The value of rituals in serving are many, here are 7:

1. They remind us of sequences to performance
2. They create a comfort zone for us
3. They help prevent us from forgetting steps that can influence our success
4. They assist us in performing on an automatic level under pressure
5. They can calm us under pressure
6. They can prevent us from rushing during a match
7. They can assist in defeating the “Mental Monsters” of success and failure

Rituals are habits that we develop consciously or unconsciously. Depending upon situations and perceived results, they can become superstitions.

When they approach the superstition level we feel we need them to be successful. Tennis players will not shave during a tournament as long as they are winning, they will eat the same meal as long as they are winning, wear the same clothes, play with the same racquet, wear the same shoes, stay in certain rooms, avoid stepping on lines or certain parts of the court.

We have all seen Djokovich as he demonstrates some rituals of top level players. They can become quite unusual and almost funny when we see some of the steps people perform to ensure their success. I will bet you have seen some funny rituals in the players you have met as well.

Players rituals are mostly routines that they have been coached to follow or discovered on our own to provide a feeling of familiarity and consistency in their preparation for performance.

What are some of your rituals you use when you serve?

• Little Known Facts That Influence Your Tennis Game [/caption] The average length of a point in a match is about 4-7 seconds. The tennis court is 3.5 feet longer cross court than it is down the line – safer shot with more court space and less movement to recover-to the middle of “possible returns”. The tennis ball travels......
• Day 2 with Ken at the International Hall of Fame Up early in NewPort to visit all the beautiful old homes in the city.  I take tons of pictures - even as I drive down the narrow streets, some with cobblestones.  The homes are from the 1700's and 1800's, big homes with awesome colors.  There are parks with huge trees......
• 3 Secrets to Winning Doubles, pt 2 [/caption] This is the second post of three consecutive posts on the secrets to winning doubles in tennis. Secret #2 "Tennis Dance" Where to move & when to move there! Dance of the server's partner: Find the middle of the service box, half way between the net and the service......
• Creating “Likeable” Tennis Lessons [/caption] Make your tennis lessons “likeable” by avoiding these 4 undesirables. Lines - avoid having your students stand in lines and waiting for their next turn to play.  Make it a “moving experience” by using cones, donuts and games so the players are purposefully moving. Yelling - don't yell from......
• Getting the Most Game Improvement for Your Dollar [/caption] Lessons and Clinics as a Boomer Tennis Player Find a certified tennis professional – Trust your investment and game improvement to a tennis professional who has been tested and demonstrated the basics of quality tennis instruction. Try a lesson or clinic to see if you connect with the pro's......

• Wii Tennis Tips And Thoughts on Two Weeks of Wii I had previously mentioned that we got a Nintendo Wii. I have two weeks of playing time in and I have to say that it is a winner when compared to watching television. In fact, I'd take the extra step and say it might be equal to an aerobic exercise......
• 100 Quick Tennis Tips pt 1 Here are 100 quick and easy tennis tips to get your game going. We're going to spread this list out over a couple of posts to keep it interesting. Tip #1 - Before you pick up the game of tennis, you should absolutely make sure to consult a physician to......
• 100 Quick Tennis Tips pt 2 Here are 100 quick and easy tennis tips to get your game going. We're going to spread this list out over a couple of posts to keep it interesting. Tip #12 - When the ball is coming so fast that you are not going to get to it in time......
• Tips for Serving Here are some more useful tennis tips for improving your serving game. If you want to make improvements in your ability to serve, these tips will prove useful. Tip #1 - Vary your procedure when you are serving. You are going to want to vary your procedure as well......
• Top Tennis Tips from the Pros in Tennis The first thing that you are going to want to understand is that pro players are on a completely different level of playing in comparison to amateur players. Still, this is absolutely no reason for you not to look at pro players and take advice from them on how they......