Tennis Strategy- "I am Winning."

“You live during the match, and you have strong emotions, but you don't want to get too overexcited. My body's totally flat now. I cannot move anymore. I'm totally exhausted, just because of the tension out there.”  Roger Federer

Winning a tennis match feels more important than it is because players are genetically wired to compete for position on the social hierarchy. The emotions of a tennis match resemble those of a fight. Players may realize that winning a match doesn’t really matter, but they will always want to win anyway.

No matter what level of tennis competition you are, you'll fare best if you focus on having fun and improving your game, not on whether you win. Part of improving is learning how to win, but you should be happier about losing a match in which you played well against a better opponent than winning a match in which you played poorly.

1. Stick with the same game plan that got you the lead; however be aware of your opponent strategy.
2. Do not let your mind wander. Tennis is more difficult mentally than most other sports. Because of its one-on-one personal nature, it feels more important than it is. Competitive matches can become highly stressful, and losing is painful.
3. “I am winning, doesn’t mean, “I won,” keep fighting. Your emotions will dramatically affect your tennis performance.
4. Do not argue over line calls.
5. Do not think about the score. Most players become nervous and stressed when they are ahead and face the finishing the match against a dangerous opponent. The closer players get to winning, the greater the stress.
6. Play one point at a time, stay in the present.
7. Take nothing for granted.
8. Do not argue or make your opponent mad.
9. Get a high percentage of first serves; this will keep the pressure on.
10. Being optimistic is always helpful during competition. If it does not occur naturally you can become more optimistic by focusing on the real positives that exist in every situation.