Tag Archives: tennis

How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 2

Posted on July 6, 2018 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from
Frank’s newest book,

THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNISSoft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5 

Click Here to pre-order eBook for only 2.99!  

SALE price through July 10

This chapter will uncover how brain design affects tennis performances. The following brain design categories can be used as an informal observation as you first profile yourself. However, I suggest going online to the dozens of more in-depth questionnaires. Choose the accuracy and depth of the personality profiling questionnaire that is right for you. After a bit of research, you will recognize learning preferences that best describe your brain design.

Let’s review the basics from earlier in this book. There are 16 configurations of personality profiles found around the world. By completing your chosen questionnaire, you will discover your association – a 4-letter acronym nicknaming your personality profile. Once comfortable with the terminology, you will be able to categorize your athletes into their unique design. Following is a list of commonalities I’ve uncovered on-court with my high-performance students.

Sensate (S) versus Intuitive (N)

  • Sensate Students
  • Choose to make decisions after analyzing.
  • Often hesitate on-court due to over thinking.
  • Thrive on the coaches facts versus opinions.
  • Enjoy practical details versus the “Do it cuz I said so!” method.
  • Need to know when and why not just how.
  • Success on-court is based on personal experience not theory.
  • Pragmatic need for sports science rational.
  • Comfortable backcourt players where they have more decision-making time.
  • Prefer organized, structured lessons versus time-wasting ad-lib sessions.

 

Intuitive Students

  • Trust their gut instinct and hunches over detailed facts.
  • In matches, often do first then analyze second.
  • Apply and trust their imagination with creative shot selection.
  • Thrive on new, exciting opportunities on the practice court.
  • In discussions are less interested in minute details and facts.
  • Learn quicker by being shown versus lengthy verbal explanations of the drill.
  • Seek the creative approach to the game.
  • Natural born offensive net rushers and poachers in doubles.
  • Enjoy coaches’ metaphors and analogies.
  • Often have to be reminded of the reality of the situation.

 

“PET scan and sensing perception studies from the University of Iowa show that different brain designs use various parts of their brain. Athletes are pre-wired with their genetics. Teaching them to compete on-court within their natural guidelines versus opposing those guidelines will maximize their potential and enjoyment of our great sport.

An analogy to illustrate this point is swimming downstream and working within one’s genetic predisposition versus swimming upstream and working against one’s genetic predisposition. While it is possible to find success outside one’s dominant brain design, it is much more difficult.”

 

The Soft Science of Tennis

Posted on July 3, 2018 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS

Released July 7

Pre-order your eBook for Only $2.99

OFFER VALID THROUGH JULY 10

CLICK HERE to Pre-order on AmazonSoft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

Pre-Order eBook Special Only $2.99

Posted on July 2, 2018 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS

Release Date: July 7, 2018! 

Pre-order your eBook for ONLY $2.99

CLICK HERE to Pre-order on Amazon

Soft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

Managing Thoughts and Emotions – Part 4

Posted on July 1, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

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

SOLUTION: The Evolution of Winnersea-in-sports4a_final

 

 “It’s not the strongest that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change.”

                                                           Charles Darwin

 

Being responsive to change is emotional aptitude. Winners innovate. The solution to becoming a winner is to be willing to take risks. Through risks comes rewards. Champions see taking calculated risks as necessary in order to achieve greatness. It’s important to note that in competitive sports, there is a difference between controlled aggression and reckless aggression. The same holds true with calculated risk versus reckless risk. In competition, only with risk comes reward. Athletes too afraid to take risks are commonly known as “spectators.”  Emotional aptitude is the mindset of taking your best shot at greatness, regardless of possible failure.

Benefits of Taking Calculated Risks:

The comfort of the familiar often takes precedence over the risk of the unknown, both in sports and in life. This safety zone destroys growth.  Taking calculated risks push athletes through pre-existing emotional walls and forges new emotional protocols. Without taking calculated risks, athletes cannot maximize potential. Improvement is not a result of random chance.  Improvement comes with systematic change. I’ve outline three critical benefits of taking calculated risks.

