Dissecting High Performance In Tennis

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Ruben Neyens. Ruben is the head of Coach Development at the Dutch Tennis Federation. He calls himself a kid’s tennis tutor and has a special emphasis on the Physical Aspect of tennis. Ruben is a researcher and a tennis coach trying to bridge the gap between science and the practice court.  You’ll get to know: His 4F Method How to make an impact  How to package your content Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 The 4F Method07:30 Developing your own method08:50 Soft skills as a tennis coach11:05 Making an impact as a tennis coach12:30 The pyramid of development27:05 You can’t study experience27:50 Ask for mentorship30:10 Coaches education 2.032:30 How Corona has helped development33:30 The packaging of content34:30 Be careful of thinking you know a topic35:20 Make sure your professional life is not all of your life36:20 Sharing is caring36:45 You can’t own a drill37:45 From Good to Gold40:45 Have a destination

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Philipp Born. Phillipp is a researcher and a tennis coach trying to bridge the gap between science and the practice court.  You’ll get to know: The 4 different serving patterns The most used serving patterns What to focus more on in practice Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 How the presentation came about01:45 The background of the PhD-study04:30 The big V07:45 Serving patterns explained11:20 The most effective serving pattern13:30 The Top 3 findings in PHD20:00 Misconceptions on the practice court23:15 Listen to older coaches24:00 Technology in tennis is still in its infancy25:45 The importance of parents in tennis27:00 Don’t play points without serve and If a junior forget about winners28:12 What you should focus on as a junior28:50 Tennis is a great life teacher30:00 The 2nd serve 31:50 Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert33:15 Philipp Borns advice for tennis players35:40 Stay updated on Philipp Born

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Patrick McEnroe.  Patrick was ranked as high as #28 in Singles and #3 in doubles as a player himself. He has been the General Manager of Player Development at the USTA and have had the longest stint in history as the 38th Davis Cup Captain of the United States which included the overall victory in 2007. Currently Patrick is working at the McEnroe Academy in New York, he is broadcasting for ESPN and recently started his own Tennis Podcast called “Holding Court” You’ll get to know: What life event improved Patrick’s coaching How to organize the practice court How to adapt to players Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 What Patrick was the proudest of doing at USTA02:50 Jose Higueras in the USTA Player Development05:00 The principles at USTA Player Development07:20 Why slower surfaces are better for Player Development09:05 How Patrick McEnroe approached his role as Davis Cup Captain11:15 What made Davis Cup Special12:15 Look for what you can learn from the great players14:30 Becoming a father improved my coaching15:45 What Patrick McEnroe is excited about during Corona16:35 Implementing e-learning post corona17:20 Mixing feeding drills and playing points in practice19:05 Why hitting against the wall might be a good idea20:10 Adapting to the necessity of your player21:50 You have to learn to deal with failure22:55 A great player is often happy and well rounded24:30 Treat everyone fairly, but not necessarily the same26:20 Listen and acknowledge27:35 How to stay updated on Patrick McEnroe

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Rohan Goetzke . Rohan has been working at the Dutch Federation, been on the tour with the likes of Mario Ancic and Richard Krijcek, he was director of Tennis at IMG and is currently holding the same position at Court Sense Tennis. You’ll get to know: How to be consistent as a Tennis Coach What tennis players Rohan did his best work with How to not cause harm Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 Being consistent as a coach 03:05 Don’t be too strict on your philosophy 05:40 Getting the federation and private coaches to work together07:00 Some of my best coaching have been with players who never made it09:40 You have got to trust your team for period of time before you judge12:00 How to approach contracting with tennis players13:40 It’s a long journey don’t rush it16:15 Getting good at Tennis is tough18:30 How to interpret data20:05 Serve and volley in tennis 23:10 Galloway, Wooden and Knight23:45 Take care that you are not creating creating more harm than good27:45 Get to know more about Rohan Goetzke

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Li Pingwei. Pingwei is a tennis coach and doctoral researcher in elite sports focusing on tennis. Her research provides evidence-based facts for coaches, parents and federations regarding talent selection, prediction and development. She is the founder of the China-Europe Tennis Platform, which aims to promote the exchange of coach education, high performance training and scientific research between China and European Countries You’ll get to know: The correlation between Grade A Wins & Senior Ranking From What age Ranking Benchmarks become relevant The 60 % Curve Enjoy the show! Timestamps: 01:00 Why look into the relation between junior success and future success03:30 Grade A ITF results compared to Senior Ranking06:30 From what age does ranking benchmarks predict senior success09:00 Don’t give up because of poor junior results10:45 The 60 % curve13:30 The opinion of 34 National Coaches on transitioning16:40 Outliers18:25 Becoming a better coach19:00 Always have a goal in practice19:30 No one size fits all  20:00 Being a good tennis coach is like being a good chef20:50 Li Pingwei’s inspirations21:50 Li Pingwei’s advice Enjoy your listen! 

