The hard-hitting, erratic, net-rushing tennis-player is a person of impulse. There is no real system to his/her game, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups at the drop of a hat, mostly by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting type of character.
The really dangerous player is the one who mixes his/her style from back to fore court under the direction of an ever-active mind. This/her is the player to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite intention. A player who has an answer to every query you present him in your game. He is the most subtle opponent in the world of tennis. He is from the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of dogged determination that sets his/her mind on one plan and sticks to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with no thought of change.
This is the player whose psychology is rather simple to work out, but whose mental viewpoint is difficult to upset, because he never permits himself to think about anything but his game. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the determination of Johnston.
Choose your type from your own mental pattern, and then work out your game along the lines most suited to you. When two men are on the same level concerning stroke, strength and equipment, the determining factor in any match is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often just grasping the psychological value of a change of flow in the game, and turning it to your own account. We hear a lot about the "shots he has made." Few realize the importance of the "shots he has missed."
The science of missing shots is just as vital as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a return that is killed by your opponent. Allow me to tell you why. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and having reached it, you smash it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, knowing that your shot could just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to attempt it again and he will not take the risk next time. He will attempt to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponent's confidence, and increased his/her chance of error, all because of a miss.
If you had just popped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to put the ball out of his/her reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.
Let's suppose that you had succeeded with that shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible achievement. First it amounts to TWO points, in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one that you should never have had. Second it also upsets your opponent, because he feels that he has lost a big opportunity.
The psychology of a tennis match is fascinating, but easily understood. Both men begin with equal chances. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence goes up, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental standpoint becomes weaker. The sole objective of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thus maintaining his/her confidence.
If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable result is an even more drastic contrast in psychology of the players. First, there is the natural confidence of the leader of the game, but it is coupled with the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a likely victory. The situation of the other player is the reverse. He is likely to lose confidence and play worse. The collapse of his game plan will be the result.
The really dangerous player is the one who mixes his/her style from back to fore court under the direction of an ever-active mind. This/her is the player to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite intention. A player who has an answer to every query you present him in your game. He is the most subtle opponent in the world of tennis. He is from the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of dogged determination that sets his/her mind on one plan and sticks to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with no thought of change.
This is the player whose psychology is rather simple to work out, but whose mental viewpoint is difficult to upset, because he never permits himself to think about anything but his game. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the determination of Johnston.
Choose your type from your own mental pattern, and then work out your game along the lines most suited to you. When two men are on the same level concerning stroke, strength and equipment, the determining factor in any match is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often just grasping the psychological value of a change of flow in the game, and turning it to your own account. We hear a lot about the "shots he has made." Few realize the importance of the "shots he has missed."
The science of missing shots is just as vital as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a return that is killed by your opponent. Allow me to tell you why. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and having reached it, you smash it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, knowing that your shot could just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to attempt it again and he will not take the risk next time. He will attempt to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponent's confidence, and increased his/her chance of error, all because of a miss.
If you had just popped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to put the ball out of his/her reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.
Let's suppose that you had succeeded with that shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible achievement. First it amounts to TWO points, in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one that you should never have had. Second it also upsets your opponent, because he feels that he has lost a big opportunity.
The psychology of a tennis match is fascinating, but easily understood. Both men begin with equal chances. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence goes up, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental standpoint becomes weaker. The sole objective of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thus maintaining his/her confidence.
If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable result is an even more drastic contrast in psychology of the players. First, there is the natural confidence of the leader of the game, but it is coupled with the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a likely victory. The situation of the other player is the reverse. He is likely to lose confidence and play worse. The collapse of his game plan will be the result.
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If you are a beginner tennis player or are interested in the general psychology of tennis, just visit our website entitled Tennis Tips for Beginners. This article, The General Psychology of Tennis (Part 2) is available for free reprint.
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