Tennis is a series of psychological challenges. That's why sports psychologists help athletes channel their anger positively and develop focus. In this article, a writer from paperhelp.org legit service, one of the four steps players take to avoid psychological problems on the court and achieve maximum productivity.
Understanding the instruction
We've reviewed the videos. We provided athletes with footage of their matches, literally thousands of hours of footage, and noticed that often winning and losing depended not on what happened during the match but on what was left behind.
During their time on the court-about 75% of the match-the, the players showed a range of emotions, and unsurprisingly, they were not positive. Not because the players themselves are negative but because tennis is a psychologically demanding sport with many unexpected moments. So we set out on the spot to create instructions for players to monitor their emotional state between sets, learn more about their emotional relationships, and determine their optimal peak performance. And while in the beginning, the players simply followed the instructions, later, many made this technique a habit.
Step 1: Positive Physical Reaction
All cells in our body are connected. Negative thinking or anger causes tension throughout the body. We succumb to rage, thereby creating problems for ourselves on a deeper level. We do things we later regret, and regret triggers another emotional response. That's why we've taught players to react positively to every mistake, failure, or missed opportunity.
You may notice that many of the best players – Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – react similarly to their mistakes: they immediately turn away from them.
And they turn away as quickly as if the mistake never happened. Athletes leave it behind and move on freely.
And you can do more than just turn away from your mistakes. For example, control your facial muscles. Facial muscles matter greatly: they trigger emotional responses that return to our brains. And what you do with your face is directly related to what chemical processes are going on inside. If you have a sad expression on your face, your body becomes more lethargic.
Now the gait. We teach players how to walk properly. It is very important how you hold yourself. Every step you take should be purposeful and confident. To mentally focus on what you need, you should move confidently in a particular direction.
Step 2: Relax.
You can't perform at your best if you're not relaxed. But reaching a relaxed state is not easy, especially after you've failed a serve. Since tennis is a game with limitations, the psychological component of tennis also has limitations: there is no opportunity to think too long and make emotional mistakes.
We give one piece of advice to players: look closely at the strings of your racket or just at the court during the break.
Why? The eyes absorb a lot of information. If you're playing in front of tens of thousands of spectators in the stands and you look there, something might grab your attention, and you might forget that you need to relax. That way, you are no longer preparing for your next shot. You are processing information. The strings of the racquet or the court surface are neutral to the eyes. They do not carry any information and allow your body to relax.
We also advise players to hold the racket in the other hand. Often after a bad moment, players will hold the racket with a death grip, dragging it behind them and lowering their heads. The racket should be up, but it is better to hold it with a non-dominant hand (i.e., if the player is right-handed, he should take the racket in his left hand) – during this time, the main hand has time to rest.
Relax the shoulders. The shoulders are directly connected with the limbic system of the brain, which is responsible for regulating emotions, memory, sleep, wakefulness, and relaxation. So relax your shoulders, put them down.
Step 3: Preparation.
Now that your body is relaxed and you're in the right emotional state, it's time for preparation. This is the time to ask yourself: “What's the score? What do I want to do? What is my plan to win?”
Step 4: The Ritual of Initiation
Every tennis player should have their own ritual because rituals help us focus our thoughts and put them in the right direction. It doesn't matter what kind of ritual it is, as long as it keeps us focused and strong.
You can throw a ball against a wall or mentally visualize how you're going to make a pitch. Or do forward and backward tilts, jump up and down or imagine where you want to go. The main thing is to make the ritual permanent. Conduct it in the right emotional state, and don't think about the mistakes you've made.