  • Enhances Skill Sets and Promotes Confidence

Developing new techniques and strategies is considered a risk for many athletes. Added skills are the tools in one’s tool box. With new tools comes a new found sense of confidence.

  • Improves Problem-Solving Skills

New solutions to long term problems will present themselves once you’re open to new ideas and are willing to try different approaches towards improvement.

  • Encourages Commitment and Trust

Taking risks encourage growth.  With growth comes new pathways towards improvement. New success, in turn reinforces inner belief and the risks then becomes the reward.

 

The benefits of taking calculated risks come from a growth mind set.

The Soft Science of Tennis -Industry Testimonials

Posted on June 29, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

Soon to be released (July 7, 2018!)- THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS.

CLICK HERE to Pre-order on Amazon

 

SOFT SCIENCE COVER2 COPY

“Frank’s positive attitude and his ability to see tennis from different angles make his insights fresh and unique. In The Soft Science of Tennis, Frank once again shows us different, powerful pathways to success.”

Eliot Teltscher, Irvine, California Top #6 ATP player, Former managing director of the USTA Player Development Program

 

“The Soft Side of Tennis is filled with insight and inspiration to help you reach your potential. In this extraordinary book, Frank Giampaolo shows you how to successfully utilize your skill set by developing a positive mindset.”

Roger Crawford, Sacramento California, Host of Tennis Channel’s Motivational Monday’s, Best-Selling Author-Hall of Fame Speaker
“The Soft Science of Tennis is not just another tool in your toolbox but another complete toolbox that every coach and parent should read. As in any sport, technical and physical abilities will not flourish until mental capabilities grow and strengthen. Frank takes you through the effective steps of how to assist your athletes in developing a strong and positive mindset. Any coach or parent trying to help a player who is striving for excellence, must read this book. This is definitely a book that I will purchase for the entire High-Performance coaching staff at CDL.”

Dean Hollingworth, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, WTA Trainer, CSCS, MTPS Director of High-Performance Club CDL

 

“Great book! I believe this is going to help a lot of coaches and players. It should be part of the mandatory curriculum as a teaching professional. The four parts of a performance paradigm are physical, equipment, technical, and mental. This book is a must for the mental side of the athlete. If you’re into building champions of life and on-court this book is a must.”

Dr. Sean Drake, Oceanside California, Performance Director at TPI

Industry Testimonials

Posted on June 27, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS Available July 7th.

CLICK HERE to Pre-order on Amazon.

 

 

SOFT SCIENCE COVER2 COPY

“The Soft Science of Tennis is another valuable resource from Frank Giampaolo. He is knowledgeable and passionate about sharing – these two qualities demonstrate why Frank has been a top-rated presenter at the PTR International Tennis Symposium. In The Soft Science of Tennis, Frank gets the message across and reminds us what’s truly important in our coaching. Communication, Engagement, Life Skills and Character Building are what really matter in the mark we leave on our students after we are gone!”

Julie Jilly, Hilton Head, South Carolina, PTR VP Marketing/Events

 

“Frank Giampaolo once again demonstrates that he is the supreme grand master of tennis psychology. What distinguishes champions from other players is what goes on inside their minds. If you want to play better and understand the kind of training is likely to work best for you, read this. Then, read it again.”

Clinton W. McLemore, Laguna Niguel, California Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, USC

 

“Frank Giampaolo has done it again. His new book THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS is all about what REALLY matters in tennis. In a world where most players are on an endless pursuit to perfecting their strokes, Frank teaches players about the BIG picture… things that will matter in the long run. If you’re serious about improving your game and thinking outside the box… this book is for you.”

Jorge Capestany, Michigan USPTA Master professional, PTR International Master professional, Founder, CapestanyTennis.com

 

“Frank has hit another ‘ace’ with his latest book The Soft Science of Tennis. He is a wealth of information in so many areas of tennis and always does a fantastic job in addressing the needs of athletes, parents, and coaches. This book’s an amazing read touching on the hidden topics of advanced communication and personality profiling which are often missed by many coaches.”

