Tag Archives: mental tennis

Tennis Top Ten Secrets for Success Number 3

Posted on February 22, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Psychology of Tennis Parenting, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

COMING SOON: THE MENTAL GAME REVOLUTION

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s upcoming Playbook Series.

Optimism

“Optimism doesn’t mean you’re always happy or ignore problems; optimistic athletes believe in possibilities.” Frank Giampaolo

Optimism shines as the third hidden skill that distinguishes champions from the rest. Maintaining a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity, can be a game-changer, both on and off the court. Successful individuals from all walks of life choose positivity as a guiding principle. Tennis players who consistently perform at their best understand the value of optimism. It doesn’t mean they’re perpetually happy or that they ignore problems. Instead, they possess an unyielding belief in possibilities.

Optimists have a unique way of viewing the world. They see opportunities where others might see obstacles. When faced with a difficult opponent or challenging circumstances, they don’t dwell on what they lack; instead, they focus on what they can achieve with the resources at hand.

Gratitude and appreciation play a significant role in maintaining an optimistic mindset. Successful athletes often express gratitude for their abilities, their opportunities, and the people who support them. This gratitude fuels their determination and keeps them focused on their goals.

The trait of optimism is a mindset that is developed through consistent practice and self-awareness. It’s about training yourself to focus on solutions rather than problems. It’s maintaining a sense of hope when faced with challenges.

Optimism is a personal asset and a powerful tool for managing stress and pressure. In the heat of competition, remaining positive can boost your resilience and help you stay composed when the going gets tough. Optimism reminds you that setbacks are temporary and that every loss lights your path to improvement.

Many successful athletes, from tennis stars to Olympians, credit their optimistic outlook as a significant factor in their achievements. They understand that maintaining a positive mindset is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity for sustained success.

Tennis Top Ten Secrets for Success Number 2

Posted on February 18, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Psychology of Tennis Parents, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following is an excerpt from Frank’s upcoming Playbook Series.

Discipline

“Discipline is what connects your dreams to your accomplishment.” Frank Giampaolo

Success in high-performance tennis is rooted in the commitment to discipline—the second hidden skill that separates champions from the rest. Discipline is the driving force that propels you towards your goals and bridges the gap between ambition and achievement.

If you were to observe the daily lives of elite tennis players, you would witness a relentless dedication to their craft. The hours spent on the court, in the gym, and mental training are all testament to the discipline that underpins their success. They understand that reaching their tennis goals requires consistent, methodical effort, and they are willing to put in the work.

Discipline is not just about following a strict routine but cultivating positive habits. Over time, these habits become part of your daily life, ingrained in your character. The choices you make, day in and day out, shape your journey and determine your destiny.

Your positive choices today become your habits tomorrow. And these habits, in turn, become your routines. Your routines propel you toward your goals, whether those are related to tennis or any other area of life.

Discipline extends beyond the physical realm. It encompasses mental toughness, the ability to handle the typical negative chatter in the mind. That is what sets champions apart.

In tennis, discipline means more than just showing up for practice and hitting balls. It means practicing intentionally, setting clear goals, and constantly pushing yourself past your preconceived limitations. It means making the tough decisions that align with your long-term objectives, even when faced with short-term temptations.

The disciplined approach is not easy; it requires sacrifice. It demands that you prioritize your improvement goals above immediate gratification. It means saying no to temptations that may derail your progress. But the rewards of discipline are immeasurable. Discipline is the foundation upon which champions are built.

By understanding the role of discipline in your tennis journey, you’ll be better equipped to thrive in competition.

Opponent Profiling- Connecting the Dots

Posted on January 29, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following is an excerpt from Frank upcoming playbook series.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Max: “As soon as I stretch someone wide and spot them slicing, I know they’re vulnerable, so I move inside the court to steal a volley off their weak reply.”

The skill of opponent profiling is analyzing your adversary’s game to gain a strategic advantage. Let’s explore the profound benefits of reading the opponent and how it can enhance your decision-making skills in competition.

1.1 Understanding the Advantages

Understanding their skill sets enables you to exploit weaknesses and capitalize on opportunities. Knowing how to disrupt their game and not allowing them to play their favorite patterns is something to consider.

1.2 Connecting the Dots

The match slides in your favor once you connect the dots and learn to counteract their favorite plays. By reading the opponent, you anticipate their moves, hesitate less and cover the court quicker.

1.3 Analyzing Matches

Staying at the tournament site after losses to rehearse profiling the top seeds improves your software skills—plan on charting the other top players. A wide variety of charts are available to assist you in discovering why they’re still in the event and you’re spectating. See THE MATCH CHART COLLECTION by Frank Giampaolo on Amazon.

1.4 Exploiting Tendencies on Big Points

Identifying their preferred shots enables you to anticipate them in big points. Smart opponents do what they do best on game points. By predicting their go-to patterns, you’ll shut them down and make them beat you without their primary weapons.

1.5 Psychological Advantage

Psychological warfare impacts the emotions of your opponent. Opponent profiling helps disrupt your adversary’s focus, inner belief, and confidence. It’s your job to destroy their hope in battle.

1.6 Adaptability and Flexibility

Paying attention allows you to adapt and counter your opponent’s changing tactics. You’ll adjust your game plan based on your observations.

We’ve explored some of the benefits of reading the opponent. As we progress through this book, we’ll dive deeper into the techniques and strategies that will enable you to become a master at profiling your opponents.

The following is an excerpt from Frank upcoming playbook series.

Tennis Improvement

Posted on January 15, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

To Order The Tennis Parent’s Bible Click Here

Being Improvement Minded

“The trouble with not having clear improvement goals is that you can hit balls all day… every day and never achieve results.” Frank Giampaolo

It’s not enough to simply hit balls endlessly without deliberate direction. Champions understand that actual progress requires a clear focus on improvement—a hidden skill that propels them at a faster rate toward their outcome goals.

Successful athletes have a secret: they maintain a deliberate and customized developmental plan. They don’t just practice for the sake of hitting; they know precisely what they’re working on, why they’re doing it, and how it will help them achieve their goals.

To adopt this hidden skill, you’ll set clear, achievable weekly goals. These goals should be based on your tournament performances, where you objectively assess your strengths and weaknesses. After each event, list three target improvements you’ll focus on. Share these topics with your team of coaches.

The process doesn’t stop at setting goals. After planning these improvements, taking actionable steps to reach them is essential. Develop a blueprint for your improvement plan, detailing your strategies. Then, rigorously execute your plan, staying on target until you are satisfied with your progress.

This secret skill transforms practice into a more purposeful endeavor. It ensures that every moment you spend on the court is a step toward becoming a better player. It shifts your focus from quantity to quality, from mindless repetition to intentional progress.

With a clear focus on improvement, you can avoid hitting a plateau where your efforts yield diminishing returns. You may find yourself stuck in a cycle of frustration, endlessly repeating the same mental mistakes without understanding how to correct them.

Consider the journey of a tennis player as a series of milestones. Each improvement goal you set is a step that brings you closer to your ultimate destination. This approach separates those who merely hit balls from those who systematically build their skills.

You can accelerate your journey toward success by understanding the importance of setting clear goals and continuously working to improve. Improvement is not a destination but a perpetual process, and it’s a skill that anyone can cultivate with the right mindset and dedication.

Taking a Mindful Approach to Tennis

Posted on January 2, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

To Order The Tennis Parent’s Bible Click Here

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s soon to be released Tennis Encyclopedia.

Tennis: The Mindful Approach

“In the long run, educating the body without educating the head and heart doesn’t truly help a competitor.”

In high-performance tennis, the ability to concentrate, remain self-aware, and bounce back from setbacks is invaluable. In this final chapter, we’ll explore how mindfulness enhances these vital aspects of your game, providing you with the mental toughness everyone talks about.

Improved Concentration

Concentration is the cornerstone of competitive excellence. The capacity to focus your attention throughout a single point for approximately 130 points (the average length of a match) is critical. Mindfulness exercises involve training your mind to focus on the here and now. Here’s how:

  • Eliminating External Distractions: Your thoughts often follow your eyes. It’s wise to turn and walk back towards the back fence in between points with positive body language. Focus your eyes on your strings, eliminating the typical habit of being a spectator of other matches when you should be focusing on your battle.
  • Eliminating Mental Noise: As your mindfulness practice deepens, you’ll find it easier to let go of mental clutter, such as doubts or worries about past mistakes or future outcomes. This clarity of thought leads you to more consistent performances.

