How can I avoid being nervous in a match?
Mental Preparation
Kenneth Unknown Asked 16 years ago
Hi!
First of all, a BIG thank you for this great site! The lessons really help a lot!
I started playing table tennis in a club a few months ago and I always encounter the same problem while playing a match. While training, I am not nervous a bit, but when I play a match, I always get nervous because of the score.
Finally, I am so nervous that I hit the ball into the net while serving and I can't focus myself on the match. How can I avoid being nervous?
Alois Rosario Answered 16 years ago
Hi Kenneth,
This is an age old problem and one that everyone encounters to varying levels.
The solution is more than just one simple answer but here are a few starting suggestions.
The reason we get nervous is because we worry about the result and what is going to happen in the future. Staying in the present is a big part of staying calm.
A good way to do this is to focus on your breathing. Every time you start thinking about what might happen turn your attention to your breathing, slowing feelin git go in and out. This will help to keep your mind away from the "What Ifs".
Do some reading on the subject of sports psychology, it will help you to understand what you are going through. If you or anyone reading this is getting really serious about your sport it would be a good idea to work with a sports psychologist. A good one will help your performance a great deal.
Above all enjoy the challenge that the game is giving you and do your best. Realise that sometimes that will be good enough to win and sometimes it won't.
Good luck with it all.
Thoughts on this question
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andrew brand Posted 14 years ago
Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago
Jason Unknown Posted 14 years ago
I agree with Andrew and Ji-Soo. I went through a period where I was so scared of losing that I forgot how to win.
Once I freed my mind and realised that the game is there to be enjoyed my game improved to a new level and I now play \'without the handbrake\'.
My advice is simple. Enjoy it.
Isaac Soon Unknown Posted 14 years ago
Be humble is the main point. When you win enjoy it, don\'t bragg about it. When you lose also enjoy it and tell yourself that you are still not very good in
some area and promise yourself that you will improve it.
Do not always have to give others some reasons why you lose. When you lose you lose; there is no reason like not enough sleep last night or pain in the hand or leg or anything else. No body really care about your reasons. Only you know. If you have that mind then you will not be nervous. The one think that one is nervous
may be because he/she is afraid of losing face and keeps thinking about what reason should he/she make it out if he/she loses the game.
Brian Gibson Posted 13 years ago
Like Yogi Berra said,"90% of the game is half mental". Seriously though,your mental makeup is just as if not more important than your physical skills.Try this exercise.In your mind's eye,imagine your best day ever.You're at the top of your game,every shot and every decision you make is the right one and every break is going your way.Now,let that image fade and imagine your worst performance.Your shots are off so you over or under compensate,nearly every hit is weak and ineffective.You're trying hard but to no avail.Now come back to the present.Really analyze the two situations and ask yourself"What % of the difference between these 2 performances was physical and what % was mental.I'll bet it's mental by a very large margin.So how do you improve?There are lots of great sports psychology books out today that can make a huge difference in your mental game.Two that really helped me were "Mind Gym:An Athletes Guide To Inner Excellence". It's a great book to start with,sort of a class on inner confidence 101.The other book is "The Art Of Learning:An Inner Journey To Optimal Performance" by Josh Waitzkin.If you've ever seen the movie "Searching For Bobby Fisher",Josh Waitzkin is the boy who the movie is based on. He won his first national chess title at age 9 and would win 7 more. In his late teens he began practicing the martial art of Tai Chi Chuan and amazingly has won several world championships in that as well.This book is absolute must reading for anyone who wants to achieve the absolute pinnacle in anything they seriously set their mind on accomplishing.I hope that some of this helps.
Brian Gibson Posted 13 years ago
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 13 years ago
Hi Brian,
I have seen Searching for Bobby Fischer. In fact a wrote a blog, A Must Watch Film, about it some time ag. I realy enjoyed the movie. I'll have to get the book you are talking about and have a read.