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Pre-Match Warm-Up Rituals

Posted on June 13, 2015 by in Match Day Preparation, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Match Chart Collection.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Frank Giampaolo

 Pre-Match Warm-Up Rituals

Before each PGA tournament round, Tiger Woods warms up every club in his golf bag, just in case he needs it. In the high performance tennis world, players who routinely warm up both their primary and secondary strokes have a major advantage in tightly contested matches. Grooving fundamentals before a match is important, but let’s go deeper.

A first-set tiebreak can often come down to a player executing a winning secondary stroke such as a swing volley or topspin lob.  To confidently perform secondary shots at crunch time, without hesitation, stems from properly warming them up before the match. Players who neglect their secondary strokes have a very different mind-set when faced with the same exact situation. Instead of instinctively moving forward to hit the swing volley to take the tiebreaker, they hesitate and are caught thinking, “I don’t remember the last time I hit one of these? Can I make it? Should I go for it?”  Now guess who misses the easy shot, gets upset and blows another breaker?

 

Obviously, any stroke has to be developed on the practice court long before tournament competition begins. Once developed properly, it should be placed into your match day tool belt.

 

ASSIGNMENT

Make a brand new normal warm up routine. Leave the old school warm up routine behind and begin to warm up in the manner that you are expected to perform.

 

The 5 different forehands and backhands:

  1. Primary drive ground strokes
  2. High and heavy ground strokes
  3. Short angle/side door ground strokes
  4. Slice and drop shots
  5. Defensive lobs

The 3 different serves:

  1. Flat serve
  2. Slice serve
  3. Kick serve

The 5 different volleys:

  1. The basic punch volley
  2. The swing volley
  3. The drop volley
  4. The half volley
  5. The transition mid court volley.

The 2 different overheads:

  1. Stationary, service box overheads
  2. The turn and run, scissor kick overhead with movement

The 5 different approach shots:

  1. Serve and volley
  2. Return and charge
  3. Moon-ball approach to swing volley
  4. Traditional approach to volley
  5. Spot a vulnerable opponent and steal the volley

 

Let’s return to the golf analogy. Tiger Woods knows that each day’s course conditions dictate his upcoming club options. Within your tennis world, your warm up is often dictated by the style of opponent you’ll be facing in the up-coming match. For example, if you know that your next opponent is a Moon Ball/ Pusher, it might be wise to warm up your swing volleys, side doors and drop shots.

 

Often, what separates two talented players is the time and

energy put into properly preparing for battle.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Equipment Preparation

Posted on June 12, 2015 by in Match Day Preparation, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Match Chart Collection.  Thanks for visiting, Frank GiampaoloChampionship Tennis Cover

Equipment Preparation

Are you a serious competitor? If you are a serious contender, the following list of Match Day Equipment Essentials should be included in your bag (or with you) during competition. Circle Yes or No by the tools that are currently found in your racket bag.

MATCH DAY EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS:

  1. Three rackets freshly strung and re-gripped.? Yes/No
  2. Extra sets of strings (your brand and gauge) and extra vibration dampeners? Yes/No
  3. A first aid kit composed of Band-Aids, athletic tape, elastic bandages, appropriate pain reliever, plastic bags for ice, liquid Band-Aid, hair ties etc.? Yes/No
  4. Extra shoelaces, socks, and shirts; and a fresh towel(s)? (You may need an extra towel to soak in ice water to cool you down in very hot temperatures.) Yes/No
  5. Water, sports drinks, fruit (banana), and energy bars/gels to be used as quick energy and/or to bridge between meals. ? Yes/No
  6. Performance goals, match notes and cheat sheets (Reminders). Such as: How to beat moon-ball/pushers, match logs for post-performance analysis, past opponent notes, to possibly assist with matches in future rounds. Yes/No

ASSIGNMENT:

Pre-Pack your tennis bag with the above Match Day Equipment Essentials that can permanently be left in your bag? List any essentials that you wish to add to your bag? Make a check list of your essentials and review before each match.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

 

Review and Organize:

Prior to your match: Review your list of the Match Day Equipment Essentials (Preferably the night before your match.) Pack your perishable Match Day Essentials the day of your match – ice, food, drinks etc.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

 

Plan to check and re-check your tennis bag long before you leave for the tournament site.
Waiting until the last minute adds un-needed stress that can steal your emotional energy before even getting to the tournament.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Organizing Practice Sets

Posted on June 11, 2015 by in Match Day Preparation, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Match Chart Collection.  Thanks for visiting, Frank GiampaoloMatch Day Preparation by Frank Giampaolo

Organizing Practice Sets

The art of winning tournaments begins with the science of organizing practice sets. To win an event, a player will usually have to defeat several types of opponents. Worthy adversaries will apply a variety of playing styles along with their own unique strategies, tactics, ball speeds, and playing tempos.

