The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
Assisting the 4 NF Typographies
INFP, ENFP, INFJ, ENFJ
INFP: Introvert Intuitive Feeler Perceiver
Challenge: INFP’s aren’t wired to enjoy analyzing match data. Their P brain design makes them “big picture” athletes versus “students of the game” who enjoy number crunching and quantifying data.
Solution: Trade in detailed date match charts like the typical errors to winners chart and replace it with a court positioning chart. The court positioning chart provides the big picture INFP’s can sink their teeth into and understand. Chart points won/lost when playing behind the court versus points won/lost when played inside the court.
Challenge: INFP’s are athletes who are often a bit overly sensitive to criticism. Detailed lists of “Here’s what you’re doing wrong…” stress out this profile more than most.
Solution: Apply authenticity while offering up their strengths versus weaknesses. They see tennis as an expressive game. If they feel their creativity stifled, they shut down, and effort is lost. Feelers are sensitive. Apply extra doses of optimism to their training regimen.
Challenge: This rare brain design is warm and kind but at the same time challenging to satisfy. After matches, they are typically their own toughest critics. These students try desperately to please friends, teammates, parents, and coaches which often leaves them drained.
Solution: Motivate the INFP to shoot for daily excellence in their training and match play versus perfection. Athletes in need of perfection in order to be happy suffer foolishly. Assist them in organizing their weekly developmental plan and making themselves the priority during those times.
Challenge: These friendly, quiet introverts don’t have the natural spatial design to take in large doses of auditory information. Like a few other cerebral designs, talking at them isn’t in the parent, coach, or student’s best interest.
Solution: Getting into their work requires identifying their preferred learning system. INFP’s are visual learners that prefer to imitate a coach’s actions. When working with this type, demonstrate the skill you are seeking, and they will effortlessly copy the movements. Encourage them to attend college or professional tennis matches and visualize themselves performing in that environment.
