News & Blog

SotoTennis Academy Director Dan Kiernan has been invited to be a guest speaker at the upcoming Between The White Lines Summit.

WHAT?

Dan is one of 44 world-class tennis-preneurs from around the world who will be sharing their experiences, cutting-edge strategies, and knowledge during the 3 day online summit.

The event is the first of its kind, focusing on how coaches can connect with and learn from each other so they can survive and prosper in the post-Covid era.

You’ll have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers like Sanchez-Casal Academy founder Emilio Sanchez, pro tennis coach and author of Tennis Saved by Life, Sam Jollah.

You’ll also be able to get marketing tips from experts like tennis social media strategist Christina Mihaela Carare and million-dollar marketing strategist Kim Barrett.

All around the world ‘tennis’ faces huge pressures on recruiting the new generation of tennis players and retaining the others. Join Between The White Lines to get the proven methodologies, new technologies and the contact network to help you build your programme.

WHY?

Watch creator and host of Between the White Lines Summit, Mark Jeffrey, share his mission to build tennis post code by post code from playground to podium.

You can also listen to STA Director Dan Kiernan find out more about the summit in his Control the Controllables podcast episode with Mark.

WHEN? 

The summit kicks off on Thursday 24th September and runs until Saturday 26th September 2020.

Don’t miss STA Director Dan speaking on Saturday 26th at 18.40 (UTC+1)!

Dan will also be hosting a zoom chat and Q&A at the end of each day with some of the guest speakers.

WHERE? 

Sign up to the virtual Summit for FREE here!

As a thank you for being part of the SotoTennis Community we are also offering two special discounts if you book your summit tickets before this Saturday 19th September.

Click here for 31% off a VIP Ticket 

The VIP ticket gives you real-time and unlimited replay access to all of the powerful, industry revolutionizing presentations and methodologies guaranteed to transform your business and grow tennis. Replay access valid through the end of 2020.

Click here for 15% off a Business Collaboration Ticket

This will give you lifetime access to all of the presentations and methodologies as well as exclusive access to each of the world-renowned speakers in the breakout rooms. This will give you the chance to ask your questions, share your ideas, and connect with the innovators, the thought leaders of our sport who you would otherwise not have access.

We look forward to e-meeting you at the Summit next week!

SotoTennis Academy Progress Tour International Event

Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th October 2020

Last year STA’s International Progress Tour Event saw over 50 players battle it out over four, hard-fought competition days for the Winner’s cheque of €1000. This October 2020, in a Covid-safe environment, the Tour returns home and looks set to be even bigger and better than last year with:

• fierce competition in our beautiful home, Sotogrande
• the opportunity to win a share of a substantial prize pot
• the chance to become part of Team Soto for the week…

What to expect:

• 3 plus, level-based and progressive UTR-powered matches
• Prize Money
• Player Housing & Shuttle
• Mixed, Co-ed Draws with a Female Bonus Shootout draw

Format:

• Qualifying Draw, plus all playback matches will be two short sets, plus championship tie-break deciding set
• Main Draw with two full sets plus championship tie-break deciding set
• Refereed by an approved Progress Tour representative
• Qualifying compass draw for lower UTR players on 27th/28th October, feeding into Main Draw for higher UTR players on 29th/30th October.

Surface:

Outdoor Clay (playback matches may take place on an alternative surface)

Players:

Mixed Event, recommended UTR of 6.5 upwards

Entries: 

Entries are based on a first-come, first-served basis

SIGN UP HERE

Entry deadline is 2pm on Friday 23rd October 2020 OR when entries are full.

Entry Fee: £38

Prize Money:

Winner €1000

Finalist €400

Semi-Finalists €200

Quarter-Finalists €100

Female Bonus €200

Want to be part of Team Soto for the week? Click here for more information about our exclusive Training Week offer for Progress Tour Competitors. 

Please contact us via info@sototennis.com if you would like to train with the Academy before, during or after the event.

On court training, strength and conditioning sessions and match feedback available.

All plans are subject to change.

With every tennis match-up we almost always fall in to one of three categories. We are either competing as the ‘underdog’, the ‘favourite’ or against a close ‘rival’.

But should this change your approach to the match? Should you prepare differently? Change your tactics? Are there any common ‘traps’ you fall into during difficult moments in these matches?

STA Senior Coach James Buswell will be answering these questions as he looks at common behaviours and mistakes we make based on our pre-match expectations. He’ll also give you some tips that will help you in match situations, whether you’re going in as the underdog, the favourite, or playing against a close rival.

The Underdog, the Favourite or the Rival: Which do you Prefer?

Every tennis match is demanding and challenging at the best of times, and so to gain an advantage it’s worth understanding that playing as the ‘underdog’, ‘favourite’ or ‘rival’ tends to trigger different thoughts, feelings and related behaviours. These can be triggered before, during or/and after each match.

This is mainly related to the expectations you or other people have, the perceived pressure on winning, and the learnt habits we have adopted over time, which often are unhelpful.

It’s important players understand the subtle differences that each type of ‘match-up’ brings. You can start to do this by developing your self-awareness, so noticing any patterns of thinking and behaviour each match-up triggers and recognising the common ‘traps’ you may fall into.

You might want to make some notes for each category. Ask yourself which category do you prefer playing, and why? What feelings or behaviours do they trigger?

To be an effective match player it’s crucial you are equipped with the necessary skills & solutions for any given match, and for each specific situation that may arise during the heat of battle!

Recognising the subtle differences and having more awareness of how they affect you, will give you a much better chance of recognising them on court and putting the solutions in place.

PLAYING AS THE ‘UNDERDOG’

Everyone loves the ‘underdog’…right? The ‘underdog’ isn’t expected to win. This can remove any perceived pressure, but have you got what it takes to turn the tables, get over the winning line and cause an upset?

Do you fall into some of these common ‘traps’ when you’re the ‘underdog’?

• Listening to unhelpful advice from the wrong people.

• Believing that you have to play ‘lights out’ to live with your opponent.

• Choke when you are in reaching distance of the winning line.

• Lose your ‘fighting spirit’ early in the match if you are down.

• Doubt your chances of winning before the match even starts.

• Have no game plan.

If you answered yes to any of these points then you’re not on your own! Luckily, there are many solutions you can learn to help with this:-

! Play the ball, not the name/reputation.

! Mixing up the play instead of trying to match tempo.

! Having clarity of your game plan (know how you’re going to win points).

! How to BE – walk tall and have a presence.

! Stay ‘present’ on big points.

! Be smart in the early phase of the point (shots 0-4).

PLAYING AS THE ‘FAVOURITE’

Do you remember what you were thinking and feeling the last time you played as the ‘favourite’?

Being the ‘favourite’ to win a tennis match can sometimes feel really uncomfortable because of the expectation on your shoulders. When you win, it can feel more like relief rather than enjoyment and satisfaction.

Someone has to be the #1…isn’t that the ultimate dream? Have you got champion qualities and what it takes to win as the ‘favourite’?

Do you fall into some of these common ‘traps’ when you’re the ‘favourite’?

• Being complacent:-

o Underestimating your opponent’s level (ranking can be misleading).

o Not scouting your opponent properly.

o Sloppy pre-match preparation.

• Rushing to win quickly and ‘over-playing’.

• Fear of failure causing extreme anxiety and tension.

• Not staying ‘present’ and over-thinking.

It’s not unusual for the ‘favourite’ to lose to the ‘underdog’ because they’ve fallen into some of these ‘traps’. We’ve all been there!

Here are a few really helpful solutions that you may want to try out:-

! Respect every player the same – the ‘underdog’ has something to prove!

! Do your homework so you know what to anticipate.

! Have a clear game plan.

! Breathing is a great strategy to manage those inevitable nerves.

! Don’t panic and stay calm if you get off to a poor start.

! BE the favourite and play proactively – Be confident, you’re expected to win for good reason.

PLAYING AGAINST A CLOSE ‘RIVAL’

There have been so many famous big ‘rival’ match-ups over the years and there are also many today. For example, Sampras vs. Agassi, Seles vs. Graf, Halep vs. Williams, and Federer vs. Nadal, to name just a few.

