Throughout these more than three years publishing in The Magic of Tennis, if something has been crystal clear to us, it is that mentality is an indispensable element if we want to be competitive in this discipline. So much so, that sports psychology has experienced spectacular growth in the last twenty years, especially in the field of the racket.
However, the fact that we are not able to do our best tennis or that we block ourselves in certain situations does not mean that we necessarily need to attend a sports psychologist.
When do you need a sports psychologist?
Although it is true that psychological assistance will always help us, we have to see if it is really going to bring us a necessary benefit and if the financial outlay is worth it. Most of us do not play tennis professionally, but rather play it at an amateur level. Therefore, unless you intend to dedicate yourself to this in a more serious way and make the leap into the professional world, you do not need to put yourself in the hands of a specialist in this matter.
The benefits of sports psychology
In case you have the capacity to have the services of a sports psychologist and you decide to put yourself in their hands, you will notice how your performance will improve significantly. Working your mind with a professional will help you improve your concentration on the court and avoid deep disconnections that leave you out of the game. Likewise, sports psychology will give you the keys to reinforce your confidence in your tennis and correctly manage adverse situations.
For all this, it is very important to find a balance of motivation and intensity that allows us not to lose our pulse to the game, but without falling prey to disappointment and panic in case things do not go as expected. The sports psychologist will detect the root of your problems on the court so that you find that stability, that concentration and that calm, keys to improving your tennis.
Your tennis instructor
As we said before, the specific figure of the sports psychologist is not common in amateur tennis, but the presence of a monitor, teacher or coach is. With it, you can discuss not only the possible technical difficulties in executing a shot, but you can also talk about some keys to improve your concentration and motivation on the court. Some coaches play or have played at a professional level and they know what it is like to deal with all those adverse feelings that often occur during the course of a game.
Motivational quotes
If you are not lucky enough to have a tennis teacher, you can always write yourself some motivational phrases on a piece of paper and read them during breaks. It may seem silly, but a certain Andy Murray has done it in some periods of his sports career. In his notes, you could read phrases such as “be good to yourself”, “keep the intensity in your legs”, “do the best you can” or “focus on each point”. They are very obvious messages, but we often forget in the course of a meeting, blinded by frustration or disappointment.
