Subscribe to The Saturday Self-Improver
Join 500+ subscribers getting one actionable high-performance tip into their inbox every Saturday morning (read time: 4 mins or less).
Previous Issues of The Saturday Self-Improver
How to Easily Gain Belief & Confidence
Self-belief and confidence are crucial for a successful tennis player. Without them, you might as well just stay on the couch and eat potato chips (or as we call them in the UK, crisps). But fear not, there are ways to boost your self-belief and confidence quickly and easily! Here are some tips to get you started:
Ripping into a Child for Failing
Imagine giving your absolute best effort in a match. You commit to your game plan, you are mentally tough and you leave everything out there on the court. You come off sweaty and exhausted, but you have lost.
How fair would it be for your coach or your parents to rip into you for losing the match? Do you have direct control over winning or losing the match? It would be devastating to be told off or given the cold shoulder for losing the match, because the outcome isn’t in your direct control.
A Fearless Mind
To be a high performer, you must have a fearless mind. Fear comes from looking into the future where outcomes are uncertain and often out of your control. When you look ahead and focus on the outcome, you develop anxieties and nervousness because of the fear of the unknown and the lack of control you have over achieving your desired outcome. You cannot guarantee a successful outcome because there are so many factors that are outside of your control; how the opponent plays, the conditions, luck etc. To focus on outcomes in the future creates fear in the mind. This is the opposite of having a fearless mind- which is essential to high performance.
The Fundamentality of Mentality
There are several phrases that get thrown around in tennis. They turn into clichés, regurgitated without a second thought. A notable example goes along the lines of: “Nick Kyrgios would win Grand Slam titles if he cared enough, and if he had the focus.” If you stop to examine this kind of statement, you might begin, ironically, to unearth the inconsistencies of it. To say that a player would be one of the world's best if they had the focus is to say that they are completely missing an element of their game required for success.
Visualisation: Find Your Confidence
Guest Post by Peter Bothwell
In the 6-months leading up to February, I went through a really bad time on the match court. I was on a 14-match losing streak and I couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. I was at the point where I was even considering quitting. Every time I stepped on the match court I wanted to win so badly, but as soon as I went down or the match got tight I would think back to the match I lost before and would lose my head again and again. Something needed to change. It was at that point that I started meeting with a mentor who introduced me to visualisation.
Mental Toughness Home Activity
The mental game of tennis is all about awareness and acceptance of the thoughts and emotions that we experience on the court. Our mind is made to wander and experience a range of emotions. Djokovic, Williams, Rafa and Federer all get nervous and frustrated at times, but it’s their ability to accept the emotions and return their focus to the next point that sets them apart from the rest.
Your Mental Skills Challenge
3 Ways to Stay Super Motivated Right Now
Last week, I woke up one morning to the sound of my alarm ringing at the other side of the room. I got out of bed, walked to the other side of the room, turned it off and walked straight back to the bed to get a few more hours of sleep. Is anyone else feeling unmotivated at the moment?