Intro to Brain Performance
In order to reach the highest levels of success, it takes more than just physical prowess and technical understanding. To truly excel, one must also have a deep understanding and awareness of the mental and cognitive aspects involved in the game, as well as what’s happening within yourself emotionally. Quite literally you need your brain to perform. Through this performance- belief, confidence, and resilience are bred and gained upon through knowledge and understanding. This knowledge allows players to make strategic decisions, overcome challenges and opponents, and apply what they have learned under stress. With guidance and willingness to learn, you will develop into well-rounded players who have the mental fortitude and resilience to achieve greatness in the competitive world of tennis.
You cannot out perform your self image…
When you look in the mirror you need to see everything you can be as well as what you are.
What you think of yourself is what you are…
Always be your biggest supporter, and never see yourself less than what you are!
There are 4 matches being played every time you compete:
1. You vs Opp: What you are trying to do to win.
2. Opp vs You: What they are trying to do to win.
3. Opp vs Opp: What the match is doing to them.
4. You vs You: What the match is doing to you.
The entirety of this section is to help the You vs You match and make sure that you have the tools to fight losing the battle to yourself. You should feel comfortable on the court knowing you are not your own opponent.
Brain Performance
Areas of Focus
Mental Toughness
Develop a strong mindset to thrive in high-pressure situations. With the right tools and support mental toughness can become a major factor in your success on the court.
Emotional Intelligence
Learn how to effectively manage and regulate your emotions, leading to improved decision-making and performance on the court, as well as, learn to read and understand your opponent.
Focus and Attention
Maintaining a strong attention span and focus is key to success on the court. Take the time to develop these important skills, allowing you to excel in every aspect of the game. Don’t let distractions hold you back from reaching your full potential as an athlete..
Belief and confidence
Belief is the internal trust and conviction in oneself, while confidence is the outward expression of this trust. Confidence is often visible to others and can be seen through body language, tone of voice, and actions. Both belief and confidence are important for success in sports and in life.
Mental Toughness
Mental Toughness is often used as a broad term that covers multiple aspects of the mental game, and often confused with areas such as confidence, emotional intelligence, and belief. However, it has its own area of focus. Mental Toughness from the outside looking in is a players ability to stay “tough” under pressure and in stressful situations what does it take for a player to break. You acquire most of your Mental Toughness over time because you would have had to learn from many situations and of those experiences you need to have had multiple that were extremely hard to deal with. I like to think of it like a callus on your hands. First you get blisters, until the skin toughens over time. Toughness can then also be associated with with your minds ability to be less stimulated by events on the court because you’ve seen them over and over and have been desensitized to them. Either way it boils down to how well you respond to situations in competition and whether you can stay away from an emotional hi-jacking.
Body Language –
“Looking tough” and “on-court presence”
In competitive tennis, having a strong court presence is essential for achieving success and performing consistently. Athletes must learn to present themselves as unfazed by challenges and setbacks. This valuable skill takes time and effort to cultivate, requiring consistent practice and commitment. So much communication in sports is non-verbal. Therefore having great court presence even if you’re faking it sometimes can help you in the battle. Do not give your opponents the validation that they are getting to you! Great body language and court presence can give you a competitive advantage and if it makes you better then you have a personal responsibility to committing to it.
Frustration Tolerance
Frustration tolerance is simply how long it takes you to get frustrated or how much you can handle before getting frustrated. The best players are able to clear their mind and empty their “frustration cup” more often and therefore show less frustration. Letting go of past events is at the core of this skill. Having routines in place to aid in your mental recovery between points and on change overs will help guide you through stressful times. The hard part is committing to these routines even in the face of extreme frustration and the highs and lows of matches.
Mental Goodwill
While we often talk about mental toughness in the sense of being able to handle stress. It is also important to reference mental goodwill because that is your ability to take care of yourself and to be your own cheerleader. The more mental goodwill you can have often times will result in a more mentally stable demeanor. At the end of the day you have to have your own back, and you have to be your biggest supporter.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. By definition I hope it’s easy to understand why this is important in tennis. Here are three key elements to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation.
