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Parental Accountability – Part 2

Posted on December 12, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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Actual 8-Week Developmental Blueprint

Improvement in Strokes

Serve:

  • Turn and Coil first- toss second.
  • Increase power (add 20 mph) with the “long bomb” drill and “smack down” drill.

 

Return of Serve:

  • Choose the correct position dictated by the quality of the opponent’s delivery.
  • Choose to match the ball speed & start the rally on 1st serves.
  • Apply a new position & manage the aggression with the score on 2nd serves.
  • On the 2nd serves, monitor the score before deciding on a strategic play.

 

Forehand:

  • Elbow up on the backswing/loop.
  • Elbow up high on the follow-through to activate the larger muscle groups.
  • Apply an aggressive hip rotation.
  • Apply a stationary platform (“You can’t shoot a cannon out of a canoe…”)

 

Backhand:

  • Consistency in slice to keep the ball out of the opponent’s primary strike zone.
  • Consistency in the high & heavy secondary strokes.

 

Volleys:

  • Focusing on spotting when the opponent is vulnerable.
  • Understanding how, when and why I will be approaching the net.
  • Develop the secondary drop volleys and swing/drive volley.

Overhead:

  • Utilize the two-part swing versus a whole service motion.
  • Apply a stationary platform.
  • Focus on consistency and placement over power.

 

Improvement in Emotional/Focus

  • Maintaining a consistent intensity throughout competition.
  • Playing controlled aggression during “tipping points.”
  • Stick with controlled aggression after gaining a lead.
  • Stop the wandering eyes and mind.
  • Apply proper routines & rituals (pre-match, during the match, post-match)
  • Manage the score (Spotting positive mega points versus negative mega points.)
  • Remaining an impenetrable confident fighter.
  • Stop any negative self-talk, negative body language or facial expressions.
  • Love the battle.

Improvements in the Mental Factors

  • Monitor errors that are “over cooked” versus “under cooked.”
  • Stick to the A game plan if it’s working. Being bored is not a valid reason to change.
  • Spot the style of opponent & anticipate a shift in style.
  • Pre-set your short ball range and relentlessly attack balls that fall in front of it.
  • Apply the proper short ball option dictated by the situation.

Improvements in Movement/Physical Fitness

  • Focus on being a world -class athlete instead of a tennis player.
  • Increase aerobic capacity.
  • Increase anaerobic capacity.
  • Beef up the core with medicine ball training.
  • Beef up upper body strength with weight training.
  • Remember that rest & recovery are part of the equation.
  • Apply periodization to peak at the right times throughout the year.
  • About 50% of my weekly training should be off-court tennis specific training.
  • Regain the proper nutrition & hydration requirements.

Improvement starts with preparation and preparation starts with an action plan. Sadly, many athletes design a deliberate customized developmental plan then a few short weeks later, simply choose to go back to their half-hearted yet easier routines. Proper preparation prevents future poor performances.

 

“Your child’s results three months from now will be determined by their actions today.”

 

 

 

 

 

Parental Accountability – Part 1

Posted on December 6, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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PARENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY

 

The old story goes, back in the day, if a kid lost to a toad, his folks would setup a meeting with the coach and apologize for the child’s poor performance and together they would organize solutions. Today, if a kid losses to a lesser quality player, the parents set up a meeting with the coach demanding that the coach explain how their little super star could possibly lose to such a crummy player…

It is the role of the parents to teach accountability.  Remember, champions are accountable- they’ve learned life lessons through the natural consequences of their behavior.

 


 

QUESTION: What is a developmental blueprint?

 

Frank: Becoming a champion starts with a deliberate, customized developmental blueprint. It consists of developing and rehearsing every physical, mental and emotional tool necessary in elite sports. To maximize potential, it is essential to have an individualized plan.

Step One: Utilize The Tennis Parent’s Bible’s Customized Player Evaluation (Found in Part VII) to assess your athlete’s actual knowledge and ability.

