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.