RAQ Training

By Dr. John F. Murray taken from Tennis.com

While fear and anxiety inhibit performance and lead to muscle tension, confusion, and indecision, an equally dangerous mental state often arises in the absence of fear, when a player is totally in command of the match and on the verge of victory. I call it a major “comfort trap” when a player feels satisfied and puts on the brakes with a lead. A much better solution to this problem is to close the match out by unleashing the “killer instinct.”

The Illusion
Many players fail to realize that being close to an easy victory is actually one of the most vulnerable positions in the game. While it seems like you gain little by winning (since winning just meets expectations), losing can appear quite traumatic and far below expectations. Even slight self-satisfaction on the part of the leader combined with the gritty determination of a wounded opponent can change the match dramatically. If you let negative thoughts and fear of choking also intrude, you can expect a major turnaround.

The Agony
Players at all levels have experienced the agony and frustration of failing to put away a match. David Nalbanian knows. He won the first two sets against unseeded Marcos Baghdatis this year in the semifinals of the Australian open and had a 4-2 lead in the final set before Baghdatis stormed back to reach the final against Roger Federer. Jana Novotna knows too. She was charming in crying on the shoulder of the Dutchess of Kent after she threw away a 6-7, 6-1, 4-1, 40-15 lead over Steffi Graf in the 1993 Wimbledon final.

Searching for Answers
Choking is such a maddening process that I appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America this year to try to explain the disappointing performances of U.S. Olympic athletes Bode Miller and Sasha Cohen. The best way to explain choking is that athletes choke on thoughts by thinking too much about the implications of performance rather than just doing what they have been doing all along. In tennis, it’s just not possible to just coast to victory by waiting for an opponent to lose. Putting the brakes on usually only puts the brakes on you!

The Solution
With a big lead, it’s important to know how to win. The mental skills needed to close out a tennis match have to be understood, practiced, and refined over and over. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll have developed the killer instinct. Combining solid research knowledge with my brief interviews of over 50 players on the ATP and WTA tours about closing out a match, I have developed some tips to help you develop the killer instinct and prevent yourself from choking ever again.

1. Never become comfortable with a lead. There are no guarantees for victory. Games are often won and lost in streaks, so you must always be wary of your opponent’s ability to rally. Stay on guard and expect your opponent to be toughest when you are up. Realize that momentum swings are part of the game and that a 5-1 lead is never safe. At the same time, if you find yourself down 1-5, keep your hope alive and keep fighting because you just might have your opponent where you want him.

2. Play mental games with yourself to avoid a letdown. When you have a lead, pretend that you are really several games behind and need a complete effort to even remain in the match. Play loose and aggressively. Forget about the score if you can and just play tennis.

3. Keep your intensity and energy level high. If you find your intensity slipping or you begin to lose interest in the match or think about how nice it would be to win, fire yourself back up to an optimal arousal level by imagining that you are the commander of a space shuttle ready to blast off, or a cheetah preparing to pounce on your prey. Walk to the fence and jog in place to help facilitate this energizing process.

4. Overconfidence is another major trap leading to reduced effort and performance. Find the right mixture of poise and modesty. Avoid thinking about or discussing the final score or your next opponent. Stay completely focused on the present moment and eliminate all other distractions that could intrude.

5. Keep the pressure on your opponent by playing well with a big lead rather than just coasting. Your goal should be to convince your opponent that he or she has absolutely no chance of coming back.

6. Don’t drastically change you style of play. Just keep doing what you have done all day to get this lead. You might enhance your focus by targeting the first serve or return, and keeping externally focused on the ball helps remove the chance that distracting thoughts will intrude.

It takes a precise combination of mental skills and practice to consistently close out matches that you should win. Don’t wait for your opponent’s next dramatic comeback to realize this truth. Invest in sport psychology and prosper!

By Sean Brawly
No matter how good you are, sometimes you’re going to choke. Here’s what to do if you feel yourself tightening up.

It may be the worst feeling you can have as a tennis player. You fight and scratch until you’re just a few points from victory—and then nerves, fear, or the occasion cause your strokes to go awry. Instead of enjoying a satisfying victory, you’re forced to accept an agonizing defeat. Even the best players in the world grapple with it. The fact is, human beings are hard-wired to choke. When faced with danger, we’re overcome with a “fight or flight” impulse. This can save your skin when you see an oncoming car, but it burns you on the tennis court if perceived threats, like the small crowd that has gathered to watch you close out a match, make your heart pound and your hands tremble. Your breathing becomes shallow (hence the term “choking”), making even the easiest shots seem difficult. But there is hope. Here are four tricks that I’ve found help players overcome their nerves and play their best under pressure.

CHANGE THE GAME YOU’RE PLAYING
People love to be in control, but winning a match is not entirely in your hands. Only one person can be victorious, but everyone can learn and have fun. Next time you face a tough opponent, focus on the process and choose goals that you can easily achieve. Hitting a certain number of balls in before you miss or being in a balanced position for each shot are goals that are more within your control. To have fun, remember why you play the game—to be with friends, get exercise, and for the thrill of competition—and don’t let yourself get off track.

