The Mental Emotional Tennis Workbooks are comprehensive problem solving guides for the serious tennis player. The workbooks are designed for both the junior and adult competitor. They can be completed in any order, and independently of each other. They are designed to assist players through the mental and emotional complexities of the game of tennis. Included are organizational guidelines, time tested formulas for success, foundation essentials, common blunder cures, answers to common questions and winning strategies. Also included are educational tennis tools needed to help identify a player’s strengths and weaknesses, such as sample weekly and monthly planner, pop quizzes, match charts, match logs and daily focus journals.
Many talented athletes leave the game due to a lack of an organized plan and proper mental and emotional development. The aim of these workbooks is to provide the deeper insights needed to progress in such a challenging individual sport. The days of earning a high ranking while only focusing on fundamental stroke production are long gone.
While five of The Mental Emotional Tennis Workbooks, Match Day Preparation, The Match Chart Collection, Insights and Antidotes, The Protocols of Winning and Blunders and Cures, will surely assist you on how to fly, the sixth workbook in this series, How to Attract a College Scholarship, is designed to teach a junior competitor where to land. Throughout the chapters of each workbook, you will notice repetition of some of the most important mental and emotional factors. In my opinion, this is just as important as stroke repetition. It is my intent to hit the reader with these little pearls of wisdom often enough to guarantee that they sink in.
The mission of The Mental Emotional Tennis Workbook series is to shine a light on the hidden skill sets required at the competitive levels of the game. Have fun while completing these workbooks. I am sure that you’ll agree “They contain everything you didn’t even know…you needed to know.”
“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. “
Learning from others failures will help maximize your potential at the quickest rate. This easy reading workbook contains some of the most common blunders (problems) found in competitive tennis. Left untreated, these blunders are often the downfall of even the best athletes. So to help maximize players’ potential, solutions to each problem are provided.
The work book is organized into Blunder topics and then sub-divided into individual Blunders -BLUNDER, CURE and Ask Yourself. The BLUNDER is the common problem, followed by the CURE which is the suggested action to be taken to solve the problem and concludes with Ask Yourself –a list of questions to help customize your personal plan. The reader is encouraged to navigate throughout the work book to identify Blunders that best apply to their situation.
Each player has a genetic predisposition to excel at a particular style of tennis. A common mistake is assuming that you are wired like your parents, coach and/or siblings. Preferred intelligence is how we see the world and why we may approach tasks differently.
I’ve found that players with similar brain types, body types, and personality traits, have similar preferred learning styles- common obstacles, skills, frustration tolerance levels, styles of play and decision making abilities. By understanding your brain type you can accelerate learning with customized training drills, while saving thousands and thousands of hours, dollars and wasted tears.
To dig deeper into brain typing I suggest you visit my friend John Niednagel’s site: www.braintypes.com or Google brain typing.
CURE: Take a few minutes to accurately brain type yourself and maybe even some of your family members. Be sure your developmental team is on the same page. Digging into your preferred learning style will maximize your potential at a quicker rate.
Which brain type are you? Did you learn anything new about yourself from your brain type? How could knowing your brain type help you practice and preform more efficiently?
Players of all ages who improve at the quickest rate have a full entourage. This includes private hitters, technical teachers, mental/emotional coaches, off-court trainers, and clinics. Customizing the training is critical to maximize potential at the quickest rate.
CURE: A paid sparring partner may be hired to act out a specific role in a practice set. For example: Rebecca can’t handle playing moonballers. So her parents hire a college gal at $15-$25 per hour to play the role of an annoying pusher.
Do you have a sparring partner/ private hitter, technical teachers, mental/emotional coaches, an off-court trainer? Customizing the training is critical Who do you need to add to your entourage? Do you attend a clinic and do the same drills day after day, week after week, year after year?
Let’s look briefly at a typical open ranked junior player’s schedule:
There are 168 hours in a week. Sleeping takes up roughly 56 hours, school and homework take up roughly 60 hours, high performance tennis training takes up 15-20 hours, add on travel and meals, and the average player is still left with approximately 25 hours unaccounted for.
Unaccountable players believe they don’t have enough time to train. But, if you are an organized and accountable player, you will see there is actually plenty of time to train!
CURE: Document your personal weekly demands (school, homework, sleep, travel time, on-court training, off-court training, etc.) and then organize a weekly schedule. Follow your plan for one whole week. Identify strengths and weakness in your plan and adjust your plan accordingly.
How much time do you have left after accounting for all your personal weekly demands? Are all your demands essential?
Have you ever heard this quote? “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Are you scheduling training before and after school/work? Have you considered completing your off-court training before school/work? Top players find the time.
Now that you have developed a weekly organized plan, let’s look long term: It is called the 10,000 hour rule. For approximately ten years, you should be spending 20 hours per week in tennis related activities to become a worldclass player. The 10,000 hour rule applies to all fields of expertise. Try to use a weekly planner to organize your personal blue print for success.
CURE: Now that your new organizational weekly plan is complete, use your new weekly planner to map out your schedule for the next few months.
How many hours are you dedicating to tennis each week? Is it close to the high performance level of 15-20 hours per week? Can your schedule be adjusted? Can you maintain this new schedule for a month?
Knowing how to hit strokes and knowing how to win under stress are two different animals. The #1 comment I hear daily is “I have better strokes, why don’t I win?”
The solution lies in the school methodology of teaching. In every grade, students are taught daily to shift their focus from math to science, from English to history, etc. The common blunder in tennis development is only focusing on a singular subject (fundamental stroke production) week after week, year after year.
The school methodology consistently delivers well-rounded young adults. In tennis, you simply want to become a complete player.
CURE: Accelerating your learning curve requires quality of practice versus quantity. Developing all the essential components begins with an organized plan.
Do I want a division 1 NCAA scholarship or a real shot at the pro tours? If so, do I train off-court approximately 5 hours each week with medicine ball drills, speed drills, sprints, and light weights for upper body strength? Am I spending 4 hours a week developing both my primary & secondary strokes? Do I set aside 2 hours a week for pattern repetition drills? Do I play 3-4 full matches a week? Do I spend time doing video analysis of a real tournament match play? Do I schedule 2 hours a week for serving repetition? In essence, do I truly have a formula for success? Use these components to assist in organizing your new found tennis formula for success!