Step Two: Organize and implement a weekly plan to begin strengthening weaknesses.

 

“Just because they are ‘practicing’ does not mean they are ‘progressing’ …”

 

Progression takes more than on-court stroke repetition. Achieving elite stature in tennis requires the development of the complete package. To help your child and their coaches understand a developmental blueprint, a NCAA All-American has agreed to share hers. (Below is an actual 8-week developmental blueprint from one of my college students.)

Tennis and Perfectionism- Part 2

Posted on December 2, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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QUESTION: How can my daughter let go of perfectionism?

 

Frank: Begin by discussing how striving for perfection is a demoralizing proposition. Studies show that the obsession of being perfect doesn’t lead to any substantial gains. Studies also show that given the same level of intellect and skills- perfectionists perform under par versus their less stressed-out counterparts. The reality is that with a sport like tennis, a calm, relaxed state of mind is essential for peak performance.

Successful tennis players are satisfied winning about 66 percent of the points in each match. That’s simply 2 out of 3 points. Doing so allows imperfection. It also allows the opponent a little glory as they lose the match. This provides a critical distressing environment, where playing at peak performance is possible. The following is a list of behaviors perfectionist need to address:

Controlled Aggression

Unfortunately for most perfectionists, the fear of losing is so great that they fall into the trap of “playing not to lose.” Pushing and playing safe is often caused by fear. The fear of missing is often the cause miss hits! Champions continue to attempt the shot the moment demands.

Unrealistic Expectations

Top nationally ranked juniors enter on average, 30 tough tournaments a year. If they win three of those events, it’s a great year. That mean they go home losers 27 weeks a year! Perfectionists, if you are winning 70 percent of your matches, you are ahead of the curve.

Self-Critical Behaviors

Perfectionists, it’s ok to have a Gatorade stain on your un-tucked shirt. Your hair should be messy. It’s ok to shank a few winners. Play slow and decrease ball speed. Give the opponent what they hate versus what you think looks like “good” tennis. Allow yourself to miss some. It doesn’t have to always be pretty. Often, perfectionists would rather lose than win ugly.

 Focus on Executing Rituals

Studies show that about 75-80 percent of the time you’re on court; you are in between points. Perfectionists would be wise to focus on the process of proper internal change over and between point rituals instead of berating themselves over every mistake.

Self-Trust

Perfectionists overthink things to the point of confusion. For some, trusting their gut instincts isn’t a valid processing system. Decisions come after every factor is overanalyzed to the point of exhaustion.

Attitude

Understand that you choose your attitude and perfectionism is an attitude.  This means that you have the freedom to change it. If your athlete is planning to play tennis in college, this is a major issue. I call it attitude versus aptitude. College coaches are searching for players with an optimistic positive attitude. A team player with a positive attitude is a pleasure to help. A pessimistic perfectionist with a horrible attitude is every college coach’s nightmare.

Focus on Getting the Win…Not the Double Bagel

Define a new, more reasonable goal. In any given round of any given tournament the objective is to get the win and progress to the next round. The purpose isn’t a perfect 6-0, 6-0 score without missing a single ball. The purpose is to simply get one thing accomplished and that’s the result.

 

Parents, educate your perfectionist to accept excellence versus perfection. It’s a healthier state of mind

 

Tennis and Perfectionism

Posted on November 30, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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 frank

QUESTION: I believe my son’s perfectionism is interfering with his performance.  Can you help?

 

Frank:  In my opinion, the age-old motto of trying to play 110% in competition is dead wrong. Athletes who constantly attempt to force perfection over press and play tight. Perfectionist should simply be asked to aim for an excellent performance versus a perfect performance. In match play, the athlete should try 90% instead of 110% and learn to accept a few minor errors along the way to victory.

Parents and players who are perfectionists are so stressed about being perfect that it often stunts the actual growth they seek and leads to misery for everyone around them. The coach should encourage their athlete to seek the courage to let go of unrealistic and damaging beliefs like athletic perfectionism and enjoy the journey.

