The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
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SAMPLE Weekly/Daily Planners
“Directing your future into the present makes your destiny come alive.”
Sasha was a top-ranked 14-yr-old junior I worked with back in 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand. Sasha seemed to have everything going her way as she progressed through the ITF junior wars. She had athleticism, committed parents, a racket and clothing contract, and the backing of Tennis New Zealand.
Fast forward 7 years, and I run into Sasha as I was coaching at an ATP/WTA tour event in Israel. Sasha was emotionally struggling. As we went to lunch to catch up, she said ‘’I’m quitting. I’m playing horribly, and I can’t beat anybody.’’ As we ordered our meals, I asked about her weekly developmental plan with her team of coaches. The conversation went like this:
Frank: “Sasha, how many hours are you spending getting crazy fit? You know…in the gym and working on your cardio?’
Sasha: “Umm …, I’m not training. It’s too hard on the road, and at home, there aren’t any good trainers.”
Frank: “How’s the repetition of your top patterns?”
Sasha: “Well, I can’t practice my patterns because I don’t want to pay a coach, and the other gals only want to groove back and forth.”
Frank: “Sasha, you’re 21 now, right? Remember when you were 14, and we talked about match play video analysis?”
Sasha: “Oh my, I haven’t done that since then …How funny!”
Frank: “Tell me about your weekly practice matches. Are you rehearsing your competitive skills?”
Sasha: “No …No one will play sets on tour, and there’s nobody good enough to play with back home.”
Sasha’s poor WTA results were caused by her series of weak excuses and bad decisions. I’m convinced that Sasha will once again thrive under pressure when she chooses to incorporate a continuous series of proper routines and rituals. (The name and country have been changed to protect the guilty.)
The estimated formula for a world-class individual is training approximately 20-hours a week for ten years: The 10,000 Hour Rule. The following weekly and daily training component tables provide a comparison guide to evaluate your athlete’s training schedules versus that of a Top National Ranked 14-year-old athlete.
Please keep in mind customization is key. Quality trumps quantity.
