Episodes

Apr 10

Episode 3 of Winning Words – The Audiobook Series is now live! As I’m releasing this episode, I just hit 99 reviews on Goodreads and Amazon combined—and I can’t tell you how proud I am of that. Even more surreal: we just crossed 1,000 copies sold . When I first published Winning Words , my goal was to maybe reach 500 readers in the first year . Hitting that number in just 2.5 months has been overwhelming in the best way possible. If you’ve read the book and found it valuable – thank you. And if you haven’t left a review yet, I’d be incredibly grateful if you took a moment to do so. Honest reviews help spread the word and make sure the next 1,000 coaches get access to these tools too. Now – let’s get into Chapter 3: Building Trust and Connection . How do you earn true buy-in from players? Why trust isn’t something you demand – it’s something you build. How to balance connection and professionalism without becoming “just a friend.” A practical framework for adapting to how your players learn and communicate. In short: Connection comes before correction. If a player doesn’t trust you, your coaching won’t stick. This chapter will help you deepen the relationship , adapt your message , and communicate in a way that opens the door – not shuts it . Heads up : You don’t have to wait for each chapter to drop. More and more coaches are taking advantage of the full audiobook version – because, let’s be real, most coaches don’t read books anymore . I’ve recently become a dad, and I barely have time to sit down with a paperback. If it’s not a podcast or audiobook, I probably don’t get through it. So if you’re like me – jumping between lessons, matches, and long drives – having the full audiobook in your pocket just makes sense. Get instant access to the full audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99). Just email me at adamblicher@gmail.com and I’ll send it over personally. With all the waiting time we have as coaches – between sets, on the road, during rain delays – Winning Words in audio is a smart investment. You can actually absorb it , and more importantly, apply it . Right there on the court. Grab your copy of Winning Words here: https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB Thanks again for your support. Let’s keep helping players grow—by becoming the most trusted coach in their corner. Let me know what stood out to you from this chapter. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Mar 22

Chapter 2 of Winning Words is now live! Want the full audiobook now? Email me at adamblicher@gmail.com to get access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99). Otherwise, new chapters will drop as episodes over the coming months. In this episode, we dive into Chapter 2: Beyond the Backhand – Why great coaching starts by understanding the person, not just the player Personality & Communication – How different types of players tick , and how to adapt your coaching to get through to each of them Gender, Culture, and Sensitive Topics – How to coach without falling into stereotypes or ignoring what matters most Tools & Tips – From using personality profiles to spotting key behavioral patterns that impact performance The truth is: you can’t coach effectively if you don’t know the person you’re coaching. This chapter helps you build deeper understanding, adapt your message, and connect in ways that build trust and boost performance. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to uncover what drives your players—and how to use that insight to coach more consciously and effectively. Grab your copy of Winning Words here: https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB I’d love to hear what stands out most to you!

Mar 8

Many of you have been asking for an audiobook version of Winning Words —and now it’s here! Want the full audiobook right away? You can get immediate access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99) by emailing me at adamblicher@gmail.com . Otherwise, the rest of the book will be released in episodes over the coming months. In this episode, we dive into Chapter 1: The Power of Clear Roles & Expectations – Why strong coaching relationships start long before stepping on the tennis court Avoiding Misalignment – How thorough conversations can prevent misunderstandings between coaches, players, and parents Making the Right Coaching Decisions – Evaluating whether a player-coach relationship is the right fit One of the most overlooked aspects of coaching success isn’t just what you teach—but how you communicate expectations and structure relationships. This chapter breaks down how to establish clear roles, set mutual expectations, and navigate tough decisions —ensuring trust, respect, and alignment from day one. Grab a copy of Winning Words here: https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Feb 15

You Asked for It – Here It Is! Many of you have been asking for an audiobook version of Winning Words – and now it’s here! Want the full audiobook right away? You can get immediate access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99) by emailing me at adamblicher@gmail.com . Otherwise, the rest of the book will be released in episodes over the coming months. In this episode, you’ll hear: The initial spark – how Winning Words came to life and why communication became my focus Overcoming Communication Hurdles – real-life coaching struggles that shaped the book’s prologue Unlocking the Power of Communication – why mastering the way we speak, listen, and interact elevates coaching effectiveness If you’ve been curious about the thought process behind Winning Words and how it can help you become a more impactful coach , this episode is for you! Grab a copy of Winning Words here: https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Feb 7

In this special episode, I’m diving into something truly fascinating—AI has taken on Winning Words – How to Unlock Potential Through Communication as a Tennis Coach and condensed the entire book into just 30 minutes! Using Notebook LMN , this AI-generated episode pulls out the most essential lessons from the book’s three key sections— Off-Court, On-Court, and At Tournaments —and the accuracy is mind-blowing. In this episode, you’ll hear: How AI breaks down the fundamentals of relationship-building with players The key takeaways on how to communicate information effectively as a coach The essential framework for helping players perform at their best in tournaments If you’re looking for a fast-track guide to the most powerful coaching communication insights, this AI-powered recap is an episode you don’t want to miss! Grab a copy of Winning Words here: https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Jan 23

In this special episode, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you—I’ve written a book! Winning Words – How to Unlock Potential Through Communication as a Tennis Coach is finally here, and I couldn’t be more excited to tell you all about it. But that’s not all… As a special thank you to my loyal listeners and the tennis coaching community, I’m making the entire audiobook version of Winning Words available for free right here on the podcast! In this episode, I’ll dive into: Why I wrote Winning Words How it can help you become a better coach What you can expect from the audiobook series How better communication can unlock your players’ full potential If you’ve been following the podcast and found value in the insights shared over the years, this book is the next step in taking your coaching game to new heights. Grab a copy of the paperback here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRTK3ZZW?psc=1&smid=A1Y53T3O3Q25L8&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book and how it helps you in your coaching journey. Let’s keep learning and growing together!

Jul 4, 2023

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Kyle LaCroix. Kyle holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Stanford University. He is among a bunch of other certifications a USTA High Performance Coach and last year he was named USPTA Master Professional which is the highest achievable rating a tennis professional can hold. On a day-to-day basis Kyle is running Sets consulting that specializes in educational tennis solutions, You’ll get to know: How to adapt and set high standards How to balance work-life as a tennis coach How to consider the legacy that you leave behind Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The shared denominators of great coaches 05:30 No connection, no direction 08:30 Balancing adaptability 11:15 Adaptability and standards 12:40 How to communicate standards 15:30 Work life balance as a tennis coach 21:45 Failure 26:25 The semantics around failure 31:10 The best way to fight negativity 36:30 Holding up your end of the bargain + flicking with the wrist 48:50 On court coaching – for it against it 53:45 Is serve and volley on it’s way back to tennis? 60:15 My aces my faults – owning your mistakes, gratitude and perspective

Aug 14, 2021

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Emma Doyle. Emma has been coaching for the past 30 years. She is a Tennis Australia High Performance Coach, tennis touring professional and a talent developmental coach. Emma is big on what she calls the “E-factors” Energy, Empathy and enjoyment. You’ll get to know: How to use future based questions How to use sticky language When to use direct- and indirect coaching Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 What makes a great tennis coach 04:00 Listen 06:30 Future based questions 12:00 Sticky language 14:45 Direct vs indirect coaching 21:20 Questioning 25:00 WTCA 26:30 Team values 30:00 Habitual words 30:45 Keep knocking on doors and don’t take it personally 31:45 The importance of cringing 32:40 It doesn’t matter if you have the prettiest technique 34:30 Tennis exposes who you are 35:00 Gamification and anchoring 36:30 Emma’s inspirations 38:00 Emma’s advice to players, parents and coaches 40:15 How to get in contact with Emma

May 8, 2021

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Peter Lundgren. Peter might be best known for coaching 3 world number ones in Marcello Rios, Roger Federer and Marat Safin, but he was a great player himself with a ranking high of #25 ATP and 3 ATP titles to his name. Besides the previously mentioned players Peter has had coaching stints with the likes of Marcos Baghdatis, Francesca Schiavone, Grigor Dimitrov and Stanislas Wawrinka. You’ll get to know: How it is being a traveling tennis coach and a father The differences between Federer and Safin Why balls are good for spectators, but bad for players Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Dealing with different tennis players 03:00 The difference between Federer and Safin 05:30 Dealing with being a traveling tennis coach and a father 07:30 Deciding on the size of your entourage as a player 09:30 Dealing with tennis parents 11:00 Peter’s lessons from coaching in Houston for 10 years 13:30 The Francesca Schiavone story 16:40 Why you should play on clay 18:30 Why new balls are good for spectators and bad for players 19:30 The player-coach employment 21:00 The good bad and ugly part of being a traveling coach 23:00 Biggest lesson in tennis; be humble 23:15 Tribute to Bjorn Borg 24:30 Peter Lundgren’s tennis advice

Apr 10, 2021

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Howard Green. Howard spent six years in the Royal Marines Commandos. Serving in Iraq and Afghanistan he has extensive experience in preparing ITF, ATP and WTA players and Currently Howard is the Head of Strength and Conditioning at USN Bolton Arena High Performance Tennis Academy which he has been for ten+ years. You’ll get to know: Non-ego-confidence Setting up physical fundamentals for tennis players What tennis players can learn from the Marines Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Rehersal 03:40 Mnemonics 07:40 Non-ego confidence 11:10 Why the Super Movers programme 15:20 Providing tennis players with the best possible fundamentals 22:00 What the Super Movers programme is all about 28:30 The key shapes 32:00 Determining the load of tennis drills 36:00 S&C on the professional Tennis Circuit 40:00 Speed up learning by sharing on social 42:00 Don’t be afraid to copy experienced coaches 43:30 The application of bungees in tennis 46:00 Don’t take away the tennis player’s opportunity to learn 47:30 You have to do extra

Mar 13, 2021

In this episode you are going to listen to Michael Geserer. Michael did not pick up a tennis racquet until the age of 17 but managed to play qualifying for all Slams and a career high singles ranking of #198. Formerly Michael has among other coaches Julia Goerges and is currently the coach of Jen Brady. You’ll get to know: Jen Brady’s attitude during Covid-19 How to plan so you can adjust The importance of empathy and listening Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Communication with a player during Covid-19 03:50 Jen Brady’s approach and attitude in the Covid-19 period 05:15 Looking forward to the Australian tennis swing 2021 06:15 The German Tennis Coaching License 07:30 Planning as a tennis coach to adjust towards the outcomes 08:10 Empathy and listening 09:10 Respect 10:25 The tennis player and the whole human being is closely connected 11:55 The opportunity to practice in Regensburg 12:30 The environment in Regensburg 13:15 Experience and passion 13:45 Use your time it’s valuable 14:30 Learn and gather information 14:50 Surround yourself with positive people 15:15 I believe in planning 15:40 Swedish tennis coaches have predominantly been the inspiration 16:15 Long term commitments > short term commitments 17:00 How to go about long-term commitments with a player 18:30 How reach Michael Geserer

Feb 6, 2021

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Luke Passman. Luke worked 6 years at the Soto Tennis Academy as the Head of Sport Science Support and have for the past 2 years been the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at The New York Mets. You’ll get to know: The Google Earth Analogy Why and how to quantify Tennis drills What Tennis can learn from Baseball Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How to safely progress serve count in tennis 08:00 Using the Google earth analogy to help tennis players 11:00 Why there is a need to quantify tennis drills 15:30 How to balance intensity, repetitions and volume in tennis practices 18:00 How to plan a tennis player’s weekly practices from a physical point of view 20:10 How tennis coaches can approach S&C coaches to plan a tennis player’s schedule 24:00 What tennis can learn from baseball 27:10 What Luke would change where he to go back to Tennis S&C 29:30 Why you need to build strong relationships as an S&C Coach 30:45 Problem solving coaching and how to get organizations to change 31:30 Why technology needs to be on tap not on top 332:40 The biggest myth is that tennis players can’t lift weights 34:50 How different approaches work in different cultures 36:00 Favorite Books: “The Chimp Paradox” and “Conscious Coaching” 37:00 Luke Passman’s advice to tennis players, parents and coaches 38:00 How to stay updated on Luke Passman

Jan 16, 2021

Hi guys, in this episode you are going to listen to Carl Maes. Carl spent 6 years at the LTA as Head of Women’s tennis, he has been the director at the Kim Clijsters Academy and have coached the likes of Kirsten Flipkens, Yanina Wickmayer, Sorana Cirstea and Kim Clijsters for more than 10 years. Carl is currently the Director of High Performance at the Tenerife Tennis Academy where his aim is to establish an international training environment for high performance players and he is further a part of the expert team at Orange Coach Exchange where it’s possible to attend Webinars with all of the experts or smaller “Locker room sessions” with Carl or get his advice all by yourself in 1 to 1 sessions. You’ll get to know: Why the arm shouldn’t be fully extended on the serve What the zone of truth is 3 essential aspects to include in women’s warm up Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:50 Why we need to hit outside the tennis court 04:25 How to organize the practice court with 3 players on court 07:20 The Zone of truth 10:05 Why the arm shouldn’t be fully extended on the tennis serve 12:50 Anticipation > execution in the drive volley 18:50 The 70-70 Concept for female tennis players 21:05 Practicing the 3rd ball during the warmup for female players 24:20 Put tools in your toolbox and then learn how to apply them 26:50 Making Tenerife the new European Dubai of tennis 28:20 If you have a why you will find the how 30:20 More money poured into your child’s tennis is not always better 30:20 More money poured into your child’s tennis is not always better 32:20 Know where you in the tennis land scape as a tennis coach 34:20 Emotional intelligent leadership 37:10 Zoom out and reflect before you act 40:20 How to reach Carl Maes

