The following post is an excerpt from
Frank’s newest book,
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS
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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.
