Mental Equipment Syndicated Column – Aug 1, 2001 – Dr. John F. Murray – Two months ago I challenged you to identify your greatest needs in tennis. Thank you for a wonderful response. Your e-mails yielded over 100 different problem areas related to the mental game in tennis! This interactive dialogue will help many other players improve their games and mental outlooks. All learning begins with self-awareness.

Your messages highlight common issues that I grapple with daily in my private practice. This month, let’s look at what you reported as the 5 most frequent problems related to the mental game in tennis. After a brief description of the problem, I’ve provided links for you to quickly access the Mental Equipment articles which should help you the most.

Performing Poorly Due to Anger

It seems that players at all levels have difficulty staying cool under pressure. The problem with anger is that it usually disturbs focus, disrupts intensity levels, and busts rhythm and clear thinking all at once. Tennis is a very frustrating game at times, but it is even harder to master with anger. The player who learns to modulate and control anger often controls the opponent too. For help in this area, take a look at:

August 1996: Understanding and Conquering Anger August 1998: Reverse Irrational Thinking April 1998: Monitoring your Mood

July 1997: Stress Relief in Tennis