How would you like it if, when you made an error on the court, your coach started screaming at you from the sideline, “You idiot!” or “What a moron!” or something even worse? My guess is that you wouldn’t like it at all. Seriously, no one needs a coach like that! And no one should self-coach like that, either.
What made me think of this actually happened last weekend during a doubles strategy drill at my club. One of the ladies, whom I’ll call “Barb,” was very verbal about her own play when she made a mistake. She cussed and called herself an idiot, a loser, and a few other names I won’t mention here. And if you guessed that the self-abuse coaching didn’t improve her game one bit, then you’re absolutely right! As a matter of fact, it made her play worse.
Look… I know that it’s all too easy to go there, to criticize ourselves when we make a mistake. However, the constant stream of self-deprecation will eventually have a negative effect on how we feel about ourselves and our performance.
So, DON’T do it!!
With the power of positive self-talk, we can change that negative mindset. Instead of telling yourself, “You suck!” or “You can’t even get the ball over the net!” tell yourself this: “Take a deep breath and calm down. Use your high-percentage shots with heavy topspin to get the ball over the net. If you mess up, don’t sweat it. Tell yourself, “You’ll get the next one!” or “You can do this!”
Positivism allows you to focus on the present rather than dwell on the last or previous points. It also creates a positive mental state, which is necessary for optimal performance.
If you’re going to self-coach, use words of encouragement and motivation when errors have you feeling down or angry, and don’t forget to praise yourself for all the good points you play. Be the coach that you would like to have sitting in your corner!
🙂