Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “coaching”
In this engaging lecture the speaker Eleanor Maguire explains through demonstrations some of the peculiarities of memory to show that we often do not remember things exactly as they occurred yet we often believe we do. I learnt a lot about human memory years ago at school and it has stuck with me ever since because I know what it …
If you have not heard of Carol Dwecks work on the Growth mindset then you are missing out. I learnt about the Growth mindset in my teens and I have been using it every since in just about every success I have ever had. The principle is simple and in fact so is the implementation which is why it is …
It is often assumed that great success in youth will translate into the same success in later years. Though I couldn’t help noticing that Gael Monfils won 3 junior slam titles in a row yet at senior level the closest he has come to winning one is reaching the semi finals of Roland Garros. Huge success at junior level had no effect on …
Last night I applied the concept that Power comes from movement, movement does not come from power. Something I have noticed repeatedly is that power in tennis and all sport comes through good movement but the reverse it not true. Good movement does not come through great power. What do I mean? I’ve been exploring the best way to build …
Sport reflects the competition inherent in life and picking your battles is the lesson we learn from watching Tennis. From Stanislas Wawrinkas recent success at the Australian Open to Novak Djokovics dominance over Rafael Nadal, through to Rafaels and Roger Federers ongoing rivalry. Each of these battles has been a series of campaigns with each combatant having periods of dominance …
Building on my article Relaxing under pressure I can explain the benefit of my focus on accuracy. I’ve been working through an online course on Tai Chi. It’s fantastic because it puts into simple words the concepts I am trying to bring to my game. At the moment it is about “finding neutral”. That means simply resetting my posture, stance and mindset …
Building on my article Relaxing under pressure I can explain the benefit of my focus on consistency. Last year I tried too hard which led to injuries, first in my wrist then foot. I have since learnt that better technique and recovery would have avoided it all. So that’s what I’ve been doing. The problem has then become a lack of play. …
Vic Braden has been around tennis for a long time. He has some fascinating and useful insights. Florian Meier of Online Tennis Instruction shared some excellent interviews that are really worth listening to part 1 Points I noted were: attacking the net. the reducing recovery time: Used to have 4 seconds between points now have 2.2 in mens and 2.5 in womens. Leads …
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework provides a basis for the school curriculum. It’s what the school system hopes to build on. So getting the best out of it ensures the best start for school and so on. Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a PDF explaining the key aspects of the EYFS. I believe sport is an education and sport is preparation …
Coach: Magnus Norman joined last april after the Australian Open. Prior to this he was coached from age eight until June 2010 by Dimitri Zavialoff then Peter Lundgren (former coach of Marat Safin and Federer) until September 2011 Magnus Norman won one ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the 2000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, a few weeks before he …
This is just a perfect quote so I wanted to keep it for later. The full quote is: “Your best coach on court is your last mistake, learn from it & make your adjustments..don’t get mad” Thanks to Scottsdale Tennis (@KJtheTennisPro) tweeted at 9:25 PM on Fri, Jan 17, 2014:#coaching @USTAJrComp @USTACAZ_JrTournIt’s such a tough mentality to achieve but also …
Continuing the series teaching you how to dominate the net by online tennis instruction check out episode 2 great net positioning. With Roger giving such a masterful display at the net in his Quarterfinal against Murray we see the huge advantage of good net positioning as an advantage and extra option against todays baseliners who dominate. Net positioning is something …
I follow a bunch of on online tennis coaches and I’m really glad I do. I have learnt a ton. Much from their free stuff and tons from the courses I’ve bought. Florian Meier (not the touring pro :-)) focuses a lot on technique and is currently sharing some free instruction on dominating the net. So I thought I would …
I am a big believer in fitting the message to the person you are trying to connect with. This very much informs my philosophy on teaching. So I like to use play as much as I can. Put a student in a place where they are playing with a subject or skill and they will push their boundaries without realising. …
With Stefan Edbergs appointment as Roger Federers next headline coach and Boris Becker joining team Novak you have to wonder what each team is thinking about. Of course Severin luthi rogers permanent coach welcomes edberg but what is the reason to bring the Swede in? I can’t help but wonder if Serve and Volley is the aim in 2014? Federer now has Edberg, …
You’ve probably heard the phrase “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. It’s used in physics but I like to use it on the tennis court. In fact I’ve had to learn it because I’ve met enough people that use my own power against me. I still remember a ranking match where my serve was everything I hoped it …
The eternal question a player must ask regularly of the people advising them is what can this person teach me? If the answer is very little then either you have learnt all that they have to teach or the lessons you need have changed and you must determine how you will now continue learning what is needed. In a sentence …
If like me you love to learn then you’ve probably asked yourself many times how you actually learn anything. What is the process involved and how can you use it to your advantage? I’ve asked myself this question hundreds of times to the point that I decided to study it in school and university. Of course you never get to …
As part of my series of posts looking at the coaching setups of the top pro players Let’s look at Serena. Of course she grew up with her father Richard Williams as her main coach with her mother oracene supporting. She also had the best hitting partner you could ask for in the future number one and multi grand Slam …
Vika has had a long standing coach named Sam Sumyk. Most of what I know about him comes from this brief interview with will Hamilton of Fuzzy Yellow Balls. What is clear is that their partnership works and there is no indication of it ending any time soon since Vikas amazing success has come with Sam at the helm. Like …