These matches are often exciting to watch, real nail biters, the ‘popcorn’ matches you never forget!

We all have our close rivals and when we’re playing against them, it can often feel incredibly intense. The outcome is more uncertain, the match is 50-50 and can go either way, and so it’s about learning how to tip the balance of the match in your favour.

Do you fall into some of these common ‘traps’ when you’re playing against a close ‘rival’?

• Losing perspective and making the winning too important.

• Playing for ‘bragging rights’.

• Not able to stay ‘process-focused’.

• Remembering the last head-to-head that didn’t go your way.

• Not managing your ‘self’ effectively during those inevitable clutch moments.

• Not having a clear game plan.

It’s very easy to fall into these ‘traps’ when the outcome means so much to you. Here are some really useful tips and solutions for the next time you play one of your close ‘rivals’:-

! Be clear on your strengths and your winning patterns of play

! Know how you’re going to ‘act & be’ during those anticipated clutch moments. Spend time visualising this before the match. Read more on this in our blog: 5 Visualisation Tips to Improve Your Tennis.

! Stay ‘present’ to help you execute your game plan.

! Expect a battle! Be ready and remember, you may lose lots of points (52% is the target).

! Be proactive and take the initiative, especially on big points.

You will now have a greater understanding of the ‘underdog’, ‘favourite’ and ‘rival’ categories. More importantly, you can now recognise the subtle differences, have much better awareness of the common ‘traps’ and feel more equipped with lots of helpful solutions. This can help with those moments of panic  during tough situations in a match, and give you more confidence that you can come out of them.

Taking some time to really sit down and Pre-match planning and post-match reflections. Get our guide to… here to help you…

Best of luck on your tennis journey!

James Buswell

For more tips about the underdog, favourite and rival, check out Your Guide to Winning Matches. If you’re serious about improving your ability to win matches at all levels, then this resource is perfect for you.

I’m sure most coaches out there have witnessed your players at some point in their tennis journey make crazy decisions when finding themselves close to the winning line.

After many years of watching players compete at all levels I’ve realised that players generally do one of two things from a tactical perspective, when facing difficult thoughts and feelings when trying to see out a match.

I use the analogy, ‘BRAKING AND ACCELERATING’ to explain this tactical perspective to players.

The BREAKER is a player who is desperate to get over the winning line. They often become extremely passive, praying that their opponent will give them a cheap error.

Unfortunately the player stops committing to playing their smart aggressive game style, which has got them into the winning position in the first place. This negative mindset promotes tactical awareness that isn’t productive, often resulting in the player failing to ‘get the job done’.

The ACCELERATOR is the player who when confronted with the thought of winning, panics and shies away from their smart aggressive game style. They suddenly go for glory at the wrong times and make poor decisions hoping to hit winners from virtually every ball they hit all over the court.

Why does this happen to players?

Often these difficult emotions are present when trying to close out a match as a result of the player getting caught up in the excitement of winning, or the fear of losing from a winning position they find themselves in.

Both scenarios take us away from where tennis is best played which is in the present moment!

Points are therefore often started without helpful intentions and we play points not using committed helpful actions (Here’s the blog post to read more on this). This gives us less chance of performing well under pressure and therefore less chance of winning.

How can players train for these situations?

Preparing the players you coach for these types of situations is essential. Working both on their acceptance and tolerance levels to these difficult match situations will allow them to feel more comfortable when these situations arise in a match.

I believe that practicing 2/3 patterns for 20 minutes every day built around the players strengths helps the player build clarity in what they want to execute from a tactical perspective when under pressure.

If done well enough, it will cement tactics that the player can commit to as their helpful intention at the start of all pressure points. Making the player feel comfortable when life gets uncomfortable!

At the end of every session I simply basket feed the player ‘their patterns’. This gives the player a feeling that their patterns belong to them and reinforces that these are their go to pressure patterns.

As a coach, this is where you can really build a player’s confidence!

I have found this dramatically helps players stay in the present moment which is ultimately where the player needs to be when the pressure is on!

Nigel Beavers

STA Performance Coach

Dr Anthony Ross is one of the worlds leading sports psychologists. His work has really helped me gain a better insight into the mental aspects associated with this common problem faced by many players.

His website is highly recommended for any aspiring player or tennis coach. You can also hear STA Director Dan Kiernan talk to Dr Ross in Episode 09 of our podcast which is a great listen.

Committed helpful actions: Committing to one task that you believe will increase your chances of development and/or success immediately before every rally or point.

It is my belief that committed helpful actions is one of, if not the most important aspect of being a mentally tough tennis player.

We might not realise it but talk of committed helpful actions already surrounds us in the tennis world. Listen to almost any pre or post-match interview with any of the pros and they will talk about these committed helpful actions.

Some will say they are committing to their game plan, some to their patterns, some to high energy and some even just to being in the moment and enjoying the battle. Some of the best interviews are after a close match, these are the real insights into committed helpful actions!

How often have we heard the phrase “I just hung around and committed to my plan and fortunately for me it paid off in the big moments.”? These guys are not superhuman beings mentally, they are simply committing to small helpful actions one point at a time!

How many of us actually do this?

It stands to logic that the player who commits most to helpful actions gives themselves the best chance of winning right? Duhh! But how many of us are purposely doing this, point by point, in matches?

My guess is not many of us! I certainly didn’t when I was playing and if I could change one thing about my distinctly average playing career, it would be to commit to a helpful action every single point!

Okay you are sold right? Commit to something helpful, have a bigger chance of winning.

Simple.

But not just that, let’s take it back a level to training.

Yes, winning is great and ultimately tennis is a win or lose sport so, whether we like it or not, it is important! But how do we win more? We need to give ourselves the best opportunity in matches yes but also, and probably more importantly, we need to improve!

So, what if you committed to a helpful action based around improving before every single rally? How many aimless rallies do you hit per session when warming up? 50? 100? Maybe more! And then think about how many points you play in practice sessions where you could commit to helping yourself improve. Another 50? 100?

For numbers sake let’s say it’s 100 combined rallies and points per session that are aimless. That is 200 per day for players with a programme of 2 sessions per day. 1000 per week. 50,000 per year.

50,000 opportunities to commit to improving per year that we are potentially missing!

Okay so what can you do to tap into this magical world of committed helpful actions?

Well there are multiple ways of doing this and applying it. Here at STA we prioritise 4 ways of having committed helpful actions and 1 strong way of applying them…

Committed Action: 1 or 2 – Own or Respect

Commit to saying 1 or 2 before every shot. 1 is owning the court, 2 is respecting the ball.

This one is used primarily in training to help with improvement. It can be used to develop tactical understanding of incoming ball or court position.

Committed Action: External Target

Commit to an external target for the next point. Eg: Watch the ball. Hit an area/zone/item.

This one is the most used among the pros in matches and relates primarily to tactical patterns.

Committed Action: Game Style

Based on score lines/passengers commit to an appropriate basic plan. Lockdown, smart aggressive or super aggressive.

This one can be used in training and in matches. Based on your identity and preferences you chose one of these game styles before every point. You can adapt these so that they are personal to you.

Committed Action: Performer

Commit to being a great performer for the next point. Eg: High Energy

This one is used often at the beginning of practice and matches where performer skills can have a big impact on the outcome and value of the following session or match.

***** Committed Action: Conditional

On top of your one helpful action, commit to a tactical, opponent based or shot specific focus. E.g. Hunt for the forehand, make your opponent move backwards or drive up on the serve.

This is a bonus one I have thrown in. Great to be used for technical focus during practice!

Committed Action Application: Key Words

Applying your committed action with one or two key words that summarise your committed action. Often used for game style or performer actions. Eg: ‘Smart Aggressive’ or ‘Energy’.

This is the strategy we use at the academy to apply them. Make your key words personal to you!

Practise, Practise, Practise

So that’s it right? I am mentally tougher now than before reading this blog and now I am going to be able to commit to this process every single point and rally, improve quicker and win more matches?