DISTRACT YOURSELF
When I got nervous while playing recently, I thought of something cute that my 6- year-old granddaughter did. I noticed an immediate difference in my emotional state. Some people get relief when they think of a peaceful place. Brad Gilbert’s favorite trick is to sing a song. Any thought or image that silences the inner critic, makes you laugh, or relaxes you can help you calm down and play better tennis.

DEVELOP A ROUTINE
Familiarity breeds success. Apreshot routine can make you feel safe during even the toughest times. Whether it’s before the serve or between points, deliberately perform all of the mental and physical preparations you would normally do and even the most tense situations will begin to seem commonplace. Find a routine that suits your personality and playing style and then practice it until it becomes a habit.

USE YOUR IMAGINATION
Most people choke because they tend to worry about the consequences of a potential loss. One time I asked a young boy I coached how he overcame his nerves to come back and win a close match in the final set. He told me, “I just pretended I was Batman!” The imagination is a powerful tool that you can use to tame your fear. Next time you get nervous, act and feel as if you are your favorite pro. Grunt like Maria Sharapova. Swing away like Andre Agassi. Take your time and stay calm between points like Roger Federer. You can also make believe that you’re drilling with a friend and not in the heat of battle. I call it “fake it till you make it.”

By Dr. John F. Murray taken from Tennis.com

One of the biggest challenges in tennis is fatigue. While fatigue often makes cowards of many, it’s not always the case. Following a 33-hour solo flight, Charles Lindbergh landed safely in France. Give in to fatigue and you are cooked. Fight through it properly and you gain a huge advantage. Let’s take a closer look.

Having recently attended the French Open and Wimbledon, I saw many five-set matches in the heat in which extremely fit world-class players were quite exhausted toward the end. If this happens to the best, you can bet that fatigue for recreational players is a huge nuisance.

Practice Safety First
It’s essential to know your body and physical condition well before undergoing any rigorous activity. Always have a medical exam and ask your physician before attempting to withstand three to five sets of hard-core tennis, especially in hot conditions. Heat stroke can be deadly. If you experience severe pain, headaches, vomiting, inability to sweat, or other common danger signs, always stop playing immediately.

Assuming that you are able to play tennis and are not in danger, fatigue usually presents itself in a variety of ways. Physical signs that your body is tiring include greater difficulty breathing, slower movements, aching muscles, reduced vision, and slower reaction times, to name just a few.

Problem: Lost Focus
The riskiest thing to your tennis game, and ego, is losing focus when you are tired. The mind can wander all over the place when the body signals exhaustion. This is partly due to the relationship between intensity level and attention, whereby broader and less disciplined focus allows many distractions to intrude. It is also true that when you become tired; your focus has a tendency to turn inward and dwell on your condition. Focus that could be much better spent on the match situation is wasted due to the bombardment of distractions caused by the body and mind during fatigue.

Solution: 10 Tips
What can be done to battle this destroyer of attention and energy? If you are seeking a crucial edge for your game, here are my ten tips to battle fatigue. Even though I am now into my 40s, I used some of these in recent matches to win the battle against fatigue in the hot sun near Wimbledon.

1. Make sure that you get plenty of sleep prior to a big match. Nothing prepares your mind and body better to fight fatigue than recharging your batteries the conventional way.

2. Eat small, balanced meals throughout the day and never consume a large meal right before a match. Eat light a few hours before the match, but make sure to get some good complex carbohydrates in your body the day before, too. For more details, consult with a nutritionist. Everyone’s body and performance demands are different.

3. Drink plenty of water mixed with Gatorade or fruit juice prior to and throughout the match. Start hydrating at least two hours before the match. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

4. Pace yourself throughout the match. Anticipate your opponent’s style in advance and know what will be needed to win in the final set if necessary. If needed, take a little longer before serving and setting up for the return. Control the pace of the match and you save valuable energy for later.

5. Wear a hat and light-colored clothing in the sun. These minor measures mean a lot when battling outdoors. Protecting your head is especially important, and white reflects sunlight.

6. Lose weight. Carrying an extra load around makes everything more difficult. Like a hot air balloon, throwing off some of the excessive baggage helps you soar higher for longer.

7. Visualize yourself as a powerful force. When you become tired, an energy jolt is often helpful. See yourself as a space shuttle taking off rather than as a donkey bogged down in the sand.

8. End points sooner. If you are hopelessly outclassed by a more consistent player and realize that your energy reserves will not last, find another way to win. Thinking of two- and three-point combinations to end rallies quickly will sometimes do the trick. Don’t get wild, just bring the point to a close sooner and conserve energy.

9. Never let your opponent know exactly how tired you really are. Psychological warfare involves some deception. Show how tired you are and your opponent gains both a tactical and emotional boost. Disguise your fatigue by turning toward the fence to catch your breath and gather yourself.

10. Breathe continuously and steadily throughout the match. Players sometimes hold their breath under stress. Oxygen is essential. Breath out with your strokes and grunt if you must. Use deep slow breathing during changeovers.

I hope this has rejuvenated your energy levels and given you another set of weapons to use on the court. Like many distractions, fatigue should be managed wisely to your advantage.