Tennis IQ Podcast

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss whether club players and juniors should emulate professional tennis players. Topics discussed include how to learn from watching pros play on television, developing better decision making in points, and learning from how pros handle their time between points. (Mentioned in the episode) - Patrick Mouratoglou recent video on the mental game - https://youtu.be/haGv3heQ0kU Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-compassion. Self-compassion is a process that tennis players can/should embrace during matches, practices, and throughout their tennis development. Topics discussed in this episode include: awareness/mindfulness, maintaining perspective during the countless ups and downs that tennis players face throughout their careers, and the inevitability of having to deal with missed shots and mistakes during matches. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Speech by David Foster Wallace - “This is Water” - https://youtu.be/8CrOL-ydFMI Information and Resources on Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff - https://self-compassion.org/ To support the podcast, visit the Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Mylène Steinhardt is a NASM & PPSC certified health coach who specializes in helping high-school and college tennis players make the cut by rounding out their off court training protocols - primarily through nutrition and strength training. The struggles that Mylène faced as a D2 college athlete have led her to find a passion in helping others work through or even avoid these same problems that keep athletes from reaching their full potential, not only on the court but in all aspects of life. Rather than relying on being told what to do, she believes every young player should be given the tools to coach themselves and thrive as an athlete forever! Reach out to Mylène via Direct Message at https://www.instagram.com/mylenepetitpas. Mylène’s Linktree with all relevant links including where to apply for 1:1 Fitness Coaching: https://linktr.ee/myleneps To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the careers of Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Both players have recently announced their retirements from the sport and they are both consistently ranked among the greatest tennis players of all time. The co-hosts reflect on their legacies, the mental qualities that led to their greatness, and certain matches in their careers when they exemplified mental toughness, resilience, and perseverance. To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2022 US Open. Iga Świątek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6(5) to win the women's singles championship while Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 to win the men's singles championship. The co-hosts reviewed various sport psychology themes and talked about how the finalists and champions exhibited certain mental qualities that helped them achieve success in the 2022 US Open. Iga Świątek post-final press conference transcript: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=179904 Ons Jabeur post-final press conference transcript: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=179905 Carlos Alcaraz post-final press conference transcript: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=180065 Casper Ruud post-final press conference transcript: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=180064 To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership

For this milestone episode, Brian and Josh answered various questions from listeners of the podcast and shared feedback from listeners in different parts of the world and tennis community. Additionally, they reflected on the origins of the Tennis IQ Podcast, discussed what it means to reach the 100th episode of the podcast, and talked about how athletes can move on and continue to grow after reaching and celebrating their milestones. Lastly, they introduced a program where listeners can help to support the podcast through a new Patreon page (link below).   Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membership  Timestamps from the episode:  Question from Charlie Ferber about the increased prevalence of sport psychology over the past decades, and growing interest in tennis players pursuing mental training - 6:35 Question from John Kelly about how to continue to grow as a tennis player and develop your game regardless of your age - 16:51 Questions from Steve Gulla about how to avoid playing it too safe, and about how to change to a new surface successfully - 24:50 Questions from Racquel Montemayor about how to play your game when your opponent isn't giving you rhythm, and best practices to handle the most frustrating moments of a match - 40:25 Feedback from Joav Burger - 53:29 Feedback from Barbara Cilli - 55:23 Feedback from John Wilcox - 55:58 Feedback and suggestion from Ian Richmond - 57:13 Announcement about new listener support program through Patreon - 1:01:51  To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Dr. Natalie Durand-Bush is a sport psychology professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. She specializes in mental skills training and assessment, mental health, and coaching psychology. As a Mental Performance Consultant for the past 27 years, Natalie has helped athletes and coaches of all ages, sports, and levels achieve their performance and well-being goals. A relentless advocate for the field of sport psychology, she has co-founded and chaired the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. She has also served as the Vice-President of the International Society of Sport Psychology and as the President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Natalie has always been physically active and played different sports throughout her life, favoring softball, curling, and martial arts. As the mom of a daughter living with a mental illness and as someone who has coped with the loss of her parents and husband to cancer, she knows firsthand the importance of mental health and the positive role that sport plays in the maintenance of well-being. Mikaela ‘Mishi’ Papich is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa. Her doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Natalie Durand-Bush, focuses on developing a sport-specific mental health strategy for Tennis Canada. Mikaela completed her Master’s degree in sport psychology at McGill University in 2021. She is also a tennis player and coach who started competing at the age of seven, and her career culminated at Bucknell University, a Division 1 collegiate program, where she competed for four years. As a high performance athlete, Mikaela has first-hand experience with mental illness as well as a back injury that required a spinal fusion. She empathizes with the challenges athletes encounter as they train for athletic success and she is dedicated to ensuring that athletes, coaches, and staff are provided with the necessary care and resources to flourish both physically and mentally. Link to Gold Medal Profile for Sport Psychology (GMP-SP) research article - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10413200.2022.2055224 To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss taking a strengths-based approach to tennis. This episode was inspired by a paper titled “The Strengths-Based Performance Profile (SBPP): A Method for Strengths-Spotting and Application in Single-Session Consultations with Athletes” (link below). The co-hosts review the importance of having a clear understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses as a starting point for adopting this perspective. Additionally, they discuss how tennis players can base their game around their strengths and win matches despite weaknesses or perceived weaknesses in their game. The Strengths-Based Performance Profile (SBPP): A Method for Strengths-Spotting and Application in Single-Session Consultations with Athletes - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21520704.2021.1988782?journalCode=uspa20 To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Universal Tennis Rating, more commonly known as UTR, has become ubiquitous in tennis over the last several years, and it has been especially prominent in the world of college tennis. In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how aspiring college tennis players can handle UTR and the pressures that come along with it. The co-hosts review the challenges of expectations and pressure that can increase when tennis players are overly focused on results including rankings and UTR ratings. They also consider mindsets and perspectives, such as focusing on the improvement process and on controllable factors that will help an athlete perform at their best (rather than solely focusing on results), which can be helpful in overcoming the pressure of feeling like you have to constantly improve your UTR. Resources: Universal Tennis: Understanding The Algorithm - Complete Summary - https://support.universaltennis.com/en/support/solutions/articles/9000151830-understanding-the-algorithm-complete-summary To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh reflect on a quote by golf legend Jack Nicklaus: “The worse you’re performing, the more you must work mentally and emotionally. The greatest and toughest art in golf is ‘playing badly well.’ All the true greats have been masters at it.”   The co-hosts discuss how this applies to all tennis players who will inevitably, at some point or another, have days when they are playing badly. Utilizing mental skills on the days when tennis players aren’t playing well is often the difference between a player giving themselves a chance to be successful, and not fully engaging or tanking. To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com. If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis, email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com or use the hashtag #tennisIQ on Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Spotify, Apple, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.