🎾Mental Training🎾

Detect the Imposter, Embrace All Challenges, and Exhibit Extreme Confidence and Toughness

There is an imposter amongst us. This imposter tells us we are not good enough, are tired, don't have what it takes, others are doing better than us, something is terribly wrong, and that we will fail. The imposter is in the gym, on the court, and at home. Who is this imposter? It is our wandering, fearful, worrisome, undisciplined thoughts.

Does it mean this imposter is real? No. We all have wandering thoughts that contain doubts, fears, and worries. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld said in his stand-up act that all of us would either be murderers or dead if our thoughts were real. The fact is that that most of our doubts, worries, and fears are not facts. Accepting these thoughts as normal and part of being human allows you to let them go and refocus in the present.

Transitioning to the clay court season is an opportunity to detect that imposter within you that would get you off track. Maybe the season didn't start how you wanted and the imposter has jumped aboard your bus and is going for a ride. If you are not paying attention, the imposter or the fears and doubts can begin driving the bus (i.e., dictating your actions). Don't let it happen!

How do you discipline your mind so you can stay present with confidence and toughness?

1. Take some time everyday and just be present. 5-10 minutes should do it. Focus on your breathing and be aware. What thoughts are bouncing around? Are there worries that keep coming up?

2. Accept those fear, doubts, and worries as part of being human. It happens. Usually this helps you to let go. But, what if a worry, fear, doubt is hanging around?

3. Deconstruct the thought. Ask yourself is the thought realistic? And, am I make too big of a deal about it? If you answer yes to one or the other you have detected the imposter and can counteract it.

4. Refocus on your strengths, your purpose in the moment, what you truly believe.

5. Performance thinking is process, positive, and productive.

To be successful during the clay season we need to exude confidence and toughness. Too often players give away how they are feeling. Our opponent feeds off of our negative responses. Instead, think about how a boxer enters the ring. Bouncing around, head up, eyes forward.

We must exhibit confidence in our posture and body language. I realize that our physical being comes from how we are thinking, but you can also change how you are thinking by showing energy and good body language. Make showing confident body language and energy a priority during this season and you will benefit from it. Take your cue from Rocky and Ivan Drago!

With this in mind, you can create a new level of confidence and toughness by doing things that exemplify these values:

1. Run for every ball, all out, like Nadal

2. Show confidence in your reactions, in your body language no matter what is happening

3. Use positive talk and reactions to demonstrate commitment to competing. Especially when you play a good point when you're losing or the start of a set. Sharapova is a good example.

4. Plan 3 performance cues that relate to your strengths competing, and your game style. Such as "Fighting fast, fierce, and physical" or "attack, set up the forehand, ready each point". These cues need to have meaning to you. Repeat them often between points.

5. See every obstacle in your way as a challenge to overcome. Another sprint, bring it on. Not playing well, here's a chance to be resilient when things aren't going well. It is windy, good and I know how to play in this wind. I'm tired, I've got 40% in the tank just like the Seals!

6. Avoid whining and excuses at all costs. Put your self on the line, bring your best and accept success and failure as by-products of the way you go about things. Have an excuse jar. Write

down an excuse put in the jar. Don't let it impact your daily striving for greatness.

7. When faced with adversity, take several deep breaths, accept it, and rise to the challenge by committing to a simple plan!

To be tough and confident you need to act this way. Then, you will begin to believe in your extreme toughness and confidence.

Embrace all challenges as an opportunity to grow, exhibit confidence and toughness at all times on the court (and in the gym), and if you need help let us know. We will be glad to help you.