Nov 21, 2020

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Nick Horvat. Nick has been the assistant coach of Mario Ancic and coached the likes of Sofya Zhuk, Timea Babos and Donna Vekic. Since 2015 he has further been a scouting agent for Yonex. You’ll get to know: Why it’s not always a mental problem How to get the best out of practices at tennis tournament Why education is important for tennis players Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The Mario Ancic story 04:40 Why it’s not always a mental problem 07:10 Getting the best out of practices at tennis tournaments 10:50 The power of basics 14:00 Choices 15:30 Physical and mental capacity as a tennis player 20:50 The importance of repetition 22:05 Practicing what you preach 23:15 Practice matches 26:20 Inspiring players 27:40 Why education is important for tennis players 30:40 The importance of patience as a tennis coach 31:20 Perfectionism 32:06 The possible pitfall of changing tennis coaches 32:40 How tennis teaches commitment 33:45 How Nick Bolletieri was a pioneer in tennis 35:00 The medals are for the ones who are ready to dig deeper 35:45 How to stay updated on Nick Horvat

Nov 7, 2020

Emilio is a former top 10 singles player and world number 1 doubles player. He is a 5-time Grand Slam winner and won the Hopman Cup alongside his sister Arantxa in 1990. After he retired as a player, he set up the Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy with his former doubles partner Sergio Casal in 1998 where former students include Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray. He captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008 and was in 2017 awarded the ITF’s highest accolade, the Phlippe Chatrier Award, for his contributions to tennis You’ll get to know: About empathy and connection How you need to care and have a strong voice What you’ll learn from tennis for life Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The coach needs to be behind the player 04:25 Ex pro tennis players have an advantage, but… 07:15 The ideal coach has to care and have a strong voice 08:45 Empathy is key in tennis coaching 13:05 The difference on the best and the rest in tennis 18:15 Habits build character 22:30 Respect, effort and discipline no matter your tennis level 28:00 What you will learn from tennis as a human being 32:35 The line, height and speed of the ball 34:00 The mindset of a tennis player 36:45 The tennis triad 39:40 How to stay updated on Emilio Sanchez Vicario

Oct 31, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Hans-Peter Born. Peter was for 26 years in charge of coaches’ education and 14 and Under development in the DTB (the German tennis federation). During his tenure at the DTB Peter has overseen the development of the likes of Laura Sigemund, Sabine Lisicki, Angelique Kerber and Sasha Zverev. Peter has been a part of the ITF coaches commission since 1996 and even though he is recently retired from his position at the DTB he can’t help himself from being engaged in the world of tennis on and off the court. You’ll get to know: About the difference between Junior Tennis Development now and then Peter’s thoughts on traveling as a Junior Tennis Player How Peter has changed his mind on changing grips Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 A new priority in practices 03:49 Intensity in practices 05:00 Placement of serve, return + 1 in tennis practices 06:36 Beginner vs performance player 07:50 Create open game situations on the tennis practice court 09:12 60-80 serves in a 90-120-minute practice 10:55 There is a difference on a 1980 and 2020 Porsche 12:30 The difference between before and now in junior tennis development 15:40 The amount of international travel at an early age 18:00 Moderate travel 12U + 14U internationally 20:30 The change of carpet courts 21:15 Always have a purpose as a tennis coach 22:00 Changing grips 24:45 Communication is key 26:15 Clearing roles between coaches and players 27:35 Less is more as a tennis coach 28:35 Rather 90 good minutes than 180 average ones 29:10 Why the resistance against changing the practice court 30:35 Hans Peter Born’s inspirations 32:55 Hans Peter Born’s advice to tennis parents, tennis coaches and tennis players 33:20 How to stay updated on Hans Peter Born

Oct 3, 2020

Hi guys, In this episode you are going to listen to Mike Barrel. Mike has taught tennis for 30+ years and is the founder and CEO of evolve9. He specialises in coach education and program management for tennis coaches and centres. Among others he has worked on programs for USTA, Tennis Australia and the LTA. You’ll get to know: About the police, doctor and bartender About over- and under achievers How to actively listen Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The police, the doctor and the bartender 05:25 The 3 learning principles 07:15 Creating independent critical thinkers 09:35 How when you are born influences who you will develop into 15:50 Over and under achievers 21:25 Active listening 27:25 Kids perception of time 30:10 Why we need to appreciate “sticky” in a training group 38:30 Having a question mark rather than an exclamation mark 42:00 Shut up and listen 42:30 Broad vs narrow 43:35 Be aware of how data is interpreted 45:00 Mark’s favourite books 45:25 Mark’s favorite persons 47:35 Mark Barrell’s advice to tennis players, parents and coaches 49:40 How to stay updated on Mike Barrell

Sep 26, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Izo Zunic Izo is a tennis coach with a special passion for personal development. For the past 7 years he has been coaching on the WTA tour where he has coached the likes of Ani Mijacika, Tereza Mrdeza and Magda Linette. He is a part of the Star River Professional Tennis Team and runs the IMP-attitude community. You’ll get to know: How simplicity > complexity How ressourcefullness > ressources Why you need to clear roles and goals Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 How Izo Zunic got into coaching on the professional tour 03:25 The Star River Professional Tennis Club 04:10 The start of IMP Attitude 06:46 Imp-attitude 15:25 The obstacle is the way 17:45 Be the shark in the ocean not in the aquarium 19:00 Creating a community to feel accountable 20:00 Simplicity always win against complexity 21:00 Copy habits not coaching methodologies 21:30 You do not know what you do not know 22:25 You don’t lack resources you lack resourcefulness 23:25 The information is available, how we use it is the question 24:35 Roles and goals 25:30 How to connect with Izo Zunic

Sep 19, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Carlos Goffi. Carlos’ coaching career began in 1975 at the Port Washington Tennis Academy in New York, by recommendation from his mentor Harry Hopman. He has written the book “Tournament Tough”, directed Nike tennis camps for 30+ years and been the coach of both John and Patrick McEnroe. You’ll get to know: The seperation between green, yellow and red points Why “play your game” might be a misleading advice The difference between hitters and players Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 How Izo Zunic got into coaching on the professional tour 03:25 The Star River Professional Tennis Club 04:10 The start of IMP Attitude 06:46 Imp-attitude 15:25 The obstacle is the way 17:45 Be the shark in the ocean not in the aquarium 19:00 Creating a community to feel accountable 20:00 Simplicity always win against complexity 21:00 Copy habits not coaching methodologies 21:30 You do not know what you do not know 22:25 You don’t lack resources you lack resourcefulness 23:25 The information is available, how we use it is the question 24:35 Roles and goals 25:30 How to connect with Izo Zunic

Aug 22, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Michael Baroch. Michael was coached as a junior by the legendary Tony Roche and went on to becoming Tony’s understudy and hitting partner for Ivan Lendl. He has had coaching stints with Mark Philippoussis and Maria Sharapova. Worked with the Vietnamese and Chinese Davis Cup Teams. Currently Mark is the founding director of Coaching at MITS (Melbourne International School) which has a base in Melbourne and Singapore. You’ll get to know: Why the best players improve fast The importance of getting to know the person How Ivan Lendl taught him attention to detail Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 Meeting Tony Roche 02:00 Tough but fair 03:00 Living abroad from 12-17 years of age 04:25 Not only a coach (compassion) 06:00 Respect and trust 09:30 What you see is what you get 10:25 Physical and mental intensity 11:30 Being able to put instructions into actions quickly 13:00 Why the greats are able to improve their game all the time 14:00 The story of MITS (Melbourne International School) 15:45 More Asian champions are coming 19:05 Get to know the person first 21:25 Why you can’t expect every player to look you in the eye 24:00 Dealing with parents 25:10 Take care of information overload 26:20 Asian tennis is coming 27:50 More emphasize on the mental aspect of tennis 30:00 Don’t increase volume of practice leading into tournaments 31:05 How Ivan Lendl taught attention to detail 34:00 Wayne Dyer – The Power of Intention 35:35 Prioritize the mental aspect of tennis

Aug 8, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Ruben Neyens. Ruben is the head of Coach Development at the Dutch Tennis Federation. He calls himself a kid’s tennis tutor and has a special emphasis on the Physical Aspect of tennis. Ruben is a researcher and a tennis coach trying to bridge the gap between science and the practice court. You’ll get to know: His 4F Method How to make an impact How to package your content Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 The 4F Method 07:30 Developing your own method 08:50 Soft skills as a tennis coach 11:05 Making an impact as a tennis coach 12:30 The pyramid of development 27:05 You can’t study experience 27:50 Ask for mentorship 30:10 Coaches education 2.0 32:30 How Corona has helped development 33:30 The packaging of content 34:30 Be careful of thinking you know a topic 35:20 Make sure your professional life is not all of your life 36:20 Sharing is caring 36:45 You can’t own a drill 37:45 From Good to Gold 40:45 Have a destination

Jul 25, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Philipp Born. Phillipp is a researcher and a tennis coach trying to bridge the gap between science and the practice court. You’ll get to know: The 4 different serving patterns The most used serving patterns What to focus more on in practice Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 How the presentation came about 01:45 The background of the PhD-study 04:30 The big V 07:45 Serving patterns explained 11:20 The most effective serving pattern 13:30 The Top 3 findings in PHD 20:00 Misconceptions on the practice court 23:15 Listen to older coaches 24:00 Technology in tennis is still in its infancy 25:45 The importance of parents in tennis 27:00 Don’t play points without serve and If a junior forget about winners 28:12 What you should focus on as a junior 28:50 Tennis is a great life teacher 30:00 The 2 nd serve 31:50 Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert 33:15 Philipp Borns advice for tennis players 35:40 Stay updated on Philipp Born

Jul 11, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Patrick McEnroe. Patrick was ranked as high as #28 in Singles and #3 in doubles as a player himself. He has been the General Manager of Player Development at the USTA and have had the longest stint in history as the 38 th Davis Cup Captain of the United States which included the overall victory in 2007. Currently Patrick is working at the McEnroe Academy in New York, he is broadcasting for ESPN and recently started his own Tennis Podcast called “Holding Court” You’ll get to know: What life event improved Patrick’s coaching How to organize the practice court How to adapt to players Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 What Patrick was the proudest of doing at USTA 02:50 Jose Higueras in the USTA Player Development 05:00 The principles at USTA Player Development 07:20 Why slower surfaces are better for Player Development 09:05 How Patrick McEnroe approached his role as Davis Cup Captain 11:15 What made Davis Cup Special 12:15 Look for what you can learn from the great players 14:30 Becoming a father improved my coaching 15:45 What Patrick McEnroe is excited about during Corona 16:35 Implementing e-learning post corona 17:20 Mixing feeding drills and playing points in practice 19:05 Why hitting against the wall might be a good idea 20:10 Adapting to the necessity of your player 21:50 You have to learn to deal with failure 22:55 A great player is often happy and well rounded 24:30 Treat everyone fairly, but not necessarily the same 26:20 Listen and acknowledge 27:35 How to stay updated on Patrick McEnroe

Jul 4, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Rohan Goetzke . Rohan has been working at the Dutch Federation, been on the tour with the likes of Mario Ancic and Richard Krijcek, he was director of Tennis at IMG and is currently holding the same position at Court Sense Tennis. You’ll get to know: How to be consistent as a Tennis Coach What tennis players Rohan did his best work with How to not cause harm Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 Being consistent as a coach 03:05 Don’t be too strict on your philosophy 05:40 Getting the federation and private coaches to work together 07:00 Some of my best coaching have been with players who never made it 09:40 You have got to trust your team for period of time before you judge 12:00 How to approach contracting with tennis players 13:40 It’s a long journey don’t rush it 16:15 Getting good at Tennis is tough 18:30 How to interpret data 20:05 Serve and volley in tennis 23:10 Galloway, Wooden and Knight 23:45 Take care that you are not creating creating more harm than good 27:45 Get to know more about Rohan Goetzke

Jun 13, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Li Pingwei. Pingwei is a tennis coach and doctoral researcher in elite sports focusing on tennis. Her research provides evidence-based facts for coaches, parents and federations regarding talent selection, prediction and development. She is the founder of the China-Europe Tennis Platform, which aims to promote the exchange of coach education, high performance training and scientific research between China and European Countries You’ll get to know: The correlation between Grade A Wins & Senior Ranking From What age Ranking Benchmarks become relevant The 60 % Curve Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 Why look into the relation between junior success and future success 03:30 Grade A ITF results compared to Senior Ranking 06:30 From what age does ranking benchmarks predict senior success 09:00 Don’t give up because of poor junior results 10:45 The 60 % curve 13:30 The opinion of 34 National Coaches on transitioning 16:40 Outliers 18:25 Becoming a better coach 19:00 Always have a goal in practice 19:30 No one size fits all 20:00 Being a good tennis coach is like being a good chef 20:50 Li Pingwei’s inspirations 21:50 Li Pingwei’s advice Enjoy your listen!

Jun 6, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you’re going to listen to Sven Groeneveld. Sven has been a coach on the ATP and the WTA Tour for the past 30 years coaching players such as Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, Michael Stich, Greg Rusedski, Anna Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki and the tennis player with the longest winning streak in tennis Esther Vergeer You’ll get to know: Why Tennis is a service industry The difference on Stubbornness and Stupidity Why honesty is your biggest asset Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 The 8 Coaching principles of Sven Gröeneveld 03:20 The desire to succed 04:25 Responsibility 06:00 Overcoming resistance 07:35 Adaptability 08:30 Observation and analysis 10:00 Hard and soft skills 11:30 Why tennis is a Service industry 13:00 Honesty is your biggest asset 15:00 Stubbornness vs stupidity 16:45 How Sven decides on coaching relations 19:00 Coaching Taro Daniel 20:40 What we can learn from wheelchair tennis players 24:10 How Sven got motivated by working with Esther Vergeer 25:00 Sports coaches that inspire Sven Groeneveld 27:00 Managing my ego 28:15 I want to go back to my roots 28:45 Patience and consistency 29:15 Tennis is a service industry 29:30 Sven’s favorite Books 30:00 Sven’s favorite Books 30:30 Sven Groeneveld’s advice for parents 31:30 How to stay updated on Sven Enjoy your listen!

