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PAST |
PRESENT |
FUTURE |
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I think about what has happened. This brings me guilt and frustration |
I think about what I am going to do. This brings a positive challenge |
I think about what might happen. This brings me anxiety and pressure |
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I think about all the mistakes I have made in the past. |
I take each point one at a time. I am clear about the game-plan I must carry out and have the guts to do it. |
I am worried and anxious
about whether or not I can win this match. |
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I cannot think clearly about my game-plan because I focus on past errors. |
The most important thing in the match is my ability to stick to my game-plan.I must learn to develop and improve it. After each point, I only prepare for the next point and forget about the last point. |
The result is all I am interested in. I don't care how I achieve the win. I am desperate for quick success. |
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Every match I lose makes me more doubtful about the success I crave. |
I have patience and composure about my tennis. I am relaxed about the result. |
Every mistake makes me
scared I may lose. My
confidence is totally
dependent on the score.
If I am losing I fear that I
will lose the match. |
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I get really choky when I reach big points because I remind myself of past times I have blown it. |
I will focus only on my performance and not on the outcome of my matches. |
I get really choky when I
reach big points because
they are really important to me. |
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I am too nervous to play my best tennis. |
If I perform, I am happy with myself whatever the result. |
I tend to over-try and
over-play in matches. |
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Success is not achieved by winning matches but by carrying out your game-plan with courage and conviction.
Matches are not personal things. Depersonalise the match process. If you win it is because you played your game well. If you lose it was your game-plan that failed, not you.
Become a true tennis professional
Pay attention to detail - the smallest thing may matter the most.
Be thorough - leave no stone unturned in seeking your goal.
Mental strength and maturity comes from:-
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Reaching out from your comfort zone physically
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Pushing yourself emotionally to a new limit
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Accepting that you make mistakes and reacting to them positively
Winning matches comes with experience, time and patience:-
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Not focusing on the outcome (results) of matches
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Calm thinking in times of stress, to keep your composure
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Sticking to your game-plan
Five essential questions to ask yourself
Make sure you can answer all these questions positively:-
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Do I really want to be a tennis player?
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Am I willing to pay the price?
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Do I have the strength to do it?
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Do I accept the responsibility for my own development?
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Do I have the long-term patience to see it through?
by Jim Edgar