Enhanced Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is your compass on the tennis court. Mindfulness encourages you to become more attuned to your thoughts and feelings. Following are five tools that surely will help:

  1. Emotional Intelligence: Through mindfulness, you develop the ability to recognize and understand your emotions as they arise. Self-awareness enables you to channel your emotions into productive energy and maintain your composure in challenging situations.
  2. Monitoring Emotions: You’ll find your triggers and unproductive habits by monitoring your emotional reactions. Being self-aware means looking deeper at your emotions, why you feel a certain way, and how your sentiments could turn into negative reactions.
  3. Focus: Correct decision-making is essential to being a top contender, but you can’t do that if you’re distracted. Train yourself to focus for long periods without getting sucked into the typical “unplug” found in competition.
  4. Coping Mechanisms: Unproductive coping skills nurtured in your younger years can prevent you from achieving massive goals. You can opt out of using them by becoming aware of the habit of automatic negative reactions.
  5. Responding Calmly: A calm response is a better choice than reacting emotionally. Confident self-awareness properly guides your response to situations or opponents who might set you off. The better you handle your responses, the better you are to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Tennis and Self-Acceptance

Posted on December 28, 2023 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

To Order The Tennis Parent’s Bible Click Here

COMING SOON: The Tennis Encyclopedia

Self-Acceptance

“The toughest thing is to look in the mirror and accept yourself.” Frank Giampaolo

In the world of high-performance tennis, the first and perhaps most crucial hidden skill is self-acceptance. It’s the ability to embrace who you are, flaws and all, and to understand that true success begins with an honest assessment of oneself.

The top ATP and WTA stars, the ones we admire and watch on the biggest stages, are imperfect. They don’t possess superhero abilities, nor are they devoid of weaknesses. Instead, they possess a unique understanding of themselves—both their strengths and their limitations. They’ve learned to develop their tennis identity, which allows them to leverage their strengths while working to improve their weaknesses.

In a world that encourages imitation, these champions don’t waste time and energy training to be someone they’re not. They focus, instead, on becoming the best version of themselves. They understand that authenticity is their greatest asset.

So, what does self-acceptance in tennis truly mean? It starts with recognizing your understanding of how your personality and body type shape your style of play. You don’t have to fit in others’ mold; you can create your path to success by being unapologetically yourself—faults and all.

The impact of honest self-acceptance goes beyond just self-assurance. It directly influences your style of play on the court. You’re more likely to play confidently in tournament competition when you embrace who you are and accept your superpowers and limitations.

Consider, for a moment, the various playing styles in tennis: the power hitter, the steady retriever, and the all-court player. Each style is a product of an individual’s unique qualities and abilities. When you truly accept yourself, you can better understand which playing style suits you best and how to optimize it. Start by asking yourself, are you a grinder or disruptor?

Let’s be clear: self-acceptance is not about complacency. It’s not an excuse to ignore areas that need improvement. Instead, it’s a foundation for building your tennis career. By acknowledging your weaknesses, you can work strategically to enhance them, turning them into strengths over time.

While fundamentals are essential, competition is not just about hitting the ball cleanly; it’s also about the battle within yourself. Self-acceptance is your armor in that battle—a powerful tool that can shape your destiny in the world of high-performance tennis.

The Tennis Encyclopedia: INNER CHATTER

Posted on December 26, 2023 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

To Order The Tennis Parent’s Bible Click Here

COMING SOON: THE TENNIS ENCYCLOPEDIA

The following is an excerpt from Inner Chatter.

There’s been a bias in the tennis teaching world for far too long. The development of hardware (strokes and athleticism) has overshadowed software (mental and emotional) since the game began. As you intuitively know, the lack of education and training in mental and emotional skills causes the lion’s share of losses in high-performance matches. It’s my hope that The Tennis Encyclopedia playbooks encourage athletes, coaches, and parents to take the leading role in bringing to light the development of these essential mental and emotional skills.

In the realm of high-performance tennis, athletes are constantly challenged not only by their opponents but also by the relentless chatter within their minds. This inner dialogue can either be a powerful ally, propelling you toward greatness or a formidable adversary, holding you back from reaching your full potential.

The Tennis Encyclopedia: Inner Chatter was born from a deep understanding of your inner chatter’s impact on your performance. Inner Chatter was written for aspiring tennis players who want to unlock the secrets of using internal dialogue to their advantage.

Regardless of skill level, every athlete grapples with the endless thoughts that occupy their minds. We all have self-doubt, anxiety about the future, and reflections on the past. 

Ultimately, this playbook strives to guide you toward cultivating a healthy mind that is resilient, compassionate, and attuned to the unique demands of high-pressure tennis.

May you harness the power of your inner chatter to propel yourself to new heights and, above all, find joy and fulfillment in the sport you love.

