Mastering the Mental Side of Tennis

James Lau, CPsychol. is a HCPC Registered and Chartered Sport Psychologist working for Inspiring Sporting Excellence as an associate whilst running JL Sports Performance.  He earned a Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Northumbria University, and has completed the British Psychology Society’s Stage 2 qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology.

He has worked with teams and individual athletes in a wide variety of sports since 2013, and has developed a specific focus on racquet sports along the way.  Along with a wealth of experience working with high-level athletes, James also has experience in playing competitive tennis and squash.  He has noticed that there is something in common that holds the majority of athletes he has worked with back from playing to their full potential on a consistent basis, or even replicating the level they are capable of during training. This something in common is fear.

• Fear of missing shots
• Fear of disappointing fans/friends/parents/ourselves
• Fear of not reaching your expectations
• Fear of opponents/spectators/coaches looking down on you
• And many more…

This fear has caused many, including James himself, to play differently to how they would ideally like or plan to, which makes no sense whatsoever, as this is what they work hard in training for! 

Examples include feeling nervous and trying to play “safer” when under pressure (which almost always leads to worse shot selection), poor decision making due to fear, or failing to control frustration and allowing it to influence performance for longer periods of time than it should.

Therefore,  a large part of James’s focus is on working with athletes to tackle these thoughts of fear using tailored techniques developed through his expertise and experience, aiming to help them master their emotions, creating solid mindsets that will allow them to perform freely on the court and to give them an edge over their opponents.