The 2 Foundations of Mental Toughness (Video Post)
I often find myself saying to players that "the components of tennis mental toughness are relatively easy to understand but very hard to do"...
At it's core our mental toughness requires simply bringing their 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
And the key reflection...
We must regularly check in at the end of rallies/points and ask the following question: Did I actually commit my actions to my chosen attention during the rally or point?
The bottom line is that, assuming that we know the processes that will most help us improve (in practice) and improve/win (in matches), the player who most frequently commits to repeating this simple formula in practice and matches will improve the most and become the most effective competitor in the long term...
So, of course, it's super important that players practice it..
Check out the video that Mentally Tough Tennis consultant Pat Flynn made of applying the process on my serve...(I've also put together a Worksheet that you can use to help commit to the mental toughness formula as well.