Tag Archives: elite coach Frank Giampaolo

Specific Match Chart Purpose- Part – Part 3

Posted on November 25, 2021 by in Innovative Tennis Charting

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.

Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon

Innovative Tennis Charting_3D_Final

FIRST STRIKE WINNING PERCENTAGE:

In groundstroke warfare, it’s estimated that approximately 70% of the opponent’s winners come from their forehand and about 30% from their backhand. The First Strike is the very first shot your athlete hits- serve or return of serve. This chart will help identify the winning percentage of the location of your player’s serve and return of serve (First Strike) and aid in shot selection awareness.

PROPER MARGINS CHART:

It’s estimated that top ATP pros hit 86% of their groundstrokes 3-ft inside the lines. This chart identifies the amount of unnecessary risk your athlete takes while in a competitive match situation. Safe margins call for aiming three feet inside the lines and three feet above the net- allowing a bit of “wiggle room.” If proper margins are applied, hitting a shot a few feet off the mark will remain safely in play.

SHOT SELECTION CHART:

The mental game is the X’s and O’s of strategy. At the heart of tennis strategy is understanding offense, building, and defense shot selections. The most common cause of unforced errors in competitive tennis is improper shot selection. Often, the location of the incoming ball dictates a player’s high percentage shot selection option.  For example: Going for a risky offensive shot off a defensive ball is a recipe for disaster. This chart will reveal appropriate shot selection versus inappropriate/reckless shot selection.

Specific Match Chart Purpose- Part – Part 2

Posted on November 22, 2021 by in Innovative Tennis Charting

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.

Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon

Innovative Tennis Charting_3D_Final

LENGTH OF POINT CHART:

The length of your point is dictated by the athletes playing style. This chart will expose the athlete’s shot tolerance level.  Knowing shot tolerance levels will help you customize the athlete’s playing strategy.  For example: If the opponent can’t hit more than three consecutive balls in, your player doesn’t need intricate strategies; they simply need to hit 3-4 balls deep and let the opponent self-destruct. On the other hand, if the opponent has a shot tolerance of 10 balls, your player often needs to run patterns to maneuver the steady player into a vulnerable position.

MEGA POINT CHART:

Mega points are game-winning points. This chart is essential in competitive tennis because it highlights the game’s important points. Tipping a close match in your favor requires spotting a big point before it’s actually played, paying attention to match details, and running the smartest patterns.

SERVING PERCENTAGE CHART:

This chart focuses on the varying factors required to hold serve, such as serve consistency, serve location, and first and second serve win-loss percentages. Ask the athlete to focus on the factors above and let go of the serve speed. FYI: On the WTA tour, second serve win-loss percentages are the most telling factor in holding serve and deciding the outcome of the match.

Specific Match Chart Purpose- Part 1

Posted on November 19, 2021 by in Innovative Tennis Charting

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.

Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon

Innovative Tennis Charting_3D_Final

 

SPECIFIC MATCH CHART PURPOSE:

 

CAUSE OF ERROR CHART:

Tennis is a game of errors.  The first most critical step in error reduction is to spot the actual cause of the error. This chart will require you to identify the cause of the error. Once the most common cause of errors are identified, customized development begins. Note: Not all errors are caused by improper form!

COURT POSITIONING MATCH CHART:

This chart will differentiate whether playing “reactive” tennis from behind the baseline earns the best winning percentages or whether playing “proactive” tennis from inside the court increases winning percentages.  The comfortable court position the athlete prefers to play may not be the position that earns them the most points.

BETWEEN-POINT RITUALS CHART:

This chart will identify the player’s ability to stay focused and execute their critical between-point rituals. Players who do not keep their brain focused on the task at hand have to defeat two opponents-the opposition and their wandering mind. Between-point routines could be considered a second performance critical to the software development of an athlete.