Assisting a perfectionist to get the most out of their talent requires designing a new belief system. Perfectionism afflicts some of the most naturally gifted players I’ve ever seen. In my opinion, needing to be perfect 100 percent of the time has been a major stumbling block for those that have chosen to neglect emotional training.

 

The Top 8 Signs of a Perfectionist:

1) Perfectionists believe that there is only one way to do it right.

After hitting a great shot, a perfectionist may say, “Yah…I hit a winner, but didn’t you see it? My follow through was 6.5 inches too low! Why can’t I do it correctly?”

2) Perfectionists obsess over basics.

Perfectionist parent’s often say, “I can run a Fortune 500 company and control 2000 employees, but I can’t get my daughter to control her #@*%+… ball toss!”

3) Perfectionists love to share their inflicted disease.

Perfectionist not only spot their own errors but enjoy spotting yours and everyone else’s flaws as well. Then, of course, they love to share it with you.

4) Perfectionists demand perfection in others.

Perfectionist parent’s often say to their children, “Honey, I know you’re only 7 years old but you should be able to get more kick on that second serve. Dinner will wait, do another basket.”

5) Perfectionists find things to worry about.

Junior perfectionists often say, “What if it rains, I checked the forecast every 15 minutes last night…I could end up playing Zoe if we both get to the 4th round. She’s the world’s biggest pusher! What if I play Kelly, everyone knows she cheats. Remember when she cheated me in sectionals? Hey Dad, I heard there’s a hurricane off the coast of Florida, do you think the wind will be a factor? …”

6) Perfectionist’s over-think.

Due to their deep need to always be right, perfectionists often over think in matches. Teaching professionals call it paralysis by analysis. They live in their analytical left brain. This is where constant editing and judging takes place. Unfortunately for them, true “in the zone” tennis is played in the right hemisphere of the brain. The exact over analysis a perfectionist thrives on is what’s enabling them from enjoying peak performance in competition.

7) Perfectionists constantly second guess themselves.

Junior perfectionists in a match are often thinking, “Oh, here comes a short ball, I should go in, no maybe not, it’s possibly a trick, I better wait and analyze the situation, oh, look at that…too late…”

8) Perfectionists often blow 5-2 leads.

The match is comfortably under control and your little perfectionist misses an easy sitter. Instead of shaking it off, they blow it completely out of proportion and begin to panic.  Now, thanks to their perfectionism, their defeated opponent sees their instability and begins to believe that they can beat this crazy person.  Once again, that comfortable match is now a 5-5 dog fight.

If your child refuses to accept anything short of perfect, ask them to research Perfectionism via google. This psychological profile offers both positive and negative traits. I’m a huge fan of the positive effects that stem from this personality profile. However, I worry about the players who feel that they’re only satisfied by obtaining unobtainable goals.  Being satisfied exclusively by achieving unrealistic goals just sets the player up for consistent disappointments. Without intervention, these athletes most often quit the sport.

How do we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 1

Posted on November 28, 2022 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parents, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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black_ebook_design2How do we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors?

All of his coaches say he is one of the most talented players they have ever seen. His form looks great. Why does he lose to less talented players? Let’s look deeper into the different causes of errors, starting with the mental side.

Shot selection starts with understanding that in between each shot in a rally, there are only about two milliseconds of actual decision-making time. So, how much can you analyze in that small amount of time? The answer is not much. This means that most shot selection options are learned behaviors acquired on the practice court. That is right. These tools must be wired into a player’s game way before the tournament begins. This is mental training.

To explain the importance of shot selection, we will use two of my students, Jack and Jason (brothers that couldn’t be more different). Jason has chosen to focus on tennis’s mental/emotional sides early in his development, while Jack was and still is too cool to listen to this silly stuff.

Strength and Weaknesses

Situation: It is add-in. Holding serve means a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Jason: Selects to serve a big kick serve wide to the opponent’s weaker side; He runs a boring, successful pattern to close out the game.

