Attitude

Paul Davenport Asked 14 years ago

Hi Alois,

Here's a tough question for you. It's not about technique, it goes much deeper. It's about attitude.

I'm very competitive and work hard on improving my game. But I've noticed that I tend to tighten up during matches and miss shots that I regularly make in practice.

At the same time, I've noticed that I'm not having as much fun as I used to have playing.

How can I play competitively and still remain relaxed?

Thanks,

Paul 

Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago

Hi Paul,

You are right that is not an easy question.

It goes to the heart of why you play.  It is important that you focus on your improvement and enjoyment of the game.  If you enjoy the actual playing of a game then you will have a slightly different attitude.  

It sounds like the winning has taken over from the game itself.  If your only focus is on winning you will tend to tighten up.  The more we want something the tighter we get naturally.

You can start to focus on some relaxation techniques during the game that will help you to focus on the ball rather than the score.  Enjoy the feeling of playing a bit more.  The body doesn't like the feeling of being tense and stressed and that is why you are starting to have negative feelings about the game.  Start to work on your relaxation techniques and it can turn around.