At it's core our mental toughness requires simply bringing our attention into the present at the start of a rally or point and choosing to commit to a helpful process (e.g., a technical cue like 'stay low', or a strategy such as 'rally deep and attack the short ball') during the rally or point.
In this way the formula for mental toughness is Present Moment Attention + Helpful Committed Action = Mental Toughness
The Usefulness of Key Words...
And to increase the chance that we actually commit to helpful actions that increase the chance of success on each new point, it's a great idea to use a key word or words that remind us of the process that we're going to commit to.
To get the idea check out the video above where Bianca Andreescu reflects on her use of key words in committing to helpful actions, and Mentally Tough Tennis consultant Pat Flynn gives us the idea of how to use key words in our between point routine.
We've also put together a Worksheet that you can use to help commit to the mental toughness formula by using your Key Words as well...You can access it here :-)