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Fall Signing Week '15: Playing Your Best Tennis for Coaches
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Let's face it - the more something means to players, the more pressure they put on themselves to succeed. One of the most uncomfortable moments for most aspiring college tennis players is competing in front of college coaches. Often, players feel that they need to play the best tennis of their lives to even get noticed. The reality is that when athletes try too hard they often end up underperforming.

The real question for college tennis prospects shouldn't be, "What do I need to do to play my best in front of college coaches?" The question needs to be, "What do I need to do to enjoy my time on the court the most?"

When tennis players are in the zone they rarely have any thoughts. In fact, many players I've worked with have difficulty even recalling the score. Instead, players can recall an amazing feeling on the court. Some examples of this feeling could be, "my game was flowing", "I felt free", "I felt like nothing could go wrong", "everything slowed down". This feeling is what players need to focus on to play their best.

Here are a few tips to help players start the process ...

Step 1: Write down how you feel when you are playing your best tennis and when you are enjoying yourself the most on the court. List what you are focused on and what your real goals are during those moments.

Step 2: Write down all the distractions that take you away from those great feelings. Things such as who is watching, what the environment looks like, any bad thoughts that usually come up before and during that time, and any feedback from parents or other people close to you that make you nervous.

Step 3: Dedicate ten to twenty minutes a day imagining your ideal feelings the day of a college tennis showcase or college visit, and imagine yourself succeeding in keeping that great feeling in that uncomfortable environment. What will it look like? How will you stay focused and relaxed? Players should start practicing this mental warm-up at least two days before playing in front of college coaches and, if possible, start practicing it now. The more time you dedicate to this exercise, the more ready your mind will be when it matters the most.

 

SPMI is a premier mental toughness training company that has trained hundreds of tennis players throughout the world, helping them maximize their mental game and achieve their goals in tennis and in life.

 

More Coverage

Signing Week has barely begun, but we already have our third article ready to go later this evening. Blue Chip senior Bjorn Hoffmann will talk about his commitment to the University of California at 6pm Eastern / 3pm Pacific. Check out that article - and all the other great content we have in store for you - as Tennis Recruiting brings you exclusive coverage of Fall Signing Week '15.

 
 

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