The following post is an excerpt from
Frank’s newest book,
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
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How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 4
The following post is an excerpt from
Frank’s newest book,
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
Click Here to Order eBook for only 2.99!
SALE price through July 10
This chapter will uncover how brain design affects tennis performances. The following brain design categories can be used as an informal observation as you first profile yourself. However, I suggest going online to the dozens of more in-depth questionnaires. Choose the accuracy and depth of the personality profiling questionnaire that is right for you. After a bit of research, you will recognize learning preferences that best describe your brain design.
Let’s review the basics from earlier in this book. There are 16 configurations of personality profiles found around the world. By completing your chosen questionnaire, you will discover your association – a 4-letter acronym nicknaming your personality profile. Once comfortable with the terminology, you will be able to categorize your athletes into their unique design. Following is a list of commonalities I’ve uncovered on-court with my high-performance students.
Judgers (J) versus Perceivers (P)
- Judger Students
- Prefer planned, orderly structured lessons.
- Often postpone competing because they’re not 100% ready.
- Are frequently afraid to make the wrong decision, so they freeze up in competition.
- Need closure with a task before moving onto the next drill.
- Enjoy making detailed lists to ensure productivity.
- Have a strong need to control most aspects of situations.
- Change is uncomfortable and is typically shunned.
- Multitasking is avoided as they prefer to focus on one component at a time.
- Rules and laws apply to them and everyone else in the academy.
- Often closed-minded to new information until its proven correct.
- Often more-fixed-mind-set versus growth-mind-set.
- Self-regulated and enjoy working their customized developmental plan.
Perceiver Students
- In competition, perceivers are mentally found in the future, not the present.
- Often struggle with closing out leads in matches.
- Day-dream and often struggle with remaining on task.
- Are flexible and spontaneous.
- Easily adapt to the ever-changing match situations.
- Open to discussing and applying new, unproven concepts.
- Often more growth-mindset versus fixed-mind-set.
- Appear relaxed and loose under stress.
- Perform in cycles of energy.
- Typically need goal dates and deadlines to work hard.
- In matches, focus on outcome scenarios versus performance play.
- Often postpone training until the last minute.
“Athletes who make the most significant gains are independent thinkers who are self-aware of their inborn characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Understanding your player’s personality profile will enrich your relationships and assist you in helping your students develop excellent technique, athleticism, strategies and handling stress under pressure.”
Take a few moments, sit back and digest the above information. I’m sure you will smile as you systematically place specific students, co-workers, friends and family members into their genetic predispositions.
In chapters 8- 11, four customized challenges and their solutions are provided for each of the sixteen personality profiles.
How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 2
The following post is an excerpt from
Frank’s newest book,
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
Click Here to pre-order eBook for only 2.99!
SALE price through July 10
This chapter will uncover how brain design affects tennis performances. The following brain design categories can be used as an informal observation as you first profile yourself. However, I suggest going online to the dozens of more in-depth questionnaires. Choose the accuracy and depth of the personality profiling questionnaire that is right for you. After a bit of research, you will recognize learning preferences that best describe your brain design.
Let’s review the basics from earlier in this book. There are 16 configurations of personality profiles found around the world. By completing your chosen questionnaire, you will discover your association – a 4-letter acronym nicknaming your personality profile. Once comfortable with the terminology, you will be able to categorize your athletes into their unique design. Following is a list of commonalities I’ve uncovered on-court with my high-performance students.
Sensate (S) versus Intuitive (N)
- Sensate Students
- Choose to make decisions after analyzing.
- Often hesitate on-court due to over thinking.
- Thrive on the coaches facts versus opinions.
- Enjoy practical details versus the “Do it cuz I said so!” method.
- Need to know when and why not just how.
- Success on-court is based on personal experience not theory.
- Pragmatic need for sports science rational.
- Comfortable backcourt players where they have more decision-making time.
- Prefer organized, structured lessons versus time-wasting ad-lib sessions.
Intuitive Students
- Trust their gut instinct and hunches over detailed facts.
- In matches, often do first then analyze second.
- Apply and trust their imagination with creative shot selection.
- Thrive on new, exciting opportunities on the practice court.
- In discussions are less interested in minute details and facts.
- Learn quicker by being shown versus lengthy verbal explanations of the drill.
- Seek the creative approach to the game.
- Natural born offensive net rushers and poachers in doubles.
- Enjoy coaches’ metaphors and analogies.
- Often have to be reminded of the reality of the situation.
“PET scan and sensing perception studies from the University of Iowa show that different brain designs use various parts of their brain. Athletes are pre-wired with their genetics. Teaching them to compete on-court within their natural guidelines versus opposing those guidelines will maximize their potential and enjoyment of our great sport.
An analogy to illustrate this point is swimming downstream and working within one’s genetic predisposition versus swimming upstream and working against one’s genetic predisposition. While it is possible to find success outside one’s dominant brain design, it is much more difficult.”
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The Soft Science of Tennis
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
Released July 7
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OFFER VALID THROUGH JULY 10
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THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
Release Date: July 7, 2018!
