In the heat of a competitive match, have you ever found yourself not knowing exactly what to think about? Between strategy, tactics, shot selection, internal cues, external factors, opponent’s game, how it’s going, it can get overwhelming. Playing freely and without thought can seem like an unattainable state. How can we get to not thinking? One way can be going back to basics, back to our ABC’s.
A tennis mind that I follow is Anthony Ross of mentallytoughtennis.com. I met Anthony during the pandemic, as I came across his work and had a chance to listen to a webinar and subsequently connect with him.
His philosophy aligns greatly with mine, and I’ve enjoyed incorporating elements of his approach into my work with clients, while on the tennis court or off. Here’s a quick peek at his ABC’s that might be helpful in terms of simplifying things during matches:
A is for Ask the question: did you commit to the helpful action or process that allows you to play and compete, or participate at your best? If you did, then the answer is “yes, good job.” If not, say “no, next point.”
B is for Be present: use a be present strategy to bring your focus to the present moment. Be present strategies include things like breathing for five seconds, feeling your feet, listening to the sounds around you, or something else that works for you.
C: Commit to a helpful action for the next point, or by extension for the next moment in life. This is like “W-I-N” what’s important now, or X + 1 with the one being what is the most important thing you need to do now.
So, keep it simple and use your tennis ABC’s to boil it all down for the very next point!
