A Sports Psychologist Explains a Pre-Service Routine in Tennis

Each sport has its personal little quirks and oddities (I’m nonetheless not clear on why a soccer subject is technically known as a “gridiron”), however tennis would possibly rank among the many strangest. From the illogical scoring system to Wimbledon’s all-white costume code and the end-of-match handshake, the game is laden with guidelines, rules, and traditions that make little to no sense to an out of doors observer—all of that are on full show proper now as we enter the ultimate stretch of the US Open.

In case you’re a tennis buff (or perhaps a new fan seduced by all of the hype), you might need questioned about one explicit prevalence on court docket: the serving participant repeating the identical particular person sequence of motions earlier than tossing the ball within the air on every serve. Rafael Nadal was well-known for pulling at his shorts, tucking his hair behind his ears, and touching his nostril, for instance, whereas Serena Williams was identified to bounce her ball a selected variety of occasions (5 on the primary serve, and two on the second).

As a former highschool tennis participant who tunes into the occasional Grand Slam match on TV, I’ve lengthy been conscious that these kinds of behaviors are usually not uncommon amongst professionals, however when a non-tennis-savvy buddy requested me about them lately as we had been watching a US Open males’s singles match final week, I noticed I didn’t have a stable clarification available. Curious to research additional, I reached out to an skilled for enter, hoping to study extra in regards to the psychology at work—and the way it impacts a participant’s general sport.

The sequence of actions main as much as a serve is called the “service routine” or “pre-service routine.” When a participant prepares to serve, “they are going by means of a number of psychological steps together with the bodily steps,” Patrick Cohn, MS, PhD, a sports activities psychologist and the founder and president of Peak Efficiency Sports activities, tells SELF. They’re attempting to overlook in regards to the final level to allow them to give the present one their undivided consideration. They’re analyzing their sport to pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. And at last, they’re figuring out a goal location within the service field (the sq. of court docket positioned diagonally throughout the way in which).

These bizarre little mannerisms you would possibly discover throughout a match—the hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, and all the pieces in between—are a part of that service routine, too. Whereas not all gamers have readily identifiable idiosyncrasies (Roger Federer, for one—he would simply step up and serve sans a lot preamble), sufficient do this it’s a longtime phenomenon throughout play. In essence, the routine offers “psychological consolation” and “helps the participant really feel in management,” Dr. Cohn says. “It helps them be within the second and deal with the method. And, additionally, it develops some stage of confidence.”

Along with Nadal and Williams, loads of different huge names have been clocked performing little rituals. Maria Sharapova would flip her again to her opponent and stroll to the rear of the court docket earlier than serving. Naomi Osaka bobs on her toes, Iga Świątek checks her pockets to ensure she has a second ball on the prepared within the occasion of a fault, and lots of feminine gamers on the whole alter their jewellery or hairstyles.

Given their position within the participant’s pre-service routine, these idiosyncrasies can really be an important piece of the psychological puzzle, based on Dr. Cohn—and in that sense, they serve an important goal (no pun supposed!). Regardless of the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or one thing else totally—the familiarity of those motions can have a soothing impact, calming the participant’s nerves earlier than a giant shot.

In a psychologically demanding sport like tennis, the place psychological toughness is an asset as key as velocity, stamina, or eye-hand coordination, that small edge could make all of the distinction. With out it, in principle, the participant would possibly really feel thrown off or much less safe of their serve, which, in flip, may have an effect on the trajectory of the purpose (and doubtlessly the sport, after which the set, after which the match, as a result of in tennis, all of it snowballs. Take it from a former highschool participant!)

Associated:

Get extra of SELF’s nice sports activities protection delivered proper to your inbox.