Self-Awareness
One key aspect of personal growth and development is self-awareness. It involves being able to recognize and understand one’s own behavior patterns and reactions in various situations. This level of self-awareness goes beyond just acknowledging basic emotions; it allows for deeper understanding of oneself and the ability to control actions and make decisions based on that understanding. With this self-awareness comes the potential for positive changes and personal improvement. By being in tune with our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we can become more self-aware individuals and continue to grow and develop in competition.
Self Regulation
Self-regulation is a crucial element in attaining lasting success, both in an individual and professional capacity. It involves the efficient management of emotions, thoughts, and actions to achieve one’s objectives. Building solid self-regulation abilities can result in heightened triumph in all facets of tennis, both on and off the court. By honing this skill, athletes can learn to maintain control, channel their energies and overcome hurdles. It also improves focus, decision-making, and overall performance. In the long run, mastering self-regulation can set individuals on a path towards sustained success and fulfillment in all aspects of life.
Motivation
Motivation is the mental force that explains why a person does something and is the driving force behind human actions. For athletes, motivation can come both from within and from external factors. Intrinsic motivation refers to the determination and passion that comes from oneself, while extrinsic motivation is derived from external sources such as coaches, teammates, or the desire for recognition. In the world of tennis, both types of motivation are vital to stay focused and persevere through the challenges of training and competition. It takes a balance of both internal and external motivation to succeed on this difficult journey towards tennis excellence.
Discipline and Focus
Discipline is regarded as a fundamental topic in all of sports. While motivation gets you going, discipline keeps you going. The discipline to train consistently, make correct decisions, choose the correct paths, and all the way down to just staying on task during competition. I frequently use the term just to emphasize poor shot selection, and yell out “stay disciplined!” Under discipline lies another term that is used throughout the entirety of the sports world, focus. One of the most common pieces of advice given to athletes by coaches and parents is to “stay focused.” However, the issue is not typically the ability to stay focused, but rather what the player is focused on. Oftentimes, athletes become too fixated on result based thoughts, such as winning or losing, rather than staying true to their own personal goals and performance goals. Staying present, staying on task, keeping your thoughts productive, and keeping your focus is all the art of staying disciplined.
Attention Span
Attention Span is how long you can focus on a certain task or objective. During a tennis match that lasts 3 hours this can be a pretty hard feat to be able to remain entirely focused for that long. However, having the proper rituals and routines can allow your focus to drift and then come back and perform at a high level.
Attention Focus
Attention Focus is what exactly you’re focused on. This is most likely the culprit in many circumstances on the court surrounding results. Thoughts can drift all over the place, past, present, future, and the best athletes are able to get back to the present the most often.
Belief and Confidence
Often times we enter the court to play an opponent, and often times that opponent is…ourselves. This is where we find out your relationship with ‘Belief’ and ‘Confidence’. I really enjoy this topic and have a fascination with it. I see it everyday. Why does a player with seemingly nothing that stands out as an athlete, or has remedial tennis development, have the most confidence? Or, a player that is gifted, physically built, and has all the support they need, but for some reason does not have the belief or confidence to equal their other attributes. Why? Getting to the bottom of it is most of the sports psychology world. Belief in itself is not costly, you do not need anything to attain it. So there is an internal battle to win. Confidence, however, can waver depending on all sorts of factors. Confidence is essentially the external, and belief the internal.
Belief
Belief is not just about a positive mindset, but it’s also a powerful force that can drive us to achieve our goals and overcome challenges. It is the unwavering trust in our own worth and value, and the resilience and determination to keep going even when faced with the toughest obstacles. With belief, we have the grit to persevere and reach new heights, pushing ourselves to go beyond what we thought possible. In the world of sports, belief is often the difference between good and great. The players that believe in themselves the most are often the ones that achieve more, breaking through barriers and setting new records. Harnessing the power of belief and using it to propel us towards our dreams is what every sports movie is all about, and that’s why we love them!
Confidence
Confidence is not something that we are simply born with, it is achieved through hard work and accomplishment. It comes from having evidence in different situations that we are capable, as well as developing our skills and abilities over time through experience. It is a continuous journey that requires dedication and determination, but the payoff is immeasurable. Combining the confidence you feel inwardly, with an outward projection of confidence is an intimidating factor for an athlete. Knowing you have put in the work and you trust yourself to perform based on hard purposeful practice is a major confidence booster.
