• The Short Set
  • Posts
  • 4 Ways to Deal with Anxiety and Nerves in Matches — SS #16

4 Ways to Deal with Anxiety and Nerves in Matches — SS #16

Gems from a former #4 and best-selling author.

A quick thank you to all the readers who reply to my writing and let me know it is helpful. Sometimes it feels like I’m writing into the ether, so the feedback is really valuable!

— Malhar

You’re about to break serve and win the match. 

15–40.

But that familiar tension sneaks in. You batted it away a few moments ago but it’s coming back.

The racket feels strange in your hand.

Foreign, disconnected.

Your opponent spins in a sitting duck for a serve.

You initiate a forward move but it’s like you’ve set your feet in cement.

You reach forward with your hands and…

Shank.

The racket vibrates in your hand.

The ball flies into the side fence.

Sh*t.

It’s okay.

No worries. It’s still 30–40.

You still have a chance.

But your opponent is savvy.

He’s sensed something. Before you’re really set and ready, he puts in a 70% serve and follows it into the net.

You are way too tense, and instead of the quality, deep return you’ve been producing all match, you put a floater through the middle.

It’s an easy volley-winner for him.

Deuce.

Nerves and Anxiety are Normal

You, my friend, were experiencing a very normal state in competitive sports! That of being nervous and letting your anxiety overwhelm you. The first thing to note is that this is totally normal/natural. You don’t need to beat yourself up for feeling this way.

No amount of screaming at yourself or wondering why you’re getting nervous will be that helpful.

That being said, there are certain ways that we can help you to perform better. And for those ways, we are going to lean on Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert. I’m sure that this book needs little introduction if you’ve been playing tennis for a while, but a quick summary is this:

It’s a seminal text for coaches and competitive players alike and in it, Gilbert, who was renowned for having almost no weapons and an ‘ugly’ game, reveals the tactics and methods that helped take him into the world’s Top 10.

If you want to support me at no cost to you, have a think about using my amazon link to purchase this classic tennis book!

We’ll cover Gilbert’s advice for handling match nervousness and anxiety, and I’ll add a little of my commentary along with some supporting evidence. By the way if you want to dust off your old copy of Winning Ugly and follow along, you can find this stuff starting on page 51.

Method 1: Breathe Like You’ve Got Asthma

When we get tight and tense, we stop regulating our breathing. Gilbert advises us to be aware of this, and take charge with long, measured breaths.

Controlled breathing is a popular way to control nerves and tension in your body. When you experience anxiety, your breathing will often become shallow and rapid. Jerath et al. (2015) found that diaphragmatic breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a reduction in stress and an increase in performance under pressure. By taking long, measured breaths, you’re helping your body return to a more relaxed state, which can improve focus and control.

Additionally, box breathing is a technique that’s often prescribed to help athletes and performers of all levels control their arousal. If you’re ever feeling too physically or cognitively anxious, you can try to employ the method, too. Here’s how it works.

Inhale for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 4. Exhale for a count of 4. Don’t breathe in for a count of 4.

Repeat.

And as you get more comfortable, increase the length of the counts.

I’ve heard apocryphal mumblings across the internet that this is also a method that’s employed by the American Navy Seals to stay calm under pressure and stressful situations. If combat personnel can use this technique to control their anxiety and help their performance, perhaps you can give it a try, too?

See how you do experimenting with this technique the next time you’re about to play a match and you feel those butterflies in your stomach morphing into disorderly baboons.

Method 2: Get Happy Feet

Nerves often impact our footwork. Your feet will be heavy, sluggish, and non-responsive. Exaggerate! Try to be super-active with your footwork.

While I couldn’t find direct studies, my experience on court and working with players has shown me that the feet tend to become rigid and non-responsive in moments of tightness and pressure. Focus on ensuring you’re moving your feet with increased intensity, especially when you think you’re about to get tight.

Method 3: Read the Label

Gilbert advises you to narrow your focus by trying to see the label of the ball. You’ll be surprised at how much bandwidth this takes—and how this can help you to reduce internal chatter.

Narrowing your focus to external elements can help your motor system to act more automatically.

Wulf et al. (2001) found that athletes who utilized an external focus of attention performed better compared to athletes who focused inward and were able to perform with less conscious interference. Now, this was just in a simple balancing task as designed in the study, but the findings do match what others have also found. That having an internal focus, where an athlete is too fixated internally on their thoughts etc, can be detrimental to performance. This is as opposed to having an external focus of attention which allows the motor system to naturally organize.

Method 4: Sing a Song

This might sound a bit dumb, but it works on similar principles as method 3. Distracting your mind with a catchy tune or a repetitive hook can help trick you into shifting your focus away from your nerves and anxiety.

Balk et al. (2013) found that golfers who focused on task-irrelevant cues, such as singing a song or humming one, managed to actually perform better than the control group when it came to measures of accuracy under pressure. The control group actually choked!

You know that saying?

Something like, “Old wisdom sometimes holds true.” In this case, Gilbert was on the money!

With this method, you are trying to actively distract yourself to make your performance more automatic. Be wary with this one, though, because you don’t want the negative effects of “dual-task interference.” This is basically where doing something (such as humming or singing a song) is taking up too much of your brain’s resources… then you’ll really struggle to play well.

The tune or jingle or mantra should be simple and easy to follow to get the most benefit.

No Guarantees

While there are no surefire methods that will take care of your nerves and anxiousness 100% of the time, familiarizing yourself and trying to use these options can help.

The real challenge is in being aware of what is happening on court and in your psyche, being able to take pause, and then apply any of these methods.

If you’ve been listening or reading for a while, you can probably guess what’s coming next. That you have to pick maybe one or two of these methods, and work away at applying them for the next six to eight weeks.

Yes, they could be helpful in isolation, but I’m sure if you train yourself to follow these patterns consistently, you will be more likely to lean on them.

This is a hobby horse of mine and if you’ll excuse me, I’ll ride it. And it’s that tennis players all over the world have this strange assumption that simply by receiving information, they will be transformed. That couldn’t further from the truth. You’re going to have to interact, trial, fail, while using these methods. And you’re going to have to do it dozens of times before they start becoming a part of your repertoire.

And When You’re Ready…

Curious about what a coaching relationship would look like? There are two ways we can work together:

  1. Private Lessons/Consults (One-Off Sessions)—perfect if you’re looking for targeted advice or specific help without a long-term commitment. Note: our first session includes an intake to fully understand your goals, strengths, and areas for improvement.

  2. 1:1 Performance Coaching Application—for players interested in structured, ongoing improvement through an impactful relationship. Includes a no-charge intro call at the end of the application to see if we’re a good fit.

Cheers,
Malhar

Thanks for giving me your time,
—Malhar

And here’s a super condensed Instagram post if you’re interested 🫴🏼

Disclaimer: I am not a CMPC, certified sports psychology practitioner, nor am I a licensed mental health counselor or PsyD. My aim is to bring the best information to tennis players around the world so that you can apply it for long-term improvement—but sometimes I will 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 happily issue a correction.

References

Balk, Y. A., Adriaanse, M. A., de Ridder, D. T., & Evers, C. (2013). Coping Under Pressure: Employing Emotion Regulation Strategies to Enhance Performance Under Pressure. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 35(4), 408-418. Retrieved Oct 12, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.35.4.408

Jerath, R., Crawford, M.W., Barnes, V.A. et al. Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 40, 107–115 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9279-8

Wulf, G., McNevin, N., & Shea, C. H. (2001). The automaticity of complex motor skill learning as a function of attentional focus. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, 54(4), 1143-1154. https://doi.org/10.1080/713756012

Reply

or to participate.