I was just as tight for my 2 pm game yesterday in the 35+ bracket as I was for my first game on Friday night. Again, I was playing a better player, but I couldn’t find “the groove” with my swing. Maddening. My opponent for the consolation semi-final in Men’s A had to drop out from a sprained ankle, so I got bumped to the final. I started poorly again, but midway through the first game, with the score tied, I did a simple adjustment to my forehand grip which made a difference in my swing and I began to just focus on the feel of the swing, both forehand and backhand. I won the first game narrowly and the second game jumped out to 10-2 lead. I then lost my focus and my opponent got back to within 3 points. I took a timeout, took a few practice swings to find that ‘in the groove’ feeling, and came back strong to win by five.
So now I’m in the same boat as I was on Friday. I played well on Thursday night, and counted on my body being able to remember the groove feeling for the tourney and it didn’t happen. This morning, I have one more 35+ match and I’m counting on the same thing. I wonder what’ll happen.
My wife says my problem is that I care too much. It’s true. But not about winning. For me, it’s about playing as well as I can play, about not choking, about looking good. All ego stuff.
I sometimes wonder why I play tournaments. I can enjoy the game and play relaxed enough for my weekly games. But there’s something about the challenge of playing under the pressure of a tournament that’s attractive. It’s a mental proving ground for me. For others, it’s a measuring stick of a different sort, I suppose. I guess if it’s a mental proving ground, then before I play in another one, I should have a lot of concentration and relaxation skills practice under my belt. Otherwise, I’ll just stick to club leagues and recreational play.