Goal setting and organizational plans should be used as soon as you enter into the competitive phase. After an event, plan on setting some goals as you schedule your upcoming lessons. Sit down with your entourage to review your performance at an appropriate time. This analysis will provide your “Blue Print” for the upcoming weeks’ worth of lessons and clinics.
There are four basic sides to your game that need to be developed religiously. Examples include:
1. Technical: (Example: Slice backhand)
2. Tactical: (Example: How to beat a moonball/pusher)
3. Movement/Fitness: (Example: Develop core strength and stability)
4. Emotional/Focus: (Example: Practicing closing out 5-2 leads)
At all levels of competition, matches should be viewed as an information gathering session. The overall objective is to maximize your potential at the quickest rate. Winning comes from experience and experience comes from both winning and losing.
CURE: Identify an area in your game that can be improved upon in each of the four sides of development.
Define a plan of attack for each of the 4 skills identified. Evaluate the plan after its implementation and determine if the plan is working? Adjust as necessary but continue to train on the skills you need most.
Did you find one flaw per category you wish to improve? Di you set aside time to review your list with your coach and devise a plan on working to improve your identified weaknesses? Do you have a style of opponent that you hate to play? Have you ever taken a month and focused on developing the tools to actually beat that particular style of opponent? Or do you do the same drills week after week and hope for different results?
Winning those close matches requires an organizational plan designed to tip the odds in your favor. First, begin with listing in order; your best to worst game styles. Second, devise your Top 7 plans of attack.
These patterns and plans are your global strategies. They are your “go to” plays on mega points. Every professional player on tour has their top patterns and plays and you’ll religiously see them go to these plays on big points. You should too!
CURE: Common styles you’ll see at every club around the world are:
1. Hard Hitting Baseliners 2. Counter Puncher/Retrievers 3. Net Rushers 4. Finesse Player/Drop Shot Artist
Organizing your Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D is a great start. Secondly, begin to pre-set your Top 7 patterns of play. Replace hitting back and forth with pattern repetition.
Common favorite patterns include:
1. Serving to the deuce side 2. Serving to the advantage side 3. Return of serve position and tactic versus a first serve 4. Return of serve position and tactic versus a second serve 5. Rally pattern designed to elicit a short ball 6. Favorite short ball option 7. Favorite net rushing option
Use these top 7 situations and plug in your best pattern or play. Then play a hand full of practice sets while only attempting to run these same old “boring” winning patters. Guess what happens…..you start to win those close ones!
Have you ever lost a really close match where every game went to deuce? Did the opponent seem to win all the big points and then win the match 6- 2.6-2? Have you ever wondered why? Is it time to organize your game styles as well as your best patterns? Can you schedule a time to begin to practicing in the manner in which you’re expected to perform?
Great coaches have the ability to zero in on a player’s weaknesses long before players or parents know they even exist. This is where smart work comes into play. Up until this point, we have touched on the subject of proper organization, but fixing what actually needs to be fixed is crucial if you want to improve at the fastest rate.
Let’s use an analogy. If a race car continually loses race after race due to its tires blowing out, will spending 4 hours a day polishing the fenders solve the problem? Not likely!
As I travel across the world conducting tennis workshops, I talk with juniors who claim that they despise playing moonball/pushers, Yet, when I witness the same players training, they are simply playing “catch” with their coach, -as they rally back and forth to each other for the entire lesson.
CURE: Smart work would be to replace those hours playing “catch” with “keep away” patterns designed to defuse a back court retriever. They include side door patterns and moonball approach to swing volley patterns just to name a few. You may be working hard over 4 hours a day, but are you working smart?
What are your typical lessons and practice sessions like? Do you spend the majority of the time hitting ground strokes that are fed right to your strike zone? List three ways that you can possibly improve your lesson plan? Memorize this: “Practice in the manner you are expected to perform.”
First of all, I congratulate any juniors that actually play full practice matches. Across the country, most juniors hit for 20 minutes, maybe finish a set and then leave. They become accustomed to being “one set wonders!”
Winning those tough three set tournament matches requires practicing whole matches. Rehearsing the art of closing out full matches versus a single set will improve your mental toughness, emotional composure and physical endurance.
If time is of the essence, I recommend that players play 3-sets, starting at 2- 2 instead of the typical one set routine. Handling the stress of closing out the set is a big advantage. There is a huge difference between mechanical confidence and competitive confidence.
FUN FACT: To win a typical level 3 National event in the US, a player usually has to win 5-6 matches in a week. That equates to about 15 grueling sets of singles. If you’re planning on playing doubles, add another 15 sets to the weeks work.
CURE: Plan to play a full practice match at least twice a week. If your practice opponent does not want to play 2 out of 3 sets, offer to begin the sets at 2 all. In the future, skip the practice partner that does not want to play full sets- they are not truly interested in improving.
Do you typically play one great set in tournament play and then one so-so set? Do you think this could be because you only practice playing one set at a time? When was the last time you honestly played 12-15 full sets in a 5day period? That’s exactly what’s required in order to win a 64 player draw event. How many sets did you play last week? What can you do in the upcoming weeks to increase the number of sets you play? Can you schedule sets against the exact style of opponent you actually hate to face in tournament play? Can you list lower level players, equivalent level players and stronger level players and then call them to schedule practice matches or higher the appropriate player style.
BLUNDER: Putting Yourself in the Crowd to Get Ahead of the Crowd
In my opinion, group clinics or academies are terrific for intermediate players seeking repetition, socialization, and tons of fun. But, while it may be cheaper, large group training isn’t always in your best developmental interest.
The top juniors spend about 20 percent of their time in group situations. Top players at an academy usually are sparing or working with a private coach. When is that last time you saw a phenom in a large group standing in line to hit one forehand every five minutes?
CURE: Simply doing what everyone else does, will not likely get you ahead. The key to accelerating your growth is to customize your training to your exact needs.
