June 26, 2017 - One Point at a Time

Most players think in terms of the score of the current game, or the game score of the current match. This puts tremendous unneeded pressure on the player. Instead, learn to focus on one point at a time, no matter the score. Jan-Ove Waldner, often called the greatest player of all time, once said that it was his ability to ignore everything except the next point that allowed him to play so well under pressure. Tactically, there are times when you may think ahead, such as deciding what two serves used in succession might best mess up an opponent. But other than that, only play and think one point at a time. Once that point is done, continue the same way with the next point – and you may be surprised how much easier and more relaxing this is!