Tip of the Week: Don’t Be Afraid of Losing

April 13, 2021 | By Steve Annacone
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Anyone who is considered a good competitor hates to lose. I can’t tell you how many times I have felt this pain following a loss.

One of the tough things about tennis is that you are going to lose a lot. You will lose points, you will lose games, you will lose sets, and you will lose matches. Then you will lose again. Part of being a good player is handling the losses the right way.

There is always another opportunity to redeem yourself. There will be another match. Keep in mind that every player in a tennis tournament loses except for one. When you are playing a tennis match, focus on the process, not the outcome. The path to winning the point or the match is through the execution of a shot or a series of shots that you have practiced over and over. Let your body do what you have trained it to do.

Before the point starts, remind yourself of one or two basic ideas (watch the ball, be ready for the ball to keep coming back) and then play the point. You will not always hit the shot the way you want and you will not always win the point. Go back out there and do it again if you are not successful. Trust the process and play every point the best that you can. There is no reason to be afraid of losing.

Many things that we have to deal with in the real world are more difficult than losing a tennis match. Move forward, give your best effort and you are likely to have a lot of success.

 

 

Steve Annacone
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. In addition, Steve, Phil Lepisto, and Amanda Reller run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at info@annaconetennis.com
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