Former professional tennis player, Jean-Michel Pequery has experienced the high level — world top 180, french top 25 — before devoting himself to his new passion: the paddleHaving become one of the best French players (No. 11 in 2022), he now supports players of all levels in their mental preparation.

The mind, the pillar of performance

Through a series of coaching themes, Jean-Michel Pequery wants to share simple and concrete tools to help players progress mentally.
"Mental work is as essential as technical or physical training. It's often what makes the difference between a good player and an accomplished competitor," he explains.

Its first theme, entitled Build your mental base at padel, addresses what he considers the foundation of all progress: self-mastery.

“In a match, technique is no longer enough”

For the former pro, the difficulties encountered by players in tournaments do not come from the racket, but from the head.
"If I look back on my exchanges with them, most of them don't say to me, 'I lost because my technique wasn't good.'
They tell me instead:
– I lacked concentration.
– I lost confidence.
– I played small at the important moment.

A concrete example on the ground

Imagine a P500 semifinal. You're down 5-5, 30-40, with a break point against you. At that precise moment, technique is no longer the deciding factor: you've already mastered your bandeja.
What will make the difference is your ability to stay lucid, keep your partner engaged, control your emotions et know where to direct your attention.

Pequery then invites players to ask themselves a simple question: What really depends on me during a match?

– Win? No, it also depends on the opponent.
– Choose where to place my ball? Yes.
– Maintain a positive attitude with my partner? Yes.
– Release me after a mistake? Yes.

"When we learn to distinguish what we control from what we don't, we play more freely and we compete better," he sums up.

Fear of winning, next theme

Next week, Jean-Michel Pequery will address a universal subject: fear of winning.
Why, with two points left in the game, do some people tense up and commit uncharacteristic fouls? How can we maintain the relaxation that allows us to finish?
The mental coach will provide precise keys to managing this critical moment, which every padel player has already experienced.

To go further and receive his upcoming content for free or participate in his webinars, go to Pequery Coaching – Your mental coach.

Léa Deutsch

Passionate about Padel since 2018 with numerous experiences in communication and content creation, I want to share my passion with you through my writings.

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