Finding the right mindset for big matches

When you go into a tournament or an important match, it's worth taking some time beforehand to get yourself into the right mindset. That's as much of an important preparation as all your practice sessions on court and all the time spent in the gym.

One approach to get into the right mindset is to think about what your goals are. At first thought, you might come up with something like:

• Win the tournament
• Win the next match
• Play some good tennis
• Entertain the spectators
• etc.

All goals worth striving for, and nothing wrong with them, right? Well, while it's nice to strive for these goals and satisfying to achieve them, they have one thing in common that can negatively affect your experience and your performance: you don't have total control over them. They can make you aim for results and take your focus away from the present.

Here are some alternatives to think of:

• Give best effort
• Have a good time
• Warm up well and move smoothly
• Stay loose, swing loose
• Observe the ball
• etc.

These goals you can control, and if you do, they will help take care of a positive outcome. Even if you don't end up winning the match or the tournament, goals like these allow you to feel positive and relaxed, keep you in the moment, and give you a better experience.

If you have other examples for helpful and unhelpful goals, please share them in the comments below!