How come you hit great tennis shots in practice but you miss these shots in a tennis match?

Answer

Let me guess, you hit awesome shots during practice, but mess up those very same shots during a match. What is going on? Why does this happen? A match means that there is a specific desire result involved. This can cause nervousness. When something is on the "record" our competitive nature kicks in and adrenaline rises. If we aren’t 100% confident in our shots, concerned about our opponent, or are focused too much on the final score, then are muscles can tighten up. These factors can lead to missed shots.

When you hit great shots during practice, stop and take a moment to record this information in your mind. Think about how loose and strong your muscles felt during the shot. Focus on your footwork. Connect a positive experience with the shot.

Spend a few moments each day to visualize hitting great tennis shots. Remember how it felt to hit those shots successfully during practice. Realize that nerves will play a factor during match play. If you miss your backhand, don’t automatically assume that you can’t hit any more good backhands during the match. Take time between points to fiddle with your racquet strings. Breathe deeply and remember how it felt to successfully hit that shot in practice. Removed the missed shot from your mind by focusing on the upcoming point.

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First answer by JillianG. Last edit by JillianG. Contributor trust: 303 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 71 [recommend question]