 

Building Coachable Athletes- Part 3

Posted on September 1, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Frank Giampaolo

 

Let’s Look at the Characteristics of the Coachable Athlete:

  • Willingness to Accept the Coach’s Philosophy
  • Acceptance of the Necessity for Improvement
  • Desire to be Accountable
  • Optimism and Growth Minded
  • Respectfulness
  • Acceptance of Responsibility
  • Letting Go of Excuses
  • Non-Combative Attitude
  • Open-Minded too Constructive Criticism
  • Eager to Receive Feedback
  • Respectful of the Coach’s Knowledge
  • Selflessness
  • Integrity
  • Courageous

It’s astounding how many young athletes self-sabotage their potential by choosing to ignore the above positive characteristics. Coachable athletes are taught life skills development and religiously held accountable for their morals and ethical conduct by their parents and coaches. Parents and athletes, please look for the above positive characteristics of the coachable athlete in your entourage of coaches as well. You can be sure that quality coaches will be looking for the same positive characteristics in their students and their parents.

 

In the 1st Edition of The Tennis Parents Bible (published in 2010), I wrote about the importance of positive coaching and parenting. A vital takeaway was the use of the 5-1 compliment to critique rule (verbal and non-verbal). If athletes are to fire their optimistic responses we have to provide the ammunition. I recommend exposing these qualities in timely condensed sessions. Coaches, the above 14 coachable software skills should be discussed in a creative, interactive information exchange that feels like a chat versus a moral lesson.


 

Character Traits- Part 3

Posted on August 4, 2021 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Soft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

16. Effort: The amount of energy put into an attempt.

17. Sincerity: The quality of being free from pretense and deceit.

18. Open-Mindedness: The willingness to consider new ideas without prejudice.

19. Unselfishness: The desire to accept the needs of others before your own.

20. Humble: Showing a modest estimate of your importance.

 

So does participation in sports help build praiseworthy character traits? Yes, but an athlete’s character must be first introduced, nurtured, and developed by parents and coaches. The essential character traits demonstrated on-court in competition were first gained off-court. These traits were nurtured by choice …not by chance.

Character Traits- Part 1

Posted on July 28, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Soft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

Character Traits

Character and a solid moral compass are part of the athlete’s foundation, which dictates behavior and facilitates success. The same is true for a successful coaching business; the character traits found in a champion are the same character traits that provide the foundation of a sustainable business.

20 Essential Character Traits Worth Educating

Print the following 20 Essential Character Traits and review them with your athlete. Discuss how each trait affects their personal tennis development.

  1. Motivation: The reason or reasons for attaining your goals.
  2. Trustworthiness: The ability to be relied on as honest or truthful.
  3. Gratitude: The appreciation of actions and benefits bestowed upon you.
  4. Accountability: The condition of being responsible for your actions.
  5. Commitment: The position of being dedicated to your cause.

 

Why Character Building Matters- Part 3

Posted on July 20, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

The Power of Choicefrank

Positive character motivates the athlete to forge ahead. Negative character allows the athlete to give up. A critical question in our sport is “How do we teach our athletes to handle losses?”

A modern term used in sports psychology is Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). Psychologists apply the term PTG to describe a positive psychological change that can result from a traumatic experience, such as athletic failure. Though losing may not seem like a tragic event to some, to others competitive losses can be mentally and emotionally crippling.  PTG methodologies help clients through difficult situations by encouraging them to take responsibility with the power of choice.

The athlete can choose to fight or retreat. Tennis champions actually lose and lose often throughout their career. The athletes who choose to use their scar tissue as motivation to fight and endure the athletic pressure persevere and reach the top. Admirable character opens up the athlete to forge ahead instead of shutting down and giving up.

Why Character Building Matters- Part 2

Posted on July 19, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

 

Busoft scienceilding character in young athletes is essential to the success of the athlete on and off the court. Positive character not only assists the athletes on the court but guides them as they make the world a better place. An excellent character is a secret precursor of winning. It drives performance, which accelerates results. It’s the heartbeat of The Soft Science of Tennis. Sadly, in today’s generation, many parents assume that the coaches are teaching positive character traits and critical life skills, while coaches believe that it’s the parents who are educating these essential skills, and sadly it’s a missing link in developing athletes.

 

“Excellent character is the secret precursor of winning. It drives consistent training which accelerates results.”

 

Character counts, so what is character? It’s a combination of the athlete’s emotional qualities, beliefs, and values. Great character isn’t a genetic predisposition. Humans aren’t born with great character. Good character is a learned skill set with well-nurtured emotional enhancements. One’s character, good or bad shines in all its glory when the athlete competes and under duress. Developing character molds the athlete’s inner dialog, which either pumps them up or tears them down on a daily basis.