Michele Krause, Sarasota, Florida TIA Global Education Director- Cardio Tennis

Managing Thoughts and Emotions – Part 3

Posted on June 26, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Orderea-in-sports4a_final

In the heat of battle, it is important to recognize the cognitive difference between productive solutions based thoughts and the noise of unwanted contaminants.

 

When emotions are negatively controlling performance, the solution is finding a calm state of mind by applying a pre-set protocol specific to each athlete. This requires some thought. Quieting the mind and getting to a place of emotional stillness is emotional aptitude.

 

SOLUTION: Recognizing the Arousal State

A tip for athletes is to begin to acknowledge their arousal state. Be mindful. Why? Because without your knowledge … those emotions could be sabotaging your peak performance.

If most intermediate athletes could read their own minds during play, they’d be traumatized by what they find.  Without getting too “text book like,” an athlete’s state of mind is critical to control. The state of arousal can affect performance both positively and negatively. Of course, there’s a broad spectrum of negative stimuli called arousal. They range from low stimuli (under arousal) to high stimuli (over arousal). Low stimuli leads to a wandering mind and boredom. Such as thinking about the future- “Where’s the trophy going in my room?” High stimuli leads to panicking and fear without any proactive strategic thoughts. Such as hyper breathing, and going for more than the moment demands.

 

Be aware of your state of mind because it greatly impacts your performance.

The Soft Science of Tennis Industry Testimonials

Posted on June 25, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS Available July 7, 2018!

CLICK HERE to Pre-order on Amazon.

 

SOFT SCIENCE COVER2 COPY

“Frank Giampaolo has a rich understanding of what it takes to be a successful tennis player.  With passion and nuance, this book provides a great many insights — especially in such more mysterious realms as emotion and character.  There’s a lot to be learned here.”

Joel Drucker, Writer for Tennis Channel and Historian-at-large for the International Tennis Hall of Fame

 

“Under pressure, we’d like to think that our athletes will rise to the occasion…they don’t. They sink to the level of their physical, mental and emotional training. The Soft Science of Tennis delves deeper than strokes and uncovers how to get the most out of each individual.”

Dr. Mark Kovacs, Atlanta Georgia, Executive Director, International Tennis Performance Association (itpa-Tennis.org) CEO, Kovacs Institute (Kovacs institute.com)

 

“From my personal ATP experience, I can honestly say I struggled with the ‘software’ part most of my tennis career. Back then there was very little information on how to develop the ‘mental or emotional muscles.’ Frank has been doing this successfully for the past decade. I 1000% believe that the ‘software’ (mental & emotional) part of tennis is as important to build as the hardware (strokes & athleticism). I highly recommend Frank’s latest book: The Soft Science of Tennis. It’s an outstanding contribution to the game. If I had Frank coaching me…I would have won way more titles on tour.”

Johan Kriek, West Palm Beach, Florida. Former Top 5 ATP, 2- Time Grand Slam Champion, owner, Johan Kriek Tennis Academy

 

“Frank Giampaolo has nailed it again in The Soft Science of Tennis. This time he has led us to see the absolutely critical importance of connecting with our students by understanding their personality profile, cognitive design and learning styles. All great teaching begins with the tools he provides. Thanks to Frank for giving them to us in this outstanding book.”

Tim Mayotte, Boston, Massachusetts, Former Top 7 ATP, NCAA Singles Champion, USTA National Coach

 

Managing Thoughts and Emotions -Part 2

Posted on June 23, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

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

 

Professional Versus Amateur Game Day Emotional Aptitudeea-in-sports4a_final

After games, famous athletes are always asked for selfies by their adoring fans. An athlete who just won and had a terrific performance may say, “Sure! I’d be happy to!” He’s excited, cheerful and still fired up from the victory, so he smiles for the cell phone cameras and jokes with his fans. Just a few days later, that very same athlete suffers a devastating loss in which he severely under performed. After the game he yells to his fans, “NO PICTURES!” as he departs. He’s still frustrated and annoyed about the loss.

