9 Pro-Tips To Having “Tennis Swagger” When You’re On The Court

By Kyle Mollison, USPTA

I tell my clients a lot that they need to have some tennis swagger when they go out and play. What I mean by that is that the surest way to win a match is quite simple, to be confident that you will win the match. Below are 9 surefire ways to make sure you have all the tennis swagger you’ll need to win your next big match:

1. Come prepared. Have your water, your bag, a towel, anything you need to play a match with you and ready to go when you walk on the court.

2. Know you belong out there. No matter who you are playing, they are playing you for a reason. You are good enough to be playing them or else you wouldn’t be playing them.

3. Warm up like you mean it. Warm up like you would play. Don’t go out and try to crack winners on the first shot, but by all means if you hit out, hit out during the warm up.

4. Think positively. Don’t play any point to not lose. Play every point to win. As soon as the word lose, or lost creeps into your head the chances of that happen increase.

5. Know you aren’t perfect. If you won every point you played you wouldn’t be reading this blog, you would be making bank on the pro tour. Losing a point isn’t the end of the world.

6. Just because you can hit a shot doesn’t mean you should. There is a difference between having some swagger and being cocky. Just because you can hit a behind-the-back-no-look-short-angle-drop-volley doesn’t mean you should.

7. Get fired up. There is nothing wrong with letting out a C’MON or USE IT after winning a big point. Just don’t do it on an unforced error … Don’t be that person.

8. But don’t implode. As good as it is to get fired up when you are doing well, it is exponentially worse to lose your cool when you are doing poorly. Only a small group of players focus better when angry, if you’re not one of them, do what you can to keep your cool.

9. Win with grace. Remember, you knew you were gonna win this match from the beginning. That’s what tennis swagger is all about right? There are only a few wins that warrant a showboating victory celebration, be honest with yourself and ask yourself if this is one of them.