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If I was to tell you that there was a sequence of mental events that link together to get you to the match court in the best condition possible would you want to know them?

Of course you would - so here they are!

These factors which you begin to put together in your head way before matches, can easily be the difference between winning and losing without you hitting a ball!

The 4 stages or phases if you like are as follows -

1. Preparation 2. Confidence 3. Game planning & What If 4. Focus

PREPARATION

The first stage is linking the technical and physical work you have done both on and off the court to your mental state.

You need to take stock of the work you have been putting in and think about all the positive aspects of your training and believe that they will make a difference to your performance.

The danger is that like many people you may spend your time thinking that you could have done more or "if only I had done this or that extra", but you need to realise that the chances are that your opponent is probably in the same boat and is asking themselves the same questions of themselves without realising that this is only raising their self-doubt.

I suggest that you keep a "good experiences" notebook that you can keep in your racket bag. Every time you play a match, take a lesson, have a practise session or do some training (physical or mental), you will have some good things to put into the notebook - so do it TODAY!

Thinking about all the positive aspects of your training will lead to higher levels of the next component which is - Confidence!

CONFIDENCE

If you have enough positive experiences in your "mental locker" (as explained in the previous section) will lead to one thing SELF-CONFIDENCE.

Let's be honest, there is nothing better than having high (but realistic) levels of confidence (not so high that you become sloppy and don't try) as it is this confidence that will allow you to play the shots that you have been practising etc. without the fear of failure that ultimately is the biggest inhibitor to match success.

Using your notebook on a regular basis not only helps reinforcement at the time, but serves as a great confidence boost as you revisit those thoughts/pictures and feelings and bring them back to the front of your mind.

GAME PLANNING & WHAT IF

Once you have completed the first 2 stages you are then ready to confidently work through what you WANT to happen in your matches - the Game Plan.

This game planning takes place on 2 levels -

1. You don't know your opponent but will mentally prepare to play the game YOU want to play according to your strengths, weaknesses and game style. 2. You do know your opponent and make modifications to how you play depending on their strengths, weaknesses and game style.

The other (often overlooked) but vitally important part of any pre-match preparation is what I call the "What If."

It's ok to know what you want to do if things run according to plan and you are able to execute. But what if something changes?

You need to contemplate and have alternative "plays" if something happens that is not in your original plan - a plan B (and maybe C) if you like!

Obviously the more experienced you are, the more likely you are to have encountered different situations that may arise but at whatever level you are you can think about and have a possible answer to several situations that may arise. It may not win you the match every time but you have more of a chance if you have some sort of plan in place than if you have none!

FOCUS

All of the above factors join together to give you that vital Focus that you will need on the court.

The ability to control your focus (concentration on the correct aspects of the game and your performance) is vital as lapses in this area always lead to physical and mental errors and ultimately a below par match.

SUMMARY

The above factors are all vital components in getting you to perform at your best when you come to play a match.

Start practising them now and in no time at all you will see some big differences in your matchplay and results.