[SaFed2005]

I have been playing some serious mug tennis lately. I should be resting my tennis elbow but I just can't help myself with all this good weather. I can't serve well or hit forehands well with the current state of my elbow. I am pretty much playing through pain like an idiot for the love of the game instead of letting it rest and heal up. My forehand has turned into a pushed slice since it hurts to take full swings. My bh is still good as it doesn't bother me to hit 2 handed bhs. My serve is terrible in terms of pace but i can still place it fairly well. I have been pushing my way to a lot of wins but it doesn't really feel like I won. The only thing that's fun about pushing is the look on your opponents face when you run every single ball down until they miss. Seeing their frustration makes me feel really evil.

[Kip]

Originally Posted by Ilovetheblues_86

Try to improve yourself so you have 5-1 and a room for one choke per set?
Actually I don´t know. Try to play like its not your serving for set game, and try to play for the good of the sport, not to win, it helps you win when you don´t think about winning, only about playing a good game.

Began playing my 2nd match of the year today. Got suspended til' tomorrow on the account of time.
It was getting late. We just finished the first set when it got called.

I felt really good today. Used a newer racquet with a better grip. I ran out to a 3-0 lead. My serve was off but my grounstrokes were on fire. My forehand was great and my backhand was much better than it was in my last match. I was excited by a sizzling fh cc winner, but I didn't let it show. Now this is where I usually begin to fall apart. Serving at 3-1 for a 4-1 lead I cruised out to a 40-0 lead and then lost 4 straight points. I saved that bp plus another before holding.
Down those bp's I was just thinking about what you said. However, I got broke my next service game, but fortunately I was able to break back to be able to serve for the set at 5-3. So, what happened? Just like two service games ago! Up 40-0 andd then down bp losing 4 points in a row. I just kept telling myself to not think about winning the set but just focusing on getting my 1st serve in. I fought off another bp before closing it out to win the 1st set 6-3!

Now, I get to sit overnight and think, but I'll try and just distract myself and just approach tomorrow as if I am not up a set and it's just the beginning. Hopefully!

[Ilovetheblues_86]

Originally Posted by Kip

Began playing my 2nd match of the year today. Got suspended til' tomorrow on the account of time.
It was getting late. We just finished the first set when it got called.

I felt really good today. Used a newer racquet with a better grip. I ran out to a 3-0 lead. My serve was off but my grounstrokes were on fire. My forehand was great and my backhand was much better than it was in my last match. I was excited by a sizzling fh cc winner, but I didn't let it show. Now this is where I usually begin to fall apart. Serving at 3-1 for a 4-1 lead I cruised out to a 40-0 lead and then lost 4 straight points. I saved that bp plus another before holding.
Down those bp's I was just thinking about what you said. However, I got broke my next service game, but fortunately I was able to break back to be able to serve for the set at 5-3. So, what happened? Just like two service games ago! Up 40-0 andd then down bp losing 4 points in a row. I just kept telling myself to not think about winning the set but just focusing on getting my 1st serve in. I fought off another bp before closing it out to win the 1st set 6-3!

Now, I get to sit overnight and think, but I'll try and just distract myself and just approach tomorrow as if I am not up a set and it's just the beginning. Hopefully!

Congrats to you actually I am usually a choker too because I play a high risk tennis and sometimes I have 5-2, or 5-4 and I lose cause I try to play more safely and it´s just not the way it works to me, so the best thing to do to me that works is not to push the game and play almost every game equally, always trying the best of effort without necessarily pushing, but playing offensive tennis. This works a lot against pushers.
However when I started playing like 12 years ago I used to do the opposite, I was more like a pusher, trying to put first serve in and passing the ball. This works great against guys who makes many mistakes. So, find your strategy that fits your game style, but never think about the score, I think about playing the game, making it work, because we are not there to finish it quickly, but to enjoy the time and to try to get better.