The following post is an excerpt from Match Chart Collection. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
PRE-MATCH VISUALIZATION AND IMAGERY
Warming up doesn’t stop at the physical. Players need to build up their “wall of defenses” in preparation for the continuous onslaught of mental and emotional challenges that competitive tennis encompasses. What we think about often dictates what we create. A mental, emotional no-no is to obsess about the next opponent’s past success, ranking or seeding. Winning tough matches begins with a winning mind set.
Pre-match visualization topics are unlimited, but some of the best visualization exercises include the following:
- Perfectly executed primary and secondary strokes
- Top seven favorite perfectly executed patterns
- The three pillars of between-point rituals
- Successful patterns of play against the four main styles of opponents
- Preset protocols for common emotional issues
To learn more visit my book Championship Tennis (Human Kinetics Publishing or Amazon)
ASSIGNMENTS:
Begin your pre-match visualization by arriving on site early enough to set aside 20 minutes to mentally rehearse the performance goals you’ve been rehearsing on the practice court.
- Start this self-hypnosis by seeking out a quiet area away from other competitors and distractions- with closed eyes; take several deep and relaxing breaths.
- Then create a vivid mental image of numerous tasks being performed successfully. Let’s call this your positive movie. To build confidence and reduce pre-match stress, you should mentally rerun the “movie” several times to reinforce the positive thoughts.
Make a list of your Top 5 Visualization Rituals.
Positive constructive visualization actually trains a player to perform
the skills imagined without hesitation.
ntact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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