Dear Avery,
Lately, I’ve been having trouble keeping my cool in doubles. My partner seems to make more mistakes than I do, so I feel a lot of pressure to win my side all the time. I get frustrated with my partner and my attitude spirals downhill so that we lose enthusiasm and stop working together as a team. How can I improve this pattern?
Pouting Partner
Dear Pouting,
While it may be frustrating to play alongside someone who keeps making mistakes, it’s important that you lift your partner up instead of bring them down. As players, we realize the value of communicating with our doubles partner on the court, but often neglect to do so off the court. If you don’t feel that you and your partner are working well together, you need to have a conversation while you’re not playing. Perhaps your partner is making mistakes because they feel nervousness or pressure. Ask your partner to tell you honestly how they think they’re playing, how they think you’re playing and if they have any concerns about the way you two work together. In your conversation, be sure not to place blame or seem accusatory. Instead, identify problems in your doubles game and brainstorm solutions with your partner. Perhaps you decide to always provide positive reinforcement, even after an error is made. Maybe you realize a different style of doubles play is better suited to your individual needs. If you’ve tried everything, and still don’t think you and your doubles partner are a good fit, maybe it’s time to reconsider your level of play. If this is the case, you may need to talk to your coach or captain about moving up in the doubles lineup and switching partners. No tennis player wants to be unhappy while they are playing the sport they love.
Dear Avery,
I’ve always had a good serve, but a few weeks ago I started double faulting an excessive amount during matches. The last match I played, I double faulted throughout an entire service game and consequently lost the match. I’ve been serving well in practice, so I don’t understand why that’s not translating over to competition. What can I do to serve better my next match?
Sad Server
Dear Sad,
No matter how much you practice your serve, it won’t help you execute the stroke better in matches. Your problem is purely mental. Have you ever tried visualization techniques? Instead of physically practicing your serve, mentally rehearse how you want your service game to go in matches. Visualize yourself serving in detail — from the height of your toss, to the spot you want the ball to land in the court. Imagine the result you want to achieve — perhaps it’s acing your opponent, or causing them to make an unforced error. Visualizing the outcome that you desire can wipe away the mental block that’s telling you, “I can’t do this.” Remember that training your mind is just as important as training your body. Visualization can improve confidence in your serve and lead to future success on the court.
Need tennis advice? Email Avery at avery@mytennislessons.com and she’ll be sure to answer your questions.
