Fourteen Principles of Mental Toughness in Tennis

The post by Ray Brown.

1. Mental toughness can only be taught by someone who is mentally tough.

2. There is nothing on the web about mental toughness of any value. It is all pop psychology or pseudo psychology.

3. Most people can learn to be mentally tough; the Marines do it every day.

4. Mental toughness starts with physical toughness. This means the one must have the ability to endure very tough physical drills that are painful by controlling their pain with their mind. This is something that only humans seem to be able to do.

5. Being mentally tough requires knowing yourself and especially knowing your own weaknesses, fears, misgivings, self doubts etc and being able to control them under pressure.

6. Mental toughness requires being able to endure physical and mental pain and continue to perform at a high level.

7. Mental toughness requires being able to perform at a high level in the face of fear by controlling your emotions with your mind.

8. Mental toughness in tennis requires that you be able to make your own decisions without regard to the opinions of others; you must be self sufficient under duress.

9. Mental toughness requires that you put friendship aside and objectively defeat a friend.

10. Mental toughness requires that you must be able to continue to fight hard when exhausted, discouraged or facing a vastly superior opponent.

11. Mental toughness requires that you never show fear in the face of a superior opponent; that no opponent can intimidate you.

12. Mental toughness in tennis requires that you will attack a superior opponent when possible; that you will defeat a friend without hesitation.

13. Mental toughness requires that you never be affected by the opponent’s disadvantages, particularly physical limitations or appearance.

14. Mental toughness requires that you be willing to defeat every opponent as badly as possible without any hesitation.

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