UNDERSTANDING INNER CHATTER

In the world of high-performance tennis, it’s the mastery of the mind that often becomes the deciding factor. As an athlete, you are no stranger to the constant chatter within your mind. Inner dialogue is a powerful yet often underestimated force that shapes your performances.

1.1 The Nature of Inner Chatter

Before we dive deeper into the role of self-talk, let’s first understand what inner chatter truly means. At its core, self-talk is your ongoing conversation with yourself, whether talking out loud or silently in your mind. It’s the commentary on your actions, the analysis of your thoughts, and the judgments you pass on your performance.

1.2 Worrying and Speculating

Researchers have discovered that we spend a significant portion of our time engaging in inner chatter. A striking revelation is that about 40% of this mental chatter revolves around worrying about the past or speculating about the future.

1.3 The Positive Power of Inner Chatter

One of the remarkable aspects of self-talk is its potential to be a valuable ally in your development. When harnessed correctly, positive inner chatter is a tool to help you navigate future speculations. It’s like a mental simulator, running through potential plays and strategies, preparing you for what’s to come.

1.4 Self Coaching

Imagine the moments before a big match or during those crucial points in a breaker. Your inner chatter can become a vital ally by helping you visualize your best patterns, maintain focus, and control your actions. It’s not merely a commentator; it’s your strategic coach guiding you through the complexities of competition.

1.5 Tapping Into Your Superpowers

Positive self-talk doesn’t stop there. It plays a role in categorizing and storing valuable information gained from your experiences. It reminds you to play within your tennis identity, staying true to the style and systems of play that you’ve found success with. These are your tennis “superpowers,” and your inner dialogue can help you tap into them consistently.

1.6 How Negative Inner Chatter Hurts

Recognizing that your inner dialogue isn’t always your best friend is crucial. Negative self-talk can be a relentless adversary that hinders your performance in various ways. Here are a few:

  • Lack of Focus: Negative self-talk can pull your attention away from the present moment, making it difficult to concentrate on the task.
  • Strained Relationships: Constant negativity in your self-dialogue can affect your interactions with coaches and family members, damaging communication and collaboration.
  • Physical Effects: The emotions generated by negative self-talk can have tangible physical consequences, leading to unwanted tension and even chronic injuries.
  •  Reinforcing Negative Patterns: Negative inner dialogue has a nasty habit of perpetuating itself. One error can trigger a cascade of negativity, causing a downward spiral. Understanding these patterns is the first step towards taming your inner chatter.

Your ability to master your inner chatter is a game-changer. It can be a valuable asset to becoming a successful, high-performance player. So, fasten your seatbelt, for the exciting exploration of your inner words has just begun.

Tennis- Beyond the Comfort Zone

Posted on December 18, 2023 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

To Order The Tennis Parent’s Bible Click Here

COMING SOON: THE TENNIS ENCYCLOPEDIA

Beyond the Comfort Zone

Elena was a naturally gifted athlete. She played years of sports, honing her athleticism. Elena dominated local girls’ 12’s tournaments. Yet, the allure of her comfort zone was too great. As we trained, change wasn’t a welcome topic. We often talked about her talent being confined within the invisible walls she built inside. I tried like crazy to motivate her to venture beyond her familiar boundaries. Elena wouldn’t budge. Her fixed mindset led her down over and over. Now a D-3 college player, her greatest memories are in the girls’ 12’s when she was the Southern California “It girl.” She was the one everyone predicted could go pro. Elena’s mindset serves as a reminder that genuine contenders need much more than strokes. They need the inner strength to face and then overcome the unfamiliar.

2.1 Stepping Beyond Boundaries

Within the competitive game, a stark truth emerges: True contenders aren’t content with staying within the confines of their comfort zone. They understand that the comfort zone while providing solace, is a place where growth remains elusive. Champions aren’t developed in comfort. They’re eager to test their limits and push themselves to evolve.

2.2 The Silent Opponent

Complacency is the silent killer. Recognize that to excel, you need to expand your horizons continually. Beyond the safety of routine lies the lessons where true growth occurs. The decision to venture beyond comfort is a deliberate choice that requires courage, an open mind, and the willingness to embrace the unknown.

2.3 Where Growth Occurs

The most impactful lessons are learned outside the familiar. Contender like Elana, who remained stagnant within their comfort zone, limited their potential. Athletes like you bravely explore uncharted territories and uncover hidden dimensions of strength. The game becomes a stage for competition and a playground for self-discovery and transformation.

