The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
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“I focus the whole match on perfect form. That’s
Correct …right?”
“Athletes nurtured to focus on mechanics in match play seldom perform in the flow state.”
I recommend that athletes save most of the detailed analysis of strokes for the improvement phase, which takes place on the practice court. Biomechanical analysis surely has its place; it’s just not in the midst of competition. Focusing too much on “bend your knees,” “close the racket face 30-degrees and brush up,” and “tuck the left hand in on the serve to block the third link of the kinetic chain” pulls athletes out of the flow state and into their editing, analytical brain.
The week leading into an important event, I recommend trading-in the need for stroke perfection and replace it with practicing picking up relevant cues like proficient pattern play, score management, and opponent profiling. This prepares the athlete for pressure by allowing their judgmental ego to slip away. Performing in the zone requires relaxed contentment, which can’t be found if you’re focused on fixing every micro-flaw.
Preparing for pressure requires the athlete to focus on the art of competing.
