Imagine the pressure that Steffi Graf or Stephan Edberg feel in the final set of a Grand Slam event. Thousands of people are watching, there is money and the title on the line. I’ll bet you have felt similar pressure in matches you have been in. They might not have been at Roland Garros or Flushing Meadows, but they were important to you.

Whether a touring pro or a weekend player, the reaction is the same. Your heart pounds, your knees shake, your breathing is shallow, your muscles get tense, and you feel lightheaded and faint. You also have negative thoughts and you have trouble concentrating. ANXIETY has just set in! At any level of tennis, the ability to overcome anxiety will determine how well you play. So how can you overcome anxiety and stay cool on the courts?

Progressive Relaxation

One useful technique is called progressive relaxation. This involves tightening and relaxing major muscle groups: legs, chest and back, arms and shoulders, and face and neck. This method enables you to control your muscle tension, so when you are in a pressure-packed game situation, you have the ability to relax and play better. Here’s how to do progressive relaxation:

Begin with the legs. Tighten your leg muscles up for three seconds, then relax (do it twice). Next, do the same thing for the other muscle groups. Finally, tighten your whole body for three seconds, and relax. Progressive relaxation can be done before the match, during changeovers, or between points.

Breathing

Another obvious, yet often neglected, way to reduce anxiety is simply to take some slow, deep breaths. Deep breaths will lower your heart rate and relax your muscles. Muscles can not function effectively without adequate oxygen, so by taking deep breaths, muscles will feel looser and you will be able to play better.

Counter Irrational Thinking

Another significant cause of anxiety is irrational thinking. Anxious players tend to blows things out of proportion. How many times have you heard, “he is serving 300 miles per hours”, or “I haven’t made a shot all day”? So, to reduce anxiety, these statements should be countered, i.e., show that they are not true. For example, it might be useful for someone to point out that even Goran Ivanisevic can’t serve that fast or the fact that you just hit a great backhand passing shot. When this is done, anxious players usually see the absurdity of their thinking, relax, and are able to play better.

Smiling

Perhaps the simplest and most hard to believe technique that is effective in reducing anxiety is the act of smiling. This does not mean finding something funny or laughing, rather simply raising the sides of the mouth and smiling.

Smiling influences our feelings in two ways. First, we are brought up believing that when we smile, we must be happy and relaxed. Second, research has shown that when we smile, biochemical changes result in a relaxing effect. So next time you begin to start to feel the pressure, breathe, tighten and relax your muscles, think realistic thoughts, and, most importantly, SMILE!