Let Elena’s story inspire you to step outside your comfort zone, view challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for transformation and recognize that only exploring the unfamiliar will reveal your true capabilities.

TENNIS: Changing Fixed Mindsets

Posted on December 12, 2023 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible, The Soft Science of Tennis

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Changing Fixed Mindsets

Last week two top juniors, Steven and Josh were closing out one of their semi-private, two-hour sparring sessions. Josh from Boca Raton, Fl. has a natural inquisitive growth mindset. Steven, from San Francisco, California, possesses a defeatist attitude with his fixed mindset. Steven’s a perfectionist and believes only perfect performances are acceptable.

As Steven was leaving Josh asked me if he could ask me a couple of questions. While I was packing up my gear, Josh asked, “Being solid at crunch time isn’t something that just happens. It’s something you have to develop, right?” “Absolutely,” I replied. “Well, Steven’s doesn’t think he can win the whole Anaheim tournament next weekend, so he says he doesn’t want to go. He’ll probably fake an injury or something. His story is getting old. I don’t understand why he puts so much pressure on himself to win. Even though I want to win every tournament I enter, I’m happy to play well. You know one point at a time.  I hope to learn from my losses by working harder to improve. So by competing, I’m increasing my tennis intelligence and raising my level, right?”

I confirmed Josh’s position and then said, “A growth mindset is about the journey of seeking mastery, instead of viewing losses as catastrophic.  You can see losses as information gathering opportunities, and that buddy is why you’re going to be famous!” Josh smiled, rolled his eyes and said, “Good talk coach…good talk.”

We’ve all had students who have high IQ’s (Intelligence Quotient) but low EQ’s (Emotional Quotient). These athletes are wired to avoid risk while they witness others thrive in competition.

A challenge within The Soft Science of Tennis is to educate these students that their mindset is only their perception of their abilities. After the athlete’s stroke development is said and done, it’s their optimistic or pessimistic attitude that determines competitive success on the tennis court. It is within the parent and coaches job description to develop the power of belief along with a powerful forehand.

Fixed Mindset individuals innately believe that their abilities are inborn and unchangeable.

Growth Mindset individuals trust that their skill sets can and will be developed and improved.

In my observations, fixed mindset students are typically overly sensitive to being wrong. They see failing in competition as catastrophic. If they lose, it’s often something or someone else’s fault, and constructive criticism is taken as a personal insult. Changing this mindset is one of the most challenging roles of a parent or coach.

Recognize the Negative Dialog

Athletes with a pessimistic viewpoint have a running dialog that continually persuades them that they don’t honestly have enough talent, and if they fail, they will be criticized for trying. Many athletes invent an excuse or injury and avoid competition. By doing so, they keep their dignity and ego in check.

The following two solutions will help challenge the fixed mindset worrywart to consider adopting a growth mindset warrior attitude.

  1. Explain that Mindset Is a Choice

Their mental habit is to choose to interpret competition as a serious personal threat. Fixed mindset athletes are typically worried about what could and will go wrong versus what could and will go right. This pessimistic view tears down the will to give 100% effort. Changing from the fixed mindset to the growth mindset is challenging because the athlete has an onslaught of two simultaneous opposing demands. One is the need to suppress their pre-set, negative mental habit and two is to be open to learning to embrace the exact opposite viewpoint.

  • Present the Opposing View

Fixed-mindset athletes need to be reminded that improving and growing requires a metamorphosis into a growth mindset. As these students ramp into tournament mode, be on high alert for their worry, stress, and fears to multiply. They view tournament competition as an event that will expose their shortcomings. It’s our job to present tournament play as a healthy way to assess their development necessary to obtain their goals.

Warning: Responding to and changing their negative banter is emotionally draining even for the well-equipped software developing coach.

Examples of a fixed mindset approach include:

Athlete: “I can’t play, my games not perfect yet. I’m not ready.”

Teacher: “Every time you compete, you learn and improve, and that is the goal.”

Athlete: “If I don’t compete I won’t fail, and I can keep my pride.”

Teacher: “The only true failure is being too scared to try.”

Training the stroke components is only the beginning of a world-class coach’s journey. Having the tools to develop the whole athlete is the end game.

  • Religiously Spot the Positive

On practice days, I recommend applying the laws of attraction. Destroy their pessimistic point of view by asking them to say “yes” after performing a desired stroke or pattern of play. By doing so, it brings to light just how many good strokes they actually hit. This exercise combats their mental habit of focusing on the negative. Success starts by focusing on successes versus failures. It requires changing their doubt in their abilities because their doubt directly undermines their progress.

