More Ways to Build Self-Confidence in Your Tennis — SS #40

This is part 2 of my writing on how to build self-confidence on the tennis court, using inputs from sports psychology literature. If you missed part 1, read it by clicking here.

Hello, I hope you’ve been working hard to build mastery in your game, using social comparison in a positive way (if they can do it… why can’t I?), and using imagery for success—I covered all of this in part 1 of this two-parter on building self-confidence on the tennis court.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the remaining 3 strategies.

#4: Being Persuaded (Self, Coach, Parent, Friend) — Warning to Tennis Parents

Persuasion is a powerful tool. Think back on your life and maybe tennis. Perhaps it was an impactful coach who helped you blossom and come into your own by providing the right mix of support, motivation, and critical feedback. Perhaps it was a friend who told you they admired a part of your game when you didn’t think much of it.

For example, a college friend told me that my T serve on the ad side was pretty good. I was surprised to hear this because I hadn’t come remotely close to having that as a thought. In subsequent matches, you can better believe that I enjoyed hitting that T serve.

Have you experienced something similar?

A note here: it’s important that you respect and value the opinions of the person who might be trying to convince you. I realize that this opens up another conversation about who you respect and why you respect them, but in general you must value their thoughts. If you have had a tumultuous relationship with a coach, and you hold animosity toward them, no amount of persuasion by them is going to convince you or impact you in a positive way.

Tennis parents, take heed here. The quality of your relationship with your child is more important than any tennis information that you might be giving them. If you’ve spent their teen years being harsh, excessively critical, and creating a challenging relationship around tennis with your child, if they come to a crossroads where they’re deciding whether to keep playing tennis or not, no amount of persuasion from you is going to convince them.

They have to respect and value your input first. If your relationship has degraded beyond that point, then you’re in trouble.

#5: Feelings of Emotional Arousal

All right. After that somewhat heavy input, let’s talk excitement and arousal—feelings that you might have before or during a match.

Ever had butterflies before stepping onto the court? That nervous energy pumping through you before a big match? Your interpretation of those sensations can significantly impact your confidence.

Experienced players and mentally skilled competitors recognize those butterflies as signs that your body is getting ready to perform. They understand that an elevated heart rate, sweatiness, or a rush of adrenaline aren’t indicators of impending doom and gloom—they’re just part of the body’s natural preparation for competition.

In contrast, players with poor mental skills often interpret these sensations negatively. They think, ‘I’m too nervous,’ or ‘This means I’m going to play badly,’ leading to self-doubt and a loss of confidence before the match even begins.

Of course, cognitive anxiety plays into this heavily.

Reframing how you view emotional arousal is key. Instead of seeing nerves as a problem, learn to recognize them as a sign that you care about the match and that your body is getting ready to compete. The best players in the world still get nervous before matches.

A simple way to reframe this is by telling yourself: This feeling means I’m ready. Try this the next time you step onto the court and feel those pre-match jitters.

#6: Physiological Sensations

Sometimes you know. When you pick up a racket and you get that feeling that this is the one for me. Or if it’s a string combination that makes you feel confident taking a big swing at a ball.

For me, that string and feel component has always been Poly Tour Pro and a Yonex frame. I’ll give you another personal example. After playing with Hyper-G for a while and losing a match, I was so frustrated that I went and restrung my rackets with Poly Tour Pro for the next day of the tournament

From the first strike in the warm-up of the next match, that feeling of familiarity and confidence came back. This is the string that I had played with during moments of my playing career where I had the most fun and success. It’s only natural that I associated it with confidence.

This is not limited to equipment though—I want to be clear about that. For example, if you spend a few minutes before the match with a practice partner or coach really honing or grooving components of your game—let’s say, for example, punishing short balls.

That can help you to feel ready and connected to play some great tennis. Striking the ball cleanly in your warm-up gives you the confidence you need to start your match with a productive state of mind

Wrapping Up

Confidence on the tennis court isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s something you build. And as we’ve covered in this two-part series, there are multiple ways to do it!

Mastery and previous success lay the foundation. Imagery reinforces belief. Persuasion from those you trust can build you up. Emotional arousal, when experienced appropriately, becomes a tool for performance. And finally, the right physiological sensations—whether from equipment, routines, or warm-up habits—can give you an extra edge before stepping onto the court.

It’s not just about thinking positively—it’s about structuring your training, preparation, and mindset in a way that fosters belief in your ability.

If this two-part series helped you, let me know! And if you want to go deeper into applying sports psychology principles to your game, check out my coaching.

P.S.: I’m lowering my 1:1 Tennis Performance Accelerator coaching prices by $200 for both versions. Why? Because I want to work with more players, and I’m not working with enough players yet. I’d rather be honest with you than give you some b.s. to save face.

This issue relies heavily on Dr. Larry Lauer and Dr. Yongul Chung’s chapter on building self-confidence from the USTA’s Mental Skills and Drills handbook. I’ve built upon it with my commentary and added other relevant information.

References

Lauer, L. & Chung, Y. (2010) Building Self-Confidence. In Lauer, L., Gould, D., Lubber, P., Kovacs., M. (Eds.), USTA Mental Skills and Drills Handbook (pp. 299–305). Coaches Choice

Disclaimer: I am not an Association of Applied Sports Psychology CMPC, certified sports psychology practitioner, nor am I a licensed mental health counselor, PsyD, or clinical PhD. I am pursuing a master’s in sports, exercise, and performance psychology, and I am a sports psychology practitioner-in-training. I have over 20 years of experience in tennis, including playing, coaching collegiately and with professional players, along with club management experience as a director of programs. I am certified by the Professional Tennis Registry and am a member of Tennis Australia. 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.