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 do with tennis, for example, being distracted by players around you or remembering what you have to do the next day. These problems boil down to one thing: the inability to focus on the things that will enable you to play well.

Good concentration involves focusing on only those things that are necessary for you to play your best such as the ball, your opponent, and yourself. Poor concentration involves focusing on things that hurt your tennis such as other people, things that happened yesterday or will happen tomorrow. Fortunately, there are several simple techniques that can be used to improve concentration.

First, when concentration begins to wander, reminders that I call keywords can be used to refocus attention. When you are distracted, you can repeat a keyword that enables you to regain the proper concentration and reminds you to do things that help you to play better. Keywords such as “loose”, “shoulders”, and “attack” are common. There are two good reasons to use keywords. First, repeating these keywords out loud or to yourself blocks out the distracting thoughts. Second, they remind you of things you need to do to play well.

Another way to improve concentration involves using a key object. This consists of picking an object to concentrate on when you are playing. The most obvious key object is the ball. You could also use the corner of the service box that you want to serve into. Also, breathing can be used as a key object to regain concentration. When concentration is lost, you can focus on your breathing by taking deep breaths. It helps you concentrate better and, by getting more oxygen into your body, you are able to relax and play better.

It is important to emphasize that good concentration takes time and practice. Here’s an exercise you can use. In alternate games, concentrate on something different and see what happens. For example, in one game think about the ball. The next game, focus only on your opponent. Finally, concentrate only on your body. This exercise will teach you to be aware of what you can concentrate on. It will also help you control your concentration.

By practicing these skills, you will develop the ability to maintain your concentration. But, if you lose your concentration, you will also have the skills to regain it.