The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.
Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon
Specific Match Chart Function- Part 4
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.
Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon
UNFORCED ERROR VERSUS WINNER CHART:
This chart takes the basic errors to winners chart to a whole new level. It documents winners and unforced errors from individual strokes through individual games. Tallying which stroke commits unforced errors and produces a high volume of winners will assist coaches in customizing a game plan aimed at exposing strengths and hiding (or fixing) weaknesses.
DEPTH OF GROUNDSTROKE CHART:
This chart will quantify the depth of the groundstrokes, which determines the ease of return for the opponent. A ball landing short in the opponent’s service box is extremely attackable. A ball landing deeper in the court (defend zone) often keeps the opponent on their heels in a defensive position.
ERROR PLACEMENT CHART:
It’s estimated that 70% of all errors are in the net. This chart will expose where the athlete makes most of their errors. One of the keys to error containment is understanding error placement. Winning matches require spotting and fixing re-occurring errors.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT CHART:
This chart effectively identifies the emotional climate of the athlete throughout competition. Recognizing how often the athlete unknowingly shifts from their optimistic mindset to a pessimistic mindset is typically the precursor to a significant drop in one’s performance level. A common factor is that poor play starts with a negative mindset shift.
Specific Match Chart Purpose- Part – Part 3
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.
Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon
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 1
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.
Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon
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.
Innovative Tennis Charting- Release December 17th
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, INNOVATIVE TENNIS CHARTING.
Click Here To Pre–Order through Amazon
Every parent, athlete, and coach talks about mental toughness. Sadly, most don’t know how to teach it. Match awareness is key. These easy-to-use ingenious charts shine a light on the science of winning. Charting performance and quantifying performances have many benefits. If you want to maximize potential at a faster rate, read on.
WHY PEER TEACHING IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO LEARN
Researchers have long known that the best way to understand a new concept is to explain it to someone else. To quote Seneca, a famous Roman philosopher, “What we teach, we learn.” Scientists have labeled this learning strategy “The Protégé Effect.” Innovative Tennis Charting is a tool that brings this ancient wisdom to the modern tennis competitor. The athlete, parent, or coach that learns to utilize these simple yet effective charts is secretly developing their software skills and tennis IQ.
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
CONCLUSION OF THE SOFT SCIENCE POSTS
It is my hope that The Soft Science of Tennis reveals insights that motivate parents and coaches to create an irresistible, positive culture. This book highlights why there’s more to developing a champion that meets the eye and how specific educational pathways should be customized to suit the sixteen different personality profiles found within your students.
The heart of The Soft Science of Tennis recognizes brain preferences and why it’s an essential tool that enables us to maximize athletic potential at a much quicker rate. The values and beliefs shared throughout these pages define how coaches and parents will connect with their athletes at a deeper level in the very near future.
The soft science concept is a new way of looking at things for many industry professionals. Rather than continuing to place exclusive emphasis on fundamental stroke perfection, the focus is now on the whole athlete. Developing the athlete’s software (mental and emotional) is just as significant as developing their hardware (strokes and athleticism.)
Connecting with someone shouldn’t have to feel like winning the lottery. It should be an everyday experience. To me, coaching is never just about the drill. I care much more about how people feel when they’re improving. That’s the real connection. The emotional connection between people is the real magic. In writing this book, it’s my wish that coaches and parents apply these insights to establish a genuine bond with their athletes and connect on a higher level.
Enjoy the journey, Frank
Developing Confidence and Self Esteem- Part 3
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
Click Here to Order through Amazon
Memories are Malleable
Over time, the mental images of an event shape one’s view of the situation, and memories are created. We choose which “past movie” runs in our minds. With events like weddings, we forget the bad (Aunt Martha got up and sang “Feelings” with the band) and recall the good (Dad cried through the entire ceremony.)
In regards to athletic competition, we tend to do the polar opposite. We forget the good and magnify the bad. Frequently, over-zealous parents go to great lengths to document detailed laundry lists of their athlete’s match performance shortcomings and then proceed to review their findings with their athlete right after the match, which of course, disheartens the athlete. With persistent criticism, the athlete begins to build a subconscious, unpenetrable wall of memory recounting their failures. Confidence or lack thereof is malleable like our memory.
