Tag Archives: competitive edge

Tennis Tipping Point Tendencies

Posted on July 19, 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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TIPPING POINT TENDENCIES

 

Experienced champions have developed seemingly hidden skill sets I call, Tipping Point Tendencies. To the untrained eye, as the athletes warm up, opponents may appear to be equally matched with similar physical abilities. It is during match play that tipping point tendencies become apparent. The game is on and “playing catch” is over and playing “keep away” begins. These pre-developed skill sets are the critical factors that tip a close match in ones favor.

The tipping points are those hidden moments in each match when an emotional energy shift is about to happen.

 

“In close tennis matches, positive and negative energy and attitudes flows back and forth.”

 

Most intermediate athletes and their parents don’t even realize that this critical struggle for power is taking place. That is… until now! Mental readiness is required to control the positive energy.

Think back to the last few times your athlete lost tight matches. Chances are you blamed the losses on bad luck, or the opponent cheated, or your kid just did not have the “feel” that day, or for you superstitious types… you went to Quiznoz’s instead of Subway. Those re-occurring close defeats are most likely due to your child’s incomplete training and not lunch meat. Tipping point tendencies are essential learned behaviors that athletic royalty must master.

An athlete that shifts focus to the following tipping point tendencies, accelerates the learning process and a competitive warrior is born. Close matches are often decided by a handful of points. Let’s look a little deeper at ten of the top “hidden” tipping point tendencies that can help tip your athlete’s matches in their favor. Once again, these are terrific conversation starters for your athlete and their coaches.

 

Top Ten Tipping Point Tendencies:

1) Pay attention to the energy flow throughout the match. Who’s cranky and negative, who’s eager, hungry and positive? If you’re negative, apply your triggers and steal the energy back.
2) Monitor your state of mind. Is your mental and emotional state in the under arousal state of mind, in the optimal peak performance state of mind or in the over arousal state of mind?
3) Learn to spot the mental and emotional signs of choking (over-thinking) and panicking (under-thinking).
4) Manage the score to manage your adrenaline. Different points have different psychological values. Pay attention and get pumped up before big points.
5) Note that tennis scoring isn’t numerically fair: You can win more points than the opponent in the match and still lose the match. Winning requires spotting tipping points.
6) Spot the mega points (game winning points) and run the appropriate pattern that you’ve trained to death versus going rogue.

 

7) Spot mini-mega points. A 30-15 lead isn’t the correct time to relax. Winning that crucial point earns you a 40-15 advantage, lose it and you’re staring at a 30-30 tie.
8) Spot mini-mega games. These games in a set hold crucial building blocks. A 4-2 lead isn’t time to relax. Winning that mini-mega game earns you a 5-2 lead. Lose is and the sets a 4-3 dog fight.
9) Opponent profiling is crucial. It’s the flip side to running your Top 7 Patterns. Competitors who pay attention not only spot the opponents preferred patterns but actually shut them down on these big occasions.
10) Self-chart both sides of the net. Witness where errors and winners stem from and problem solve accordingly.

 

In regards to higher learning, I’m amazed at how often very young intermediate athletes understand this type of mental and emotional training. It is not reserved for the older advanced group. Parents and coaches, please remember, their world isn’t remotely like ours at their age. With Google on their smart phones, they are accustom to collecting and quantifying data at lightning speeds.

Have you ever witnessed your child on their phone with one friend, doing their homework, skyping another friend, snap-chatting, while eating and watching TV?  Children can multi-task. Asking an intermediate tennis player to improve their mechanical stroke components while improving their mental components is a piece of cake!

 

Mastering the tipping point tendencies is the art of winning under stress. Those seemingly “little things” are actually the extremely “big things” that make all the difference in tipping the odds in your favor.

One Set Wonders?

Posted on June 17, 2017 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

Frank Giampaolo

Encouraging “One Set Wonders”

First of all, I congratulate any juniors that actually play full practice matches. Across the country, most juniors hit for 20 minutes, maybe finish a set and then leave. They become accustomed to being “one set wonders!” This is especially true in the intermediate levels of junior tennis.

Winning those tough three set tournament matches require practicing whole matches. Rehearsing the art of closing out full matches versus a single set will improve their mental toughness.  If time is of the essence, I recommend that players play 3-sets, starting at 2-2 instead of the typical one set routine. Handling the stress of closing out the set is a big advantage.

 

“There is a huge difference between mechanical confidence and competitive confidence.”

Frustration Tolerance Level

Posted on February 2, 2017 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

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SOLUTION: Identify the Athlete’s Stress Management Profile

Athletes begin competition with their own unique level of composure. To the untrained eye, two athletes warming up may appear to have a similar athletic ability, but once the competition begins it’s an entirely different story. The degree to which an athlete responds to stress depends on their frustration tolerance level.

 

Frustration tolerance is the ability to endure stress and maintain composure when met with obstacles.

 

An athlete’s frustration tolerance level is an essential topic.  It plays a crucial role in why seemingly gifted athletes lose. Below are a few observations regarding frustration tolerance and opposing personalities under stress:

  • Some folks are both pre-wired and nurtured to agonize and over think. Others are pre-wired and nurtured combatants and ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
  • Some athletes become so overwhelmed by the opponent’s intensity that they emotionally withdraw. Other players get motivated by conflict and their energy rises to the occasion.
  • Some personalities are designed to thrive in fast pace settings – increasing their productivity under stress. While under the same stress, other personalities shut down due to the trauma.

I’ve found that the customization and repetition of practicing in the manner you’re expected to perform greatly assist those overthinking agonizers. By applying quality practice sessions (infusing simulated pressure into drills) over quantity practice sessions (stagnant familiar drills) overthinking agonizers can be nurtured to become strong competitors.

