Rallies, Rackets & Recommendations: Serving up - Off the Court- Tennis Tips for Ladies Rec League Players

 


Are You a Practice Pro but a Match Mess? Let’s Talk About Confidence on the Court

Have you ever noticed that you’re crushing it in clinics, smashing forehands in lessons, and ripping winners during fun games with friends...

...but then you step into a match, and everything feels off?

What happens?

There are plenty of answers to this question, but today, I’m serving up one big culprit: your confidence.

I started this blog because, for years, I was a business coach. I saw firsthand how confidence (or the lack of it) impacted my clients in their careers. And you know what? The same confidence struggles show up on the tennis court.

One thing I worked on with my clients—and often spoke about at events—was something called imposter syndrome.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is when you feel like a fraud, no matter how much evidence there is to prove your success. It’s that nagging belief that you don’t belong, you’re not qualified, or you’re just lucky to be where you are—and sooner or later, everyone’s going to figure it out.

How Does This Relate to Tennis?

On the court, imposter syndrome can creep in when you size up your opponent and sabotage your match.

  • Maybe you know their record and think, “Wow, they rarely lose.”
  • Maybe they’re ranked higher than you, and you assume, “They’re out of my league.”
  • Or maybe they hit a couple of blazing winners early in the match, and you start thinking, “They’re way better than me.”

Sound familiar? That’s imposter syndrome in action. The moment you feel like you don’t belong on the court with your opponent, your confidence takes a nosedive—and so does your game.

So, What’s the Fix?

At Rallies & Rackets, we’re all about keeping things short and sweet (because we know you’ve got matches to win and practice drills to crush). That’s why this blog ends here...

…but don’t worry! In our next Rallies Rackets & Recommendations post, we’ll dive into how imposter syndrome might be sabotaging your matches—and, more importantly, what you can do to conquer it.

Stay tuned, and let’s rally for more confidence on the court! 🎾

January 20, 2025 — kim wojnowich

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