Sports Psychology

It’s a truism that the best way to play well in competition, you need to relax, have fun and play freely. The moment a player starts to worry about outcomes or overthink the serve, is when tightness sets in and you begin to play weakly. To win on the court, one must have a free…

We have all seen “It,” either as a player, coach or fan. The “It” I am referring to is a player in the throes of a slump. Maybe “It” is a tournament winless streak like Novak Djokovic is currently experiencing due to what he calls “personal issues.” Or maybe “It” is missing the last six…

At this point in time, every athlete has heard of meditation and some have tried it on for size. Let’s take some time to review the history of meditation and assess some of its benefits and its limitations. The history of meditation Meditation has been around for a long time, a very long time. There…

Remember the last time you turned on the lights? It’s a mindless activity, we do it all the time. When the lights go on, we don’t give it another thought. But, what about when the lights don’t go on? Usually, we may flip the switch a few times, trying to “will” the lights on. Let’s…

      The following article is a compilation of my favorite quotes taken from conversations with champions at every level, from the juniors to the pros. These conversations have helped shape my own coaching philosophy and I often use these tidbits in my coaching and consulting roles.             “Training…

Why is it that whenever a player in any sport wins a tournament, they are usually in a good place off the court? James Blake, in his book Breaking Back, said “My greatest professional successes occurred after I had faced my most personal challenges. I used to think this was ironic; now I realize that…

Throughout my travels to junior and professional tennis events, I have seen some pretty crazy things that players have to deal with, so much so that I could write an entertaining book about it all. For example, I once saw a player who was behind 0-3 in the first set, launch all three balls into…

“I forgot she was a lefty.” This was Sarah’s response during the 10-minute break after splitting sets at a USTA National match. I had asked her what she was seeing out there and about her game plan and the adjustments she made. Sarah said she was trying to keep the ball high to her opponent’s…

I have worked for many years with top level athletes and have come to realize that the 24 hours leading up to any big event will determine how you do during your match. Here are the basic psychological approaches that will help you to win: 1. It ought to be obvious that any high level…