The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
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INTRODUCTION
Let’s begin by using a computer analogy, if strokes and athleticism are the athlete’s hardware, mental and emotional skills are surely the athlete’s software.
We all know that mental toughness and emotional resolve are critical in competition. The Soft Science of Tennis is specially designed to improve the mysterious software skills. With this groundbreaking book, respect is developed, and trust is earned as coaches and parents create an exceptional culture, sharpen stronger communication techniques, and connect with each student at a much deeper level.
The Soft Science of Tennis identifies each athlete’s individual personality profile and unique cerebral design. Throughout these pages, we’ll expose how your athlete’s inborn genetic predispositions affect their behavioral attributes and on-court competitive characteristics.
Getting into the student’s world requires the open-mindedness to embrace how the student’s genetic predispositions impact their match play.
“You must first get into their world to change their world.”
This book challenges coaches, athletes, and parents to recognize that preferred learning styles and training requirements are unique to each athlete.
The science of profiling personality isn’t new or even unique. Today there are dozens of profiling programs including Disc, Social styles, Predictive Index, Profiles Int., HBDI, Strengthfinder, Keirsey Temperament, TTI, Human Metrics, and MBTI to name a few. These models all share in helping us better connect and communicate. The Soft Science of Tennis applies the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator because it is the most widely recognized profiling application in use around the world.
MBTI is a registered trademark, and inside this book, I am simply sharing my unique, tennis-specific understandings of their application.
Brain design awareness enhances our ability to customize our teaching approach to the different personality profiles found in the sport. While there are many interpretations of personality profiling, The Soft Science of Tennis aims to share techniques that I’ve found highly successful in my 30 years of coaching tennis.
Also included is the importance of nurturing positive character traits and life skills, and why developing a healthy moral compass matter. This soft science book dissects how to conquer essential performance anxieties such as overriding negative belief systems, eliminating internal judgment, and building coachable athletes.
“In the coaching field, there is more to the story than teaching fundamental strokes. An athlete’s negative emotional state can and will derail great game plans and exquisite strokes.”
Rounding out this book, are several chapters uniquely focused on how to change fixed mindsets, managing fear, and risk, and developing confidence and self-esteem. These are some of the favorite topics of high IQ coaches attending my conferences around the world. Consequently the question, “Why doesn’t anyone else teach this stuff?” has become a reoccurring theme of discussion among coaches and parents alike throughout my travels. Within these pages, it is my goal to share everything you didn’t even know…you needed to know about the soft science of tennis.
