A Guided Visualization by Transcend Mental Training Founder Amy Oliphant

Amy Oliphant is a Positive Performance™ certified Mental Training Coach and Visualization Specialist as well as a trained instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement and Youth Mental Health First Aid. A mother of four children who compete in college and high school sports, Amy coaches competitive swim teams in the Northbrook, IL area and competes as an Ironman triathlete. Originally from Winnetka, IL, she was active in high school sports and became an NCAA Division 1 college Women’s Tennis player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As Founder of Transcend Mental Training, Amy passionately coaches individuals and teams in mental training techniques to help them overcome mental barriers and gain a competitive edge in their sports. To learn more about Amy’s coaching services, visit: https://www.transcendmentaltraining.com.

Q. As a mental training coach, you guide individuals in using mental training techniques, like visualization, to overcome mental barriers and renew competitive performance. Do you have a beginner’s visualization tip for tennis players who suffer pre-match anxiety, self-doubt and fear of failure before their competitive matches?

A. Sure. Before you can actually be successful, you must see yourself as successful, and visualization is a tool that can help players do this. Below is a general guided visualization that a tennis player can use to combat anxiety and fear of failure before a match. It’s important, though, for all players to understand that this type of technique isn’t a “quick fix.” You can’t just do this exercise the day before or day of a match. Instead, players need to practice visualization techniques, like this one, a couple of times a week to really build up their mental game muscles. Just as successful players consistently devote time to practicing their physical techniques before matches, they should also dedicate specific time to prepare their mindsets before competition.

Access this General Visualization Guide Before Your Next Tennis Match:

* You can listen to more of Amy’s thoughts on visualization, mindfulness and mental training for athletes by checking out this Love-Love Tennis podcast episode.