how can i get my a-game at every tournament?

Samuel Lim Asked 13 years ago

Dear alois and jeff........

i just cant get myself together during a match.... its like my performance lowers......but during training drills i can execute properly but during games i become very weak..... why is this and how can I overcome it?

Alois Rosario Answered 13 years ago

Hi Samuel,

The problem of correct mental preparation is a big one.

You need to think about your expectations for a match and also your emotional level.

YOu can;t play your best when you are too excited or nervous. So think about some strategies to lower your nervousness. A simple one is to take a deep breath when you start to feel anxious.

Take a look at the pervious Ask the Coach questions in the archive under the Topic of "Mental Preparation". You will find a a lot of information there as well.

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Sam Quek Posted 13 years ago

I also do have this problem, I don't get into competetion, but with other people. For exmaple, when I'm playing against my firend, I managed to topspin pretty well and sometimes, its pretty consistent. However, when I play with someone else (example, my teacher) I can't control the ball and my usual backhand topspin becomes very weak and flies out of the table.

mahimn bhatt Posted 13 years ago

hello sir,

To lower our nervousness or excitment can we use this strategy to say ourselves in mind that "this is only pratice.........."

thank you.

andrew brand Posted 13 years ago

its an obvious thing to say, but you would be more consistent in drills because your partner is feeding you balls that are easy to topspin. in a match your opponent will be doing everything to keep you off your best shots.