The change was the athlete’s emotional response to those performances and outcomes. Interestingly, the professional athlete controlled his emotions during both performances. It was only after the competition that he showed his emotional cards. Unfortunately, intermediate athletes let the wide range of emotions control their decisions and actions during competition.

Throughout competition, it’s not unusual to witness an intermediate athlete flow through being pleasant, to unhappy, to worried, to silly, to satisfied, to heartbroken, to defensive, to insecure, to apologetic, to fired up, to dejected, to furious, to panicky, to sorrowful, back to cheerful and pleasant. The optimal peak performance state of mind is lost in the athlete’s juggling of emotional aptitude.

 

Emotional control is just as important
as ball control in sports.

 

SOLUTION: Managing Emotions

Athletes have to practice not allowing their emotions to control their decisions and actions. Emotions distract an athlete from their competitive job description. Misplaced emotions can “kidnap” an athlete and although their bodies are still in the moment of the game, their head and heart is not … The first step toward controlling emotions is to be aware of one’s current emotional state. In athletics, they range from tranquil and calm to frustrated and angry. The intensity of these emotions will surely control the performer, if the performer doesn’t identify and control the emotions. Most often, when an athlete’s emotions run the show… their performance suffers.

It’s important for an athlete to give themselves permission to feel the negative emotions. This implies allowing cognitive and emotional flexibility. It’s normal for extreme level athletes to feel extreme emotions. The difference is not allowing negative emotions to steer the athlete into a downward spiral of poor performance.

Managing Thoughts and Emotions

Posted on June 21, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

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

Managing Thoughts and Emotions ea-in-sports4a_final

 

Let’s take a deep look into how our emotional aptitude shapes how we prioritize and structure our training as well as our performances. Here is a true story of how poor emotional aptitude destroys logic.

Pre-Game Personal Sabotage

My student, Julia, is a highly intelligent Ivy League tennis star. She was set to warm up and spar a set with a higher ranked rival at the finals of the ITA Summer Circuit.

As we arrived at the tournament site, Julia asked me to stay in the car instead of doing what I was being paid to do, which was to be on-court coaching. Julia was worried that she’d look “uncool” having her coach with her, since her drilling partner was coming alone. Already, I saw that Julia’s poor emotional aptitude was destroying a real learning opportunity.

So not to add further stress, I simply reminded her to warm up quickly and get right into playing a set. After all, the practice session was scheduled to play sets and not to practice stroke production. (Julia and I had already drilled for a few hours in the morning.)

Julia’s game is built around attacking the net and shortening the points, so I wanted her to rehearse her winning style of play. They hit the court for their one hour time slot and quickly got right into a back court rallying groove. Five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 35 minutes of simply playing catch, back and forth. (Remember- competitive tennis is a game of keep away … not catch!) Now 45 minutes into their one hour session they then began to take warm up serves, and then played one 7point tie-breaker and walked off the court.

As Julia got back into the car, I questioned her: What happened? You knew you were supposed to practice in the manner you are expected to perform, not just rally back and forth.

Julia replied: “That’s what she does in college, it’s normal for her, that’s her game. She likes to stay back and groove, so I did what she wanted instead.” I of course replied, but that is not your game. Practice matches and sparing should be used to practice and reinforce your strengths to increase your game day confidence.

 

Because of poor emotional aptitude, Julia wasted the session warming up the system that she’s not even going to be applying in her upcoming matches. Now fast forward to the next morning. Julia lost a close match missing several approach shots and key volleys. Why? Julia’s fear of confrontation over-rides her improvement and performance needs. Due to her poor emotional management, Julia chose to train without her hired coach to please her practice partner, instead of improving and building her own skills.

 

Emotional Aptitude impacts everything… It’s more important than you think …

 

In high performance sports, our thoughts, decisions and actions are first subjected to the athlete’s emotions. Each athlete’s “head space” influences a variety of opposing decisions based on feelings, not intelligence.