List the four styles of players found in tournament competition.

1.

2.

3.

4.

(Answer:  Hard hitting base-liner, Retriever/pusher, All-court net rusher and Drop shot artist)

 

Have you noticed a singular style of opponent that continually gets the best of you in tournament play?

(Example: Retriever/Pusher)

Now, begin organizing by looking deeper into playing practice sets. Develop and rehearse the actual patterns needed to defuse the exact style of opponent that sends you home early.

List 3 patterns of play that systemically pulls the crafty opponent out of their comfort zone.

1.

2.

3.

Examples Include: 1. Short angle/side door pattern, 2. Moon-ball approach to swing volley, 3. Drop shot to passing shots and lobs.

Readiness breeds confidence. Developing and rehearsing the game plans to defeat every style of opponent is essential to winning championships.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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PRIOR TO MATCH DAY

Posted on June 6, 2015 by in Match Day Preparation, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Match Day Preparation.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Prior to Match Day

Success in tournaments is directly related to the quality of preparation. Champions become champions because they’re the few who are actually willing to put in the grueling hours of pre-match preparation. Spectacular achievements are preceded by spectacular preparation. This section of your book is dedicated to proper preparation. Remember the old saying “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. Make today be the last day that you go into an event under prepared.

PERIODIZATION TRAINING

Players need to balance their preparations for short-term goals—such as an upcoming tournament—with their long-term improvement schedule. Managing these training phases is called periodization. When preparing for an upcoming match, a player’s plan for training to reach a peak level at the event should be customized to the player’s current comfort and ability level. Trying to perform skills that have not yet been securely ingrained is a recipe for disaster. The following are examples of both poor and intelligent pre-match preparations through periodization.

Poor Pre-Match Preparation

  1. Changing fundamental grips or strokes– Changing fundamental grips or strokes often leads to not having the old stroke any longer and not having the new stroke ready for match play.
  2. Cramming for the event by overloading the practice schedule. This behavior often leads to drained, low batteries on match day.
  3. Overdoing the off-court training– Overdoing the off-court training, often leads to soreness, fatigue, and injuries come match day.
  1. Adding unfamiliar things to routines– Adding unfamiliar things to routines could lead to physical, mental and emotional confusion.
  2. Seeking out only “Up” practice matches– Seeking out only “Up” practice matches breeds low self-esteem and zero confidence.
  3. Warming up past the point of diminishing returns-Warming up the same strokes too long often leads to your mind playing tricks on you. A seemingly solid stroke may appear to be flawed by over analysis.

Exception to the Rule: Often players and/or parents do not want to get off the tournament trail due to the ranking race.  In this situation, changes must be made to improve while on the tournament trail. Players/parents will have to accept the fact that losing a battle or two may be in order to win the war. In other words a player may have to lose a minor tournament or two in order to improve enough to be able to win Major tournaments in the future.

Intelligent Pre-Match Preparation:

  1. Train repetition of primary and secondary strokes, which grooves the timing and increases confidence.
  2. Train repetition of proactive patterns, which leads to fast cognitive processing speed and faith in the patterns.
  3. Perform light off-court training, this leads to strength and stamina.
  4. Preset mental protocols, this leads to dependable problem-solving skills.
  5. Preset emotional protocols, which leads to self-assurance and trust under stress

ASSIGNMENTS:

Review the above Poor Pre-Match Preparation actions and list the actions you have regularly included in your pre-match regime (if any) and how you will change these regimes.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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IDENTIFY YOUR PERSONAL PLAYING STYLE

Posted on June 5, 2015 by in Match Day Preparation, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Match Day Preparation.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

To identify your personal playing style, let’s begin by self- profiling your game. Answer the following questions based on what best describes your game.Matchday preparation

 

SELF PROFILING QUESTIONS:

  1. Primary style of play? (Hard hitting baseliner, All-court player/Net rusher, Pusher/Retriever or Drop shot artist)?
  2. Preferred serve patterns (Especially on mega points)?
  3. Preferred return of serve position and shot selection on both first and second serve returns?
  4. Preferred return of serve position and shot selection on both first and second serve returns?
  5. Dominant short-ball option?
  6. Preferred net rushing pattern?
  7. Stroke strengths and weaknesses?
  8. Movement, agility and stamina strengths and weaknesses?
  9. Frustration tolerance, focus, and emotional stability?
  10. Preferred length of points? (Do you like to elongate points?)