Warning
It is clear that belief and confidence are crucial aspects for athletes to reach their full potential and perform at their best. However, these two concepts can be difficult to maintain and can easily be affected by external factors. In today’s age of social media, rankings, UTR, WTN, and gossip, it is easy for players to become distracted and lose sight of their true abilities. It is important to handle these challenges with care, as they can have a major impact on an athlete’s mindset and performance. By remaining focused and blocking out negative influences, athletes can truly excel and achieve their goals.
Easiest Mental Traps
There are countless mental traps that can easily ensnare even the most skilled competitors. These pitfalls can be seen at every tournament, no matter the sport or level of competition. Despite our knowledge and efforts to avoid them, we inevitably find ourselves succumbing to their grip. As coaches and athletes, we must continually work to identify and break free from these traps in order to find our best more often. It is a constant battle, but one that is necessary for success in the highly competitive world of tennis.
Unrealistic Expectations
Unrealistic expectations can often be the cause of self-sabotage and can greatly hinder an athlete’s performance. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have to win every tournament or play perfectly in front of certain people. However, these kinds of thoughts only add unnecessary pressure and set us up for failure. It is important to set realistic and achievable performance goals and be aware of our limitations. By doing so, we can make consistent progress and build confidence in our abilities. Moreover, focusing on our development rather than external factors can lead to more fulfilling and successful performances. There is a large element of self-fulfilling prophecy and manifestation when it comes to brain performance and the trap we fall into is that it works for the negative just as well as the positive.
Tanking
Tanking is relieving yourself of care to reduce stress. The bad news is it works. As soon as you make the decision to tank, there is an instant emotional detachment from the completion and instant relief from stress. It can happen for a point, set, match, or anytime the player decides to remove effort and stop trying. Although there are a few reasons that a player may tank, the most common one is the stress relief tank due to not meeting expectations and frustration. Others may include exhaustion or fatigue, injury, or a lack of discipline and focus. As we have discussed in other sections, it is so important to have coping mechanisms to handle the stressors of high-level competition. There is a major red flag if you’re tanking just because things get tough. Stay disciplined, problem solve, and try to get into a more competitive spirit. Many times, the player can start playing better during a tanking phase, but that is only because they stopped focusing on the outcome and just relaxed. That’s why tanking can be dangerous; it works sometimes. Do not be fooled, though, it’s only a bluff.
Excuses
Excuses are costly. Blaming external sources for your wrong doing or trying to pin your shortcomings on something other than yourself can hinder your development. Everyone and anyone can make an excuse. Some excuses are more valid than others, for sure. Excuses are a natural safeguard against taking accountability in your loss or what happened to you. Coaches have heard every excuse imaginable, so as a player you have to be aware that you are making your credibility drop by throwing them around. “Im tired…Im sick…they cheated…there was traffic…I didn’t have time…ITS NOT MY FAULT…” and on and on. Accept responsibility, hold yourself accountable, and be as professional as you can be.
Negative Self-Talk
Negative self-talk is a killer. We all know that little voice in our head that tells us we’re not good enough, that we’ll never succeed, or that we’re just plain stupid. But did you know that this negative self-talk can actually affect us on a biological level? Research has shown that constantly putting ourselves down, whether verbally or in our thoughts, can have long-term effects on our DNA. So instead of beating ourselves up on the court, let’s try to change our inner dialogue and see how it positively impacts our game and our lives. After all, the power of positive thinking is real and we owe it to ourselves to harness it. In a sport that allows almost no external feedback during competition, being your biggest supporter is a must.
Prolonged Red Flags and Competitive Traps
Learned helplessness in tennis is a concept that refers to the belief that a player has no control over their performance, often due to past failures. This can create a feeling of hopelessness and inevitability in the face of future challenges. When a player experiences setbacks repeatedly, they may start to feel like they are unable to improve or succeed, regardless of how hard they try. This can be a debilitating mindset for any athlete, as it can strip them of their confidence and motivation. As coaches, it’s important to recognize when our players are struggling with this type of thinking and help them to develop a growth mindset instead, where they see challenges as opportunities to learn and improve. With the right mindset and support, any player has the potential to overcome learned helplessness and achieve their goals on the court.
Consistently believing the worst outcome will occur can have detrimental effects on an individual’s performance. This negative mindset can lead to a fear of failure, a decrease in confidence, and an increase in performance anxiety. It is important to recognize and address these thoughts in order to achieve success and then have the self-awareness to make positive optimistic adjustments.
A victim mentality in tennis is a mindset in which the player sees themselves as powerless and reacts to challenges by making excuses, blaming others, and removing accountability. This mentality is detrimental to a player’s progress and can hinder their ability to effectively overcome challenges on the court. Instead of viewing themselves as victims, players should adopt a growth mindset and take ownership of their successes and failures. By doing so, they can learn from their mistakes and develop a more resilient and adaptable approach to the game. It is important for coaches to address and help their players shift away from this limiting mindset in order to reach their full potential on and off the court.
Some people may have the perspective that the outcomes in their life are purely based on luck, fate, or the actions of others, without any influence from their own personal choices and efforts. However, this belief can be limiting and disempowering. It is important to recognize the role of personal actions and thoughts in shaping our experiences and outcomes. By taking ownership and responsibility for our actions, we can perform in the present more often and relieve the stress that external anxious thoughts can bring.
Performance Anxiety
The relationship between Stress and Anxiety surrounding competition
Performance Anxiety is a major issue in competitive tennis, and more importantly junior tennis. Before understanding Performance Anxiety, I think it’s important to cover Anxiety and Stress in general. They are similar but do have differences that set them apart.
Anxiety is a natural mental and physiological response to stress, pressure, or feelings of threat. This can occur in response to a variety of situations or circumstances, including school responsibilities, social issues, athletic stress, and more. The physical and mental responses to anxiety can vary greatly from person to person, with some individuals experiencing a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and muscle tension, while others may experience more subtle changes like increased worry and restlessness. Despite these differences, the root cause of anxiety remains the same – a perceived threat. This triggers the body’s fight or flight response, leading to the release of stress hormones that can further exacerbate the symptoms of anxiety. It’s important to recognize and understand our anxieties in order to effectively manage and cope with them, as they can become overwhelming and hard to control if left unchecked.
Stress is a natural and necessary response to the demands and pressures that we face in our daily lives. It can be triggered by external factors, such as a difficult task or a challenging situation, or internal thoughts and worries. When we experience stress, our bodies release hormones that prepare us for action – increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar to prepare us to face what’s coming. While short-term stress can be helpful in motivating us to take action, long-term stress can have a negative impact on both our mental and physical health. As stated before though, when it comes to competition, stress is necessary. You have to have a level of stress that allows you to prime your body and mind to become your best. In other words, you want it and need it. However, just like anxiety, stress can become overwhelming if the processes in place to manage it are not there.
So what is Performance Anxiety?
Performance Anxiety is intense worry and stress that negatively impacts a player’s performance. What causes it? That is a loaded question and probably the biggest topic in the Sports Psychology realm. We certainly have all felt it. We can get flat on the court, get timid with shots, stop hitting out on the ball, and literally get so nervous we can’t move or think. So what it really is, is the discrepancy between the demands of tennis or upcoming competition, and the your perceived ability to meet those demands. In that grey area, we can experience low levels of self-esteem, fluctuating confidence, and uncontrollable emotions. Fear of failure, overemphasis on negative outcomes, remembering past experiences, and an increase external locus of control are some of the more common culprits that can cause us to become overwhelmed. With this we start this entire anxious loop when competition gets closer. Sports Psychology tells us that negative experiences are more readily available in our brain than positive ones. We start to remember all the tough situations we’ve been in and failed. We start to think about everything that can go wrong. Then we form a strong external locus of control that can make us feel like we have no impact or ability to change our current situation. The loop can become very hard to break. So, As you can see, Performance Anxiety is a complex issue that can have a profound impact on a player’s ability to perform. Because it can manifest itself in so many ways, the hardest part is having the self-awareness and self-regulation to recognize and face it. Overcoming it will require a combination of mental and physical techniques, such as positive self-talk, rituals, relaxation exercises, and visualization, to create good habits and build confidence in order to gain control over our emotions. As long as we care about our outcome, we will always experience these things, but once we learn to control them, we will have a much less stressful time on the court.
