Tennis IQ Podcast

In this episode, Brian and Josh review a research article entitled “Building A Psychological Profile of Olympic Medalists and World Champions” by Robert M. Nideffer, Ph.D., Jeffrey Bond, Alberto Cei, and Umberto Manili. The co-hosts discuss the research findings about the difference between athletes who have won multiple championships and those who were single championship winners, and then consider these findings in the context of professional tennis players. Additionally, they address how all tennis players can apply aspects of these findings to their own games. Article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265072003_Building_A_Psychological_Profile_of_Olympic_Medalists_and_World_ChampionsTennis 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 atTennisIQPodcast@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 the 2023 French Open. On the women’s side Iga Świątek defeated Karolína Muchová 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win the women’s singles championship, and on the men’s side Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5. The co-hosts review various sport psychology themes relating to the champions including the “locker room power” of Świątek and Djokovic, as well as their confidence, resilience, and ability to lock in and focus during the biggest moments. 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 atTennisIQPodcast@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 the various challenges of changing surfaces. In a comparable way to how professional players change surfaces throughout the tournament season, non-professional adult and junior players have to handle similar situations. Examples of these sorts of changes include switching from hard courts to clay courts (or vice versa), playing on a grass court for the first time, or playing outdoors after getting accustomed to playing indoors in recent months. The co-hosts discuss how having the right type of mindset, easing into a new surface by focusing on the fundamentals, and utilizing mental skills in different situations that emerge are all helpful while navigating playing on a different surface. 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 atTennisIQPodcast@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 answer a listener question about creating an episode that can be listened to prior to matches. The co-hosts discussed how tennis players can be clear about their reasons for playing the sport, and find ways to remind themselves of their “why” and their motivation for playing tennis prior to matches. Additionally, they discussed how tennis players can use various mental tools before playing in a match including utilizing types of visualization, reviewing their planned out self-talk, reviewing their in-between point routines, and focusing on their breathing and relaxation. 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 this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the difficulties faced in finishing sets and matches. The co-hosts examine why these moments in matches are so mentally challenging for tennis players. Additionally, they review mental tools that tennis players can utilize to handle these moments better when they come up. Topics of discussion include how preparing for these moments ahead of time can be beneficial, the importance of visualization, and how players can use breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and shaking out their arms and legs to release physical tension in their bodies during these moments. 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 atTennisIQPodcast@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 examine how tennis players can utilize rules for making better decisions during matches. The co-hosts discuss ways that tennis players can simplify their decision making process by developing rules regarding shot selection. This rules-based approach can be used for choosing directionals based on movement and court position, for when a player steps into the court for an approach shot, and also for pressure situations such as deuce points, ad points, and during tiebreakers. 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 atTennisIQPodcast@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 how tennis players can embrace and accept uncertainty. Uncertainty is an inevitability in tennis and in life, and the co-hosts review strategies and tools that tennis players can utilize in their matches and practices to handle uncertainty in better ways. Examples of uncertainty include uncertainty about how well you’ll play in a match, uncertainty of the level of your opponent, and uncertainty about the final outcome of the match. 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 this episode, Brian and Josh discuss why the concept of acceptance is necessary within a tennis player’s development, and during matches. They review situations in a tennis player’s career when acceptance of one’s progress or current level can be helpful. Additionally, the benefits of accepting the uncertainty of results is examined, as well as accepting that errors will take place, making it easier to process mistakes and move on from them. TEDx Talk by Eric Butorac - Don’t Dream Big - https://youtu.be/B3OoH_O9Y-UTennis 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, 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 (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss perfectionism in tennis. Due to the individual nature of the sport as well as the demands and time requirements of tennis, it is a sport that tends to attract people with perfectionist qualities. The co-hosts review the benefits of perfectionism, including work ethic and potential for high achievement, but also provide strategies for tennis players, coaches, and parents to combat the negative aspects of perfectionism. 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 this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the benefits of consistency in tennis. Oftentimes, consistency is brought up in reference to players being able to make as many shots in a row as possible, however this is only a part of the concept of consistency in tennis. The co-hosts review other aspects of playing consistently, including how to consistently play aggressively, and successfully implement your patterns and tactics. Lastly, they discuss how consistent effort and intensity over time leads to significant improvement over time. 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.