The Psychology of Tennis:Using Your Head More Than Your

Racquet

Country Club of Landfall, 01.16.03

Antonio E. Puente, Ph.D.Department of Psychology

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Telephone: 910.962.3812

Fax: 910.962.7010

E-mail: puente@uncw.edu

Web: uncw.edu/people/puente

Outline of Presentation

• Acknowledgments

• Scientific Information

• Tennis “Psychology”

• Summary

• Useful References

• Questions & Answers (along with the pros)

Acknowledgments

• Family

• Friends

• UNCW Tennis

• Landfall Tennis Program

• USTA Area Training Center

Basic History

• The Play of a Nation (1921)– Desirable= tennis, golf, swimming– Undesirable = motoring, dancing, movies

• Development of Tennis Psychology (1940s)– Initially as training for other skills such as

flying

• Development of Sports Psychology (1980s)– Tennis as a late introduction into this field

Scientific Information:Outline (summary of 550 articles)

• Personality of a Tennis Player

• Goal Setting

• Motivation

• Learning

• Cognition

• Stress

Personality of a Tennis Player

• Socially Involved– Skill Development– Technical & Social Rules

• Personality of Champions– Love of the Game– Joy of Competing – Strong Desire to Supremely Well/ Potential Seeking– Work Hard– Have a Coach or Mentor That Relates Well – If a Junior, in a Home That Values Competition

Goal Setting

• Perceived Purpose– Competition (more so for males)– Mastery– Cooperation

• Goal Orientation– Ability & Task Orientation– Positive Social & Personal Impression

• Parental Involvement– Parental Support

Motivation• Davis Cup & Professional Players

– Ambition– Aggression– Competence– Competition– Control

• Success in Elite Junior Players– Motivation– Strength, power, and agility

• Commitment– Frequency of Play– Years of Play

Learning

• Anticipation & Reaction Time (in pros)– Faster– More Accurate

• Response Selection (in pros)– Tactical Selection– Forceful Execution

• Cognitive Styles– Mental Practice

• Visualizing Skilled Activity• Visualizing Achievement

Cognition

• Self-Talk

• Self-Efficacy

• Cognitive Training

• Momentum

Cognition

• Self-Talk– What is Self-Talk

• Gestures

• Audible Self Talk

• Walking

• Racquet Holding

– Negative Self-Talk Relates Highly to Losing– Match Circumstance Predicts Self-Talk

Cognition

• Self-Efficacy– What You Believe is Often What Happens– Physical Efficacy Sometimes Predicts Self-

Efficacy– Anxiety is OK; Fear is Not– Techniques Include;

• Rewarding Self Statements

• Verbal Persuasion

Cognition

• Cognitive Training– Winners Versus Losers– Cognitive Changes are Easier Than Motor Ones– Cognitive Changes Predicts Motor Changes– Experts Use Sophisticated Plans

Cognition

• Momentum– Combination of Events Rather Than Single Events– “Mo” is Defined as Increased Performance &

Accompanying Emotional Changes– Males More Likely Than Female to Shift Momentum– Juniors Are More Likely to Lose Momentum More so

than Seniors or Professionals– Most Important Games = First 8 Games of Each Set– In First Set Later Games are More Pivotal– In Second Set Earlier Games are More Pivotal

Stress

• Anxiety & Mood– Older Athletes Less Emotional– Anxiety Predicts Outcome (U Shaped)

• Racquet Braking as an Example

– Methods to Control• Problem-focused coping• Emotion-focused coping• Cognitive-focused coping

• Juniors & the Problem of Burnout

Tennis “Psychology”:Outline

• Personality Characteristics

• Learning Styles & Issues

• Playing the Game of Tennis

Personality Characteristics

• Belief System– Ability– Effort– Positive Personal Impression– De-emphasis on External Factors– Avoidance of Deceptive Tactis

Personality

• Executive Functions– Planning & Goal Setting

• Short

• Mid-Range

• Long-Range

– Regulating & Shifting• Due to Internal & External Causes

• When to Hold & When to Fold

Personality

• Overall Make-Up– High Energy/Ambitious/Dynamic– Confident & Optimistic– Will-to-Win

Learning Styles & Issues

• Motor or Skill Learning– Rote, Automatic, & Non-Thinking– Practice (and Good Practice) Makes Perfect– Spaced– Repetitive

Learning

• Cognitive Learning– Willful, Planned– Imagery

• Skill related thoughts

• Positive self talk

• Mentally rehearse strategies

• Think in metaphors

Learning

• Attitudinal Learning– Focus on Improving More than on Winning– Above All, It’s Just a Game

Playing the Game of Tennis

• Preparation– Mental Vs. Physical Preparation– Periodization– Equipment– Pre-match Anxiety

Playing

• Thinking– Understand Your Opponent– When & When Not to Think– Think Small, Play Big– Don’t Show Your Weaknesses– The Use of Rituals

Playing

• Stress and Arousal Control– Self-Directed Situations (choking)

• Easy Shots• Big Shots

– Outer-Directed Situations (playing a loser)• Weather• Line Calls• Gamesmanship• Taking it Personally

Playing

• Stress Control (continued)– Behavioral (from rituals to racquet carrying)– Physiological (from breathing to resting)– Cognitive (from distraction to avoiding

“suicide”)– Timing– Energy Control

Playing

• Attention– Concentrated Trance– The “Zone”– Momentum– Closing

Playing

• “Inner Self”– Playing Smarter More Than Harder– The Different Selves

• Self I = Quieting• Self II = Trusting

– Motivation• Peers & Social Interaction• Teams• Parents

Summary

• It’s a Game

• It’s Social

• It’s Mental

ENJOY YOURSELF

Useful References

• Books– Inner Game of Tennis (Gallway)– Vic Braden’s Mental Tennis (Vic Braden)– Think to Win (Fox)– Winning Ugly (Gilbert & Jamison)– Smart Tennis (Murray)– Sports Psychology Library (Van Raalte, et al.)– Vision Tennis (Zosel)

Useful References

• Websites– usta.com– tennisinformation.com– tenniserver.com