May 30, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Dario Novak. Dario has for the past 15 years attempted to translate scientific findings into practical advice and have worked with the likes of Christina McHale, Marta Kostyuk, Donna Vekic and Borna Coric. You’ll get to know: Why the split step is important 3 different types of Split Step How to practice the Split Step Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 The studies on the Split Step 05:10 The reason to pay attention to the Split Step 07:45 The differences in Split Steps in tennis 11:30 Tools to practice the spilt step 14:30 Basketball, jumping rope and music 16:00 How to use a basketball to better the Split Step 18:15 Using a jumping rope to improve the Split Step 19:30 Practicing the Split Step on after the serve 20:45 Practicing the Split Step during ground strokes 23:00 Using video and imitating the pro’s 24:40 The example of Caroline Garcia 26:40 Believe in your instinct 27:00 Defining a proper workload 28:10 Little steps, watch the ball 30:20 How pro players and recreational players watch the ball 32:00 The power of single words 33:30 You have got to have a long-term plan Enjoy your listen!

May 23, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Freddie Nielsen. Freddie turned pro in 2001 and is still an active player on the doubles circuit. At the same time, he is coaching Swedish youngster Mikael Ymer and stepped in as Davis Cup Captain for Denmark at the end of 2019. You’ll get to know: The importance of a Playing Philosophy The danger of short-term Ranking Goals Why “Work Hard” might be a misleading advice Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 Freddie’s value set 05:45 Collaboration with coaches 08:15 Finding a good coaching collaboration 10:45 How to Coach Freddie Nielsen 13:00 The importance of communication skills as a Tennis Coach 14:10 Why Freddie decided to pursue a professional career in tennis 16:00 Being a tennis coach 17:00 How Freddie got involved as a Tennis Coach with Mikael Ymer 18:15 The biggest lesson of beginning to Coach for Freddie 21:00 Overcommunicate in the start of a coaching relation 22:00 The importance of a philosophy as tennis player 24:45 Why ranking goals don’t make sense 26:30 Let’s not all be the same 28:10 Freddie’s decision to accept the position as DC Captain 30:40 Be in a more professional environment 33:40 I’m an over achiever 35:20 Stubbornness 37:00 The process is the best way to be results-oriented 42:00 Find a way 43:30 The danger of short-term ranking goals 48:30 Freddie’s excitement about tennis 49:30 The importance of diet 50:15 Work right > work hard (Feeling the ball) 52:20 Doing is more important than being motivated 55:30 What quality of life is 56:20 Decisions are not motivated by money 56:45 Mom, dad and Christian Engell 59:15 The results can’t make up for compromised values 61:30 Freddie Nielsen’s advice to players, Parents and Coaches Enjoy your listen!

May 16, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Nick Saviano. Nick has more than 35 years of experience as a coach working with ATP and WTA players including Grand Slam Winners and World Number 1’s. He was the Director of Coaching at the USTA for 14 years before setting up his Academy, the Saviano High Performance Tennis, which he is still running to this day You’ll get to know: How to guarantee success How nobody is a natural Tennis Player How to build around on-court personality Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 A sacred trust 05:30 Guaranteeing success 08:20 What to focus on during a match 11:30 The difference between nerves and fear 13:00 From Vision to personalized tactics 16:45 Build around the on-court personality 19:00 Tennis specific athleticism 21:30 Movement patterns and overloading 24:15 Clarifying “Stealing candy from babies” quote 26:00 Patience and perseverance 27:45 The journey is the reward 29:00 No excellence without letting go of the fear of mistakes 30:00 Making the most out of the journey 32:00 Tomorrow will be your today 34:00 I understand that I’m not going to be perfect 35:00 The biggest waste of time is to not seize the moment 35:40 Nobody is “just” a natural tennis player 38:00 You’re not a tennis player you’re whole life 38:45 Nick Saviano’s goal with every player 40:50 On Serena Williams’s greatness 43:00 Dick Gould, John Wooden & Stephen Covey 44:10 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis players 47:15 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis coaches Enjoy your listen!

May 9, 2020

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Beni Linder. Beni has been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Swiss Tennis Federation for more than 15 years and worked with everyone from grassroots to the very top players of tennis. You’ll get to know: How to build on strengths How to adapt to the present Why Tennis is like Formula 1 Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The Airplane project 03:40 Winning through intensity 06:50 Building on strengths 09:30 Integrating parents 11:30 Having players walk away with soft skills 14:00 We adapt to the present 18:30 Guiding players in their long-term development 20:00 Managing the 15 % strength gain 23:30 The race for points 25:00 Tennis is like formula 1 29:00 Beni’s advice to himself 30:00 Softskills in high performance 30:45 Grit and Growth Mindset 31:30 Too much volume with no intensity 32:30 It’s about the player, not the coach 33:00 Are we getting the practice court right? 33:30 Awareness 34:00 Beni Linder’s advice for coaches Enjoy your listen!

May 2, 2020

Hi guys, this time around you will get to listen to Brad Gilbert. Brad probably doesn’t need a whole lot of introduction, but in brief highlight he was ranked as high as number 4 in the ATP Rankings. After his playing career he has among others coached Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick while he won his sole Grand Slam and reached number 1 in the world as well as Andre Agassi during 6 of his 8 Grand Slam titles. Brad has further written one of the most well-known tennis books “Winning Ugly” and “I’ve got your back”. Currently Brad is commentating on ESPN, coaching local juniors and makes sure to have a hit on the wall several times a week. You’ll get to know: What we can learn from Nadal & Medvedev Why Djokovic is the new Lendl Why you need to be even keel as a Coach Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Using Nicknames 02:30 The best coaching over dinner 04:00 How players process information 05:30 How the idea of Winning Ugly arose 07:30 What we can learn from Medvedev and Nadal 08:55 How Djokovic is the new Lendl 10:50 How to learn from losses 12:25 The surprising coaching advice from Allan Fox 14:05 Even keel Chivington 15:15 Taking losses harder as a coach than player 16:15 Amazed at the game of tennis 17:45 The luxury of seeing the 3 best ever competing against each other 19:00 Short term memory loss 21:00 Think about today and tomorrow 22:00 Nothing is a given 22:30 Life is like a tennis match 23:30 The match should be the easy part 24:30 John Wooden25:30 How to learn from other sports 26:15 How to stay updated on Brad Gilbert

Apr 25, 2020

Hi guys, this time around you will get to listen to Craig O’Shannessy. Craig analyses tennis strategy and teaches players, coaches and fans patterns of play and the winning percentages that dominate tennis. Craig has among others coached the likes of Amer Delic, Rajeev Ram, Marcel Ilhan and Kevin Anderson. He was a part of Team Djokovic from 2017-2019 and is currently a part of the team around Jan Lennart Struff. You’ll get to know: The misconception of 0-4 What U12-U18 Junior Tennis Data looks like Why a higher 1st serve % is not always better Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:20 The History of Data in tennis 06:30 The old and new mantra for tennis coaches 09:05 Why 0-4 is so important 11:50 Switzerland vs Tuscany 13:50 It’s not ONLY about 0-4 15:20 Why a higher 1 st serve percentage is not always better 18:50 3 shot rallies and approaching the net 22:50 Data in Junior Tennis U12-U18 24:50 Like a radio wave opposed to a shockwave 27:10 Permission to miss 31:35 The misconception about 0-4 32:50 Bridging the gap between the mental and the strategy 33:50 Work on patterns rather than shots in isolation 35:00 The longer the rally goes the more even the outcome will be 36:20 Novak loosing 9+ rallies when he won Australian Open 2018 37:05 The first 2 touches are everything 37:50 Anytime you can upgrade a backhand to a forehand you do it 38:50 We gave up on serve and volley, serve and volley never gave up on us 40:20 Winning percentages at the baseline, net + serve and volley 42:35 The run around forehand effect 44:50 Open by Agassi, Rafa by Rafa 45:20 Serving wide in deuce side 47:10 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Coaches 47:55 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Players 48:50 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Parents 49:50 Where to stay updated on Craig O’Shannesy

Apr 18, 2020

Hi guys, hope you are all continuously safe, healthy and happy! This time around you will get an insight into the thoughts of Wim Fissette. Wim started his coaching journey on the tour with Kim Clijsters and have for the past decade been coaching the likes of Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta, Angelique Kerber and is currently the coach of 2 time Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka. You’ll get to know: How he applies Data in his Coaching Why Technical execution comes 3rd Why Women’s Tennis is getting more vertical Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 SAP Tennis Analytics 03:20 How Wim use statistics as a Tennis Coach 04:11 What the practice court looks like with Wim Fissette 05:20 Balancing working on a tennis players strengths and weaknesses 06:46 How Wim overinformed Kerber 08:00 Wim Fissette’s learnings from on court coaching 11:10 When it’s time to make a change with a player 12:53 Do you follow the data or do you follow your feeling 14:40 It’s about details with the best tennis players in the world 16:12 Mentality, feet and technical execution 17:45 How Wim Helped Simona understand that she was a top 10 player 19:44 It’s the players responsibility 21:09 You don’t control how well your opponent will play 22:54 What the Coach Program Advisory Committee is all about 25:05 Exciting time for WTA Tennis Ahead 26:05 Women’s tennis is getting more vertical because of slow courts 27:00 How to approach getting players to play more vertically 29:10 Don’t do spectacular drills – Keep it simple 29:50 Separate your professional and personal life 30:40 How Victoria Azarenka got Wim back on the Tour 33:45 Wim Fissette’s advice for Tennis Coaches 34:40 Wim Fissette’s advice for Players 35:30 How to keep updated on Wim

Apr 11, 2020

Hi guys, during these Corona Times I have been fortunate to get the opportunity to listen and learn from some very clever and experienced Coaches. This time around you will get an insight into the thoughts of Dirk Hordorff. Dirk has coached a multitude of players but to name a few he coached Rainer Schuettler during all of his career. He has coached both Lars Burgsmüller and Yen-Hsun Lu for 10 years and was with Janko Tipsarevic in the 2 years where he finished inside the top 10. Besides his strides as a tennis coach Dirk owns 2 real estate companies as well as a Sports Management Company and is the Vice President of the Global Tennis Coaches Association. Currently Dirk is coaching Richardas Berankis. You’ll get to know: How Trust is a prerequisite for honesty The Steps of managing a top 100 ATP Player How Data is a part of the equation Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:20 The Steps of Creating a long-term Coaching relation 04:20 Balancing being respectful and honest 05:10 Trust as a prerequisite to being honest 06:25 Advantages for top 100 players sharing a Coach 09:30 Why top 10 players need their own coach 10:25 The first part of Dirk’s life 11:05 How business and tennis are the same 11:50 How tennis players should go about hiring Coaches 13:20 Why Dirk started a management company 14:40 The steps of managing an ATP Player 16:10 Why Dirk quit his office job and became a Tennis Coach 17:45 Rafa’s Character at 16 Years old 21:05 How Dirk didn’t do his job well enough 23:10 How Data is a part of the equation 24:50 What excites Dirk within tennis 26:15 Novak hasn’t got the respect he deserves 27:40 Dirk’s thoughts on the Corona virus situation 31:25 How Rafa tried to help Janko 33:35 People who are successful can better tell you what to do 34:30 Dirk Hordorff’s advice to tennis coaches 35:35 Dirk Hordofrf’s advice for Tennis Players 36:37 Dirk Hordofrf’s advice for Tennis Parents

Apr 4, 2020

Hi guys, another Corona special that I hope you’ll enjoy. On this episode I talk to Carlos Rodriquez all the way from Bejing, China and due to the government restrictions, the only way that we were able to reach each other were by phone and the sound quality is therefore not amazing. The episode is going out anyway and it’s my hope that the quality of Carlos’ answers make up for the poor sound quality. You’ll get to know: The steps of Creating a Coaching Relation Why Players need to Play their game How Tennis Players are a Reflection of Society Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:11 The steps of creating a good Coaching Relation 06:22 How a player shows Commitment 08:00 Similarities and differences in values 09:30 Play your game 11:45 Tennis Players are a reflection of society 15:30 What teaching in China taught Carlos 17:40 Catch fish 19:30 Balancing being a tour coach with being a father 22:10 Sharing knowledge with Tennis Coaches 22:45 Patience and listening 23:20 A lot of wasted talent 24:50 You never know what will happen 25:55 Understanding your players feelings 27:15 The inner Athlete by Dan Millman 28:20 Carlos’s advice to Coaches 30:00 Special Corona Message

Mar 26, 2020

It’s Corona-time globally and I wish all of you and your families happiness and health through these times. Robert Davis asked me half a year ago who was on the top of my Wishlist for a Podcast interview. I promptly answered Magnus Norman, and that is exactly who you guys will get to listen to in this episode. You’ll get to know: Balancing being a good listener and at the same time telling the truth How Magnus keeps a match journal for Stan Magnus’ thoughts on coaches longevity Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:07 Corona Virus 02:34 Reasoning for the Good to Great name 04:12 Inspiration from Jim Collins 05:13 Choosing the coaches for the academy 07:16 The brutal facts of running a Tennis Academy 08:24 Being a good listener and telling the truth 11:09 It’s the player who makes the coach 12:37 Match Journal for Stan Wawrinka 15:18 Coaching Stan Wawrinka the 2nd time around 17:00 Lessons from Triathlon 19:10 Longevity as a Tennis Coach 21:40 You can’t accept random mistakes 23:40 Movement patterns 24:30 Difference on tennis now and then 25:07 Tennis has a great future 26:05 New Grand Slam winner in 2020? 27:00 I thought I knew everything 10 years ago 27:25 Principles over method 28:30 Create a team 29:02 Pep Guardiola and John Wooden 30:23 Magnus Norman’s advice for coaches 31:25 Magnus Norman’s advice for players

