Increasing Confidence

Some individuals seem born more confident than others. Underlying the confidence of victory is your basic confidence level. This is the confidence level that you were either born with or that was formed during early childhood. Nobody knows for sure the parts played by genetics and early experience in developing our basic levels of confidence. But for whatever reasons, it is clear that we are not all equally endowed. Some fortunate individuals just seem to be born more confident than others. We all become more confident with victory, regardless of our initial levels of confidence. But those with higher natural levels seem to experience a greater increase in confidence with each victory and a lesser decrease with each loss than the rest of us. How do we learn to increase confidence? Surrounding yourself with positive people is always a benefit, whether it is in tennis or elsewhere. It is certainly advantageous to have a coach who builds you up rather than one who breaks you down. A coach can improve your confidence to an extent. But the coach's words should be realistic and credible. It is most useful to have a coach that appreciates your strengths while not ignoring your...