

Tennis IQ Podcast
Tennis IQ Podcast
Ninety percent of tennis performance is mental and that's what makes the sport so difficult. Sport psychology professionals Brian Lomax and Josh Burger share their insights on mental performance in tennis, discuss current events in the world of tennis, and interview guests with a unique perspective on mental toughness. Whether you want to learn more about the mental game in tennis or you just have an interest in the sport, this is the podcast for you. Send your questions to tennisiqpodcast@gmail.com or via Twitter using #tennisiq.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 26, 2022 • 46min
Ep. 70 - Thoughts On Being Coachable
In this episode, Brian and Josh talk about the concept of being coachable. Lack of coachability is often cited as a key factor that holds athletes back from fulfilling their goals and making progress in their development. The co-hosts discuss ways that athletes can be more coachable including committing to becoming a "student of the game," being inquisitive, and embracing a growth mindset.
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.

Jan 17, 2022 • 33min
Ep. 69 - Responding to a Tough Loss
In this episode, Josh and Brian discuss how tennis players can respond after a tough loss. Whether that loss is a blowout, a match that a player feels that they lost to a weaker player, or a close match, there are strategies that tennis players can utilize to increase the likelihood of bouncing back successfully. Much of the conversation is based on Emma Raducanu's response to her recent 6-0 6-1 loss and the way that she handled the situation in the immediate aftermath.
Quotes by Emma Raducanu referenced in this episode:
“I just want to keep putting myself out there. Even if I keep getting knocked down. It’s just about getting back up. You’re one step better and you learn more.”
“After the match I got a box of balls and went straight to practice. I felt like I could have done some things better in the match, and I wanted to try to fix it straight away.”
“I could have easily said it’s too soon and just play next week, but I wanted to really test where I’m at. I think this will help in putting me in a better place for next week.”
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.

Jan 10, 2022 • 48min
Ep. 68 - What It Means to Be Competitive
In this episode, Brian and Josh explore what it truly means for an athlete to be "competitive," and misconceptions surrounding the concept. The co-hosts explain the difference between simply being competitive and being a great competitor. Additionally, they explain potential drawbacks to wanting to win at all costs. Lastly, they take a closer look at the Sport Orientation Questionnaire and discuss the differences between having an orientation primarily focused on winning rather than development and goal-achievement.
Research on the Development of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (Includes the Sport Orientation Questionnaire) : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271994227_Development_of_the_Sport_Orientation_Questionnaire
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.

Dec 30, 2021 • 52min
Ep. 67 - The Best of 2021
In this episode, Brian and Josh review highlights from a number of episodes in 2021.
Ep. 25 - Mindfulness in Tennis
Ep. 26 - The Power of Routines
Ep. 27 - Cristina Rolo and Dave de Haan on the Importance of Mental Training
Ep. 36 - Coming Back After an Injury or Break
Ep. 37 - How to Play One Point at a Time
Ep. 41 - Ryan Harry and Play
Ep. 48 - Building Mental Fortitude in Tennis
Ep. 50 - How To Be A Clutch Performer
Ep. 56 - David Sammel and Developing Your Locker Room Power
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.

Dec 19, 2021 • 49min
Ep. 66 - How to Deal with Self-Limiting Beliefs
This episode discusses examples of self-limiting beliefs that tennis players place on themselves and some strategies for dealing with those beliefs. Examples of self-limiting beliefs are perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and focusing solely on winning. This conversation also included a discussion on the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and the difference that one's mindset has on their ability to improve as an athlete. Lastly, Brian and Josh discuss the significant impact that the word "can't" has on the self-belief of an athlete.
Eric Butorac's TED Talk - https://youtu.be/B3OoH_O9Y-U
“It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits of our abilities do not exist” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Dec 10, 2021 • 1h 16min
Ep. 65 - Todd Martin on Passion and Focus
Todd Martin is the CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., a position he has held since September 2014. In addition to his role as CEO, Martin serves as Tournament Chairman of the Hall of Fame Open, the only ATP World Tour event in the Northeast and the only professional grass court tournament in the Americas.
Todd was a top-ranked player on the ATP World Tour in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. He achieved a career high ranking of world No. 4, reached the finals at the US Open and the Australian Open, and was a member of the United States Davis Cup team that won the championship in 1995.
Since retiring from the ATP World Tour in 2004, Martin has remained highly engaged in the tennis industry. He served three terms as a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors, from 2011 through 2016 and currently serves as a Player Representative to the President of the USTA. Martin serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennis Industry Association, and he is on the Oracle US Tennis Awards Advisory Council. In 1993, he launched Todd Martin Youth Leadership, in his hometown of Lansing, Michigan that serves at-risk youth and provides tennis, education and leadership programming. Previously, Martin coached Novak Djokovic and Mardy Fish.

Dec 3, 2021 • 55min
Ep. 64 - How To Use Mental Contrasting To Perform Better
This episode is a discussion on mental contrasting, a self-regulation strategy related to goal-achievement based on the work of Gabriele Oettingen. Mental contrasting and WOOP (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan) help individuals establish plans for the obstacles that they expect to encounter. In this conversation, Brian and Josh discuss how this concept can be applied to tennis matches and review some of the common obstacles that tennis players will inevitably encounter.
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!

Nov 29, 2021 • 45min
Ep. 63 - Getting to Know Brian Lomax
In this episode, Josh interviews Brian about his start in tennis, how he transitioned careers to sport psychology, and how he approaches working with clients.
For more on Brian, visit https://performancextra.com/brian-lomax/

Nov 21, 2021 • 55min
Ep. 62 - Getting to Know Josh Burger
In this episode, Brian interviews Josh about his background and philosophy as a sport psychology professional. Josh is the founder and sport psychology coach of Tiebreaker Psych, which provides sport psychology coaching to athletes of all sports, ages, and levels. For more information on Tiebreaker Psych visit TiebreakerPsych.com.

Nov 13, 2021 • 52min
Ep. 61 - The Performance Equation
In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the “Performance Equation” inspired by Tim Gallwey: Actual Performance = Potential - Interference.
Tim Gallwey, the author of The Inner Game of Tennis as well as a number of other books, has used this equation to explain the detrimental impact that interference has on performance. This conversation covered the harmful impact of different types of distractions including self-judgment, expectations, and visual/auditory distractions. To conclude, Brian and Josh reviewed some ways to reduce interference and learn to focus on what is important.
Links mentioned in this episode: https://youtu.be/ieb1lmm9xHk
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!