Dec 7, 2019

An increasing amount of data is becoming available within tennis. As coaches we need to navigate through the jungle of information. How do we interpret the data? What stats are true, but not relevant? and ultimately how can stats help player development, scouting of opponents as well as inform us about winning patterns of play? Mike James helps us do exactly that. He is a strategy analyst, which means that he interprets data combined with video of matches to help players and their teams with game development, scouting reports and preseason content based on the previous years matches. In this interview Mike explains how Djokovic is fooling us, how the best players in the world have a BELOW 50 winning percentage from the baseline and helps us understand how data can inform us about what to do on the practice court You’ll get to know: How Djokovic is fooling us The surprising winning percentage from the baseline How to change the practice court Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:40 The 3 ways Mike uses video 06:15 The first 4 shots 07:24 The misinterpretation of stats 07:57 What about big points? 09:12 Analyzing the servers role 11:09 Patterns of play 12:50 Key statistics 14:00 How Djokovic is fooling us 15:14 How to approach Junior development 17:38 How Height Correlate to ranking 19:12 Why data needs video 22:23 Scouting vs data on yourself 24:30 Focus on the 0-4 zone 27:15 The Practice Court is broken 29:54 How can we improve the practice court 32:12 Tennis is game of errors 34:07 Claudio Pistolesi 35:28 Favorite Books 35:52: World number 1’s at 40 37:50 Don’t crowd please 38:40 Tennis has trends 39:50 Expose yourself to different players and cultures

Aug 9, 2018

In this episode I’m delighted to welcome back Frank Giampaolo for his 2nd visit on the podcast. In the last episode with Frank, which was number 40, he discussed how to best be a tennis parent and support your children in their tennis journey. This time around Frank is digging even deeper into what he calls ”The soft science of tennis” which is also the title of his new book that recently got released. I had the honor of getting an early copy of the book and was so excited about the way that Frank is able to make soft skills very concrete and easy understandable that I reached out to Frank to get him back on the Podcast and elaborate on his findings and the reasoning behind the new book. You’ll get to know: – How to use personality profiling – How to develop character and nurture life skills – How to manage fear and risk Before we dive into the interview Frank has been so kind to offer free e-books for the first 20 people who email me on contact@adamblicher.com – so don’t hesitate to reach out if you wish to secure yourself a copy of the brand new “Soft Science of tennis Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The computer analogy 03:40 Project oxygen 05:11 The 4 sides model 08:30 Succesfull communication 10:00 Personality profiling 11:10 Pre- and post match talks 14:00 Verbal vs nonverbal communication 14:50 Conscious and unconscious mind 19:30 Myers Briggs 22:30 Introvert vs extrovert 27:30 Sensate vs intuitive 30:30 Thinkers vs feelers 33:00 Judgers vs perceivers 39:30 Developing character 41:30 Nurturing life skills 43:00 The 168 hour rule 46:40 Managing fear and risk

Apr 18, 2018

Whether you are a player, coach or a parent the whole world of American College Tennis can seem overwhelming – Here is an interview with Dave Mullins who recently retired as a College Coach, but went through the process himself of figuring everything out even before the internet back in the day when he was deciding on what college to attend as an aspiring irish player. He then got so into College Tennis that he stayed after playing college himself and have coached DePaul’s Men’s team, then went onto Northwestern University’s Women’s team where he was awarded ITA National Assistant coach of the Year. At last he was named Head Coach at University of Oklahoma at the age of 28 making him the youngest coach at the BCS level at that time. You’ll get to know: – What questions to ask yourself – The Academic side of College Tennis – How to make the final Decision on College Timestamps 01:30 Initial Questions to ask yourself on College Tennis 02:45 How do you figure out the level you qualify to play in College Tennis 04:05 The Academic side of American College Tennis 06:30 Finding the right fit in a tennis college 08:40 Official visitis 11:05 The final decision – The relation to the coach 13:30 Introductory letter + video clip 18:00 Tennis dies if it doesn’t evolve 23:30 Coaching Tennis Chuck Kriese 24:10 Learning 25:10 Meditating as mental training

Mar 6, 2018

Have you ever experienced your players going for a week or two to a foreign country on a fancy tennis academy and you find your player coming back with a changed grip, awkvard looking technique or what you just used month trying to build comepletely colapsed – Here is an interview with a guy who built a secondary camp and touring academy around NOT changing technique. Dave Bandelin, is a former division one coach of Texas El Paso and was awarded New coach of the year back in 1986. He then moved to Scadinavia and spent 10 years coaching in Hölviken tennis before starting EuroElite that has now got close to 200 players signed up for camps and travels every year. You’ll get to know: – How Dave teaches guidelines for life – The Concepts of Euroelite – How tennis is not always fun Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Why EuroElite was started 03:12 Where is EuroElite Now 07:37 The screening process 19:10 The Match paper 24:50 Taking risks 32:08 5 basic patterns of play 34:15 What Euroelite doesn’t do 37:23 The short game + fitness 43:15 Don’t get too excited 44:30 Breathing 48:32 Neutral to neutral 53:00 Freedom to older players 57:00 Curtesy and respect 62:15 Tennis isn’t always fun

Feb 20, 2018

Do you ever wonder how you compare to the best players in the world? Well now you can find out – thanks to Universal Tennis Rating – the UTR. Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis CEO is with me to talk about the rating that is unifying tennis worldwide. Mark combines both an in depth knowledge and experience in sports and tennis with nearly 25 years of entrepreneurial management and investment in technology led businesses as a venture capitalist and start up CEO. He is a former ATP ranked player selected to the Danish Davis Cup Team, two time Captain and #1 player for Harvard Men’s Tennis and a member of the USTA Foundation Advisory Board and USTA Player Development Council just to name a few of Mark’s achivements. You’ll get to know: – How UTR works – How UTR predicted Hyeon Chungs big year – What inefficient practices consists of Enjoy the show Timestamps 01:30 The story of UTR 02:10 How does UTR work 03:05 Getting a UTR 06:15 UTR predicting Hyeon Chung’s success 08:00 Pablo Careno Busto 09:10 Breaking down barriers 11:35 Opportunity for change 12:40 Learning to rely on yourself 13:40 Unify tennis. 14:15 No applicability to competition 15:45 Inefficient practice 17:10 Variety in styles 18:15 Get to know more about UTR

Feb 11, 2018

Today you are going to listen to Carlos Kirmayr. Carlos is a former professional player himself with a career high of #37 in singles and #6 in doubles, ATP. He has coached such renowned players as Gabriella Sabatini, Conchita Martinez, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and has been the Davis Cup Captain of his home country Brazil for several years. Further more Carlos has served at the ATP Board of Directors from 1983-1987 and today spents the majority of his time managing the Kirmayr Tennis Experience which we touch upon during the podcast. In this episode you’ll learn: – Why No Trust means No Opportunity – How and why to accept craziness – How being a tennis coach is like being a doctor Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Coaching Philosophy 02:25 How you “feel” a player 03:20 Orienters 04:30 No trust, no opportunity 06:15 Thoughts on technique 08:40 Biomechanical principles 10:10 The slice 11:10 Sabatini 13:06 Taking risks 15:00 Learnings from Sabatini 16:30 Sabatinis learnings 17:30 Conchita Martinez 20:05 How to use Squash as conditioning 21:05 Nicolas Pereira 23:05 Kirmayr Tennis Experience 27:00 Brazil as a culture 30:10 Federer and Nadal 33:20 How Carlos gets better 37:15 Patience 38:30 Accepting craziness 41:10 Lack of intensity and focus 43:50 Carlos’ advice

Feb 2, 2018

Chris Trieste (@CTrieste2), is a veteran educator with extensive experience in coaching, teaching, and educational leadership. He has been the Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Mount Saint Mary College where he was twice named Coach of the Year & the team won its first conference championship in program history. Further more Chris released a book called ”14 great coaches” last year which is also to a great extent the basis of this interview. In this episode you’ll get to know: – The lessons of 14 great Coaches – How to Recognize & Reward – How to learn from more & less experienced coaches Enjoy the show!

Oct 7, 2017

This is a round 2 with Allistair McCaw which many of you have requested. Allistair barely needs another introduction on the podcast, but shortly he is a Sports Performance Specialist with more than 20 years of experience. He has trained a host of world champion athletes including Grand Slam Tennis champions, PGA Golfers and Olympians. Further more Allistair has written the book called “7 keys to being a great coach” and on this very date October the 7th his latest book “Championminded” is published world wide. In this episode you’ll get to know: – What Champion Minded means – How Kevin Anderson changed his self talk – Why you need to seek out though leaders not cheer leaders Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Championminded 04:00 Communication of the young generation 06:05 Average- vs champion minded 14:40 How Kevin Anderson changed his self-talk 18:20 Confident or cocky? 20:00 How to act on Social Media as a tennis player 22:40 Being comfortable being uncomfortable 24:15 Though leaders not cheerleaders 26:30 Being Championminded is a choice

Sep 12, 2017

Dave Miley has an incredible amount of experience within high performance in tennis having been the Owner of Record tennis for 10 years before joining the ITF for 24 years where 18 of those were as the Executive Director of Development You’ll get to know: – The difference between succesful an unsuccesful associations – What professional tennis could do better – Which contries that will rise to the top in the future Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 3 biggest wins while serving as technical director 04:12 Why doubles is important 05:30 Why ATP/WTA is not simulating 06:45 How professional tennis could be better 09:23 The Advances Coaches Manual 11:11 What Dave would add/remove from the manual 12:11 The reasoning for Play & Stay 14:06 Greatest challenges as Technical Director 17:18 What Dave would have loved to do 22:02 Most common mistakes of National Associations 26:03 National Associations that got it right 33:45 Concerns regarding GPTCA 38:23 What Dave would like to do going forwards 43:30 How Dave would teach coaches in 3 easy steps 46:53 The countries rising to the top in the future 49:35 The Grand Slam Development Funds 52:15 The importance of the serve 53:50 How Dave gets better 58:15 The books that have inspired Dave 60:30 Your reputation is everything 61:40 Using time effectively 67:00 Dave’s advice

Aug 31, 2017

Jonny Fraser (@scienceintennis) has a wealth of experience in tennis having been a strength and conditioning coach for more than 7 years working with players from mini tennis to full-time professionals. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a Master Tennis Performance specialist certified by the iTPA. Further he has partnered with Claudio Pistolesi Enterprise. Academically Jonny holds a MSc in Sports and Exercise Science from Sheffield Hallam University. You’ll get to know: – The science behind grunting – How to implement sports science in tennis – Why the advice of “be on you toes” boggles his mind Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The Science behind grunting 05:50 Teaching tennis players how to grunt 07:50 Breathing vs noise 08:30 Differences in age groups, genders & levels 11:00 When & how 13:30 Implementing sports science in tennis 26:45 Sleep hygiene 28:10 Wearable technology 29:45 Don’t be afraid to reach out 31:35 Mark Kovacs & Claudio Pistolesi 33:30 Adaptability 34:30 Cleaning helps you form ideas 35:15 You’re never on your toes in tennis 35:45 Stability & mobility 38:05 Recharge your battery 39:30 Race your own race

Aug 16, 2017

David Sammel is a tennis coach, sports consultant and writer. Since 2010, David has been the Head Coach at Team-Bath MCTA and is also the author of the book Locker Room Power: Building an Athlete’s Mind.David has coached players including Liam Broady, Arvind Parmar, Barry Cowan, Wesley Moodie, Martin Lee and Andrew Richardson. You’ll get to know: – What RIOT is – The building blocks of trust – How being mentally strong starts with proper technique Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Leadership 03:50 RIOT 12:50 The one thing 24:45 Sum up of RIOT 36:20 Building blocks of trust 37:20 Mentally strong starts with good technique 41:30 Round 3

Aug 1, 2017

Alon Moritz is what he himself calls a high performance advisor to CEO’s of Tennis & CEO’s of businesses. He has previously been a national coach for Israel & helped players such as Marinko Matosevic & Marcel Granollers develop strategies in life & on the court. Currently Alon is working with Ivan Dodig. You’ll get to know: – The steps of creating a Match Strategy – How & why to train Defined Concentration – Why Bresnik & Cahill are such good coaches Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Wimbledon Final: Cilic vs Federer 03:50 Creating a strategy 05:46 Business to tennis 07:20 Developing a match strategy with a tennis player 09:30 Defined Concentration 12:00 Calming yourself down in high pressure situations 14:15 Mikael Tilström & Magnus Norman 15:50 Gunther Bresnik & Darren Cahill 17:40 No model fits all 18:30 If you stop playing you stop tinkering 21:15 Ice baths doesn’t work 22:15 Minimize injuries, optimize power 23:30 Be who you are 24:35 Alon’s Advice

Jul 18, 2017

Jo Ward is a former player herself with a career high of #150 WTA. She has been a National Coach for the LTA, traveled on the WTA Tour as a coach & started back in January 2006 a Tennis Academy in the UK called WimX. Currently Jo is writing a workshop for the LTA with the purpose of educating & empowering coaches to better coach girls & women. You’ll get to know: – How we don’t realize how little we know about women – How women are different, but not limited – How coaches are not to blame, it’s the environment Timestamps 01:30 The steps from professional to pH.d about female tennis 06:30 Challenges as a coaching team solved among friends 09:05 Facilitating a great coaching environment 11:30 How current Coach Education is based on men 14:15 Practical consequences for coaches 16:55 Biggest myth encountered in coaching female tennis players 19:00 Differences not limitations 21:30 Women’ Tennis Players are not less skillful 22:45 A move towards a more scientific robust & metrics based analysis of tennis 23:30 How Jo tries to get better 24:10 Billie Jean King & Bounce 29:20 Please don’t label anyone a talent 30:35 Why resilience is crucial 32:45 We don’t understand how little we know about women 33:38 The coaches haven’t gotten it wrong it’s the environment 35:10 Only do things that are pragmatic to the match court 37:37 Coach the player, not the model 39:10 Jo’s favourite metrics 44:00 Know yourself & your goals

Jul 4, 2017

Sarah Stone is a former player herself with a career high of #600 in singles & #131 in doubles. She has been coaching on the WTA Tour for more than 10 years working with Anastasia Rodinova, Romina Oprandi, Vasillisa Bardina & Samantha Stosur. Currently Sarah is the CEO of the WTCA (Women’s Tennis Coaches Association) & she is coaching American Fed Cup Player Alexa Glatch You’ll get to know: – How WTCA can make you a better coach – How to build trust – How to handle yourself when coaching relations end Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The story of WTCA 03:00 The relation to male vs female players 04:22 Creating trust with a player 07:00 How to talk about weight with tennis players 08:30 How WTCA is contributing with education 11:40 How to educate yourself through GPTCA 15:41 How Sarah Stone improves as a tennis coach 17.30 How to leave a coaching relationship 18:45 How to handle yourself as a coach when relations end 20:30 What are the things that you believe that everyone else think is crazy? 21:30 How following online videos is the biggest waste of time 24:00 Being a self-promoter as a tennis coach is not bad 25:00 Why you shouldn’t care about what other’s think about you 26:00 Sarah’s advice to coaches, parents & players

Jun 20, 2017

Hugo has been traveling on the professional circuit ever since 1987 and has worked with a multitude of top 100 players including Miriam Oremans, Martin Verkerk, Peter Wessels, Thiemo De Bakker & Raemon Sluiter. From 2003-2006 he was Davis Cup Coach for the Netherlands & worked as the National coach for the Dutch Tennis Federation from 2007-2012. Currently Hugo is a consultant for players, coaches & tennis organisations You’ll get to know: – How to prepare a Junior for the Pro Circuit – How Win/loss ratio affects self-confidence – Why Coco Vandewedge has a great serve Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Preparing a junior for the pro circuit 05:20 The developmental plan at KNLTB 07:20 The last 20 % technically 09:20 Late change in technique 11:37 Character & game identity 13:50 Gameidentity 15:50 Preferred win/loss ratio 18:40 Scheduling & confidence 19:45 Main lessons learned on the tour 23:10 The ones that didn’t look good 24:30 Raemon Sluiter 29:00 Peter Wessels 32:00 The serve of American Women 33:55 Why the American women are serving better 34:35 How Hugo gets better 37:30 Hugo’s inspirations 40:00 The plumber with the hammer 41:30 Academy programs like a menu 43:00 Don’t get too fancy 44:30 Has to be the player’s process 46:10 The lifestyle of a player 48:20 Hugo’s advice

Jun 6, 2017

Liam Smith has experience from working as the National Head Coach at Tennis Australia as well as various Tennis Academies. He is a former coach of Zarina Diyas & Richard Berankis & was a part of the coaching team bringing back Justine Henin for her comeback in 2010. Currently Liam is coaching moldavian Radu Albot You’ll get to know: – How to manage succesfull Junior Players – How to go about over & under respecting your opponents – What Liam’s definition of luck is Timestamps 01:30 Managing the transition from successful junior going into seniors 05:20 Managing the schedule 08:30 Scheduling & self-confidence 09:40 Doing a roadmap 11:00 Over & under respecting opponents 13:15 What’s going on within the score 16:00 Justine Henin & Carlos Rodriques 18:45 Why Carlos Rodriques is a great coach 20:30 Different academies, different strategies 23:00 Patience & process 26:00 What Liam is excited about 28:15 Nextgen 30:55 How Liam gets better 33:10 Liam’s inspirations 37:10 The realities of tennis 39:30 Anything is possible. 41:30 Practicing without a purpose 43:15 How you judge how a player works 44:30 Holistic approach 46:30 Build the person & the player 47:00 Definition of luck

May 23, 2017

Today you are going to listen to Kris Soutar, Kris has worked as a full time professional for the past 25 years. He has coached everything from Scottish & British National Champions to Tennis Europe, ITF ATP & WTA Ranked Players. He has worked as a consultant in USA, presented at UK national Coaches Conference & won multiple awards for his coaching & furthermore been working with Judy Murray to build bigger & better coaching workforce in Scotland & surrounding areas. You’ll get to know: – The difference between a High Performance Coach & being high Performing as a coach – How to foster smart players who love tennis – The effectiveness of giving tips Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Genius game 03:30 Davis Cup 07:52 What makes people tick 09:37 Remote coaching 11:16 What true high performance is 14:13 High performance vs high performing 15:40 Personality test 18:15 Values 20:40 Remote coaching 24:30 Goal setting 29:00 High level without good coaching 32:05 Smart players who love tennis 36:30 It all starts at the match court 41:00 The importance of working with someone 45:30 Needs vs Wants 49:00 Play sight 51:15 Playing always comes first 55:00 Get uncomfortable as a coach 58:20 The people not the tennis 59:30 Ban Coaching for a year 1:03:00 Volunteers managing professionals 1:09:36 Giving tips 1:09:35 + 5 min 1:11:15 Changed my mind about 1:12:16 Givning tips 1:15:15 Working with likeminded people 1:17:16 Start with the competiton program 1:25:00 Get to know more about Kris

May 9, 2017

Today you are going to listen to Juan Reque, Juan spent 6 years on the Professional Tour as a trainer before joining Maria Sharapova’s Team for a period of 5 years within which she won the French Open. During his work with Sharapova Juan moved from Spain to the states to work with her & has stayed there ever since. He is currently running his own Clinique out of San Diego. You’ll get to know: – The difference between junior development in USA & Spain – What invincible training is & how to do it – How Maria Sharapova changed her diet Timestamps 01:30 Spain vs USA 02:40 Team vs individual 05:00 Why team is better 06:41 When the individualistic approach works 08:00 The Spanish system 11:18 Find your training group 18:20 Why SLITES 20:00 Doing injury prevention is not really fun 21:45 What you need to look out for 22:45 Where to start 25:46 Why the top players are staying on top longer 26:25 Nutrition 27:45 From sandwich to full meals 29:45 Traveling the tour 30:06 Working on the Tennis Tour is NOT glamorous 33:40 Get to know more about Juan

Apr 25, 2017

Today you are going to listen to Cassiano Costa, Cassiano has a master’s degree in sports injury prevention from the University of Galicia, & has further more done his ph.d Thesis in biomechanics on the Tennis Serve. Before joining IMG Academy, Cassiano was a strength and conditioning coach for a number of professional players on the ATP and WTA Tours, including Gasto Elias, Jamea Jackson, Thomas Bellucci & Vera Zvonareva. Currently Cassiano is working with Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. You’ll get to know: – How the hip has become the new tennis elbow – When to use what type of stance – How fatigue is a state of mind Timestamps 01:30 Hips are becoming the new tennis elbow 06:00 Avoiding hip injuries 09:30 The open stance 14:15 What great footwork is 18:00 Brining the outer leg around 20:20 The importance of the hip 22:00 Quantity over quality 27:10 Patience 28:15 Don’t be afraid to ask 30:05 See things in perspective 31:05 Fatigue is a state of mind 32:30 Using soccer drills for tennis players 36:00 Don’t bike & stretch after match 37:10 Proper Cool down 39:00 Mobility vs Flexibility 39:20 Importance of recovery 40:00 Cassiano’s advice Enjoy the show!

Apr 11, 2017

Today you are going to listen to Michael Joyce, Michael was a professional player himself reaching a career high of #64 in singles. He then went on to coach Maria Sharapova from 2004-2011 in which she won 2 Grand Slam titles & rose to #1 in the world. Since 2011 Michael has worked with Jessica Pegula who rose from #900 to #120 WTA within the first 2 years of their partnership before suffering from a serious injury which she is now trying to get back from. You’ll get to know: – About Maria’s Mentality – The exact winning strategies of Maria – About the short hop test Timestamps 01:30 Get the personality 04:10 Cultural differences 07:30 Maria’s mentality 11:30 Confidence 13:00 Looking at the bigger perspective 15:15 The importance of preparation 19:30 Scouting 24:45 Playing up an age group 31:45 Using doubles as practice for singles 36:10 Better people 41:00 The Phil Jackson story 47:30 Rubbing people the right way 49:00 Getting the players to feel good about themselves vs being honest 54:00 The fakeness of the tennis world 56:30 Eye-hand coordination 58:45 Landorph’s short hop test 1:02:15

Mar 28, 2017

Today you are going to listen to David Sammel. David is a tennis coach, sports consultant and writer. Since 2010, David has been the Head Coach at Team-Bath MCTA and is also the author of the book Locker Room Power: Building an Athlete’s Mind. David has coached players including Liam Broady, Arvind Parmar,Barry Cowan, Wesley Moodie, Martin Lee & Andrew Richardson. You’ll get to know: – How to train Locker Room power – What the difference is between confidence & belief – How slow is smooth & smooth is fast Timestamps 01:30 The inferiority complex 05:30 Locker Room Power 08:45 BAD Locker Room Power 11:00 Social media presence 12:00 Developmental Pathways for tennis players 14:15 When to go to college 15:15 Most common misconception trying to go pro 17:15 How to know when you are ready to turn pro 19:15 The story about Vince Spadea 24:35 The perfect set up for tennis 31:30 How Andy wasn’t ready for Jez Green 34:15 The change of training blocks 38:55 The baker 42:00 How to avoid the “Baker effect” 44:15 At all levels it is all about the mind 47:50 Same shit different level 49:55 The definition of Locker Room Power 52:20 Winning matches 55:00 Tennis is a sport of loosing 56:30 Painting the picture for the player 58:00 Find a mentor 59:00 David’s inspirations 1:01:30 Put trust in the journey 1:03:30 Pro Tennis is really starting at 300 1:07:30 The crazier the better 1:08:30 Myth: You can learn to stay in the zone 1:11:00 Myth: Being a perfectionist is good 1:13:45 Tennis has a way of giving back 1:16:00 Tennis is a vehicle to give what you have 1:18:25 Slow is smooth

Mar 14, 2017

In this episode you’re going to listen to Takura Happy, Takura was born in Zimbabwe & trained at the ITF Developmental center from the age of 13-17 before eventually going to the states to play Division 1 tennis. After College Takura went on tour with Takanyi Garanganga. Currently Takura is based out of Florida working with various junior players. You’ll get to know: – What it’s like growing up playing Tennis in Africa – Why you shouldn’t say “Watch the ball” – The importance of consistent commitment Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 Growing up as a Tennis player in Africa 03:55 Get comfortable outside the court 06:30 More challenges = stronger mindset 09:15 Mental training for tennis 11:20 Self-assesment 16:35 Tournament scheduling 20:00 An education for life 22:00 Get uncomfortable 23:03 The relationship 26:00 Think like a Champion 28:00 Consistent change 28:30 Don’t look at the ball 30:00 Consistent commitment

Feb 28, 2017

In this episode you’re going to listen to Mark Tennant, Mark has been a Coaches educator for as many years as I haved lived. He has worked with the LTA, Tennis Europe & the International Tennis. Mark was further more listed by the New Zealand sports organisation CoachSeek as one of the top 50 most influential coaches in the world. You’ll get to know: – How to navigate through the jungle of information – The importance of mentoring – The best Tennis Book you have never heard about before Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 Have we become too well educated? 04:20 The piano 06:00 How to play the piano 07:50 How being a Tennis Coach has evolved 16:00 The myth of the ATP or the WTA Forehand 18:40 Drill vs Live ball 21:15 Integrity 23:10 Mentoring 30:30 Extremely privileged 31:30 The want of a player & a coach 35:30 Legacy 38:30 Book recommendation 40:30 The most important person 41:30 No purpose 42:34 Coach should work equally hard as the player 47:46 A lot of listening 47:37 Get in contact with Mark

Feb 14, 2017

In this episode you’re going to listen to Juan Viloca. Juan was a professional player himself for more than a decade with a career high in singles of #47. After his own career Juan had coaching stints with Flavia Panetta & Svetlana Kuznetsova & helped out Pato with players such as Gilles Mueller & Grigor Dimitrov. You’ll get to know: – Pato’s training methods – What cleaning the games means & how to do it – How Juan felt a lack of competencies & what he then did Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The Team Juan was a part of 05:30 What we can apply from Pato 11:32 Cleaning the game 12:05 How being tough can help 15:54 The 3 different areas 19:53 Would Pato still do the same? 22:12 Have we as Tennis Coaches become too soft? 26:12 20’s & 21’s 29:00 Lack of competencies 40:30 Communication skills 42:50 The Relation 44:44 Why Mats Wilander os not coaching on the tour 51:03 Top players are extremely intelligent

