Do you have  smartphone or a notepad you can put in your tennis bag?  If you do you can keep a checklist of things to remember when you’re having one of those days when something or everything isn’t working. Take a look at it during the break and it might help you concentrate on the right things and not get too negative.
This is my back-on-track list.
Serving:
- Aim and concentrate
- Throw the ball high
- Watch it like a hawk
- Look at the ball throughout
- Hit it at its highest point
Balance and footwork
- Breathe in and breathe out during the stroke
- Take a longer last step before the shot to get a better balance (Federer a good example)
- Keep the hitting point away and in front of the body to get better power.
- Lean into the court and keep moving forwards through aggressive footwork.
Specific shots
- Slice with varying length to keep the opponent guessing.
- Be prepared to run around with small steps to maximize the forehand
- Roll the wrist!
- Step into the court to hit the backhand
- Use your other arm as a counterweight
General and the best tip!
Every match is also training session, make it fun!
What do you sometimes forget during a match or training? Don’t you bend the knees, do you put your weight on the backfoot, do you try to paint lines when it might be a good idea to just hit everything back for a while?
Then make your own back-on-track tennis list!