I’ve heard many of my students tell me that they hit the ball perfectly while they are practicing, but once they go into a match, they become extremely tight when they hit the ball.
This is common for athletes to deal with in any sport. It’s natural to tighten up because you want to win, and you care about the result. Luckily for you, this feeling can be alleviated through practice. My main advice is to make practice harder than the actual match itself.
When I practice, I am not going out there to socialize. I try to imagine that every single ball I hit is match point of a PPA final. I put as much pressure on myself as I possibly can to make every ball. I am also engaging my legs and split stepping the same, if not more than I do in a normal match.
I know, you may not think this is possible, but trust me, it is. Not only does this help me get in better shape, but when push comes to shove in a real match, I am going to be ready for any situation thrown at me.
There Should Always Be A Purpose To Each Ball You Hit
Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun when you drill - you can still talk to you friends during breaks and throughout the practice. But the best practices are ones where you’re hitting a high volume of high intensity shots. There should always be a purpose to each ball you hit, whether you’re working on something in your technique or zoning in on a specific target.
If you ever watch pros practice, there is not much talking in between points. Rather, everyone is locked in and trying to improve on something specific. If you are able to emulate real match scenarios in practice and value each and every shot, that feeling you get where you can’t make a shot will begin to slowly go away.
That’s all I have for you this week. If you want to improve and feel your best entering tournaments, make sure that you are practicing the right way. Stay focused and results will follow!
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