Tag Archives: tennis

COMMON PIT FALLS OF TOURNAMENT PLAY

Posted on October 18, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

COMMON PIT FALLS OF TOURNAMENT PLAYThe Tennis Parent's Bible by Frank Giampaolo

 

As tournament play approaches, common stumbling blocks sabotage even the most talented athletes. Does your athlete apply the below winning habits? Often the difference between winning and losing isn’t their athletic ability, it’s their preparation for battle.

Complete Pre-Match Warm-Up

Warm up the primary and secondary strokes and patterns needed to beat any style of opponent. Every tool in the tool belt should be warmed up.

Maintain Match Focus

During the match, does your player keep their intensity and focus up until the match is complete. Often intermediate athletes have a comfortable 4-1 lead and tend to relax and lose focus, now thanks to them; it’s a 5-5 dog fight!

Adapt and Problem Solve

Worthy opponents change their losing game plans.  If an opponent switches to their plan “B”, it’s your child’s responsibility to spot the tactical change and adapt/problem solve. Does your player have a script to pull each style of opponent out of their comfort zone?

Spot and Control the Mega and Mini Mega Points

Remember, your player must take the match from a champion. Expecting opponents to fall apart and quit when it gets tough won’t happen against the top players. Controlling the “big” points is a critical factor. Does your player know the difference between a positive and a negative game point?

Perform your Between Point Rituals

Controlling the tempo of the match, your heart rate, mistake management, anger management and problem solving takes place in between points. Often against weaker players, your athlete may be able to ignore between-point and change-over rituals. Though later when your child comes up against a real competitor and needs rituals to problem solve, they find themselves in unchartered territory- uncomfortable with their rituals and therefore unable applying them to problem solve. Has your child mastered between point rituals?

Apply the Laws of Offensive, Neutral and Defensive Shot Selection

Some players tend to go for glamorous offensive shots when they are in a neutral “building” situation. Others tend to get scared and fall back to simply hitting neutral shots when they have an offensive situation. Have you dedicated lesson time to focus on hitting the shot the moment demands?

Control the Energy Flow

The opponent wins 3 games in a row and your player just wanders aimlessly to the next point. Their head is slumped, with a “poor me”…or a “deer in the headlights” look on your face. They are the only one who can stop this energy flow. Does your player have a pre-set protocol to set in motion when they lose three games in a row?

Second Match Warm up Routines

Before the second match of the day intermediate athletes don’t bother to re-start their pre match rituals. They don’t bother with a short warm up or visualization with their next opponent’s game in mind. Heck, they don’t even go for a run before checking in. They’re sluggish, unfocused and often go down in flames. Does your player have a second match of the day warm up routine?

Read Notes As Needed

If your player is being outplayed and can’t find an answer to get into the match, he/she should have their patterns and plans written down and should review them during the changeover. For example, if your player is losing to a moonball pusher…reviewing their moonball/pusher notes will refresh the appropriate patterns needed to be employed. Are your player’s notes typed out, laminated and placed in a safe pocket of your racket bag?

Lastly to the Player…Gratitude

Does your player realize their family is 100% behind them? Players need to know that their team is assisting them with their life’s quest. Whether they are driving to lessons, hitting sessions, off-court workouts, practice matches and tournaments or organizing daily developmental essentials, they are sacrificing the hundreds of things they could be doing for themselves…because they believe in you! They spend their time and money on ….you because they want to help your achieve your goals. Yet, some athletes’ are all too often mad at their parents/coaches.

Players, you don’t have a chance without the support of your parents. Instead of the “attitude” try “gratitude.” Your parents and coaches are the best allies you’ll ever have. When was the last time you thanked your parents/coaches?

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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REMINDER: Frank Giampaolo Talk Show Today

Posted on October 15, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

JOIN US
TODAY-  THURSDAY
OCTOBER 15, 2015 at 5:30 P.M. Eastern Time

ac47f7ae-9ba8-41b8-a438-ede80d644170_image

John L. Danise,

Executive Director of the Florida High School
Tennis Coaches Association
Interviews

Bestselling Author Frank Giampaolo
Discussing the process of
Raising Athletic Royalty.

To Listen Live Call: 714-583-6853 or
Connected to:
www.BlogTalkRadio/UR10Snetwork
(Or log on later to hear the recorded pod cast.)

Frank will be available to answer questions after the show!

