Course and learning update

Day 3 of this damn fine bunch of reprobates learning to become coaches. Although that is somewhat a lie as all 5 have a high standard of play and all 5 have already coached before. Interesting that i managed to run the whole of the course structure in just 3 days which is a total first. Perhaps i am getting the hang of coach education courses after nearly 10 years! Always somewhat worrying when things go so well.

Anyway, i have had a few emails over the past few months on the confidence front. Why is it that our game and training can go through patches! Why can we be superb on Saturday yet suck on Sunday?

Confidence can be a fickle thing but to enable that we are at our best you can fill out a confidence plan by following the steps below:-

1. Write in a list anything that you feel would give you utmost confidence in your playing ability. Things like good fitness level, ensuring your well rested the night prior, you have a good warm up routine etc....

2. From here go over the list you have written and cross off anything that is not within your control or anything that you cannot personally have an effect on the outcome.

3. Pick out 5 of these and place them into a pre play performance routine

To give you an idea my top 5 events for ultimate confidence are...

* Strings to played in prior to matches
* Utilise a good service box warm up
* Use a contact point visualisation routine
* Re-establish a potential game plan or re-visit training goals
* Get heart rate into my own personal optimal zone

4. Your final task is to insert these into your own personal training routine.

OBVIOUSLY there is more to it than that but it will certainly help you on the way. Putting in the work for instance in the gym and on the court help. Knowing you have done more work than your opponent or your tennis mates gives you a complete confidence that only you can acquire personally.

A psyche coach can help you with outside issues and translating these into more positive images and improve your ability to think in the right way. The first 5 people that email any issues they have and i will answer these for free.

www.tennispsychology.co.uk