Keeping the Lead: Spot the Mental Struggles Quickly

When you are winning, the hardest part is keeping the lead. Or you take the lead, and now you have to keep it. Or worse, you lose the lead, and now what?

A good friend and I used to play tennis together. She was a great tennis player, but I’d say that generally I’ve always been a bit better than her. However, when we were competing there’d be moments where she’d pull ahead and I’d struggle to keep up. It wasn’t a physical thing, it was a mental thing. Even though it appears to be physical, it really is all in the mind.

The mental struggles might look like this…

Step #1 – Frustration

When you take the lead one of the first things that happens is that you don’t really think that someone will take it from you. You think it’s yours. That is until someone takes it from you. Many times, when that happens you are a little shocked and dismayed. What the heck just happened? That dismay can lead to frustration. This frustration leads to other cognitive and biomechanical issues. And all of a sudden, your shots are not going where you intended.

Solution: Know that you can keep playing your game and take the lead back if you let go of the frustration. Yes, let it go. Use your breath or refocus on continuing to play your game.

Step #2 – Negative thoughts

Frustration starts with the thoughts in your head – I can’t believe I let this person take the lead. I was in the lead. I had this. Why couldn’t I hold on. You start beating yourself up for falling behind. I had it and now I’ve lost it. These thoughts then pull you out of the match and into your head. If you are in your head thinking, you are no longer playing tennis.

Solution: Develop your ability to be present, recognize that thinking and refocus. Be aware of what you are actually telling yourself. Refocus on technique, strategy, and/or a positive mantra.

Step #3 – Muscle tension

Negative thinking not only takes your mind & body away from tennis, but it creates stress which leads to muscle tension. Have you ever been in a stressful situation and either noticed that your shoulders were up around your ears or you had a stiff neck? That’s because when you are beating yourself up, thinking negatively and creating stress, it impacts your entire body.

Solution: Pay attention to which muscles get most involved when stressful situations happen. When stress happens, practice dropping your shoulders and relaxing your muscles.

Step #4 – Inability to turn move your feet or swing your racquet

An opponent takes the lead, negative thoughts start going around and around in your head, your muscles tense up and the outcome is an inability to move your feet or swing your racquet the way you want. Why? As I said, if you are in your head thinking, you are no longer playing tennis. The thinking leads to muscle tension and muscle tension decreases your ability to move your feet or swing your racquet.

Solution: Let go of the thinking, let go of the negative thoughts, relax your muscles, shake it off, and play your game.

Step #5 – Continuing to fall back

This is the cycle and if you get to step #4 and haven’t found a solution, you will continue to lose points. These steps happen fast and the sooner you catch yourself going into this cycle the better. The faster you cut it off, the more opportunity you have to turn this game around and take the lead.

Solution: Train your brain to keep the lead

The best place to catch yourself is step #1 or #2. Train your brain. Practice. The right mental training can help you do that, and win.

It’s hard to come from behind because a) you aren’t expecting it and b) negative thoughts, muscle tension and an inability to “move” are the initial reaction. Sure, there are some matches where opponents are jockeying back and forth for points and when a player is focused on that then they aren’t focused on frustration, stress, or negative thinking but what happens when you lose the fight? You give up and then steps #1-#5 pursue.

Learning how to deal with this cycle is not something that just happens, it is something that you must practice. Just like you train and practice your physical skills, you must do the same with your mental skills, or this cycle can take you out of control. Losing the lead happens.

Be prepared for it and learn how to mentally prepare to stay in the race and get it back! Take the lead, keep the lead, and win!