Tennis IQ Podcast

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the differences between “SMART goals” and “open goals”. They outlined the benefits and drawbacks of the popular “SMART goals” approach and introduced open goals as an alternative. Additionally, they reviewed process goals, learning goals, and other concepts related to the goal setting and attainment process.

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 [email protected]. 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, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Is it true that each of us has a 'reptilian' brain within our human brain? Where do our emotions come from? In this episode, Josh and Brian debunk some myths about the brain and explain how emotions are constructed. Knowing how this actually works can be very beneficial for tennis players.

Papers noted in this episode:

The Theory of Constructed Emotion: https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/12/1/1/2823712
Your Brain is not an Onion with a Tiny Reptile Inside: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721420917687

If you have feedback about the show or questions on the mental game in tennis you can email us at  [email protected]. 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, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

Peter Clarke is a former professional tennis player who was born in Ireland, and moved to Australia at the age of 6 where he developed his game to become one of the best juniors in the country. He went on to play professional tennis on the ATP Tour, and as a professional player, he achieved a career high world ranking of 229 in 2002. It was during his playing career that Pete began his transition to coaching and business as a means of funding his journey on tour. Once his playing days were complete, Pete had developed the skills necessary to become a successful business person. Today, his mission is a new venture called CoachLife.
CoachLife is the premier online resource for tennis coaching knowledge. It is an extensive library that covers tennis-specific nutrition, footwork, sport psychology, Coaching, parenting advice, and detailed shot progressions. You can sign up for a free 7 day trial at CoachLife.com, and listeners of the Tennis IQ Podcast can get a special discount on their first year subscription by clicking here - https://coachlife.com/?ref=CTI.
In this conversation, we talk to Pete about his life in tennis, how he transitioned to coaching and business, and about the transferable skills that competitive athletes can use to be successful after their playing careers. We also discuss CoachLife in some detail, and why Pete is so invested in this mission.
Coach Life affiliate link: https://coachlife.com/?ref=CTI

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 [email protected]. 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, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. On the women’s side, Barbora Krejčíková defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, and on the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4). The co-hosts review various sport psychology themes relating to the champions, the finalists, and other top players in the tournament.

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 [email protected]. 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, etc.) to stay up to date on future episodes.

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the impact of irrational self-talk. Examples of this type of self-talk involve words and phrases such as ‘have to’, ‘need to’, ‘supposed to’, ‘should’, ‘must’, etc. These phrases add pressure and make it harder for tennis players to be at their best. The hosts reviewed how irrational self-talk originated, and offered strategies that players can use to improve their self-talk in matches.

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 [email protected]. 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 Roger Federer’s recent commencement address at Dartmouth College. His address included three “lessons” which are: 1) “effortless” is a myth, 2) it’s only a point, and 3) life is bigger than the court. The co-hosts examine how these three “lessons” relate to various sport psychology themes that tennis players can apply to their games.

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 [email protected]. 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 were joined by Rick Macci, and their conversation touched on a number of topics related to sport psychology and the mental aspect of tennis. Over the past 40 years, Rick Macci has had the distinction of having trained and worked with a “Who’s Who” of tennis players including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and many more. In that time, he has had the privilege of working with five players that have reached number one in the world on the ATP and WTA Tours along with eight Grand Slam Champions. Rick’s role in the development of Venus and Serena Williams as Grand Slam champions and legends of the sport was also featured in the blockbuster movie King Richard.Rick is also a seven-time USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) Coach of the Year, was inducted into the 2010 USPTA Florida Hall of Fame, and in 2017 was the youngest ever to be inducted into the USPTA National Hall of Fame. Currently, Rick continues to teach over 50 hours per week on court at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy with players of all ages. Most recently, Rick co-authored the book Billion Dollar Mind: A Practical Guide to the Game of Life, which is a distillation of his life coaching mindsets paired with the neuro-science to back it up.

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[email protected]. 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 their thoughts on the 2024 French Open (Roland-Garros). They review Iga Świątek's performance in the tournament which culminated with a 6-2 6-1 victory in the women's championship match over Jasmine Paolini. Additionally, the co-hosts talked about Carlos Alcaraz’s win in the men's final over Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2. They also addressed the tournaments of Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. For both the champions and the finalists, their mindsets and mental games were a key contributing factor in their success in Paris, and the co-hosts examined various themes related to mental performance for each player.

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 [email protected]. 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 concept of creating and using a “mental scorecard”. This concept is popular in golf. and the co-hosts discuss how tennis players can apply it to their own games. By using a mental scorecard, players can remind themselves of the main controllable factors that they’re trying to focus on, and can also hold themselves accountable about following through with these main factors to their success.

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[email protected]. 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.

"Never confuse yourself by visions of an entire lifetime at once. That is, do not let your thoughts range over the whole multitude and variety of the misfortunes that may befall you, but rather, as you encounter each one, ask yourself, ‘What is there unendurable, so insupportable, in this?’ You will find that you are ashamed to admit defeat. Again, remember that it is not the weight of the future or the past that is pressing upon you, but ever that of the present alone." - Marcus Aurelius

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 [email protected]. 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.