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CONTENTS of the Soft Science of Tennis
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Creating an Exceptional Culture
Chapter 2: Sharpening Healthier Communication
Chapter 3: Effective Listening
Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication
Chapter 5: Personality Based Training
Chapter 6: Benefits of Personality Profiling
Chapter 7: How the Brain Affects Performance
Chapter 8: Assisting the 4 SP Typographies
Chapter 9: Assisting the 4 NF Typographies
Chapter 10: Assisting the 4 NT Typographies
Chapter 11: Assisting the 4 SJ Typographies
Chapter 12: Physical Skills Versus Life Skills
Chapter 13: Why Character Building Matters
Chapter 14: Life Skills Maximize Athletic Development
Chapter 15: The Importance of Nurturing
Chapter 16: Overriding Negative Past Belief Systems
Chapter 17: Building Coachable Athletes
Chapter 18: Eliminating Internal Judgment
Chapter 19: Changing Fixed Mindsets
Chapter 20: Managing Fear and Risk
Chapter 21: Developing Confidence & Self Esteem
Conclusion
Proper Preparation Rewards Emotional Aptitude Part 3
The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
In regards to spectacular preparation, let’s check in with Evan, the super-achiever, and Jarrod, the talented underachiever.
Proper Warm Up & Stretching Routines
Evan: I “YouTubed” a Tiger Woods interview. He said he hits the range before each round and systematically warms up every club in the bag. Just in case it’s needed. That made sense to me. I begin with 10 minutes of dynamic stretching and incorporate a full hour customized warm-up routine before even leaving for the event site.
Jarrod: Dude! I’m still putting my socks on when jumping into the car. At the site, I skip that silly dynamic stretching routine. It’s kinda weird. I only need a quick 5 minute warm up as the game begins. I practice in practice sessions, not on match day.
Morphing into a Warrior
Evan: At the event site, I choose to stay away from the random texting and the typical “hanging out” with the guys. Instead, I focus on shifting from a normal teen into an athletic warrior. I understand that getting into character and remaining in character for the duration of the battle is critical.
Jarrod: As soon as I arrive on site, I jump out of the car and rush over to the other players to trash talk each other’s Pokemon Go scores. Sometimes we get the nerve to talk to the chicks.
Opponent Profiling
Evan: I like to arrive early and leave late on tournament days. I’m interested in scouting other athletes. I think it’s meaningful to identify their strengths and weaknesses. I like to see what makes different opponents freak out.
Jarrod: Man, I’ve got zero interest in wasting time. They should be scared of ME! My natural athleticism is all I need to win every event. If I don’t win, it just wasn’t my day. I’ve just got to play better next time.
Key Performance Review with the Coach
Evan: Well, you know. I like to call you before my match because I want insurance that I’m completely ready for battle. I enjoy systematically double checking my mechanical “to-do” list, my top patterns list, my relaxation ritual routine, and my alternate game plans to use if the opponent shifts tactical styles. This assists me in performing confident and calm in the heat of battle.
Jarrod: I don’t feel I need to consult a coach. Basically, I already know all I need to know and I want to prove it to everyone. Look, some people have it…some people don’t.
Proper Preparation Rewards Emotional Aptitude Part 2
The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
In regards to spectacular preparation, let’s check in with Evan, the super-achiever, and Jarrod, the talented underachiever.
Equipment Preparation
Evan: I have a checklist of my requirements. I actually begin packing my extra shirts, uniform, socks, shoes, water, Gatorade, power bars, fruit, band-aids and athletic tape the night before. I sleep better knowing everything’s prepared.
Jarrod: Evan, you’re such a dork! The last time I even saw my bag was when I left it in the trunk of mom’s car.
Visualization
Evan: I wake up early but before I get out of bed, I calmly visualize my skill sets for 15 minutes. I focus on proper mechanics, athletic movements and spacing, my mental game strategic plans and my positive emotional composure rituals. I feel that by pre-programming the subconscious, I’ll be more likely to perform later in the zone.
Jarrod: I typically sleep in as late as possible. If I do have extra time, I love playing Pokemon Go. I skip the visualization exercise you ask me to do. Let’s be honest…I don’t need that stuff!
Proper Nutrition and Hydration
Evan: I schedule the time to enjoy a healthy breakfast approximately 2 hours prior to my competition. I did some research and understand that good carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for expanded muscle contraction and brain function. I like to apply preventative medicine to ensure that there’s little chance of a poor performance.
Jarrod: Breakfast is not my thing. I eat when I’m hungry. Hey, remember, we watched a video review of my game? You showed me how I struggled with lethargic play, decreased strength and reaction time, low endurance, slow cognitive processing speed, basic problem-solving skills, and violent negative emotional outbursts…Wait…so you’re saying that not eating may have had something to do with it?
Performance Anxieties and their Solutions
The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
Common Performance Anxieties and their Solutions
Perfectionism
Evan: I’ve learned the hard way that perfectionism is like lugging around a duffle bag full of 100 lb. weights. I thought it would make me stronger but all it does is keep me from flying. What a waste of time and energy!
Jarrod: I’m hypercritical. I should be perfect because everyone always told me how brilliant I am. If I don’t finish #1 every time, I believe I’m a failure. I’ve been told I’m defensive towards criticism, but the ones criticizing me are usually wrong.
Frank’s Tips: Perfectionism is toxic self-abuse. The very best athletes in every sport are only excellent… Not Perfect. Aim for 90% versus 110%. This allows for wiggle room, while still being consistently excellent.
Negative Self-Talk
Evan: I remember you had our whole family play the FLIP IT game. Remember? Every time someone said a negative comment the rest of us would say “flip it!” Man, we told Jarrod to “flip it” like a thousand times!
Jarrod: Oh yeah, but remember? Dad was worse than me! Every sentence out of his mouth started with: “The problem is…” I’m actually only negative when things aren’t perfect.
Frank’s Tip: We listen to ourselves more than any other person. This is due to our inner dialog. Are you constantly lifting yourself up or tearing yourself down? Our inner chatter should sound like we’re talking to someone we love.
Strengthening emotional aptitude requires focusing optimistically on improving performance anxieties by applying the suggested tips. For most athletes, the likely cause of experiencing anxiety is emotionally experiencing failure …in advance.
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