Tag Archives: Coach Frank Giampaolo

After a Tennis Loss

Posted on January 6, 2023 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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QUESTION: After a loss, why should athletes go back to the tournament site and watch the other athletes?

 

Frank: Great question. Unfortunately, because of the emotional hit, most parents and players make a beeline for the car as soon as the athlete loses. In my opinion, this is an incredible waste of a valuable learning opportunity. First of all, the brain mirrors events it recognizes.  Viewing the top seeds and/or final rounds creates a mental and emotional picture for the athlete to absorb and become comfortable with… One of the keys to peak performance under stress is to be comfortable…being uncomfortable!

It is very common for up-and-coming athletes to experience complete performance meltdowns in the final rounds of their first big tournaments. Why? The finals are an unknown entity.  We know that the unknown is avoided because it is scary.

Walk with a child through a haunted house during Halloween and you’ll witness something interesting. During the first walk through, the child’s staying close, their heart rate is elevated, and they’re scared to death because they don’t know what’s coming next.  By the third and fourth walk through, the very same child is relaxed, calm and smiling inside the same haunted house. The scenario didn’t change, the child’s perspective changed.  The same need for familiarity is found in the later stages of tennis tournaments.

 

“Be comfortable…being uncomfortable.”

 

The more the athlete physically, mentally or emotionally gets dialed into a situation, the less uncomfortable the situation becomes and the more comfortable the athlete becomes performing in the manner in which they have trained- regardless of the round.

 

From a parental or coach’s point of view, there are hundreds of lessons to be learned from other competitors’ successes and failures. Pointing out the player’s strengths may sound like, “Kelly, look how she took that moonball out of the air for a swing volley instead of running backwards and lobbing it.” And of course, highlighting the player’s weaknesses, such as, “See Joey, on most points, the top players don’t get 5 balls in. You’re that good already!” The goal to take the mystery out of the top player’s game.

 

NOTE: If your child is attending an academy and suffers an early round loss- encourage them to chart a top seed instead of simply hanging out at the site.

Smart players and parents often go one step deeper and actually have their athlete chart the later rounds so that later they can do a comparison study.

 

On a personal note, I remember when my daughter was 14 years old and was #2 in the nation. There were 5-6 video cameras filming her matches. These were placed by parents of her rivals attempting to either learn how to have their child play like her or to organize a game plan in case their child plays her in a future event.

 

Secondary Tennis Strokes

Posted on January 3, 2023 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
Available through most online retailers!

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QUESTION: What are secondary strokes?

 

Frank: Building a solid foundation is vital to your child’s success. Although this is not another “Mechanical Stroke Book,” a flawed stroke causes unforced errors, produces short vulnerable balls, causes injuries and inhibit your child’s growth into the next level of competition. If stroke production is what you seek, I recommend my bestselling book Championship Tennis. In this book, primary and secondary stroke production is covered in extreme detail.

 

“Efficient stokes aren’t always elegant strokes.”

 

Just as being tall is a prerequisite to playing in the NBA, efficient strokes are a prerequisite to playing in the highest levels of tennis. But, if just being tall earned you the right to play in the NBA, my cousin Big Vinnie wouldn’t be driving a limo at Kennedy airport. So, though fundamental strokes are important, they are only part of the puzzle.

Here’s a fun painter’s analogy. To this day, we can all run to the store and pick up a beginner’s paint set. These pre-packaged sets come with paper, a paint brush and a strip of a few basic paint colors. As we dabble and enjoy the art of painting one thing becomes evident, if only primary colors are used, the paintings will continue to look “amateur.”

Advanced painters have learned that to make a painting jump off the canvas and become “life like” they need to master the skills of applying secondary colors. Now, instead of applying one shade of green, they have multiple versions of green! They essentially have more tools in their painting toolbox.

