Tennis IQ Podcast

This episode includes a brief discussion on the yips in tennis. The yips has been described as “a sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced athletes”, and though it happens most typically to golfers as they putt, it can happen to tennis players as well.  The remainder of the conversation discussed serving and double faults. Brian and Josh emphasized the importance of resetting and putting the previous point behind you in order to have the best possible mindset for the following point.    This article explains some of the same research discussed in this episode: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/sep/27/how-emma-raducanu-prevents-one-mistake-from-leading-to-another?CMP=Share  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!

Josh and Brian review some of the bigger stories from the 2021 US Open through the lens of sport psychology. First, they discuss Emma Raducanu’s victory over Leylah Fernandez in the women's final and the circumstances that led to the unexpected success of each finalist. The guys also discuss Daniil Medvedev’s first Grand Slam triumph, and how he was able to stop Novak Djokovic from completing a calendar year Grand Slam and winning major title number 21. 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 review how to deal with losing. Losing is a necessary and inevitable part of competition and the development process. Discussion points are how to respond to lost points during a match, how to handle and frame difficult losses, and the feeling of loss that athletes can undertake during an injury or retirement. Lastly, Brian and Josh consider the mindset that athletes want to have - 'playing to win' rather than trying to avoid losing.   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 how tennis players can establish and utilize post-practice and post-match routines to enhance future performance. The co-hosts review recovery routine elements such as nutrition, hydration, stretching, and more. Additionally, they examine how players can utilize journals to reflect on their practices and matches to learn and improve going forward. 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. Laura Swettenham is a sport and exercise psychologist from the UK, chartered with the British Psychological Society. She has experience working within a range of sports, predominantly professional football (soccer), youth tennis, and e-sports. In her practice, Laura uses acceptance and mindfulness approaches, such as acceptance and commitment therapy, to support athletes and coaches so they can thrive in and out of their performance environment.   Currently, Laura works at Cultiv8 Academy, the Yorkshire regional player development center for tennis, and is the sport psychology and coach development lead at the federation of e-sports coaches. She is also an associate partner lecturer at the University of Portsmouth and has published multiple research papers within sport psychology utilizing the Think Aloud protocol. In this conversation, we discuss Think Aloud and its utility in exploring stress and coping mechanisms in tennis. For more information on Think Aloud, please read "Investigating Stress and Coping During Practice and Competition in Tennis using Think Aloud" by Laura and her colleagues. (https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/9077/)   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!

During a tennis match, there can be several key moments that could determine the outcome. Do you perform well in these moments? Are you good at recognizing them?   In this episode, Brian and Josh review how to create clutch performances. Highlights of the conversation include understanding what a clutch performance is, the concept of "make it happen," and some practical steps you can take to become more clutch. This is a valuable topic for both players and coaches.

At most levels of the game, tennis players are required to call lines and honor the rules of the game. It is a unique feature of the sport and it highlights the importance of sportsmanship when competing. In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss some coaching and parenting behaviors that can promote good sportsmanship along with some behaviors that can lead to unethical decision making. In the end, we need to understand that good sportsmanship makes us better people, and better people are better competitors.   Better People Make Better Competitors: https://issuu.com/newenglanduspta/docs/summer_2021_2_/18

This episode reviews how tennis players can build mental fortitude and resilience. Brian and Josh base their discussion on the study “Mental fortitude training: An evidence-based approach to developing psychological resilience for sustained success” by David Fletcher and Mustafa Sarkar. Their mental fortitude training program focuses on three main areas: personal qualities, facilitative environment, and challenge 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!

Josh and Brian review some of the bigger stories from the 2021 Wimbledon Championships through the lens of sport psychology. Topics included are Ash Barty and being the best person you can be, Karolina Pliskova and the importance of self-belief, and the mental strength of Novak Djokovic winning his sixth Wimbledon title and 20th Grand Slam title (tying Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal).   If you have questions or feedback on this episode, email us at tennisiqpodcast@gmail.com.

Angelo Rossetti is well-known in the tennis and coaching communities as someone who is very positive, very generous, and a wonderful influence on his students. He currently serves as the Director of Racquet Sports for the Inspire Tennis Academy and the Tennis and Fitness Center of Rocky Hill. He's a USPTA P1 Elite Professional, he's PTR Certified, a USTA High Performance and Mental Skills Certified Coach, and ITPTA Certified Pickleball Teaching Professional. He's also a two-time Guinness World Records title holder for the longest tennis rally and the longest tennis volley rally.  Lastly, Angelo is a published author of the book TENNACITY: The Tenacious Mindset On & Off the Court which is based on his mental skills training for tennis players and athletes (available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/TENNACITY-Tenacious-Mindset-Off-Court/dp/0998576689).   His online mental skills course can be found at Tennacity.org. 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!