Sadly, not quite. Like any skill this requires patience, practice, determination and many hours of devotion to it. And guess when is going to be the hardest to commit to a helpful action?

Yep, at 4-4 30-30 in the third set when you have just dumped a forehand in the bottom of the net. When you are angry, frustrated or even helpless. It is in this situation that the best of the best are able to still commit to something helpful, regardless of how they feel!

Committed helpful actions, in my opinion, are the basis of being mentally tough. But like everything, there are many, many, many layers to being able to commit to these actions. For a lot of people, a much deeper understanding is required to be able to do this when it really matters.

Here at STA, along with Dr. Anthony Ross from Mentally Tough Tennis, we pride ourselves on being able to provide strategies, interventions and routines to help you make the most of these committed actions.

What small committed helpful action could you take right now to improve your mental toughness?

It could be to visit our Instagram page and get in touch about the many ways we can help you develop into a mentally tough tennis player!

Thanks for reading!

Ryan Bedwell

SotoTennis Academy

A Little Bit about Ryan:

For those of you who do not know me,  I am a tennis coach at STA. At the academy I am heavily involved with developing the mental toughness of our tennis players and we are exceptionally fortunate to have a strong partnership with Dr. Anthony Ross from Mentally Tough Tennis.

Dr. Anthony is a world-renowned sports psychologist and producer of mental toughness programmes, who has influenced the work we do endlessly here at STA as well as some of the top pros in the world!

More info on Dr. Anthony Ross and his work can be found here

Want to learn more about committed actions and mental toughness? We’ve teamed up with Mentally Tough Tennis to provide a series of Mindfulness and Creative Visualisation activities designed for tennis players. Register for the Mindfulness Mastery course here.

Lockdown has been a testing time for us all, but it’s also an opportunity to develop many areas of a player’s game that are often neglected.

SotoTennis Academy and Mentally Tough Tennis have come together to provide a 21 day online programme to help keep players motivated to keep developing their mind, body and game during these challenging times.

The online programme will provide up to 25 hours of amazing content each week including mental, physical, tactical and technical sessions.

The course materials are shared as video content and printable worksheets with fitness tutorials, drills, games, quizzes and projects to help develop skills.

We believe you can ‘virtually’ do everything.

We’ve written 3 programmes for different level players ranging from under 11 club/school players to Junior competition level players/adult club and pro players.

Check out the online programmes here.

Luc our Strength and Conditioning coach has produced this blog which provides a better understanding of visualisation, a tool players can use to continue training their mental and physical skills whilst off court. Some practical tips are provided about their application.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge”  Albert Einstein

Let’s start with a short story!

Sasha, a 6 year old boy, wakes up on Christmas day, filled with excitement about the presents waiting for him under the tree. He jumps out of bed, gets dressed and runs down the stairs to find his parents waiting for him in the living room. They hand him three presents. He decides to open the biggest one first… it’s a bike! To his parents’ surprise, Sasha hops on the bike and rides around the living room, despite never having ridden a bike before. His parents are shocked at what they’re seeing. Upon their curious looks, Sasha says, “I have been dreaming so much and I have been imagining so much that… it’s easy!”

This is the power of visualisation!

Visualisation, you say?

We can talk about motor imagery, visualisation, imagined practice… all these terms are similar and refer to one of the most remarkable human mental capacities: the process by which one can imagine and simulate the sensations of an action without engaging in its physical execution.

Have you ever imagined yourself flying? Or having incredible superpowers? This is the best proof that we all visualise frequently throughout each day, although most of the time subconsciously.

We must not confuse motor imagery with mindfulness. Mindfulness is a different kind of mental training, referring to an open-minded and non-judgmental awareness of oneself and one’s environment. In tennis terms, this can mean accepting the frustration we feel when we make an error or double fault at a key point in the game. This is another very interesting topic, but we’ll save it for another time.

The possibility to transform our lives with visualisation is a powerful ability that we all have as human beings. We all have the capacity to create our reality by thinking, doing and visualising. Our thoughts and emotions have an undeniable impact on our reality, regardless of whether or not we are aware of this process.

You don’t need to be a Tibetan monk or have extraordinary skills to use and master this innate ability. You just need to take time to visualise and create your new reality.

You have everything you need, it’s all right there in your head.

What’s happening in our brain, exactly?

The power of imagined practice is huge due to its capacity to reproduce the neurological routes that would occur if we performed the situation in reality.

Each time we move, our central nervous system (CNS) creates an electrical message which travels along our spine to our muscles, making them contract. Our brain is a wonderful engine and is incredibly intelligent, with the ability to differentiate between real and imagined movement.

However, the preparation and control networks in the brain are always turned on, thus both imagined and executed movement will result in a similar brain activity.

This article is centred around tennis, but take a second to think about all the areas in our life that motor imagery can impact: skill development, performance enhancement, CNS injury recovery… The possibilities are huge.

Figure 1. The comparison of movement-related and imagery-related activities.

Bianca Andreescu and the power of visualisation

Bianca Andreescu is a perfect example of the power and benefit of visualisation. Andreescu is a 19-year-old Canadian tennis player who won the 2019 US Open Women’s Singles, beating Serena Williams in the final. Giving an incredible performance throughout the tournament, she displayed a level of calmness and courage that is very impressive for her age.

The talented teen makes use of a very important tool: visualisation. According to her, it’s no secret that this is what has made all the difference in her recent victories. She has been using these mental techniques since she was thirteen and has said that it helps her focus and be at one with her mind, which in turn allows her to control her whole body. What may shock you is that she only spends fifteen minutes a day on this, which is such a short amount of time for something so beneficial.

“I put myself in situations that I think can happen in a match, basically.”

“I think your biggest weapon is to be as prepared as you can. I really think that working your mind is important because at this level everyone knows how to play tennis.” Bianca Andreescu

How can I start integrating visualisation into my day?

As mentioned above, visualisation is a powerful tool and to master it provides the opportunity to develop many areas: strength training, improving technical or tactical skills, increasing motor performance in specific tasks, reducing anxiety… The possibilities are huge! But it requires a certain amount of rigor.

Using our imagination is a good start, but it’s not enough to train our specific neural connections.

Here are our 5 tips to help you integrate this work into your daily routine:-

1. Don’t be scared. We all visualise everyday.

I’m sure you’ve spent minutes, hours, maybe even a whole night anxiously imagining your upcoming match and the many scenarios possible. This is visualisation and we all do this, whether it’s for a tennis match, an exam, an interview.

Now, the key here is to focus on directing this visualisation towards meeting your goals and objectives, rather than involuntarily allowing the anxious thoughts to negatively affect your state of mind and thus your performance. “The more you practise, the more effective this will be”.

The new reality you create in your mind must be as close as possible to a real-life scenario. “Respect the duration and the speed!”

2. Start with easy, non-specific visualisation drills.

One of the most important aspects of this process is experiencing emotions, as this will provide more credibility to your brain. You have to be able to see, hear or feel to facilitate the learning process.

Situations such as imagining yourself cooking or doing another activity which awakens your senses have to be your first step. Looking back on a situation you’ve already experienced is the easiest way to recreate as many details as possible and increase the effectiveness of this work.

Once you’re able to successfully create complex emotions, you can start more specific work.

3. Make sure you’re in a good mood!

Due to the importance of our emotions, make sure you’re doing this work whilst in a positive mood, feeling confident and content.

This will facilitate the connection between the situation you’re visualising/working on and other memories of confidence and achievement.

4. You don’t need to be lying down!

Whilst visualising, try to replicate the energetic state of the situation you want to improve. In other words, don’t relax on the sofa if you’re visualising yourself running or lifting heavy weights!

To influence your new reality, try implementing follow-through movement. If you’re picturing yourself playing shots, use a tennis racket to replicate the movements. If you’re imagining squatting in the gym, use a stick in the same way you’d use a barbell.

This requires some technical knowledge about your activity and body, but give it a try and figure out the most effective method that works for you.

5. How long should I practise for?

Now that your brain is working as hard as it would be on-court, remember to allow your brain to recover between repetitions, and make sure not to train for too long. 10 to 15 minutes of work per day is already a good start.

