Roger Federer at Indian Wells 2013
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
What? I lost again. I have the best coach, I serve hundreds of balls, hit with my partner, practice my strategy. How come I lost again?
Sound familiar?
I am talking about tennis. But it could be any sport. Or anything? What keeps any of us from walking away with the trophy? Could it be a head trip? What are you thinking when you hit that ball? The difference between a good player and a great player has to be mental. It makes sense. You beat all the club players, but when you play in those tournaments, it all goes downhill.
Rafael Nadal
And the higher you reach, the more you need mental stamina. You might have a tough exterior, but what about your interior? Your inner workings need toughness. Even if you are a Roger Federer, or a Rafael Nadal., or a Tiger Woods. How do they stay at the top? Physically … mentally. You need confidence, persistence, tenacity and most of all, focus.
I met Jane, a terrific tennis player, in interior design school so many years ago that I’m not saying. We traveled NYC together, studied together, built projects together. And in the summer, we hit the ball. I had just started playing and loved it. Jane asked if I’d like to learn. She had just passed a rigorous exam by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). I gawked at her, my jaw
Roger Federer
dropped, and asked, “You teach tennis?”
Long story short, I practiced, practiced and practiced. Then I took that same USPTA exam and passed. Became pretty proficient, but I never could beat Jane. Even though she said, “What’s the matter with you? You’re now a better player than me.” She was my teacher, my coach, my playing partner, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t beat her. I never did. Head trip. And … I taught tennis for years before I was consumed by my career in interior design.
There are mental training specialists, not psychologists or psychiatrists. In my tennis organization there are those for just this purpose. Mental training is a critical part of success.
Take a look: Damien LaFont, PhD, Certified Mental Trainer www.mentaltraininginc.com.
Juan Martin del Potro
Anyone following Juan Martín del Potro? He did great this tournament. He climbed almost to the top at Indian Wells, lost in the finals to Nadal, a tough competitor.
How many of you know that Doubt Monster? Do you believe you have more tenacity than it? Can you turn your passion into progress?
Hi Gail, I’ve definitely been dealing with head trip issues re:my writing, so I really appreciated your blog – and the accompanying photos 😉
Thank you for always trying to stay so positive and constantly giving us something different to think about, be it mental stamina, travel, architecture, etc. It gets us out of our own head space and re-acquaints us with the world. Big Smooches to you and your pink fuzzy vest (which you rocked)!
You, my darlin’ are most generous with your say-nice-things. And–you encourage me to keep on blogging. Now that I read today that blogs are on the way out, along with websites. Come on, really? Do they really think that social media takes the place of those news worthy editorials and images. No doubt though, the world is changing. It is changing faster than the wrinkles that set themselves upon our faces.
My nephew went to college on a tennis scholarship and his brains. Smart kid, sorry man.
So, is he still playing tennis? Did he develop mental toughness for his tennis, his life, his future? Thank you for visiting!!!
Ah, mental toughness! I’m probably going about it via a round-about way, but yoga seems to be giving me mental resilience. I’ll look into that sports psychology link. Thanks for the tip, Gail.
Rhonda, thanks for the comment. Yoga does give you something . . . like prayer gives, a peace, a calm. And it’s good exercise. It is interesting to watch the top players, especially when they are facing a tough competitor. They rise to the occasion.
Hi Gail,
I shared your post with my tennis player/Competitive swimmer daughter. Mental Stamina is something she usually does well, but sometimes I catch her making upfront excuses for the fail she may or may not have. I say, “Nuh Uh. Don’t even go there.”
I never knew there were psychiatrists specializing in mental stamina. Thanks for the info. She may need something like that someday. She’s going for gold. 🙂
Hi Katy, thanks, its good to hear from you. I am so delighted to hear your daughter is playing tennis. I think tennis is one of the most important of all the sports. Because it is an individual sport, you have to handle everything yourself, like writing. You must learn to be gracious, persistent, kind, fair, honest, patient, focused and still be tenacious.It takes a minimum of seven years of practice and playing frequently, five days a week, to become a decent player. And when you love the game, it’s not hard to find the time to hit the ball.
These folks that do this mental training are not psychiatrists. Rather they specialize in competitive sports mental stamina. Different, very different. I gave you a link from the USPTA. However, if you check online and put in mental training for competitive sports, you should find books that have been written over the last … umm twenty years, or so. I think. I haven’t checked, but I will. The later ones might have some new approaches. Although, learning mental toughness is like a rose, is a rose, is a rose. Time shouldn’t matter.
I’m glad Rafa won but he should thank DelPotro for beating Djokovic
You said it Sandy. Pretty amazing that he did beat Djokovic. Nice to hear from you.