Choking Against John McEnroe In The Wimbledon Finals

Choking feels terrible and I am sure you have experienced that feeling on the tennis court before. But did you know that this happens even to the best tennis players in the world? In this video OTI Instructor Jim Grabb tells the story how he choked on some critical points in the fifth set of the Wimbledon doubles finals against John McEnroe. You won't believe what he was thinking about!

[brianburr]

What we learn here is that 'choking' occurs when we are afraid of what we know can happen, regarding our anxiety about a particular weakness, i.e. serving, etc. I suppose the issue of 'confidence' plays a role in those areas where we know we are not completely prepared, and so we're afraid we won't perform well when it really counts - then when performance anxiety rears it's ugly head!

[Jazzcodes]

Thank you Jim Grabb for the very interesting insight, so eloquently explained.
Florian forgot to mention that Jim is a two-time Grand Slam Doubles Winner (French and US Open), among many other accolades.
Let's not just focus on this loss, albeit pretty epic... ;)

In any case, excellent addition to the OTI team, Florian.
Many thanks for that!
Michele

[rbraxley]

Been there, done that. Repeatedly.
I'd be happy if I could typically play at 75-80% of my potential, but instead my inability to focus and stay "in the moment" usually puts me in the 45-55% range. Even when I'm playing well I go through patches where I'll play a loose game against a solid opponent, and so lose a set I might have won. Why DO I love this sport so damn much?

[willzsportscards]

Best way to stay in the present and to quell nerves is to meditate, ideally 20-30 minutes a day. You can't be lazy about this. Pays off in so many other ways. The mind is just like a muscle, must be trained properly if you want to get the most out of it.

[reenacotsford-dolden]

Totally understand the feelings. I have bought the book about the mental game of tennis but can't seem to access it. Please help. Reena