If you get tired, you will lose your focus and this will hinder the effectiveness of visualisation.

You should now have a better understanding of why and how you can use visualisation to improve your tennis.

Remember Einstein’s words, “If you want different results, do not do the same things”. Expanding your toolbox of resources will make you a better player and you’re guaranteed to notice the difference.

You might not want to go up against Serena Williams, but no matter the objective, visualisation is the best gift you can give yourself to create the life you want the way you want it.

Good luck!

Luc Bardeau

Strength & Conditioning Coach, SotoTennis Academy

Do you want to develop your Visualisation skills? Register for our Mindfulness Mastery course for Visualisation and Mindfulness exercises and activities designed for tennis players and coaches.

References

Aherne, C., Moran, A.P. & Lonsdale, C., 2011. Mindfulness and flow in sport: an initial investigation. The Sport Psychologist, 25(1), pp.177- 189.

Guillot, A., 2019. L’imagerie mentale pour (re)muscler le cerveau et le corps [Online]. Available from: https://youtu.be/32dape5tzxA [Accessed 9 April 2020].

Guillot, A., Desliens, S., Rouyer, C. & Rogowski, I., 2013.  Motor Imagery and Tennis Serve Performance: the external focus efficacy. J Sports Sci Med, 12(2), pp.332-338.

Hanakawa, T., Dimyan, M.A. & Hallett, M. (2008). Motor planning, imagery, and execution in the distributed motor network: a time-course study with functional MRI. Cerebral Cortex, 18(12), pp. 2775‑88.

Jiménez, L.J., 2017. Creativity on court I: felt visualization. ITF Coaching and Sport Science Review, 73(25), pp.27-29.

Our full-time players train all year round on the clay at STA, but not everyone has access to clay courts where they are. One of the most frequent questions our coaches receive is whether it really is necessary to slide on clay. Coach James Buswell is here to help…

The answer is yes! It’s necessary and very beneficial for players to learn to slide on clay, and to feel comfortable doing so. You’ll find that all the best players in the world slide on the clay surface, but it’s not as easy as it looks! Sliding is a specific movement, skill and technique required for the clay surface.

Often, players who can’t slide or don’t slide well tend to slip in certain situations and lose their balance. As a result, they will struggle when moving out to the ball, playing the shot with balance and recovering efficiently. When running or chasing a ball down at speed, sliding allows the player to decelerate or brake when playing a shot and then recover.

Players need to learn to slide in various situations: before playing the shot, during the shot, and after playing the shot. Below, we’ve outlined a few examples of these three scenarios.

Before playing the shot

• Moving out wide to play a forehand (moving laterally).
• Slide stopping, playing a forehand, and then recovering.

During the shot

• Chasing down a drop shot: sliding to decelerate whilst picking up the drop shot under moderate movement pressure.

After playing the shot

• In an extreme defensive situation: running at top speed, stretching for the ball, changing direction and then recovering.

These clips show how beneficial it can be to slide on a clay court.

Some benefits of sliding on clay:

• Allows you to decelerate or stop.
• Allows you to decelerate or come to a ‘stop’ whilst maintaining balance.
• You can slide in all directions necessary in tennis (lateral, forwards, backwards and diagonal).
• Sliding to stop is the most efficient way of moving on clay because the amount of changes of direction required (on average 4 directional changes per point).
•  You simply cannot move effectively on a clay court without mastering the specific art of sliding.

Any more questions? Email us at info@sototennis.com to request our next blog topic!

To keep learning you can also check out our online courses!

Nigel Beavers discusses the Second Serve plus 1 “Unfashionable Practice”

As a Senior coach at SotoTennis Academy I often get asked by players, coaches and parents “what should tennis players practice more often?”.

Through my experience most players would choose what I call “exciting practice”, those drills and practices that incorporate dominating their opponent, timing the ball well and executing heavy groundstrokes. Players love drills that fall within their tactical, technical, mental and physical comfort zones. Although these types of practices are important, I believe that exposure to challenging tactical situations needs greater repetition to build a more robust player.

Unfashionable Practice

One of my suggestions to develop better practice is a term I call “Unfashionable Practice”, but what is it?

By this I mean practicing difficult defensive tactical situations where time pressure is at a high, resulting in the player having to manufacture their technique to deal with the situation they find themselves in.

The prime example of this would be a defensive ball 3 situation after a second serve. This situation often takes away what a lot of players crave which is rhythm. For me this is the most under practiced area of the game, yet statistically the percentage of points won behind second serve is often the overriding stat that either wins or loses you a match.

Recent studies by Craig O’Shannessy have shown that out of all points that end in the 0-4 rally phase, 23% of all these points are serve plus 1 errors. From charting my own players matches at ITF Tournaments I believe a larger percentage of serve plus one errors happen from second serve points.  Practicing these difficult tactical situations will allow you to develop your skill base under pressure.

How you can Practice

Drills I would recommend that expose players to these situations are:

• Coach led drill where the server shadows a serve, the coach then feeds an aggressive ball in from the returners position.the coach then moves aside and the point is played out between the two players.
• 2^nd serve points where the server is aiming to get to neutral or better after ball 3 of the point. If this is achieved, they receive a bonus point.
• 2^nd serve points where the server is aiming to increase the rally length past 5 shots. If this is achieved the server wins an automatic point.
• Players play points to 7 but can only gain a point when serving. If they lose the point their opponent becomes the server.

All the above are drills used with the intention to put the server into uncomfortable situations where he/she is often under immediate pressure.

I hope this is helpful and an insight into some tennis techniques, get in contact with SotoTennis Academy to find out more!Email  info@sototennis.com

You can also check out the online programmes we offer here.

For a long time young tennis players have had to decide whether they want to turn pro and pursue their tennis careers, or stay in education.

Here are SotoTennis Academy, we believe you don´t have to make that choice. With tennis careers lasting longer, there isn´t the need to rush to into the professional circuit at 18 like there was even a decade ago.

Instead the US College route gives players 4 years to hone their skills, grow physically stronger, play lots of matches and earn a degree at the same time.

In the latest of our US College guest blog series we hear from former STA player Catherine Vezey from Zimbabwe. Catherine secured a tennis scholarship at King University in Tennessee and takes a look at how SotoTennis Academy helped prepare her for college tennis..

From Zimbabwe to Spain

Leaving home at 16 to pursue my passion for tennis was a pretty frightening but exhilarating experience. I left my home in Zimbabwe, my family, and the comfort of all that was familiar to me. I was lucky however; that the place I had chosen to do so was SotoTennis Academy.

STA became my home, my coaches and fellow players became my family, and the tennis courts my happy place. With 2 years of high school left to complete, a day full of training, and the waves of homesickness, balance was more than necessary. Being young and not quite aware of how to handle it all, I turned to my coaches for guidance and without a doubt, they were there ready to help in any way, at any time.

My journey at STA was one full of productivity, learning both on and off the court, happy times and times of struggle. Most importantly it was a journey that allowed me to grow in ways I never could have, had I not been at the academy, or met the people that I did.

Securing a College Tennis Scholarship

My goal for when I left STA was to earn a tennis scholarship, which I did at King University in Tennessee. Playing on a college tennis team is unlike any experience you will have with regard to this sport. It requires sportsmanship, teamwork, social and emotional skills, discipline, and the ability to work within a team.  You also need to have the ability to separate yourself and focus on your game.

Keeping in mind that practice takes up your entire afternoon, conditioning your extra hours of sleep in the early morning, and competitions your weekends, you still have to find a way to show up to class, get your assignments done (on time), and stay on top of your grades.

Oh, and let’s not forget the necessity of making sure you eat properly and socialize from time to time.

A Support Team is Key

With all that college tennis entails, STA prepared me as far as is possible for the experience of being a student-athlete. Unlike many of my teammates, I had been mentored by a group of professional coaches who prepared me for the losses, the wins, the gruelling hours of practice, the nutritional and emotional intuition necessary for the intensity of long and hard days, and most importantly the necessity of making your team and mentors your family.

