Recent Blog Posts « TennisXtra

November 18, 2010

TennisXtra for USTA Teams

If you’re the captain of a USTA team and you want your team to take it to the next level in 2011 and beyond, then this is for you. TennisXtra is now offering a program in mental toughness training for teams. This training will benefit teams that have moved up a level or ones that… more »

September 27, 2010

Lack of Intensity

Competitive intensity has been on my mind lately, and more specifically, a drop in competitive intensity during a match or even a lack of intensity from the start. What drives that behavior? Why do tennis players not compete at their highest level at all times? My personal opinion is that much of this behavior is… more »

August 24, 2010

Information vs. Transformation

One of the missions of a coach is to help students transform their games so that they become better players in the long term. In order for this to happen, both coaches and students need to understand the difference between information and transformation. Let’s use a very simple example to illustrate this. Imagine that you… more »

August 15, 2010

The Breaking Point

Recently, I’ve been working with students on the concept of “The Breaking Point” – that point in a match in which you or your opponent has broken down physically, mentally, or both. It’s a topic that came to mind through my reading of The Fighter’s Mind by Sam Sheridan. In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting and other… more »

July 6, 2010

The Job of a Coach

I’m currently reading Sam Sheridan’s The Fighter’s Mind: Inside the Mental Game (h/t to my buddy Greg Wilhelm of PeerlessAV) and came across this quote: What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher? What is a bad man but a good man’s job? If you don’t understand this, you will get lost, However intelligent you are…. more »

June 14, 2010

Robert Green and Handling Big Mistakes

It’s World Cup soccer time, and if you’re following the action, you know that the United States and England tied 1-1 on Saturday. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the England squad, and that pressure will only increase after a disappointing tie in which a goal was gifted to the US. In the… more »

June 11, 2010

When to Compete After an Injury

When it comes to injuries, competitive athletes tend to be stubborn. Many athletes try to play through an injury or compete too soon after their recovery. In my experience, there are several psychological stages that an athlete experiences in enduring an injury as well as risks associated with each stage. Do any of these sound… more »

June 6, 2010

Playing with Heart

Yesterday’s women’s singles final of the French Open was a lesson in competing with heart. Francesca Schiavone, the 17th seed and presumed underdog, defeated Sam Stosur, the 7th seed and favorite to win. The match was close throughout, however Schiavone executed a solid game plan and her overwhelming desire to win came through. Schiavone’s strategy… more »

May 14, 2010

Patterns and Points

I was talking to a client last night about using patterns while playing points and even planning the point ahead of time. In rather timely fashion, I saw this come across onTwitter from Tennis Magazine : How to construct a point, by Roger Federer. From Federer’s comments, you can see that there’s a delicate balance between planning… more »

April 18, 2010

Adopting Routines

routine -noun a customary or regular course of procedure We all have certain routines that help give structure to our everyday lives. From how we get ready at the beginning of the day to our morning coffee to preparing for a good night’s rest, we are all creatures of habit to a certain extent. Routines are… more »

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