Tag Archives: tennis training

Managing Training Time

Posted on August 24, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s #1 Amazon’s New Release Tennis Book, Preparing for Pressure
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Managing Training Time

“Value isn’t directly correlated to volume.”

Quantity versus quality of training is an underrated affair. Each minute isn’t equal to the next. Effective time management is essential in a deliberate, customized developmental plan. In regards to maximizing a student’s potential at the quickest rate, training should be intensely focused on the individual’s unique needs.

If athletes aren’t getting the results they’re capable of; it may be the perfect time to design a new developmental plan.

I’ve witnessed expensive training sessions ranging from total time-wasting games to fun/socialization, to the development of skills and the repetition of those skills. While they all offer value, mastery of an individual sport requires a tailor-made, personalized plan.

 

Properly preparing for pressure requires evaluating the athlete’s competence and confidence.

Match Play Anxiety- Part 1

Posted on June 11, 2019 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 NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

 

QUESTION: Why is avoiding performance anxiety in practice bad?

 Frank: Avoiding stress in practice only magnifies a player’s performance anxiety during future competition. This avoidance keeps competition scary and uncomfortable and fuels the athlete’s lingering self-doubt.

“Players are actually increasing their anxieties by dodging their fears.”

 Every time a player sidesteps their issues, the thoughts of possible failure multiply into a serious lack of confidence and self-esteem. Their apprehension and fear of competition will actually increase until they agree to stop avoiding their fears.

The College Search Process- Part 2

Posted on March 15, 2019 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 NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

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College Athletics:

If college athletics is your child’s goal, it is in your best interest to begin preparing early. Putting off serious training until your child is in high school is most often too late.

 

“The ultimate goal for a high school age athlete is to be in the “Buyer’s Market.”

 

The Buyers’ Market versus the Sellers’ Market:

The buyers’ market means your child has focused on developing their skills and achieving athletic royalty (Top National or ITF ranking) and the top college coaches are not only aware of them, but they are also heavily recruiting them in a bidding war.

It is important to understand that if you and your child have waited to get serious about their sport until high school age, you will most likely be in the “Seller’s Market.” In essence, as a parent, your job will be to “sell” your child’s possible value to the coach. Your child is now one of the thousands of talented but unproven athletes vying for the leftover scraps of scholarship funds. If you think the task of “selling” your child’s skills is tough, wait until you have to write those dreaded big checks for their education. If you build a champion the coaches will come to you!

 

“Get ahead of the crowd early by applying a deliberate, customized development plan. Successful college athletic careers are preceded by years
and years of successful preparation.”

 

Preparing for college early will not only bring the college scholarship offers to you, but it may also even help you open a door that may have otherwise been closed. For example, Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships but your child’s tennis may give them the admittance edge over other students with similar or even higher academic profiles.

For more details regarding the college search process, please visit my dedicated eBook: How to Attract a College Athletic Scholarship.  It has everything you didn’t even know…you needed to know! www.maximizingtennispotential.com

Listening to Your Player

Posted on February 19, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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 NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

(The following re-post is a top requested post!)

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LISTENING

“Listening is the missing link of communication.”

 

The ability to listen is yet another crucial tennis parental skill.  It’s in the best interest of the tennis parent to create a positive, supportive and communicative environment to maintain healthy parent/child/coach relationships. To illustrate this point, I have included a letter that was written by a teenage girl to her father.

 

Dear Dad,

What I’m about to say is hard for me. So hard I can’t seem to look you in the eyes and say what I want to say. I guess I’m afraid.

Maybe it’s best this way. Maybe you’ll listen with your eyes since you haven’t been hearing me. Maybe you just want to see what you want to see. That’s the champion you’ve been forcing me to be.

Dad, are you listening?

I know you want what’s best for me. I know you believe all the messages you’re sending will make me a better player. Dad, communication isn’t just sending messages, it’s also receiving them.

Dad, are you listening?

Look at my face, there is no joy. I’m angry all the time. I still continue to play week after week, tournament after tournament. I’m sad. No I’m miserable. Why can’t you see that? Do you notice any of this? I utter how I hate competing. I protest every single practice and yet you push me to try harder. You demand, “Be tougher Sasha, you have to aim to be perfect!” Well Dad, I’m not perfect. I just want to be normal.

Dad, are you listening?

I’m depressed and confused and feel that this life is your life, not mine! I love you. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me but I don’t think I want to play tennis anymore.

Dad, are you listening?

Love, Sasha

 

Receiving this letter was a major blow to Sasha’s father Stan. Because Sasha and Stan were my clients, Stan immediately came to me with his drama.  He wanted to know if he should just back off? He couldn’t believe she wanted to quit after all her success and the time she had invested in the sport.

Would gently pushing your child through a difficult stage in their career/development be the right thing to do? You bet! There isn’t a single champion who didn’t have a parent or paid authority figure pushing them past their comfort zone or carrying them when they couldn’t go on.

I asked Stan to ask Sasha this question, “Would it be alright to take a one-month sabbatical?” Then, take her rackets away and hide them. Don’t even mention the word tennis to her. If she never again brings up the subject, then she is done. That means you have a normal, healthy child. Go on vacations, enjoy weekends and appreciate your family.

If the game begins to pull her back, then she’ll be engaged for all the right reasons. It’s about choices. Giving her some time to see for herself that being an average teen, playing video games, texting nonsense to her friends and hanging out at the same mall every weekend isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. She needs to see for herself that the grass isn’t always greener. She’s a great kid. She’s smart. Trust me, just let this play out.

 

By the tenth night of Sasha’s sabbatical, she was bored to tears. She came into her parent’s room and asked if they can hit a few balls tomorrow -with a new sense of purpose. Sasha went on a tear. She won two national titles in the following months.

 

Developing A Family Philosophy Toward Tennis

Posted on February 16, 2019 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 NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

IMG_080_R_WHITEDEVELOPING A FAMILY PHILOSOPHY

At the competitive level, being a tennis parent is one of the most incredibly rewarding, yet most challenging adventures you will ever undertake. Tennis parents with a clear understanding of their own family’s unique “life philosophy” are more likely to avoid drama, stress, and misunderstandings.

Asking your child to be emotionally stable under adverse conditions, if you, the parent cannot control your own anxiety, destroys the positive messages you are trying to deliver. Tennis builds character on a daily basis. I encourage you, the parents, to reinforce the same positive character traits developed through sports. This is critical in solidifying these powerful life lessons.

 

“The family’s philosophy is their basic beliefs, attitudes, and moral compass.”

 

Let’s look at a former client and take a peek into his family philosophy.

 

Medviv Terknova’s daughter, Anna was a student of mine for a short while. My coaching and life philosophy didn’t quite gel with Medviv’s family philosophy.

Medviv Terknova came from Novosibirsk City, Siberia with his 10-year-old little girl. He heard about a Russian girl named Maria Sharapova and had been following her endorsement contracts. In 2009, it rose above the $200 million dollar mark.

Medviv’s philosophy was simple. He’ll do anything to provide for his daughter Anna. Medviv left his wife Anka and two children, Provic and Zoron back in Siberia in their 800 square foot apartment. He hadn’t seen them in over a year.

Medviv changed his daughter Anna’s birth date from October 1998 to 2000 on her passport because he wanted to give her an edge in the U.S. tournament rankings. Medviv stood 5 ‘6’’ and wanted his daughter to be taller. So he had his daughter injected with experimental growth hormones to ensure that she reach a competitive height.

Medviv washed dishes and performed menial labor at his daughter’s academy in exchange for tuition. Medviv was a dictator-style parent and could be heard at every practice session screaming advice through the chain link fence. In Anna’s matches, Medviv would often applaud the opponent’s errors and quietly smirk as Anna cheated at the right times. His philosophy is that “nothing will stand in my way.”

 

Is this family philosophy right for you? I hope not!

It may be tempting for some to employ unethical tactics at the lower levels of competition to gain an advantage, but those tactics are unavailable at the higher levels. National finals, collegiate finals and/or most main draw Pro Tour events have linesman and umpires.

 

“Cheating only creates a false sense of security.”

 

Those who have relied on manipulating, cheating and gamesmanship as their primary weapons in junior tennis match play lack the essential self-confidence needed at higher level tennis. Developing your own philosophy will help you, your spouse and children to avoid unnecessary pressures. Having pre-set guidelines will assist you in the development of your child’s personal philosophy. It will also aid you in acquiring the right coaches through the different stages of your child’s development. (To learn more about gamesmanship see: Section IV Common Questions and Solutions: Competitive Dramas.)

 

Training Blunder

Posted on June 9, 2017 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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 NOW available through most on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

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Believing Weekly Lessons are Enough

I teach two families from Los Angeles. Both families come for 2 hours of private lessons each week. That’s where the similarities end.

The parents hold opposing views on how to raise a tennis champion. The Johnsons believe that they need to make their 12 year old Kelli 100 percent self-sufficient. Mrs. Johnson says “It’s up to her to do it, I can’t force her.” As a result, Kelly hits about two hours a week.

Mr. Asari believes that no one gets famous all by themselves. He and his son spend approximately 15 hours on the ball machine, playing practice sets, serving baskets, going for runs, hitting the gym and watching tennis on TV.  They both get the same 2 hours’ worth of weekly lesson. The critical factor in the formula is not the lesson, but what the parents choose to do weekly around that lesson.

 

The parents who see it as their responsibility to actively stay engaged consistently have higher ranked children, all the trophies and all the college scholarship offers.

Fundamentals are only the beginning!

Posted on January 15, 2015 by in Customized Organizational Plan, How To Attract A College Scholarship, Maximizing Tennis Potential

Raising Athletic Royalty: Insights to Inspire for a Lifetime- Provides essential insights, motivational quotes and perfect phrases to assist parents and coaches to inspire greatness in their athletes.

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The following is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

Are you saying fundamental tennis strokes are NOT important?

In a word, NO.  Building a solid stroke foundation is vital to your child’s success.  You can find thousands of YouTube instruction videos on the subject.  But winning tournaments involves much more than fundamental stroke production.  Here are few new insights to share on this topic.

A flawed stroke causes unforced errors, produce short vulnerable balls, cause injuries and inhibit your child’s growth into the next level of competition.

FUN FACT: Strokes are a prerequisite to playing in the highest levels. Just as being tall is a prerequisite to playing in the highest levels of basketball. 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.

Yes, strokes are important. For some of your youngsters, it may be time to look into developing the hidden side of stroke production. The insight I want to reiterate with you is the development of secondary strokes.

The Painter’s Analogy

To this day, we can all run to the store and pick up an intermediate paint set. These pre-packaged sets come with canvas or paper, a few brushes and a strip of colored paint. These “strips” are made up of the primary colors. As we dabble and enjoy the art of painting one thing becomes evident, if only primary colors (red, green and blue) are used, the paintings will continue to look “amateur.”

Advanced artists and surely professionals have learned that to make a painting jump off the canvas, to become “life like” they need to use secondary colors as well. Now, instead of applying one shade of green, they have numerous versions of green! Advanced painters use both primary and secondary colors.

As parents, we have to encourage, educate and develop secondary stroke principles. The following are the primary and secondary strokes in a Champion tennis player’s tool belt.

The Four Different Types of Forehands and Backhands:

  1. Primary drive
  2. High, topspin arch
  3. Short angle or side door
  4. Slice or drop shot

The Three Types of Serves to Develop:

  1. Flat
  2. Kick
  3. Slice

The Four Types of Volleys to Develop:

  1. Traditional punch volley
  2. Drop volley
  3. Swing volley
  4. Half volley

The Three Types of Lobs:

  1. Topspin lobs
  2. Slice lob
  3. Re-lob (lobbing and over-head smash)

The Two Types of Overheads to Develop:

  1. The stationary “freeze” overhead
  2. The turn & run/scissor overhead

The 6 Types of Approach Shots:

  1. Serve and volley
  2. Chip and charge
  3. Drive approach
  4. Slice approach
  5. Drop shot approach
  6. Moonball approach

Intermediate players simply hit their primary strokes and react to whatever the opponent throws at them. Advanced players are proactive. They often run patterns used to control both sides of the net. In essence, they control both players’ actions.

It takes an average of two years to develop these tools into reliable weapons. To assist your youngster in controlling the court and the match, shift focus and have some fun developing all these skills.

Before each tournament match, remind them to warm up every stroke in their bag. Winning a close tie breaker is often decided on a few points. Making that crucial swing volley versus missing it is often a matter of confidence.

FUN FACT: I got to know Tiger Woods a bit when I was the tennis director at Sherwood Country Club. 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 rehearsing the courses uneven fairways, the speed of the greens, the feel of the sand traps and elements such as the wind. Winning is persistent preparation.

Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
(949)933-8163
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
www.RaisingAthleticRoyalty.com

 

Improve your Tennis Game by Watching the Professionals

Posted on January 14, 2015 by in Tennis Parent Education, The Tennis Parent's Bible

Special Release Offer: Raising Athletic Royalty will be on sale for a limited time- $9.99 beginning Monday January 19 through January 31.  Don’t miss out!Raising Athletic Royalty

How Can You improve Your Game Watching the Pros?

Watching tennis on TV can be truly helpful if your child is watching with a purpose.  Below, I have outlined ten specific skills your child should focus on while watching professional tennis players on TV or in-person. Better yet, watch the professionals together as you both spot these ten tendencies.

  1. Watch One Player’s Feet

Most Pros take 10 steps for every 3 steps a ranked junior takes. Have your child simply watch the shoes.

  1. Watch Between Point Rituals

They often appear to be looking at their strings while they use internal vision. Pros control their emotions and spot tendencies. This means they pay attention to how points are being won and lost.

  1. Spot Offense-Neutral-Defense Shot Selection

Way before the incoming ball reaches the net; a pro has chosen the next appropriate shot selection. Call out the correct choice as a Pro prepares to strike. If you can spot the appropriate selection with a Pro, spotting your opponents next shot will become easier.

  1. Spot This Typical Mistake: “Change the Angle …Lose the Point”

Changing the angle is encouraged when you are inside the court. It is discouraged when you are behind the baseline. Watch for appropriate angle changing and inappropriate angle changing attempts. Even top pros often miss when they attempt a down the line screamer from way behind the court!

  1. Spot Styles of Play

Who’s the hard hitting baseliner? Who’s the counter puncher retriever? Is there an all-court net rusher? Spotting the opponents style is the first step to devising patterns and controlling a match. If your child can spot a pros style of play, my bet is they’ll be terrific at spotting their next opponents style of play!

  1. Spot Proactive Patterns

Pros do not simply react. They run one-two punch patterns. Can your child spot them?  Ask them to point out serving patterns, return patterns, rally or net rushing shot sequences.

  1. Spot Secondary Shots

Pros do not just have a forehand, a backhand, a serve, and a volley. They have a whole “Tool Belt” full of secondary shots and they know when to activate them.  Can your child spot a swing volley, a short angle/side door building shot?

  1. Watch for Open versus Closed Stance Ground Strokes

Call out “open” and “closed” when you spot a pro choose the appropriate stance. Understanding when and why you need them both is an important tool.

  1. Chart Errors to Winners

Having a great understanding of where your winners and errors are coming from as well as your opponent’s winners and errors may prove to be the deciding factor if your next match goes into a tie breaker! Actually charting a pro will lead to comprehending the importance of limiting errors.

FUN FACT: Top professionals often generate 5 unforced errors a match and 30 winners.  Juniors generate just the opposite!

  1. Court Positioning Chart

Chart a pro’s winning percentage while they stay behind the baseline versus their winning percentage while going inside the court. Often, juniors think they are better from behind the baseline. After charting a match, they find their winning percentage is actually better from inside the court.

Watching tennis on TV can be a wonderful learning experience. It will secretly lead to improving your child’s mental and emotional performance on the court. Thanks, Frank Giampaolo

Contact:
Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.maximizingtennispotential.com
www.RaisingAthleticRoyalty.com

Juniors Making it on Tour?

Posted on January 13, 2015 by in The Tennis Parent's Bible

Greetings,

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thank you for visiting, Frank

HOW COME SO MANY GREAT JUNIORS NEVER MAKE IT ON THE PROFESSIONAL TOUR?

