but the outcome is uncertain. But unlike all that can go wrong in a match, rituals are entirely under a player’s control. Concentrating on a simple, controllable and repeatable sequence of actions reduces fearful thinking and helps you relax.

- Allen Fox, P h . D

To get an idea of how rituals work, try the following exercise: Hold your index finger up in front of your eyes, about a foot away. Focus intently on it while moving it slowly up, then down, and then side to side.

Now, while you were focusing on your finger, what were you thinking about? The answer is, of course, your finger. The point is that your mind tends to concentrate on one thing at a time, attenuating other thoughts.

On court, there is a helpful ritual I used when returning serve. First, feel nothing when a point ends—have no emotional reaction at all, whether you hit a great shot, missed a sitter, choked or got a bad call. This will keep you emotionally balanced as you start to prepare for the next point.