Confidence is the most important mental ingredient for success in tennis. One technique that most people are not aware of for building and maintaining self-confidence involves how you carry yourself. How you walk and move can influence how you think and feel. In other words, you have to learn how to “Walk the Walk”.

If your body is down, your thoughts and feelings will be down. If your body is up, your thoughts and feelings will be up. Examples of not walking the walk include head and eyes down, shoulders slouched, feet dragging, and no energy in your step. Walking the walk involves holding your head high, chin up, eyes forward and focused, shoulders back, arms swinging, and bounce in your step.

It is very difficult to be walking the walk and saying things like “I stink,” “I’m awful,” and “I can’t do this.” Similarly, it hard to be not walking the walk and saying, “I am a great tennis player,” “I am confident in my ability,” and “I know how to handle pressure.” This is because, in both cases, what you are saying to yourself is inconsistent with how you are carrying yourself.

Walking the walk is a skill that, like any other skill, takes awareness, control, and repetition to master. You can learn to walk the walk in practice by being aware of how you carry yourself and focusing on making positive physical changes when you walk. Exaggerating positive body language will further sensitize you to how you carry yourself. Then in matches continue to walk the walk. Between points and on changeovers, make sure your entire body is up and positive. This is especially important when you are not playing well or you are behind. In time, you will naturally walk the walk and your game will stay as up and positive as your body. By walking the walk, you will find that you naturally feel more positive and energetic.

Remember, “The gunslinger rule – Have confidence, swagger, come out smoking.”