Category Archives: Mental Health

Scores of tennis players believe that most of their problems on the tennis court are technical (eg. The action of hitting a forehand, backhand etc) and not mental (thought process behind the action).

Players practice the technical aspects of their shots or pay huge sums of money to coaches to work on areas of their game that probably don’t need as much technical attention as they may think.

Here’s my advice.

When you play a match you need to focus at the other end of the court tactically. Every shot you play must have a purpose to either neutralise or hurt your opponent tactically. The only thing you must be aware of at your end of the court is the ball and where you are aiming to hit it.

During a match you MUST NOT think technically. As soon as you do, more often than not you lose the match. Why? Because it’s almost impossible to mend a shot during a match.

When you play a match you go into battle with what you have and you have to make the best of it. If you try to hit shots you have not mastered in practice then you will probably end up disappointed.

Most errors are mental because they have a lack of purpose or the players’ concentration is on technique and not where the ball is being aimed!

Here’s a typical example:-

A player came to me after a recent match and said that his forehand needs a lot of work because it let him down big time in his last match.

Now I know this guy can hit great forehands and does so regularly in lessons. I asked him “When did your forehand let you down?”

He answered “It was okay at first but once I made a few errors it just seemed to get worse and worse from them on.”

This statement told me a lot. It told me he was analysing his technique because of an error and became more and more conscious of what he was doing at his end of the court instead of trying to affect the points tactically at the other end.

So we hit a few rallies and played some points out. Something went wrong as I approached the net and his forehand flew out the back of the court.

I asked him what he was trying to do? His answer was “I didn’t cover the ball with enough topspin and lost control.”

He was right – his ball flew out because it had no topspin on it. BUT, it wasn’t a technical error.

So I asked him the same question again but wanted a more specific answer. So I said “tell me exactly where you pictured the ball going and where you expected it to land?”

His answer was “Cross court somewhere!”

This guy wanted a technical answer, but the answer was mental. His ball went ‘cross court somewhere’ and that’s all he’d asked from himself. So in effect he actually succeeded.

If you want to hit a short angled topspin forehand cross court to a target and you miss then that’s a technical error and we can then work on that.

BUT if you are not aiming specifically and don’t know where you want the ball to land without first visualising it, then how can you be upset when you miss?

If you don’t know where you are aiming then that is a mental error. Your racket can’t do the aiming for you, no matter how much it cost you!

If this guy had pictured the exact shot he wanted he would have automatically covered the ball, and hit with more topspin, and been successful, because he has done it in many practices before.

You wouldn’t shoot a gun without aiming would you, as it would be dangerous? To hit a tennis shot without purpose is effectively doing the same thing and is a danger to your confidence.

How many people do you know who don’t aim their second serve but just try to get it in? (are you one of those people?!).

Visualise and aim. You have a much better chance of hitting the target and succeeding.

So the key is to practice these shots and scenarios, so you know what to do in these pressure situations. You will then build up a visual memory of succeeding under pressure.

Then all you need to do is watch the ball and visualise what you want to happen. What you focus on in life becomes reality.

If the shot has been practiced enough it will begin to happen in those pressure situations as pure muscle memory. (See it, then do it!)

Are you depressed? Anxious? Moody? Many of us who are turn to pharmacutical relief, or we play mental and emotional games with ourselves to try and “ride it out.” But the reality of the situation is that with the proper nutrition, or “mood vitamins,” we can actually feel better than we have in years, all the time, without drugs. Without mental games.

A deficiency in Vitamin B may be to blame for many of our emotional challenges. The B-Complex vitamins are essential to the well-being of our mental and emotional health. Unlike most nutrients, our bodies don’t really store a surplus of the B vitamins. Rather, we must regularly consume them to harness their healing power.

The B vitamins can only enhance your mood if they are left intact and healthy within your body. An excess of refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol will essentially destroy the vitamin, rendering it useless. This will only serve to perpetuate anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. If you experience these feelings, immediately discontinue the use of those harmful substances.

Then, begin a B vitamin supplementation regimen by taking the following:

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) – This is the vitamin your brain uses to convert blood sugar into fuel. When it is deficient, your brain will run out of energy at an alarming rate, causing depression, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and suicidal thoughts. This vitamin is critical in maintaining emotional balance and a “zest for life.”
Niacin (Vitamin B3) – A minor deficiency in this critical vitamin will lead to agitation, anxiety, and mental & physical slowness. A major deficiency can cause Pellagra, or dementia & psychosis. This vitamin keeps you active and sane.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – Two substances your brain combines and uses to keep your mood in check and avoid depression are amino acids and acetylcholine. A deficiency in B5 prevents this from happening, resulting in major fatigue, chronic stress, and depression. This vitamin is so important in keeping you emotionally stable and able to cope with life.
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) – Your brain uses this vitamin to process amino acids and create seratonin, as well as melatonin and dopamine. B6 deficiency can result in mental confusion, along with immune system challenges and skin lesions. When this vitamin is in ample supply, you should feel sharp and alert.
Vitamin B12 – This is a critical element in the formation of red blood cells. A B12 deficiency is perhaps the scariest B vitamin deficiency, as it leads to a condition called pernicious anemia, an oxygen transport problem. Symptoms include confusion, irritability, dementia, hallucinations, weakness, dizziness, and tingling in the extremities, among others. When in ample supply, this vitamin will help keep you oxygenated and centered.

In addition to an all natural, whole-food B vitamin supplement, I also highly encourage you to pick up both a whole-food multi-vitamin and a powerful antioxidant formula. The acai berry and green tea are phenomenal antioxidants that will kill any free radicals that could potentially hinder the effectiveness of your B, and other mood vitamins.

On a final note, please avoid your corner grocery or drug store. They deal mostly in synthetics. We want whole-food vitamins, as they are the only kind your body will actually recognize, assimilate, and use. Get to know the nice people at your best local health food store.

Mood disorders like depression, anxiety or panic, irritability, and apathy can be debilitating. They can ruin lives. They even did me in, once upon a time. “Mood vitamins” will give you the best fighting chance, I assure you.

You’re going to do great! Thank you for reading.