The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
How the Brain Affects Performance
Sensate (S) versus Intuitive (N)
Sensate Students
- Choose to make decisions after analyzing.
- Often hesitate on-court due to overthinking.
- 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 the 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.”
