A disagreement I have gotten into with coaches involves whether it is good for players to think about technique right before and during a matches. They argue that if they don’t think about technique they won’t play well. But it is my belief that if you focus on technique you will do that technique well, [...]

Though negative thinking is something that should be avoiding as much as possible, it is a normal response to poor play. In fact, some negative thinking is healthy because it means that you care about how you are playing. However, the wrong kind of negative thinking can be very harmful to your tennis. There are [...]

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 [...]

Mental Edge Pyramid The Mental Edge Pyramid provides you with a way of understanding the development of mental skills. The Mental Edge Pyramid describes the Prime Four (motivation, confidence, intensity, and focus) that are critical for developing the Mental Edge. These four factors will progressively lead you to Prime Tennis. Prime Tennis is defined as [...]

The Favorite As you walk onto the court you are the clear favorite. You are simply better than your opponent. You know you will win the match. But as the match starts, you just don’t feel right. Your head isn’t in the match and your body feels sluggish. Before you know it, you’re down 1-5. [...]

Mental imagery is a technique that has been used by the world’s best tennis players for many years. It is common to see professionals close their eyes during changeovers and rehearse points. This technique can also be used to help recreational players to play their best. Tennis Imagery refers to repeatedly imagining a tennis performance. [...]

Imagine the pressure that Steffi Graf or Stephan Edberg feel in the final set of a Grand Slam event. Thousands of people are watching, there is money and the title on the line. I’ll bet you have felt similar pressure in matches you have been in. They might not have been at Roland Garros or [...]

One of the most difficult things professional players have to deal with is maintaining concentration throughout the whole match. With increasing pressure and fatigue, thoughts can wander, resulting in mistakes and lost points and games. The same thing can happen to recreational players during matches. Things may pop into your head that have nothing to [...]

Perhaps the single most important mental ingredient professional tennis players such as Jim Courier and Monica Seles need for success on the tour is self-confidence. Entering Centre Court at Wimbledon to play the finals against a hard serving, net rushing opponent can raise doubts in even the best players. But these professionals overcome uncertainty by [...]