Jan 31, 2017

In this episode you’re going to listen to Oliver Jeunehomme. Olivier has among others worked with the likes of: Sofya Zhuk, Irina Kromacheva & Elina Svitolina & has previously been a part of Justine Henin’s Coaching team along side Carlos Rodriques. Since 2011 Olivier has been the director of the Justine Henin Tennis Academy located close to Bruxelles, Belgium. You’ll get to know: – What Olivier learned from working along side Carlos Rodriques – How adaptability is the most important ability – What looking for the lead domino means Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Carlos Rodriques 03:15 See the player as a person 04:50 Oliver’s Role at Team Henin 07:00 The difference between working private & for a federation 10:15 What Oliver is looking for in players 12:52 Adaptability 15:30 No Judgments 16:50 The transition 22:00 Autonomy 25:20 Habits on & off the court 28:34 Not emotionally ready 30:00 Emotional intelligens 31:30 The human relation 39:05 The lead domino

Jan 17, 2017

In this episode you are going to listen to Milo Quiroz, Milo has previously been a Coach at Claremount Country Club, the Galindo & Saddlebrook Tennis Academies as well as the private coach for American Ernesto Escobedo for 6 years. In this episode you’ll get to know: – How to become professional on a budget – How sleep is often overlooked – What’s it like to coach Mr. Bill Gates for 2 years Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How to become pro without money 09:30 Each of the lessons summarized 09:30 Sleep 13:50 Imagniation 17:30 How to train imagination 20:20 How to train Responsibility 25:30 Starting a tennis academy 28:56 True love for the sport 31:10 Mr. Bill Gates 35:30 The questions that we ask ourselves 37:30 Tennis as medicin 38:30 Discipline & Character 39:30 How to foster discipline 42:20 Compassion 43:15 Erwin Dannverg 45:45 Milo’s Book recommendation 46:45 Alphabet 50:40 Don’t measure talent 55:00 Time management 57:37 Get out of the comfort zone

Jan 3, 2017

In this episode you are going to listen to David Wilson, David is a Performance Coach from Ireland and is a Ph.D graduate from Trinity College Dublin, in the field of Education. David has spoken at several conferences, including Tennis Coach Ireland National events as well the Tennis Europe & the ITF Worldwide Conference. In this episode you’ll get to know: – The marginal gains tennis coaches can adapt from outside of our sport – The importance of having an emergency plan – The difference between being a Tennis Expert & being a Great tennis coach Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Emergency plan 03:25 Identify what might go wrong 04:21 Marginal Gains 05:53 The Importance of Stability in teams 07:14 The Transition period 08:30 Pareto’s principle 10:00 Discpline & standards 11:15 Ownership & responsibility 13:10 Tennis Expert vs a Great Coach 13:40 Scope for improvement 14:51 Overcomplicated communication 16:30 Accountability 19:10 The grey area 20:26 The constant questioning of our selves 23:30 Building Relationships 24:25 Getting feedback as a Tennis Coach 26:36 An open mind 29:35 The players perspective 30:00 Watch matches 33:00 David’s Inspirations 39:00 Inefficient coaches education 42:15 Be adventures

Dec 27, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Diego Moyano, Diego was a professional player himself with a career high of #130 in Singles. He has previously coached players such as Guillermo Coria, Fernando Gonzalez, Paul Capdeville & Carlos Berlocq. In 2010 Diego joined the USTA player development & is currently the Lead National Coach. In this episode you’ll get to know: – About USTA Player Development – How they challenge the players & develop responsibility – How to develop problem solving Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The Development program at USTA 06:20 What the USTA are looking at 09:33 Challenging the players 15:43 You have to earn it 19:40 It’s a marathon 22:30 Responsibility 26:54 Problem solving 31:30 How fast the best players pick up things 33:30 You have to earn it 34:33 Keep moving 42:52 When parents loose the ability to be parents

Dec 20, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Christian Ruud, Christian was a professional player himself with a career high of #39 in Singles in 1995. He represented Norway in 3 consecutive Olympics, he has been the National Coach of Norway & is currently Coaching at the 104 Tennis Academy in Norway alongside being a dad & a part of the coaching team of his Son, Casper Ruud. In this episode you’ll get to know: – What the Team around Casper looks like – The importance of social skills – The importance of simplicity as a Tennis Coach Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 The steps from a player to a Coach 03:45 Blaming the federation 04:36 Seperating from Casper 09:49 What Casper’s team look like 11:15 Video Analysis 14:12 The importance of social skills 15:39 Social media 16:30 Tennis Parents 17:39 The unfairness of who can earn a living playing tennis 19:45 The motivational factor 21:20 Thomas Högstedt 22:51 How the game had changed 24:30 The basics are still the same 25:19 Don’t make it too difficult 26:00 The serve & return

Dec 13, 2016

In this episode you’re going to listen to Mehdi Daouki, Mehdi has worked under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou for 6 years & has worked with the likes of Sachia Vickery, Aravane Rezai, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Marcos Baghdatis. In 2013 he founded the D-Tennis Academy based out of Marroco with the quest to create a Grand Slam winning African Player In this episode you’ll get to know: – How we as coaches always need to remember to inform the parents – When and how character reveals it self – What Mehdi believe is the biggest waste of time in the game of tennis Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 Patrick Mouratoglou 03:24 If you want to be one of the best 03:57 Jeun-Paul Damit 06:38 If you get results… 07:45 Eplaining to the parents 10:20 Ons Jabeur 12:04 Red flags 12:36 Everything is possible 13:11 Every player can make it on tour 13:48 How character reveals it self 15:56 The peaceful warrior 16:30 Mehdi’s Advice 16:46 An African Player can win a Grand Slam

Dec 6, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Edgar Giffenig, Edgar has been a National Coach in Mexico, Germany & the States. In 2013 he published the book “Developing High Performance Tennis Players” & he is currently the partner of the online Tennis Education platform Tennisgate.com. In this episode you’ll get to know: – What stroke flexibility is & how to develop it – How Women oftentimes hit harder than they run – The story of the Magic Wand Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Lessons from 3 different National Federations 06:59 Biggest takeaway with a small budget 09:11 Capitalizing on great players 12:23 The downside of having large funds 13:43 Stroke flexibility 20:14 Dealing with competitive pressure 22:39 Process vs resultorientation 24:47 How Edgar organized his thoughts 29:42 How women hit faster than they run 33:02 Why Edgar would never go fulltime on tour as a coach 35:10 Teach yourself 37:42 Antroprometric streotypes in tennis 40:32 Every coach is not good for every player 42:01 Why you learn a lot from newly started coaches 43:33 Edgar’s favourite books 45:10 Different players, different approaches 46:10 Why Edgar is NOT huge on statistics 47:32 The truth is always in the middle 51:07 How the culture has changed 53:26 Over organized practice schedules 56:37 It’s all about the player 57:35 The Magic Wand story 58:21 Get to know more about Edgar

Nov 29, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Frank Giampaolo, Frank founded The Tennis Parents Workshops in 1998, conducting workshops across the United States, Mexico, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Spain. He then instituted The Mental/Emotional Tennis Workshops in the spring of 2002. Frank’s has developed 77 National Champions, hundreds of NCAA athletes, numerous NCAA All-Americans and several professional athletes. Frank is currently the Vice Chair of the USTA/SCTA Coaches Commission. In this episode you’ll get to know: – How it is easy to be a Tennis Coach compared to being a Tennis Parent – The do’s & the don’ts of pre- & post match communication with a tennis player – How do you close the gap between performance in practice & matches, How to deal with slumps & How to deal with gamesmanship Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 Being a Tennis Parent is tough 03:10 Balancing being a coach & a father 04:21 A game of keep away 06:23 Utilizing multiple Tennis Coaches 07:30 Negative scoring 09:15 Creating a Tennis Family Philosophy 11:23 Fixed mindset vs growth mindset 12:57 Do’s & Don’ts of pre & post match communication 15:48 Practice the way you are expected to compete 17:51 Get out of Perfectionism 19:30 Dealing with Gamesmanship 24:05 Dealing with slumps 26:54 How you can benefit from Charting 28:30 The Spiral 32:13 Parents workshop 36:22 Don’t apply your knowledge right away 38:40 Player profiling 42:08 Hardware & Software 43:57 A recipe of disaster 45:16 What you share is what you learn 46:20 Vic Braden 52:37 The whole entourage on thet same page

Nov 22, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Marc Sophoulis, Marc has among others coached ATP & WTA players like: Victor Hanescu, Karan Rastogi, Anastasia & Arina Rodionova & Sabine Lisicki. He has conducted a 40 week TV Tennis Series on ESPN Asia & In 2011 he was awarded “Rising Star Coach of the year” in Australia. Currently Marc works at the Melbourne International Tennis School In this episode you’ll get to know: – The philosophy at MITS & the previous ones that failed – The importance of person, athlete & then the Tennis Player – The boundaries you must set to keep respect Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:30 Shared characteristics of top players 03:30 Nature vs nurture 05:03 The environment created from the parents 06:18 MITS Philosophy 07:54 What philosophy that didn’t work 09:19 What Marc tells the players he work with 11:18 Why coaches need to be selfless 14:04 Person, athlete, player 15:15 Go outside of your own country as a coach 17:58 The importance of honesty 18:28 Integrity 20:19 A brutal industry 22:46 Boundaries 25:40 Persistence 26:20 Resilience 27:03 Act upon your learnings 29:00 Look outside of tennis 31:30 Biggest lesson from AFL 32:42 Relationships 34:01 24 hour coach 36:20 Practice doesn’t make perfect 37:10 Specificity 38:40 No trust, no development 40:03 Marc’s advice

Nov 15, 2016

Today you are going to listen to Stephan Medem, Stepan played professionally himself & reached a career high of #216 in singles & #146 in doubles. He has been coaching several players on the WTA-tour including the following top 50 players Claudia Porwik, Anca Barna, Meike Babel, Laura Gildemeister, Karina Habsudova & Babara Rittner. Further more he has written 2 books, “PlayGirl” & “Ich will nach Wimbledon”. Currently Stephan is the Head Coach of Junior Development at NHTC Nuremberg. In this episode you’ll get to know: – How all of us are born mentally tough – How to reprogramming mental toughness – Which 2 World Number 1’s that Stephan completely misjudged Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How we are born mentally tough 07:04 The parent’s & Coach’s role 09:23 Reprogramming kids to mental toughness 11:37 Help the kids with a different perspective 18:46 The red flags 20:55 World numner 1’s that Stephan misjudged 27:50 Talk the same language 29:53 Harry Hopmann 35:25 The system in junior tennis 37:47 Thiem & Bresnik 39:45 Tennis Associations 44:18 The importance of patience 47:16 Stephan’s advice

Nov 8, 2016

Jose Antonio Fernandez played on the ATP Tour for 12 years reaching a career-high ranking of 202 in 1991. He represented Chile in Davis Cup from 1986-1992. He coached Steffi Graf & has been the coach of a winning German Bundesliga team. At last Jose was recently selected to act as Official Agent for the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar In this episode you’ll get to know: – How Jose became the coach of Steffi Graff – The core values of the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy – Why it is essential to always develop potential before you start thinking about results Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How Jose became the coach of Steffi Graff 03:52 From Graff to playing on the ATP Tour 05:21 BASAF TC 08:35 Developing the spirit at the club team 10:46 Main Cultural differences 12:06 The Job of a Tennis Agent Going to tournaments Spreading the words & the values 13:23 The values of Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy 14:55 What made Jose write his first book 18:41 The reason Jose wrote his first book 20:03 Why you should build your identity around strenghts 21:30 The importance of awareness 25:51 The importance of belief 27:27 José’s advice to his younger self 31:25 The real objective in tennis 33:11 The most important characteristic in a tennis player 34:54 Why we as coaches needs to take a look in the mirror 36:22 Jose’s influencers 38:46 Pato Alvares 40:26 Cultural differences from South America to Europe 41:59 The balance between internal & external goals 43:40 Why you need always need a purpose 44:47 The tour picks you 45:55 Develop potential before you start thinking about results 46:24 Jose’s Advice 52:41 How to get in contact with Jose

Nov 1, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Simon Wheathley, Simon has been a Performance Coach for more than 10 years working in Great Britain. He has written 3 resources on mini tennis, authored the ‘Developing the serve resource for 10 & under’. Further more “The biomechanics of the serve” with age and gender guidelines for the LTA In this conversation you’ll get to know: – How the development pathway at the LTA works including the Tennis Passport – Common mistakes in the serve & how to correct them – How & why Simon often uses the phrase “Just find 10 percent more” Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The development pathway in the LTA 05:30 The need for a tennis passport 08:02 The passport 09:54 Why LTA seperates boys & girls 11:00 Why having more female coaches in tennis is important 13:06 Female Coaching Community 15:20 National Camps at LTA 17:03 The tennis serve 21:40 Common problems in the tennis serve 24:13 Developing the tennis serve 25:23 What to do before using video 29:03 Coaching Feedback 31:42 Why supervision is essential for every tennis coach 32:52 What players remember you for 34:12 What is a successful Tennis Coach 35:14 The opportunity of a tennis coach 36:23 Commitment more important than motivation 38:40 Difference on younger & older players 40:25 Coaching the performer & then the player 41:48 Raise your level with 10 percent 42:52 Planning & reviewing 45:46 Louis Cayer 46:38 The power of coaching 48:01 Engaging the parents 51:27 Parent’s must not feel like being on the outside 53:09 The mental part is not 80 % of tennis 57:01 Coaching foot work 58:07 Rally, attack & defence 60:28 Don’t settle for mediocrity

Oct 25, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Andi Brandy, Andi briefly played on the professional circuit himself before going on the tour as a coach for the WTA top 10 players Kathy Rinaldi & Carlin Basset. He then served as the Executive Director at the Bolletieri Tennis Academy. He has been the Head Coach at Florida University for 17 straight seasons then had a stint at the Evert Tennis Academy before eventually joining the USTA as a national Coach in 2010. In this conversation you’ll get to know: – Why Andy thinks that it is easier to coach female players – Why Andy thinks that every tennis player could learn a lot from doing martial arts – How tennis has developed & where he predicts that tennis will go in the future Enjoy the show! Timestamps 02:12 (42) University of Florida Head Coach 03:33 Working with professionals 05:23 Why it is easier to coach women players 06:49 Most influential persons for Andi 07:57 Hopman 08:49 Von Horn 10:36 Why Andi always takes the youngest age group at USTA 11:27 Most common adjustments in juniors 12:44 Good citizen & great champions 13:49 How USTA develop character 14:34 Most important tennis player characteristic 15:11Tennis is changing 16:14 How the game has developed the last 12 months 17:16 Where the game is going in the future 17:42 Martial Arts 19:43 What we as coaches tend to forget 21:21 High Intensity 24:46 You need to have a purpose 25:30 Speaking less 26:44 The best thing about being a coach 27:18 What is less/more important for Andy 27:58 Andi’s advice 29:43 Get to know more about Andy

Oct 18, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Jeff Coetzee, Jeff is a former professional player himself reaching a career high of #12 in doubles & #184 in singles. He represented South Africa in Davis Cup for 10 years & participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Jeff has worked at the Schuetler-Waske Tennis University & has coached singles players like Andrea Petkovic, Cedric Marcel Stebe & Angelique Kerber. Jeff is currently the coach of the two doubles teams consisting of Cabal & Farah and Klaasen & Ram. In this conversation you’ll get to know: – The difference on a Good doubles player & a Great one – How players often neglect the basics of doubles & what the basics are – What makes the Bryan Brothers the best Doubles Team ever. Enjoy the show!

