Tennis IQ Podcast

Steve O'Connell is an accomplished racquet sport professional and educator who is a USPTA elite certified pro, wheelchair tennis instructor, certified platform tennis instructor and a certified pickleball instructor. Through his careers in both tennis and education, Steve has been a long-time advocate of journaling and writing, emphasizing the many benefits of these practices to his students.   Interview Highlights:  1:25 - Steve explains his introduction to tennis  4:35 - The similarities between coaches and teachers  8:06 - How Steve got involved with journaling  10:01 - Using journaling as a tool with developing tennis players  13:01 - The best ways to get started with journaling  20:27 - How much time should you wait before journaling about a match or practice?  27:02 - Introducing journaling to tennis coaches  33:40 - Helping athletes and coaches commit to journaling on a regular basis  38:12 - The habit of learning from past journal entries  45:01 - The benefits of writing things down after tennis lessons, practices, or matches  51:09 - Best practices related to journaling and final thoughts   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!

Note: This episode was recorded on Sunday (5/30) which was before the news broke of Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the 2021 Roland Garros tournament.   This episode dives into the quote "Keep standards high and expectations low" which was originally used by Mikaela Shiffrin (Olympic and World Cup ski champion), but has been embraced and thoroughly discussed by Iga Swiatek. Brian and Josh discuss the expectations placed on various ATP and WTA players currently, and review how these expectations and pressures could impact them in the 2021 Roland Garros tournament. The co-hosts talk about certain players who have benefitted based on their focus on keeping their personal standards high without too much of a focus on the outcome and winning.   We’re not the good guys: Osaka shows up problems of press conferences - Jonathan Liew - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/may/31/were-not-the-good-guys-osaka-shows-up-problems-of-press-conferences   Reporter Congratulates Nicolas Mahut After Loss - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vnx-q_AdNM   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!

Ryan Harry has established himself as an industry leader within the tennis community. His 21-year career has presented opportunities to work at some of the most established clubs within the nation. Most recently, Ryan held the position as Head Professional for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In February, 2021 Ryan launched Play Tennis Academy, a management company designed to bring club-level programming to your neighborhood. These efforts are to provide convenient junior and adult training opportunities at affordable rates.  Ryan's career highlights include USPTA pro of the year (RI), PTR pro of the year (RI), featured in Tennis Channel magazine, Tennis Industry magazine, and two developmental videos that are currently featured on Tennis Channel Academy.   Play Tennis Academy - https://www.playtennisacademy.net/  Episode highlights:  2:40 - Ryan describes his introduction to the sport of tennis  7:07 - The beginning of Ryan's coaching journey  9:20 - How positive coaches surrounding Ryan influenced his coaching philosophy  16:28 - What Ryan looks for in the coaches that he hires at Play Tennis Academy  20:37 - The challenges and successes during the launch of Play Tennis Academy  24:16 - Ryan's journey as a coach and business owner from a mental toughness perspective  26:54 - The shift in Ryan's coaching philosophy over the years  31:25 - The mission behind Play Tennis Academy  34:19 - The importance of play, fun, and enjoyment when learning tennis  39:29 - Making matches and matchplay fun  42:05 - The impact that tennis can make in a child's life  45:45 - Helping kids get more engaged into tennis and become a 'student of the game'  49:21 - Learning from the pros and having a hero to look up to  53:32 - Creating a team-based environment within junior tennis  59:54 - The mentality of playing one point at a time and never taking a point off  1:05:52 - The benefits of playing different levels of players and learning from winning and losing  1:07:11 - Creating a positive learning environment that promotes character development  1:09:08 - Manipulating the rules of practice to better prepare players for the challenges of matches  1:12:17 - Final thoughts and a challenge to the listeners - get out and play tennis tomorrow!

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss goal-setting strategies that can help tennis players further their development. The conversation starts by discussing the importance of crafting an identity for the person that you want to become, and then crafting goals relating to that new identity. They also discuss how tennis players ought to break down their larger "outcome goals" into smaller pieces using performance and process goals, and then develop new habits and systems to pursue those goals. Lastly, they review the relevant length of time to set goals for and the importance of focusing on short-term and medium-term goals rather than getting too caught up on long-term goals that can be discouraging and may feel unachievable.   USTA HIGH PERFORMANCE COACHING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN - https://s3.amazonaws.com/ustaassets/assets/689/15/16777_c_ny_19_playerdevelopment_reformatresources_pd_developmentalplan.pdf  Don’t Dream Big | Eric Butorac | TEDxBinghamtonUniversity  -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3OoH_O9Y-U  Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment - George Leonard - https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Keys-Success-Long-Term-Fulfillment/dp/0452267560  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 dive into the topic of choking and cover strategies that tennis players can utilize when they feel a match starting to slip away. First, the co-hosts discuss a few root issues relating to choking including identifying oneself as a "choker" or expecting that you will choke because you've choked in the past. Additionally, they examine how focusing too much on the score and the outcome of the match can cause players to play hesitantly so as to avoid losing rather than playing to win. Lastly, Brian and Josh review how implementing mental skills including mindfulness, self-talk, and visualization gives tennis players the best possible chance to handle choking situations well when they encounter them.   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!

When it comes to developing your potential as a tennis player, there are a number of factors involved. In this episode, Brian and Josh review several of those factors including the relationship between talent and potential, your genes, access to facilities and/or coaching, and the mindset required to develop your talent.   The Performance Equation  [Actual Performance] = [Potential Performance] - [Interference]

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can embrace the mentality of playing one point at a time. Many players notice that when they buy in to a one point at a time mentality, they feel less pressure and may even feel that it makes it easier for them to perform. The co-hosts review the "formula" to playing one point at a time (below) and explain that it is necessary to determine what a quality point means for each player, depending on their playing style. Lastly, Brian and Josh examine the importance of pre-point planning and utilizing an in-between point routine, and the need to be non-judgmental when assessing one's performance.   The formula to play one point at a time:   1. Play a quality point   2. Recover   3. Reset   4. Refocus   5. Repeat steps 1 - 4 until the match is over   Winner's Creed by Bill Tym  - https://www.tennistakes.com/winners-creed/  Perfect Practice Formula by Bill Tym (Corrective Methodology) - https://performancextra.com/bill-tyms-perfect-practice-formula/   Everything is Practice - https://performancextra.com/competitive-mindsets/everything-is-practice/   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 athletes should approach returning back to tennis after an injury or break from the sport. Many athletes experienced the challenges of taking an extended break from their sport during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the co-hosts discuss the psychological differences between this stoppage and breaks due to injuries. Additionally, they talk about certain issues that commonly occur when tennis players return to the court after an extended break. Lastly, they discuss the need to keep expectations low at the start of a return from injury and the importance of prioritizing finding rhythm when an athlete returns to the court.   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 coaches and players can integrate mental skills on the practice court. It begins with utilizing deliberate and purposeful practice as a way to maximize time on court. Subsequently, Brian and Josh review the need to play practice matches and simulate higher-pressure situations in practice that are likely to occur during matches. Lastly, they reflect on how setting small daily goals and aiming to improve by 1% each day while practicing stressful situations will help athletes incrementally improve their games over time.   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!

Flow is a psychological concept that was named by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1975 and can be defined as a state of complete immersion in an activity. In this episode, Brian and Josh describe this concept and its characteristics. Additionally, they explain some ways that tennis players can increase their likelihood of achieving flow on the court. Though it is likely that most of the time tennis players will not achieve a flow state, the strategies discussed to increase the likelihood of achieving flow are the same strategies that boost tennis performance as a whole.   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!