ASSIGNMENT:

Tipping close matches in your favor requires a player to run their best patterns at crunch time. Do you think pattern rehearsal would help you perform better under pressure?

List 3 reasons why knowing your preferred style of play will improve your confidence on court and get you better results.

1.

2.

3.

(Example answers: If you know your style of play you will conserve energy versus waste energy; you will expose your strengths while hiding your weaknesses; you will be proactive instead of reactive and control the match dynamics.)

 

Plan on entering every match whether it is the first round or the finals, Miami or Moscow, hard courts or clay courts, with your favorite style of play and your time tested patterns.  Starting each match with what you do best…is a recipe for success!

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Primary and Secondary Groundstrokes

Posted on June 4, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Championship Tennis (Available through Human Kinetics and Amazon) Thanks for visiting, Frank GiampaoloChampionship Tennis Cover

Primary and Secondary Ground-Strokes

The beginning and intermediate stages of stroke development often resemble a game of catch. Players are content to simply hit the ball back and forth. At the advanced levels, training starts to look more like a game of keep-away.

To maximize potential and accelerate the learning curve, players should begin by understanding the components of winning ground-strokes. To the untrained eye, perfect primary strokes are the main reason for players reaching the advanced levels of tennis, just as being tall is a prerequisite for playing top-flight basketball. But if just being tall was all it took to play in the NBA, my cousin, Big Vinnie, wouldn’t be driving a limo at Kennedy Airport.

Owning only primary strokes in tennis—or unusual height in basketball—is usually not enough. For players to experience accelerated learning, they need to develop additional tools and skills, or what are known as secondary strokes.

A good comparison that can be used to help players understand the importance of these strokes is to look at the differences between amateur and professional painting. Anyone looking to get started in painting generally begins at the same place: a prepackaged painting set that comes with a canvas or paper, brushes, and a strip of colored paint containing basic colors. As the person dabbles more in painting, though, one thing becomes evident: Using only basic colors makes the painting look amateurish. Advanced artists and professionals have learned that to make a painting jump off the canvas—to make it become lifelike—they need to use secondary colors as well. Instead of applying 1 shade of green, they may use up to 12 different versions.

The process of developing ground-strokes into weapons follows a similar principle: A player should start with a base version and then enhance it with three secondary options.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Developmental Goals

Posted on June 1, 2015 by in Blunders and Cures, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Blunders and Cures.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Championship Tennis Cover

BLUNDER: Overlooking Goal Setting

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.

  1. Technical:
  2. Tactical:
  3. Movement/Fitness:
  4. Emotional/Focus:

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.

Ask Yourself?

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?

Write down your Personal Action Plan:

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Watch Tennis with a Purpose

Posted on May 28, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

Improve Your Game by Watching the Professionals with a Purpose

Roland Garros is here and television coverage is better than ever. Watching the players offers a wealth of information- if you watch with a purpose.

Use the excellent televised matches (or in person if you are so lucky )  of talented professional tennis players to improve your game.  Look for the following strokes tools the pros use in their games.  How developed are your stroke tools?

STROKE TOOLS

Forehands:

  • Topspin Drive
  • Topspin Loop
  • Short Angle/Side Door
  • Slice Lob

Backhands:

  • Topspin Drive
  • Topspin Loop
  • Short Angle/Side Door
  • Slice Lob

Serve:

  • Flat
  • Kick
  • Slice

Volley:

  • Traditional Punch
  • Swing Volley
  • Half Volley
  • Drop Volley

Lob:

  • Topspin Lob
  • Slice Lob
  • Re-Lob
  • Overhead:
  • Stationary
  • Turn & Run
  • Overhead

General Court Coverage:

  • Lateral Movement (side to side)
  • Up & Back Movement (forward)

Approach Shots:

  • Serve and Volley
  • Chip & Charge Drive
  • Approach Slice
  • Approach Drop
  • Approach Moonball
  • Approach Steal the Volley

 

Make a list of the physical strokes, mental and emotional components and conditioning. The professionals are making a living because they have developed and continue to develop their entire game.  Being satisfied with a good serve, a great forehand or a spectacular backhand is not training to be at your peak performance level.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Tennis Parent Communication

Posted on May 23, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

Let’s assume you are not a high performance tennis coach, but a loving tennis parent just the same.  As a tennis parent, your role is critical in the overall development of your child on and off the court.

