3 Reasons You Choke (and 3 Ways to Combat Choking) — SS #21

There’s nothing quite like the pressure of competition, right?

You’ve put in the hours, drilled and practiced well, and perhaps even done some visualization work.

And then, when it matters most, perhaps the club championships, or the league sectionals, it all starts to fall apart… you miss an easy forehand into the bottom of the net.

You shank a serve outside the fence and you can hear the laughter and the snickers.

Perhaps your mouth gets dry and your movements become slow, non-reactive.

You’ve just choked.

I’m sure it’s frustrating, especially when you know you’ve got the skills to play at a certain level. But choking is something nearly every athlete—we could even say performer—experiences at some point in their career. In today’s issue, we’re diving into why choking happens and, more importantly, ways you can potentially combat it!

The problem is that a lot of terrible coaches are clueless about what’s actually going on during this process. And they’ll tell you things like, “You just need to man up and play.” Or, “You need to either shit or get off the bucket.”

So instead of this stupid, macho-man drivel that’s more common than it should be be, we’ll get into theories around choking, why it happens, and ways you can fight this process.

Reason 1: Conscious Processing Hypothesis (CPH)

First off, let’s talk about the Conscious Processing Hypothesis (Masters, 1992). This is one of the most researched and well-supported theories of why athletes choke. Here’s the deal: when you’re under pressure, there’s a tendency to overthink. You shift from relying on automaticity to consciously trying to control every movement.

Think about it like this: When you first learned how to hit a forehand, you probably had to think about your grip, your swing path, your follow-through, and where you were contacting the ball.

But now that you’ve mastered it, you don’t have to think about every little detail anymore. That is until you get into a high-pressure situation. Suddenly, you start overanalyzing.

Perhaps you missed a routine forehand and now because you’re feeling anxious, you’re hyper-focused on your technique—and you disrupt the flow that usually makes the stroke reliable and smooth.

Another example: You’re up 40-15 in a tight match, ready to serve. Normally, your serve is automatic, but now you start thinking about your toss, your stance, your follow-through, and if you’re getting enough external rotation (racket drop). You try to control everything—and that’s exactly when things go wrong.

The result? The serve flies long.

The second serve?

Double.

Ways to Combat Conscious Overthinking:

Train Under Pressure

To counteract this, you need to train your brain to handle pressure. This is something we’ve covered quite in depth in previous issues. Incorporate drills in practice that simulate match conditions. One technique I love is pressure training: set up point-play where the stakes are high. For example, play a match where if a player can win three points in a row, they automatically win the game; regardless if they’re the server or the receiver. We’re trying to recreate those pressure moments so that when you face them in real competition, you don’t revert to conscious control.

Self-Talk

Another great way to combat this? Self-talk. Remind yourself of key phrases like “stay present” or “stay loose” or “stay relaxed.” It sounds simple, I know, but when your brain is tempted to start micromanaging your movements, these cues can keep you in the automatic zone.

Reason 2: Explicit Monitoring Theory

Next up is Explicit Monitoring Theory (Beilock & Carr, 2001), which is pretty close to CPH.

The difference? It’s all about over-monitoring. Instead of just overthinking your movements, you start monitoring them too closely. You’re paying way too much attention to the feedback in your body. You’re hyper-aware of your body and how it feels in the moment, which can throw you out of the automatic state that you need to be in.

Let’s say you’re in a rally, and everything is flowing until you realize, “Oh, damn, this rally has been going on for like 11 shots. I don’t want to miss first!” That thought brings your attention inward. You start thinking about your preparation, or the position of your wrist during your forehand, and suddenly, you’re out of sync and your next ball flies long. This monitoring disrupts your ability to just play without much

Combat It:

Focus on External Cues

The way to beat explicit monitoring? Shift your focus. External cues can help here. Instead of thinking about what your body is doing, shift your attention to external factors. It seems that when athletes engage in explicit monitoring, all their attention is turned inwards. A way to disrupt this pattern would be to try and focus on simple cues, such as as one big target in the middle of the court, or trying to narrow your focus to where the only thing you’re working on is tracking the ball.