 

“The underlining effectiveness of a parent or coach lies in their ability to develop positive character skills.”

Coaching Brain Type Performance- Part 7

Posted on June 22, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

The Match Chart Collection 2D

 

 

INFJ: Introvert Intuitive Feeler Judger

 

Challenge: Unfamiliarity is a sensitive topic for the INFJ’s. Adaptability isn’t their strong suit.

Solution: Entering competition, arrive at the new tournament site early to hit. Allow this athlete a bit more time to get comfortable with the elements, the court speed, club, and other environmental differences. Also, scouting of future opponents is comforting to this cerebral design. While profiling the next opponent, it is wise to discuss their style of play, their “go-to patterns,” their stroke and movement efficiencies and deficiencies, and their shot tolerance.

 

Challenge: INFJ’s prefer quiet, calm training environments with little interruptions. Too much socialization in group scenarios is distracting and illogical to this IJ typography.

Solution: If they believe that the practice environment is unproductive, they begin to feel fragmented and disconnected to their developmental plan. Coaches would be wise to begin sessions with a short preview of the day’s focal points, analyses, and evaluate throughout the session. And then later review with the athletes their thoughts in regards to their success rate accomplishing their daily goals.

 

Challenge: INFJ’s have vivid imaginations, which they use to, pre-set their ideal perfect conditions and solutions. Lawyers call this “speculation.” When reality doesn’t conform to their pre-set version, their imagined perfection is lost, and their will to fight is shattered.

Solution: Ask them a philosophical question: “Is this world perfect? Their obvious answer is no.” Then offer: “If God couldn’t make a perfect world …why do you think you should be perfect?” The competitive game of tennis is messy and imperfect. It’s best to encourage your athletes to shoot for near excellent performances on a consistent basis instead of perfection and let go of their pre-match speculations.

 

Challenge: INFJ tennis players are feelers who can be overly sensitive to criticism. When coaches challenge their logical decision-making, they’re likely to get an aggressive comeback. Rigid IJ’s actively dislike being proven wrong. After a high percentage shot selection tip from the coach, they’ll likely seek the exception to the rule and throw out a “Yeah but …” response.

Solution: Explain winning percentages on the tennis court is merely 2 out of 3. Winning 66% of the points is excellent. No one should be expected to win 100% of the points in any given situation. Also, teaching pros should gently remind athletes that exceptions follow every rule in life. In high-percentage tennis, seek to follow the rules approximately eighty percent of the time, while seeking the exception to the rule approximately twenty percent of the time.

Personality Based Training- Part 1

Posted on May 16, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

soft science

 

Personality Based Training

 

“Personality profiling assists coaches, athletes, and parents in understanding how individuals gather information and make decisions. It’s how we are wired. It’s what makes us tick.”

 

Personality Based Training (PBT) is a training method that focuses the attention on the athlete’s unique brain design as opposed to the educator. When applying PBT, tennis pros and parents welcome and respect the athlete’s unique preferred styles of learning, behaving, and playing the game.  The athletes feel empowered because their views and needs are recognized. And once understood, students are more motivated and inspired to learn and improve. An inspired student is more likely to take the leadership role in achieving their goals.

 

“Athletes would benefit from understanding the advantages and disadvantages of their unique brain design. It’s why they are naturally good at some things and uncomfortable with others.”

 

It’s important to note that while I’ve studied sports psychology for the past 30 years, I am a veteran, “In the Trenches” practical application tennis coach, not an “Academia” psychologist. But neither were Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers, authors of the famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI- A psychological questionnaire used to understand individual mental preferences.) published in the United States in 1943. Together Myers-Briggs noticed that individuals have different temperaments and unique ways of seeing the world.

While some scientists say the MBTI doesn’t stand up to scientific reliability, I can say with all honesty that it has helped me coach over 100 National Champions and several Pro tour athletes. More importantly, personality profiling benefits my athletes and their entourage of parents, coaches, and trainers at a much deeper level. A study conducted by Psychology Today, reports that approximately 80% of Fortune 500 companies use various personality tests to hire future employees, assess progress, and maximize efficiency and harmony through team-building events. The time has come to broaden the role of personality profiling into the athletic realm, as I have outlined in The Soft Science of Tennis.