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Get Focused for Tennis Tournaments
Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Do your players start a match ready to win convincingly, but then become besieged by their own inner chatter? Most tennis players have trained themselves to focus when needed, but sometimes their own inner chatter or internal, self-induced internal distractions prevent them from performing their best.
What do I mean by internal distractions?
Well, external distractions, such as a parent shouting encouragement courtside, are easier for tennis players to cope with - they just shift their focus away from the distraction. Internal distractions (or inner chatter) are harder to let go of because tennis players conjure up these deadly distractions on their own without the help of outside influences!
Here is an example... One of my students, John, could not stop thinking about the end of the match. He was so obsessed with the match score that he could not focus on what he needed to do in the present moment, which is critical for peak performance.
No one asked John to focus on score or outcomes instead of the present, but he was so concerned about the outcome of the match that he became anxious and lacked focus. He would compare how he was doing to his expectations every step of the way - a very common mental error in my work.
The best tennis players in the world, such as Ana Ivanovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal, understand that only the present moment matters. Sure results count in tennis, but athletes must focus on the process in order to achieve desired results. I preach this simple concept to my mental coaching students every day.
However, focusing on the process is easier said than done because tennis players are constantly bombarded with external and internal distractions. Tennis players may be thinking about what their coach thinks about their performance or have doubt about their ability to win the match. I have a system that teaches my students HOW TO focus in the moment.
If you want to learn how to get focused AND stay focused, you first have to understand your top distractions. Second, you’ll need to learn how to refocus your mind quickly after distractions so that you don’t drop a game or two before you even realize it.
For more information, you might want to check out “The Focused Athlete: A 14-Day Plan for Superior Concentration.” The Focused Athlete is the second program in The Confident Athlete Series. You can read more about my new program here: http://www.peaksports.com/the_focused_athlete.php
Dr. Patrick Cohn is a sports psychology expert for tennis athletes and is a mental game coach to nationally ranked tennis juniors. For more information on his tennis psychology programs. visit Sports Psychology for Tennis [http://www.sportspsychologytennis.com/]
