Tips to improve focus

Yes but often times even though we want to win, we're just playing social games, so some banter happens.

One thing I find useful is to make my opponents work for their points. This I find helps me cut down on unforced errors.



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Hello

Pardon me but i don't think I have ever gone through a book cover-to-cover.
If nobody speaks then it feels like I'm playing Chess (which I hate).
Usually I'm pretty vocal on good/bad shots made by my partner or the opponents or somebody else on the side court.

We have a few opponents who indulge in sledging.. that really gets me almost everytime, i reply by smashing hard at them while they are standing at the net if we win that game that's an added bonus for me.

There might be some merit to changing racquets midgame so i make that decision within first 5-6 points, power or control.


Making the opponent work for their points is definitely great, but i still lose focus/balance during a slow extended rally & would commit error (singles). In doubles, my steady partner gets out of breath there's no way he could finish 3rd set if it comes to that

I'm working on being as calm as possible throughout the games, it really helps me win a lot of points & almost error free.

Cheers.

 

Another tip I found to increase your rate of being in the zone is to practice drills often, instead of just playing games. And by that I mean mindful practice where every shot has a purpose, immediate feedback and immediate correction.

Once your body can do what your mind what it wants it to do without thinking, then being in the zone becomes easier.

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thats a technique called ultra instinct (Dragon Balls fans will know this). Let your body move at their own based on your what your eye see, what your ear hear, what your brain think. Not your brain processing & order the body to move.

But maybe i want to add, clear your mind & no burden. Usually what i do before every serve, i close my eye, take a deep breath, exhale & telling my self in my mind games start & GO. For me its like reset button. Releasing all memory dump & do fresh start. Forget what the score, what mistake you did last time, & focus on the next 1 point.

 

One thing I like to focus on when I dont necessarily get the results I want from my strokes is to do more work to be prepared to play a good shot. I can only affect the input of my shot and not the output, thus the focus should be on improving the input to see a wanted output in the next point.

 

I use the moment of serve to help me focus. If I am serving I take one deeper breath through my nose, let it out slowly through my mouth before I serve. If I am receiving a serve I get into position, then get just a little deeper down and just focus on the shuttle opposite me. If I am not involved in the serve I get into position and then just get a little deeper into it. All of this is done very quickly of course, as to not slow the game pace down, but getting in the right frame of mind and focusing just on the serve helps me stay focused throughout the rally.

 

If you think of focus as a lack of distractions, then focus is not a singular positive mental activity, but a lack of negative mental activity.

Thinking about technique is a distraction. Thinking about how the shuttle is too slow and the opponent doesn't want to change it, is a distraction. Thinking about past shots, whether good or bad, is a distraction. Thinking about whether you're playing with the right racket is a distraction. Thinking about what your partner thinks of you is a distraction. Thinking your partner is playing like an idiot is a distraction. Thinking about the award ceremony when you are up 18-13 in a final is a distraction. Thinking about how you will explain a coming loss is a distraction. Thinking about the 2 lucky netcords the opponent got to even the score is a distraction.

Really everything is a distraction. The only things to think about is tactics and strategy, and even that happens more in between rallies rather than during.

No one in the world will ever be permanently perfectly focused. Even the top players sometimes throw away games because their minds were on something else.

Also the worst thing that can happen is when you disagree with your coach. If that ever happens, choose whether you want to follow your coaches advice or not, because if you're insecure about how to play, you won't be focused.

 

There should be no thinking, only doing.

It's do, not think.
Not do not think.

The thinking should have been done during training or in between rallies.

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Re talking or not, it depends on the quality of what is said, and the ability for each partner to take or give an instruction mid rally or between rallies. If a partner is talking annoyingly / not usefully, then it could make you take it less seriously. If you can stop them doing that then good, but it doesn't mean that any talking is bad. Sometimes you or a partner could spot something or have a good idea and communicate it to your partner, and it works well.

 

I think shot selection requires some active mental activity, even during the rally.

 

True. But that should optimally be almost semi automatic as practiced during drills. At any one point, there should be at least 2 to 3 shot options available to execute depending on the opponents positioning, weakness etc.

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Theory is good, but remember everyone is different. Some are introverts, some extroverts. You telling your partner not to talk to you during a game could be taken in a bad way if they are a sociable person etc.

Telling your partner they did a good shot is meant to encourage them to play better. In a lot of professional doubles games, you see them motivating eachother between the points, after they play a good shot, or even after a bad shot.
I personally get very nervous when playing league matches with a particular member of my club as he is very competitive and I just know in his mind he gets very annoyed at easy mistakes I make in my play.

Pain, tiredness and probably a bad diet are my biggest distractions currently.