Define the mental component
05/03/2011 | Written by: uspta
Click Video Highlight:
Define the mental component
Description:
The video features USPTA Master Professional Jim Parker describing the mental component. He explains how emotions can affect a player’s game and why it is so important to be mentally aware and balanced when competing.
Tip:
While the physical, technical, tactical and strategic learning components play a vital role in a player’s success on court, there is another component that is, at times, even more critical. However, this component cannot always be seen or analyzed by only watching a player’s movement, stroke or style of play. It is the mental component and it generally makes or breaks a player.
The nine mental subcomponents are:
Self-esteem plays a significant role in a player’s success. If the level of self-esteem is too low, it will negatively affect the player’s confidence, his ability to play good tennis and the belief he can beat his opponent.
Confidence is a player’s strong belief in his abilities and his conviction that he can accomplish any task, whether it is beating an opponent, winning a critical point or successfully hitting a particular shot. Confidence can be built through consistent practice and training.
Independence includes handling pressure situations on your own, looking to yourself for answers on finding a way to win, and thinking through challenging situations on your own.
Discipline affects many components in a player’s development, from his decisions on nutrition to finding the right balance between tennis and his social life. Distractions and temptations can easily disrupt and hinder a player’s discipline, so it is important for a coach to instill a strong sense of discipline in a player early on in his playing career.
Temperament implies the development of a stable and ideal manner of thinking, behaving, and reacting that is characteristic of a successful tennis player, which includes a combination of inner calmness and urgency of action.
Concentration is defined as a player’s ability to control the direction and attention of his thoughts and focus on the primary task at hand, as well as the ability to block out any surrounding distractions.
Goal setting is a player’s ability to determine tasks and outcomes that must be accomplished and understand the steps necessary to reach those goals. To begin setting goals a player must ask himself: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? What must I do to get there?
Sportsmanship is the character and conduct of a player who reacts graciously during competition. It is important to show good sportsmanship in both victory and defeat.
Competitive readiness is a combination of each of the eight mental subcomponents to create a supreme level of mental and physical performance in a match.
Learn more about the mental component and its subcomponents at TennisResources.com. Simply enter the word “Mental” into the Quick Search field or do an Advanced Search by clicking “General Performance Components-Mental.” You will find articles, video interviews and other assets that address the mental/emotional aspect of the game and the important role it has in a player’s training and performance.
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium membership have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
