Jorge Capestany – TennisDrills TV

The Fear of Losing

The fear of losing almost always comes from thinking about outcome-based results as opposed to performance-based results.

Outcome-based goals are by definition, things that are not totally under your control. The most common outcome goal is to win a match. Another outcome-based goal would be to make all your second serves.

Performance-based goals are by definition things that are totally within your control. A performance based goal would be to “swing hard” on all of your second serves. Just by looking at those two examples, it is easy to see that the outcome-based goal is going to cause the player more stress and be more difficult to accomplish.

Over the years I have seen many players that were so struck with fear before a match that they made themselves physically ill. I know they did not want to feel that way, but they just had no idea how to get rid of those feelings. Many of these players just resolved in their minds that they were somehow inferior and did not have what it takes to be a tough competitor.

However, just simply ignoring these fears only makes matters worse. Going into a match with fear is like going into a battle against two opponents, the one on the other side of the net and the one within you. Your goal should never be to get rid of all the butterflies in your stomach before the match, but rather to get those butterflies to fly in formation.

I think the best way to reduce your fear of losing is by resetting what your goal is for each match. I like to use the concept of the personal promise. The personal promise is a performance-based goal(s) that you set for yourself before each match you are about to play.

If these personal promises are defined and clear in your head, you can measure your success by how well you stick to your promise instead of winning or losing. And since personal promises are all performance-based, there is no way you can fail unless you simply decide not to do it. They are by definition 100 percent within your control.

Jorge Capestany - TennisDrills TV

Jorge is the Founder of www.tennisdrills.tv - a video based website that shows more than 700 videos of tennis drills and tips. Jorge is one of only nine people world-wide that is a Master Professional with both the USPTA and PTR. Jorge is a 6-time Michigan Pro of the Year a 2-time Midwest Pro of the Year. Jorge has coached hundreds of ranked juniors including 3 national champions.