How do we know what level of mental pressure is optimum for our own performance in sport?
Of course, the amount of pressure we feel depends on many variables:
- our own temperament
- our chosen sport
- expectations that we have and that others have
- degree of public exposure
- potential reward
- perception of the quality of the competition
- superstition
- the amount we have invested in our training
- self belief (or lack of)
- previous results
In fact, the list can be almost endless and will differ greatly depending on who’s written it.
One sport in which pressure can have a huge effect is tennis.
Tennis is a power sport, it is a finesse sport and points are won and lost