Albany Tennis Club

From the Pro

Practicing With Pressure

Players who play well under pressure are not born that way. They have developed pressure tolerance through practicing, playing with pressure, and discovering techniques to combat anxiety. Most people do not practice pressure situations, so when they occur in competition, panic sets in. The following are ways to create pressure situations in practice so that you can develop your own coping strategy.

Pressure Serving and Receiving

Play a match with only one serve allowed per point. This will force you to get your first serve in and give you a true evaluation of just how dependable your serve really is. Or play a match with the rule that any missed return of serve results in the loss of the game no matter when it occurs. This rule cuts down the number of returns into the net. By yourself, try to serve four consecutive serves in this order:

• Deuce court, to the outside half of box
• Deuce court, to the inside half of box
• Ad court, to the outside half of box
• Ad court, to the inside half of box

To increase the difficulty, the serve doesn't count unless it passes the baseline before the second bounce. That eliminates soft serves. Another way to add difficulty is to divide the service box into thirds. Instead of aiming for the outside half of the box, you reduce your target to the outside third of the box. You can also perform this drill in front of an audience of teammates or others. That will add more pressure for sure.

Scoring Adjustments

Simple scoring adjustments can add pressure by emphasizing a fewer number of points. This creates a similar situation to one you might face near the end of a competitive match when several hours of play might come down to a few well-played points. In the following situations, all other normal tennis rules apply; only the scoring technique is altered.

• Play the best three out of five, 12 point tiebreak against another team.
• Play a 1 point tournament against several other teams. This is a single elimination tournament with each round consisting of just 1 point. Let's say you start with eight teams. Each team draws a number. Teams 7 and 8 play the first round consisting of 1 point. The losing team is out, and the winner now plays the challenger, team 6. Play continues until only one team is left and is declared champion.
• Play a handicap system. The winner of the first game begins the second game down 1 point (love - 15). If the set score goes to 2 - 0 , the team ahead is down 2 points. If the set score goes to 3 - 0, the leading team begins at love - 40. This system works great for teams of different skill levels because it is difficult to start out a game down love - 40 and still win. Sets and matches tend to be very close.

Playing with an Audience

Did you ever notice those players who lack confidence always ask for a back court so no one can watch them? It's natural to hide when you believe you'll look foolish. To deal with the pressure of people watching, look for situations in which you can play on the first or show court. Random passersby will see you play a few points, and you will have an opportunity to adjust to their scrutiny. Ask teammates or friends to come watch you play and then learn to block out their presence until after the match.

Be inventive in designing your own ways to practice with pressure. Play on club ladders, local tournaments, round-robin events, mixed doubles, team matches, and any- where someone is keeping score. As you gain confidence and skill, you pressure tolerance will increase.

See you on the courts,

Len