Sven Groeneveld, a seasoned ATP and WTA coach, has spent 30 years mentoring stars like Monica Seles and Taro Daniel. He shares his insightful coaching principles, emphasizing that tennis is a service industry where respect and adaptability matter. Sven highlights the importance of honesty in coaching, distinguishing stubbornness from stupidity, and reveals transformative lessons learned from coaching wheelchair tennis players. His approach combines hard and soft skills to unlock athletes' potential, fostering strong relationships built on trust.

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Dario Novak. Dario has for the past 15 years attempted to translate scientific findings into practical advice and have worked with the likes of Christina McHale, Marta Kostyuk, Donna Vekic and Borna Coric. You’ll get to know: Why the split step is important 3 different types of Split Step How to practice the Split Step Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 The studies on the Split Step  05:10 The reason to pay attention to the Split Step07:45 The differences in Split Steps in tennis11:30 Tools to practice the spilt step14:30 Basketball, jumping rope and music16:00 How to use a basketball to better the Split Step18:15 Using a jumping rope to improve the Split Step19:30 Practicing the Split Step on after the serve20:45 Practicing the Split Step during ground strokes23:00 Using video and imitating the pro’s24:40 The example of Caroline Garcia26:40 Believe in your instinct27:00 Defining a proper workload28:10 Little steps, watch the ball30:20 How pro players and recreational players watch the ball32:00 The power of single words33:30 You have got to have a long-term plan Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Freddie Nielsen. Freddie turned pro in 2001 and is still an active player on the doubles circuit. At the same time, he is coaching Swedish youngster Mikael Ymer and stepped in as Davis Cup Captain for Denmark at the end of 2019.   You’ll get to know: The importance of a Playing Philosophy The danger of short-term Ranking Goals Why “Work Hard” might be a misleading advice Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 Freddie’s value set05:45 Collaboration with coaches08:15 Finding a good coaching collaboration10:45 How to Coach Freddie Nielsen13:00 The importance of communication skills as a Tennis Coach14:10 Why Freddie decided to pursue a professional career in tennis16:00 Being a tennis coach17:00 How Freddie got involved as a Tennis Coach with Mikael Ymer18:15 The biggest lesson of beginning to Coach for Freddie21:00 Overcommunicate in the start of a coaching relation22:00 The importance of a philosophy as tennis player24:45 Why ranking goals don’t make sense26:30 Let’s not all be the same28:10 Freddie’s decision to accept the position as DC Captain30:40 Be in a more professional environment33:40 I’m an over achiever35:20 Stubbornness37:00 The process is the best way to be results-oriented42:00 Find a way43:30 The danger of short-term ranking goals48:30 Freddie’s excitement about tennis49:30 The importance of diet50:15 Work right > work hard (Feeling the ball)52:20 Doing is more important than being motivated55:30 What quality of life is56:20 Decisions are not motivated by money56:45 Mom, dad and Christian Engell59:15 The results can’t make up for compromised values61:30 Freddie Nielsen’s advice to players, Parents and Coaches Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Nick Saviano. Nick has more than 35 years of experience as a coach working with ATP and WTA players including Grand Slam Winners and World Number 1’s. He was the Director of Coaching at the USTA for 14 years before setting up his Academy, the Saviano High Performance Tennis, which he is still running to this day You’ll get to know: How to guarantee success How nobody is a natural Tennis Player How to build around on-court personality Enjoy the show! Timestamps:01:00 A sacred trust05:30 Guaranteeing success08:20 What to focus on during a match11:30 The difference between nerves and fear13:00 From Vision to personalized tactics16:45 Build around the on-court personality19:00 Tennis specific athleticism21:30 Movement patterns and overloading24:15 Clarifying “Stealing candy from babies” quote26:00 Patience and perseverance27:45 The journey is the reward29:00 No excellence without letting go of the fear of mistakes30:00 Making the most out of the journey 32:00 Tomorrow will be your today34:00 I understand that I’m not going to be perfect35:00 The biggest waste of time is to not seize the moment35:40 Nobody is “just” a natural tennis player38:00 You’re not a tennis player you’re whole life38:45 Nick Saviano’s goal with every player40:50 On Serena Williams’s greatness43:00 Dick Gould, John Wooden & Stephen Covey44:10 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis players47:15 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis coaches Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Beni Linder. Beni has been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Swiss Tennis Federation for more than 15 years and worked with everyone from grassroots to the very top players of tennis. You’ll get to know: How to build on strengths How to adapt to the present Why Tennis is like Formula 1 Enjoy the show! Timestamps 01:00 The Airplane project03:40 Winning through intensity06:50 Building on strengths09:30 Integrating parents11:30 Having players walk away with soft skills14:00 We adapt to the present18:30 Guiding players in their long-term development20:00 Managing the 15 % strength gain23:30 The race for points25:00 Tennis is like formula 129:00 Beni’s advice to himself 30:00 Softskills in high performance30:45 Grit and Growth Mindset31:30 Too much volume with no intensity32:30 It’s about the player, not the coach33:00 Are we getting the practice court right?33:30 Awareness34:00 Beni Linder’s advice for coaches Enjoy your listen!