Learn Tennis Techniques - General Tennis Psychology

When you start to learn tennis techniques you'llfighting to the end, with never a thought of change. He
eventually come across Tennis Psychology. Dauntingis the man whose psychology is easy to understand,
though this sounds it's nothing more than understandingbut whose mental viewpoint is hard to upset, for he
the workings of your opponent's mind, and gauging thenever allows himself to think of anything except the
effect of your own game on them, and understandingbusiness at hand. This man is your Johnston or your
the mental effects resulting from the various externalWilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes
causes on your own mind. You cannot be amore, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.
successful psychologist of others without firstPick out your type from your own mental processes,
understanding your own mental processes; you mustand then work out your game along the lines best
study the effect on yourself of the same happeningssuited to you.
under different circumstances. You react differently inWhen two men are, in the same class, as regards
different moods and under different conditions. Youstroke equipment, the determining factor in any given
must realize the effect on your game of the resultingmatch is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often
irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever form yourgrasping the psychological value of a break in the
reaction may take.game, and turning it to your own account.
Does it increase your efficiency? If so, strive for it, butWe hear a great deal about the "shots we have
never give it to your opponent.made." Few realize the importance of the "shots we
Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, eitherhave missed." The science of missing shots is as
remove the cause, or if you can't do that, try your bestimportant as that of making them, and at times a miss
to ignore it.by an inch is of more value than a, return that is killed
Once you have judged accurately your own reactionby your opponent.
to conditions, study your opponent's, to decide theirLet me explain. A player drives you far out of court
temperament. Like temperaments react similarly, andwith an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and reaching,
you may judge men of your own type by yourself. Adrive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by
person who can control his own mental processesan inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken,
stands an excellent chance of reading those ofrealizing that your shot might as well have gone in as
another, for the human mind works along definite linesout. He will expect you to try it again, and will not take
of thought, and can be studied. One can only controlthe risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may
ones mental processes after carefully studying them.fall into error. You have thus taken some of your
Bear in mind that a steady phlegmatic baseline playeropponent's confidence, and increased his chance of
is seldom a keen thinker. If he were he would noterror, all by a miss.
always be near to the baseline.If you had merely popped back that return, and it had
The physical appearance of a man is usually a prettybeen killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly
clear index to his type of mind. The stolid, easy-goingconfident of your inability to get the ball out of his
man, who usually advocates the baseline game, doesreach, while you would merely have been winded
so because he hates to stir up his torpid mind to thinkwithout result.
out a safe method of reaching the net. There is theLet us suppose you made the shot down the sideline. It
other type of baseline player, who prefers to remainwas a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to
on the back of the court while directing an attackTWO points in that it took one away from your
intended to break up your game. He is a veryopponent that should have been his and gave you one
dangerous player, and a deep, keen thinking antagonist.you ought never to have had. It also worries your
He achieves his results by mixing up his length andopponent, as he feels he has thrown away a big
direction, and worrying you with the variety of hischance.
game. He is a good psychologist. The first type ofThe psychology of a tennis match is very interesting,
player mentioned merely hits the ball with little idea ofbut easily understandable. Both men start with equal
what he is doing, while the latter always has a definitechances. Once one man establishes a real lead, his
plan and adheres to it. The hard-hitting, erratic,confidence goes up, while his opponent worries, and
net-rushing player is a creature of impulse. There is nohis mental viewpoint becomes poor. The sole object of
real system to his attack, no understanding of yourthe first man is to hold his lead, thus holding his
game. He will make brilliant coups on the spur of theconfidence. If the second player pulls even or draws
moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, mentalahead, the inevitable reaction occurs with even a
power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting,greater contrast in psychology. There is the natural
fascinating type.confidence of the leader now with the second man as
The dangerous man is the player who mixes his stylewell as that great stimulus of having turned seeming
from back to fore court at the direction of andefeat into probable victory. The reverse in the case
ever-alert mind. This is the man to study and learnof the first player is apt to hopelessly destroy his
from. He is a player with a definite purpose. A playergame, and collapse follows. When you begin to learn
who has an answer to every query you propound himtennis techniques general tennis psychology will
in your game. He is the most subtle antagonist in thebecome a natural part of your game; as much as
world. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only tosizing up your business competitors is simply part of
him is the man of dogged determination that sets hiseveryday life.
mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely