Sports Psychology

It’s always fun to sit on the dais with some of the great thinkers in the world of tennis. I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion at this year’s New York Tennis Expo at NYCB LIVE . The panel consisted of Steve Johnson, the California-born powerhouse currently ranked 34th in the...Read more

Most of us saw Novak Djokovic’s dominating win over Rafael Nadal in the finals of the 2019 Australian Open . Usually, coaches, parents, fans and even the athletes themselves write off this kind of big win as: “He just played great.” But this explanation is often too simplistic. In sports and in...Read more

It’s no secret that confidence is the one defining factor of winners and those who remain at the top. Confidence seems to be the reason the ball drops in when it should not, that luck is on your side and that you can come back from behind and always believe in your ability to win. Have you ever...Read more

I remember it like it was a lightning bolt, my then mentor said to me: “Your opponent is your partner, not an enemy!” I thought that statement was blasphemous! My entire competitive life, I viewed the opponent as my enemy, someone whom I must defeat. The entire goal was decimation! My mentor, Jena...Read more

This story first appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of New York Tennis Magazine. Click Here to see the full issue. The local tennis community has some of the sport’s finest facilities and some of the top coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available, New York Tennis Magazine...Read more

To become a champion, you must have talent, fitness, good coaching, money, supportive parents, access to courts, discipline and patience. The sport psychologist is usually called upon when a player is having trouble with anxiety, anger, confidence, focus or pain tolerance. Any coach and athlete...Read more

In my first book, Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions , I wrote a chapter entitled, “OMG, I’m Nervous …What Do I Do?” At the time I wrote that chapter, that was the top question tennis players brought to me. But there is another question tennis players experience and...Read more

Tennis stars … the cold months are upon us and it is time to make sure our tennis skills don’t go into a deep freeze. I always found cold conditions to be an advantage for me when I walked onto the court. I grew up in a small town in Michigan. With no indoor tennis opportunities near me, most of...Read more

It is undeniable that there is a major “mental” component to competitive tennis, but what does that really mean? And better yet, how can you improve the “mental” game? It is widely accepted to break down sports into four distinct areas (Physical, Technical, Tactical, and Mental) to help organize...Read more

I remember it like it was yesterday, coaching the Zonals for the 16 & Under age group. The competition was fierce with top kids from the country. Inevitably, various issues came up before matches. For example, I received a late-night text from my number two player saying her friend, our number...Read more