Am I hitting for hours at an academy and hardly improving? if I lose while playing a set, do I get sent down to the loser court? If so, doesn’t that stop me from developing the weaknesses in my game? Lastly, with my current situation, am I getting the results I truly feel I am capable of?
I teach two players from Los Angeles. Both players come for 2 hours of private lessons each week, but that’s where their similarities end. The players and parents hold opposing views on how to raise a tennis champion. The Johnsons believe that they need to make their 12-year old Kelly 100 percent self-sufficient. Mrs. Johnson says, “It’s up to her to do it, I can’t force her.” As a result, Kelly only hits about two hours a week.
In the other family, Mr. Asari believes that no one gets famous all by themselves. He and his son spend approximately 15 hours on the ball machine, playing practice sets, serving baskets, going for runs, hitting the gym, and watching tennis on TV each week.
Both players get the same 2 hours’ worth of weekly lessons. However, the critical factor in the formula is not the lesson time, but rather what the player chose to do each week around that lesson.
CURE: Each week plan to arrange practice matches, ball machine drills, practice serving drills and off court training. Ask your entourage if they can help you reinforce your required developmental plan.
Is your weekly practice schedule more like that of the Johnson’s or the Asari’s? List three things you can do to improve your chances of success. List three positive people you can enlist to assist?
BLUNDER: Attempting to Fix a Flawed Stroke While on the Tournament Trail
It takes about four-to-six weeks for a new motor program to override an old one. The success rate of actually fixing a flawed stroke fluctuates. It depends greatly on the talent, work ethic, professional advice, and the amount of time spent deprogramming the old stroke while re-wiring the new motor program.
The actual progression works like this:
You decide it’s best to fix a flawed stroke. So, on week one you have 90 percent of the old motor program (doing it the old way) and only 10 percent of the new motor program (when they actually feel the new program correctly).
During week two, the progression slides from still around 70 percent old motor program to 30 percent new.
At three weeks into the new development, you will perform about 50/50. Now the fun begins!
Week four, the new motor program starts to override the old one at only 40 percent old to 60 percent new!
By week five, it’s at 30 percent old to 70 percent new.
By week six, the old motor program is almost eliminated. It shows up about 10 percent of the time as the new improved stroke is programmed to replace it.
Issues arise when you put yourself into a competitive situation without giving the new motor program the time it takes to override the old one. If you put yourself into a competitive situation before the six-week replacement phase is complete, you are most likely going to go back to the old, but flawed “comfortable” stroke. Now guess who just wasted all that time and money on the lessons to correct the flaw? You!
CURE: Look over your tournament schedule and identify a 4-6 weeks block of time that you can dedicate to changing a stroke. Plan to play a lower level tournament before jumping into a more prestigious (National, Designated or ITF’s.) tournaments. Be sure all members of your team are on board (player, coach, and parents) to insure that your efforts are not sabotaged. Plan on the stroke feeling worse before it feels better.
Am I ready to make a change in my game? Am I tired of losing matches because of a major stroke flaw? Are you willing to leave what is hurting you behind?
Tennis specific speed training requires a combination of foot speed and anticipatory speed.
And while you can’t improve your genetic predisposition, you can nurture both your foot speed and anticipatory speed. The initial path to better court coverage lies in avoiding hesitation and anticipating situations.
Anticipatory speed is greatly increased by understanding and rehearsing the art of vision control. Here’s a myth, “Keep your eye on the ball.” Instead, shift your focus from narrow vision (watching an incoming ball) to broad vision. Broad vision is picking up visual clues as the ball travels toward the opponent. You don’t have to be the fastest runner on the court if you develop your anticipatory skills. Just ask one of my all- time favorites, former #1 Lindsey Davenport.
CURE: Broad vision clues are spotting the landing zone of your outgoing ball, noticing the opponent’s court position, incoming strike zone, monitoring the opponent’s swing speed and swing length will help you improve your court speed by increasing your anticipatory skills.
If you can spot an opponent shifting into a defensive situation would it be wise to counter the attack and slip into your offensive mode? After offering up a short ball, do you systemically slide your grip and court position to anticipate an intelligent attack into your weakness? Have you ever simply sat and watched a match at your club while focusing on broad vision clues?
What does off court training have to do with the mental side? When a player gets fatigued, their movement gets sloppy, their stroke spacing is off, and unforced errors begin to fly off their racket. Poor decision making and negative emotions set in. Often, the actual cause of a player’s emotional breakdown is lack of fitness.
Unfit players do not perform their rituals, they do not spot tendencies, and they do not manage their mistakes. Poor physical fitness manifests in mental and emotional breakdowns. For instance, most players go for low percentage shots due to the fact that they are too tired to grind out the point. So is off-court training linked to the mental side? Absolutely!
CURE: Customize a detailed plan that includes speed, agility, core strength and upper body strength.
Have you set aside 6 hours a week to become a exceptional athlete? A player must win about 15 sets in a week to win a major event, when was the last time you played 15 grueling sets in one week? You may have better looking strokes, but do you win titles?
Proper hydration and nutrition are critical factors in the physical, mental and emotional links of every tennis competitor. All players need to fuel up before battle. Dehydration can trigger fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. Improper nutrition lowers the blood sugar levels to the brain. Both dehydration and improper nutrition will lead to poor decision making on the court at crunch time.
CURE: Begin hydrating the night before (at least the night before) a matchespecially in hot climates. Plan to eat a small meal about 2 hours before your match, and bring a snack to be eaten if matches are delayed. Be sure to bring quick energy foods on court for long matches. Quick energy snacks may include: bananas, Gu (high performance easily digested carbohydrate replacement for athletes), watered down sweetened electrolyte drink (Gatorade etc.) and water. Be prepared to weather the storm!
FUN FACT: It is a myth that consuming a protein bar during a match will provide the quick energy needed for peak performance. Protein bars take too long to digest. Quick energy come from simple carbohydrates like, sports drinks, bananas, Gu etc.
Have you ever cramped during a match or felt too physically tired to keep up your high level of play? Do you go into competition without breakfast /lunch because of nerves or poor planning? Have you ever felt confused, over-whelmed and unable to play your game?
