There are times in your tennis development where you focus on developing your game. You might be working on your technique or possibly on how you move your feet. It is highly unlikely that you can perform well in matches during this kind of a phase.

So what do you need to do to be ready for tournaments and important matches in general ?

One thing I like to tell my students is that they need to develop a match mindset before important tournaments. A player that has a good match mindset is not thinking at all about technique or anything of that nature. The only thing he or she worries about is tactics. You look at your own strengths and weaknesses and how they match up with your opponents. You then develop a game plan that works well for you.

It is well-known that tennis players enter the zone when they perform at their best. In this state of mind you don’t really think about anything and instead you perform really well almost on autopilot. Things seem to flow naturally and your subconscious mind makes the right decisions for you. This state of mind can be achieved in a tournament with a good match mindset.

The best way to ensure that you get into a good match mindset is to stop working on your technique and any details of that nature well before your upcoming tournaments. I like my players to play lots of practice sets and matches at least one or two weeks before an important event.

Here are 4 tips to develop Match Toughness:

1. Play As Many Matches As Possible Prior To The Tournament
2. Do not work on Your Technique During Tournament Phases
3. Focus on strategy and tactics as much as possible
4. Create A Match-Like Atmosphere In Your Practice Matches

Many players are more comfortable hitting balls with their tennis friends rather than playing matches.

Playing a practice match is similar to putting something on the line. If you just hit balls around for a while and then play a few baseline games to eleven than you will hardly remember whether or not you won or lost that day. If on the other hand you play an entire practice match under conditions that are similar to a real match you will worry a lot more about the outcome of that day.

In order to deal well with stress you have to expose yourself to that stress as often as possible under match-like conditions.

A great tip therefore is to make the match as realistic as possible. Do not talk during changeovers for 5 minutes for example! That just takes the pressure off and makes the match unrealistic.

Another thing to note is that it often takes a few tournament matches in a row as well to really get into a great mindset during the matches. Therefore it is wise to structure your tournament and match schedule accordingly and play several events in a row without any technical work in between!

Finally I want to mention one important thing though. Getting in a match mindset is necessary to maximize your chances with your given skill set! If you want to become a better player in general you often need to stay away from tournaments and important matches and practice with a training mindset!

Visit Online Tennis Instruction for more free tips and drills!