Once these pessimists see the progress in their abilities, they begin to show positive character traits and critical newborn life skills.

  • Commit to Playing One Game

On match days, fixed mindset “red flags” are everywhere as they try desperately to self-sabotage their performance. By doing so, they’re building their arsenal of excuses for their ego out. “I would have won, but I didn’t have time to train.” “I could have won if I didn’t have this blister on my thumb.”

Also, typical with fixed mindset athletes is to try desperately to back out of competition the morning of the match.

The negotiation tactic I recommend is to ask them to enjoy their pre-match preparation and commit to playing at least one game. If the athlete still wants to default out after one game, that’s fine. Once in the match, they almost always see that the environment is not as threatening as they perceived. The opponent’s not as good as they imagined. So they play a few more games.

Teach my growth mindset philosophy: You have to be present to win. Opportunities and incredible victories present themselves if the athletes are willing to try.

Benefits of Competition for Fixed Mindsets

Many undeniable, positive aspects stem from tournament competition. Advantages include:

  • Competition keeps us honest: It allows us to assess our strokes and movement efficiencies and deficiencies. Exposing our strengths and hiding our weaknesses is an important function of match play.
  • Competition assists us in the art of opponent profiling. Without match play, there’s no dissecting because there are no opponents.
  • Competition exposes our mental fortitude. The ability to stay on Script (your customized game plan), strategy and tactics the match demands.
  • Competition through failure and success helps us develop a massive list of life skills, positive character traits, and a moral compass.
  • Competition aids in developing consistent quality. Winning a 64 draw event requires peak performance for approximately 15 sets.
  • Competition assists us in customizing our future developmental schedules. It’s not the quantity of on-court time; it’s the quality that counts.

Tennis mastery is a process of continuous adaptation and improvement, which is a growth mindset system.

Frank Giampaolo’s The Soft Science of Tennis

Posted on December 1, 2023 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

To Order THE SOFT SCIENCE CLICK HERE

During the past three decades, the business of tennis coaching has become much more scientific. Biomechanics, technique, and technology have changed the hardware (strokes and athleticism) for the better, yet, the software (mental and emotional) have been routinely ignored.

I was fortunate to begin my career at The Vic Braden Tennis College as a tennis instructor. Back in the 1980’s stroke production was the focal point. As I opened and directed tennis colleges throughout the country, I had the opportunity to work with top nationally ranked athletes and touring pros. It was then that I realized that although stroke production was fundamental to the game of tennis, it was by no means the whole story. I found that the athletes with sound hardware (strokes and athleticism) and under-developed software (mental and emotional components) struggled in competition. So, for the past 20 years, I’ve immersed myself into the study of the athlete’s competitive software.

When Sergey Brin and Larry Page founded Google in 1998, they believed that only techies understood technology, so they set the companies hiring algorithms to employ computer science students from elite Universities. Fifteen years later Google began Project Oxygen to test their hiring methods. The conclusion of the research project shocked everyone. Among the seven most valued qualities of Google’s top employees, technical expertise came in dead last. Interestingly, what proved more important to their corporate culture were SOFT SKILLS.

The following are the seven essential personality traits Google prioritizes in their hiring process:

  1. Effective Coaching Skills
  2. Effective Communication and Listening Skills
  3. Empathy and Support for Others
  4. Effective Critical Thinking Skills
  5. Effective Problem Solving Skills
  6. Ability to Connect Across Complex Ideas
  7. Technical Expertise

Since exposing these findings, Google takes soft skills very, very seriously.

Like Google’s search engine business, most of the tennis teaching industry assumes that hard skills (biomechanics and tennis technical knowledge) are most important. This book intends to share insights as to why soft skills matter and their significance may be more important than we were led to believe. The beliefs of athletes are directly influenced by their interactions with coaches and parents. After all, great coaching requires great collaborating, which is at the heart of The Soft Science of Tennis.

This book is designed to improve our tennis specific soft skills that are the behaviors that enable us to connect more efficiently. Soft science characteristics are learned behaviors, and when properly nurtured lead to more effective and harmonious development of our athletes.

In the two years, it took me to research and write this book, the one reoccurring theme throughout this journey was “invest in the person, not just the player.” Whatever industry your athletes choose and whichever position they desire; they’ll take their soft skills with them for the rest of their life.