The Tennis Files Podcast

Today's guest is rising WTA tennis pro Sophie Chang. At only 18 years of age, Sophie reached career high rankings of #569 in singles and #283 in doubles this week. Sophie is very well-spoken, intelligent, and mature beyond her years. We discussed how she went from not winning a match as a 7 year-old when she first started competing to becoming a top-ranked junior and then a professional tennis player. Sophie also talked to me about her training, diet, and how she deals with the ups and downs on the USTA Pro Circuit. I found out about Sophie when several of my friends shared clips of her playing and training on social media. I also realized that Sophie is originally from Maryland, my home state, and immediately knew that I wanted her to be a guest on The Tennis Files Podcast. Sophie is an amazing talent and I expect to see great things from her in the future! There is a ton of great information in this episode that you can use to improve your mindset, training, and your tennis game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Jeff Rothschild, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with a Master’s degree in Nutritional Science. Jeff’s clients include Mike Bryan, Stefan Kozlov, and James Valentine from Maroon 5. He has also worked with other elite ATP and NCAA tennis players, endurance athletes, boxers, swimmers, and a number of touring musicians at TriFit in Santa Monica, CA. On this episode, Jeff gives our audience a ton of amazing advice about nutrition, sleep, meal timing, protein bars, supplements, and hydration. You will take your game to the next level if you follow Jeff’s tips about preparing your body to perform at its best. Jeff also has a fantastic website at http://www.eatsleep.fit and has authored several scientific papers that have been published in peer-reviewed nutrition and food science journals. He has presented his research at national nutrition conferences. Jeff spent five years as the assistant tennis coach at CSU Los Angeles and helped the Golden Eagles earn national Top-25 rankings each of those years. Jeff is also a two-time winner of Assistant Coach of the Year for the West Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Jeff has competed as a cyclist and continues to play competitive tennis. Mike Bryan calls Jeff an encyclopedia of knowledge, and he proved it during our interview! Thanks to Jeff for speaking with me on The Tennis Files Podcast! Note: The medical and/or nutritional information in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding this information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I host a solo episode discussing an aspect of tennis that is widely ignored and severely underutilized: pre-match strategy. Tennis players often arrive to a match without thinking through the strategies and point patterns which will maximize their success on the court. Players should always consider the strengths and weaknesses of their own game, their opponent's game, and formulate a strategy based on these considerations that will give them the best chance to win the match. A pre-match gameplan will serve as your roadmap to success and guide you on how you need to play against your opponent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 12 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with Dave Fish, coach of Harvard University Men's Tennis, about the Universal Tennis Rating system (UTR). UTR provides tennis players worldwide a common scale to determine their level of play based on actual match results without regard for age, gender or where the matches are played. Dave also discussed audience-submitted questions regarding what it is like to be on the Harvard Men's Tennis Team. The UTR system helps facilitate more competitive matches and gives players a more accurate way of determining their skill level. Even John McEnroe is a fan of UTR because of its ability to provide players with more competitive local-based matchplay. With UTR, tennis players can compare their skill level with other players from all around the world. UTR is not only a wonderful resource for tennis players, but it helps coaches, parents, tennis associations and tournament directors more accurately gauge players' tennis abilities based on UTR's 16 level-scale. College tennis recruits can use UTR to figure out the ratings of a team's roster and help them decide whether that school is a fit for them and their tennis skills. UTR is an exciting new rating system that is revolutionizing the game of tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allistair McCaw is today's guest on The Tennis Files Podcast. Allistair is a world class sports performance specialist and owner of The McCaw Method. He has trained some of the best tennis players in the world, including Kevin Anderson, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Xavier Malisse, Bernard Tomic, and Jelena Dokic. Allistair talks about the importance of setting standards when working with athletes and parents, and how playing other sports will make us better tennis players. He explains that we first have to focus on the fundamentals and then take care of the "one-percents" to maximize our athletic capabilities. Allistair also answers several audience questions on injuries, imbalances, recovery, training, and