Personally, having come from an environment in which the entire academy was a family, a family that I was part of and felt safe in, I knew that connecting with my team and coach was essential. The support that I had and still continue to receive from my individual coach at STA, as well as the rest of the team, is phenomenal. I was lucky to have them to turn to while I was still trying to find my way in the early days of being at Uni.

This taught me how important a support team is, not only with regards to tennis, with regard to life in general. Being away from home and family is hard but, luckily for me, I had done it already and knew that I would be okay. STA had taught me that team is synonymous with family and that someone will always have your back.

On a strictly professional spectrum, although I am not one to praise myself in anyway, it was noted by many that my court manner, hard-work ethic, respect, sportsmanship, and empathy towards my teammates were above the others in my team.

I can proudly say that STA is, in many ways, responsible for that. At SotoTennis Academy you learn not only how to be a humble and honorable athlete, but a humble and honorable person who is aware that 10% of life is what happens to you while 90% of it is what you do about it.

Highs & Lows

My experience at US College was filled with turmoil, disappointment, victory and many losses. It is very easy to get tired of your sport, annoyed with your team and coach, and feel as though it´s just not worth it anymore.

Without having the experience I did at STA and without the support of my Coach – Dan who, regardless of that the fact that he was across the Atlantic ocean on a different continent, continued to cheer me on and give me realistic advice, I would have come a lot closer to giving up than I did.

I stuck it out and I have grown tremendously on my journey through University, as I did at STA. I have made friends that feel like family, and have been fortunate to have coaches that I know I will always be able to turn to.

I am very grateful for all that my experience at STA prepared me for, and gave to me. It expanded my abilities as a tennis player, fed my desire to be the best version of myself, led me to people who will forever be a big part of my life and to whom I owe a great deal of my success, and it prepared me for life.

On the surface, you go to STA to play tennis and get coached by some of the best, but trust me… it is so much more than just a tennis academy.

Catherine Vezey
Former SotoTennis Academy Student-athlete

Our Elite Sports Programme with Sotogrande International School provides student-athletes with the best possible opportunity to secure tennis scholarships to US Colleges.

Want to know how our  students fit in their schooling and training? Watch our student-athletes daily routine in our Day in the Life of Video.

Listen to our Podcast episode with Sarah Borwell who runs Tennis Smart. Sarah has helped 100´s of tennis players secure tennis scholarships at US colleges including many from SotoTennis Academy.

Read other blogs from former STA players in our US College guest blog series:-

• US College: My Freshman Year – Pablo Aycart
• US College: Freshman Year – Ryan Gaskin
• US College: My Experience – Joe Smithyman

If you’ve read some of our previous blogs or social media posts you’ll know that we are big believers in the US College system for young tennis players.

But is this option a good fit for you/your child? In the latest in our US College guest blog series we hear from former SotoTennis Academy player Pablo Aycart from Spain. Pablo has just finished his Freshman year at the University of Miami in Florida, after training at STA for 3 years.

Find out how he’s found life and tennis in the US College system and his advice for those who are looking into tennis scholarships.…

My Freshman Year

After 3 years training at SotoTennis Academy and studying at Sotogrande International School, I chose to leave Spain where I had spent my whole life to come to the US to continue my tennis career combined with a college degree.

Going to US college was always an option for me, but I also wanted to be a professional tennis player, so in the beginning I was not sure whether to come or not, but as time progressed I realised that moving to the US was the plan for me. When I came to visit the University of Miami I did not want to go back and I have loved every second of it since I arrived. Having just finished my Freshman year, I consider this year the best of my life so far.

Miami was a place that I have always loved so when I was offered a place there to study and play tennis at the highest level, I could not resist. It is hard to imagine the level of College tennis for someone who has not seen it, but I can say from my experience that it is extremely high and competitive. Everyone represents and fights for their universities and every match you play is a battle. The University of Miami competes in the ACC conference, which in my opinion is one of the toughest conferences, if not the toughest. We play against the best universities in the country and face many top players who are highly ranked in the ATP.

My freshman year has been incredible; it is really tough to describe everything I went through this year as the stories are endless but it has been a lot of fun. There are many great experiences that I will never forget: from having to wake up at 4:30am for Pre-season in the Fall to beating top teams in the country in the Spring.

College life is amazing, and as a Student-Athlete I would say it is even better. You meet new people, travel around the country with your team, go to support other sports from the university…. All of that and more, combined with academics while playing your sport. My only advice would be to enjoy it as much as possible because time flies and this is for sure the best phase of my life so far.

Playing College tennis has helped me to develop many different skills: You play as a team and you have to face a lot of pressure. Team goals are big: you have to beat the best teams in the country and that requires performing at your best and giving unconditional effort every time you step on the court.

SotoTennis values of ‘pressure is a privilege’ and ‘controlling the controllables’ are very useful here. SotoTennis has always been there for me from a very young age and we have created a family environment, which I can always rely on. They follow me everywhere I go and I come back to them every chance I get.

To conclude, US college is an unbelievable experience. For those who are planning on going, enjoy it! And for the ones that are not sure, I totally recommend it. The feelings and experiences cannot be described until you go through it.

My first year has been incredible and I look forward to the next three. GO CANES!

Pablo Aycart

Former ACES Student at SotoTennis Academy

The ACES Programme with SotoTennis Academy and Sotogrande International School allows players to combine both tennis and academics to a high level and secure US College scholarships.

Want to find out more about our ACES Programme? Check out our Virtual Open Day Video Playlist which gives you access to all parts of the ACES programme and how it could work for you or your child.

Or for more information or to book a trial, email us at info@sototennis.com

Read the other blogs in our US College guest blog series:

• US College: Freshman Year – Ryan Gaskin (May 2018)
• US College: My Experience – Joe Smithyman (April 2018)

One of the most popular options for many tennis players when they reach 18 is the US College route. It gives them the opportunity to continue excelling on the court and in their studies, whilst gaining experience and friendships that last a lifetime.

But what is life like at US College? Is it right for you/your child? To answer these questions and some of the many others we receive from our players and parents, we’ve asked former STA players to share their experiences of the US College system.

We’ve already heard from Joe Smithyman who after graduating from Niagra University in New York, set up his own skincare range. Now, Ryan Gaskin who trained at STA for 4 years, tells us about his first two semesters at the University of North Georgia.

My Freshman Year

My first year at the University  of North Georgia was nothing short of a rollercoaster, to say the least. Every single cliché I had created in my head or picked up from a terrible movie came true in one way or another.

However, as SotoTennis Academy Director Dan Kiernan told me time and time again during my 4 years there, the U.S. college route is most definitely a beneficial, smart and enjoyable route to take.

After finishing my freshman year and taking time to reflect on it, I can easily see how well the Academy set me up for life at an American college. The thing I enjoyed the most was of course the tennis and everything that came with it, whether that was the loud home matches, the intimidating away matches, even the constant ice baths that followed any three-set match.

Pressure is a Privilege

When playing for your university, the pressure is certainly on, and I felt I was forced to constantly ‘man up’ in certain situations. You can’t afford an off day in the gym, practice court or the match court, because it isn´t just about you anymore.

If I slacked off on court, or in the gym, I wasn’t only letting my 8 teammates and coach down, I was letting the whole school down. If 8 guys were working hard and one was slightly off, it was our job to pick him back up.

This sort of behaviour came very naturally to me, due to the team environment I experienced at SotoTennis. 

Not only that, pressure situations also didn’t affect me as much as I thought they may would. ‘Pressure is a Privilege’ are words spoken with great repetition around Soto, and this really helped me to come through some tight moments.

My favourite one by a mile in my Freshman year, was clinching the tie against University of Mount Olive, a team ranked a lot higher than us, that had also taken a 3-0 lead after doubles. It is first to 5 ‘rubbers’, so losing 3 out of 3 doubles is not exactly ideal, but from this produced my favourite college moment to date.

All 6 singles matches went on simultaneously, and all were finished deep into my second set. The overall score was tied at 4-4, and I was a set and a break down (6-2 3-2). With both men’s and women’s teams on the side-lines, along with a few fans, the noise increased dramatically, and I managed to fight back, eventually winning in a third set.

