Understanding the Value of Competitive Match Pressure

By Jorge Capestany, RSPA Master Professional, PTR International Professional

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After teaching for more than four decades, I can see a distinct shift in players’ attitudes toward competition and playing matches.

Like most teaching pros today, I come from an era when junior players reached the highest levels by playing sets… lots of sets. Taking private lessons, and even group lessons, was the exception, not the norm.

I remember that when we did a drill, we were always pestering the pros, asking, “When are we gonna play?” Almost everyone I knew growing up had the same attitude and wanted to play more than we wanted to drill or hit.

Fast forward to the present, and virtually all of my students seem exactly the opposite. Today’s junior players all want to attend group lessons (some up to three times per week) and take private lessons, but no one wants to play any matches. Tournament play is even a tougher sell to today’s junior players.

As I speak with my fellow pros and friends from around the country, they all relay a similar story. The unfortunate consequence is that at many clubs, we are creating an army of players who can strike the ball well but do not know how to compete or win. We pros have slid towards “teaching” and are doing less “coaching.” (That is why I ask my players to refer to me as coach.)

A few years ago, I began asking groups of junior players at my clubs which of the following three statements best described how they viewed themselves as tennis competitors. The percentages answered for each response are noted to the right of the questions.

Statement #1) For the strokes I have, I win more matches than I should. (5%)

Statement #2) For the strokes I have, I win about as much as I should. (25%)

Statement #3) For the strokes I have, I win fewer matches than I should. (70%)

The sad reality is that most of our junior players (70%) walk around thinking they are poor competitors, or worse, view themselves as “losers” who can’t seem to win as much as they should. Most pros would agree that the average player in their clinics lacks a strong sense of self as a competitor.

The obvious conclusion is that players are not playing enough competitive matches. USTA studies have confirmed the same. In some European countries, junior players play 3-5 times as many matches as their American counterparts.

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So, how do we get players to play more matches in this culture that is often opposed to competitiveness?

For years, I have struggled with how to teach my players (and their parents) that a healthy tennis regimen will include training in all of the following four areas:

1) Technique

2) Movement

3) Strategy

4) Mental Toughness

While all four areas are important, match play is the best vehicle for learning Strategy and Mental Toughness. If a player plays too few matches, they may be saving their egos, but the cost is their full development as competitors.

The lesson I am trying to teach my parents and players is to view “pressure” as a good thing, not something to be avoided. Learning to deal with pressure is an integral part of becoming a mature competitor.

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I have found it useful to help my players understand the varying levels of pressure they may face when competing.

Below are explanations of the various pressure levels in tennis competition.

• Pressure levels 1-2: virtually no pressure. The defining characteristic of this level is that no one is keeping score of any sort, so there can be no chance to lose anything; there is no pressure.

• Pressure levels 3-4 are considered low pressure. The defining characteristic of this level is that, at least now, there is some score being kept, and there will be a winner and a loser. The pressure is still very low; few people will ever know or care who won.

• Pressure levels 5-6 are considered medium pressure. The defining characteristic of this level is that there is not only a winner, but people will know the result, and the player will have it go on their permanent record.

• Pressure levels 7-8 are considered high pressure. The defining characteristic of this level is that now the result of a loss would be very negative to the player’s rankings or the team’s standings. This is different from levels 5-6, where the losses would not be as devastating.

• Pressure levels 9-10 are considered intense pressure. The defining characteristic of this level is that a loss would now prevent the player or team from advancing to the next level of play. An individual may fail to qualify for sectionals or nationals, and a team may fail to qualify for a regional or a state championship. These sorts of matches can end a player’s “year” and therefore carry the most pressure.

Once my players have reviewed and understood these levels, they can easily assess their own regimens and determine whether a change is necessary.

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What We Have Learned

A common realization among many players is that they are doing way too many low-pressure events, thinking the entire time that they are on track to meet their competitive requirements.

It is only after reviewing the chart that they realize that just hitting with a friend won’t cut it when it comes to developing into a better competitor under pressure.

Below is a chart I created to help my players and their parents understand the need and value of competitive match play for their overall development.

I ask players to average at least 40 points per month on this chart so they can assess if they are getting enough match play in their regimen.

You may feel that 40 is not the right number for your club’s players, or you may want to adjust the number based on players’ skill and/or commitment levels.

The point is that a chart like this one is easy to understand and will make it more likely for our players to play more.