October 1999
Don't get mad. I know you're frustrated with yourself. It's embarrassing to be beaten this way. And what makes it worse is that you should be on top of this guy. Somehow you have to get control of yourself and turn this thing around.
The first step is to stop hating yourself. This is only making you tighter. Plus it is giving your opponent an unfair psychological advantage. He can see you're distraught and it is making him feel better and better.
Instead of wrinkling up your face every time you lose a point, smile. Constant grumblings and mutterings only make you more depressed. "Thoughts take force when they are pronounced." So don't utter negative thoughts. Keep them to yourself. When he hits a nice shot, say, "Nice shot." When you flub an easy set-up promise yourself, "Next time I'll put it away."
The second experimental step to remedy your losing game is slowing down. The key is to quiet your body, relax your arm, unclench your grip, and get your feel back. This is best accomplished by slowing the pace of your shots. Hit only soft balls. Loosen your muscles and be rhythmical. In the ready position release your grip on the racquet by holding it in your left hand. Stand straight from the waist. (Don't hunch over like a football player.) Bounce rhythmically on your toes. Exaggerate your follow through. Be cool.
Your objective is to play your way back into form. By relaxing, you may recover your strokes and their effectiveness.
If you're still getting pushed around, take a look at your opponent's game and see what he is feeding on. Whatever it is, don't give him any more.
You must change a losing game. This means you must prevent your opponent from playing his winning game. First of all, you give him anything but what he likes. If he loves fast balls, send him slow underspinning floaters. If he likes to rally from the baseline, bring him into the net and make him volley. If he likes to hit big forehands, send nothing but wide angle shots to his backhand. If his overhead is suspect, bombard him with lobs. Instead of playing your regular game for awhile, do whatever it takes to upset his.
Remember, a psychological edge determines the outcome of most tennis matches. And the difference between being "psyched up" and "psyched out" is very subtle.