The atmosphere created at college matches is something I have never experienced before and is something I believe any junior tennis player should crave.

Being an athlete at a university has been pretty surreal (along with the British accent, I’m actually almost popular, believe it or not), and all the gear that comes with it has been a nice bonus!

It´s Not Just About the Tennis

Of course, there are two sides to being a student athlete (3 if I include the social aspect), and for me, the education is definitely the less fun side to it.

If I’m being honest, in my first semester I struggled with the school, a bit with the adjustment to it, but more with my attitude towards it. I didn’t embrace it because I wasn’t confident I could achieve academically in the same way I was achieving athletically.

But the support you receive  is overwhelming, especially as a student-athlete. If you ever need a tutor or extra classes, it can be sorted for you. Another skill I gained from being at Soto was being able to change my mindset, and toughing something out, and this is exactly what I did with my schoolwork.

I applied myself, and used the support that was available, and in my second semester my grades have soared. The options educationally are endless, there are so many fields you can go into, and this has been extremely beneficial to me.

Prepare to Travel

Another thing I have loved is still being able to travel, whilst keeping my studies in check as well. We’ve been down to Florida a few times, to Alabama, and the Carolina’s just to name a few. It’s been really fun being able to explore some of America as well, even if I barely scratched the surface given how big it really is.

Looking back, bus journeys with the team were a big plus point, even if in the moment they seemed pretty tiresome, especially when you’re cramping for a 3-hour ride back home!

This of course is even tougher after a loss, and we experienced our fair share of heart-breaking results. In the fall semester, I reached the last eight of the regional ITA tournament, eventually losing 7-6 in the third to the #2 from Columbus State.

This was one of the tougher moments I experienced on court but, as I found out later, far from the toughest, as I found a team loss to be much more painful, later in the season. Four 5-4 conference losses meant us only just sneaking into the conference tournament, which resulted in a first round exit to number 2 in the nation Columbus State.

A Year full of Experiences

I myself have had some battles over the course of two semesters; us being a young team with 5 freshmen meant I started high in the line-up. But an injury to our #1 and an eligibility issue with our #3 meant I started #1 for a lot of matches. This presented me not only with the challenge of a stronger opponent, but also having to carry a heavy weight of the team.

As a freshman, this proved challenging at times, but it was an experience I have relished, and hopefully after a summer of work back at SotoTennis, and some more fortune in the treatment room for teammates, a successful season is on the horizon.

Overall, my first year in American college has been a blast, even after one year I feel like I’ve grown and matured on and off the tennis court and gained a great deal of experience.

Taking that plunge across the water is definitely something I’d advise any junior tennis player, as the benefits you get on the court, in the classroom and just from a learning perspective in life, are never-ending.

And that feeling, when the crowd is shouting, and your teammates are losing their voices, and you get over the line and clinch a win for your school? I already know that feeling will stay with me for life.

Ryan Gaskin

Former STA Student-Athlete 

Find out how SotoTennis Academy helps players prepare for US College here.

Or for more information contact us at info@sototennis.com.

Read other blogs from former STA players in our US College guest blog series:-

• US College: My Freshman Year – Pablo Aycart
• US College: How STA Helped Me – Catherine Vezey
• US College: My Experience – Joe Smithyman

Here at SotoTennis Academy one of the pathways we encourage our players to explore at 18 is the US College scholarship route. With the average age of players in the top 100 rising, College tennis isn’t just for players who don’t want to play professionally when they graduate.

We believe young tennis players can excel in their tennis whilst keeping their future options open. In fact by the time a player’s college career ends, they are more prepared for the challenges of the pro tour. However the decision for many isn’t an easy one. To help, we’ve asked several former STA players who’ve opted for this route to share their experiences of tennis and life at US College.

First is Joe Smithyman, who after leaving STA used tennis as a vehicle to go to Niagara University in New York, before going on to create his own skincare brand!

My Experience

In tennis there’s a precipice faced by many players regarding how and where to continue playing the game after the junior level. For a rare few that choice is to take the leap and turn professional. For others, opportunities change as they follow personal, educational and career goals. However, the best of both worlds approach can be found by pursuing tennis and education at university. It is important to note that moving to college in the US is not the only option. There are plenty of university programmes in the UK that have emerged over the past few years, which include tailored practices and matches comparable to those in the US. Notable programmes include Sterling and Durham who compete in the national BUCS leagues.

However, from my perspective (albeit a rather biased one), there is no better option than to gain a combined athletic and academic scholarship and move to the U.S. A player’s scholarship doesn’t have to come all from sports. The majority of my scholarship for example was built from academic money stemming from the result of my SAT test. As I progressed through the years, I was able to incrementally build up the rest of my sports scholarship too, so by my senior year I was paying very little. Why wasn’t my sports scholarship initially that large? Well, in all honesty I was not the best of players, and I certainly wasn’t setting the junior tournaments alight with my skills. Before leaving for the states I was a lowly 6.1 rating. However, college coaches who viewed my video decided that I could populate the lower positions in the team. This was a role I was more than happy to play as my overall aim was to focus academically and use the tennis to continue to do something I was passionate about athletically. In essence, tennis was, and has been the facilitating agent in my education, work and travel during these past four years.

The college life as a student athlete (that’s what you’re known as) is one which is significantly difficult to replicate anywhere, even the UK. In my own experience, the opportunities that presented themselves are almost priceless. Never did I think I would play a match at Flushing Meadows or fly across the country to simply practice and compete. All the while I was being taken care of by the university for every possible expense. I was waiting for the catch, but there was none. In short, to train five times a week in an environment tailored to each athlete’s own needs whilst continuing higher education is an opportunity that is hard to turn down.

Of course there are sacrifices to be made as there is with anything worth doing. Spending the majority of the year away from family and friends whilst bedding into a new culture is a big task. Facing illness and injury are difficult prospects as well, particularly when taking a short train or car ride home is out of the question. However, issues such as these are character building and can be tapped into to diversify oneself among the thousands of graduates looking for jobs out of university. I believe that the variety of challenges I faced during my time in the states has allowed me to grow and develop in a way I wouldn’t necessarily have done if I’d stopped tennis and stayed in the UK. In my senior year I was lucky enough to be named captain of the team. This allowed me to work closely with the coach and also experience a leadership role that came with the responsibility of caring for a large team and address all manner of issues. This particular opportunity has also aided my own personal development and I will certainly use this experience in future challenges.

Moving forwards, tennis has enabled me to gain roles working at Wimbledon with IBM and continue coaching during my time off during the summer and winter breaks. In October I start an MSc in Management at the University of Bath. Again, tennis has enabled me to gain a coaching role so I can continue earning whilst in education. The US college route is certainly a challenge. I firmly believe that this route provided me with opportunities, but I still had to go out and take them. The journey was what I made of it, and in the end, the more I practiced, the luckier I got.

Joe Smithyman, Former STA Student-Athlete

NCAA Division 1 – Niagara University

Bath University – MSc in Management

Find out how SotoTennis Academy helps players prepare for US College here.

Or for more information you can contact us at info@sototennis.com

Read other blogs from former STA players in our US College guest blog series:-

• US College: My Freshman Year – Pablo Aycart
• US College: How STA Helped Me – Catherine Vezey
• US College: Freshman Year – Ryan Gaskin

I feel fortunate to have crossed off one of my big ambitions in tennis last week by being part of the coaching team for Ireland in their Davis Cup tie in Norway. This was something I didn’t achieve as a player, and the week was everything and more than I had imagined a Davis Cup tie to be. I wanted to share a few of my thoughts from the week.

So where did the week start? For me it started with a late night flight from Malaga to Dublin. I have to admit to experiencing a few nerves, as even though I knew most of the guys, the fact that it was my first Davis Cup experience so close to the action and it was extremely special for me to ‘representing’ Ireland. I am not Irish, and am very proud to be British, but with irish grandparents and a Dad who supports Ireland over England in Rugby (when it suits him ;-)), I have brought up to be very proud of our Kiernan/Carney heritage and irish music/whiskey/Guiness has always taken a prominent position in the family Christmas get togethers. And to make it extra special/emotional my Uncle (who was extremely proud of our Irish heritage) passed away just before Christmas too early, so this is a one I felt I carried my Uncle Michael with me on the flight over…This was for him.

