Your cart is currently empty!
Learning a new shot—whether it’s a third-shot drop, a topspin roll, or a deep slice return—can be thrilling during practice. It feels like progress. You’ve got it down in drills, and maybe even in casual warmups. But when it’s game time? That new shot vanishes, replaced by your old habits.
This isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s one of the most common barriers to growth that players face. The disconnect between learning and using a shot often stems not from a lack of technical ability, but from a mindset that favors comfort over evolution.
If you’re looking to take your game to the next level, it’s not just about mechanics—it’s about shifting your mindset. Let’s break down why this mental shift is so powerful and how you can start applying it to your own development.
Why Comfort Zones Are So Powerful
Your brain loves routines. During competition, it reverts to what’s familiar because it wants to minimize risk and maximize certainty. Even if that means relying on shots you know are less effective long-term, they feel safer in the short term. That’s why so many players can drill a great drop shot but revert to lobbing or smashing in a real match.
The comfort zone keeps you stagnant. While it may offer a sense of security, it also limits your potential. Stepping outside of it requires trust—trust in your training, in your instincts, and most importantly, in your willingness to fail forward.
Acknowledge the Gap Between Practice and Play
One of the first steps toward real progress is recognizing that there is a gap between what you do in practice and what you do in games. This is normal and expected.
Many players wrongly assume that if they can’t execute a new shot in a game, they’re simply not good at it. In truth, they may not have given themselves permission to fully use it in live play. Mindset matters here—what you allow yourself to try influences what you’re able to succeed with.
Practice teaches your muscles, but mindset gives your muscles a chance to perform when it counts.
Outcome vs. Process: Redefining Success
It’s easy to chase wins. Everyone likes to walk off the court with a victory. But if your ultimate goal is long-term growth, you need to redefine what success means on the court.
Ask yourself:
– Did I attempt my new shot during points today?
– Did I learn something about when and how to use it?
– Am I getting more confident in using it under pressure?
If the answer is yes, that’s success—even if you didn’t win the game. Shifting your mindset from outcome-based to process-based allows you to embrace the awkward learning curve that comes with applying new techniques.
Building Confidence Through Intentional Reps
One of the fastest ways to normalize a new shot is to use it intentionally during live play. You don’t need to rely on it 100% of the time, but giving yourself opportunities in games will help bridge the gap between drills and competition.
Here are a few strategies to try:
– Assign games to the new shot: Play a match where you commit to using your drop shot or dink every time you’re in a certain position.
– Use practice matches as your lab: Coordinate with a practice partner who’s also focused on improving, and treat the match as a trial ground—not a competition.
– Play “constraint games”: Create rules where you limit your options. For example, no drive shots on third balls. This forces you to use the new shot creatively and consistently.
Embrace Mistakes as a Necessary Step
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: you will miss. You will mess up. You will lose points that your old habits might have won. And that’s okay.
Perfectionism can be paralyzing when learning something new. Many players never use a new shot in competition because they’re waiting until they can do it flawlessly. But mastery doesn’t come from avoiding failure—it comes from engaging with it.
Every missed shot is data. Each attempt tells you something about your timing, footwork, or positioning. If you treat every mistake as feedback rather than failure, you’ll learn faster—and trust yourself more in the long run.
Mental Reps Are Just as Valuable
Visualization and mental rehearsal are powerful tools for cementing new skills. Between games or even before bed, take a few minutes to mentally walk through executing your new shot successfully in different scenarios.
– Picture yourself hitting the drop shot smoothly after a deep serve return.
– Imagine using the backhand roll to reset a fast volley exchange.
– See yourself staying calm and confident while trying a shot at 9–9 in a tight game.
Your brain doesn’t fully distinguish between real and imagined reps. Practicing mentally builds neural pathways that support execution under stress.
Trust the Process—and Yourself
The road to improving your game isn’t linear. Some days the shot will click; other days it might feel off. What matters is that you keep using it. Confidence is built not in silence but in repetition.
The more you choose to integrate new shots into real play—even if the result is messy—the quicker those shots become a natural part of your arsenal. You stop thinking about doing it and start just doing it.
It’s about trusting the work you’ve put in and giving yourself permission to evolve.
Final Thoughts
Skill acquisition is only half the equation. The other half is mindset.
To make new shots a part of your real-time strategy, you have to challenge your own instincts. That means trading short-term comfort for long-term growth and letting go of perfection to embrace progress.
So next time you’re on the court, ask yourself: Am I playing to preserve what I know, or to become the player I want to be?
Choose the new shot. Choose the challenge. Choose the mindset that turns practice into performance.
Picture Source: AI-generated