Smart training begins with providing your coaches with valuable feedback after competition. Asking your parents to chart and videotape actual matches is one of the best ways to progress at the quickest rate.
There are several types of charts a parent can use during an actual match. The Chart Collection Workbook offers 10 uniquely simple charts to assist you in maximizing your potential.
You should also keep in mind that the most common learning style is the visual learner. Videotaping actual matches is critical for anyone seeking better results. Sitting down and reviewing your match performances often provides valuable insight, as well as proof of your performance.
CURE: Break out the video camera and begin to document one match every tournament or at least one match a week and you will be on the road to discovery. Here are a few performance behaviors to look for while reviewing the video: strengths and weaknesses in stroke production, shot selection, line calling, dissecting the opponent, movement, emotional stamina and/or lapses in concentration.
How many times have your parents or coach said you played a certain way and you said you did not. What about the match you said your opponent was just playing in the zone…but the reality was you were feeding your opponent short ball for them to crush point after point? Have you ever built a lead by playing your aggressive game, only to lose the match by shifting your game style trying to protect the lead? The real reasons for your losses can be exposed by video analysis/charting. The Chart Collection and video tells the truth.
One of the most important elements of being a tennis player lies in your flexibility! Here are a few examples:
1. You want to be invited into a better clinic but it is filled. Three days later, you call again and the pro says, “There’s a slot that just opened up.”
2. You have entered a local tournament and the start time says 10:00am. You arrive at 9:40am and the tournament director says, “We’re backed up, looks like 11: 30am or 12:00pm.”
3. You are on an alternate list for a national tournament. Two days before the event, you check the computer and you are in the main draw. Now you have to book your flight and fly to the event by tomorrow.
4. You win a Super National Tournament and the USTA calls you just before a Pro Tournament in Florida is about to begin, asking if you want a wild card? You fly there, prepared for the week, but lose first round and fly home that night!
5.) You are in a $25K Pro Challenger in Pittsburg. Suddenly three ATP players back out of the $100K tournament in Hawaii. Guess what, you’ll have to get comfortable being flexible and have a terrific travel agent.
Focus on the components in your life that you have control over and let go off the components that you cannot control.
CURE: Focus your energy on getting as fit as possible. Focus your energy on improving your tennis skills. Focus on developing your alternative game plans. If you are doing everything in your power to improve yourself, you will be better able to handle the curves tennis throws.
Be sure you or someone on your team is aware of tennis tournament deadlines. This is part of the game. You must be present to win.
When was the last time you were forced to be flexible either for a practice session or a tournament? How did you handle it? If your practice partner cancels at the last moment, do you have an alternative plan or do you go home and skip tennis training for the day?
There are many different levels of competition. A player should prove themselves at a certain level before jumping to a higher level. I recommend that a player win two events in a division before bumping up to a higher division.
It’s a bad idea to bump up a division because you are afraid of playing your peers. This applies to practice sets as well! Players need to rehearse closing out matches against different styles and levels of players.
CURE: .Competing against your peers builds confidence. If you fear your peers, enter smaller tournaments and focus on your skills. Use the less difficult level tournaments as training tools. If anyone asks why you are playing down again, just tell them you are working on secondary strokes or patterns in a competitive arena.
Why do you prefer playing tournaments in a higher division? Do you feel less pressure to win? Have you ever won a tournament in your own division? Are you playing up to reduce your match stress? Are you playing up to avoid playing retriever/pushers?
NOTE: Retriever/Pushers are found in every division.
BLUNDER: Refusing to Play Down When It Might Pump You Up!
Are you seeking to build your confidence, self-esteem, or focus ability? Do you want to acquire the experience needed in order to be comfortable playing in tough final? Playing down to pump yourself up is a marvelous idea. Winning a title, no matter what size, motivates you more than 20 hours of lessons.
I encourage every player, at every level, to try this approach if they are in a rut.
FUN FACT: Vania King is a former junior doubles partner of my stepdaughter. We had tons of fun working on the art of doubles. Vania is a motivated, persistent, and hardworking tennis player. Although Vania failed to win tons of national junior titles growing up, she found tremendous confidence in a far off land. Prior to the summer National Hard Courts, Vania decided to try her luck in the most exotic locations in Asia. Playing the lesser events, she took the road less traveled on the ITF junior circuit.
Vania found success winning a couple minor ITF events. This sky rocketed her confidence in her game! It also drew attention from the USTA, which in turn awarded her a hand full of wildcards into major WTA tour events including the U.S. Open. Armed with this newfound confidence, Vania won two or three rounds in the U.S. Open and by year’s end found herself ranked top 50 in the world on the WTA Pro Tour. Sometimes playing down can pump you up!
SECOND FUN FACT: Vania went on to win the 2010 Wimbledon and US Open Women’s Doubles titles.
CURE: If you are having difficulty performing in tournament play, enter a lower level tournament and practice playing the ball. Playing down may allow you to play more matches, whereas playing up often gets you accustom to losing early- in every event.
Are you finding success in tournament match play that you feel you deserve? How many sets in row can you play at your peak performance level? Can you string together 5 peak performance level matches (10-12 sets) in a row? Are you physically, mentally and emotionally fit enough to compete for four or five days in a row? If not, playing down may be the jump start that you need?
“Only by risking going too far can you find out how far you can go!”
Champions are on the road playing events almost every weekend. They are seeking valuable ranking points to gain access into larger National events. Higher ranked players get seated which prevents them from playing top players early in the draw. If you choose play an occasional tournament don’t expect to qualify for big events.
Here’s an actual story of why you need to be present to win (The names have been changed to protect the guilty.)
FUN FACT: Luke was on the alternate list for the Palm Springs National. Mom says, “There’s no way we’re driving out there. It’s a two hour trek.” I plea, “But Kathy, Luke is 7 players out of the main draw and 5 of the other players ahead of him are from back east. They won’t fly out if their player is not in. Just go! Make a day of it. If he doesn’t get in, stop at the Cabazon outlet malls and enjoy your family and Palm Springs. Trust me.”
