Tag Archives: tennis

Emotional Aptitude in Tennis

Posted on October 5, 2016 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Emotional Tennis

The following post is a re-post from The True Athlete Project. ea-in-sports4a_2d

EMOTIONAL APTITUDE IN SPORTS: THE CASE OF TENNIS

 “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s famous quote could not be a more fitting in the world of competitive tennis. Emotional Aptitude in Tennis peeks into why athletes with seemingly solid games lose… and lose often.   Most players enter the game intently focused on improving technical (strokes), mental (strategic) and their athletic components. Unfortunately, these outward components are kidnapped due to under-developed emotional skill sets.    I have written a new book, Emotional Aptitude in Sports, as a result of my curious obsession with the root causes of choking and panicking under stress.

Why do a handful of players at the club have all the trophies?

Why isn’t on-court stroke production, riding the stationary bike or buying the latest gear helping athletes earn more hardware?  To the untrained eye, technique and mental toughness seems to take the blame for most losses. But if these components appear flawless in practice on Friday only to abandon the athlete in Saturday’s match, there is definitely more to the story. All too often it’s an athlete’s lack of emotional aptitude that’s holding them hostage under stress. Successfully handling competitive pressure demands a more focused emotional developmental regimen.

Decades of observational research has shown me that emotional aptitude is more important than “perfect” technique in athletic competition.

Athletes are often frustrated that their match day performance is far inferior to their practice performance. The majority of tennis athletes interviewed believed that the inherent complexity of their sport is the cause of their stress that halts their success.  But in actuality, their stress is caused by simply being judged. While every top athlete must be willing to put in the hours developing their technique, becoming physically fit and understanding tennis specific strategic plans, to be a successful competitor, they must also to be able to perform when it counts. As professionals, we see it every weekend, in every age division whether we realize it or not. Elegant looking, well trained athletes often wilt under the heat of competition while seemingly unorthodox looking competitors flourish. Why?

The answer is the athlete’s lack of complete development- avoiding the development of the emotional component. 

Let’s use the computer analogy to further explain this phenomena. I’d like you to look at an athlete the same way you look at your computer. For the computer to run efficiently both the external hardware and internal software packages work seamlessly together. For the athlete, their hardware package consists of their technical and athletic aptitude. Their software package consists of their mental and emotional aptitude. Far too many athletes are unevenly developed as competitors.

Poor emotional aptitude actually causes your students technique to break down, their footwork to vanish, their focus to waver and their problem solving skills to abandon them when they need them the most. It’s our job as industry leaders to begin to develop the skill sets necessary to strengthen most athlete’s weakest link …which is the emotional muscle. 

 

Parents need to know that this situation is partially the teaching professional’s failure.  As I travel across the country I see two very common teaching scenarios, one set of coaches are the political “snow job” artist and the second set are true developmental artist. I see the “snow job” artist at posh country clubs, in parks and rec’s and coaching D-1 College. They are political masters. They fully understand that teaching “change” is difficult and uncomfortable. It’s much, much easier for them to fluff over the difficult changes and keep everyone coming back smiling next week. I get it- if the athlete wants to hit and giggle.  But in order to serve the best interest of the competitive tennis player, more of the second set of coaches are needed- those who choose to develop a complete athlete by developing technical, athletic, mental and emotional components to maximize the player’s potential.

I employ the coaches to take the high road in the education of your children. The challenge for both the parents and the coaches is to do the research and improve so teaching the more difficult components becomes second nature. This requires both IQ… And emotional aptitude. Which brings us full circle.

Understanding emotional aptitude, as a parent or coach, will help you to help your athletes as you connect at a deeper level. It will aid you in mastering difficult components and conversations. Most importantly, emotional intelligence will assist you in developing more efficient competitors at crunch time. I’m convinced that the future leaders are the teachers who are open to learning and then sharing.  This is what moves us all forward.

 

Connect with Frank Giampaolo via Facebook or receive his free monthly newsletter at: www.maximizingtennispotential.com
 

The 3 Control Dramas in Tennis

Posted on July 31, 2016 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 on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

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A New Way to Look At Strategy

To understand on-court control dramas, take a minute and think of a tennis match as a control contest. Each player is attempting to pull their opponent into their style of play to gain command of the match.

Three Control Dramas Seen in High Level Tennis:

1) The Power Contest

2) The Speed Contest

3) The Patience Contest

To simplify the process, the goal of competition is to choose the contest your athlete performs best. Then formulate a plan to PULL their opponent out of their own world and into your athlete’s world. Let’s look a little deeper, yet keep it simple:

I have a top 300 WTA player training with me.  We have customized her game plan to hide her weaknesses and expose her strengths. Her body type and brain type play a major role in customizing her success.

Weaknesses

Ann is light in stature. Her opponents are generally much bigger and stronger. We checked off and excluded the “Power Contest” from her A game plan. This is not to say that she might use power as a B or C game plan. Ann also has focus issues. We checked off the “Patience Contest” and excluded it as her A game plan.

Strengths

Ann possesses great speed and anticipatory skills. We chose the “Speed Contest” as her A game plan. Ann is extremely intuitive. She can sense when the opponent is vulnerable and knows “How” and “When” to move in and take away the opponents recovery and decision making time.

When Ann chooses to play her “Speed Contest”, she most often is able to move the bigger girls enough to force errors. She can also pull the retrievers off the court to open up winning angles. When Ann chooses to get into a “boomball-power” contest with bigger, stronger girls, she loses. When she chooses to out moonball a “World Class” moonballer she loses!

As I mentioned earlier, this section should be a conversation opener with your athlete and their entourage.  Knowing who you are is an important step in formulating your most successful game plans.

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

College Athletics

Posted on March 9, 2016 by in How To Attract A College Scholarship, 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 Orderblack_ebook_design2

 

 

THE COLLEGE SEARCH PROCESS

As a tennis parent, the long term development and direction of your athlete is a natural concern. The serious tennis players will likely set their sights on playing college ball. So it is not surprising that week in and week out, one of the most frequent question parents ask me, is how to go about obtaining a college sports scholarship for their child?

First of all, college sports are not recreational activities to dabble in while attending college.  College athletics is a business and the school expects their college team to win.

There’s a major difference between participating in your preferred sport as a hobbyist versus training for college athletics (pursuing a college scholarship). The question athletes should ask themselves is, “Do I want to be a hobbyist athlete or do I want to be an elite athlete?” The truth of the matter is…you’ll have to pick one, because you can’t be both.

 

“Top college recruits are former National or ITF Junior standouts.”

 

Serious competitors are nurtured differently than social competitors. College athletics requires more than seasonal participation in high school ball. The following list three pillars that separate the college scholarship players from the hobbyist:

 

1) Junior champions are born into inspiring and supportive environments.

Parental support is essential for athletic excellence. Becoming educated in the process is your job. Great coaches and trainers are there to assist you in your mission to raise a champion. Examples of extremely lucky athletes who were born into the right FAMILY environment include: Mcllroy, Woods, Phelps, Evert, Agassi, Chang, Sampras, Hingis, Roddick, Williams, Murray, Nadal, Federer, Sharapova, Wosniacki, Djokovic and Bryans just to name a few.

 

2) The love for the game is encouraged and nurtured early and consistently.

Athletic royalty becomes royalty with the help of loving and supportive parents and coaches that guide and oversee their athlete’s passion from an early age. Achieving greatness comes with great sacrifice from parents, coaches and the athlete. As they all laugh and learn throughout the incredible journey.

 

3) Champions strive to improve.

Elite athletes continually improve each essential component. There are other athletes in every corner of the globe training harder and smarter each day.  Champions know they cannot be complacent with their game.  Weekly improvement is part of the champions’ mindset. Congratulations! By purchasing this book, it is obvious that you are taking the right steps toward improvement…

 

CONTACT FRANK GIAMPAOLO
FGSA@earthlink.net

Confronting Gamesmanship

Posted on March 3, 2016 by in Cheating, 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

QUESTION: What are the solutions to confronting gamesmanship?

Frank: First of all, let’s be honest; cheaters do exist.  But let’s look at the issue from a growth angle. Cheaters will stretch your child beyond their normal frustration tolerance levels and that’s emotional toughness. Your athlete needs emotional intelligence as much as a wicked topspin backhand. Handling those “creative line callers” is a necessary stepping stone to becoming a tennis champion. Share with your junior champs the below ten factors and they will be better equipped to handle the antics of a cheater.

 Ten Solutions to Conquering Gamesmanship:  3 More Solutions…

Solution Number 4: Learn from the past but stay in the present.

The opponent’s past dramas may have robbed your child from a crucial point but your child’s wandering mind robs them of present and future points. Being emotionally in the past is another cornerstone of why cheaters do often win. Focusing on the past “hook” is a sign of your athlete’s emotional weakness.

“Past or future thoughts interfere with the present task at hand.”

 

Solution Number 5: Project confidence.

Act like you’ve seen these antics a thousand times and the opponent is silly to think you’re going to fall for such a petty tactic. A player with a powerful presence acts like they own the place. Some players shy away from confrontation. Learning to handle intimidation and confrontation is a necessary protocol at the higher levels of tennis.

“Be courageous, there’s no room for the insecure at the top.”

 

Solution Number 6: Shift focus from how the opponent is cheating, to how the opponent is playing.

This takes the counterproductive thoughts of their personal assault out of the equation. By applying opponent profiling, your child is able to zero in on the opponent’s physical skills or lack thereof and avoid the drama.

 

CONTACT Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

OPPONENT PROFILING

Posted on February 21, 2016 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 on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

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OPPONENT PROFILING

Top competitors are continually seeking an advantage. One of the best strategic (mental) and calming (emotional) advantages comes from scouting an upcoming opponent. Casually observing is one thing, but profiling the opponent is a skill set. Each playing style has an inherent group of strengths and weaknesses. Opponent awareness is an important part of match day preparation. Player profiling involves looking past strokes.

NOTE: Whenever possible, as I coach players from the 12’s to the ATP and WTA pros, I apply the below profiling topics.

 

Opponent Profiling Scouting:

  • Primary style of play.
  • Preferred serve patterns (especially on mega points).
  • Preferred return of serve position and shot selection on both first and second serve returns.
  • Favorite go-to rally pattern.
  • Dominant short-ball option.
  • Preferred net rushing pattern.
  • Stroke strengths and weaknesses (Advanced players should also consider the strengths and limitations of strike zones.)
  • Movement, agility and stamina efficiencies and deficiencies.
  • Frustration tolerance, focus, and emotional stability.

 

Opponent profiling should continue from the pre-match phase, all the way through the actual match and into the post-match. Intelligent athletes even jot down notes regarding the opponent’s game on their post-match match logs. This is used as a reminder for the next time the two meet.

 

Looking Past Strokes:

During the warm up, the uneducated player, parents and coaches often think Player A has the match in the bag.  But what they do not realize is that Player B often wins because of their ability to identify and execute a game plan exposing their opponent’s weakness. Player A may have great looking fundamental strokes but “hidden” flawed mental and or emotional components. Player B may have average looking strokes, but an incredible proficiency in their mental game. Hence, giving player B the edge due to his ability to isolate weaknesses or exert emotional intelligence at crunch time.

Contact Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

Pre-Set Emotional Match Protocols

Posted on January 25, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“The Triangle between player, coach, and parent is full of speed bumps and sharp curves! Everyone wants to accelerate and speed ahead to the supposed finish line. Too often what should be a fun and rewarding journey gets forgotten. kudos to Frank for providing a road-map to developing a better young tennis player, and a better relationship with their coaches and parents forever.

This is a great resource for every coach who wants to develop great players and most importantly, responsible young adults.”Chuck Gill USPTA

Chuck Gill, President USPTA

 

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible available for pre-order now! (Pre-order yours with Amazon and email Linda the receipt at lindateresag@hotmail.com and get two free gifts for immediate download.)
Click Here to Order

 

QUESTION: My child is scared to call an umpire onto the court. How can we help?

Frank: As I’ve addressed throughout this book, pre-setting the emotional match protocols are as important as developing motor programs for mechanical strokes.  The solution to dealing with on-court controversy (such as calling an umpire to the court.) should already be pre-wired before the match begins.  Be sure your child is clear about the actual rules and regulations of competitive play. This requires reading the rules and regulations of the game.  Once your child is aware of the official protocol of calling an umpire to her court, she will be more confident in her proactive action.  Remind her that she works too hard to allow cheaters to steal what is rightfully hers.  Calling an umpire onto the court is demanding fair play.

 

Repetition and Developing Athletic Royalty

Posted on January 22, 2016 by in Tennis Specific Training, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“If you’re a parent who thinks you already know all there is to know…hold on, because you’re in for a bumpy ride.  This book is like turning a light on in a darkened room. I highly recommend it to any parent or coach serious about maximizing player potential.”Angel-186x300

Angel Lopez, USPTA Master Professional, PTR Certified, Angel Lopez Tennis Academy

 

 

The paperback version of The Tennis Parent’s Bible is now available for pre-orders. (Pre-order yours with Amazon and email Linda the receipt at lindateresag@hotmail.com and get two free gifts for immediate download.) Click Here to Order

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible.

QUESTION: Why is repetition so important in developing athletic royalty?

Frank: Most professional coaches view repetition as the godfather of mastery. Repetition is essentially motor programming.

Developing a motor program begins with a thought, which is messaged through the nervous system, down the spinal cord and into the muscular system. The more we pre-set the protocols the more it “grooves” the pathways. So, the more familiar the habit, the easier it is to execute the proper protocol during match play.

Repetition doesn’t just involve the physical strokes. It also applies to the athletic, flexible skills movements, the cognitive processing skills and emotional responses. All four of these components need appropriate, deliberate repetition.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re actually doing it, imagining it or observing it, you are developing a pathway.”

Neurological-connections are strengthened by repetition. One of the most important keys to repetition is to “practice in the manner in which you’re expected to perform.” Often, improvements are maximized through manipulating the exercises with variations. Examples include:

Athleticism– Varying the direction, physical reps and/or sets.

