(by Larry Hodges)
The problem with being down 0-2 in a match isn’t that you are down 0-2; it’s that you are being outplayed. If you outplay your opponent the rest of the way, then you’ll likely win the next three games. So, don’t worry about the game score. Focus on your performance and tactics and you’ll maximize your chances of outplaying your opponent the rest of the way, and thereby winning the next three. And remember that what happened before can’t change and so doesn’t matter anymore. Only the next point counts.
So, what happened in those first two games? (Related question– what happened in the first game that you failed to correct in the second?) You need to figure out what he’s winning on or what you are losing on, and change it to what you are winning on or what he’s losing on. Sometimes it’s a matter of tactics. Other times it’s a matter of getting a shot to work better. For example, if you are losing in backhand-to-backhand exchanges the first two games, you have two options: Get out of those types of rallies (tactics), or focus on playing your backhand better (getting a shot to work better). If you are pretty sure you can’t win unless you do better in those backhand-to-backhand rallies, guess what? Instead of avoiding them, start the rally looking to get into them, and with that mindset, maybe you’ll do better in them.
Sometimes it’s something simple that turns everything around, such as attacking the opponent’s middle (elbow) during those backhand-to-backhand rallies, one of those most common ways I’ve seen a match turn around. Whatever it is, find it – it’s usually something simple. And if you still lose, then learn for next time so you don’t fall behind again.
Ultimately, the best thing is to avoid having to come back from down 0-2 – and that means scouting out your opponent so you know what to do at the start, have a working game plan, and warming up properly for the match. Then go in with a clear mind and battle it out!
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