The mental tricks of a tennis athlete

This book gives you the mental tricks smart players use to tire out their opponent, take control of the match, and stay calm when the pressure is on.

Here is what you get inside:

1. Empty Their Tank
   • Tricks that quietly drain your opponent's legs and lungs, so they fade long before you do.
   • "The Extra Meter": making every ball travel a little further, so your opponent runs more on every point.
   • "The Plus-One Rally": adding one more ball to every exchange until their fitness, patience and focus start to break.
2. Reading Your Opponent
   • "The Tell Table": spotting the signs that your opponent is tired, frustrated or losing focus, from their body language between points to their walk back to the line.
   • Knowing exactly when to push harder and when to let them beat themselves.
3. Controlling the Tempo
   • "The Tempo Dial": speeding the match up or slowing it down on purpose, so it's played at your rhythm, not theirs.
   • Using the time between points to break your opponent's momentum and protect your own.
4. Winning the Big Points
   • Simple routines that keep your mind clear at 30–40, break point and tiebreaks.
   • Playing the score: what to do when you're ahead, and how to stay calm when you're behind.
5. Staying Calm After Mistakes
   • Letting go of a bad shot or a bad call so one point doesn't turn into five.
   • Quick reset habits that bring your focus back before the next serve.
6. Building Your Match Plan
   • Putting the tricks together into a clear game plan before you step on court.
   • Adjusting mid-match when your plan A stops working.
     

       + MANY MORE tricks to get you to win matches you never knew how you were losing.

Every trick is broken down step by step, with illustrations, tables and clear examples of when to use it in a real match, so you can start using them in your very next game.

Note: This book was developed and written through the combined expertise of sports psychologists, experienced tennis coaches, and competitive players.