Pressure of being the best

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Shop Manager 

Flickr: Christopher Levy

With the BNP ParibasOpen in Indian Wells, CA drawing to a close, we take a look back at the draw and wonder why so many of the tour's top seeds were dropping like flies. Players such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova & Li Na had unexpected losses where we can't help but question if the pressure of always winning is taking its toll. The more we win, the more stress we add to our game. We must win because we're the stronger player. We must win because we beat this opponent in the past. We must win because it's expected of us. The pressure alone can cause such mental anguish that the match is already lost. So what can you do to relieve yourself from that self-destructive path?

It's easy to be overwhelmed by negative thoughts when things aren't going your way. The best way to remedy this is to focus on your physical actions. Make a point to move your feet, watch the ball, and breath out as you swing. Turn you attention to the next point, not the final outcome.

Talk positively to yourself. Too many times we've seen players shout out in frustration, whack their foot with their racquet, or simply remain silent in defeat. Tell yourself 'good job' or 'come on' after winning a point. And for those points you don't win, give yourself a break--you'll get the next one.

Give yourself something to look forward to after the match. What gets you into your 'happy' zone? Seeing your kids? A new episode of your favorite TV show? A win or lose milkshake? However big or small, remind yourself of the things that will help make it OK at the end of the day.

Lastly, don't put all your eggs in one basket. In other words, find another hobby to invest your self-esteem in. Tennis is supposed to be fun!

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What it takes to beat the unbeatable opponent

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Legit Tennis Fanatic

After a week into Wimbledon, we cannot help but remark on the bizarre twist this memorable tournament has taken. Top seeds like Federer, Sharapova, and Serena Williams are dropping like flies to lower ranked players and one hit wonders. But where do these players find the belief that they can beat the unbeatable? Is it the racquet that gets you into the right mindset? The perfect outfit? A lucky ball? 

Sabine Lisicki ends Serena Williams' 34-match winning
streak to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon 2013.

Sometimes we accept it as dumb luck or an off day on the court for the top seeds, but we want to give credit to the 'longshot' winners because we know for them it was so much more. You might say the field is not even, but it's the unseeded player that has nothing to lose whereas seeded players have (in their perspective) everything to lose. The belief stems from the fact that winning isn't forever. The tide is shifting, circumstances are changes, and the will of the underdog is stronger than ever making this tournament's unbeatable pool more vulnerable.

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The benefits of a short memory

Dallas Aleman | Towpath Tennis Owner | Tennis Guru

Rafael Nadal stuns at Wimbledon
with a loss in the first round

After watching Nadal go down in the 1st round at Wimbledon, it just proves that everybody (even the best) can have an off day. The question is, can he recover quickly after such a disappointing loss? A player may have the fastest serve, most powerful forehand, and be the best in the world, but if you can't learn to forget and move on, you're no better than the next player.

Having a short memory might be one of the most valuable assets a player can have. Bad shot--move on, double fault a whole game--move on, lose 6-0, 6-0 to somebody you normally can beat blindfolded--move on!

The fact of the matter is, if you're drowning in self-wallow over some bad shots, you're giving yourself no hope in improving and getting back into a positive mindset. In fact, you begin inviting more errors by not allowing yourself to recover from those crummy experiences. Remember, when you make a mistake it's not the end of the world, so train your mind to brush off the negatives by starting with a blank slate.

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