So, they went. Luke got in. He blew through the draw reaching the semifinals. His national ranking jumped 250 points. From then on, Luke was no longer on the alternative list, he not only qualified for all the nationals, but was actually seeded in the lower level events and his confidence shot through the roof. He went on to beat players he had never beaten before.
You know the saying- you have to be present to win!
CURE: A consistent organized tournament schedule is required if you plan on maximizing your ranking. Schedule a meeting with your team and devise a quarterly tournament itinerary.
Are you capable of getting better tournament results? Are you tired of playing the top seeds first round? Do you want to qualify for the larger, more prestigious events? If so, you have to be present to win week after week.
Guess who was an angry emotional train wreck as a junior competitor? If you said Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, then you’re right!
Moral excellence is a maturing process. Everyone can compete in a relaxed, happy state, but not everyone wants to.
Negative behavior is often motor-programmed into a player’s routine. It is a comfortable, dirty, old habit. The development of character lies is the ability to first learn to be uncomfortable competing without the negative act. It’s like a stand-up comedian without his props to hide behind. The old props (anger outbursts) are comfortable.
CURE: The solution lies in the understanding that you have a character choice. Somewhere in their teens, Federer and Nadal were taught a wiser code of conduct and chose to apply it. Displaying anger outburst on court drains you of exact energy needed to win the tournament.
Anger is actually a show of fear or lack of confidence- often shown when skills are is question. Showing out of control anger outbursts is an immature behavior that is unacceptable in all arenas of life- disrespecting yourself and others. If you work as hard as you can developing your game, on-court and off-court, your anger will be replaced with confidence. It is not to say you will win every match, but you will understand that showing negative out-ofcontrol energy is unproductive and damaging behavior Learning to accept and improve upon weaknesses will develop moral excellence- a valuable life skill.
To progress comfortably through the junior tennis wars, both game skills and life skills are essential. Begin early building your own positive navigational tools on and off the court. Start to build relationships with players, families, stringers and tournament directors.
In my last tournament, did I show respect to myself, my opponent, fans and the tournament staff? In my next tournament, can I make a point to say Hi to the tournament staff? When was the last time you thanked your parents, coaches or even stringer? Have I ever thought about why you display anger outbursts? Here is why most players show anger- they are trying to send the message that they are normally not “this” bad- this is just an exceptionally bad day. Does this sound familiar? The problem is that this behavior hurts you and does nothing to improve your performance.
Remember the wall that the top players had up when you were the newbie? Remember how you felt when the other players and/or their entourage looked right through you?
I challenge you not to make the same mistake. Open your hearts and welcome them. There is a parallel of our attitude towards strangers and our overall happiness.
CURE: Be kind and respectful to other parents, coaches and players. You do not have to be best friends, but be cordial.
When was the last time you befriended a new player at a tournament? The next time you see a newbie either at a practice session or tournament, try introducing yourself and exchanging numbers for possible future practice matches or warm-ups. Do you know lower level players that you can play practice sets with as you work on your B and C game plans? Can you remember to socialize after your match and not before your match? You do not want to disrupt your pre-match rituals.
At tournament sites we often hear players, parents and inexperienced coaches unknowingly sabotaging their player’s upcoming performance by pulling their attention completely away from their performance goals.
It is best not to discuss other players’ lucky draws, their great wins, who is seeded where, other players’ improved rankings, the past success of the opponent, match outcome speculations, or future ranking speculations. These are contaminants that will clutter your mind and distract you from your mission at hand.
CURE: Define pre-match routines and rituals and implement them. Remind your entourage not to talk about anything other than your performance goals.
Have I expressed my pre-match needs to my entourage? Have we discussed my actual performance goals for this event?
The two sides that dictate your development are nature (your genetic predisposition or brain type) and nurture.
Let’s talk about the nurturing side. The way your family views the world greatly influences your personal view of the world. Positive minded people share a “can do” attitude.
On the other side, pessimistic people often nurture the blame game and take on the victim role. I’ve discovered most negative people don’t see themselves as pessimistic, negative, or jaded. Instead, they see themselves as being unlucky or “in touch with reality” while they consider optimistic folks as being “out of touch.”
FUN FACT: Wyland, the Laguna Beach artist, puts it this way, “There are two types of people: anchors and motors.” There’s some good news here! The first thing is that pessimistic attitudes can be unlearned. Anchors can become motors! The second is that you can choose to avoid the poison.
CURE: If a member of your team is weakening your confidence, ask them to hold a secondary role in your tennis career. A secondary role may include: travel agent, tournament scheduling manager, racket stringer, nutrition, equipment manager, etc. These are very important “behind the scenes” jobs.
Do you consider yourself optimism or pessimism? How about those closest to you? Are there any friends or family members that are toxic to your tennis development? Can you organize a plan to cut them out? Do you need to adjust a pessimistic attitude more than a topspin backhand?
From the novice level all the way up to the ATP/WTA professional tour levels, there are two failures that often occur under stress: choking and panicking. Players, parents and coaches often misdiagnose these failures.
The first failure that occurs under stress is choking: the process of over thinking. Choking usually begins when the player’s mind leaves his or her performance goals and begins to obsess about the future outcome. The top players who struggle with choking often report that their head is focused on future scenarios, such as: “What if I lose?” “What are my friends ganna say?” “What’s my ranking going to drop to?” “Where’s the trophy going to go in my room?”
Negative past thoughts can also take over your brain at the most inopportune times, such as: “I’m going to lose, I always lose three set matches!”, “I’m playing Kelly, she always cheats!” etc.
Over thinking occurs when your brain is entangled in the past or future instead of simply in the present. Without getting too technical, the left side of your brain is the ego, analytical, judgmental side that is getting in the way.
CURE: The solution is giving that “left” side of the brain some allimportant jobs to do such as between-point and change over rituals. The key is to keep the judgmental side of the brain busy, so that it isn’t left to its old sabotaging habits.
Here is a challenge: Next time you play practice sets, rehearse focusing on your exact change over rituals and between point rituals. The less interchatter the better!
Try to rally with a friend for 20 minutes in complete silence. This will introduce you to a quite mind. Next try and play an entire practice set without saying a word. This is rehearsing the quiet mind match play demands.
