Enjoyment II - Using Mantras on the Court

In meditation, a mantra is a short phrase repeated over and over to oneself; it's a tool for achieving a meditative state. For our purposes, a mantra is a short affirmation in first person, present tense, positive language. E.g: I see hummingbirds, I hear hummingbirds, I know hummingbirds.

Here’s an example of how I use mantras in tennis. During tournaments, my game will often become tentative - a response fueled by fear of losing. Subsequently, instead of playing from a place of strength my shots may become defensive and weak. I can often “scrap” my way through it – but it isn’t pretty, fluid or fun. So...

If I know I have a tough match coming up and my confidence is faltering, my mantra is,

“I am calm and courageous.” 

I repeat this phrase over and over in mental preparation for the competition and then, during match-play – until I really am calm and courageous; then I can go with the flow and play my normal (calm and courageous)game. You see, it is believed that the brain doesn’t register negatives, such as - "I'm not going to play tentatively." The brain hears "I'm going to play tentatively." Eek. That’s why I  cringe when I hear my partner say something like, “I’m not going to double-fault again.” Or “we’re not going to lose this match.” The brain doesn’t hear the “not.” Rather, it hears “I’m going to double-fault again” or “we’re going to lose this match.” Ouch.

So figure out how you want to play; instruct yourself to do so in first person, present tense and remember... Remain in the positive or your brain may, indeed, cause you to double-fault.

Stay tuned for more examples of mantra-use in tennis in my next post. In the meantime, enjoy.

And if you simply can't wait, just click on http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1ie=UTF8&qid=1389701155&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dharma+of+tennis 
and download the entire Dharma of Tennis pamphlet in one setting for a measly $1.69.