Yes, I know it’s easier said than done, when you’re in the heat of the moment, your thoughts will keep returning to your body and its sensations and you can’t help but monitor everything that’s going on. But as with most information that we cover in this newsletter, there is no magic bullet or secret sauce. You have to take these ideas and continually practice and apply them for the best chances of success.

Catastrophe Model Theory

Lastly, let’s discuss the Catastrophe Theory (Hardy, 1990). Unlike the previous two, this theory deals with the interaction between your cognitive anxiety and physiological arousal (like heart rate, muscle tension, breathing, etc.).

Here’s the idea: when you have cognitive anxiety, and your physical arousal level is too high, your performance doesn’t just drop gradually—it tanks.

Think of it like diving off a cliff. Nothing works—especially in such a skill-heavy sport like tennis.

Ever had an experience where you simply could not get the ball into the court? Where you were praying and wondering, “Wtf is going on?”

A little anxiety can be helpful—it keeps you alert and focused. But when both your mind and body are overloaded, performance collapses. And it’s a rapid decline, not just a small error here and there.

Example: Let’s say you’re playing in the finals of your club championship. Your heart is pounding, you’re short of breath, and the thought of closing out the match is running circles in your mind. From starting out fairly composed, you’re now not only cognitively anxious, but you’re physically over-aroused. You end up making uncharacteristic errors, and your game falls apart. You can’t get a ball inside the lines.

That’s a performance catastrophe.

Combat the Catastrophe Model

Breathe and Regulate Your Arousal

To counter this, the key is to manage your physiological arousal. Breathing techniques can be extremely useful in these scenarios.

Try box breathing: breath in for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold again for four. And so on and so on.

This regulates your heart rate and keeps your arousal levels in check.

Try Routines

In addition, develop routines for before and during performance. Whether it’s always going back to the towel after a point or doing a specific warm-up before your match, having routine will help you stay calm and under control. Routines can be grounding and comforting—they remind your brain and body that you’ve done this before, and you know how to perform. Always going back to the towel is one of my favorites—and it’s something I recommend my virtual students always implement.

Bringing It All Together

Choking can be one of the most frustrating things a tennis player experiences. Trust me, I’ve been there many times!

But understanding the reasons behind it is the first step to conquering it. The Conscious Processing Hypothesis, Explicit Monitoring Theory, and Catastrophe Theory all give us insight into how and why performance can break down under pressure.

More importantly, there are clear strategies to combat these issues:

1. Train under pressure to keep your skills automatic.

2. Focus on external cues to avoid over-monitoring.

3. Use breathing techniques and routines to regulate arousal.

If you’ve been struggling with choking during your matches, pick one of these strategies and start working on it this week.

I wish you the best for your tennis!

That’s it for this week’s issue of The Short Set. Keep working on these mental strategies, and I promise you’ll see a difference the next time you’re on the court. As always, feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts.

Until next Monday, play smart, stay calm, and keep improving.

References

Beilock, S. L., & Carr, T. H. (2001). On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130(4), 701–725. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.130.4.701

Hardy, L., & Parfitt, G. (1991). A catastrophe model of anxiety and performance. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953), 82 ( Pt 2), 163–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1991.tb02391.x

Masters, R. S. W. (1992). Knowledge, knerves, and know-how: The role of explicit versus implicit knowledge in the breakdown of a complex motor skill under pressure. British Journal of Psychology, 83(3), 343-358. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1992.tb02446.x

I am not a certified sports psychology practitioner, nor am I a licensed mental health counselor or PsyD. I will sometimes make mistakes! If this is your area of research or expertise, and you feel I’ve misunderstood something, please get in touch with me and if required I will issue a correction. My aim is to bring the best information to tennis players around the world.