Controlling the Controllable

Posted on May 5, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Raising Athletic Royalty

Maximizing your player’s chances to perform in a calm, relaxed peak performance level, demands that the athlete and entourage control their controllables. While letting go of the uncontrollable variables. Junior tennis players and well intending parents often sabotage any real chance of success by cluttering their mind with irrelevant thoughts. Match day focus is a learned behavior that should be developed and practiced with pre-set protocols.

“Practice in the manner in which you’re expected to perform” and then… Perform in the manner in which you’ve practiced.”

A pre-match warm up and/or match time performance can be sabotaged by focusing on non-controllable external variables While it is important to give these outside influences a nod, dwelling on them will surely ruin any chance of peak performance.

List 5 elements a player cannot control:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

List 5 elements a player can control:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 “A player’s thoughts will either push them towards their performance goals or pulls them away from their performance goals.”

Attitude controls the mind and the mind controls the emotions and the body’s fluid movement. An optimistic attitude “frees the player up” to play at peak performance. I teach twin brothers, Jarred and Evan.  Jarred has a positive can do attitude- he optimistically performs his pre-match rituals before each event and chooses to see the positive in every situation. While, Evan has a pessimistic attitude before each event and choose to obsess about everything that he believes is wrong or could go wrong.

Evan’s pre-match conversations includes: I am really, really tired, I think I’m getting sick, it is going to be too hot or too windy or too cold, my start time is too early or too late, the drive to event is too long, my draw horrible, the courts are terrible, my racquets are strung incorrectly, they made my breakfast wrong, I have too much homework to focus on tennis…etc.

A negative attitude can destroy your player’s ability to perform to their best ability. The pre-requisite for peak performance is maintaining a positive attitude and proper pre-match preparation. Players, parents and coaches need to focus on being positive and proactive.

Example of Non Controllable Elements:

  • Opponent antics
  • Referees availability
  • Weather
  • Court surface
  • Draw
  • Outcomes
  • Rankings
  • Start times
  • Site distractions
  • Example of Controllable Elements:
  • Wandering mind
  • Emotions
  • Footwork
  • Opponent profiling
  • Effort
  • Attitude
  • Game plans
  • Proper pre-match preparation
  • Pre-match and match day protocols

“Taking control of what can be controlled will keep you on script, increase self-confidence and assist you in getting the results you are cable of getting. “

Thank you, Frank

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Essential Skills Champions Develop

Posted on February 2, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Primary and Secondary Strokes, Raising Athletic Royalty, Tennis Parent Education, Tennis Specific Training, The Tennis Parent's Bible

Ten Techniques Junior Tennis Championships Develop  0623P_5063

“A Junior Champion is much more than a gifted athlete”

By Frank Giampaolo

 

John Kolouski (The name has been changes to protect the guilty.) has the Babolat Pure Drive, strung with natural gut on the crosses and polly on the mains… just like the pros. He sports the latest “Nadal” Nike shirts, shorts and shoes. His 8-pack racket bag even says “TOUR TEAM” on it. Man, he even goes to a $40,000 a year tennis academy. At first glance, he looks like a sure bet for the pros.

Now let’s look at Johns’ regiment a little deeper. John loses early every event in an implosion of negative behavior. Hummm… why?

There is nothing more common than young, talented athletes that are Weak Competitors. After reading the following Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion, ask yourself if there are any similarities between John and your tennis phenom?

Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion:

  1. Champions face their fears versus avoiding them. If you ask John to play a practice set against a younger retriever he has 100 excuses why he can’t and won’t play.
  2. Champions have swagger which is truly different than fake, empty confidence. John willingly practices his primary stroke production and then routinely SKIPS his weekly regime of off-court training sessions, closing out set rehearsals, and secondary stroke practice. Empty confidence shatters under the slightest bit of pressure.
  3. Champions are strong competitor’s not just good athletes. Set up a great sparring session for John and he’ll tell you “No thanks…I’m good! …I already hit back and forth to a partner today.”
  4. Champions do everything to prepare properly. John often stays out late the night before a big event; he doesn’t make time for a real breakfast; he doesn’t organize his tournament bag; and he only hits for maybe 10 minutes before the match. And he believes he is ready.
  5. Champions know that they will lose more than they will win. John believes that he should win every match he plays.
  6. Champions develop problem solving confidence, perseverance, determination and work ethic. John just focuses on stationary strokes, week in, week out.
  7. Champions have self-belief and a positive outlook. John wears his ball cap backwards and twirls his racket confidently at the start of each tournament, until he begins to play. Then like clockwork, he loses focus, misses a few easy shots and then morphs into an “Emotional Basket Case” every weekend. John only has one game style- hard hitting baseliner.
  8. Champions develop several game plans, emotional solutions to common problems, agility and brain speed. John is brain washed into believing that if he perfects his primary strokes every day, he will go pro.
  9. Champions understand that controlling their adrenaline and concentration wins matches. John believes that he is the one and only gifted, athlete out there and that should be enough to sky rocket him to success. When his opponents begin to challenge his game, he folds emotionally and mentally.
  10. Champions spot tendencies and control the energy of the match. John simply hits the shots that feel good to him versus hitting the shots that feel uncomfortable to the opponent.

In conclusion, it’s important to understand that there is nothing more common than extremely athletic individuals with weak competitive skills. This is why, to the untrained eye, it appears that the better “looking” athlete should win. As you all know, it is not the case.

Once solid fundamentals are developed, the art of winning stems from repetition of competition.  “Practice in the manner you’re expected to perform” is the motto champions follow. Training with competitive or simulated stress drills will improve match performance.

Thank you for visiting, Frank

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