Cheating in Tennis

Posted on September 2, 2015 by in Cheating, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

“Cheating only creates a false sense of security.”Frank Giampaolo Maximizing Tennis Potential Junior Tennis

 

Those who have relied on manipulating, cheating and gamesmanship as their primary weapon in junior tennis match play lack the essential self-confidence needed at higher level tennis.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
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Parent Player Harmony

Posted on August 26, 2015 by in The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Parent Player Harmony

 

“Extraordinarily successful athletes have parents that have mastered their managerial role.”

One of the most important duties of a parent is to instill harmony along the journey. Performance orientated (as opposed to outcome oriented) parents have the greatest chance at enjoying the process of raising athletic royalty. Parents should understand that their role as a tennis parent offers them the opportunity to use sports to foster life lessons. Through a parent’s unconditional love and support, the ultimate outcome of the athletic journey should be to create a well-balanced, world class adult and family harmony.

Behaviors that Foster Parent-Player Harmony:

  1. Emphasize the education of positive life lessons.
  2. Leave notes under their pillow reminding them how proud you are of their efforts.
  3. After a loss, give your child time and space.
  4. On a daily basis, be effort orientate versus outcome orientated.
  5. Understand the parents’ job descriptions.
  6. Abide by the tennis parent match day guidelines.
  7. Execute a deliberate, customized developmental plan.
  8. Put visions and goals in writing to keep the team on same page.
  9. Emphasize the development of all four major components
    (Strokes mechanics, mental, emotional, athleticism)
  10. Remember that your actions speak louder than your words.

 

“A parent should hold the athlete accountable for poor behavior. Instilling manors and good sportsmanship is part of the balanced approach.”

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Real Cause of Errors

Posted on August 17, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Question: How do we assist our son in decreasing his unforced errors?

Frank: In my opinion, decreasing unforced errors always starts with the identification process. On numerous occasions, I have asked parents and coaches to chart ranked players utilizing The Cause of Error Chart. (Found in Match Chart Collection at Maximizingtennispotential.com). The results were very interesting.

While the majority of the international coaches solely focused on stroke production year in-year out, the main cause of errors were consistently shot selection and NOT form.

I suggest applying the cause of error chart to identify your athletes leading cause of error. I have found that the most common cause of errors in high level athlete’s are Mental-Shot Selection, followed by  Movement-Spacing, a very close third was Emotional-Performance Anxieties…and last on the list…Technical-Stroke Mechanics!

Because poor shot selection is the leading cause of errors at the higher competitive junior levels. Shot selection starts with understanding that in between each shot in a rally, there are only about 2 milliseconds of actual decision making time. So, how much can you analyze in that small amount of time? The answer is not much. This means that most shot selection options are learned behaviors acquired on the practice court. That is right. These tools must be wired into a player’s game way before the tournament begins. Pre-setting offence, neutral, defensive and directional options is mental training.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Mentally Tough Component

Posted on August 15, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

Ten Essential Components of the Mental/Emotional Tough Competitor:

  1. Dedicate physically, mentally and emotionally to the process of becoming mentally tough. Without full commitment, it is unlikely mentally toughness will be achieved.  Mental/emotional toughness can only be mastered by someone who is ready to dig deeper into the strategic, stubborn protocols of winning and the psychology of defeating their own demons.

 

  1. Acknowledge that being mentally/emotionally tough isn’t reserved for the gifted few. Mental/emotional toughness as well as mental/emotional weakness is a learned-earned behavior.

People around the world from the passive Buddhist monks to the aggressive Navy Seals spend each day developing their mental/emotional toughness skills.  Some juniors have unknowingly invented their own mental/emotional weakness protocols and because they don’t know better, return to them religiously under stress.

 

  1. Decide to stay the course and confront hardship instead of bailing out at the first sign of confrontation.

Psychologists call it the fight or flight syndrome. Choosing to persevere through difficult circumstances leads to improved confidence. Getting in superb physical shape is a great place to start. Begin the journey by fighting through exhaustion, pain and discomfort.

 

  1. On a daily basis, multi-task and build the mental/emotional muscles along with stroke production.

Closing out every single drill develops mental/emotional toughness. Negative scoring (Drill to 10 – subtracting 1 for each error.) to each physical practice session to rehearse overcoming hardships.

 

  1. Commit to a deliberate custmentallylf-trust are learned and earned.

Choosing to do what the moment demands within a millisecond requires preset protocol training- the deliberate, customized repetition that incorporates how, when and why pre-set solutions (protocols) are applied.

