"How Could I Miss That?"
It's all a probability...

Have you ever asked yourself that question while playing tennis? Or maybe you used the other version: "I shouldn't have missed that shot!"

We all think those thoughts — some of us more often than others. But we don't notice something illogical in them.

What is it?

Well, if we say "How could I miss that shot?" we’re implying that missing it is something strange and inexplicable. We’re implying that we have the control over our shots to make them land in if we want.

But that is not true.

We do not have 100% control over the outcome of our strokes. If we did, then I personally would hit every ball in. But I cannot, and neither can Roger. No one can guarantee that they will hit the ball in. It's all a matter of probability.

Perhaps a basketball analogy will help you understand this better. There is no player in the world who can make every free throw. The best players make just over 90% of their free throws; no one makes 100%.

Humans are not perfect. We are not computers who never make a mistake, and so we do not have 100% control of the outcome in tennis (or anything in life!).

So whenever you wonder "how you could have missed that shot" or think you "shouldn't have missed that shot" remember that it is all a matter of probability. Even the best players miss the easiest shots, sometimes. And they practice tennis 4–6 hours a day. How much do you practice?

You also need to consider the consequences of feeling bad after a missed shot. Because that is what happens when you think those two thoughts: you feel bad or at least uncomfortable. And you will have to play tennis again in 15–20 seconds.

Getting emotional — frustrated, angry, irritated or something similar — will only make your performance level drop. You will lose focus; your body might become tenser because of negative feelings; and you won't be able to make quick and correct decisions.

Here is where acceptance comes in.

If you accept that you will miss an occasional shot and that it isn’t you that is "bad" but that it's a matter of probability, then you will stay calm and be ready for the next point. And there is a much higher probability that you will play it better than if you got upset.

And yes, even here it's just a probability, nothing is certain. But long term statistics will be in your favor.

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