Do you find that you roller coaster in matches because you get bored or lose focus of the task at hand? When you get a lead, do you lose sight of your performance goals? Are you aware when your thoughts have drifted to the past or future in the middle of a match? The next time you are in a competitive situation, can you lessen the risks of choking by simplifying your thoughts and only thinking about the next point’s strategy?
Panicking is the second most common cause of emotional breakdown at all levels of the competitive game. Panicking is the process of not thinking. After a rash of unforced errors, a player may slide into an angry emotional state and choose to ignore his or her between point rituals. The player’s heart rate races and he or she begins playing reckless, thoughtless tennis. Panicking players tend to miss hit the ball and give away point after point.
CURE: Psychologists call this the flight or fight syndrome. Panicking is saying: “I want out of this uncomfortable situation NOW!”A solution is to plan on hitting 3 clean balls straight up the middle of the court. This will help stop the flow of unforced errors.
Re-engaging your performance goals begins by applying between point routines. Most champions take about 5 seconds to get over the previous point; 10 seconds to plan the next point; and then another 5 seconds to complete their relaxation ritual. Simply taking 20 seconds in between points gives you time to spot tendencies and stops the panic.
FUN FACT: Here is an analogy: Feelings enter your brain just as trains continually enter a train station. You can choose to get on board an angry train or can choose to let it leave the station without you. Panicking and playing angry is not a situation that is happening to you, it is how you are choosing to deal with the situation. If you are an angry competitor, remember that anger is your choice.
Play a practice set and focus solely on taking 20 seconds in between each point
Do you find that when you feel pressure from your opponent do you unplug and under analyzing the situation at hand? Do respond to stress by overhitting, fast walking, quick serving etc? Do you over press under stress? Do you just throw in the towel (give up) when you feel challenged on the court? Did you ever hear Billy Jean King’s quote: “Pressure is a privilege”? What do you think she meant by that?
Stumbling blocks are weaknesses that need to be fixed. Unfortunately, most players pretend it never happened. Losses and injuries often expose weaknesses.
Here’s a terrific example: A few years back, Molly Scott (former 2007 SCTA #1, Dartmouth College #1, currently on the WTA tour) broke her non-dominant left wrist. Her initial position was to follow protocol which was no tennis for 4-6 weeks. Molly called saying, “Frank, I have to cancel my training for 4-6 weeks because my left wrist is broken.” I said, “That’s upsetting, but we needed some time to switch focus anyway. This actually fits into a new developmental plan. We’ll begin to organize your proactive patterns and between point rituals, we’ll develop your one-handed slice backhand and drop shot, and your low, backhand volley. We can begin today with a new 4 week crash course on lower body fitness and stamina.” Molly’s voice dropped to this low, quiet tone, “Oh…really…ahh…that’s… umm…super.”
Six weeks later, Molly beat a top ten national player as she applied her newfound slice backhand to perfection.
CURE: The next time you are injured or not able to train, change up your routine. If you have injured your upper body- work on your lower body: strength training, agility, anticipation skills and speed around the court.
If you have hurt your lower body- take this time to strength train your core and/or upper body. Shift the stroke focus to the development of secondary strokes such as a kick serve, drop shots or slice backhand techniques.
If you are required complete rest-unable to use your body at all-consider completing the mental, emotional workbook series, review and chart your match videos or even professional matches on television.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you have a serious injury and your doctor recommends surgery or a very lengthy recovery time- please get a second and third opinion from a specialist in that field. I have seen many athletes take one opinion and damage their careers.
When was the last time you were injured or faced an obstacle that took you away from the game for several weeks or even months? Could you have made better use of that time away from tournaments by focusing on a single area of your game to improve, i.e. a weak secondary shot, upper body strength, speed and agility? Do you have a developmental plan pre-set now for your next injury?
The most famous and beloved art on the planet isn’t perfect. The Sistine Chapel isn’t perfect. The best music isn’t perfect. In a 1980 interview, John Lennon said he heard flaws in every Beatles recording. And in a grand slam final, even the professionals don’t play every point perfectly.
Pay special attention to winners versus errors. Roger Federer often shanks balls off the frame. Serena Williams often over hits and makes a rash of errors. According to a sports science study conducted by our friends at Tennis Australia, on the professional tour, about 70% of all points end in either a forced or unforced error.
If you are still on that high horse called perfection, jump off! “Success is more of a function of persistence than perfection.”
At every level of competition, simply focus on winning about 65 percent of the total points (2 out of 3 points) and you’ll most likely win the match comfortably. You don’t have to win every point. This gives you permission
to accept a few unforced errors. It’s also okay to allow the opponent to have a little glory as they win some points.
CURE: Enter tournaments with a growth mentality versus being strictly outcome oriented. Ask a parent, coach or friend to chart. The Cause of Error Chart or the Court Positioning Charts are terrific places to start. (See The Match Chart Collection e-Booklet)
Do I apply between point rituals during match play or simply allow myself to go ballistic on the court? Do I have preset performance goals to strive to achieve? (Like 65% first serves in or apply a high and heave groundstroke when on defense) Am I using match play as an information gathering mission or do I just expect to win every event? Achieving a high ranking is more of a marathon than a sprint. Can you ask someone to chart an actual tournament match and help you devise a customized plan for growth?
If you have a reoccurring nightmare of losing to pushers in tournaments, how is spending 6 hours a day hitting the ball low and hard back and forth on the practice court going to help? It’s not! Conquering those dreaded retrievers is actually a game of keep away versus the game of catch most of you are practicing.
“Practice in the manner in which you are expected to perform”
Customizing your lesson plan is a critical step. After tournament matches, you should provide match logs to your coach. In junior tennis, the parent’s role is to provide the charting and videotaping of the match to the coaching team.
Unless your coach is attending your tournament matches, don’t expect him or her to know how and why you lost. This is where the quality of the lesson versus the quantity of hours hitting comes into play. Avoiding your issues isn’t the best plan or the wisest way to spend your money.
CURE: Before your next practice session, think of two or three things you want to work on or improve upon that day. Avoid just “playing catch” with your coach –this is when your coach feeds balls to the same spot and you hit the same ball over and over again week in and week out…for the whole session. Remember, winning tennis resembles a game of keep away not catch!
