I was recently interviewed by WorkingTriathlete.com, one of the leading triathlon coaching programs in the U.S., to discuss my newly developed concept of "mental marginal gain." Over the course of about one hour, my hosts, Conrad Goeringer and Derek Stone, and I talk about how the mind can be leveraged more effectively to produce meaningful [...]
There are many things that go into developing skilled tennis players. Physical conditioning, technique, tactics, and psychology require years of constant attention for young players to become the best they can be. Yet, underlying all of the information, exercises, techniques, and strategies are some basic and essential concepts that players and coaches must understand for [...]
When I ask tennis coaches what is the biggest challenge and stressor in their work with young players, the almost unanimous response is PARENTS! Coaches indicate that more often than not parents interfere with rather than facilitate their coaching. This is an unfortunate situation as parents have a powerful impact on players. Considering this, it [...]
One of the most widely used techniques to increase motivation among athletes is goal setting. Having players establish goals at different levels of training and competition will improve their effort and intensity. In order to ensure the value of goal setting, there are several components that must be included in a well-organized goal setting program. [...]
Self-esteem is the single most important thing that young people need to develop in order to be happy, successful, and productive adults. Self-esteem refers to peoples’ basic view of themselves that is reflected in statements such as, “I like myself,” “I am a good person,” or “I am a failure,” or “No one loves me.” [...]
Rest is perhaps the most under-rated training tool at a coach’s disposal. It is an absolutely critical part of any effective training program, yet it is often over-looked by coaches and players alike. A common mentality that has emerged from the “nose to the grind” attitude is that more is better, for example, if four [...]
Some of the most effective Mental Edge training can be done on the court during regular practice. Incorporating Mental Edge skills into on-court preparation will enhance the quality of the training and reinforce the value of the Mental Edge training to the players. On-Court Tennis Imagery Tennis imagery can be useful at three phases of [...]
Tennis imagery is used by virtually all great players in their training and competitive play. Considerable research has also shown that combining mental imagery with actual practice facilitates learning and improves performance better than practice alone. Tennis imagery is one of the most powerful tools players have to enhance the quality of their competitive preparation [...]
The quality of any tennis performance is influenced by three factors: ability, motivation, and the difficulty of the task. Of these factors, only one, motivation, is entirely within the control of the player. Consequently, coaches should focus much of their energy on developing and maintaining a high level of motivation in their players. This task [...]
As coaches know from their work with athletes, improvement in any particular area comes from being made aware of a weakness and then working on improving it. Despite this knowledge, coaches are themselves rarely evaluated in any organized and systematic manner as a means of developing their abilities. Moreover, even more rarely is feedback obtained [...]
