The Grey Zone

And more crazy ideas...4:00 - Feeding in group sessions16:00 - The 4 Factor Model36:45 - Coach self-confidence and insecurity

Happy New Year! In our first episode of 2024, we tackle leadership: how we define it, what makes it good or bad, and how we can get better at it. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays! We got together, late as always, to discuss how to plan your training blocks, how your coaching philosophy influences your players, and the benefits of structured coaching vs. unstructured play. Enjoy!00:00 Planning sessions and blocks11:05 Structured vs. unstructured practice20:40 The influence of a coach's ideology29:50 Players who decide they no longer need coaching

Or just our nerdiest. Open vs. closed skill development, non-linear pedagogy, training decision-making, and whether it's more important to be consistent or to have weapons.0:00 - Non-linear pedagogy & open/closed skill development29:30 - Developing smart players39:45 - Consistency vs. power

Season 2 is here! In which we continue to delve off topic, touching on but rarely answering a variety of questions, such as:How much of an athlete's training should be 4 to a court, 2 to a court or individual?How do you go about welcoming someone new to your program?What are the ethics of communicating with parents and coaches?Enjoy!

The Lost Episode! Season 2 starts soon, but for now, enjoy Season 1 Episode 12:00:00 - U12 swing paths18:45 - Developing timing skills for return of serve22:00 - Should the First 4 really be the First 1?

07:40 - Why does technique evolve?26:20 - Giving technical feedback in competition31:10 - Differences between juniors ranked 800 ITF and 50 ITF38:25 - Players having multiple coachesThanks to Magnus, Thomas, and Jordan for sending in questions!

Mental toughness! What does it mean? How do we develop it? Does Al drink coffee or tea? Automaticity, problem-solving, beliefs, mindsets, skills, focus, and more. Timestamps:0:00 - Start of episode54:30 - End of episode

Easter Special! Timestamps:2:37: Genetics and responsiveness to trainingThe David Epstein book The Sports GeneHow does this affect the way we coach?23:26: The Steve Smith model of technical developmentIs it bad if all your players look the same?Is there value in your players feeling that everyone is doing the same thing, that we're all in this together?35:35: Coaching through feelingsIs it useful?Zack's pet peeveUsing the athlete's own words44:29: Kyle Edmund and life after tennisHow tough the sport isOur responsibility to set them up for after tennisHow do we prepare them?The srilankan fisherman55:40: Bonus: The UBC Masters of High Performance Coaching

What makes a coach one of the best ever?What goes into creating the right environment for players to progress and succeed?Why is the Tennis Director at ATC such a good-looking guy?and more... or less.

0:47 Representative learning design/Constraints-led approach is overhyped16:26 Don't undervalue mini-tennis31:32 Creativity is overrated41:30 Change of rhythm52:40 Questions from the listeners

In this week's episode: Zack and Al attempt to have a heated debate, only to end up agreeing on most everything. Al questions why some players consistently beat players ranked above them while others don't, Zack doesn't think your dominant eye affects your technique, Al has some questions about the stats in women's tennis, and the boys both discuss extreme western grips.Zack's appearance on The First Serve: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ubGLBQUUE3GQa7yiMxp10?si=d353334f82324e1a0:30 The psychology of upsets17:30 Dominant eye theory doesn't affect technique31:30 Stats in the women's game46:30 Extreme western grips aren't a red flag

00:00 Al's controversial opinion on Ben Shelton05:45 Coaching the follow-through10:00 Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and dealing with pain13:40 Fighting for every point16:20 The state of American tennis19:00 What does it take to be a good coach?38:10 Idolizing a particular coach or approach46:15 Maximizing time spend feeding in balls

Do values on a wall mean anything? How do you go about creating a culture of high performance? How do you know when a player needs a kick in the pants? Zack has the questions, and Al has none of the answers.

The use of scientific studies as evidence, why it's called the grey zone, and viewing the coach as a high performance athlete.

In which Al and Zack butcher their introductions and eventually get into some interesting discussions.

I told Al we'd discuss the mindsets of players who make it to the top. From there, we talked about desire, different sources of motivation, successful habits, and more topics that I can no longer remember!