How you feel about your tennis

Tennis players love answers.

“What’s wrong with my forehand?” “Why am I missing that backhand?” “What am I doing differently in matches?” “Is it my technique? My footwork? My timing?”

The instinct is always the same: figure it out. Analyse it. Explain it. Fix it.

But here’s the surprising truth:

In many moments, trying to work out what’s wrong actually takes you further away from the solution.

Because tennis isn’t just a technical sport. It’s a sensory sport. A sport of feel, rhythm, timing, presence, and instinct.

And when you get stuck in your head trying to “work out” a problem, you disconnect from the very part of you that can actually solve it.

In tennis, feeling what’s wrong is often far more powerful than thinking about what’s wrong.

REAL LIFE CLIENT EXAMPLE:

This week I was working with a top 300 tennis player and we were having this exact conversation and I proposed that he flip the outcome and possible parts to the outcome the other way round in the equation.

The example was the forehand actually which at the moment with he wants to improve. So we went through a list of the technical aspects which may be a cause in his forehand being astray. Obvious things like, feet position, racket take back, shoulder turn etc etc. I urged him to ignore all this and think of WHAT HE WANTED HIS FOREHAND TO FEEL LIKE.

Just one word.

For the purpose of this example we chose "spacious" as the outcome.

If we start with the outcome in mind, more often than not our body will automatically work out what to do to CREATE SPACE.

Just one input here - CREATE SPACE.

Keeping that in mind in pressure moments is far easier than trying to work out something technically.

Sure, if there are some glaringly obvious technical errors, which if you are playing on the ATP tour will be few and far between then tapping into feeling is more valuable.

The Trap of Over-analysis

Most players make the same mistake when they’re struggling:

They start thinking about their technique.

They overanalyse:

• racquet path

• contact point

• hip rotation

• shoulder alignment

• take-back position

• swing finish

They try to control what should be happening automatically.

But tennis doesn’t reward overthinking. It punishes it.

Why? Because focus shifts from the ball → to your body → and your timing disappears.

Your brain becomes crowded. Your arm tightens. Your swing shortens. Your confidence drops. Your game collapses.

You’re not “fixing” anything. You’re interfering.

Feeling Is Faster, Cleaner, and More Accurate

When you feel what’s wrong — not analyse it — your body adjusts much quicker.

Because your body already knows how to hit a forehand. You’ve hit thousands. Your system has the blueprint.

But when you lose rhythm, what you need is:

• re-connection

• sensation

• awareness

• relaxation

• trust

Not theories and technical talk.

Feeling puts you back into your sensory system. And that’s where tennis actually lives.

What Feeling Actually Looks Like

Feeling what’s wrong doesn’t mean being emotional. It means being connected.

It’s things like:

• sensing that you’re late

• noticing that you’re tight

• feeling your grip is too strong

• recognizing your breath is shallow

• realising you’re rushing

• feeling your legs stop moving

• sensing your contact is too close to your body

These insights come before conscious analysis. They’re quicker, more accurate, and far more actionable.

This is why the best players in the world always say:

“I just didn’t feel the ball today.”

They’re not describing a technique issue. They’re describing a connection issue.

Working Out the Problem Is Useful — But Not First

Analysis has its place. Technique matters. Tactical awareness matters.

But analysis works best when you’re in a good state — not in panic, frustration, or tension.

If you’re emotional or stressed, analysis becomes criticism. If you’re calm and connected, analysis becomes clarity.

The sequence matters:

First you feel. Then you adjust. Then you understand. Not the other way around.

Why Feeling Leads to Flow

Flow state — that effortless mode where everything clicks — only happens when you’re connected to your body, your breath, and the ball.

You cannot think your way into flow.

Feeling is what creates:

• rhythm

• timing

• relaxation

• smoothness

• trust

These are the ingredients of flow.

This is why your best tennis feels automatic. It comes from sensation, not control.

How This Transforms Your Game

When players learn to feel before they think, several things happen:

✔ Mistakes become information, not threats

Instead of spiraling, you respond intuitively.

✔ Your emotional state stabilizes

Feeling reduces panic, tightness, and frustration.

✔ Your confidence increases

Because you trust your body again.

✔ You fix problems faster

A sensation is corrected in 2–3 balls. A technical overthink can take months.

✔ You access your best tennis more often

Because your brain is clear, not crowded.

If You’re a Competitive Player, Ask Yourself:

When things go wrong in a match…

Do you try to think your way out of it? Or do you feel your way back into connection?

The first keeps you stuck. The second gets you back into your game.

The Real Message

Your tennis doesn’t need more control. It needs more connection.

Your body already knows the movements. Your instincts already know the solutions.

What’s missing is the ability to tune into them — to feel what’s happening before trying to explain it.

If you want to develop the mental and emotional skill of reconnecting under pressure, regaining feel quickly, and accessing your best tennis consistently…

Send me a message.

Because when you can feel what’s wrong, you don’t just fix your tennis — you start playing the game you’re truly capable of.