Why Winning Is So Hard, and Losing So Easy

The hardest thing to do on the tennis court is win - be it a point, a game, a set, or a match.  So much must go right for you, and you must remain focused from the first point to the last.  Your preparation leading into the match will predict your success or failure to a large degree.  You must believe you can win, and be able to see the finish line at all times, and not doubt yourself once you arrive at the finis line.  After all, it's one thing to get to the finish line, and still another to cross it.

Losing is easy.  All it takes is a lack of focus, poor preparation, questionable (to be charitable) shot selection, and a love for the low percentage plays.  It is aided by low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and believing you have zero chance to win.  Self-doubt is something every player struggles with at some point.  However, in order to win you must be able to manufacture self-belief and confidence when there is no positive experiential results to hang your hat on.

The bottom line is in order to win you must master EVERY aspect of what it takes to win.  In order to lose, all you must do is fail at ONE.  In tennis, at level, the margins are so small, all it takes sometimes to determine the winner and loser is one big point.  Are you able to do what is necessary to win?

Winning takes an enormous amount of practice.  Not only with the technical and tactical aspects of your game, but also with the mental and emotional parts of your game.  Are you setting the right kind of goals that allow you to build confidence and trust in your abilities on the court?  Are you playing the right kind of practice matches, ones where you know you can win, and ones that will be a serious challenge?  If, for example, you play regular practice sets against players who are better than you, and you always lose, you will never learn how to win a match.  All you will learn is how to lose, and that you aren't a good enough player to win those types of matches.  Yes, your ability to hit the ball will improve, but being a better striker of the ball and winning do not necessarily equate.

What does "manufacturing self-confidence" mean exactly?  Simply put it means placing trust in the process.  It means believing in the process of actions instead of the results of those actions.  It works because it the correct processes that beget the best results.  Results, no matter how good we become as players, is very much out of our control.  Remember Andy Roddick playing out of his mind in the 2009 Wimbledon Final?  It was, according to him, the best match he ever played.  He still lost.  The fact that there is another person on the other side of the net trying to attain the same results as we are is why we cannot focus ourselves upon the results.  The process is the only part of the results equation the we have 100% control over.  Our focus should remain there.

Part of the process is making good shot selection decisions.  Part of the process is having routines between every point that keep your focus off the previous point and instead focus you on the next one.  It is about staying in the present.

Focusing on the result can lead to fear.  The fear of losing, the fear of blowing opportunities like crossing the finish line in a match.  It leads to nerves getting out of control.  Focusing on the process can help mitigate nerves, and calm you down.  It keeps you focused on what to do, and leads you to playing your best.

It is hard to focus on the process for an entire match.  It takes practice, and lots of it.  Everyone is results oriented at the end of the day.  This is why coaches get hired and fired with absurd frequency.  However, those that do find a way to trust the process will find the best results.  It has been proven over and over again, not just in tennis, but in all sports.

Losing is what happens to all but one player in a tournament.  50% of the people in a given match lose.  It takes quite a bit of mental and emotional fortitude to continually win every time you're on the court.  A small hiccup in one area can cost you a match.  A completely focused effort can earn you a win.  Most of the time there is a strong correlation between your focus on the process and the level of your play, but even when you play poorly, if you focus on the process, it is very possible you still find a way to win.

Every decision we make, on the practice court and on the match court, directly influences our chances to win or lose.  Be sure every part of your preparation builds your confidence, and find a process for matches that works best for you.  Then you can turn frequent losing into frequent winning.