 

  1. Accept that becoming mentally tough requires sacrifice. You must choose to be a normal ‘kid’ or a champion. You have to pick one…because you can’t be both.

Mental toughness requires you prioritize your time- putting everyday normal ‘kid stuff’ aside, most of the time, as you becomes athletic royalty.

 

  1. Develop the ability to employ the art of intimidation and to raise the adrenaline level at crunch time.

Raising positive energy at crunch time inflates the athlete’s performance while systematically deflates the opponent’s performance. Intimidation is the confidence role/act that begins pre-game as the athlete morphs into a ‘warrior.’  Staying in that ‘warrior’ mind-set or on-script throughout the competition is essential.

 

  1. Choose to be a courageous competitor – playing to win versus playing not to lose.

Applying the strategically correct system the moment demands under pressure, without fear or hesitation, no matter the score, the opponent or seeding is essential.

 

  1. Master the ability to handle adversity – such as poor start times, adverse elements, occasional sickness, minor injuries, and/or gamesmanship.

Choosing to see disadvantages as challenges versus obstacles too difficult to overcome is mental/emotional toughness.

 

  1. Persevere and be willing and able to remain on course and stay on-script longer…

Most good athletes are able to perform like a ‘pro’ occasionally. Greatness stems from an athlete’s ability to perform good after good. Consistently remaining in the peak performance state is essential in the higher echelons of sports.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Spotting Burnout

Posted on August 12, 2015 by in The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

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 re-charge, 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. 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 burn out. Signs of burn out 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.

25 Signs of Tennis Burn Out:

  • Multiple injuries
  • Reduced flexibility in their body
  • Complaining about Fatigue
  • Reduced concentration
  • Fear of competition
  • Lack of emotional control
  • Lack of strategy and judgment
  • Poor opponent awareness
  • Negative verbal or physical outbursts
  • Pessimism
  • Negative attitude
  • Lack of motivation to attend practice or to hit the gym
  • Lack of motivation to compete in a tournament
  • Poor equipment preparation
  • Appearing slow and heavy with no energy
  • Lack of anticipation and agility
  • Negative facial expressions
  • Negative body language
  • Short attention span
  • Eyes wondering outside the court
  • Inability to concentration
  • Lack of concern about performance goals
  • Low patience
  • Lack of enthusiasm
  • 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 their 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.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Athletic Perfectionism?

Posted on August 10, 2015 by in The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

Frank Giampaolo

“Constructive Criticism to a perfectionist isn’t seen as a positive step towards a better performance. It threatens to expose their flaws, which is a catastrophic assault on their self-worth. They don’t want the truth… They want to be correct…”

Perfectionists are often unwilling to learn because that omits a short coming or flaw. Their overriding primary concern is to prove that they’re always right. Does this antagonistic, defensive behavior hurt their chances of success? You bet…in tennis and life.

Perfectionist or not, no one likes to be criticized. If you have a perfectionist athlete, ask them to be open to suggestions, be willing to discuss options, be interested in feedback and teamwork. Maximizing potential at the quickest rate depends on teamwork.

 

“The path to the top is a positive and negative spiral …3 steps forward 2 steps back.”

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Essential Tennis Skills

Posted on August 8, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

 

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank GiampaoloMaximizing Tennis Potential with Frank Giampaolo

 

Accelerate your child’s game with proper physical training.  Modern high level tennis demands high level athleticism.  Ignoring training and only focusing on stroke mechanics will severely limit any athletes potential.

The Following Training Skills are Essential to High Performance Tennis Athletes:

  • Lateral Movement (Side to side)
  • Up & Back Movement (Forward & back)
  • Aerobic Fitness
  • Ability to Accelerate
  • Ability to Decelerate
  • Speed/Agility
  • Stamina
  • Recovery Time between Points/Plays
  • Recovery Time between Matches/Games
  • Strength (Upper body/core/lower body)
  • Body Coordination (Gross motor skills)
  • Hand-Eye Coordination (Fine motor skills)
  • Flexibility/Stretching
  • Anticipatory Speed

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Tennis Hobbyist

Posted on August 5, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

A partially committed parent is simply a hobbyist. That’s fine – tennis is an incredible hobby that teaches many life lessons. However, a hobbyist parent should be satisfied with raising a hobbyist tennis player and not expect champion results. In today’s game, it’s unfair to expect your child to become a champion without parental commitment.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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