The Reset Button

April 4, 2010

In tennis, we’re often told to just play one point at a time, but how many of us really do that?  Inevitably, instead of playing one point at a time, we get caught up in the bigger picture of the match:  the score, am I winning or losing, what will people think after the match, etc.  All of these thoughts serve to distract us from our true goal – playing the best we can – yet they’re hard to get out of our head.  We’re focused on the end game.  Winning is what matters the most to us.

While playing one point at a time sounds like a cliche, I’d like to give you a perspective that may change how you view that and how you view a match altogether.  Let’s look at a tennis match from a process standpoint.  A match is made up of points, games, and sets.  Points make up games, games make up sets, and sets make up a match.  Each of these components of a match has a distinct beginning and end.  Because of this distinct beginning and end to all things in a match, tennis is truly what I like to think of  as the ultimate reset sport.  Once a point is over, you get to play another one.  The same thing goes for a game, and even a set.  You could lose a set 6-0 and it really doesn’t matter – you get to start a new set at 0-0.  All those points and games are in the past.  Just push the proverbial reset button and you start fresh.

When we lose points, many of us get upset about it regardless of why we lost the point.  However, as soon as the point is over, whether you won it or lost it, it no longer matters.  Press the reset button.  The next point is your opportunity to play the best point you can because at that moment in time, that is all you can control.  You can’t control what happened in the past so there’s no point in thinking about it.  Take your focus and put it on what you can control – your performance on the next point.  Simply focus on playing your best tennis on that very next point.  And then repeat that over and over and over again.  Soon, you’ll find yourself putting together a string of great points.  Remember to keep pressing the reset button and stay focused on the next point, otherwise you may slip back into thinking about the match as a whole and get distracted.  Keep doing that, and the match results will follow and you’ll find yourself to be calmer and more focused on the court.

For a great example of a tour player who practices the one point at a time philosophy, watch Rafael Nadal and how he handles himself after ever point, win or lose.  He may occasionally express some disappointment or frustration with his play, but it is very brief and then he’s on to the next point.  He’s relentless and you hear that sentiment from the other players on the tour when they describe him.  He never wavers.  He is constantly giving his best effort on every point no matter the score.  Because of this approach, he’s never out of a match.  Be like Rafa and focus on playing your best on the next point.  It will make you a better player and a mentally tough one at that.