Quantcast Tennis Server - "Mental Equipment" Sports Psychology - The Art of Goal Setting
nodot nodot
Mental Equipment
May 1996 Article

Contact John Murray

Mental Equipment Archive

Get John F. Murray's book Smart Tennis at Amazon.com

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Enter your e-mail address:

You will join 25,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano that won't be found on the web site.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Do You Want to Follow The Pro Game Too?

Then use this link to join the
Tennis Server Match Reports
for photography and match reports from around the world.

Player Profiles:
Top Pros (Women)
tennis ball Serena Williams
tennis ball Caroline Wozniacki
tennis ball Kim Clijsters
tennis ball Venus Williams
tennis ball Jelena Jankovic
tennis ball Samantha Stosur
tennis ball Francesca Schiavone
tennis ball Vera Zvonareva
tennis ball Na Li
tennis ball Agnieszka Radwanska
 ... more profiles
 
Top Pros (Men)
tennis ball Rafael Nadal
tennis ball Roger Federer
tennis ball Novak Djokovic
tennis ball Andy Murray
tennis ball Robin Soderling
tennis ball Nikolay Davydenko
tennis ball Tomas Berdych
tennis ball Fernando Verdasco
tennis ball Andy Roddick
tennis ball Juan Martin Del Potro
 ... more profiles
 
Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
MENTAL EQUIPMENT - Explore the mental side of the game with Dr. John Murray.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Photo Feed
 
Tennis Business Discussion Forum
 
Editor's Letter
 
Visit Our Sponsors - They keep Tennis Server a free service!
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Pro Tennis Calendar & Event Links
 
Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 

nodot
Mental Equipment By Dr. John Murray


 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 

nodot
The Art of Goal Setting

Dr. John Murray Photo
Dr. John Murray

Goal setting is a powerful motivational strategy ... if utilized properly. Research has shown that goal setting enhances performance across a variety of situations. This month the focus is on how goals work, the benefits they provide, and specific ways in which you can use goal setting to reach your next "goal" in tennis.

Definition of Goals

Goals are defined as "something we consciously want to attain, accomplish, or achieve." They are also thought of as "aims, targets, or tracks to run on that give our energies specific direction." Goal setting provides a sense of control over what we do in our lives and allows us to move beyond beliefs or fears that may be preventing us from realizing our peak performance.

mental equipment photo

Achievement: A Self-Test

Since goals are a way of maximizing achievement, let's engage in a brief self-analysis to determine what achievement means to you. Do you view achievement primarily as: (1) beating others and/or demonstrating superior competence or (2) improving your level of skill and/or getting to the next level regardless of competitive outcome. Think about this a moment and decide whether you agree more with statement (1) or (2).

What Did You Choose?

Which approach to achievement did you endorse? If you chose the second approach, you are on your way toward maximizing the effectiveness of goal setting. This approach is called "task involvement." Task-involved athletes have been shown to display high intrinsic motivation, produce maximal effort, and persist longer across a variety of performance situations. They set goals to master skills. The first approach is termed "ego-involvement." Ego- involved athletes define their performance in comparison with others. Their approach appears to work only when they are confident of their abilities and not threatened by the possibility of losing. Unfortunately, "ego-involved" athletes often avoid challenging situations that might have otherwise taken them to the next level.

One's philosophy of achievement often directs the type of goals that are set. Research indicates that performance goals (e.g., hitting a higher percentage of 1st serves in) are usually superior to outcome goals (e.g., winning the tournament). In my opinion, focusing on "winning" is an irrelevant distraction. Attentional resources are needed for more specific needs (See my November 1995 article). Rather than worry about the outcome, stay interested in improving your performance and the outcome will take care of itself.

There are distinct advantages to setting goals. Here are a few of the benefits noted in the research on goal setting in sports:

  1. Improved Performance
  2. Enhanced Quality of Practice
  3. Clarified Expectations
  4. Greater Challenge and Boredom Relief
  5. Higher Intrinsic Motivation
  6. Pride, Satisfaction and Self-Confidence
  7. Decreased Anxiety
  8. Improved Concentration
  9. Greater Sense of Purpose
  10. Time Management
  11. Self-Efficacy
  12. Better Search For Strategies

Although there are no exact rules to follow in goal setting, here are some guiding principles which have been effective in maximizing performance:

  1. Set specific, measurable goals, with a target date to completion
  2. Set both long- and short-term goals
  3. Set difficult, yet attainable goals, that will push you toward your limits
  4. Set performance goals rather than outcome goals
  5. Reevaluate goals periodically and adjust them when necessary
  6. Set goals for practice as well as match play
  7. Set goals that will lead to a steady progression of improvement

Goal setting is a marvelous tool. Add it to your arsenal of mental equipment. See you next month ...

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Mental Equipment Archive

If you have not already signed up to receive our free e-mail newsletter Tennis Server INTERACTIVE, you can sign up here. You will receive notification each month of changes at the Tennis Server and news of new columns posted on our site.
Enter your e-mail address:

This column is copyrighted by Dr. John Murray, all rights reserved.

Dr. John F. Murray is currently a licensed clinical psychologist and sport psychologist in Florida. In addition, he is a tennis professional (having taught tennis internationally in North America, Hawaii, Europe, Middle East), formerly certified with both USPTA and USPTR. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and masters degrees both in Clinical Psychology and Exercise & Sport Sciences from the University of Florida. He maintains a personal web site at http://www.johnfmurray.com/.

Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to John by using this form.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
US Open Tennis Tickets New York 8/30-9/12
 
A Special Evening With Andre Agassi Tickets New York Town Hall Theatre 9/2
 
ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Tickets London 11/21-11/28
 
BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tickets Indian Wells 3/13-3/20
 
Sony Ericsson Open Tennis Tickets Miami 3/23-4/3
 

 

Tennis MindGame

 
Popular Tennis books:
 
Perfect Tennis by Ron Waite
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
Fearless Tennis by Jeff Greenwald
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
September 1, 2010 US Open: The Word - Murray, Lacko, Williams, Marino, Monfils, Andreev. Editorial by Jane Voigt, photography by Harvey Rubin.
 
August 31, 2010 US Open: What's Age Got To Do With It? Clement, Baghdatis, Djokovic, Fish, Hajek, Troicki. Editorial by Jane Voigt, photography by Harvey Rubin.
 
August 30, 2010 US Open: And Away We Go - Oudin, Clijsters, Roddick, Savchuk, Arn, Robert. Editorial by Jane Voigt, photography by Harvey Rubin.
 
August 29, 2010 US Open: Who's In, Who's Out by Jane Voigt.
 
August 26, 2010 Between The Lines: U.S. Open Indicators by Ray Bowers.
 
August 22, 2010 W&SFG Men's Masters: Federer Casts Out Fish To Reel In Cincy Title - Roger Federer, Mardy Fish. Editorial by Vince Barr, photography by Pablo Sanfrancisco
 
August 21, 2010 W&SFG Men's Masters: Fish Swims Past Roddick, Roger Rolls Over Baghdatis - Marcos Baghdatis, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish. Editorial by Vince Barr, photography by Pablo Sanfrancisco
 
August 20, 2010 W&SFG Men's Masters: Nadal bounces out, Federer & Roddick On Collision Course - Nadal, Baghdatis, Federer, Davydenko, Roddick, Djokovic, Fish, Murray. Editorial by Vince Barr, photography by Pablo Sanfrancisco
 
August 19, 2010 W&SFG Men's Masters: Federer Walks, Roddick Talks, Murray Balks - Nadal, Bennetteau, Soderling, Roddick, Baghdatis, Berdych, Davydenko, Ferrer. Editorial by Vince Barr, photography by Pablo Sanfrancisco
 
August 18, 2010 W&SFG Men's Masters: Roddick Rallies, Nadal makes a Dent. Editorial by Vince Barr
 

 
 
More featured events in the Tennis Server/MyCityRocks Ticket Exchanges:
 
  Featured Tickets:
Detroit Lions Tickets Football
Widespread Panic WSP Tickets St Saint Augustine FL Amphitheatre
Roger Waters Tickets Sunrise Ft Fort Lauderdale FL Bank Atlantic Center
WWE Tickets Dayton OH EJ Nutter Center Wrestling
Neil Young Tickets Panama City FL Marina Civic Center
Florida Panthers vs Columbus Blue Jackets Tickets
Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions Tickets NFL Football
Baltimore Ravens vs NOLA New Orleans Saints Tickets MD M&t Bank Stadium NFL Football
Denver Broncos Tickets Football
Florida Panthers vs Colorado Avalanche Tickets

  Featured Tickets:
Machete Music Tour Tickets San Jose CA HP Pavilion
Trans-Siberian Orchestra TSO Tickets Dallas TX American Airlines Center
Green Bay Packers Tickets Football
The Black Keys Tickets LA Los Angeles CA Hollywood Palladium
WWE Tickets Anaheim CA Honda Center Arrowhead Pond Wrestling
Whoopi Goldberg Tickets
Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz Tickets
Andre Rieu Tickets Hamburg Germany O2 World Color Line Arena
Chris Botti Tickets New Bedford MA Zeiterion Theatre
Titans Tickets NFL Football

  Featured Tickets:
Lady Antebellum Tickets Atlanta GA Fabulous Fox Theatre
Miami Heat vs NY Knicks New York Knicks Tickets
Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets NFL Football
Straight No Chaser Tickets Cupertino CA Flint Center
Philly Philadelphia Eagles vs Tennessee Titans Tickets NFL Football
Anaheim Ducks vs Philadelphia Flyers Tickets
Disney on Ice Toy Story 3 Tickets Tampa FL St Pete Times Forum
Portland Trail Blazers vs NY Knicks New York Knicks Tickets
Northwestern Wildcats Tickets College Football
Atlanta Braves vs NY New York Mets Tickets

  Featured Tickets:
Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk Tickets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Virginia Hokies Tickets College Football
Texas A&M Aggies vs Missouri Tigers Tickets College Football
Cats Tickets Cheyenne WY Civic Center
Mannheim Steamroller Tickets Bossier City Shreveport LA Centurytel Center
Cotton Bowl Tickets Arlington TX Dallas Cowboys Stadium College Football
The Rat Pack Tickets
Cleveland Browns Tickets Football
Memphis Tigers vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tickets Football
Ringling Bros Barnum Bailey Circus Tickets Portland ME Cumberland County Civic Center

  Featured Tickets:
US Open Tennis Tickets Flushing Meadows New York NY
ATP World Tour Finals Mens Tennis Tickets London England UK O2 Arena Barclays
BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tickets Indian Wells CA Pacific Life
Sony Ericsson Open Tennis Tickets Miami Key Biscayne FL Crandon Park Center
Night of Stars Tickets Boston MA Opera House
Bridge School Benefit Tickets Mountain View San Francisco SF CA Shoreline Amphitheatre Pearl Jam Neil Young
Evgeny Kissin Tickets Chicago IL Symphony Center
Evgeny Kissin Tickets NYC New York City NY Carnegie Hall Isaac Stern Auditorium
Id Tickets Toronto Ontario Canada Sony Centre For The Performing Arts Hummingbird

 
 
"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - 2010 by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
2323 Clear Lake City Boulevard
Suite 180-139
Houston, Texas 77062-8120
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Fax: (281) 480-7715
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy