Tag Archives: tennis

“I hit for 10 minutes … I’m ready!”

Posted on November 5, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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“I hit for 10 minutes … I’m ready!”

 

“Prepare both hardware & software components
for battle!”

Preparing for pressure demands more than merely warming up one’s fundamental strokes. The week leading up to the event is a terrific time for the athlete to organize their clothes, equipment, and nutrition and hydration requirements. For example, early preparation allows leeway if the athlete unknowingly is out of his favorite strings or their lucky shorts are in the wash.

Come game day, I recommend athletes prepare their mental and emotional components by reviewing their pre-recorded audio tapes the morning of the match. Complete a dynamic stretch and warm-up their primary and secondary strokes with multitasking movement. (Hitting on the move instead of just standing still.) Prior to checking in, hydrate and go for a short run to reduce anxiety and warm-up the body.

 

Preparing for pressure requires the confidence that comes from complete preparation.

PERFORMANCE ANXIETIES

Posted on October 31, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Preparing final cover 3D

PERFORMANCE ANXIETIES

 

Most athletes experience performance anxiety. It’s only natural when being judged. Performance Anxieties Insights were written as a guide to problem-solving real-life fears through exposure versus avoidance. Exposing an athlete in practice to match-day stressors helps to desensitize the athlete to their anxieties.

Each player’s genetic predisposition and upbringing play critical roles in the amount of stress they choose to suffer.

Often at tournaments, I witness role models (parents and coaches) who are far too focused on the outcome. When this occurs, the athlete is sure to follow with timid play, which is a sign of an outcome-oriented athlete on the verge of self-destruction.

On a deeper level, we as parents and coaches want our athletes to experience consistent, daily satisfaction. This type of long term happiness doesn’t come from winning tennis trophies. Instead, it stems from constant, daily growth. Confidence skyrockets only when the athlete’s effort and parental praise is placed on improvement versus winning. By focusing on the effort versus the outcome, performance anxieties are diminished. Let’s look at a few common performance anxieties.

Parents, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?

Posted on October 26, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Preparing final cover 3D

Parents, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?

 

“Your Weekly Initiative Separates Your Athlete From Their Peers?”

All throughout the history of tennis, we have seen ordinary men and women come from humble backgrounds with nothing but a dream. Most of these athletes weren’t especially gifted or financially wealthy. Yet they were able to become top ATP and WTA professionals. What separates us from them is their family commitment to push beyond mediocrity. It doesn’t take much effort to be average. Follow the crowd, and you’ll reach that level.

Most athletes dream of playing professional or NCAA ball but only a few are destined for greatness. It’s estimated that only 5% of High school varsity tennis players move on to play high-level college tennis. It’s not their lack of athleticism, it’s their lack of a deliberate, customized developmental plan.

 

The tennis success you seek requires a high tennis IQ, well developed emotional aptitude, and the acceptance of serious weekly growth.

FIND THEIR WHY

Posted on October 23, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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FIND THEIR WHY

 

“The willingness to prepare is more important than wanting to win. Preparing to be great begins with WHY?”

Mr. Jones wants the new S500 Mercedes Benz with jet black exterior and the baseball-mitt brown leather interior. To afford such a luxury, he realizes he has to work overtime for the next few years. Mr. Jones found his “Why” (his new dream car), so he’s happy to put in
the extra at work.

Junior athletes need to choose between being a champion or a “normal” kid. They also need to buy into their “WHY”- intrinsic motivation. I recommend planting the seed of athletic royalty at the college of their choosing. Review the common perks of the typical college athletes such as free books/laptop, priority registration, room & board, full time dedicated tutor, and of course, tuition!

 

The multiple benefits and rewards of participating in college tennis may be the reasons why young, intelligent athletes put in their daily work.

Confidence Stems From Culture

Posted on October 22, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Preparing final cover 3D

 

Confidence Stems From Culture

“Parents, your thoughts and emotions are highly contagious.”

The parents are the athlete’s most consistent sphere of influence. Parents can help prepare athletes for pressure by priming confidence through solution-based optimistic dialog. They should also model positive life skills daily.

Parents would be wise to nurture their athlete’s software (mental and emotional skills) as much as they expect a hired coach to develop their child’s hardware (strokes and athleticism).

Let’s look at a typical week. We all get 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s 168 accountable hours. If a high-performance athlete is training their hardware with their coaches for approximately 20 hours a week, how many hours are left for parents to assist in the software development? The remaining 148 hours a week offer wonderful opportunities for mental and emotional growth.

Being clutch at crunch time is a learned skill. Understanding how to thrive versus wilt under pressure is developed by master coaches and master tennis parents. Another great question parents should ask themselves:

Is someone routinely mentoring the mental & emotional protocols needed to handle pressure in competition? If not, consistent disappointment is sure to shadow most upcoming tournament competitions.

Parents, if you’re not developing incredible character traits, a moral compass, and essential life skills, who is? Preparing for pressure requires the development of the athlete’s software skills.

 

Parents are the athlete’s most consistent sphere of influence.

Ten Questions Parents Should Ask Their Athletes

Posted on October 10, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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Ten Questions Parents Should Ask Their Athletes

 

“Ask…don’t tell.”

Let’s begin with identifying the number one question parents should NOT ask, “Did you win?” This question pulls the athlete into an outcome-oriented mindset, instead of being growth-minded. The art of communication with athletes includes promoting accountability and problem-solving. Commanding your child what to think is a sure-fire way to encourage disconnection. It’s our job to show them where to look, but not to tell them what they see. Teach your athlete to analyze their performance and to research solutions which promotes growth and retention.

Questions Parents Should Ask:

  1. How was your preparation?
  2. How do you feel about your performance?
  3. What worked well?
  4. What can you improve?
  5. What did you learn?
  6. How else would you have handled that?
  7. What would you do differently next time?
  8. Are you satisfied with your level of play?
  9. How was your composure under pressure?
  10. Did you thank your coaches?

Competitive tennis is incredibly emotional. Parents, it’s within your job description to share your calmness versus partaking in their chaos. Your child needs to hear, “I want to hear your opinion. I believe in you. I’ll always be here to help you.”

Understanding Internal Pressure

Posted on October 8, 2019 by in Personality Profile/Learning Preference, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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Understanding Internal Pressure

 

“Thriving under pressure requires exposure- not avoidance.”

Teaching a junior competitor to handle internal pressure is a complicated affair. It greatly depends on their genetic predisposition. Some personality profiles are wired to overthink, worry, and stress, while others are natural-born competitors. If your athlete wilts under pressure, this is for you!

A solution that will help athletes to become comfortable in match play is replacing the mindless grooving of strokes in the academy with actually competing in real practice matches. Organize your athlete’s training sessions to focus on competitive, simulated stressful situations on a daily basis.

After a solid foundation is built, redundant technical training is counter-productive. Preparing for pressure demands exposing the athlete to more live ball flexible skills training. This allows them to make the software mistakes and learn from them on the practice court long before tournament play occurs.

A second solution in preparing for pressure is to avoid always enrolling your athlete in events above their actual match play level. I recommend also registering your athlete into lower level, winnable tournaments. This will allow them to gain the much-needed experience of playing longer at their peak performance level six matches in a row. Athletes need to routinely experience what it’s like to compete in the semis and finals of events.

Athletes need to become accustomed to the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms and cures found in real match play. Only with experience will they learn how to perform under pressure.

 

Parents, it’s your job to fluctuate your athlete’s exposure to the different levels of competition at the correct time. Their tournament scheduling should be customized to their current needs.

Discuss Conflict Resolution and Fear of Confrontation

Posted on September 29, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Preparing final cover 3D

Discuss Conflict Resolution and Fear of Confrontation

 

“Solving problems begins by confronting problems.”

When athletes are expected to be the competitor, the score-keeper, the linesman, and the umpire conflicts will exist. “Being judged” can bring out the best and worst in all of us. Often opponents who believe that they don’t have the physical tools to win employ gamesmanship to sabotage their opponent’s level of play. There are many gamesmanship situations that athletes need to be aware of, and it is the job description of the coaching staff to address these scenarios. It is also important to teach them to look systematically beyond the incident.

Often, it is not the specific opponent’s gamesmanship tactic but your player’s response to the drama that causes the emotional break the opponent seeks. Preparing for pressure includes how an athlete responds to confrontational situations and whether or not they can remain focused on their performance goals and avoid unraveling.

Covert gamesmanship in tournament play is also applied when the crafty opponent spots the nonverbal clues found in our athletes’ fear of confrontation. If your athletes have a fear of confrontation, address why standing up for themselves versus enabling the “bully” is in their best interest. Nurturing timid athletes to stand up for themselves improves their confidence as they learn to solve problems.

In the intermediate levels, emotionally weak competitors assume that confrontation is bad. If they disagree, the opponent won’t like them and therefore not want to play with them in the future. This is a false assumption. In tennis, the opposite holds true. Opponents that can easily bully and beat your athlete don’t return their calls. Athletes that stand up to gamesmanship and triumph, not only earn respect, they also benefit by getting to choose their future practice match opponents and doubles partners.

 

Confidence is earned by standing up to conflicts.

Organize Customized Developmental Plans

Posted on September 18, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Preparing final cover 3D  

Organize Customized Developmental Plans

 

 “A goal without a deliberate, customized plan …
is just a dream.”

Effective developmental plans are based on the athlete’s competency levels, efficiencies, and deficiencies, as well as long-term career goals.  Self-assessment is often inaccurate, so I recommend enlisting an experienced coach to provide feedback.

Athletes attending school routinely rotate from math to science to English – the school methodology. This structure produces well-rounded adults. Tennis training components are similar to school classes. Preparing for pressure requires the development of each component. Tennis instruction should consist of tennis-specific off-court/athleticism, primary & secondary stroke development, pattern repetition, sets, mental/emotional classroom sessions, match play video analysis, and tournament competition.

 

When a plan is in writing, you have the ability to track and measure the progress and hold the athlete and their entourage accountable for execution. Each plan should include goal dates to measure progress. Plan on revising the athlete’s development plan every 3-6 months.

Does Tennis Charting and Analytics Matter? -Part 2

Posted on September 15, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

Does Tennis Charting and Analytics Matter? 

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COURT POSITIONING MATCH CHART:

This chart will differentiate whether playing “reactive” tennis from behind the baseline earns the best winning percentages or whether playing “proactive” tennis from inside the court increases winning percentages. Note: The court position your athlete prefers to play may not be the position that wins them the most points.

MEGA POINT CHART:

Mega points are the game-winning points. This chart is especially important in competitive tennis because it highlights the game-winning points. Tipping a close match in your favor requires spotting a big point before it’s actually played, paying attention to match details and running the smartest patterns.

SERVING PERCENTAGE CHART:

This chart discriminates between the different essential factors required to hold serve, serve consistency, serve location, and first and second serve win-loss percentages. Ask your player to let go of the “speed” of the serve and begin to focus their attention on the above components. Note: On the WTA tour, second serve win-loss percentages are the most critical factor in deciding the outcome of the match.

Note: While applying analytical data, keep in mind exceptions shadow every rule in life, so customization is key.

(The Match Chart Collection by Frank Giampaolo is found at www.maximizingtennispotential.com )

 

Solid analytics through match charting can assist in spotting winning trends as well as
reoccurring nightmares.