ABSTRACT
Concentration is a psychological skill that can aid performance. Learning to concentrate takes time and practice and should be worked on in practice sessions as well as during matches. In tennis, many distractions must be avoided if the player is to perform well. Concentrating means filtering out the irrelevant cues in the environment so that total focus can be paid to the relevant ones. Irrelevant cues are merely distractions that compete for our attention but serve no useful purpose. The crowd noise, previously missed shots, perhaps even the score of the match fall into this category. Imagery training works because even though the body is not physically moving during the mental activity, the neuromuscular system is. Self-talk occurs anytime we think about something, not just when the words are verbalized. The next time we watch a tennis match, notice how the players talk to themselves.
