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JOIN NOWMy player loses games he's winning 0-40 - how can I instill a killer instinct?
my boy 11 years old he is winning 40-0 and he can finished the game easy when he is serving.but when the oponeten serving and my boy is winning 0-40 he cant finish the game and always he is loosing it
adamou christodoulosParent, Cyprus
ANSWERS
Ian MarshCoach, England
Tough one, this is a mental toughness issue. Just look at players like Andy Murray, it took him a long time to overcome his "choking" problem to see out important matches (look at this year's Wimbleon final!)
If you use a bike race as a metaphor this is what happens when you coast before you have actually won the race (funny video but it makes a serious point):
As for how to combat this issue it might be worth working on his second serves to cut down on double faults (easy points arising from a lack of concentration) as well as getting players to be more aggressive - don't be nice, if it's an important game keep playing hard right until the match is over!
If your son is young then this mental toughness/ruthlessness is something that he may learn and develop over time, with your help.
manolis pedakisCoach, Greece
you could read "winning ugly" by Brad Gilbert, especially chapter 9
"The seven hidden Ad points"
this will help alot
Tennis CoachCoach
take a chance... play by the score... 0-40 take a chance to hit your best shot.