Oct 11, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Antonio Van Grichen, Antonio is a former player himself representing Portugal in Davis Cup. He then went to the Harry Hopmann Tennis Academy as a Coach & has worked his way up ever since. Antonio has been the coach of players such as Jarmila Wolfe former Gajdošová Tamira Paszek, Vera Zvonereva, Ana Ivanovic, Monica Puig, Marcos Baghdatis & was the Coach of Victoria Azarenka from when she was 15 & World Number 1 Junior all the way to Top 10 WTA singles & Doubles when she was 20. In this Episode you’ll get to know: – About the journey he had together with Azarenka – The dialogue going on in his head when he is considering to start working with a new player – Why you need to be a little bit crazy to succeed within tennis Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How Antonio got into coaching 03:38 How Antonio only picked up a racquet to coach from 16-19 04:46 Going to the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy 07:52 The Initiating a coaching relation with a player 10:13 Long term projects 11:04 Some coaches just want to go on the tour 12:05 Delusional players 20 she was 6 in singles (7 in doubles) 15:34 What correction that was made to Azarenka’s forehand 17:33 The changes Azarenka made on her forehand 19:03 Coaching Marcos Baghdatis 22:06 Why Antonio is not on the tour at the moment 23:20 Being selfish kept me sain 24:26 Ultimately it is about human beings 26:32 Willingness to suffer 27:48 Importance of being a great communicator 29:00 Common sense 30:21 Observation 31:40 The monk that sold his Ferrari 33:01 Most important values 34:00 The fine line bewteen succes & failure 35:18 You need to be little bit crazy to succed 37:27 Health & time 38:34 Every player is a different person 40:33 Get in contact with Antonio

Oct 4, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Jaime Fernandez-Fernandez. Jaime has been working as a S&C Coach since 2000. For the Spanish Tennis Federation as a consultant since 2006, he assisted in developing the test battery that the German Tennis Federation uses & is currently developing & implementing a Long Term Athlete Development system for the Norwegian Tennis Federation In this episode you’ll get to know: – How tennis is a professional sport filled with amateur coaches – How it is possible to close the gap between science & practice – How tennis is an individual sport, but how essential it is to have a good team Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The story of how Jaime got to work for the Spanish Tennis Federation 04:43 A professional sport full of amateurs 08:03 Unlicenced Tennis Coaches 10:22 What can be done to help coaches 14:47 Closing the gap between science & practice 24:01 Long term Player Development Norway 34:26 Lack of agreement across federations 40:19 How much influence does the coaches actually have 41:46 Training using names 45:00 Individual sport, but essential to have a good team 47:12 Traveling days are not restdays 48:38 Imbalances created by tennis 52:10 Jaime’s advice

Sep 27, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Mikael Tilström, Mikael was a professional player himself reaching a career high of #39 in singles & #15 in doubles. Mikael has been the Coach of Thomas Enqvist, Magnus Norman & Andreas Vinciguerra & in 2011 he co founded the Good To Great Tennis Academy with fellow Swedes Magnus Norman & Nicklas Kulti. Since then he has been the lead Coach of Grigor Dimitrov & is currently coaching Gael Monfils. In this episode you’ll get to know: – How Good To Great determine whether to accept a new player into their program or not – The difference on coaching an established professional player like Monfils & the up & coming junior players from Good To Great – The blessing & the curse of having Roger Federer at the top of tennis for so many years Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Story of Good To Great 04:10 What Nicklas learned outside of tennis 05:40 How Mikael came to work with Monfils 08:30 How Mikael keeps a good relation with his family while on tour 10:53 The acceptance process at Good To Great 14:05 Getting to know your players 15:46 Why you should not play tennis for money & fame 30-40 to put away money 19:39 Why tennis players need to be stubborn 20:36 The person before the player 21:53 Allistair Mccaw 22:38 Shared philosophy with Allistair 25:10 Why all Tour Tennis Coaches are a bit crazy 26:30 The blessing & course of Roger Federer 28:30 Why Monfils shook his head at Mikael 31:01 The best part about being a Tennis Coach 31:30 How Mikael gets better 33:20 What Mikael has changed his mind about 34:16 Mikael’s advice

Sep 20, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Alberto Castellani, Alberto has been on the Professional Circuit for more than 30 years coaching a bunch of top 100 players & to name a few he has coached: Janko Tipsarevic, Rainer Schuettler, Ivo Karlovic, Marc Rosset & Hicham Arazi. Alberto is recoqnized by the ATP as one of the only 50 coaches World Wide as an international Tennis Coach where the conditions to be accepted is to continously bring or work with players in the top 100 on the ATP-Tour. Further more Alberto is the president of the GPTCA (The Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association) which has the only ATP Certified Coaches Education in the world. In this episode you’ll get to know: – What the Tennis Paradox is – How Coaches & players often do not know what concentration is – Why training the Mental aspect of tennis is like training the Technical one. Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The tennis Paradox 04:14 Why a lot of players are mentally weak 05:56 What does concentration mean 07:58 How to train concentration 13:34 Bioenergetica 16:10 Level of activation 19:36 Mental aspect when coming back from injury 26:38 No guarantee for success 28:22 Human > tennis player 34:18 Autoritarian coaching 37:18 Empathy & intelligence 39:04 Learning 40:48 The story of a former top 30 ATP Player 43:39 Why Alberto doesn’t like the “Australian” 45:16 Lack of time spent on mental training 45:44 To rest well is as important as to practice well 47:14 Alberto’s advise

Sep 13, 2016

Today you are going to listen to Jaro Levinksy, Jaro was a professional player himself reaching a career high of #239 in singles & #24 in doubles. Immediately after retiring as a pro he went into coaching & has been at the Schuettler-Waske Tennis University & the private coach for Schuettler himself. He has had coaching stints with Sergiy Stakhovsky, Yen-Hsun Lu & the junior player Olga Fridman. Jaro has been a consultant for the Turkish Tennis Federation & is currently the coach of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova In this conversation you’ll get to know: – How Jaro goes about traveling full time on the tour while having a wife & a small child – The difference on coaching an established professional player & an up and coming junior – Why it’s essential to set limits as a coach & how to do it Enjoy the show! Timestamps 02:00 Own playing career – why coaching 03:11 The steps that took Jaro into professional Coaching 06:20 The most important lesson learned at Schuetler-Waske 08:05 Coaching Rainer Schuetler 11:45 Similarities & differences on coaching a young & an older guy on tour 13:03 Traveling as a tennis coach while having a kid 15:05 How to balance traveling that much away from your family 16:37 Difference in working with an established player & a junior player 19:08 Differences in working on ATP & WTA Tour 20:37 The Turkish Federation 24:31 How Hrbarty would describe Jaro’s look on tennis 26:38 How the players on tour have changed 28:17 Setting limits as a tennis coach 30:59 Why you need to push players outside of their comfort zone 32:15 How to get players outside of their comfort zone in practices 33:20 Nothing tastes better than winning 33:46 Most important characteristics in a tennis player 34:24 Decision making skills 36:17 Efficient practices 39:40 Playing Pokemon is biggest waste of time on tour

Sep 6, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Robert Davis, Robert has been on the ATP Tour for 24 years. He has served as either a Technical Director & National Coach for Peru, Panama, Thailand, Indonesia & the list goes on an on. Robert is further more a writer who regularly contributes to ATP’s DEUCE magazine, ITF publications, and TENNIS Magazine Australia. Currently he is the Technical Advisor of Strategic Operations of tennis for Sport Singapore & the coach of Matsui from Japan. In this episode you’ll get to know: – What Robert calls the “non-negotiables” in a coaching relation – How Larry Stefanki had different approaches with Gonzalez & Roddick – The difference between tennis coaches & tennis teachers Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Creating a long term coach-player relationship 02:52 The non negotiables 05:03 The difference on Technical Director & National Coach 08:20 Milos Ranonic example 09:56 Players from developing countries 11:03 Sock, Johnson, Fernando Gonzalez, Andy Roddick 13:53 What common trait the best coaches in the world share 17:45 Super Coaches 18:59 Who gets to call themselves Tour Coaches 21:18 Do apprenticeships if you are a young coach 23:15 The difference between tennis teachers & tennis coaches 26:10 What coaches deserves the credit? 28:10 The French Coaches System 29:42 How tennis coaches are left behind coaches from other sports 32:19 The chart system David Robert uses 33:30 Best part about being a touring coach 34:56 Why Robert finds the competitive nature of a player the most important 36:51 The care factor 38:17 Reading, talking, observing 40:46 Process over product 41:31 Why Robert could never coach Kyrgios 42:05 The old school fitness 43:55 Too much analytics 47:01 Specialty shots 50:02 Quality time 51:39 Robert’s advice

Aug 30, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Christian Groh, Christian was an ATP ranked player himself & then went directly into coaching after pulling the plug as a player. Christian has worked with the likes of Michael Berrer & Bradley Klahn & was the Coach who guided Taylor Fritz to the US Open Junior title & the number 1 spot in the junior rankings. Christian is currently the coach of German Veteran Tommy Haas & has been so since 2012. In this episode you’ll get to know: – The steps Christian & Taylor Fritz worked on in order to successfully transition from a great junior into a professional senior player – How the coaching relation with Tommy Hass came about despite the fact that Haas is actually older than Christian. – The fine line between being self-confident & having to big of an ego Christian is based in San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe where it is possible to play outdoors all year. Make sure to say hi to Christian on Social & tell him what parts of the interview you liked! Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 How Christian started working with Tommy Haas 03:05 How it works for a coach while a player is injuried 04:43 Christians considerations before starting to work with Tommy 06:06 Being younger than your player 07:15 What Haas would say about Christian 08:15 How to balance the on & off court life on tour 09:29 How Christian nurtures his mind when on the tour 10:09 The difference in working with Haas & Fritz 12:03 What made Fritz decide to fully focus on tennis 13:44 The steps that lead Fritz into the top 100 15:03 The off-court transiton steps for Fritz into the top 100 16:25 Taylor Fritz’s biggest room for improvement 17:18 How Fritz being married will affect his career 18:26 It’s really not that glamorous 20:37 The biggest challenges when traveling on tour 22:36 How to go about communicating with your boss who also happens to be the player you are working with 24:15 No regrets 25:37 Being surrounded by the best athletes in the world 26:27 Persistence 28:06 Stress tolerance 30:26 Integrity 33:27 How Christian gets better as a coach 36:02 The value of time 37:08 The way Haas practices 38:30 How to deal with fiery guys 38:23 How Christian would go about training Haas if he had been 14 years old 41:23 How the level has changed 42:11 Ego vs self confidence 44:58 Christian’s advice

Aug 23, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Karan Rastogi, Karan was a very promising Indian Junior player that was scouted & signed by IMG as a 14 year old, he was 4 in the ITF ranking & had a career high of 284 in singles & 221 in doubles. Karan has worked with top 100 ATP Doubles specialist Purav Raja & is currently the National Coach of Hong Coach which also includes being a coach for both the Davis Cup & the Fed Cup Team In this episode you’ll get to know: – How Karan helps the players he is working with avoiding the same mistakes as he did – The most valuable lesson he learned being at the IMG Tennis Academy for 11 years – How to gain trust from the parents of the players you are coaching Get to know more about Karan by going to his profile at either GPTCA or OrangeCoach. Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 The steps that lead Karan to go from a professional player to a coach 03:17 What Karan learned at the GPTCA Courses 04:30 What Karan is doing in Hong Kong 06:03 Karan’s mistakes 11:36 What makes Nishikori so special 14:26 Karan’s first meeting with Maria Sharapova 16:25 Biggest lesson from the IMG Tennis Academy 19:10 How to educate tennis parents 20:21 How to handle unwanted parent behaviour as a coach 21:32 The steps of gaining trust of the parents 23:35 How to navigate in the jungle of technology 24:20 The very best about being a tennis coach 25:06 How to spot desire 26:19 Why you need adaptability & flexibility as a tennis coach 27:30 Karan’s book recommendation 29:45 Why you will learn how to persevere 31:46 The positives of getting seriously injured 37:48 How to do smart practices 40:43 Why you need to take care of yourself