Jack: Selects to go for a huge ace down the center (the one that he made once in 2010); He misses, gets angry, and rushes into a double fault.

Broad Vision

Situation: Our player just hit an offensive shot and has the opponent on the dead run; the opponent is stretching and lunging at a low slice backhand.

Jason: Spots the visual clues like the defensive court position, body language, open racket face, and defensive strike zone of the opponent. He moves in, takes away the opponent’s recovery time, and steals an easy volley winner.

Jack: Didn’t bother to learn to spot these clues, so he stands at the baseline, lets the opponent float the ball back, and he re-starts the rally. Jack just missed an

How can we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 4

Posted on November 23, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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The Match Chart Collection 2D

Situation #10: The opponent starts off on a hot streak. Within 15 minutes, he is up 4-0.

Jason: Understands that controlling and managing both sides of the net is critical. Since he spots that he is clearly not in control, he takes a bathroom break. Is this legal? You bet it is! He is looking for two things to happen: One is to take enough time actually to devise a new plan of attack. Two is to act as a “Cooler.” He knows that he has to give the opponent’s fire a chance to burn itself out. We call this a shift in momentum.

Jack: Says, “I know bathroom/trainer breaks are completely legal …but they’re for “sissies.” What kind of player takes a legal bathroom break? The answer is… smart ones!

 

Situation #11: Our player’s opponent is a terrific retriever. He positions himself 10-15 feet behind the baseline and seems to get every deep ball.

Jason: Considers the opponent’s preferred style. He monitors both players’ court positions and elects to incorporate drop shots and short-angle shots to pull the opponent out of his comfort zone.

Jack: Is super talented. He can hit all four short ball options (kill, approach, drop, or short angle), but elects to simply kill every short ball as hard as he can. This plays right into his opponent’s spider web. Frustrated once again, Jack walks off the court in record time, breaking a few more racquets on the way.

 

Situation #12: Our last opponent is an old-school net rusher. His weapons are power and intimidation. He is coming in, and everyone knows it!

Jason: Understands that simply spinning in his first serve is not as macho, but it serves a critical function: It keeps the net rusher from using the second serve as an approach shot. Also, Jason does not go for outright passing shot winners from the first pass; he resists and elects to dip the ball soft and low at the on-rushing player’s feet. This makes the player choosing to volley earn the winning shot while giving Jason a higher percentage shot at actually passing on the second ball.

Jack: You know Jack by now…Jack bombs away at his monster first serve. He hits his typical first-serve percentage of 30 percent in. Because of the fragility of his second serve under pressure, he is attacked relentlessly on his second serve.

 

Like most of us, Jack is uncomfortable being attacked. He feels the pressure and goes for huge passing shots as soon as he sees the opponent begin to come in. Most of his passes land closer to the back fence than in the court. After the match, Jack takes his racquet bag, shoves it into the trash can, and walks to his car.

The solutions to improving an athlete’s shot selection choices are found in live ball sparring sessions. I recommend finding a suitable partner and booking two back-to-back, hour-long lessons with a USPTA, USPTR, or ITF-certified teacher. Both families can pay for an hour as the athletes enjoy two hours of training under observation. As live points are played, the high IQ coach will ask the athletes to identify the cause of the error as well as the best percentage solution. This is a great example of practicing in the manner in which you’re expected to perform.

How can we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 3

Posted on November 19, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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Situation #7: Our player is down 1-4 but is actually controlling the court and the points. His hard-hitting baseline style is working, but he simply misses the put-away balls by a few inches.

Jason: Spots that the style is working. He adapts by staying with the hard-hitting style of play and chooses to apply more topspin to his shots and simply aim three feet inside the lines.

Jack: He is so upset that he is missing that he does not spot the fact that he is actually controlling the points with his hard-hitting baseline style of play. So, he changes his hard-hitting style, stands flat-footed, and pushes every shot. Jack’s slow, short balls are now “Sitting Ducks,” and the opponent has a field day hitting winner after winner. After the match, Jack says, “He was too good.”