Reinforcing the behaviors you seek versus pointing out failures is in the athlete’s best interest. If your athletes can benefit from increased confidence, check out the following five solutions.
Starting a Brand New Memory System
- Ask the athlete to inventory their well-developed competitive tool belt.
These include life skills, positive character traits, morals, various game styles, primary strokes, secondary strokes, match day routines and rituals, mental skills, emotional skills, self-destruction skills, etc. These well-developed tools are convincing reasons to be confident.
- Ask the athlete to complete a success journal.
They do so by going online and reviewing their positive tournament match success stories from the past few years. Re-living scenarios where they overcame hardship, conquered gamesmanship, performed at their peak performance level, stayed on script for the duration of the match, improved their statistical numbers, handled poor conditions, beat that pusher, took out a top seed, or won a title. These past success stories are incredibly motivational as they provide the leverage the athlete needs to build their inner trust. These accomplishments are significant, influential memories to journal and re-live.
- After a solid performance, ask the athlete to write a congratulations letter to themself.
Have them list in detail all the success in the four main components- strokes, athleticism, mental and emotional. Such as their strong strokes, their outstanding athleticism, their rock-solid strategies, as well as their triumphant emotional state. Ask them to reread the letter before matches and after losses. There are enough people in the world that will tell them that they can’t do it. Athletes don’t need themselves to promote the negative.
- Ask the athlete to complete a “life” gratitude checklist.
It’s almost impossible to continually focus on negative issues such as disappointments, problems, stress, and fear while simultaneously highlighting successes, positive attributes, and opportunities. Examples range from getting to play tennis, traveling to tournaments, owning the latest clothes and gear, eating well, sleeping well, loving pets, great friends, loving family, and of course, their supportive coaches.
- Ask the athlete to design a brand new customized developmental plan.
Belief follows quality persistent, repetitive practicing in the manner they’re expected to perform. This training methodology is very different than hitting another basket of balls. An individual’s belief only changes after their routines change. Studies show that the athlete’s actual biochemistry changes if and when the athlete is willing to change their approach. New habits should become the athlete’s new focal point.
Make time to assist the athlete in writing down their five newly adapted memory systems. Encourage the athlete to record the appropriate memories into their cellular phone’s digital recorder app and listen to their brand new memory system nightly to help reinforce their new improved confidence and self-esteem.
Destroying old bad habits, technical, mental or emotional, is not a one-time fix. Re-programming skills and thought processes demand repetition. Confidence and self-esteem are mastered through daily exercises. Changing their memory system leads to increased self-confidence, which leads to successful experiences, and these successful experiences lead to even greater confidence. It becomes a powerful upward spiral that every athlete, parent, or coach seeks.
Developing Confidence and Self Esteem- Part 2
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
Click Here to Order through Amazon
The following is a list of open-ended questions that will assist in assessing the underlying confidence and self-esteem within your athlete.
- Can peak performance coexist with having fun?
- If you’re focusing exclusively on your shortcomings, how does it help? Could it hurt?
- If you focused on solutions, how could that help?
- What is confidence?
- What does self-esteem have to do with your inner dialog?
- Why does practice in the manner you’re expected to perform make sense?
- What is needed to compete more confidently and comfortably?
- Are you willing to be uncomfortable in practice in order to be comfortable in matches?
- In competition, what is uncomfortable to you?
- Are you ready to push past your walls and test your limits?
- Where does mediocre training lead?
- What poor, unproductive choices can you turn down?
- Gamesmanship requires confrontation. How are you prepared to conquer your inner demons and then fight for your rights?
- How do you accept feeling fearful but focus and stay on script anyway?
- Why does healthy self-confidence lead to successful experiences?
- How do successful experiences lead to increased confidence?
Developing Confidence and Self Esteem- Part 1
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
Click Here to Order through Amazon
Bill is a 6 foot lanky 14-year-old who is top 15 in Southern California. Tennis has come very easy to Bill. He is naturally athletic and much taller than his peers. Bill and his folks are convinced he’s on track to becoming an ATP Professional. He attends a local Tennis Academy, where he hits for 4 hours a day on the practice court, playing “catch” back and forth. He is also one of the best juniors at the academy.