There are several key components that undermine great junior tennis player’s careers. I call them roadblocks- secret ways the game weeds out the weak. Tennis champions work hard on and off the court long for many years before they become champions. Below I have listed a few common roadblocks that face many great junior tennis players:

Believing that if they are a better athlete, then they will win

Being a better physical athlete is only one third of the battle. If your child is weaker mentally or emotionally they will struggle. Another way to look at this issue is if an opponent looks physically superior to the rest of the field, then there is most likely something missing or something broken in their mental or emotional components. If they were superior in all three, they wouldn’t be in that draw.

Procrastination

Big time national titles are won by the champions because they accept the fact that they will be shedding serious blood, sweat and tears two months before the event begins. Procrastinators often do everything else except focus 100 percent on improving and fixing their problems. As long as they do not actually give 100 percent on the practice court, they will have a built in excuse…”If I had the time to practice, I could of beat her…etc.”

Quantity of practices versus quality of practice

Hopefully this tip is beginning to sink in, but rallying back and forth to a hitter or even worse, having balls fed right to your child’s strike zones does not in any way simulate tough playing conditions. Our battle cry is “Practice in the manner in which you are expected to perform.” Remember high end tennis is not a game of catch; it is a game of keep away!

Thinking that practicing hard for one hour is enough

Top tournament play often requires that your child compete in two, best of three sets, single matches daily. Since doubles play results count for their overall ranking, throw in a doubles matches as well. Let me ask you, how many hours a day is your child expected to run their tail off?

Under training off court

If your child “thinks” that they are mostly in shape…they are most likely not in shape. Players that are in great shape know they are in great shape. Getting past the third day of a big event is going to be a challenge for every junior who only “thinks” they’re in shape.

FUN FACT: Remember, solid fundamentals will get them in the draw. Being crazy fit keeps them in the draw. But being mentally and emotionally stable under stress wins titles

Cramming last minute for an event

Peak performance requires that your child applies periodization. Cramming in training days before a national event will lead to your child’s “batteries” half full. Also, their millisecond decision making skills won’t be sharp. They will hesitate with their judgments and often over think under stress. Lastly, last minute crammers usually end up playing sore or injured.

Mistake management

It is essential that your child understands the difference between a “good” mistake and a “bad” mistake. Also, did the mistake stem from technical form, inappropriate “shot selections” or poor movement? Mentally making the appropriate corrections without emotional condemnation is important.

Anger management

Poor preparation is the source of the problems that cause the anger. Plans and patterns should be nurtured months before an event. Tools are sharpened and the rust is buffed out.

SPECIAL NOTE: It’s not the opponent that causes the anger issues in a match. It’s the fact that the opponent has exposed a weakness that wasn’t fixed before the match began.

During the event, proper between point rituals and change over rituals is the key ingredient to managing emotions such as anger. Proper rituals also allow your child to save their precious physical, mental and emotional batteries needed later in the finals.

Blame management

Blaming is a common excuse many juniors prefect. Changing string tension, racquets, coaches, and academies is a short -term feel good fix. However, designing a strong personalized developmental program and sticking to it is the solution to their problems.

FUN FACT: Intermediates spend most of their time working on the strokes they already own. Advanced players spend most of their time perfecting the strokes and patterns they wish to add to their tool.

Lack of pre-match routines and rituals

Essential routines and rituals are used by professionals and often overlooked by junior competitors. Teens are often too cool to prepare. Rituals may include equipment preparation, nutrition and hydration at the right times, warming up their primary and secondary strokes, applying visualization sessions, going for a short run before going on the court. Champions act like champions long before they become champions.

SPECIAL NOTE: Kelly doesn’t like to eat when she is nervous. So, she chose to skip breakfast before her first round match at this year’s Easter Bowl. Kelly was scheduled to play at 9:30 am. The previous match went 3 long sets and Kellie didn’t get on court until 10:30.

Flash forward two hours and Kelly is going into the third set.  Kelly has not eaten for over 16 hours! Kelly is out of gas. Not eating has led to low blood sugar, which has led to a severe physical and mental breakdown. The breakdown lead to an entire emotional melt down and Kelly loses early to a player she could of beaten easily. Why?  She did not feel like eating.

Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
www.RaisingAthleticRoyalty.com