Every tennis player experiences pressure in matches and even in practice sessions, the only question is how severe is this pressure.
The main reason for feeling the pressure is focusing on the outcome which is something we cannot control. The outcome could be simply wanting to put the ball in, wanting to win the match, not wanting to lose the set, etc.
Every time you focus on something that’s not under your control you will experience pressure and your performance will drop.
Tennis is in my experience especially “sensitive” to mental pressure and it strongly affects how the body moves and performs.
In today’s video I share 4 tips on how to deal with mental pressure when you become aware of it whether you play a tennis match or just practice.
1. Watch the ball
2. Light on your feet
3. Long exhales
4. Focus on aiming into big targets
0:00 Intro – How quickly pressure comes up
2:30 Tips for managing pressure
source