 

Situation #8: Our player wins the first set 6-2. Upon the start of 2nd set, the opponent shifts from his hard-hitting baseline style into a conservative, retrieving style of play.

Jason: Spots the change in style and counters by simply adapting to the “New Look.” Since he is no longer receiving FREE points, Jason begins to work on his selection of patterns.

Jack: Does not spot the shift in style. He begins to get frustrated by the fact that the opponent is not missing the second or third ball anymore. Jack begins to panic, play faster, and hit harder without even knowing. Jack is trying to force winners left and right. Jack implodes once again and breaks another brand-new racquet!

 

Situation #9: The Easter Bowl (Palm Springs, Ca.) is famous for its windy conditions. Often, players have to cope with 30-40 miles per hour wind speeds. The result is that a cautious, consistent retriever style of play is often rewarded. The elements play a critical role in shot selection.

Jason: Adapts his offensive baseline style to a safer style of play. He looks for ways to use the wind to his advantage. He applies more spin on the ball and aims four feet inside the court on every shot. He understands that going for winners in these “crazy” conditions is an almost impossible proposition, so he buckles down and uses his “B” plan. This plan consists of letting the opponent “self-destruct.”

Jack: Begins the tournament with the expectation that the conditions are unfair and he cannot play in the wind! He conveniently forgets that he has had many opportunities to practice in the wind in weeks prior to the tournament, but he canceled his lessons because he believed it was pointless to practice in windy conditions. (Jack lives in Southern California and Santa Ana winds are present many times a year.) Guess who lost first and first this year at the Easter Bowl?

How can we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 2

Posted on November 14, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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Situation #3: The opponent hits a deep cross-court ball.

Jason: Hits a neutral building shot 4 feet over the net and back cross court.

Jack: Tries for a screaming net skimming half volley winner down the line and creams the ball into the bottom of the net.

 

Situation #4: The brothers are in a vulnerable position running fifteen feet behind the baseline, retrieving the opponent’s terrific shot.

Jason: Throws up a deep, high, defensive lob to push the opponent back and gain valuable recovery time.

Jack: Goes for an offensive, down-the-line pass that lands near the back fence…Then screams…AAAHHHH!

 

Situation #5: Our player gets to the ball late. He is off balance and ends up striking the ball down by his socks.

Jason: Quickly dials his offensive shot selection down to neutral and elects to simply keep the opponent from taking an offensive position.

Jack: He is still in full flight and goes for a topspin rip-off of his shoelaces. The ball rips into the net.

 

Situation #6: Our player is winning comfortably 6-3, 4- 1.

Jason: Continues to do the exact same boring shot selections. He closes out the match in a routine fashion. He realizes the importance of saving physical and emotional energy for the next round.

Jack: Gets bored with such a lead. He begins throwing in a bunch of exciting yet low-percentage new things. In essence, Jack has changed the shot selections that have gained him a comfortable lead. Now the set is 5-5, and Jack is so angry that he is acting like a Crazy Person, throwing his racquet and yelling, “I Hate Tennis.” His situation is a result of his wandering mind.

How can we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors? Part 1

Posted on November 11, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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In my opinion, decreasing unforced errors always starts with the identification process. On numerous occasions, I have asked parents and coaches to chart players utilizing The Cause of Error Chart. (Found in Match Chart Collection at Maximizingtennispotential.com). The results were very interesting.

While the majority of the international coaches solely focused on stroke production year in and year out, the main cause of errors was consistently shot selection and NOT form.

Upon analyzing The Cause of Error Charts with high-performance athletes, the leading cause of errors was Mental-Shot Selection, followed by Movement-Spacing, a very close third was Emotional-Performance Anxieties…and last on the list Technical-Stroke Mechanics!

