MENTAL STRENTH

Momentum swings are amongst the most powerful forces in the tournament tennis match - and usually being the ultimate decider of the winner of most matches.    So today I am going to share a few very simple ways to create your own momentum in a match, without your opponent even knowing - as well as how to snatch it back when your opponent has the match rhythm going all their own way.  

Momentum changes become obvious when you analyze match scores to see where some of the major momentum swings were - eg. 1-6 7-6 6-1.  Of course, its much easier if you happen to be the one riding the wave of momentum in the match - because when its against you, it can be a tough one to turn around - but unless you are someone like Roger Federer who tends to win most of his matches fairly easily, the key is to maximize your own momentum while minimizing that of your opponent. 

So let's look back at one of the former masters of creating momentum, and also for taking it away from an opponent - a master tactician who was one of the greatest players ever, winning 8 grand slam titles back in the 80's.  Possibly he was even the first player to make 'momentum swings' an art form - and his name was Ivan Lendl.    He was the guy who stopped McEnroe's supreme reign at the top of the game - and even after losing their first 7 matches, he went on to win the next 7, in a row.   They were the 'Federer and Nadal' of the 80's.

One of the subtle but very powerful methods Lendl used during his matches was this:  Lendl would slightly reduce the amount of time between points whenever he won a point, and slightly increase time between points whenever he lost the point (but he rarely did this enough to ever be easily noticed, or to incur a penalty point).  So what did this Lendl tactic do?   Let's analyze it from both player's points of view. 

Whenever Lendl would win a point, he would briskly move to the other side of the court in readiness to start the next point - and each time he did this, it would reinforce within him the mindset, feeling and emotion of winning a lot of points in a short time.  This is winning momentum.   Meanwhile, his opponent was losing a lot of points in a very short time - feeling as though the set was slipping away, right before his eyes, one point after another.  That, of course, is losing momentum.  

Lendl may have initially exaggerated this tactic a little too much at the beginning of his career, as he was probably one of the main reasons why the ATP brought in the '30 second rule' between points - but even so, he used this tactic of momentum change highly effectively even within the 30 seconds, which goes to show that we are not talking about dramatically stretching out the time between lost points - possibly just an extra 10 seconds or so getting set up to serve or receive.    And of course, reducing the time by the same amount when you have won a point.

It sounds like an incredibly simple method, but it has the eventual effect of creating a strong feeling of momentum within you, while at the same time, increasing the feelings within your opponent of a complete lack of momentum (and this never goes astray!  ;  )      Needless to say, this is done most effectively when it is done very subtly - because making it obvious will alert them to what is happening, and they may well begin to use it back.   When it's used properly, your opponent does not even know that you are doing it - which allows you to command the rhythm of the match without them even realizing.  

This is a tactic that you do not need to use all the time either - you might just choose to use it at select times in the match, whenever the pressure is on.   Begin to implement this into your tournament play and see if it makes a difference to the momentum in your matches.

One of the toughest things to deal with mentally can be when you are hitting up with your opponent before a match, and they are showing you an absolutely awesomely wide repertoire or arsenal of shots that they possess!

Some opponents during the hitup - rather than hitting their groundstrokes within your general range when you are at the net - will prefer to display to you their acutely angles passing shots, topspin lobs or flat-out blasts of power - purely as an intimidation tactic!

When this happens however (and it will happen), never, ever be worried about this - this does not mean you are going to lose the match. The flair and talent your opponent displays in this very low-pressure environment of the hitup will count for absolutely nothing - once they are forced to try and hit these shots under the true pressure of a match.

Tennis history is scattered with countless sad stories of incredibly talented and hugely gifted players who never managed to take full advantage of this enormous talent - often because they relied too much on their talent and simply did not work as hard, or become as mentally tough, as the less-talented players. Talent alone these days simply doesn't cut it anymore - they have to put in the work as well (physically and mentally). So if you've put in the work, you have nothing to worry about.

And so even if you feel that your opponent has more shots, flair and touch than you do, don't worry - there are still many ways for you to win. If you're fit enough, you can always outlast them, and if you're mentally tough enough, you will relentlessly wear them down. Talent alone is not enough - always remember this.

Sure - these ultra-talents often begin their matches with a flurry of huge winners and aces - but it's not a case of what your opponent can do in the match, it's a case of "how long can they continue to do it?".

Often the answer is: not long enough! The longer you stay in the match, and the more you can continue to (at least) remain even with them score-wise at the beginning of the first set (and withstand the initial onslaught) - the better your chances of running out a routine 6-4 6-1 win.

