How can I avoid being nervous in a match?

Mental Preparation

Kenneth Unknown
Kenneth Unknown Asked 17 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
Member Badge Alois Rosario Answered 17 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. 


Recommended Video

Building Block 5: Develop Game Skills with Match Drills

The fifth building block of table tennis is using match drills to simulate real-game situations. Match drills start with a serve and return, creating a practice environment that closely mirrors actual gameplay.

Within these drills, you can focus on specific skills, such as executing topspin against backspin. Incorporating match drills into your training helps you transition your practice into competitive play, building confidence and readiness for real matches.

To develop this building block the following video on match drill routines will be extremely helpful.

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Thoughts on this question


andrew brand

andrew brand Posted 14 years ago

NEGATIVITY has been the biggest problem i have faced so far during matches. i have just completed my first season, and when i played badly i dwelled on it and it definitely lost me a lot more points than i would of if i could of found a way to detatch myself from the disappointment of that last shot, in the end i think it was just a combination of 2 things that snapped me out of it and helped me recover mentally. 1. just experience of matches, it is more of a problem when it is all new and becomes less intimidating the more you are in the competitive situation where you want the results and get quite annoyed when you know you are not playing to your best.  2. the second thing i think helped a lot was just when you can see how much you have improved through dedicated training, in time i noticed my level had started to go up to closer match the players i was up against. this gave me confidence that although i play the odd bad shots i have a chance to win still.  im sure i will still get the odd occasion when i feel deflated in a match because i am serious about doing well, but im sure it will happen less over time now.

Ji-Soo Woo

Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago

I wholeheartedly second Andrew's comment re: importance of experience.  Getting as much high-pressure official table tennis competition experience under your belt is absolutely key.  Aside from obvious benefits, it teaches you to get used to losing.  This might sound a bit negative but learning to accept losing is a really big step.  No one wins all the time.  As the saying goes, you win some and lose some.  When you've gotten used to it, you can concentrate on technique and tactics instead of being scared to death about losing.

Jason Unknown

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

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

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.


Jeff Plumb

Member Badge 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.


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