Below I’ve listed ten important communication skills essential for the Tennis Parent:

Teach character building and not stroke production or strategy. Encourage life skill development, such as being optimistic, time management, emotional composure, perseverance/work ethic, proper nutrition, hydration and sleep requirements and organizational skills. With proper life skills your child will succeed on and off the court.

Communicate your match observations to the coach (and not to the child). Email your tournament notes to your primary coach – asking them to focus their training on your child’s actual match flaws. The coach will then take the appropriate training steps. This will add harmony to the often stressful parent player relationship.

Google positive motivation techniques. Don’t  force success…motivate success. Motivation is achieved through rewarding your child’s efforts and not by punishing their failures.  Punishment discourages growth – the exact opposite of motivation.

Set process goals such as a developmental plan, as well as outcome goals such as rankings.  Yes, there are two completely different sets of goals.  Developmental goals include nurturing many game components simultaneously. Process goals may include: off court training, primary and secondary stroke skills as well as mental and emotional protocols. Outcome goals may include: the USTA/ITF tournament schedules, ranking rules and regulations as well as college placement process.

Manage proper match day preparation: Spectacular preparation precedes spectacular performances. Practice makes permanent….practice doesn’t make perfect. This goes for pre-match warm ups as well. Sadly, most parents and players have horrific preparation routines and yet expect spectacular performances. See The Match Day Preparation eBook for more in depth discovery. (www.tennisparentsolutions.com)

Apply positive, non-threatening post match communication.  Consider your child’s preferred intelligence (How individuals relate best to the world around them.) Some brain types enjoy discussing post match “chalk talk” immediately after the match, others simply need a little distance before discussing the match and still others may never want to discuss the match. (FYI:  If your child never wants to discuss the match- you may have a hobbyist on your hands because they are not interested in growth) However, after a match, you may only have one hour before the next match to discuss performance issues.  Be positive and reinforce what they did well. You may consider asking: “What did you do effectively today?”, “What did the opponent do that made it tough for you?  What would you do different?”  VERSUS discussing your laundry list of their failures!!!!

Train Independency. One of the most important character traits of a champion is independent problem solving skills. If your child is 16 and you are still finding their shoes, packing their bag, carrying their water jug and racket bag to matches you are developing dependency. At 5 all in the third set, the independent problem solver is more likely going to find a way to win. The dependent child is going to be looking to you with tears in their eyes.

Manage your child’s entourage. Top nationally ranked player have an entourage. This group consists of teachers, paid hitters, trainers, sparring partners, physical therapists …etc.  If your coach insists that you only train with him/her…be aware that they may be looking after their best interest and not your child’s best interest. Bottom line- Do not assume one singular coach is doing everything your child needs. If you are only paying a coach to hit balls, you are mismanaging your child’s complete developmental plan.

Remember communication isn’t just verbal.  Studies show over 70% of communication comes from tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. In my opinion, kids key in on the tone of voice and ignore the actual words being spoken. How do you expect your child to play calm, relaxed and positive tennis under stress, if you are pacing on the side lines with your arms folded in a knot and shaking your head in disgust? If you are wound tighter than a drum, sit somewhere so that they cannot see or hear you.

If you’re going to have an attitude…make it gratitude. The real junior contenders I train week in and week out work harder than most adults. Though many adults may be going to a job 40 hours a week, how many of them are giving 100% effort even 10 hours a week?  Continuing to obsess about your child’s flaws will deflate their desire to even try. Replace the non-stop discussion of their flaws with your true feelings of being thankful for their hard work.  Show appreciation for your child’s effort and you will be motivating greatness!

“A tough realization for most tennis parents is that you can’t be a part time hobbyist parent and expect your child to be a champion. If you truly don’t want to “get involved” please don’t expect your child to be great.”

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Being An Unaccountable Player

Posted on May 22, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from BLUNDERS AND CURES.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

broken racquet

BLUNDER: Being an Unaccountable Player
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?
Ask Yourself?
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com

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