We see extremely mentally tough players all around us- at our club, in tournaments and among the pros.
What is it that they have?  In this article I am going to break down five of the top specific traits players have that make them mentally tough.

1) Mentally Tough Players Play One Point at a Time

To really be in the zone, you have to be in the moment.  This includes fully having your attention on the task at hand.  One thing that gets in the way of us accomplishing this is having our focus on what happened in past points or what may happen in the future.
Mentally tough players are only thinking of the point at hand, like it is the only one that exists.  They do not dwell on old pints, however good or bad they were. Additionally, they do not think of anything beyond the current point, how great it is going to be to win or how far they are from getting there.

2) Play to Win

Mentally tough players know that the only reason they are out there is to win.  Nothing else.  They are not out there to be nice, gain admiration, be liked or mess around in any capacity.  Winning is the job to be done here. They not only know this, but act in line with it. Additionally, mentally tough players do not play down to others or give themselves breaks during a game or match. This includes having a workman like ethic towards achieving victory.

3) They Leave the Drama Aside

Mentally tough players have no interest in drama.  They avoid getting angry or upset. They do not tolerate letting themselves get down in the dumps, having low morale or kicking themselves.  They also do not whine or complain. Mentally tough players do not indulge in any of these things, but stay focused to win.

4) Mentally Tough Players Keep Their Opponent Down

Once a mentally tough player gets the lead, they not only keep it, but expand it- relentlessly. They do not give their opponent any window to get back in the game or match. Once they have the lead, they not only keep up the same focus and intensity that got them winning in the first pace, but take it up a notch.  By staying at the top of their game when they have the lead, mentally tough players keep their opponents down and out.

5) They Are Closers

Mentally tough players do not choke. They capitalize on opportunities when it matters the most. When it really counts and the pressure is on, they are able to perform and produce the result. Mentally tough players are comfortable and effective in finishing out a game or match.

How to Keep Your Opponent Down When They Get There So You Can Win

In this article we are going to go over how you can take advantage of your opponent throwing their racket, getting down or having a tantrum so you can ride the match out and win.

First!

The first thing to start to consider is how do you usually react when your opponent(s) get upset, yell, scream, hunch over or do anything else indicating that their game is off?

Really think about this for a minute. Do you get tight?  Start to do the same as them? Worry if you can keep it up? Feel sorry for them?

If what you are already doing is not working out so well, then keep reading. And if what you are already doing is working, keep reading too!

The main key to keeping the other player down is that you have to keep playing well and avoid letting them back in the match, which takes avoiding playing badly yourself.

But how do you do that?

One trap that we can fall into when our opponents start to get down is thinking that it is going to be easier for us now and we can relax a little. We can take our level of play down too, have it a little easier and still win. No way!  When your opponent is down, you need to turn up the heat even more to keep them down.

We have already discovered how we react when we notice the other player is down.  I am going to draw a fine line here. What is really going to help you be mentally tough and keep your opponent down is to not react to what they are doing at all, but simply notice it. Notice that they are down so you can turn up the heat and take advantage of them playing badly, but do not get sucked in and have your own reaction.

Don’t feel sorry, don’t be nice, don’t think you have it easy or have any other REACTION possible. This will only give the opponent a window to get back in the match.

Now that you know what not to do and what to avoid, it is time to focus! On what?  On turning up the heat to keep them down.  Here is a mental image that I like- you have finally gotten them to lie down, and it is time for you to pretend you are a sumo wrester-tennis player and sit on them for the rest of the match, and not give them any wiggle room. You don’t give them wiggle room by keeping on playing awesome tennis yourself by focusing on what it takes to win.  What exactly do you focus on?  A game plan, strategy or how you want to be on the court will all get the job done, but the most important thing is avoiding the pitfalls above!