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When you look at the world's top players, isn't it amazing how often they are in the quarters, semis, and finals of Grand Slam tournaments? How is it possible for them to be that consistent time after time? How do they bring their "A game" when it matters the most? Do they have some magic formula for coming up big when the lights are brightest?

The fact is that they do have a magic formula, but it may not be one that you would guess. The reality is that the top players have come to understand that the key to consistency and playing well when the pressure is the greatest has to do with how to act when they don't have their "A game". More about that in a minute.

Here's a scenario for you:

You step on the court to play an important match against a quality opponent. While you are warming up, nothing you hit seems to be going in the court. You can't find the sweet spot on your racket and the tennis ball feels more like a baseball when it hits your strings. You're missing all your volleys in the net and your serve is all over the place. Your legs feel heavy and your footwork feels clunky. Everything just feels harder than normal. For most of us, this scenario is all too familiar. And when this occurs, most of us tend to feel that it's just not our day. We just don't have it today. We start looking for mistakes as evidence that proves we don't have our "A game" today; double faults, missed overheads, unforced errors all feed into that narrative. We start saying to ourselves, "see, I can't make anything today!". At this point, it's pretty easy to predict how this (once promising) match will end up.

Back to the world's top players. Believe it or not, they - on occasion - finish a warm up and feel that they "just don't have it today". And sometimes that feeling remains throughout an entire match! But instead of looking for mistakes as evidence to prove that they don't have their best stuff, they tend to approach the situation in a more productive way. Here are some of the ways you can learn how to play your best, even when you aren't at your best:

1. Accept the facts / now what?

Before you can address how to fix a problem, you have to accept that the problem exists. In our scenario, it's easy to say "I can't" or even try and avoid the problem altogether. This only makes the situation worse. You are spending precious time and energy either being irrational or living in denial. Either way, you aren't accepting the facts.

Instead, try using "My" statements to lay out the facts. "My groundstrokes feel tight". "My legs feel heavy". This may seem counterproductive, but, as I said, before fixing the problem you first have to accept the reality of the situation. From here, use a helpful phrase that can positively point you towards some solutions. I like the phrase, "Now what?". This is a good way to remind your brain that you can choose to dwell on the negative or start looking for solutions. The ball is in your court.

2. Use your resources (beliefs, attitudes, strengths)

Instead of fixating on what feels wrong, dig a little deeper and focus on some of the values you have already established. To be clear, these resources need to be developed off the court first, but this is what you need them for. Here are a few examples:

• Beliefs - "I'm a slow starter, but my game keeps improving during the match."
• Attitudes - "I may not have my best stuff, but I can still give 100% effort on every point."
• Strengths - "I am great at adjusting my style of play to fit the situation."

As I mentioned, this needs to be done off the court, but doing so can make all the difference between a quick loss and a well-earned win.

3. Embrace setbacks

The truth is, you will never play the perfect match. At some point in every match, something happens that is not ideal. This could be something small, like missing a sitter, or it could be more dramatic, like losing a big lead. No matter the case, the way you view setbacks is crucial for determining whether they own you or you own them. When you learn from setbacks, they actually become a resource to use the next time something negative happens. However, if you continue to try and avoid all setbacks (and only view them negatively) you never learn from them. Research shows that the real problem is trying to avoid stressful experiences, not the experience itself.

As you can see, there is more to the story than just bringing your "A game". Be sure to spend some time off the court building your skills in this area. Use practice sessions as a training ground for putting these skills in action. And remember, this is how the best players in the world keep their composure on the court, no matter how good (or bad) they feel about their game. Stan Wawrinka's forearm tattoo tells you all you need to know about how he approaches his tennis. It reads, "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

Fail better = play better

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About Damon Valentino

Damon Valentino is the Director of Sidestreet Performance Coaching in the SF Bay Area. He holds a Master's Degree in Sport Psychology and was a former Division I full scholarship tennis player at Michigan State University. Damon works with competitive juniors as well as collegiate tennis players across the country.

To set up a free 20 minute strategy session with him in person or on skype, go to his website at SideStreetCoaching.com - or connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.