I’m writing this blog in response to several requests from tennis players who want some pointers to help tackle the problem, when they choke in tennis.

Why do people choke in tennis?

There are many reasons people choke in tennis. It could be because of nerves, or it could be because of a competitive atmosphere getting too big or important in their mind. Players in any first-time tournament situations such as a junior national championship, a junior international or pro tournament can trigger desires to do well, not make a fool of themselves or a feeling of not belonging, which produces extra anxiety leading to a choke.

However, a Fear of losing is usually the biggest culprit for choking. This fear will paralyse the body and mind with so many thoughts of what will happen if the player loses, it becomes impossible to have a calm, clear mind. This interference in the head creates confusion and leads to choking.  

Whatever the reason may be, there are ways to limit choking. Anyone who promises that you can eliminate choking completely must be avoided because it is humanly impossible to never choke.

What is choking?

When you choke, it means that you doubt your abilities and hesitate. Hesitation slows the feet and the arms, so your timing suffers and the errors flow. This happens when you feel too much pressure or because you feel like your skill sets aren’t good enough for the task. In my experience, it is the pressure that players put on themselves that hurts them the most. 

So often players will go into matches thinking that they should win because their ranking is higher or because they have beaten the opponent before and therefore expect to win. This mentality does not consider how much the opponent could have improved since the last match was played or how they will play, and equally how the player themselves will perform. There are so many variables to consider for every tennis match, there is no point in speculating what will or won’t happen, because the reality will almost certainly be different.

Choking is when you suddenly cannot breathe properly, your muscles tighten up and your game suffers. It can happen to anyone, and even pros must fight it occasionally. Luckily, there are ways to limit choking and to get your game back on track. Here’s what you need to know about choking in tennis.

How to stop choking in tennis

There are a few methods to limit choking.

One of the most popular is to take four deep breaths in between points, a technique developed by the Navy SEALs in the USA and if it helps elite soldiers in battle, then certainly it will help a tennis player.

Deep breaths, approximately in and out to the count of 1-2-3-4, help you regain some composure and can relax the tension that causes your game to suffer. 

Add this tool to the breathing:

• Think about something simple
• Put all your focus on whatever you choose, such as ‘move your feet or watch the ball or have a loose arm’.
• Experiment by taking four deep breaths
• In your head, use a calm tone of voice and see which simple instruction helps you the most.
• By taking your mind off the result or how you are playing, you give yourself a simple process to get back into the game with a chance for a renewed focus to cope and forget about the pressure. 

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Here are a few other tools and thoughts that can help limit choking:

1. Competence is a huge help, so practice and keep getting better.
2. Play your game with full intent. 
3. Keep your attention on the game in front of you. The one point at a time cliché that works.
4. Keep your head up and maintain good body language. 
5. Believe in your processes, stay focused, and don’t give up!
6. Do not make assumptions about your opponents. 

Manage your mind

Ultimately, if you’re going to be a very good tennis player, you’re going to have to learn how to manage your mind and how you react to the multitude of problems and feelings that you will experience throughout your competitive career. Choking is one of the key issues that every athlete faces in every sport and every person in life situations such as presenting, exams or difficult conversations. 

Get rid of the myth

Choking is a part of life, so get rid of the myth that you can somehow get to a place where it never happens. You can certainly get very adept at limiting its effect on your performance and the best in the world rarely cannot function, but make no mistake, they still feel tight in tight situations. Their magic is in using their tools, their discipline to never give in to choking as somehow impossible to manage.

Find your own formula

I encourage you to go out there, and work at choking like any other shot in tennis. Try things and learn how you feel and function when you experiment until you find a formula that works well for you. Tennis is not about perfection; it is about managing all the complexities of your mind and game to extract as much as you can from yourself every day and every day is different, so your challenges vary. The one variable you can avoid is having no plan.

If deep breathing and relaxation techniques don’t work, you may need further psychological help. It’s not uncommon for players who often choke to have anxiety or mental health problems that only allow them to play well when they feel ultra-confident. If this is the case, be sure to consult a coach, mentor or psychologist who understands tennis to help you become more disciplined in managing your mind. You will want someone on board who can help you learn to manage your reactions to your emotions so that they don’t consume your play.

For a comprehensive approach to all the variables and to learn how to manage your mind and win more matches, look no further than www.mindsetcollege.co.uk 

Conclusion

Choking happens to everyone. There are some things you can do to help keep it from happening. 

When you understand that whether you relax and play the way you want to play and express yourself or not, you will win and lose. Why not relax and enjoy doing things the way you want? This way you will still win and lose, but at least you will constantly improve the right things. The alternative of playing ultra-scared and inhibited will win you matches, but at what cost to your development as a player?

Written by

David Sammel