 

Secondary Strokes

As parents and coaches, we have to assist in managing the time needed to develop each athlete’s secondary “colors”. I recommend encouraging, educating and developing both primary and secondary stroke principles. The following are the primary and secondary strokes in an elite tennis player’s tool belt:

 

The Six Different Types of Forehands and Backhands:

  • Primary Drive
  • High Topspin Arch
  • Short Angle
  • Defensive Slice
  • Drop Shot
  • Lob

The Three Types of Serves:

  • Primary Flat Serve
  • Kick Serve
  • Slice Serve

The Five Types of Volleys:

  • Primary Traditional Punch Volley
  • Drop Volley
  • Swing Volley/Drive Volley
  • Half Volley
  • Transition Volley

The Four Types of Lobs:

  • Primary Flat Lob
  • Topspin Lobs
  • Slice Lob
  • Re-Lob (Lobbing off of the opponent’s over-head smash)

The Two Types of Overheads:

  • The Primary/Stationary Overhead
  • The Turn & Run/Scissor Overhead

The 6 Types of Approach Shots:

  • Serve and Volley
  • Chip and Charge
  • Drive Approach
  • Slice Approach
  • Drop Shot Approach
  • Moonball Approach

 

The devil is in the details, they say. Maximizing potential requires the deliberate development of every tool in your child’s tool belt.

 

I got to know Tiger Woods a bit when I was the tennis director at Sherwood Country Club, in Westlake Village out-side of Las Angeles. We hosted his multimillion-dollar charity event at Sherwood annually. Before each round of golf, Tiger practiced every club in his bag. He often, secretly, flew to the site a week or so before the actual event to experience the courses uneven fairways, the speed of the greens, the feel of the sand traps and elements such as the wind.

 

“Winning is persistent, customized preparation.”

 

Advanced players have worked to develop their secondary strokes along with their primary strokes. With their complete tool belt of strokes, they apply these tools in shot sequencing patterns used to torture the opponents as they control both sides of the net.

If a deliberate, customized developmental plan is followed, it takes an average of two years to develop these “secondary” tools into reliable pattern-play weapons. If your child is simply grooving primary strokes…well, they’ll stop progressing and never actually realize their true potential.

To assist your youngster in controlling the court and the match, meet with their coaches and discuss their opinion regarding shifting focus in practice from only grooving fundamentals to developing a champion’s tool belt of strokes.

Like Tiger Woods, remind your athlete to warm up every stroke in their bag before each tournament match. Winning a close tie breaker is often decided on a few points. Making that crucial swing volley in the tiebreaker versus missing it is often a matter of confidence.

Training Best Tennis Style

Posted on December 29, 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
Available through most online retailers!

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QUESTION: What determines my daughter’s best playing style?

 

Frank: I recommend developing the path of least resistance. The game of tennis is an extension of your child’s personality whether you like it or not. Fighting their natural genetic predisposition is a waste of time and money. As is training without considering the athletes genetics. Simply put, your athlete’s best style of play is a reflection of their unique brain type and body type.

NOTE: If you haven’t done so already, please read the opening section regarding this critical topic.

Start by understanding your athlete’s personality profile and body type efficiencies and deficiencies. Below are a few examples that will help clarify the effect of a player’s unique brain and body type. (Note: There are exceptions to every rule. On occasion, some player’s off-court personality opposes their on-court personality.)

A prime-time example is my Aunt Loretta, a super kind and polite old lady until she got behind the wheel of her Chevy Nova!

Matching Personality Profile & Body Types with Appropriate Playing Styles:

  • Players that show impatience would be well advised to devise deliberate one-two punch patterns ending in shorter points. Patient players should use their frustration tolerance as a weapon to possible wear down opponents with longer grueling points.
  • Players that are flamboyant, with loads of energy, would likely thrive with a fast pace, attacking style of play.
  • Players that show restraint and are rather stoic would likely benefit from a safer, counter punching style of play.
  • In regard to body type dominance, fine motor skilled athletes (with good hands) may benefit from a net rushing style. Gross motor skilled athletes (who coil and uncoil more efficiently) would likely thrive in a back court style of play.

I worry when parents spend boat loads of time and money without ever acknowledging the athletes likes and dislikes with the player and their hired entourage of coaches. Assessing and organizing the athlete’s organizational blueprint is parent accountability 101.

Caution: A misconception of many parents and junior players, is to copy the style of their favorite ATP or WTA star, who is successful with a particular style. Just because Serena Williams prefers a 4-ball rally with her “all out attacking” style doesn’t mean that your child has the brain or body type to flourish within that system.  Or just because Novak Djokovic enjoys 10 ball rallies with his “patient counter-attacking” style doesn’t mean his style is the best system for your athlete. Customization is key.

