On court, there is a helpful ritual I used when returning serve. First, feel nothing when a point ends—have no emotional reaction at all, whether you hit a great shot, missed a sitter, choked or got a bad call. This will keep you emotionally balanced as you start to prepare for the next point.
Then, walk slowly toward your receiving position, take a very deep breath or two, and deliberately relax as you let the air out. Don’t let your eyes wander toward your opponent, other courts or onlookers. Look at your strings, as Lleyton Hewitt used to do, or at another neutral object in close proximity. When you reach your receiving position, begin to get yourself a little energized. You now have about five seconds to get ready.
Then, as your opponent prepares to serve, mentally rehearse the keys to your return: short backswing; relaxed hands; weight forward. Open your eyes wide and focus on the tennis ball. Watch it as your opponent bounces the ball before the serve. Visualize a powerful, deep return. Plan where you want to hit the ball, particularly on a second serve. Recall the good feelings you’ve had in the past when you stepped in on a return and forcefully drove it deep. Allow yourself to recreate the positive emotions you felt of strength, aggression and optimism.
Keep your eyes glued to the ball and make sure you see it come off the court on your side of the net. You have already prepared your stroke; your attention should now be on your eyes glued to the ball, and your emotions. The rest will all be reaction.
Observing this simple ritual fills your mind with constructive thoughts, which supplant—at least partially—troubling thoughts about the score, the importance of the next point or winning the match. These thoughts never disappear completely, but it is better to have them in the rear view, rather than the front of your radar. It is also a method of putting yourself in a competitive bubble, where you are not distracted or shaken by external events.
You should have a ritual for serving, too. Up until you reach your serving position, do the same things you would do while returning serve. Once you get into position, take your time and compose yourself. Activate yourself emotionally so that you are feeling deliberate, aggressive and in a state of relaxed excitement. Set your feet properly and d--ecide where and what type of serve you will hit. Check that your arm and hitting hand are relaxed, so that you will have the whip and feel you need. Bounce the ball a comfortable number of times, usually three or four, as you visualize a powerful, deep delivery. Then, let it fly.
Feel free to modify either of these rituals to suit your personal needs. You may have slightly different keys to success. But whatever they are, it’s best to settle on rituals that work for you, and use them every point.
