Tennis IQ Podcast

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the mental attributes of Carlos Alcaraz that have led to his rise in the rankings. The co-hosts consider the confidence, humility, and work ethic that he has shown thus far in his career, and how rare it is to see such traits from someone his age (19 years old). Furthermore, they review how all tennis players can learn from Alcaraz’s motivational and instructional self-talk (featured in the first quote below) and the positive impact that activating the coaching voice by using the player’s own name has on performance. Below are quotes that were mentioned during the episode.     “I lost the second set, and then after, I went to the bathroom. It helped me,” Alcaraz recalled. “I washed my face. ‘Okay, Charlie, if you're not going to pull out, think about playing. Don't think on your ankle. Don't think on nothing else. Fight till the very last ball, because you know that you are capable of doing it.’”   "I have five more to go to be the best in the world."   “I am not afraid to say I want to win a Grand Slam, I know it is going to be really hard, but I am not afraid to say it.”     To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of parenting tennis players, and offer some good practices to assist in the journey. Topics reviewed include having a clear purpose for why a child plays tennis and the benefits of the sport, parents as performers on match day, ensuring that tennis remains fun, and the benefits of sport sampling for young tennis players. A list of resources for parents and athletes is listed below.    USTA Player Development Parent Resources Page: http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/parent_resources_/    USTA’s American Development Model: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/american-development-model.html    Sport for Life (Canada) - Long-Term Development Resources: https://sportforlife.ca/long-term-development/    Tennis Canada Tips for Parents: https://www.tenniscanada.com/compete/tips-for-parents/    Presentation on Positive Youth Development in Tennis by Brian Lomax: https://youtu.be/muWzTZ7iPZs    Positive Coaching Alliance: https://positivecoach.org/    To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of closing out a match. Topics reviewed include loss aversion, the benefits of practicing being a closer, and how you can use a self-talk closing script and visualization to help you have a plan for closing situations. Additionally, the co-hosts talk about how professional players often struggle to close out matches, and that this is a phenomenon that occurs at all levels of the game.     To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Brian and Josh chat with Swupnil Sahai, the co-founder and CEO of SwingVision, about the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in tennis and how the data extracted can relate to the mental side of the sport. Swupnil is a lifelong tennis player and massive Federer fan. He has a triple major from UC Berkeley, a PhD in Statistics from Columbia, and built patented A.I. for autonomous driving at Tesla Autopilot. He created SwingVision with the mission to democratize the professional tennis experience for players of all levels.   Listeners of the Tennis IQ Podcast can get $100 off the SwingVision Pro subscription bundle, which includes a phone mount that attaches to the back fence or curtain in seconds and provides optimal shot tracking accuracy. Use the link https://swing.tennis/c/tennisiq to get the discount.   About SwingVision: SwingVision is the A.I. tennis app that provides automated scoring, shot tracking & line calling using just your iPhone. Featured in the 2021 iPhone & iPad Keynote events, designated as Editors' Choice on the App Store and now the Official Player & Ball Tracking App of the ITA, LTA & Tennis Australia, SwingVision has quickly become the most comprehensive, portable and affordable technology solution for tennis players of all levels.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-talk strategies for tennis players to optimize their internal dialogue. Strategies discussed include utilizing a self-talk log, cognitive restructuring/reframing, thought stopping/replacement, repetitive writing, and using scripts. The co-hosts emphasize that regardless of the strategy utilized, it is important to “listen to yourself less, and talk to yourself more” (h/t @DanAbrahams77) - don’t listen to everything that goes through your mind and talk to yourself in a productive and intentional way.   To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

This episode is a follow-up to an earlier conversation on the topic of cheating in tennis. In Ep. 24, Brian and Josh discussed how players can respond to instances of cheating as well as how to handle "difficult" opponents. In this conversation, the co-hosts expand on the topic, and examine why cheating occurs, how to reframe cheating in your mind, what to do when a bad line call occurs, and additional strategies players can use when they encounter cheating. For more on this topic, check out Ep. 24 - Dealing With Cheating and Difficult Opponents To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the unique challenges of tennis. Topics discussed include a conversation on why the scoring system in tennis can lead to constant judgement and riding an "emotional rollercoaster", the multiple roles that tennis players need to play in a match (player, coach, line judge), as well as the fighting/combat nature of the sport. Additionally, the co-hosts consider how the nature of the sport invites comparisons to other players which can lead to increased expectations and pressure.   To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how to play Level 3 in the Tennis IQ model developed by USPTA Master Professional Jorge Capestany. Level 1 of this model involves the player and the ball (beginner level), Level 2 is about a player’s own side of the court, and Level 3 is the opponent’s side of the court (pro level). The co-hosts review the types of mindsets and tactics that tennis players can utilize in order to play Level 3 more often, and play in a way that keeps the opponent's side of the court in mind. This starts with a closer look at a player’s own strengths and the weaknesses of the opponent, and then a commitment to use their strengths to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses as often as possible. Furthermore, they examine how tennis players can “sabotage” their opponent’s game to disrupt their rhythm and make it tougher for the opponent to play at their best level.   To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss what to do when a tennis player is “supposed” to win or lose a match. The co-hosts review things to avoid when you are supposed to win or lose, along with mindsets that keep you focused and competitive. Lastly, they consider better ways to approach these scenarios including the mantra “respect all, fear none."   To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players should handle trying to come back when they are losing. Topics discussed include learning from top pros on how they deal with playing from behind, how to identify what sort of adjustment needs to be made mid-match, and the type of mindset and attitude that you need to turn a match around.    To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.