Tennis IQ Podcast

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the importance of tolerance as a mental skill. This includes both physical tolerance (pain, withstanding physical training, playing in heat, etc.) as well as emotional tolerance. The co-hosts discuss how applying mental tools such as self-talk, visualization, and journaling can be helpful for building tolerance. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In recent years, the concept of Grit has been popularized in performance contexts through the work of Angela Duckworth. But what is grit? How can you become grittier? Is this actually a useful concept for tennis? Josh and Brian discuss these questions and more so that you can take practical steps toward developing a healthier brand of grit on and off the tennis court. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Motivation is the driver of our energy and the source of our reward. It's not unusual for tennis players to experience issues with their motivation, and in this episode, Josh and Brian examine ways for players to strengthen their purpose and drive for playing tennis. Purpose, passion, and goals are a few of the topics discussed. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Matt Futterman is a staff writer at The Athletic where he covers tennis and Olympic sports. In addition to covering tennis, Matt delivered award-winning investigative reporting for The New York Times, writing a series in 2020 called “Sledhead” that examined the dangers that sliding sports, particularly bobsled and skeleton, pose to the brain. Matt has also covered seven Olympics, a role he will continue to play at The Athletic. Matt joined The New York Times as a deputy sports editor in 2017 before moving back to reporting. Before that, he worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Star-Ledger of New Jersey and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s also the author of two well-received books, PLAYERS: How Sports Became a Business, and RUNNING TO THE EDGE: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed. Matt is married with three daughters, and lives in Manhattan. He’s a longtime marathon runner – he’s run 31 of them, including the New York Marathon 13 times – who also plays tennis (he remains annoyed about going 0-8 in singles during his senior year of collegiate tennis at Union College). You can follow Matt’s work at The Athletic here - https://theathletic.com/author/matthew-futterman/ 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss whether venting is an effective way to handle anger. They review research from Brad J. Bushman at Iowa State University on this topic and his paper “Does Venting Anger Feed or Extinguish the Flame? Catharsis, Rumination, Distraction, Anger, and Aggressive Responding”. The co-hosts examine whether this research and past research has demonstrated the effectiveness of venting, and they offer suggestions for how tennis players can handle angry moments when they occur. If you’d like to read the research article you can send us an email at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com and we will send it to you. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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. (http://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.

In this episode, Brian and Josh interview Jan Mühlfeit. Jan Mühlfeit is a global strategist, executive coach, and the author of the bestselling business book “The Positive Leader” (Pearson, Oct 2016, Jan Mühlfeit &; Melina Costi). His personal mission is “helping individuals, organizations and countries around the world to unlock their human potential”. Jan has a proven track record in building and leading successful teams, acquired through an extensive 22-year career at Microsoft Corporation where he served in various executive positions. His last role with the high-tech giant was as Chairman of Europe (2007–2014). Jan teaches his courses on a worldwide scale and has worked with many prominent S&P 500 companies. Among his key clients are Exxon Mobil, GE, Dentons, Microsoft, Generali, UniCredit, Siemens, Bosch, Société General, Skoda, Skanska, and many others. Together with Katerina Novotna, Jan has created a special seminar for children and parents – “Unlock Your Child’s Potential” – which guides children on how to be more self-aware and find their personal uniqueness. In his own words: “Every child is a genius, we just need to find out what they’re a genius at”. Jan coaches high-level executives, Olympic athletes, artists from different countries and continents, and he works closely in the coaching and mentoring field with INSEAD, Cambridge, Imperial College, Gallup and the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital (a Harvard Medical School affiliate). Jan is a well-regarded global speaker at WEF, Harvard, MIT, INSEAD, Cambridge, Imperial College, Washington Post and The Economist events. As an established leadership and personal development specialist, he has been interviewed by CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Financial Times, New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. You can find more information about him on his website - https://janmuhlfeit.com/en/.Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In the 150th episode of the podcast, Brian and Josh discuss how decision making on court can be improved through intentional decision training. The co-hosts reviewed a paper entitled “Effects of Decision Training on Decision Making and Performance in Young Tennis Players: An Applied Research” by Luis García-González, Alberto Moreno, Alexander Gil, M. Perla Moreno & Fernando Del Villar. Both Josh and Brian provided their thoughts on the study and its findings, and they considered some of the practical applications that tennis players and coaches can utilize on court to instill better decision making over time. If you’d like to read the paper, please send us an email at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com and we will send it to you. Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Kollman Gearhart is the founder and driving force behind the BTB Project (Built to Be Project), a dynamic podcast that empowers listeners to discover their purpose and live their best lives, regardless of circumstances. With a rich background as a former athlete and motivational coach, Kollman has dedicated the last two decades to inspiring thousands through his personal journey. His mission is clear: to help individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their true potential. Kollman played Division 1 tennis at University of Northern Colorado, has coached dozens of players to receive scholarships to Division 1, 2, and 3 universities, and has coached numerous players to secure CHSAA Tennis State Championships in Colorado. His podcast guests come from diverse fields, including athletics, business, entrepreneurship, science, fitness, and nutrition. Kollman firmly believes that the impossible is nothing, and through his podcast, he invites you to join the journey of becoming 1% better with each episode and interview. You can connect with Kollman on Instagram at @the_btb_project_ and through the BTB Project Podcast on Spotify and Apple.Tennis IQ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/tennisiqpodcast/membershipTo 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 you can email us at TennisIQPodcast@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying the show please rate us on your favorite podcast platform including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and write a review. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Marius Barnard is a former ATP pro who spent 13 years on the tour, winning 6 titles, and reaching the men’s doubles quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open. During his playing career, he also had doubles wins over 6 world number ones, including Roger Federer. While playing on the tour, Marius studied psychology and business management. After his career was over, he used his expertise in performance psychology and business to become a coach and mentor. Today, Marius is an executive coach helping CEOs, Directors, and Managers improve their performance with tailored development programs and managing their work pressures with self-belief, optimism and resilience. Interview Highlights: 2:11 - Marius explains his introduction to tennis and transition from a professional tennis player to an executive coach 5:40 - The Clear Links model and the importance of self-belief to tennis players 11:10 - Utilizing interventions including visualization within the Clear Links model 22:02 - Developing a "highlight reel" from your matches to build confidence 23:58 - Focusing on the present moment in competition 28:56 - Helping athletes develop awareness 30:52 - The differences between confidence and self-belief 35:57 - How is optimism connected to self-belief? 42:11 - The parallels between life as a professional tennis player and working as an executive coach 46:27 - Resilience during a global pandemic 56:07 - Finding the silver lining from difficult situations https://www.mariusbarnard.com/ - Marius Barnard - Performance Executive Coach