You know that your skills and fitness matter when it comes to success on the court. What you may not realize, though, is that the mental aspects of tennis often mean the difference between victory and defeat just as often as the physical ones do. How can you maintain focus throughout a match and ensure your mind is truly in the game? Here are some strategies that might help:.

• Develop a Good Routine:

Routine can be everything for some players. Often, a pre-match routine that helps give your mind the familiarity and comfort of preparing your body for the stress ahead is one way to ensure you keep your focus during the course of the match. You can incorporate other kinds of routines into a match, too. Between sets, consider developing a routine that helps you control your breathing and recover. A snack and some light stretches and breathing exercises can help. Even on the court, routines can help you. You can establish a consistent pre-point routine that ensures you’re in the right mental state between points. Something simple, like bouncing the ball three times or visualizing a successful shot, can signal your mind that it’s time to concentrate. A post point celebration routine may be useful as well.

• Use Cue Words:

Some players use cue words throughout a match to help maintain their focus and concentration. You’ll want to select words that make sense to you, like “focus” or “stay calm.” Repeating these cues to yourself or in your head can help you maintain your overall focus.

• Stick with Short Term Goals:

Often, players only focus on winning the match, but if you’re really looking to keep your head in the game, you’ll want to break that one larger goal into something far more manageable. Set targets for specific aspects of the match. Maybe you’re trying to hit a certain number of first serves. Perhaps you want to execute a particular shot effectively. Those mini goals can help you feel more successful and focused in any match.

If you’re really looking for on-court success, maintaining your focus is nothing short of a must. Tennis is as mental as it is physical, and mastering those mental aspects may seem tougher and take more planning, but it’s more than worth it.