USTA's Playing Better Tennis Under Pressure

Pressure: It's inherent to the game, and it can make or break a tennis player. Stress--both physical and mental--arises from numerous sources in tennis and affects players at all levels. Playing Better Tennis Under Pressure shares the findings of experts at the USTA's Player Development Center and sports psychologists to help tennis players recognize common pressure points and develop ways to handle game-time stress.

Viewers will gain invaluable insight into the causes of stress in tennis, including the fear of failing, loss of emotional control, and outside distractions. The video also explains how pressure affects a player's physical and mental ability to play.

Viewers will learn to implement these six key strategies for dealing with pressure:

- Recognize stress--the first step to managing it.
- Develop an appropriate mental perspective toward the game.
- Learn to manage psychological energy.
- Maintain a positive approach.
- Build confidence.
- Develop stress-reducing routines for preparing to play in key game situations: before the game, between points, and before serves.

All tennis players find themselves in pressure situations; the best players learn how to play through the pressure successfully. Footage from the US Open shows Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Lindsey Davenport, Monica Seles, and other professionals working through pressure situations. Tennis coaches and players at every level will find Playing Better Tennis Under Pressure an indispensable aid for learning to handle pressure.