Bill’s fundamental strokes are dynamite. He walks on-court cocky, smiling, and confident. During tournaments, however, when matches flip 180 degrees to a game of “keep away” Bill misses a few shots, begins to panic, and turns into a completely different person. His verbal outbursts are self-belittling, and his body language and facial expressions are borderline crazy as tears roll down his cheeks.
After reviewing with Bill one of his so-called catastrophic losses, I asked him, “What are your thoughts about your performance?” Bill stated, “I played awful! I am so confused because I beat everyone in practice games, but in real tournament matches, if I miss an easy shot, I freak out and lose all belief. Man, I have no confidence in tough matches. Sometimes I get so upset that I can’t even find my strings and I turn into shank-zilla. What is wrong with me?”
If strokes and athleticism are the muscles and bones of the athlete, confidence and self-esteem are the heart and soul. Let’s go back in time and review the origins of the words: confidence and esteem.
In Latin, the word confidence means to trust. Self-confidence refers to the athlete’s inner-emotional ability. It’s their opinion of their aptitude to engage and compete successfully. A self-confident person is eager to take on challenges and seeks new opportunities.
In Latin, the word esteem means to appraise. Self-esteem refers to the athlete’s inner emotional view of their self-worth. Athletes with high self-esteem feel secure, confident, and worthwhile.
Nurtured self-confidence and self-esteem typically precede any real athletic accomplishments. Without these soft science skills, athletes often hold themselves back by inaction due to fear and uncertainties. The majority of athletes do not include emotional training in their tennis development and are not nurtured how to believe in themselves. As a result, emotionally weak competitors often view competition as a high-risk activity instead of an opportunity.
Some players have tremendous athletic skills but don’t trust their abilities.
Performing at one’s peak potential in practice is easy because the athletes are not keeping real score so they aren’t being judged. In tournament competition, judgment is inherent. Once the umpire calls out “LETS PLAY,” mental and emotional fear-based interferences come into view.
Do you ever wonder why some athletes stand up and fight at crunch time, routinely seizing the moment, while others wilt due to self-doubt and lack of courage? The difference lies in their inner belief, confidence, self-trust, and self-esteem.
Managing Fear and Risk- Part 4
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
Click Here to Order through Amazon
Managing Risky Players
Like we uncovered in previous chapters, not all athletes share the same cognitive profile. We are all controlled to some extent by our genetic design. While parents and coaches promote the rewards of taking calculated risks to some athletes, it is wise to understand that other cognitive designs need polar opposite training. To these, reckless daredevils, minimizing risk is in their best interest. Some of our athletes aren’t thinking of reasons not to risk; they are thinking why not risk…
Opposite of the timid performers are the reckless athletes who are hard-wired to thrive on risk. In fact, they perform with too much reckless abandon. They are often downright mindless and inattentive to playing high percentage ball. This personality profile doesn’t have limiting beliefs; they have limitless beliefs.
I occasionally work with talented, young juniors who are so overly confident that they are sure they’re going to be #1 in the world next week! Due to their limitless beliefs, nothing is stopping them from routinely attempting low percentage shot selections. Their intuition is skewed, as we watch in horror as these impatient athletes give away relatively easy matches.
With these exciting athletes, I recommend assisting them to play only within their preset comfortable script of play. Firstly, assist them in designing their most proficient serving patterns, return patterns, rally patterns, short ball options, and net rushing sequences. Second, practice these exact scripts routinely in place of rallying. Third, bring in a sparring partner and monitor the athlete’s ability to stay on their pre-designed scripts throughout practice sets. Forth, in real tournament play, chart the percentage of points the athlete played on script versus going rogue. In my experience, exceptions follow every rule so shoot for a performance goal consisting of about 75% on script and 25% off-script. The athletes should seek excellence and not perfection.
“Champions understand that if they don’t apply intelligent risk, they don’t grow. If they don’t grow, they don’t reach their peak potential. If they aren’t performing at their peak potential, they’re not satisfied with their performance. If they’re not satisfied, they’re not happy. So, happiness stems from risking intelligently.”