How many hours do you typically spend on the court practicing each day? Do you have specific focus drills or do you simply just follow a group plan and hit the ball around for several hours? Can you think of 3 ways that you can trade simply rallying with practicing in the manner in which you’re expected to perform? Do you have your pre-set protocols (plans and patterns) to beat every style of opponent? Do you have both primary and secondary stroke developed?
“Nobody has perfect strokes; it’s what you do with what you’ve got that counts!”
The legendary Andre Agassi states in his book that he was still learning how to volley when he retired. Pete Sampras wasn’t thrilled with his topspin backhand. They simply competed with their secret weaknesses. The key is learning how to expose your strengths and hide your weaknesses!
Players, parents, and coaches who are waiting for every stroke to be perfect before they begin to compete are missing the boat. Every National
Champion I’ve ever coached had holes in their game as they held up the gold ball.
SPECIALNOTE: At the time of this print, my students have 72 National Titles.
The trick is learning how to compete with imperfections. Even if you did possess perfect strokes on the practice court, different strokes will occasionally break down at different stages of an event. Developing back up plans will help counteract such imperfections in your game.
CURE: While it is important to fix strokes that constantly break down in competitive situations, it is also essential to learn who you are on the battle field.
What do you consider to be your A game plan(The style of play that you achieve your best results)? How about your B or C game plan? What are your best patterns of play? Do you have go-to patterns to run in serving or returning situations? Do you have favorite rally patterns? How about favorite short ball options or net rushing patterns? Do you continually expose the strengths of your game? Do you know how to hide weaknesses? What do you do when you begin to break down in a match? Do you have your pre-set ways to stop self-destructing? Can you develop the above patterns versus just rallying in future lessons?
“Professionals think about a hand full of thoughts a hundred times in a single match. Juniors think about a hundred different thoughts in a single match!”
Guess when the critical mental toughness issues take place in match? Is it during the point when the ball in going back and forth, or rather between the points? Between points.
If you have a problem with any of the following- circle it? Time management, mistake management, anger management, implementing patterns, dissecting opponents, controlling your heart rate, controlling your emotions, distraction control, quieting your mind, avoiding lapses in concentration, controlling self-condemnation, self-charting and/or controlling nervousness.
If you circled any of the above problems, then you can benefit from rituals. Most juniors copy the pros as they apply external rituals such as toweling off and fixing their strings in between points. While these are important relaxation techniques, the real benefits of rituals lie internally.
CURE: Here are two internal habits that can greatly benefit your mental game:
1. The first exercise is to focus on the exact internal rituals the pros use in between points. Internal rituals include: emotionally getting over the last point, strategically planning the next point’s pattern, and applying relaxation ritual.
2. The second exercise is to challenge yourself to rehearse your change over rituals. This internal focus is a two-step process. First, only think about the last 2 games. Did you win or lose them? Did you hold your serve or were you broken? Why or why not? Step two is to pre-plan any changes as you visualize the upcoming next two games.
Do you ever find yourself confused, over-whelmed and so mad in match situations that you are unable to think your way out? Have you ever found yourself playing your opponents game style and unable to regroup and start playing your game? The solution doesn’t lie in another backhand lesson. It is found in the application of proper between point rituals. Can you try to play a practice set and only focus on the execution of the between point rituals?
In the competitive stage of tennis, spending a few moments to organize your primary and secondary styles of play will push you ahead of most opponents. Styles of play include hard hitting baseliners, all court players, net rushers, and retrievers. In lower levels of competition, continually bringing the opponent into the net can also be an effective style of play.
FUN FACT: In lower level tennis, players are often under developed. While they may have solid ground strokes, their volleys and overheads are nonexistent. Forcing a comfortable baseliner to play the match at the net, tips the odds in your favor. Brining an opponent into the net is a set of skills that needs to be developed as well. These secondary stroke skills are drop shots, dipping passing shots and lobs. Rehearsing these skills would be a great example of one’s B and C game plans.
CURE: Set up practice sets against lower level players and force yourself to rehearse your secondary style of play. Champions have mastered more than one style and so can you!
Example: My step- daughter Sarah played her first adult U.S. Open at age 15. In the first round, Sarah’s opponent came out with her Plan A style (hard hitting baseliner). Sarah won the first set 6-4. At the start of the 2nd set, the opponent switched to Plan B (net rusher) and Sarah went up 4-1. The opponent then switched to Plan C (moonball/pusher), which was Sarah’s least favorite style of opponent. Sarah was amazed to see a 30-year old WTA veteran push her way to a $15,000 victory in the 3rd set.
Winning whole tournaments often requires more tools in your tool belt. Are you a one trick pony? If your plan A isn’t working do you just get mad? So, what are your B and C Game Plans? Can you schedule time to develop those skills and then plan on playing practice sets with those secondary styles of play? Can you start this week?
I recommend using the system that Hollywood stars use when working on a sit com. Here’s the four part system:
1. First, they get the script for a show. (You design a script for how to beat a moonballer.)
2. Second, the Hollywood star spends hours rehearsing and tweaking their lines. (You ask a hitting coach to run the necessary patterns to beat those annoying pushers.)
3. Third, the Hollywood star spends the week doing dress rehearsals. (You run those same patterns on the practice court, in practice sets, as often as possible.)
4. Fourth, the actors shoot the show in front of a live audience. (You play the actual tournament.) All too often, junior competitors learn a wonderful pattern but then they choose not to rehearse the patterns on the practice court. They choose to skip the dress rehearsals. Some even choose to ignore the great patterns they have worked so hard to develop and revert back to their comfortable flawed strokes. Then guess who loses to another moonballer?
CURE: The first step in improving your on court performance is practicing in the manner you expect to perform. Remember that? -Practicing all your patterns, primary strokes and secondary strokes needed to pull those crafty opponents out of their comfort zone.
The second step is warming up all your strokes before your match. Find another player, a coach or a parent to run you through your patterns.
A final preparation that may be done by your team is identifying, if possible, the type of player you will be playing- i.e. moonball pusher, hard hitting baseliner, strong forehand player, strong back hand player, drop shot artist, etc.
