MENTAL SKILL 05
HELPFUL SELF-TALK
What do you say to yourself after a missed shot, during a difficult match or when you start doubting your abilities?
Self-talk is part of your mental game. The words you use can influence where you direct your attention,
how you interpret situations and what you choose to do next.
Mental training helps you recognize your inner dialogue and practise using words that are realistic,
believable and useful. You do not need to think positively all the time.
Words That Help You Act.
WATCH & LEARN
The Words Behind Your Game.
Discover how your inner dialogue can influence your attention, confidence and responses to challenges — and learn to create useful mental cues for tennis.
INTRODUCTION VIDEO — COMING SOON
01 — LEARN: UNDERSTAND YOUR SELF-TALK
WHAT IS SELF-TALK?
Self-talk refers to the words, thoughts and short messages you direct toward yourself. Sometimes you notice these words clearly. At other times, they happen automatically. During tennis, self-talk can appear before a serve, after an error, or during a rally.
SELF-TALK, CONFIDENCE & MINDSET
Confidence does not come from telling yourself you are the best. It develops through preparation and realistic feedback. A learning-oriented mindset treats mistakes as information rather than permanent judgments.
WHAT IS HELPFUL SELF-TALK?
Helpful self-talk means choosing realistic, believable words that support your next action. It is not about lying to yourself or forcing positivity; it's about instructional cues that help you execute.
UNHELPFUL JUDGMENT: I'm terrible at serving.
HELPFUL RESPONSE: My serve needs work. I'll focus on my preparation.
UNHELPFUL PRESSURE: I absolutely cannot miss this point.
HELPFUL RESPONSE: Choose my target. Follow my routine.
WHEN DO I USE THIS SKILL?
AFTER A DOUBLE FAULT
Replace a personal judgment with one useful preparation cue.
BEFORE AN IMPORTANT POINT
Choose a short, believable instruction instead of extra pressure.
WHEN DOUBTING ABILITY
Recognize the doubt and return to an action you can practise.
AFTER LOSING A SET
Avoid defining yourself by the score. Identify what to adjust.
DURING A DIFFICULT DRILL
Use a practical instruction that supports learning.
SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE
Recognize what you did well rather than relying only on praise.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE EVERY THOUGHT. YOU CAN CHOOSE WORDS THAT HELP YOU ACT.
02 — PRACTICE: BUILD YOUR HELPFUL SELF-TALK
FROM JUDGMENT TO ACTION
DURATION: 3–5 MINUTES
OBJECTIVE:
Learn to recognize an unhelpful judgment and develop a realistic, useful response for your next action.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Think of one recent tennis situation.
- Notice what you said to yourself.
- Ask whether those words were helpful, realistic and relevant.
- Identify what you could influence in that situation.
- Create one short, believable phrase or action cue.
- Practise using that cue during an appropriate training exercise.
- Afterwards, reflect on whether it helped you direct your attention or choose an action.
EXAMPLE:
SITUATION: I missed an easy forehand.
AUTOMATIC THOUGHT: I\'m so bad at this.
OBSERVATION: I am judging myself instead of identifying what happened.
HELPFUL SELF-TALK: Prepare early. Watch the ball.
ACTION: Return to my preparation cue during the next appropriate shot.
REVIEW: Did my chosen words help me focus on the task?
Remember: Your chosen words do not need to sound positive. They need to be believable and useful. Do not ask athletes to repeat unrealistic affirmations or suppress unwanted thoughts.
03 — APPLY: TAKE IT ON THE COURT
YOUR ON-COURT
MENTAL MISSION
EXAMPLE APPLICATION:
SITUATION
You are preparing to serve at an important point.
AUTOMATIC
Don't double fault!
REACTION
Your attention moves toward the mistake you want to avoid.
HELPFUL CUE
Choose my target. Follow my routine.
ACTION
Use your familiar preparation routine before serving.
REVIEW
Did the cue help direct your attention toward a useful action?
Practice this refocusing cycle in repeated trials on court.
During your next tennis practice, work with your coach to identify one useful self-talk cue.
- Choose a specific tennis situation with your coach.
- Notice the words you commonly use in that situation.
- Create one realistic and useful cue connected to the training objective.
- Practise using the cue during a normal tennis drill.
- After the drill, discuss whether the cue supported
your attention and actions. - Adjust the wording if necessary.
Different athletes may prefer different words, and a cue that works in one situation may not work in another.
04 — YOUR DAILY MENTAL CHALLENGE
TODAY'S MISSION
Choose one moment when you notice the words you use toward yourself. It may happen during tennis, schoolwork, training or another everyday situation.
YOUR CHALLENGE
NOTICE → REPHRASE → ACT
NOTICE: What am I saying to myself?
REPHRASE: What realistic, useful message could support me?
ACT: What can I do next?
Try one short phrase and notice whether it helps. Remember that some thoughts can simply be acknowledged without needing to change them immediately.
05 — REFLECT: LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE
Q1
What did I say to myself during a challenging moment today?
Q2
What words or cues helped me focus on a useful action?
Q3
What could I say to myself next time?
These questions are for private personal reflection only. This page is public and does not collect responses.
HELPFUL SELF-TALK IS NOT ABOUT THINKING POSITIVELY ALL THE TIME.
IT'S ABOUT FINDING WORDS THAT HELP YOU TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP.
MENTAL TRAINING IS TRAINING.
LEARN → PRACTICE → APPLY.