It’s the role of the CEO- facilitator parent to make sure that their athlete’s coaches are aware of their child’s unique brain and body design. Their child’s genetic predisposition along with their nurtured environment dictates their ability to maximize potential in the shortest period of time.

Coming in January The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

Posted on December 22, 2022 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND THE VERY IN THE BEST NEW YEAR!

COMING SOON

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TENNIS PARENTING

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The New Year is a great time to re-evaluate your tennis game and organize your training to maximize your tennis potential. Successful competitive tennis demands great mental and emotional skill sets. Be sure to include mental and emotional training along with your technical and athletic training.

Wishing you the Best, Frank Giampaolo

Tennis Training Organization

Posted on December 19, 2022 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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QUESTION: My Son isn’t that serious. Does he still need a plan?

 

Frank: I still highly recommend organizing a weekly schedule. Regardless of a player’s long-term aspirations, whether it is to play as a professional or simply play as a hobbyist, an organized blueprint will maximize potential at the quickest rate through discipline.

Completing a weekly planner and being accountable for their time and actions are essential life lessons.  A disciplined player may excel and find a passion greater than initially expected or choose to redirect their passion, either way important life skills are nurtured through the discipline of organization.

 

For those parents and coaches saying, “What about the child that only wants to be a high school player?” I remind them that I’ve yet to have a parent come to me and state: “My wife and I want you to train our daughter to be a completely average tennis player!”

 

“An athletes schedule may vary depending on their goals, but their organizational
skill sets will become permanent assets.”

A Peek into a Top Tennis Player’s Training Schedule

Posted on December 16, 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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QUESTION: What does a top player’s weekly training schedule look like?

 

Frank: A player’s training schedule is one of the most important aspects of the tennis parent’s job description.  Managing each component of a player’s organizational plan will provide accountability to all members of the player’s team. Remember, the tennis parent is the CEO of the organization and ultimately in charge of their child’s life development.

I encourage parents to customize the training to their player’s needs. The training requirements of younger players will vary dramatically based on their physical, mental and maturity levels. Additional factors to consider include the player’s personal growth development schedule and how well they digest information. (An experienced coach can help to identify your child’s levels.)

 

“There is no one-size-fits-all formula to maximizing potential at the quickest rate.”

 

Assisting your child in organizing their weekly schedule will help them to develop time-management skills that will prepare them for life on and off the courts. I highly recommend holding a meeting with your athlete’s coaches to get updates from them in regard to your child’s progress. Their opinions will help you to better manage your player’s schedule. It’s important to remember that the estimated success formula to becoming world class at any talent is about twenty hours a week for about ten years.

Following is a sample week of one of my top nationally ranked U.S. Juniors. His long-term goal is to play Division I college tennis and then progress onto the pro tour. His weekly schedule shifts between 20 and 30 hours a week depending on his tournament schedule.

 

Sample Training Week

Practice Sets/Tournament Matches: 4 Hours

It’s important to schedule different styles and different ability levels of opponents.

Technical Stroke Lessons: 4 Hours

Correct flaws in their primary strokes and begin to build their secondary strokes.

Mental & Emotional Training: 4 Hours

During live ball sessions, focus on between point rituals as well as proactive patterns to beat the 3 styles of opponents.

Video Analysis: 1 Hour

Video tape a tournament match, then have a pro do a video analysis lesson. Chart to spot tendencies. (This will be covered in great depth later in this book.)

Off-Court Gym: 3 Hours

Core and upper body strength is more important than ever. Hit the gym to prevent injuries as well as build muscle mass.

Off-Court Cardio: 4 Hours

Cross train with short sprints, up hills. Use a random directional approach to clean up hesitation.

Watching Tennis on TV: 2 Hours

Chart the pros, spot styles of play, analyze footwork, and decipher patterns and tendencies of players.

 

Total Training in One Week:  22 Hours

Tennis and Perfectionism- Part 2

Posted on December 2, 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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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

The following post is an excerpt from 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
Available through most online retailers!

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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.