Aug 16, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Federico Ricci, Federico was the director at the Evert Tennis Academy where he worked with the likes of Lauren Davis, Jesse Levine, Madison Keys & Ajla Tomljanovic. Since 2011 he has been the director of the Jarkko Nieminen Tennis Academy which is one of the few non-profit Tennis Academies in the world In this episode you’ll get to know: – The similarities & differences on the Jarko Nieminen & Evert Tennis Academy – How it’s possible to develop a players stress tolerance – The most important lesson he learned under the guidance of Andy Brandi Get to know more about Federico by going to the official Jarkko Nieminen Tennis Academy homepage. Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30 Non profit academy 4:20 The specific actions of commitment 06:12 The benefits of having a small environment 09:50 The collaboration with the finish tennis association 11:42 The story of the Estonian Tennis Federation 12:34 Similarities & differences on Jarko Nieminen & Evert Tennis Academy 16:45 How the quality of the facility influences the players 19:45 How some parents from Scandinavia perceive sport 22:58 The best thing about being an academy director 24:34 Something he has not talked about before 24:50 The stress level a player can sustain 26:42 Daily actions to develop stress tolerance 30:26 Resilience 32:49 Empathy 38:20 Most important lesson learned from Andy Brandi 40:14 Biggest myth 43:14 How tennis has become more complicated 45:30 The complexity of traveling The physical aspect while traveling has become more important 49:30 Federico’s advice

Aug 9, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Dusan Vemic, Dusan was on the tour as a player for nearly 20 years & represented Serbia in Davis Cup. He assisted Petar Popovic in guiding Andrea Petkovic to the top 10, He was a part of Novak Djokovic’s team for 1 & a half years & accompanied him by himself in 2012 when Novak won the World Tour Finals. Since 2013 he has been a part of the Serbian Davis Cup Coaching Staff & is currently the coach of Filip Krajinovic. In this episode you’ll get to know: – How it’s possible to create an environment that is too difficult for the opponent to handle – Why Dusan thinks that you are pretty much able to handle every job after a tennis playing career – Why Dusan puts more importance on the technical aspect of tennis than he did earlier, and YES I did say MORE IMPORTANCE Get to know more about Dusan by going to the official GPTCA homepage & check out his bio. Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:30: How Dusan became part of the Serbian Davis cup team 03:32 The reason Dusan wanted to become a coach 04:22: What Petar Popovic would say about Dusan 05:40 Working with the mental aspect in tennis 08:10 How to be present in high pressure situations on the tennis court 09:40 The strategic part of tennis 11:46 The difference between males & female tennis players 13:49 Why presence is important 15:25 Every tennis player has the same challenges 18:42 The most important characteristic in a tennis player 20:30 What person or books has inspired you the most 23:41 Most valuable lesson learned from tennis 23:32 Different than others 29:18 Biggest waste of time 32:45 How tennis coaches can educate tennis parents 35:53 What made Dusan change his mind about the importance of technique 38:32 More important / less important 40:44 Dusan’s advice

Aug 3, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Roberto Brogin. Roberto was on the tour for more than 20 years as a coach & has coached several top 100 ATP & WTA players. He has been the coach of the Uzbekistan Davis Cup Team leading them into the World Group, In 2006 he worked for the Chinese Tennis Federation with players as Li Na & Zheng Jie & in 2009 he was specially assigned to work with Eugine Bouchard at the National Tennis Centre in Canada, In this episode you’ll get to know: – Why Brogan thinks that you should never judge the future of a tennis player at the age of 18 – Why he especially likes Australian & Spanish coaches – Why you should watch Rafael Nadal’s volley practices Get to know more about Roberto by going to the official GPTCA homepage & check out his bio. Enjoy the show!

Mar 4, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Claudio Pistolesi. Claudio (@cpistolesi) is a former Junior World Champion & top 100 singles player. He has brought 10 players from the outside of top 100 to the inside & worked with players like Söderling, Hantuchova & Bolleli In this episode you’ll get to know: The mentality of a professional tennis player When it’s time to move on from a coaching relation How Claudio keeps updated every year Get to know more about Claudio by visiting www.claudiopistolesienterprise.com, give a shout out on Twitter @cpistolesi or be one of more than a thousand people to follow Claudio Pistolesi Enterprise on Facebook. Enjoy the show!

Feb 14, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Bob Brett. Bob (@bobbretttennis) has been on the professional tour as a coach for more than 35 years, he has coached players like Becker, Ivanisevic, Cilic, Ancic & Sania Mirza In this episode you’ll get to know: What’s going on inside of Bob’s head when deciding to initiate a coaching realtion with a player or not The difference between top 20 & the rest Why the most valuable lesson Bob learned was getting fired And at last hang in there because Bob gives some very concrete and actionable advice for parents, players & coaches at the end of the interview. Get to know more about Bob by visiting Bob Brett School of tennis on facebook or follow @bobbretttennis on twitter Enjoy the show!

Jan 27, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Johan Hedsberg. Johan has tried pretty much everything as a tennis coach & is currently the main coach of Swedish junior Mikael Ymer. In this episode you’ll get to know: How to develop the player from the personality When to use point play vs basket drills What you need to do 1 day a month Get to know more about Johan by going to www.goodtogreatworld.com Enjoy the show!

Jan 19, 2016

In this episode you are going to listen to Merlin Van De Braam. Merlin is excellent at demystifying Sport Psychology. He is currenty working for the LTA, has earlier been traveling as a coach on the ITF International Touring Team & as he holds a Masters Degree in Sports & Exercise Psychology Merlin is not just guessing when he guides us through the mental part of tennis. In this episode you’ll get to know: Where you start as a coach when you want to work on a players mental toughness The Four C’s of Sportpsychology (control of emotions, confidence, commitment, concentration) Merlin’s opinion on doing outbursts Get to know more about Merlin by going to TennisIcoach where you can read the published articles he has made. Enjoy the show!

Jan 16, 2016

Hi guys. Decided to do a little mix of the stuff that is usually cut out from each & every episode. Stay tuned & listen to the edited version of Merlin Van De Braam demystifying Mental Toughness released on tuesday the 19th of January! Enjoy your weekend

Jan 12, 2016

Jeff Rothschild is a registered dietitian currently helping out well established players on the ATP-tour like Mike & Bob Bryan as well as rising stars like Stefan Kozlov In this episode you’ll get to know: How to beat Jetlag What causes dehydration & cramps & how to prevent it What to have in your bag as a competitive tennis player Get to know more about Jeff by going to www.eatsleep.fit or follow him in Instagram @eatsleep.fit Enjoy the show!

Jan 5, 2016

Peter Smith (@coachpetersmith) has led The USC Trojans to 5 NCAA Team Championships within the last 7 Years as the The Head Coach & he goes into great depth with the Competitive Environment that he is trying to create. In this episode you’ll get to know: What the term Serious Fun means What 50 % of USC’s Conditioning work look like How Peter manages to be a partner, coach & dad to his sons Get to know more about Peter by going to www.sctennisacademy.com, check out his great Championships Videos at www.championshipproductions.com or have a sneak peak at www.usctrojans.com Enjoy the show!

Dec 29, 2015

Mark Kovacs (@mkovacsphd) Mark is the Michael Jordan of Sport Science & World Class at translating very complex science into applied information that coaches, players & parents can use. In this episode you’ll get to know: How to conduct training sessions simulating match situations Why you should always look at groundstrokes & the serve from the ground up How you can learn from everyone if they meet 2 criteria Get to know more about Mark at wwww.mark-kovacs.com & the iTPA at www.itpa-tennis.org Enjoy the show!

Dec 22, 2015

Jared is finishing 2015 as the top ranked American Teenager on the ATP Rankings & in this episode you’ll get to know: Why he choose to go to Argentina at the age of 14 What it was like training with Roger Federer How Jared cope with the up’s & down’s as a tennis player Follow Jared’s progress on Instagram @jared_donaldson Enjoy the show!

Dec 15, 2015

Chris is Head of Women’s Tennis at Penn State University. He has coached players to 3 out of the 4 Junior Slams & 2 players to Senior Slams. He has coached both men’s & women’s teams in Division 1 College Tennis & in 2009 he became the No. 1 ranked 30 year old singles player in America despite the fact that he wasn’t able to qualify for a single nationals as a junior. In this episode you’ll get to know: Why he choose to go into college tennis as a volunteer coach What’s it like to be on a team in an individual sport + the 4 core values at Penn State The differences between working with a men’s & a women’s college team Follow pennstate on Instagram or go check out http://www.gopsusports.com to learn more about the men’s & the women’s program. Enjoy the show!

Dec 11, 2015

David is an S&C Coach who earlier in his career worked alongside legendary Pat Etcheberry at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy, Tampa. Among other players David has worked with Victoria Azaranka, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, James Blake & Mardy Fish. In this episode you’ll get to know: What smoking the money maker means Why Chest & biceps might be a secret weapon in tennis Why Tennis specific exercises might not be ideal Follow David on Facebook or go check out www.gtsgermany.com & sign up for his amazing weekly newsletter which DOESN’T try to sell you anything! Enjoy the show!

Dec 1, 2015

In this episode you’ll get to know: Why recovery isn’t just taking time off What Bouchard’s recovery routine looks like Why you might learn more as a coach by teaching reg kids than high level ones Follow Dean on Twitter (Deaner99) or got check out www.deanhollingworth.com to get to know more about current coaching opportunities. Enjoy the show! 03:42 World Team Tennis 05:26 Traveling on the Tour as an S&C Coach 07:05 What Dean learned 08:01 Most important skills as an S&C Coach 09:15 The rubber floor 10:48 How tennis is different 12:33 Keeping Eugenie healthy 14:07 Dynamic Warm ups 14:54 Not overtrained just under recovered 16:15 Recovery – Traning vs tournament 17:02 Comming off the court 22:15 Biggest waste of time/myth 23:20 How to know when athletes have mastered a drill 25:05 Books/persons 26:46 Talking less/coaching less 27:44 Example of specic cue 32:46 Testing 33.48 Testbattery 36:48 Advice 38:15 Caring for your athlete

Nov 24, 2015

In this episode you’ll get to know: – How to set standards in warm up, cool down & regeneration – How to manage dissapointments – How & when to evaluate performance Follow Allistair on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or go visit www.themccawmethod.com to get to know more about Allistair & current coaching opportunities. Enjoy the show! 01:40 Setting the standards 5:10 Warm up properly 09:00 Proper Cool down 10:30 Biking as recovery 13:25 Getting your athletes to do what you are woing on when you are not there 14:50 Regeneration part 16:15 The 1 percent’s 19:10 Opportunity time 21:40 What books to read for athletes 23:30 Moving on from mistakes 27:25 Timing of the evaluation of a match 29:00 The length of an evaluation 30:37 Confidence 32:05 Ranking’s U12 37:53 What to do with a nearly burned out player 39:35 Building the character 41:00 Reverse running 43:57: Tiebreak in the 5th set 45:15 Simplicity & people 46:24 Likeability, adaptability, accountability 47:30 Creating accountability 50:40 Inspiration 53:40 Nick Bollitieri 56:00 More & less important 58:10 Advices

Nov 17, 2015

In this episode you’ll get to know: – The exact physical demands of tennis – When to specialize – What the truths are about kids & resistance training Make sure to visit www.maximiseathleticperformance.com to get to know more about Dom & current coaching opportunities. Enjoy the show! 01:30 Physical Demands of tennis 05:10 Most common tennis injuries 07:00 How to reduce likelihood 09:25 Mobility work 13:25 Cooling down 15:05 Good rolling 16:50 Cultural leader 20:00 Periodization 23:15 Where does the periodization start 24:05 Adjusting periodization 28:45 What to do at tournaments 31:40 Doing something at tournaments or not? 32:00 If there is no gym at cite 35:37 Spezialisation 39:37 When to Spezialize 41:59 Kids & physical training 48:36 Which Exercises to start with 54:06 Transfor to the court 55:45 Conditioning 1:00:45 Monitoring 1:06:15 Combat Sport & tennis 1:12:43 Number one skill set 1:12:26 Most valuable lesson learned 1:15:45 Biggest myth / waste of time 1:18:19 Biggest inspiration 1:21:20 What Dom has changed his mind about 1:24:00 Advice to coaches & players

Nov 10, 2015

In this episode you’ll get to know: How a football is an essential part of learning the serve Why staying in college was the most difficult thing for Steve Johnson Jr. to do What being the “Big dog” means & how to do it Make sure to visit www.sjtennis.com to get to know more about Steve & current coaching opportunities. Enjoy the show! 01:30 Being a Parent & Coach 4:10 College 5:30 What Steve got out of college 07:15 What it takes to be on the Tour 08:30 How tennis builds character 10:30 How a football teaches the serve 11:30 How Steve Sr’s role changed when Jr was 16 13:30 Peter Smith 17:36 Being a big dog 26:10 Tennis must go in the calendar first 29:30 What do you need to sacrifice as a family 32:15 The importance of loosing 35:30 How to manage the disappointment of losses 39:15 Number 1 skillset for a parent 40:50 Defining roles 42:15 Most valuable lesson learned 44:30 How it is dealig with losses today for Steve Sr 47:40 How things would change if rankings was like in golf 49:10 What Steve believes that everyone else think is crazy 49:45 Quality over quantity 50:45 How hard it is to be on tour 52:45 The reasons of the many routines 56:15 Advice to the coaches