Your partner is double faulting. Your opponent has a bad attitude. Their friends are clapping at your bad shots. You're so mad you just want to hit the ball as hard as you can. This is not the right frame of mind to play good tennis. If you feel this way, maybe it's time to take a break.
Emotional tennis is not fun for anyone. You may be upset at a line call, or at your partner, but putting anger into your tennis game probably won't help you win. While it's true that some players do better when they get angry, it's really that they become more focused.
If you have a tendency to get mad during your tennis matches, you should probably learn to control your anger. Taking it out on your opponent, or the tournament referee, will earn you a bad reputation in tennis circles. Have you ever banged the racquet against your shoe in a fit of anger? The only thing you accomplish by doing so it possibly injuring your toe.
From juniors, through adult and senior competition, emotions are often high on the court. These are generally negative emotions and anger, which may not be a good influence on your game. Some players will do whatever it takes to win. This includes playing "mind games" to get you worked up so that you get upset and lose your concentration.
When you're out on court playing a tennis match, make sure you have your anger and emotions in check. Remain calm, even through the bad line calls and poor sportsmanship. You will always run up against players trying to get the best of you one way or another. The best defense is to be cool, and don't show any emotion. Challenge yourself to keep an even exterior and not to show your emotions at any time during the match.
An advantage to remaining calm, cool and collected on the court is that it allows you to focus on your game. If you're able to tune out all the other "bad stuff", then you already have an edge on your opponent. There may be players on the next court arguing over the score, and if you get mad about the loud conversation, it will distract you from your game.
Gamesmanship and cheating are part of the real world. It's going to happen to you on the tennis court at some point in time, but don't contribute to the problem by getting angry over it. When this happens to you, try having a rational conversation with your opponent or partner, and try to work things out before they get too heated.
0 comments:
Post a Comment