6 WAYS TO PLAY WITH MORE COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE

Playing with confidence is crucial for all tennis players. Any lack of confidence can affect not only your ball-striking but also your decision-making. Additionally, facing an opponent who is determined to create difficulties for you on the court can contribute to feelings of fear and self-doubt regarding your strokes. However, there are strategies and mindset shifts that can help players overcome these challenges and regain their confidence.

Here are 6 ways to develop a more courageous and confident you.

#1 REMOVE THE DOUBT

Regaining confidence in your game starts with believing in your ability to hit the ball well. If you start striking the ball better, your confidence will grow. 

During practice, remove the doubt in your mind and begin striking the ball confidently; after all, it's only a practice session! Trust your technique and focus on executing your shots with conviction. 

What you are doing is treating Doubt as an inconvenient habit that has been affecting your strokes. By practising "doubt removal," you are replacing one bad habit with a good one.

Soon, you'll discover that you can bypass the mental doubt paralysing you and trust your swing more.  



#2 MAKE A NOISE

Making a vocal sound when hitting the ball can help you release tension and generate more power. It can also distract you from overthinking your strokes or the situation in the match. Experiment with different sounds and find one that feels natural and helps you feel more confident and focused during your shots.


#3 PRACTICE HITTING OVER THE BASELINE

Many players become fearful of hitting the ball out, so they tend to play too safe and often physically tighten. By practicing hitting the ball over the baseline during practice sessions, you can build confidence in your ability to play the ball deep and begin to feel relaxed again. Hitting "too" deep will help liberate you from your fearful, tight ground strokes.



#4 DEEPEN YOUR BACKSWING

A deeper backswing allows you to generate more power and control during your shots easier. When you feel confident in your ability to take a full backswing, you'll have more confidence in your strokes. Deepen your back swing to ensure more racket momentum and to avoid tight strokes that fall short in the court.


#5 CONTACT THE BALL CLEANER

As a player, whenever I was under pressure to produce something special, like a passing shot, I often told myself that the minimum I needed was to strike the ball cleanly. It was amazing how the little quirks and the hesitation in my stroke fell away when I reminded myself of this each time.

 When we lose our confidence, the mind often tries to calculate many unnecessary details, and we suffer from a mental overload. Giving myself a straightforward task helped direct my focus to the most essential ingredient, Contact.

Striking the ball cleanly and solidly can significantly increase your confidence. Focus on making clean contact with the ball. Clean ball striking will help you generate effortless power, greater control, and consistency in your shots.



#6 STAY RELAXED

Tension and stress can negatively affect your confidence and performance on the court. Try to stay relaxed and composed during your matches. Take deep breaths, use visualization techniques, and remind yourself to enjoy the game. 

Although you could be constantly playing in a stressful competitive environment, enjoying the challenge and responding positively to the situation is still important. 

Take time to re-access the reasons you're playing the game and remind yourself why you "signed up" for competitive tennis initially. You're here because you wanted to experience the challenge, so buckle up and let's do this!

Competitive tennis is not easy. 
Take the time to consider why you
began playing in the beginning and
embrace the challenges that come with
being a competitive player,



 

 

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

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