How to Win Pressure Points

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How to Win Pressure Points

By Bob Hilborn

(March 29, 2013) -- Bad habits tend to come out in a player’s game during pressure-packed points. If a lack of confidence in your serve has you thinking about what could potentially go wrong when the match is on the line, you’ll have a high probability of double faulting.

When giving tennis lessons, I am often asked how to improve in what I like to call the “Clutch Points.” My first answer is practice. The more repetition that a player obtains on a specific shot, the more confident they will become when hitting that shot in a match. The second tip is what I call the “Mental Focus Point.”

If a player is up 5-4 in the third set of their match, they often times think 3-4 points down the road (that point will secure the win) instead of focusing on the point at hand. My suggestion is to place a heavy focus on the fundamentals. Instead of thinking about the score, concentrate on making sure that your footwork is flawless. Instead of thinking about your shaky second serve, imagine hitting the exact spot on the ball that you’ve been taught and snapping your wrist.

Once you hone in on the fundamentals during match points, your game will become more reliable under pressure. You will feel that you are playing to win instead of playing not to lose. This will make a big difference if you are having trouble closing out matches.

Bob Hilborn is the Head Pro at Scarborough East Tennis Club in Columbus, Ohio.

(Photo Credit: Globalite)