Mental Skills Matter More than Technique
“Treat the problem. Not the symptom.” - Someone
The better a player’s technique, the smaller the probability of a shot breaking down under pressure. But the weaker a player’s mentality, the higher the probability they’ll break down under pressure, no matter what the technique.
Winning matches never comes down to who has the most beautiful Federer like strokes. It comes down to which of the players deals with pressure best. A player can be doing everything right in practice, but if they can’t handle pressure well, they’ll fold during competition. There are plenty of men and women ranked inside the top 100 in the world that have technical flaws. They’ve just learned to overcome them by being mental warriors.
How else can Medvedev become number 1 in the world certain strokes that no coach would like a beginner to copy?
How else can Zverev double fault and push his forehand under pressure situations while climbing into the top 10?
How else can Djokovic first crack into the top 5 with excessive double faults and a forehand that broke down?
Gasquet. Gulbis. Berretinni. Benoit Paire. Goffin. Tsitsipas.
All players with something that can improve technically yet they are some of the best players in the world. Why? Because their mental skills are through the roof.
Still not convinced technique is not as important?
Tennis is the only sport in the world where you can win more points than your opponent and still lose. It’s not about simply playing better than your opponent. It’s about playing better at the right times. And in order to do that, a player has to perform under pressure.
And sure, there’s always a technical reason for a miss, but that’s where rookie coaches or parents who don’t understand the sport get stuck. They’re seeing the symptom. Not the problem.
A player can go back to practice and work on a shot for hours, but if they never improve their mental skills, they’re going to miss anyways. So make sure you’re focusing on the right things at the right times. Treat the problem, not the symptom.
Click here to read my previous post on How To Develop Mental Strength