Day 1 – Travel

Due to the long flight over and late arrival time, day one was fairly lay low for everyone and sleep was needed before we hit the practice courts the following day.

Day 2 – Practice Day

This venue in Oslo was the national Tennis Centre for Norway which was an impressive facility.
I had spent days before trawling the internet for footage on the team. Casper Ruud who many of you will know was much easier to find footage of, so I felt my scouting report was accurate, but their number 2 Viktar Durasovic not so easy, so it was my first chance to run my eyes over him. This moment is always very bizarre at tennis events where the player is hitting and the coach from the other team (player) is standing watching. Everyone knows what is happening and it is a rather awkward stand off where very little detail is picked up, but having that vision of how they swing the racket, their court position, general demeanour, grips, swing size or even more simple sometimes- are they right or left handed! Is all valuable info to have to if nothing else bring a little comfort for the player that we have an idea of what is coming.

First practice for the boys was interesting, they all commented on how fast the courts were and spent their time analysing the bounces and how the court was reacting to spin, but all in all it was 120 mins of feeling the court, feeling the ball and for the most part feeling themselves into the situation. You will notice I use the word ‘feel’ a lot. This sits at the heart of many tennis players and the better they feel a situation and feel comfortable in a situation the easier it is to bring their best performance to the show. The show was now 2.5 days away. The excitement is starting to rise.

There were 5 players in the squad led by SotoTennis player Peter Bothwell, Simon Carr, Sam Bothwell, Julian Bradley and player/coach Daniel Glancy. Captain was Conor Niland who was a former top 130 ATP player and his assistant coach Barry King who was a former Davis Cup Player. There was then physio Nicky Green who has been a big part of the team for years. Later to join would be the president of Tennis Ireland and social media man Kieron. It was wonderful to see how well everyone gelled and spent time off the court. Many old stories of Davis Cup from the boys which helped the young guys feel at ease and lots of information sharing amongst the coaches which I have to say I enjoyed throughly.

Day 2 afternoon – Doubles and specifics

Today was the first time the players competed which was interesting to see, as competition brings with it raw emotions, especially when a player may feel they are being ‘watched’ with selection being made in a couple days for who will play doubles Saturday morning. This brought home the difference between a normal tournament preparation and Davis Cup preparation, as it is unusual for tennis players to be playing for selection given its individual nature.

Back to the hotel for massages cool downs before refuel and our nightly games of ‘shuffle board’. What a game that is by the way!

Day 3 – The tension is building

A relatively quiet day which comprised of 2 practice sessions and the players starting to comment that the court isn’t so fast. I think they are finding their timing! It was also interesting to note the emotional roller coaster these young guns go through on these weeks in which they are representing their nation in front of big crowds. They feel the pressure and they feel the excitement, but notably they link these feelings to how they are hitting the ball. Hitting it badly, mild panic sets in. Hit it well mild arrogance and ego kicks in! Their levels are just trying to find their equilibrium! We got them playing sets in the afternoon which we knew was an emotional risk, but they need to feel this pressure a little and get some serve and return repetition in a live situation. Job done. Onto tomorrow.

Day 4 – The Draw

Practice in the morning which was light for those guys competing the next day. Conserving energy is important at this stage.

The draw took place in the afternoon. We got the draw we wanted. Pete to play Norway’s number 2 to try and get on the board and apply pressure on their young yet experienced Casper Ruud in the second rubber.
The formalities done, gifts exchanged and back to the hotel to prepare. We had found a lovely little Italian 5 mins from the hotel which we went for pre match meal. The boys like eating early after their training and lots good food later we were back in the hotel for our team meeting. The coaches had met each day, but this was the first time we brought everyone together to go through the plan the following day. The boys seemed relaxed yet excited. Time to rest up for game day!

Day 5 – Show Time

The big day had arrived- time to go and fight for your country. I had breakfast with Pete who seemed ‘thoughtful’ yet quiet. The nerves and excitement no doubt jangling in his stomach. He was first up at 12. My stomach was churning. I was loving this Davis Cup experience. I left it will late to put my green top with Ireland on and this was a very proud moment for me. Thinking of you Uncle Michael and both my grandparents at this point.

The simple game plans are discussed. Myself and Pete have a bit of a routine where the plans are discussed as he warms up, it is less formal than sitting down and more chatty in its nature. Important on a day like today that 2-3 clear and actionable points were made to focus on. Don’t over speak or complicate. Now go time!

In the locker room the team came together- great words from Captain Conor and onto the court we went. The national anthem playing as I took my seat directly behind Conor and Pete.

Pete played a good first set without being spectacular and lost it 3/6 down to a couple bad points at the wrong moment and some big serves at the correct moments from Durasovic. Conor turned to me and I have to say I felt good about the match ‘He is doing the right things out there. Important he doesn’t start forcing, keep trusting the way he is playing and chances will start to come his way’ I said. Conor was already on it and passing on his wealth of experience to Pete and getting a great balance of giving knowledge and making him smile which was a great experience for me to see.

From the moment the 2nd set started there was only one winner. Pete started to get on top of him and although a dramatic last game as he served the match out at 5/3 in the 3rd, he had won a match for his country and put them 1-0 up in the tie. An amazing feeling for us all. The most vocal I have ever been at the side of a tennis court, but well worth the lost voice at the end of the weekend.

This is where tennis is a tough sport. The next match started 20 minutes after, so there was literally no time to enjoy this win. It was a quick sandwich, toilet break, high five with Pete and his Dad before making sure back at the bench for Simons match. Brutal.

Simon competed really well in the first few games against Ruud and we saw enough from this to feel Ruud could be got at, but once he got ahead he relaxed and I have to say watch this space with Ruud. The boy can seriously play. 1-1 in the tie.

Another insight into the Davis Cup is how tired the players get on an evening due to the emotional and mental strain that they are under. These matches are different. A ‘fun’ different and I am still loving it!

Day 6 – Doubles and Singles Day

First up was the doubles. Despite a positive performance for the boys, the Norwegians were too strong on the day. 1-2.

I am very proud of how Pete played against Ruud. We had some real ‘out of your seat moments’ and when he broke and held to go 5-4 up in the second set he had 650 Norwegians worried as this weekend was the Casper Ruud show- he is already a big star in Norway. Pete got under his skin and pushed his boundaries but hats off to Ruud who showed his class and steel in the end to pull through. 1-3 tie over.

We were asked if we wanted to play the dead rubber to which we replied yes, but the Norwegians didn’t want this to go ahead. A shame, as what an opportunity for one of the boys to play a davis cup rubber.

After spending time as a team after the match the team were low, but all proud of everyones efforts. We went back to the hotel to collect thoughts before heading out to dinner and an evening of shuffle board and the final round of the Masters to try pull through their fellow Irish man Rory McIlroy and a couple of beers. Great company and stories shared over the week together. Camaraderie at its best. Very grateful for the opportunity to join the team.

I hope I get to experience this amazing event again and I truly hope the ITF don’t make this decision to take away this event. It means so much to so many people and I can only speak for myself in saying it has completed a real personal goal of mine and it didn’t disappoint.

Next step is for the guys to build on their great performances and take them onto the tour where the day job of the week in week out if where these opportunities are made. Good luck guys and thanks for having me.

COYBIG

Dan Kiernan

Director, SotoTennis Academy

www.sototennis.com

At SotoTennis Academy (STA) we are proud to be one of the top Tennis Academies in Spain, Europe and internationally.

Why?

We care about and investing in all of our players and their individual pathways and goals.

Our full time players benefit from a year-round service in this way but we love nothing more than to give the opportunity to other players to access our environment and culture. Because of this we are delighted to welcome 250+ access players from all over the world through our doors each year to supplement their home training programme, adding value both to their programme and the STA player programmes by bringing variation of sparring partners and of course new friendships.

Accessing the STA environment

There may be a number of reasons why players (and coaches) want to access our environment here at STA.

We have players looking to access our expert coaching, our ‘day-in-day-out’ environment, some that are looking for quality hitting partners to enhance their programmes. We spend time working with other coaches as well as players and love to share information with like-minded people.

We can also accommodate families looking to combine their holiday whilst the tennis players in the family train at the Academy.

What sets us apart?

Whatever it is players are looking for, we aim to make your visit very personal and individualised to your needs, while still coming away with a true experience of #TeamSoto environment that we continuously drive forward and so strongly pride ourselves on. We are never standing still!

The process

Before any player arrives at STA, whether for one session, day, week or month, information on the player’s current programme and goals are collected in a registration form.

Schedules are set with the individual in mind and respecting the wants and needs of all players, whether full-time or access.

We are quick to adapt our schedules throughout the week to allow for the best experience for our access players, as it often takes half a day to know exactly where the best fit is for them within the Academy setup.

Each access player will have a (loose) lead coach throughout the week who will be your ‘go to’ for any concerns, feedback and generally to ensure your week goes as we all want…positively!

Sessions

Players will receive a variety of training opportunities and experiences linked in with the needs of the individual. Varying from clay court education to basic understanding of our mental training programme within the Academy.

Players will work with our professional Strength and Conditioning Team in line with their current training and injury history to ensure we are working towards your longer terms plans.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we run Doubles Wednesdays at the Academy, which proves to be a big success. Players enjoy a fun filled afternoon whilst developing Doubles strategies and techniques from former British number 1 doubles player Dan Kiernan and his expert team.

At the end of the week we hold our ‘Friday Circle’, which represents the team environment we have here at STA and is an opportunity for us all to reflect and gather after a hard week’s training. Player of the Week awards are given for the player who excelled in our ‘Control the Controllables’ culture as well as small prizes for everyone who we have the honour of welcoming to the Academy on a short-term training week.

Afterwards and moving forward

Once back home all access players receive a report from the STA coaches on: how well they fitted with the STA ‘Control the Controllables’ culture; the key areas covered when here; their key areas to work on moving forward. They are then given the opportunity to complete a feedback form to provide their positive and constructive criticism, upon which they are also entered into a draw to win a free access week!

When can I come?

Whenever suits your tournament/training schedule! We are open 47 weeks of the year (check out are term dates) and can provide you with a bespoke training programme. We also run training camp weeks during school holidays where you can train alongside our full-time players. You can find the dates for these weeks for the 2018/2019 year here.

That’s enough from us. Come and see us to try it out for yourself! Get in touch at info@sototennis.com to make an enquiry!

Find out more about STA Training Camps

www.sototennis.com

‘There is more than one way to skin a cat’, as I believe the saying goes. And this is certainly true in terms of developing into a Top 100 Tennis Player in the world. Last week’s hot topic on social media was Kyle Edmund and his epic Australian Open campaign, resulting in his first Grand Slam Semi-Final and a move up to #26 in the world. This weekend’s trend was Cameron Norrie, the 22 year old British star that, for some, turned into an overnight sensation with his performances over #23 ranked Roberto Bautista Agut and #21 ranked Albert Ramos-Vinolas in this weekend’s Davis Cup tie between GB and Spain in Marbella. Norrie brought all sorts of well deserved accolades; none more welcomed than from Andy Murray, who tweeted:

This was not just the fact that ATP #114 (Norrie) took out Bautista Agut: this was Norrie’s first pro match on a clay court, his first 5 set match, his first Davis Cup match. So where has Norrie been hiding?

As I said last week, I picked Edmund at age 14-15 to be a star in this game – see blog ‘In-kedible…’ (below). Well, I saw Norrie aged 17 and I wasn’t so impressed. Yes he had skills, but he had holes in his game and seemed mentally and physically immature. Edmund was ready at this stage. Edmund is the outlier in this sport. Norrie was the norm. Most 17-18 year olds are not ready for the tour physically, mentally or emotionally.

Norrie was fortunate enough to be advised to take his talents over to the US College system where he would have time to hone his skills in an extremely competitive environment. I want to explore a few reasons why I believe this system works so well for so many. Judy Murray will lead me into this with her quote late last night on social media:

Support Team

Which pro player can afford 2-3 coaches who are giving you their undivided attention, watching every match, every training session? Can afford a full-time physical trainer? A nutritional team behind you, a medical team that is there for your every need? Your own personal stringer, public relations officer, tour planner (Hotels, restaurants)? Not many, right? This is what Norrie would have had in terms of support throughout his time at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Matches

In his 3 seasons at TCU, Norrie played 97 singles matches and 88 doubles matches. This is amazing when you remember he only played 5 months of the year in college (he spent each fall semester playing ATP/ITF events – which the university would support in expenses and coach support). Norrie averaged 45 pro matches each year throughout college, so was approaching 80 singles matches per year throughout this period. Those who start playing futures right out of juniors are normally closer to 50-60 matches if they are fortunate enough to afford a full schedule. Add in the fact that these matches are played with the support mentioned above, Norrie was given a wonderful opportunity to drill in his game identity and develop a real knack for winning matches and working his opponents out, which is one of his big strengths on the court.

Pressure-free

Whilst you are still developing emotionally/mentally, it is a god send to play these matches without ‘pressure’. Now, don’t get me wrong, of course Norrie would have dealt with massive pressures, representing his University in key matches as well as his early success on the pro tour. However, the security of being at University, getting a degree, the comfort of the support team and the low financial burden of being a college player eases some of that pressure and would have allowed Norrie to subtly play a little free-er.

Nonetheless, Norrie’s ability to deal with pressure was honed by leading his university team and becoming accustomed to playing in front of big crowds with the team expectation. This weekend in Marbella, we saw he was extremely comfortable in this environment, which is why, as stated above, some see it as an overnight sensation, when those closer to him know he has been working and developing these skills for moments like these for years.

Momentum

In Dec 2016 Norrie was ranked inside the top 300 ATP and he had a choice on whether to go back to TCU for his Junior year (3rd year) or to go pro. I know he received lots of pressure from people on both sides. Some pushed the pro route, as at this stage it was obvious he was ready or the tour. At the same time, he had a strong alliance with his ‘Frogs’ from TCU, who were pushing for a NCAA National Title – the pinnacle of College Tennis. Cameron followed his heart and led TCU to a fantastic season winning 21 of his 22 matches that year which is an extremely impressive record.

He then went straight into the grass court season on the back of this ‘winning’, which we all know is a ‘habit’ and in his second week out of college beat Horacio Zeballos who was 48 in the world at the time in Eastbourne. He continued this great run throughout the summer, winning challenges (like Edmund himself) in Binghampton and Tiburon, carrying on this amazing winning streak.

Yes, I believe that if you are good enough you are good enough, but at the same time I strongly believe timing and momentum are key as a player rises up the rankings. Norrie has nailed these milestones along the way to what I believe will see him move into the world’s top 50 and beyond over the coming months/years.

Backs himself physically and mentally

This winning feeling and tight match mentality leads a player to back themselves in these big moments both physically and mentally. These were the first words Norrie spoke after his historic win over Bautista Agut on Friday: ‘I continued to back myself mentally and physically throughout the match. That never faulted.’ I was fortunate enough to be there on Friday and Cameron wasn’t playing well for 2.5 sets (bar the first few games of the first set), but he continued to do exactly that and when the opportunity presented itself he was there to take it. Hats off to you, young man!

2018 has already shown that there is life behind Andy Murray in Men’s British Tennis. Cameron and Kyle stories showcase different journeys to a similar destination. If you look into detail at all top 100 tennis played in the world, you would see a number of different journeys to the same destination.

With extraordinary levels being shown by both of these players at different stages of their development, what we can’t get away from is that whether Kyle (aged 16) on the ITF Junior Circuit or Cameron (aged 19) in US College, the game at this level is not for the faint-hearted and does not happen overnight.

Control the Controllables. Day in Day out.

Dan Kiernan

Director, SotoTennis Academy

www.sototennis.com

Inspiring Excellence | Tennis Academy Spain