Tag Archives: best tennis coach

Tennis Pattern Blocks

Posted on July 13, 2023 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The Psychology of Tennis Parenting
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Frank Giampaolo

Pattern Blocks

Let’s go back in time. I was fresh out of School and wanted a career in coaching.

I drove to California as many do to seek the “Promised Land.” My goal was to track down Vic Braden, whom I watched on PBS television. The Vic Braden Tennis College was more of a tennis Mecca, a tennis Olympic village, than a typical tennis club. Inside the Coto De Caza gates were the state-of-the-art Research center, tennis classrooms, dedicated teaching courts, and the 18-lanes ball machines. I truly felt like I had found my tribe.

There were hundreds of tennis research projects, but I’ll review the Length of the Point Project for this piece. Juniors to adult recreation players to college and professional athletes took part in the study. Back in the 1980s, the average length of a singles point was 3.8 hits. Doubles was 2.9 hits.

In the 1990s, Computennis took it to the next level with very similar results. Today IBM Watson provides the statistics. Today’s stats also say that most points don’t last longer than four hits. So, what does that mean to you as a parent of an athlete desperately seeking an edge? If approximately 70% of all points end by the fourth hit, your athlete must drill in short, pattern play training blocks versus the typical endless grooving of groundstrokes. Now, I’m not saying consistency isn’t important. It is. But the question I’m posing is, “Consistency in what context?” Here are the pattern blocks I’ve been coaching since the 1980s.

Solution: Trade in grooving groundstrokes to pattern block repetition. You see, tennis points are won by inserting the correct protocols the millisecond demands.

I recommend modeling a private lesson in this format:

  • Take a two-hour lesson to replicate the length of a difficult match.
  • Arrive ten minutes early and do a quality dynamic stretching warm-up, mental rehearsals of top patterns, and upper body band work.
  • Thirty minutes -Rehearse the serve+2 quick stroke patterns. Typically- hunting forehands.
  • Thirty minutes – Rehearse the return of serve +1 patterns off both first and second serves. Typically- hunting forehands.
  • Twenty minutes – Rehearse, hitting deep groundstrokes receiving, and delivering on the run.
  • Twenty minutes– Rehearse short ball options (Approach, crush it, swing volley, drop shots and transition volleys).
  • Twenty minutes – While the athlete is doing their static stretching routines, do a lesson review. Ask the coach if it’s okay to record the review on your athlete’s cell phone dictation app so they can commit the lesson to memory.

This private lesson format trains situational awareness and protocols, not just the strokes. For instance, offensive, neutral/building shot, and defensive situations.

The Argumentative Athlete Tennis

Posted on March 16, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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The Argumentative Athlete

For most teens, argumentativeness is more a reflex than an angry choice. Typically, high-performance athletes believe their knowledge of their sport exceeds their parent’s knowledge. Hence, giving them a perceived advantage over their parents. Turning damaging arguments into healthy disagreements is an emotional strategy. The lesson learned is that everyone can get their concerns heard and considered. Parents can find these arguments puzzling. You’ll help athletes regulate their emotions and solve problems by teaching them how to respond better.

Solution: Nurture the ability to postpone and censor their responses to advice. This key self-awareness trait will serve your athletes well on and off the tennis courts. Here are some tricks to get them started:

  • Digest the substance of the request.
  • Recognize when emotions are running the show.
  • Take a break.
  • Avoid criticizing before responding.
  • Set the ego aside and choose your battles.
  • Formulate evidence before stating your case.
  • Offer solutions versus pointing out flaws.
  • Disallow the blame game.
  • Confront the subverting of the conversation.

 

Remember, even though your athlete’s tennis skills are mature, their emotional regulating skills are likely still under development.

Parental Dialogue

Posted on February 20, 2023 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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Post-Match Banter

Remember that every use of force, even the smallest, creates a counterforce. Like Newton’s third law, “For every action… there’s an equal opposite reaction.” Parents’ match play observations delivered to an athlete right after the competition create a love of competition or distaste for competition. Here’s an insightful question for us adults: What if our boss gave us their list of everything we did wrong at the end of every day? I know I’d be looking for a new job ASAP!

Solution:

  • Spend a week practicing not giving unsolicited advice to your young athlete.
  • Stop yourself and choose silence.
  • Give your child the time to organize their solutions.

 

Here’s a fact, your words become your child’s inner dialogue at future crunch time. So, if your post-performance banter is repeatedly heard as “you’re not good enough,” guess what they’re thinking as they’re trying desperately to close out another match?

Parents unknowingly destroy the inner belief needed by their junior athletes. Analyzing performance is terrific for those detailed data collectors, but please follow up the analysis by texting your findings to the coach instead of sharing them with your child. Post-match, your child only needs to hear one question from you: What kind of ice cream are you getting today? All they need to feel from you is how much you love to watch them play and how proud you are of them.

Secondary Tennis Strokes

Posted on January 3, 2023 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
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QUESTION: What are secondary strokes?

