ANXIETY ( A feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome)
This is a real issue in sportspeople of any age but it may be the difference as to whether a kid who plays tennis can take their game to the required level to achieve success. As a tennis coach i have seen many things on a tennis court that i shake my head at in disbelief then nod my head in acknowledgement that this was in fact my biggest issue when i played the game as a teenager. I recall some days barely being able to hold my racket or move without feeling as though my legs were lead weights and my stomach constantly turned. So what is it with tennis and anxiety?
It may have a lot to do with the pressure that has been put on the child by parents, friends or even by the child themselves as they strive for a goal , a personal goal. There are no other people to blame for a loss when all is said and done, it's that horrible feeling of 'i failed, i should have won , how could i lose that? or i am pathetic', it's just that sort of game.
I firmly believe that anxiety in my adult life stemmed from my days of junior tennis that had me at times feeling so nervous that i could not perform the way that either i knew i could or knew i should be, a feeling of helplessness. Hours spent practicing the game usually accounted for nothing as some days i would give a shadow of the person that i knew i could deliver on a tennis court. After some matches i literally hated myself and i would hate the game too , so why didn't i give up? The challenge.
Tennis is a sport that is really only a mental battle if you are fit , because let's face it , if you are technically sound , fit and have no physical defects then playing tennis should really just be about putting the ball in play and out thinking your opponent. Pretty simple really, so why isn't it?
Fear of failure in a one on one sport can over ride your ability to perform at the level you know you have when you hit against a ball machine, on club days, against a mate, or even perhaps against the kids you teach, so why is this? You will never beat a ball machine so you have nothing to lose , there is no point trying to beat it so you just try to not embarrass yourself, it's a pride thing. If the machine spits out 50 balls in a sequence of side to side hitting then and you get 50 back into play well you didn't technically beat it but you matched it, you feel good about this.
If you have a hit against fellow club players on a Saturday afternoon then there is no real pressure and you swing freely , with no fear , some of your shots will be quite remarkable but you have these shots , you just aren't prepared to release them in a tournament for fear of missing . If you play against either your mates or the students you teach then chances are you will be better than them so in a sometimes egotistical way you inadvertently 'show off' your skills , again , with no fear of missing.
So when we take on a machine or our mates or our students there is no anxiety, no fear of failure , no tight muscles , no nervousness , we are in complete control of both the situation and our ability to play the game of tennis. However when we are thrust into the spotlight in a tennis tournament against an opponent who has two arms, two legs , just the same as us , for some reason things change.
Being nervous at the start of a match in particular can cost you the match , even if after a weak first set you come back in the second and play the way you want to and know you can play. How many times have you read a scoreline of 6-1, 7-6? That's typical of a player who really 'didn't turn up' in the first set but by the time he had lost the first set , the anxiety had gone and he was able to play his natural game. The great Boris Becker used to have a funny habit at the start of matches, he would cough, just small coughs that resembled someone who had a slight tickle in the throat, it would be gone by the third game once the adrenalin had kicked in . I wonder if Boris would ever admit to this ? I remember it vividly. Even the great Champions of tennis get anxiety but they know how to shut it out in time for them to perform at their best and that's what makes them champions.
A large crowd has a lot to do with a player's anxiety level , i know it did with me , i felt as though the 'World' was watching and assessing and picking apart my every shot and every move, i felt claustrophobic, but there was no where to hide. When i first started teaching tennis as an 18 year old i used to make a habit of getting to the venue first and taking my group to the end court , as afar away as i could from the parents , i also used to play well in a tournament on an outside court . As soon as i was within earshot or spectator view for coaching or playing then i would talk quietly to the kids or play conservatively , i had a fear of failure.
To this day my anxiety before a game of tennis is still there but it is much more controlled , i feel in charge now of my emotions and i am not trying for anything else but self pride and gaining respect. When i teach i welcome parents court side as i am in complete control of my lessons and my way of expressing myself, i just wish i had that ability when i was younger.
Anxiety prevents a good player from becoming great, prevents an average player from becoming good and it prevented myself from enjoying tennis more when i was younger.
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