How To Achieve Mental Toughness In Tennis
How Does Mental Toughness Affect Performance?
We have all seen it unfold in front of us, watching a tennis game, a tennis player playing, dominating the points, and the audience getting louder as it looks like a done game. But then, all of sudden, the player who was looking defeated scores a point that starts the shift of the game.
The crowd goes quiet as they start to wonder if the game is about to take a shocking twist. The players continue to battle it out as they keep playing the hard game until the losing player becomes the winner.
So it makes you wonder, what was the change? You can analyze the game; both players are world-class but what it shows is who was resilient in the circumstances. And it reveals that the losing player has mental toughness on the day to dig deep and focus on the game to win.
Why Improve Mental Toughness?
Let's say you get twenty-five seconds, which is less than a minute, and you need to grab the opportunity to score before your twenty-five seconds run out. Being resilient isn't about power but the ability to bounce back when the game is not going your way.
Resilience defines the mental strength that instigates you to win the game, even when your scores are down. So to play a competitive tennis match, it's essential to come into it with mental toughness! So how do you increase your mental toughness? You can check out these 6 tips to build Resilience during the game.
1. Train Your Mind
You win or lose, but you must give your hundred percent to the game. If you lose, you have to fight with all you have till the last second. If you win, you have to give every ounce of effort until you get your trophy. No one can predict the game's result, and you have no idea if the game's fate will change. To do this, you have to accept your feeling at the moment and not ponder on them. Just let them go, and remind yourself never to quit.
2. Keep Struggling
If you take the example of all the greatest athletes, you will find out that they never gave up and kept struggling to reach this present point in their lives. The main difference between great athletes and others is that they perceived their mistakes, struggle, and failures but didn't lose hope; they kept going on, learned from their faults, and made things better.
They learned to stick to their training and plan. Even though they struggled, they kept their minds focused on the game. Remember, Resilience isn't perfect; it's about bouncing back at the right time. You will bounce back to the same point to realize what didn't go right, and you can make it better.
3. Use your time wisely.
When playing tennis on the court, you have to analyze your shots in the twenty-five-second gap. When you are playing the professional game, you won't have time to think over your mistakes. You have to make things better than before.
You made one mistake once; now, quickly analyze what happened and try to improve it in the next hit. All you have to do is take the opportunity you get and use it to win. This is the main difference between great and good players.
4. Find out the reasons.
It can happen that even after the best training, things don't work out as you have expected. Sometimes your emotions play a tricky role and urge you to give up the game. If you feel this way, you need to find the reasons that will drive you to fight until the game ends.
Ask yourself 'why are you competing?' and the inspirations that move you. It will be better to think about these questions and find your motivation because you need your support from them. When you feel like giving up, you can remind yourself of your reasons and why you need to win to get better mental strength.
5. Get Support From Others
At one point in life, we all need support from others to achieve the goals in our lives. When the task is challenging, and you feel like giving up, you can lean on your coaches, friends, and family for support. Choose the person who encourages you and makes you feel strong when you're becoming weak. This way, you can protect your mental strength by having the people who uplift your confidence and not trample on it.
6. Learn Resilience
Physical training is essential, but mental exercise is also crucial when you want to be the winner. Resilience is a type of discipline that you need to learn and make a habit of. You must stay focused in the game, even when you are losing, and go through this mental toughness guide. Keep in mind that it's a journey to become a champion.