The key is - never to begin the match feeling intimidated by their sheer talent, power, speed, spin, or whatever - the truly important thing will be what they can bring out when under pressure.

This is so very, very important to never forget:

* Talent (alone) is not enough!
* Talent + Hard work + Mental strength = Ultimate Success!

Tennis is one of the most mental sports in the world - that is, mental strength plays a huge part in determining who wins the match. It's not only mental strength that's important, but also mental stamina - as focusing mentally at the 6th deuce at 5-all in the 3rd set can be very difficult after nearly 3 sets of gruelling rallies in the hot sun.

Mental strength means being able to focus on each and every point throughout the entire match without any lapses - and this takes practice!

The closing stages of any set are classic danger times for losing concentration, as is the beginning of the 2nd set after you have won the first - so watch out for these. Hewitt, Agassi, Federer, Ferrero, Williams and Clisters - even the great players lose concentration at times, though their mental strength also wins them most of their matches as well (at the time of writing this article, anyway!).

Mental strength takes many forms however - for instance, it takes great mental strength to come back from a set down (and maybe even a break as well), as this shows that despite losing the set, your inner fire refuses to be dampened - in fact, losing the set often only strengthens your resolve to win the match. By comparison, lesser players surrender and are out of the tournament fairly quickly from this position.

So how do you build mental strength for matches? One of the best ways is to simply practice trying to win every single point when you practice, and I mean every single point. Practice first to 11 points in practice, so that you can get used to focusing for this length of time, and then expand these to first to 21, to develop your mental stamina further. Remember though - it doesn't matter whether you lose a point or not, it is whether you were 100% focused that really matters.

A mentally tough player who comes back from the brink to win can often play each point completely undaunted and unaffected by the previous points. This is one of the toughest but most important things to do on court - block out all the previous 'negatives' that can occur during a match, which often cause huge emotional outbursts and concentration loss. Classic things which need to be blocked out include:

blown break point opportunities

easy shots missed

lost games which you should have won (or feel you should anyway!).

bad calls from your opponent or umpire

Focusing upon these events only destroys your spirits and your concentration - and usually blows the match. Block them out and only play (and think about) the point you are involved in - forget the past!

Your resilience is also a huge factor in matches. How long are you willing to stay out there to win? No matter what happens and how far down you are in a match, you must never, ever believe that you are out of the match.

Continue to believe in yourself and continue to hang in there - if you hang in long enough, your opponent may start to tighten up and make errors as they try to close the match out. Never say die and play each and every point as if your life depends upon it.

Remember also that it's not just a matter of whether you're physically ready to return your opponent's service - this is not good enough - it's whether you're 100% mentally focused to play the point (or not) that matters.

Tennis is a game of switch on, switch off concentration - where you focus during the point, and then relax in between the points - only to re-focus again as the next point is to begin. Make sure you never play a point without fully 100% switching on first.

Most of all, ensure you are no longer thinking about a previous point when you begin the next! As soon as a point is finished - it's modern history. Forget it and move on to the next point.

The mindset you need is to play each point as if it's the only point in the match. We never have the luxury of thinking cumulatively in tennis - because as soon as we do, we very quickly lose concentration.

Practicing and developing mental strength is very important - as it can help you to beat players who are technically better players than yourself! Yes, it's true, you can beat better players quite often.

For instance, how often do you see flashy players begin a match playing unbelievable levels of tennis - only to dissolve into a mass of frustration and unforced errors by the end of the match? Often! You see this commonly at any tournament, no matter how high the standard. This shows that the best hitters are not necessarily the mentally strongest - in fact, they rarely are. The great hitters usually rely on their awesome power to win points, but when the match gets close and the pressure builds up - they often crack like cookies!

Practicing tiebreakers can also be a great way to de-sensitize yourself to pressure, and toughen you up mentally, so you are able to continue to successfully execute your shots when the pressure is on. Tiebreakers are classic times in matches when players 'go into their shell' and stop playing with the same flair that got them there in the first place. This is a form of choking which often causes a player to play too safe.

I'm not saying, of course, that you should go for huge winners in tiebreaks - just play your own game to the best of your ability, unhindered by the pressure of the situation. This mentality can only be built up over time with experience and of lots of match play, both in tournaments and also in practice.

As a child Tiger Woods, the great golfer, used to practice his shots while his father would often drop the golf bag, cough loudly or make all kinds of noise during his shots, purely to help toughen his concentration up so that it could never be interrupted. It worked!

So begin working on developing more of your mental toughness in matches over the next 12 months - believe me, you will reap the benefits in the years to come.

"The Mind controls the body, and the Mind is Unlimited"