Because poor shot selection is the leading cause of errors at the higher competitive junior levels, let’s focus on that aspect. Shot selection starts with understanding that in between each shot in a rally, there are only about two milliseconds of actual decision-making time. So, how much can you analyze in that small amount of time? The answer is not much.

This means that most shot selection options are learned behaviors acquired on the practice court. That is right. These tools must be wired into a player’s game way before the tournament begins. Pre-setting offense, neutral, defensive, and directional options are mental training.

“High Percentage shot selection is mental readiness.” 

To explain the importance of shot selection, we will use two of my students: Jack and Jason (brothers that couldn’t be more different). Jason has chosen to focus on tennis’s mental/emotional sides early in his development, while Jack was and still is too cool to listen to this silly stuff. Below are a dozen shot selection scenarios. Let’s see how each brother chooses to handle the situation.

 

The Tale of Jack and Jason

Situation #1: It is add-in, and holding serve means a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Jason: Selects to serve a big kick serve wide to the opponent’s weaker side. He runs a boring, successful pattern to close out the game.

Jack: Selects to go for a huge ace down the center (Like the one that he made once in tornado liked conditions back in 2014.) He misses, gets angry, and rushes into a double fault.

 

Situation #2: Our player just hit an offensive shot and has the opponent on the dead run, stretching and lunging at a low slice backhand.

Jason: Spots the visual clues like the defensive court position, body language, open racket face, and defensive strike zone of the opponent. He moves in, takes away the opponent’s recovery time, and steals an easy volley winner.

Jack: Didn’t bother to learn to spot these clues, so he stands at the baseline, lets the opponent float the ball back, and he re-starts the rally. Jack just missed an important opportunity to win the point.

 

Tennis Blunders- Part 5

Posted on November 7, 2022 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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Frank Giampaolo

Talking Economics Before/After a Match

Dumping unnecessary loads of pressure on a player before or after a match is one of the most common mistakes. Parents often say “If you lose one more time to someone ranked lower than you, we’re pulling the plug!  Do you know how much we spend on your tennis?” How do you expect them to play in their calm, relaxed peak performance state of mind if you are stressing them out about finances? If you have the money, choose to spend it on the family adventure tennis provides without expecting a return on the financial investment.

 

 

Thinking Perfect Strokes are Mandatory

In his book, legendary star Andre Agassi states that he was still learning how to volley when he retired. John McEnroe is quoted as saying, “Nobody has perfect strokes; it’s what you do with what you’ve got that counts!” They simply competed with their secret weaknesses.  Learn how to expose your strengths and hide your weaknesses.

Parents, players, 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.  The trick is learning how to compete with imperfections.

 Even if your child did possess perfect strokes on the practice court, performance anxieties will occasionally cause strokes to break down at stressful stages of an event. Dealing with the reality of imperfect strokes is part of the mental, and emotional components of the game.

 

 

Managing Without a “Hollywood” Script

Hollywood parents with “wanna-be” child stars have the reputation for being a little nuts, right? Hollywood parents drag their kids from audition to audition in search of ways to live vicariously through their kids. Though I do not recommend forcing your child into any unwanted activity, I do recommend asking your child to use the system that Hollywood actors use when working on a sitcom. Here’s their four-part system:

1) First, the actor gets the script for a new show. (Your child gets a script for how to beat a moonballer.  Yes, don’t worry the script is in the mental section of this book).

2) Second, the Hollywood actor spends hours running through their lines. (Your child will ask a hitting coach to run through the patterns used to beat pesky pushers).

3) Third, the Hollywood actor runs dress rehearsals. (Your child has to run their patterns on the practice court and in practice sets, often for weeks at a time doing dress rehearsals).

4) Fourth, the actors shoot the show in front of a live audience. (Your child plays the actual tournament).

All too often, our junior competitors learn wonderful patterns and then choose not to rehearse the patterns in dress in practice and then wonder why they continue to lose to moonballer/ pushers.

Parents and coaches, please use this four-part method to develop each component in your child’s game.