There are many reasons why we make mistakes on a tennis court. Having a major flaw in one of our strokes is a sure way to pile up errors. Our opponents pushing us around the court can also cause miscues. But the biggest non-technical reason for misfiring is indecision. Changing your mind in the middle of a stroke is a consistency killer. Here are some things you can do to prevent your brain from messing up your game:
Pick a shot and stick with it: Over the course of a match there are many occasions—such as a serve, return, or a short ball—when you have added time to think about your upcoming shot. This is an invitation to uncertainty. Instead, get one thought in your head and execute. For instance, when returning serve in doubles, before the toss even goes up choose a target and don’t let anything your opponents do change your mind. Have confidence that if you strike the ball well, you’re going to be in good shape.
Know the right times to open up the court: Here’s the situation—you’ve got a forehand and plenty of room up the line, but it’s risky since you’re a bit off balance and five feet behind the baseline. What do you do? Many times our positioning on court, and that of our opponents, can cause doubt. As a general rule, you should only open up the court if you believe you can hurt your opponent, or at the very least not put yourself in trouble. So if you’re at net, and your opponent hits a low passing shot that you can’t do much with, be safe and keep the volley in front of you. If the ball is high above the net, you can be more aggressive and angle the volley into the open court.