Winning Tennis: Mind(fullness) Over Matter

June 27, 2014 | By Tina Greenbaum
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Everyone wants to win. It’s much more fun than losing. But learning lessons from losing can be the key to turning the percentages in your favor. I once heard the saying:

“There is no failure, there’s just feedback.” In other words, when we don’t succeed at a task, there’s always a reason. And if we can be objective in our analysis as to why we lost, we can correct our mistakes and do better the next time."

So the big questions are:

►How can I learn to be objective when I have so much invested in winning?

►How can I learn to control my emotions when the game of tennis is like a roller coaster ride?

►How can I stay calm when my insides are jumping?

The answer is “Mindfulness.” What is that you might ask? Mindfulness has its roots in Eastern meditational practices, wherein we direct our attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis in a non-judgmental way. In other words, we notice our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations without judging them.

For example, I have a student who noticed, after the first set of a challenging match, that she had said to herself, “I only have to win the next three games and I’ve got the match.” And then she proceeded to lose the next three games. She realized, in retrospect, that by placing her thoughts on the outcome of the match, she took her attention away from the moment-to-moment, point-by-point laser focus she needed to actually win. By non-judgmentally reviewing her thought process, she was able to identify her fatal mistake and correct it the next time she played the same player, with a much more positive result.

Mindfulness is a practice, just like practicing your strokes, over and over again. When we get into the habit of noticing how we are thinking, how we are feeling and what messages our body is giving us in the present moment without judging whether they are good or bad, the calmer we are on the court and the greater the possibility of finding ourselves “in the flow.”

Here are three tips to get you into the habit of being mindful:

1. Prior to a match, take a few minutes in a quiet place and observe, without judgment and without changing anything, your thoughts about the upcoming match, your feelings (are you feeling happy, excited, scared, etc) and your bodily sensations (is your stomach jumpy, are your muscles tight, your palms sweaty or warm?)

2. Now that you have a sense of how you are thinking and feeling on both an emotional and physical level, you have an awareness of your “pre-match” state. The task now is to allow yourself to play your best by focusing on the aspects of the match that are in your control, such as your strategy or that point-by-point laser focus. You will learn, over time, that you do not have to succumb to your emotions. You can actually play brilliantly if you do not allow yourself to believe those random thoughts that you may or may not be able to control.

3. If you are really serious about becoming mentally tough, you will need to commit yourself to a practice. Mindfulness is a skill that develops over time. Begin by spending five minutes every day in a quiet place where you begin to just notice what is occurring both internally and externally, without changing anything. You may observe your stomach is rumbling, or you have an itch or you are feeling sad. Your thoughts may be jumping around or there may be the sound of a lawnmower outside, or any number of distractions. This practice will begin to get you into the habit of separating your thoughts from your actions. And it will translate on to the court by you recognizing that you have a choice as to where you focus your attention, which is paramount if you want to win a challenging match.

Mindfulness and acceptance of “what is” are on the cutting-edge of mental training. The top athletes in all sports spend a good part of their training schedule developing this aspect of their arsenal. I have watched and listened to many recreational tennis players bemoan their plight as they commit unforced errors or double fault. I want to secretly tell them that with some effort, they could dramatically improve their game. Hopefully, you will be inspired to do so!


Tina Greenbaum, LCSW
Sport Psychology Consultant and Holistic Psychotherapist

Tina Greenbaum, LCSW is a sport psychology consultant and a holistic psychotherapist. She works with tennis players of all levels in learning how to manage their emotions on the court. She shares this passion with her partner, Fred Sperber, a professional tennis instructor of 28 years in a six-week program called Tennis to the Max where they combine mental skills training with on court execution. She may be reached by e-mail at tina@tennistothemax.com or visit www.tennistothemax.com.

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