What style of player do you have the most trouble with (hard-hitting baseliner, moonball pusher, net rusher)? What patterns do you need to start rehearsing to beat that type of player? When can you start developing the new skill sets required to get different results? How’s this week?
Remember the old saying? “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”
Players hit common walls in their development. One of those walls is resisting change.
If you view the process of change as more painful than losing, then you will continue to go down the same losing path. For some players, it’s so painful to change a flawed grip, stroke, stance, or even adding more off-court training time, that they would rather accept the pain of losing than deal with correcting their flaw. However, great things begin to happen when the pain of losing starts to be more powerful than the pain of changing. Once a player accepts the fact that a change has to be made, they are on their way to the next level.
CURE: The cycle of change is a three step process:
1. Step one is accepting change.
2. Step two is letting go of the old, comfortable flaw and embracing the new change which will most likely be uncomfortable at first. It is important to resist going back to your old strokes or tendencies.
3. Step three is a 4-6 week developmental cycle. During this phase, your new motor program becomes personalized and over-rides the old motor program. This phase is critical in order to bring confidence to your new changes and prepare you for competition so that you don’t resort back to your losing ways under tournament pressure.
Is the pain of change greater than the pain of losing? If you choose to fix a flawed fundamental stroke, can you take time off of the tournament trail? Think back to your last few pressure packed tournaments, was there a stroke that let you down? Did your conditioning/stamina fail you? Did you lack the tactical answers to pull your opened out of their comfort zone? Did your emotions (fear) prevent you from playing your game at crunch time? If so, a change may be in order. Can you list a recurring theme that causes you to break down under pressure?
Mr. Kolouski says to me, “I’ve explained numerous times to my son, about decreasing the racket face angle 30 degrees. I told him to rotate his right palm a quarter of a turn. I’ve expounded on the 60 degree lift through the shoulder hinge. I decipher things for hours. I explain everything in detail, yet my son’s still confused. I feel like I am conversing with a granite wall!”
Different people have different learning styles or preferences. The three preferred learning styles are visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. Explaining detail after detail for hours on end to a visual learner is just plain preposterous!
CURE: Understanding your preferred learning style is a fast track to improvement. Auditory learners like detailed explanations. Visual learners improve quickest by watching someone performing the task correctly. Kinesthetic learners need to “feel” the sensation of the stroke or biomechanical movement. When you chose your preferred learning style, let your entourage in on the secret.
Which of the three types of learning styles would you categorize yourself? Do you feel your entourage is getting through to you? Do you zone out and stop listening? Do you feel you are doing it their way and not your way? Do you feel your coaches/parents are talking at you? If so, you may not be an auditory learner. Do you learn a new task quickest by simply watching somebody do it correctly first? Can you see yourself mimicking them? Most likely you are a visual learner. Do you catch yourself saying “It doesn’t feel right or I need to feel it correctly?” Your preferred learning style may be kinesthetic.
Remember how there are preferred styles of play? Just as we use all styles of play but prefer a primary style, we also have a preferred learning style. Discuss with your entourage your preferred learning style - it can bring peace to a stressful situation.
FUN FACT: visual learners would be well advised to YouTube their favorite pro players performing in slow motion. (Example: YouTube Roger Federer’s backhand in slow motion.)
Happiness is the state of being satisfied- choosing to experience more positive emotions than negative emotions. Happy memories are one of life’s’ most valuable possessions. Despite the challenging full time demands of the competitive tennis player, tennis offers secret rewards.
Even though happiness is within everyone’s reach, some players (and their entourage) spend their entire tennis career frustrated, anxious, and depressed by choosing to dwell only on failures, problems, and future concerns. I often hear players say, “I’ll be happy when I finally win one!”
Don’t be the player who postpones happiness, gratitude, and love. Enjoy the journey. If you are a junior competitor you will be off to college and missing junior tennis sooner than you think.
CURE: Take some time to enjoy the “positives” tennis has to offer. Begin by looking at the benefits the game has brought into your life. Tennis is known to help people develop valuable life skills. Here are just a few: strong work ethic, discipline, perseverance, responsibility, problem solving skills, time management skills, networking skills, team work, improved fitness, coordination, balance and flexibility. Tennis also opens the door to friendships across the world by giving you reason to visit other cities, states, and even countries.
Has tennis helped you improve any of the above life skills? Do you know those same life skills are mandatory in order to be successful later in life? What makes you happy? If you listed winning, then you are deceiving yourself! Do you think winning a tennis tournament is going to give you lasting satisfaction? The reality is that winning bumps you up into a tougher level of competition. True competitors hate losing more than they enjoy winning. They find satisfaction in their performance. The tragedy is not enjoying the moment. Here is a trick to turn pessimism into optimism: List 5 things a day to be grateful for? Can you make a list each day for 5 days?
Frank Giampaolo is a veteran author whose acclaimed book, The Tennis Parent’s Bible (www.thetennisparentsbible.com), is being used by ITF leaders, academy directors, parents, and coaches worldwide. Frank’s book Championship Tennis is a # 2 best seller on Amazon and enjoying worldwide sales. Giampaolo’s innovative approach has earned him numerous honors, including being named the 2001 USPTA Southern California Tennis Director of the Year and being voted a top teaching professional in consecutive years by Southern California Tennis & Golf magazine.
Giampaolo founded the Mental–Emotional Tennis Workshop in 2002; since then, participants in the program have gone on to win more than 71 U.S. national titles. His students have won ATP and WTA Tour singles and doubles titles. Giampaolo pioneered the Tennis Parents Workshop in 1998 and has conducted seminars throughout the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. Additionally, he hosts a blog site, www.tennisparentsolutions.com.
Frank is a popular international speaker. He has appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show, Fox Sports, OCN World Team Tennis, Tennis Canada, and Tennis Australia. His instructional articles have appeared in Tennis View magazine, USPTA Coaching Publications, The Active Network, Parenting Aces, Tennis One, Tennis Australia, and Tennis New Zealand. He currently runs workshops at his high-performance training facility in Southern California.