The pursuit of tennis perfection

Published by Dr. Janet Young

Roger Federer is one of the great tennis perfectionists
A perfectionist sets and strives for a high standard, but as Dr. Janet Young reports it’s when this perfection turns negative that an individual suffers additional pressure that effects their performance.

A perfectionist sets and strives for a high standard, but as Dr. Janet Young reports it’s when this perfection turns negative that an individual suffers additional pressure that effects their performance.

In a recent publication, Flett and Hewitt (2005) suggest that a number of champion tennis players, including John McEnroe and Serena Williams, share “a demonstrated history of extreme perfectionism” (p.17). One may well ask, is this a good or bad thing to be characterised as a perfectionist? What does it mean to be a perfectionist? How does one become such and can/ should one change? This article explores these issues by examining several myths about perfectionism and highlighting implications and recommendations for tennis coaches.

Myth #1: Everyone knows what perfectionism means
Perfectionism has been loosely defined as the setting of excessively high personal standards of performance (Burns, 1980; Pacht, 1984) to a more recent, and formal, conceptualisation as “a personality style characterised by striving for flawlessness and setting of excessively high standards of performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one’s behaviour” (Stoeber & Otta, 2006, p.295). While no one single definition of perfectionism has been agreed upon by perfectionism researchers, it is universally accepted that the central aspect of perfectionism is the setting of, and striving for, high standards.

Myth #2: Perfectionists are all alike
While perfectionists share the characteristic of setting and striving for high standards, they differ on a variety of other interrelated characteristics. This has led researchers to categorise perfectionists as one of two types, ‘positive’ (also labelled normal, adaptive, healthy, functional, active) or ‘negative’ (also labelled neurotic, maladaptive, unhealthy, dysfunctional, passive) perfectionists (Stoeber & Otta, 2006).

The key differences between the positive & negative perfectionist

To briefly summarise the features depicted in Table 1 (above), negative perfectionists set extremely high standards however, being overly critical and intolerant of mistakes, they are never satisfied with results (believing results could always be better). In contrast, positive perfectionists accept personal and situational limitations, and the inevitability of making mistakes, and in doing so, enjoy their purposeful pursuit of excellence. It has been suggested that the critical distinction between positive and negative perfectionism lies in an individual’s demand for perfection (Gotwals, Dunn & Wayment, 2003). As summarised by Zinsser, Bunker and Williams (2001), there “is always value in striving for perfection [in sport] but nothing to be gained by demanding perfectionism” (p.302).

Myth #3: Perfectionism is not associated with sporting excellence
The accuracy, or otherwise, of this myth depends on whether one is referring to positive or negative perfectionism. It is true to say research supports that negative perfectionism is an antecedent to burnout among young tennis players (Gould, Ulry Tuffey & Loehr, 1996). It is, however, equally true that research (e.g. Bloom, 1985; Hardy, Jones & Gould, 1996; Gould, Dieffenback & Moffett, 2002) supports many of the most successful world-class athletes are positively perfectionistic in their orientations. These latter research findings have led sport psychologists to propose the positive form of perfectionism is indeed “a trademark feature of high performance athletes” (Gotwals, Dunn & Wayment, 2003, p.19).

Myth #4: Perfectionism can be traced to parental influences in childhood
Undoubtedly parental factors have a strong impact early on in instilling values and thereby shaping a child’s character (Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). However, other factors such as the role of significant others (such as coaches and teachers) and the impact of society’s values and cultural influences need to also be considered.

Myth #5: ‘Once a perfectionist, always a perfectionist’
Since perfectionism is learned, most individuals can develop, moderate and/or change such an orientation (Hamacheck, 1978). Granted some individuals will require assistance in this process (such as work with a sport psychologist) but change is generally possible, and in some cases, desirable (such as a possible case warranting change may involve a player who invariably ‘drops his/her bundle’ on the first mistake he/she makes in a match, continually berates him/herself on his/her standard of play and suffers badly from the strain of competition.

Recommendations for coaches
Several implications for coaches can be drawn from the above discussion. Most significantly, it is important for coaches to be aware, and mindful, that perfectionism in themselves and/or their players does not necessarily represent a negative or dysfunctional characteristic. It can also be positive and normal, and indeed, a key quality for sporting excellence.

In adopting these suggestions, coaches will embrace the benefits from the pursuit of perfection but avoid the perils of demanding perfection. Striving for, but accepting being less than perfect, is the perfect way to go – just ask Roger Federer!

Dr Janet A Young is a Tennis Australia Club Professional Coach / exercise and Sport Psychologist.

References

  • Bloom, B. S. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York: Ballantine.
  • Burns, D. D. (1980, November). The perfectionist’s script for self-defeat. Psychology Today, 34-52.
  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper Collins.
  • Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The perils of perfectionism in sports and exercise. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 14-18.
  • Gotwals, J. K., Dunn, J. G. H., & Wayment, H. A. (2003). An examination of perfectionism and self-esteem in intercollegiate athletes. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 26, 17-38.
  • Gould, D., Dieffenbach, M. S., & Moffett, A. (2002). Psychological characteristics and their development in Olympic champions. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14, 172-204.
  • Gould, D., Tuffey, S., Udry, E., & Loehr, J. (1996). Burnout in competitive junior tennis players. The Sport Psychologist, 10, 341-366.
  • Hamachek, D.E. (1978). Psychodynamics of normal and neurotic perfectionism. Psychology, 15, 27-33.
  • Hardy, L., Jones, G., & Gould, D. (1996). Understanding psychological preparation for sport: Theory and practice of elite performers. New York: John Wiley.
  • Pacht, A. R. (1984). Reflections on Perfection. American Psychologist, 39(4), 386-390.
  • Stoeber, J., & Otto, K. (2006). Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10(4), 295-319.
  • Zinsser. N., Bunker, L., & Williams, J. M.(2001). Cognitive techniques for building confidence and enhancing performance. In J.M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (4th ed., pp.288-344). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.


This article first appeared in Australian Tennis Magazine.

Share this: 
  • Most popular articles

16 February 2017

Men’s and women’s tennis: as different as believ...

In the first part of our series analysing the similarities and differences between men's ... More

20 July 2016

What has happened to Grigor Dimitrov?

The decline is as perplexing as it is constant. When did Grigor Dimitrov hit rock bottom? ... More

8 June 2016

Pro tips: successfully changing surfaces

Transitioning between surfaces can be one of the biggest challenges in the game. Understan... More

9 January 2018

ATP: the biggest strength and weakness of every top 10 playe...

As the first Grand Slam of the season fast approaches, top-10 players are leading the char... More