Personal Antagonism Doesn’t Pay

Personal antagonism almost never pays off in tennis.

It almost never pays to get personally antagonistic in a tennis match. It will hurt your game. But like many things that involve emotions in tennis, this is easier said than done.

This is because on an emotional level, tennis is very much like a fist fight. It’s different from other sports. It feels personal, especially when your opponent is jerking you around the court or trying to dink you to death.

So how does the antagonism start in what is supposed to be a friendly, social match? Maybe you’re playing Mike or Sue in a little tournament at your club. It starts out on a friendly basis but after awhile, it escalates. So you gradually step up your efforts to win, as does your opponent.

As the gloves gradually come off and you feel the contest of wills, what started out as just a fun match becomes seriously competitive. If you don’t watch yourself, your opponent may begin to irritate you and negatively affect your game.

Against some opponents you just don’t want to shake hands.

Maybe it’s a swagger after making a good shot that grates on your nerves. Or…