Hello, Thanks for stopping by. Let me ask you this. Do you hate losing close matches? The ones you could have so easily won, but they just slipped through your fingers. They hurt the most, don't they? It often comes down to just a few critical points. When everything else is equal, the competitor who plays the smartest under pressure will usually come out on top!

 

Hi, I'm Adrian, lifelong player and coach, and here on Personal Best Tennis we help keen players compete better, starting with the strokes they've already got. So what makes some players seem to do well when stressed? What sets them apart as tough competitors?

 

It is all about desire, and a willingness to stay the course, however rocky it is. The ability to control emotions, to calm the nerves, to think clearly under pressure is what separates winners from losers. Believing that things can be turned around, that comeback wins are always possible, is part of a winning mentality. Being able to problem solve, to adapt and adjust to changes in momentum, are skills that are necessary when facing a well-matched opponent.

 

Are there things we can work on to improve our chances of winning a tight match? Can we learn to be a tougher competitor? Yes we can. So let's look at what tough competitors do, that maybe we could try to incorporate into our own game.