Tennis: how to gain the mental advantage

These are the barely noticeable habits that you repeat while training, possibly without even realizing it. But what is their purpose?

From a mental standpoint, it's important that your head is in the right place to focus on your goals. Getting into a routine is beneficial in that it provides reassurance and gives you confidence because you know that everything is in place for the point to turn out well.

Finding your routine

During matches or training, you have probably experienced moments of extreme concentration when everything seemed to go your way. The idea is very simple: exactly replicate the same movements you did during these perfect rallies.

Just like certain professional players, habits can be small and discreet (replacing your stringing, taping the end of your handle) or even very obvious (repeating the same movements between each point, jumping). The main thing is that you find one or more habits that will keep your head in the game.

• Bounce the ball three times between each point.
• Focus on the desired shot.

Tennis is a sport where the body and spirit are constantly under tension, that's why it's important to achieve complete mental and physical relaxation. This relaxed state will be beneficial to your overall game.
Mental relaxation lends confidence and peace of mind to your shots and especially your goals while on the court. This will keep you from ending up in the "red zone", where it's nearly impossible to keep your cool.

Muscle relaxation benefits your whole body. The more relaxed you are while hitting, the faster and more powerful your shot will be. Staying relaxed also makes it easier to time your shot. But relaxation helps more than just the upper body. Effective footwork needs to be agile and light. It supports and enhances upper body relaxation.

How to achieve complete relaxation

Three simple tips:

• Before, during, and after the match, take a deep breath through your nose and exhale completely out of your mouth. Repeat 3 times an hour. It's essential to get oxygen to your brain, even more so while playing.
• Exhale while hitting. During a rally, the body is under a great deal of stress and tenses up. Often, the first sign of stress is laboured breathing, which causes the player to hold their breath. Remember to exhale deeply while hitting the ball to get oxygen to your brain and body. No matter if it's a powerful exhale or a grunt, you're sure to be more relaxed.
• Bouncing back and forth. Bounce back and forth between each shot or while waiting on your opponent to serve. This movement prepares you to move and establishes a rhythm for your footwork. It also helps you stay focused.

Stepping into the court without a plan? No ideas at all? There's no worse way to prepare mentally. That's why it's important to set goals and have a game plan in place. Playing with intention can help you reach your goals and concentrate completely on what you need to.

Setting goals and building a game plan

• Build a game plan tailored to you: what are your strengths? Forehand stroke, returning the serve? If one of your strengths is the forehand stroke, set up a game plan that you can use to dominate rallies with this shot. Be confident and keep it at the forefront of your mind. But be careful! If your opponent outplays you, you need to adapt and change tactics. The most important thing is to be confident with your game plan.

• Think forward to the next point: the next point is a new point. Reliving a lost point is the best way to remain stuck without a solution and give up on your game plan. Lose a point? You can't change it so move on to the next one!

This question may come as a surprise but it's what fuels your concentration once you step out on the court. But this question has to be answered because it's what keeps you focused and invested in the match or training.

Finding your answer
Of course, you alone can dig deep to find the answer to this question.
A love for the sport, your desire to play, better physical well-being, competition, rising to a challenge, relaxation or just having fun, we each have our own reason.  

Finding your purpose helps you keep things relative. "I know why I'm here! " In this way, you can banish intrusive thoughts from the court. Keeping things relative can help you gain perspective on the situation and the match's outcome. You'll be more focused than ever.

You know that concentration can be helpful on the tennis court, that's why we're proposing a few drills that will give you a mental workout and put you in the right mindset for your match.

How to improve your concentration

• During training, call out each shot while you're hitting. For example, if you plan to hit a forehand stroke, clearly call out in a loud voice "forehand stroke" while hitting.

• Watch the ball! But don't just watch the ball, watch the brand logo on the ball during each shot (Artengo probably! )

• Play with different coloured balls (bi-coloured balls are available from Decathlon). The drill is easy: each colour corresponds to a playing zone (orange: crosscourt, red: down the line) or a shot (orange: forehand stroke, red: backhand stroke)

We've gone over the mental side of tennis in the previous points, but what about when the whole match is on the line?

Here are a few tips to help you better handle the big points.

• Play your game: remember to keep your game plan and goals in mind and play like you have been throughout the entire match.

• Every point is different so focus on the point you're playing. whether it's 0-0 or 0-40, each point is a new one.

• Create your own luck, force change. Be bold with shots, try new things and take a few risks. Even if they don't pay off, most will help boost your confidence and even win the match.

• Never give up!