Question of the Day: Maintaining Concentration

TENNIS.com gear editor Justin diFeliciantonio and his technical advisers answer your equipment questions each day. Click here to send in a question of your own.

Sometimes I have difficulties focusing during matches. I’ll play well for few games, and then I’ll hit a bad patch and get all spacey, which ends up costing me a slew of points. What are some things I can I do in-competition to maintain my concentration?—Goran

Thanks for your question, Goran. As you and I all know, mental endurance is critical to playing your best tennis. Many matches, especially those contested at a high level, are decided by just a handful of points; and the best players, by definition, are able to “dial in” right at these critical junctures.  

So what can you do to keep your concentration from slipping on-court? For starters, say Carl Petersen and Nina Nittinger, in <em>Fit to Play Tennis</em>, create some rituals for yourself. Deliberately performing the same physical and mental actions in between points, Peterson and Nittinger say, can go a long way toward keeping your mind on the task at hand. Such rituals can be as simple as resetting your strings right before serving, or toweling off after each point. (Others include pulling on your sleeve, Roddick-style, or playing with your hair a la Federer.)  

The key is not so much the content of your rituals as their timing and consistency. Performing your routines in predictable fashion will help you stay relaxed and confident. Remember, the power of the ritual lies in its very familiarity, which can only be bred through repetition. Good luck.