Strokes– Varying the strike zones, tempo and/or movement.

Emotional– Varying the performance anxieties and their pre-set solutions.

Mental– Varying the different patterns used to beat the different styles of opponents.

Applying each of the four components under stress effortlessly requires an intuitive process. What appears to be a natural talent is actually a learned behavior through repetition. Mastering each component requires repetition.

It’s important to note that repetition isn’t always good. Repeating the same old flawed mechanical stroke or repeating the incorrect emotional response to stress is only ingraining that flaw deeper, making it harder to fix later.

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

The Tennis Parent’s Bible 2nd Edition Available for Pre-Order

Posted on January 13, 2016 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“This book is a must read for any parent with a child who’s serious about competing in Tennis – or in any individual sport.”

Jon Wertheim, Exclusive Editor, Sports IllustratedJOHN QUOTE PHOTO

 

 

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible available for pre-order now! (Pre-order yours with Amazon and email Linda the receipt at lindateresag@hotmail.com and get two free gifts for immediate download.)

QUESTION: Why does my child play great in practice but horrible in matches?

Frank: Here’s the scenario that plays out at every club around the world.

Friday, the day before a local junior event, John the young hitting pro carefully feeds balls waist level, in Nathan’s perfect strike zone. Nathan doesn’t even have to move and hits like a champ. The pro is essentially playing “catch” right to little Nathan. On the way home, Nate says, “Man, I’m on fire! Tennis is easy! Forget the open tourney, I’m going pro!”

Saturday morning rolls around and little Nate’s opponent isn’t as nice as the club’s assist pro. His opponent’s playing “keep away” from him…not catch! His opponent is wisely keeping balls above Nathans shoulders out of his primary strike zone. He’s hitting away from Nathan instead of right to him! Nathan goes down in flames. After the match Nate says, “I don’t get it, I was on fire yesterday.”

Practicing in the manner in which you are expected to perform is a battle cry heard at my workshops daily. There is a totally different set of skills that provide “competitive” confidence versus simply hitting.

“The essence of a champion doesn’t simply lie in their strokes but in their head and heart.”

No question, developing sound fundamentals is a critical element of success. However to improve your child’s ability to perform under stress, it is in their best interest to switch from 100 percent stroke repetition practice to include metal/emotion strategy repetition. Organize a meeting with your athlete’s coach and ask him/her to replace some of the fundamental stroke production hours with mental/emotional skill set development.black_ebook_design2

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

Excerpt from the Second Edition Tennis Parent’s Bible

Posted on January 10, 2016 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“Frank is quickly becoming one of the games most respected and influential teachers. As the coach of a #1 WTA player, I recommend The Tennis Parent’s Bible to anyone serious about developing a champion.”

Sam Sumyk, Former Coach of Victoria AzarenkaSAM QUOTE PHOTO

 

 

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible available for pre-order now!

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 side steps 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.

Psychologists report that the central nervous system decreases its arousal state with extended exposure to the same stimuli. In other words, if one’s nervous system isn’t overly aroused any more… it stops experiencing excessive performance anxiety.

Familiar things get boring. This is human nature. So, the best way for players to alleviate their performance anxieties is through exposure not avoidance.

If your child has performance anxieties, ask them to review with their coach the below facts regarding avoiding anxiety:

Five Avoiding Anxiety Consequences:

1) Avoidance eliminates exposure and experiencing the harmless reality of a tennis match.

2) Avoidance clutters the mind and steals any real analysis of the facts.

3) Avoidance eliminates repetition and the chance to see the event as actually routine.

4) Avoidance stops the practice of the actual protocols so there is no mastery of skills.

5) Avoidance kills true mastery and mastery is what decreases future failures.

Another way to look at the effects of avoiding anxieties is that it magnifies ignorance and multiplies fear, nervousness, uncertainty, distress and disorganization. Although confronting performance anxieties is difficult, it’s the exposure that brings empowerment. So, exposure is the most potent medicine for performance anxiety.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com

Second Edition of Tennis Parent’s Bible

Posted on January 7, 2016 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is a quote for The Second Edition of the Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Ebook Amazon pre-orders are now available (Click Here) Over 500 pages of invaluable information to maximize your child’s athletic potential !!!

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“A first-class book from a first-class coach. Frank is an encyclopedia of tennis knowledge, has extraordinary talents to share and is a model of professionalism. When all of these components come together, an excellent book such as The Tennis Parents Bible appears.

By educating yourself, your children will have better results. This book is a must read for parents to understand how to educate themselves and to appreciate the extensive process they, their children and their coaches are undergoing while their children are developing their tennis skills.”

Shaul Zohar, Manager, Kiryat Shmona Israel Tennis Center