dealing with the heat. Thanks to Allistair for being on the show, and for teaching us the principles that we must follow to achieve athletic and personal excellence. His passion and energy for making people better is something that every athlete, coach, and parent can learn from. Take Allistair's advice to heart and you will take your game to the next level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Neagle, Head Coach of the Towson University Women’s Tennis Program, talked to me about the recruiting process, important rules that parents, coaches, and players must follow, and the keys to getting a scholarship to play college tennis. You will learn about eligibility, the best way to communicate with coaches, how scholarships are given to players, and excellent resources to help you navigate your way through the complex path of college tennis recruiting and scholarships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ATP Pro Jason Jung is ranked #245 in the world. He is a regular on the Challenger Tour and is working hard to make the main draws of ATP and Grand Slam events. Jason spoke with me about his junior career, college tennis, and his plans to reach the next level in his tennis career. He also answered several questions from TFP listeners. Jason discussed his love for competition, how he dominated in the juniors, and how his decision to play tennis for the University of Michigan helped better prepare him to become a professional tennis player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ATP Pro Collin Johns talks about his experiences playing on the Futures Tour. Futures events are lower-tier professional tournaments where tennis players grind out wins to move up in the rankings. Collin has picked up ATP points in Futures events all over the world, including places like South Africa, Nicaragua, Israel, and Mexico.  Collin spoke to me about the difficulties, expenses, and problems that he faces playing these Futures events. Collin also told me how he got his start playing tennis, his junior career, his unique training methods, and how he went from a 3-star recruit to competing and winning against the best players in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treat Huey, ranked #30 in the world on the ATP doubles tour, is my guest on today’s episode of The Tennis Files Podcast. At the 2016 Australian Open, Treat reached the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles with Max Mirnyi and the semifinals of the mixed doubles with Andreja Klepac. He also reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the 2013 US Open and the 2014 Australian Open.Treat is a friend of mine who I met while playing junior tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic section. He is a talented athlete with a wicked lefty-serve and amazing volleys. Treat’s passion for tennis and mental fortitude has made him one of the most versatile doubles players in the game today. He has played numerous Davis Cup matches for the Philippines. Treat was also ranked #4 in college in singles, behind John Isner, University of Virginia teammate Somdev Devvaarman, and Kevin Anderson.I truly admire Treat’s professionalism, his competitive drive, and his impressive rise to the elite levels of the game. Treat tells us how his love for the game and belief in his abilities helps him be one of the best doubles players in the world.In this interview, you will learn: How Treat’s passion for tennis drives him to be the best player he can be What it is like to play the biggest tournaments and best players in the world Why Treat’s serve is so effective Why Treat decided to specialize in doubles How college tennis at UVA helped him understand how to play points smarter A normal day of training on the ATP Tour How to develop great anticipation at net What it feels like to volley Nadal’s forehand Treat’s experiences representing the Philippines in Davis Cup How to adjust playing with different doubles partners …and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tomaz Mencinger from feeltennis.net shows us a simpler way to learn and play tennis more efficiently with his unique feel-based approach to the game. Tomaz talks about how spending thousands of hours hitting down the middle of the court with intention and focusing on biomechanics helped him develop superior technique.He debunks several myths among the tennis community and helps us understand how and why we unnecessarily end up overcomplicating how we think about hitting a tennis ball. Tomaz also gives us his top mental mindset tips, and explains why simplifying a player’s learning environment and removing stress variables is the best way to learn a new technique or strategy.  In this episode, you will learn: How to simplify the way you learn tennis Why you should focus on biomechanics instead of form How hitting down the middle can massively improve your technique Why playing other sports can help your tennis game How and why you must hit with intention The importance of anticipation How many players overload their mental capacity when learning technique The benefits of meditation and relaxation techniques Why believing you should make every ball can destroy your game Why it is crucial to quiet the mind when playing tennis …and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices