Almost a year ago I started training more, switched to to 2 levels higher in competition levels. In training matches (mostly doubles) all goes well. sometime I surprise even myself with the level of play. I don't get to play many singels. But it is almost the same guy i play. But here comes the problem, match days of actual matches during training. although during training the execution of shot is good during a mach all skill i have just disappears. There was an occasion where after training my teammate and I were just playing around. I made him run his ass off. While there was no problems on my side. The the magic words game, lest play a set of 2. And the first 10 point where so bad, everything hits the net of was out. Same thing when en play against some one who i should be able to beat quite easily. But i almost always need 3 set and sometime cant even win at all. And when I play an guy that is much better the me, than i play way better and sometome push that other far better guy to 3 sets. There must be something that i my mind is so pressuring me to win and score points. But what can you do about that. How can you get the focus get over this?
visualisation, focus on performance over results, compare strategy/tactics in training vs 'match' other sports psychology stuff - DYOR.
- start with easier tournaments. - gradually increase the competitiveness and intensity. - participate in more and more tournaments. - above all, enjoy.
maybe when you play someone you can normally beat during practice, you give yourself extra pressure that you must win in a game or else it's not going to feel very good since you can easily beat him in practice. this extra pressure will throw you way off. whereas if you are playing someone you already know who's going to be better than you, then losing to the person might not be such a big deal since you've already expected, and you tried your hardest without much pressure. so now you know that you can play so much better without pressure, you have to find a way to control how your body reacts to pressure. when i get pressured, my heart tends to pounce really fast. but one way that i fool myself into thinking that i'm not being pressured is that when i warm up, i tend to make myself momentarily out of breath, which means my heart rate is a bit higher. this way, i am less aware that my body is reacting to pressure and thinking that it's reacting to running on the court instead. fortunately for me, i sweat easily as soon as i start hitting, so it's easy for me to fool myself. i guess what i'm trying to say is, whatever makes you think you're under pressure, however way your body reacts, try to mask that by doing something else that would render you the same reaction from your body...that way mentally you'll need to really analyze it to figure out why your body is reacting that way, and most probably, you won't have time to do so because you're going to play a game.
Spot on! This is the easiest way to deal with nerves. your body goes into more of a conservation mode when you get sweaty and out of breath, leaving little room for nerves. Also if you are that nervous just play first game with big margin and work your way back to your best, just no free points till you get going.
There's also another little trick performers use to get over stage fright: imagine the audience or your opponent not wearing any clothes. Don't laugh, it works.
You may then overcome nerves, but now you have a different problem - you may be too distracted to be able to play.
That is exactly what is going on. And every little mistake i think, come on this should be easy. And that makes things worse. Last home game i played a 30 min lasting game of three sets against some one. En that took my mind of. First game was double, and all went well. And i have to play more singels, that is certain. During training its mostly doubles. There were 2 train day's one doubles en one singels. But the singles one stopped. I got invited to a other training, but that real early and I cant real make it all the time.. So Hopefully more tournaments this year/season.. Thanks so far
It's very common to have to deal with nerves during match play. What I think is important is that you get rid of these nerves uf it's just a match in your normal training evening. I mean, this match is just for training and has no other importance than for you to get better, and for the fun and exercise. So tell yourself that it's not important who wins these training matches. Just play it point by point and if you lose a point, try to play the next one better. Don't worry about score, win or lose. Don't worry about who is "better", who "should" win. Your shots might work great when you play them without pressure, but how much is that worth if you can't play them in a match. Then maybe you are still not the better player after all, not yet. View the matches as what they are, just training. Do your very best in each point, but don't worry about win or lose or who is the better.
You are not alone. Most players achieve about 60 to 80% of what they are capable of performing during tournaments (and these are the experienced ones).
Just believe in yourself. Remember, your opponents are nervous too. Another angle looking at it, that's why there is only one Lin Dan. Most of the time you lose because the skill of your opponents are better or they just play better. Don't blame your losses on nervously.
sorry, but i don't agree with that! most players engaged in serious competition are far better in competition than in training. more focus, more concentration, more willpower, less fatigue (because of reduced training the days before), you name it... @topic: when it's competition time, it's the time to enjoy your game and be the best you can. all focus on your game, nothing else matters.
There's a book "Nerve: Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool" you may want to have a look. A point I'd like to highlight from one 5-star review is: 6. Expose yourself to your fears--The only way to get over a fear is to go through it. As Taylor urges, "You must expose yourself to the things and ideas that scare you." My interpretation of this is that you need to play more games/tourneys, while work on the other suggestions people have here every time. Over time, you should see improvement.
My friend, a psychiatrist, agrees with this wholeheartedly. (It seems like common sense advice you might have gotten from your grandma, but it sounds so much more convincing coming from the mouth of an expert who spent 9 years of studying to come up with the same thing. )
