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Tennis Playing Tips - Tips to Win a Tennis Match

Published August 1, 2016

From the start of the day even before you walk on the tennis court, tennis playing tips are mandatory for success. These tennis tips to win a tennis match will assist a tennis player in all parts of tennis.

Check out these tennis playing tips that will show you some important keys to focus on from the start of the day until the end of the tennis match.

The preparation for a tennis match begins way before a person walks on the court. These tennis tips to win a tennis match are for tennis players that want better results on the tennis court.

Tennis playing tip #1 - Early preparation

So you've realized that the best tennis tip for winning a tennis match is something entirely inside the bounds of your control. It's simply early preparation. Starting the mental, physical and emotional preparation earlier on at least the day before the tennis match. On the tennis match day, likely there will be a lot of different emotions inside your mind. Your mind might be fluttering with different thoughts.

Many of these thoughts will be about the past or future. Your head may be foggy and unclear at the match day, either worrying about past thoughts or nervous about your future performance during the tennis match that day. It's important to learn to calm your emotions. You may be feeling nervous, your stomach jittery and your muscles tensed. All of these emotions and feelings can easily become out of control and take over during a tennis match if they are not properly maintained.

For this tennis playing tips, develop what is best described as "emotional detachment." In order to win a tennis match, a person should be relatively focused and clear of overwhelming thoughts.

Tennis Playing tip #3 Reduce the "Fight or Flight" Syndrome

This tennis playing tip is important for every tennis player competing at the tournament level. Being nervous and anxious is entirely natural. It is the body's "flight or fight" syndrome kicking into gear. As primitive animals, humans were designed to protect themselves from danger by developing this attribute. As soon as danger is sensed, the human body would become extra aroused. The heartbeats may become rapid, palms sweaty, muscles tighten up and become tensed and the mind becomes foggy. The most primitive stages of a human being are then introduced, but these symptoms are not ideal for a competitive tennis match situation.

Humans have evolved since then, but the same "flight or fight" from what is perceived as fear or danger is still inside the nature. This can be detrimental a tennis match. In a tennis match, the body performs best in the zone - with little to no tension and anxiety.

Watch Roger Federer play a tennis match. Even though Federer's reputation and money is at stake every time he plays a grand slam he looks cool, calm and collected. His tennis technique and strokes are hit with full comfort and his appearance is relaxed. This is the same characteristics that tennis players at all levels should strive to develop.

Tennis Playing tip #4 Develop a ritual

Developing a ritual prior and during a tennis match is a crucial tennis playing tip. A ritual can be anything that serves to relax a person and take their mind off of the tennis match. A ritual should be performed on a consistent basis so the mind and body begins to associate the ritual with a positive and calming aspect.

Rituals can be anything from verbal cues, mental visualizations, thoughts or actions that pertain to the tennis match and will make the person increase their focus and concentration. Tennis is a game that requires a large amount of mental and physical concentration, any break in concentration can cause the person to lose games, sets and then matches.

Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic are known for their adept uses of time and mental capacity in between points. It is said that a large amount of time in a tennis match is spent in the idle time in between each point. It's necessary to solidify a person's routine in between points.

Tennis Playing tip #6 Gear up the Tennis Equipment

This tennis playing tip is likely the most important tennis tip of all time. Making sure the tennis equipment is in tip top shape and in order is one of the most important tennis tips for winning a match.

This means rackets must be in good shape and freshly strung if possible, tennis shoes with good soles and atleast one backup shoe, a supply of tennis over grips, bandages, wraps, tapes, sweat band, extra shirt and shorts are just a few examples.

Great tennis players understand this tennis playing tip more than anyone else. Seemingly minor aspects such as tennis equipment can spell the difference between a win or loss.

Tennis Playing Tips From The Warm-Up to the End of the Tennis Match

Use these tennis playing tips the next time you get on the court. Over time, these tennis tips for winning a match will become a natural routine that you can use to obtain more positive and consistent results in a match.

Common questions

When does preparation for a match actually start?

At least the day before, and it covers mental, physical and emotional readiness rather than just equipment. The reason this is described as the single most useful thing a player can do is that it is entirely within their control, unlike the opponent, the conditions or the draw.

What is the fight-or-flight response doing to a player before a match?

Exactly what it evolved to do, which is the problem. Nerves and anxiety before a competitive match are the body's threat response activating, and it is entirely natural rather than a sign of weakness. Recognising it as a physiological reflex rather than a character flaw is what makes it manageable.

What makes a pre-match ritual work?

Consistency, not content. A ritual can be anything that relaxes the player and takes their mind off the match, but it has to be performed the same way every time, because the effect comes from the mind and body associating the sequence with a settled state. An inconsistent ritual is just an activity.