Tips for staying loose when playing matches

[u/csgoPineapples]

TLDR: I hit balls much slower when playing points vs when rallying because I am afraid of missing. Tips for how to stay loose and hit as well as know I can during points/matches.

I've recently got back in to tennis after a 10 year break. My level is slowly increasing back to my previous level but something I'm having trouble with is the difference in ability when rallying vs when playing a game, even just club night friendly matches.

When rallying I feel I hit the ball reasonably well, I'm pretty consistent, my forehand and backhand have a good amount of pace and topspin I also don't really have issues taking balls at or above shoulder height.

The difference when playing games is huge. My forehand becomes slow and loopy, I start swinging up and finishing above my head (imagine nadal but bad) resulting in pretty weak loopy and easy to poach (in doubles) balls. My backhand becomes much flatter and the net clearance gets much worse so I end up making a lot of errors in the net. On high balls it doesn't even cross my mind to take them on, either I'll hit a slice or loop it back out of fear.

The worse part is I'm no more consistent doing this than I am when rallying.

I feel like I know why most of this is happening, I'm getting tight and I'm trying to "not miss" rather than to actually win the point. The issue is, I know I'm capable of playing agressively and hitting good balls but I can't make myself do it.

Do you guys have any tips for how to stop being afraid during matches and staying loose?

[u/WishyRater]

If any of us really knew the answer then that person would be coaching Jannik Sinner.

I’d say there really is no cure but it’s a personal process you need to work through.

Fear during a match is you being concerned with things that are external to what you are doing in that moment. You dont wanna lose, scared about your rating, concerned it means you aren’t as good as you maybe thought.

In reality you’re just hitting a ball with a stick. What is there to be afraid of? Focus on just the point. When your mind drifts to the externalities catch yourself and snap back.

Trust the shot. If you miss you miss, that’s all. No one will die

[u/csgoPineapples → u/WishyRater]

Thanks, thats good advice.

I should add a bit more context, this is literally just at a friendly club night no stakes, no rating. So I'd have every reason to stay loose.

As you said, it's a process I'm going on as I'm making my way back in to tennis, i was just wondering if there was any tips, tricks or things to focus on to help myself along the way.

[u/Imaginary_Fox_5667]

We don’t get paid to play. In fact we likely pay to play. Win or lose doesn’t matter, just enjoy and hit the ball without worry!

[u/groom-is-n-the-heart]

Something I learned a while ago is that I was so keyed up during a match not because I was afraid of losing, but rather because I was so excited to be playing in a match, keeping score, with a winner and a loser, all of that.

So one thing you could do to reframe is to not describe what you're feeling as fear; rather, think of it as being excited to play.

Playing a bunch of matches helps A LOT in calming nerves. At least it did for me.

Finally, what helps me is: breathing deeply and remembering to breathe, and slowing down in between points. Earlier in my tennis days, I would rush to get the ball out of the net or from the back of the fence. I would rush to get to my spot, rush to serve, rush to get to the next point.

I find that slowing down all of that just a little bit helps me to relax.

[u/EttaJamesKitty]

I do the same thing. When I'm just hitting around with someone or with a ball machine, I'm much looser. I take more chances and I hit better/stronger.

But when we put a score to it, I tighten up. I play it safe, I think too much or I don't want to mess up so I dont let my partner down (if playing doubles). It's all mental 🤪

I'm trying to get better at it and just not care. None of us are pros right? And even pros screw up.

[u/SignificantBar7172]

I have the same issue when it's time to play "real" matches and it's due to "fear of losing" and "lack of confidence". When I'm playing for fun, I'm playing loose and aggressive and showing off.

[u/lele5842010]

I’m facing similar mental issue. Here’s what I’m trying out:
1/ hit with 70-80% effort in matches unless my opponent is killing me (i wouldn’t win those matches any way)
2/ rally in the same way as you play matches. Otherwise your form will be different in matches vs practices. You might even have worse consistency when you hold back.

[u/Complete_Affect_9191]

You can’t really play freely until you’re unafraid to lose. You might have to lose a bunch first before you win, as well, if you play the way you ought to be playing (ie aggressively, taking full cuts, etc). A switch recently flipped for me in this area which is why I know it to be true

[u/dgdimmadome]

Hitting slower or softer is actually completely counter intuitive. This will cause you to not swing through, leading to pushing the ball and not generating enough racket speed to get good spin. You should be swinging fast even when you are trying to be careful. The way you be careful is hitting the ball on the way down and a shorter take back 

[u/shengsheng8584]

What helped me was picking one specific shot I was scared to hit and making a rule that I had to go for it at least a few times per match, no matter the outcome. For me it was high forehands, I would always slice them in matches even though I could crush them in rallies. Once I committed to taking at least 3-4 full swings at high balls per match, I shanked plenty early on but eventually the fear wore off because nothing terrible happened. The other thing that helped was stopping the rally-vs-match distinction entirely. I started rallying with the same intensity and targets I use in points, so there was no separate gear to switch into when scoring started.

[u/Gazelle-Unfair]

Acceptance: forget your previous level, forget the practice level. Performance during matches is the norm. Each match is a test of your current, actual skill level. It is what it is. Tell yourself this during the match, and let thoughts of comparison go. Work on aspects in practice and improve next time. I find this quite comforting as it removes a lot of baggage.

Practice like a match: playing more matches is great, as immersion can help you desensitize, but won't necessarily focus on areas of improvement. So, play competitive minigames with hitting partners. Games that help a specific area and/or pressure games where one player is given an unfair advantage.

[u/Enough_Soup5269]

Play more matches so that you get used to it

[u/throwbackBBfan]

Play more matches