Throughout these more than three years publishing in The Magic of TennisIf something has become crystal clear to us, it is that mentality is an essential 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 his hands, you will notice how your performance will improve significantly. Working your mind with a professional will help you improve your concentration on the track and avoid deep disconnections to be left out of the game. Also, sports psychology will give you the keys to reinforcing confidence in your tennis and manage adverse situations correctly.
For all this, it is very important to find a equilibrium point of motivation and intensity that allows us not to lose the pulse of the game, but without falling prey to disappointment and panic in case things don’t go the way we expected. The sports psychologist is going to detect the root of your problems on the court so that you find that stability, that concentration and that calm, keys to improve 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 comment not only on possible technical difficulties in the execution of a stroke, 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’s like to deal with all those adverse feelings that many times occur during the course of a match.
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 he has done it in some periods of his sports career. In his notes, you could read phrases like “be good to yourself”, “keep the intensity in your legs”, “do the best you can” or “focus on each point”. Are very obvious messages, but that many times we forget in the development of a meeting, blinded by frustration or disappointment.