 

Frank: Building a solid foundation is vital to your child’s success. Although this is not another “Mechanical Stroke Book,” a flawed stroke causes unforced errors, produces short vulnerable balls, causes injuries and inhibit your child’s growth into the next level of competition. If stroke production is what you seek, I recommend my bestselling book Championship Tennis. In this book, primary and secondary stroke production is covered in extreme detail.

 

“Efficient stokes aren’t always elegant strokes.”

 

Just as being tall is a prerequisite to playing in the NBA, efficient strokes are a prerequisite to playing in the highest levels of tennis. But, if just being tall earned you the right to play in the NBA, my cousin Big Vinnie wouldn’t be driving a limo at Kennedy airport. So, though fundamental strokes are important, they are only part of the puzzle.

Here’s a fun painter’s analogy. To this day, we can all run to the store and pick up a beginner’s paint set. These pre-packaged sets come with paper, a paint brush and a strip of a few basic paint colors. As we dabble and enjoy the art of painting one thing becomes evident, if only primary colors are used, the paintings will continue to look “amateur.”

Advanced painters have learned that to make a painting jump off the canvas and become “life like” they need to master the skills of applying secondary colors. Now, instead of applying one shade of green, they have multiple versions of green! They essentially have more tools in their painting toolbox.

 

Secondary Strokes

As parents and coaches, we have to assist in managing the time needed to develop each athlete’s secondary “colors”. I recommend encouraging, educating and developing both primary and secondary stroke principles. The following are the primary and secondary strokes in an elite tennis player’s tool belt:

 

The Six Different Types of Forehands and Backhands:

  • Primary Drive
  • High Topspin Arch
  • Short Angle
  • Defensive Slice
  • Drop Shot
  • Lob

The Three Types of Serves:

  • Primary Flat Serve
  • Kick Serve
  • Slice Serve

The Five Types of Volleys:

  • Primary Traditional Punch Volley
  • Drop Volley
  • Swing Volley/Drive Volley
  • Half Volley
  • Transition Volley

The Four Types of Lobs:

  • Primary Flat Lob
  • Topspin Lobs
  • Slice Lob
  • Re-Lob (Lobbing off of the opponent’s over-head smash)

The Two Types of Overheads:

  • The Primary/Stationary Overhead
  • The Turn & Run/Scissor Overhead

The 6 Types of Approach Shots:

  • Serve and Volley
  • Chip and Charge
  • Drive Approach
  • Slice Approach
  • Drop Shot Approach
  • Moonball Approach

 

The devil is in the details, they say. Maximizing potential requires the deliberate development of every tool in your child’s tool belt.

 

I got to know Tiger Woods a bit when I was the tennis director at Sherwood Country Club, in Westlake Village out-side of Las Angeles. We hosted his multimillion-dollar charity event at Sherwood annually. Before each round of golf, Tiger practiced every club in his bag. He often, secretly, flew to the site a week or so before the actual event to experience the courses uneven fairways, the speed of the greens, the feel of the sand traps and elements such as the wind.

 

“Winning is persistent, customized preparation.”

 

Advanced players have worked to develop their secondary strokes along with their primary strokes. With their complete tool belt of strokes, they apply these tools in shot sequencing patterns used to torture the opponents as they control both sides of the net.

If a deliberate, customized developmental plan is followed, it takes an average of two years to develop these “secondary” tools into reliable pattern-play weapons. If your child is simply grooving primary strokes…well, they’ll stop progressing and never actually realize their true potential.

To assist your youngster in controlling the court and the match, meet with their coaches and discuss their opinion regarding shifting focus in practice from only grooving fundamentals to developing a champion’s tool belt of strokes.

Like Tiger Woods, remind your athlete to warm up every stroke in their bag before each tournament match. Winning a close tie breaker is often decided on a few points. Making that crucial swing volley in the tiebreaker versus missing it is often a matter of confidence.

Spotting Tennis Burnout

Posted on February 8, 2021 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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QUESTION: How do we spot tennis burn out?

 

Frank: Did you know that even the very best in the business don’t stay in their “Optimal Performance State” year around? ATP and WTA tour professionals rarely play more than three events in a row. They need the critical “down” time to recharge, heal and fix flaws.

It’s not in your child’s best interest to force them to try to stay in their peak performance state 365 days a year. Taking a week off to re-charge the physical, mental, and emotional batteries may help your child peak when it counts most. This is part of the periodization cycle. Yes- taking time off may help them to be more committed and focused when their tennis training commences- leading to better results.

 

NOTE: The number one reason junior players report that they want to quit tennis is due to overzealous parents unknowingly pushing them past the healthy limits.

While developing high-performance athletes, I am constantly on high-alert for the warning signs of burnout. The signs of burnout can be physical, mental or emotional. Let’s look at some typical signs to assist you in knowing when it’s time for your athlete to take a break from their tennis quest.

20 Signs of Tennis BurnOut:

  • Multiple injuries.
  • Reduced flexibility in their body.
  • Complaining about fatigue.
  • Reduced concentration.
  • Fear of competition.
  • Lack of emotional control.
  • Poor judgment.
  • Decreased opponent awareness.
  • Negative verbal or physical outbursts.
  • Lack of motivation to practice or to hit the gym.
  • Unwillingness to compete in a tournament.
  • Poor equipment preparation.
  • Appearing slow and heavy with no energy.
  • Lack of anticipation and agility.
  • Short attention span.
  • Inability to concentrate.
  • Lack of concern about performance goals.
  • Low patience.
  • A sense of hopelessness.

 

In my opinion, if your child is showing several of the above negative signs and seems to be in a downward spiral, it may be in their best interest to put down the racquets for a while. A true contender can only stay away for a short time. Parents, allow them to heal. Then slowly re-start a deliberate customized developmental process.

 

SPECIAL NOTE: During your child’s time off court, encourage them to stay in physical shape by enjoying non-tennis cross-training.

Tennis From The Parent’s View- Part 3

Posted on December 4, 2020 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

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

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Is The Parent a Source of External Pressure?Preparing final cover 3D

 

“It’s no secret that a large portion of pressure comes unknowingly from tennis parents.”

The tennis parent is the second most important entity in the athlete’s entourage (The athlete being the most important.)

The parents are the CEO, the manager of the entourage of coaches, and the facilitator of the player’s customized developmental plan. With responsibility comes pressure. This is especially true when the parent is bankrolling the journey. All too often, tennis parents become overbearing yet don’t see themselves as the leading source of frustration.

Communicating with an adolescent competitive athlete isn’t easy. A relaxed demeanor versus a stressed appearance matters deeply. In fact, current studies show that approximately 7% of communication is verbal, while 93% is made up of tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.

While it’s natural for parents to be on high alert for any possible signs of danger, it’s essential to understand that the athlete needs a calming influence.

 

Parental pressure can be both real and imagined. In the end, it’s the perception of the athlete that matters.


 

“IT’S LOSING TO THE WEAKER PLAYERS THAT KILLS ME… I SELF-DESTRUCT!”

Posted on November 27, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

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“IT’S LOSING TO THE WEAKER PLAYERS THAT KILLS ME…
I SELF-DESTRUCT!” 

“Self-destruction unknowingly begins in the preparation phase.”

The worst part about the feelings of self-destruction in competition is that the athlete is fully aware it’s happening but can’t do anything to stop it. Their muscles begin to tighten, they shank every other ball, and their brain is fixated on contaminating outcome thoughts. We’ve all been there. You’re choking, and you know it, the opponent knows it, even the spectators know it, but you weren’t taught any self-destruction solutions, so the match feels like a slow death.

Rehearsing self-destruction solutions on the practice court provide the athlete with a practical “go to system.”

The following are a few proactive solutions to employ during match play to aid in regaining focus:

  • Focus on Hitting 3 Balls Deep Down the Middle
  • Apply the Old School Bounce-Hit Method of Vision Control
  • Return to your Script of Top Patterns of Play
  • Reboot your Between Point Rituals

I recommend the player choose two of the previous solutions and play a few practice sets, and focusing exclusively on the selected solutions to stop imploding behavior.

 

Preparing for pressure requires pre-set solutions to common problems.

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.
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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.

Managing Training Time

Posted on August 24, 2019 by in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s #1 Amazon’s New Release Tennis Book, Preparing for Pressure
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Managing Training Time

“Value isn’t directly correlated to volume.”

Quantity versus quality of training is an underrated affair. Each minute isn’t equal to the next. Effective time management is essential in a deliberate, customized developmental plan. In regards to maximizing a student’s potential at the quickest rate, training should be intensely focused on the individual’s unique needs.

If athletes aren’t getting the results they’re capable of; it may be the perfect time to design a new developmental plan.

I’ve witnessed expensive training sessions ranging from total time-wasting games to fun/socialization, to the development of skills and the repetition of those skills. While they all offer value, mastery of an individual sport requires a tailor-made, personalized plan.

 

Properly preparing for pressure requires evaluating the athlete’s competence and confidence.

Tournament Time Preparation

Posted on August 21, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

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Tournament Time Preparation

 

“People who fear the unknown focus on what could go wrong. People who welcome the unknown focus on what could go right.”

For most people, unfamiliarity breeds stress. Preparing for the pressure of competition includes de-stressing conversations that flip the uncertainties into certainties. Anxiety is detectable through awareness in casual conversations. Once anxiety is recognized, strategies can be put into place to defuse the situation.

De-stressing conversational topics to discuss at tournament sites may include:

  • The Surroundings, Court Speeds, and Weather Conditions
  • The Athlete’s Health Concerns/Injuries
  • Performance Goals and Expectations
  • Self-Destruction Solutions
  • Refocus Strategies
  • Clear Performance Goals
  • Opponent Profiling (When possible)
  • Routines and Rituals
  • Nutrition and Hydration

 

 

Talk through solutions to anxieties to ease the athlete’s nerves.