Match Play On Court Coaching Styles and Player Attention Control

[doctorhl]

While watching match play, on court coaching at a recent university tennis match, I noticed player reactions to each team’s two coaches’ intervention style and the players’ response. Some players seemed to respond positively while others seemed to have their match attention interrupted or they simply tuned out the intervention. It obviously takes real artistry in regards to timing, length and content of a coaches intervention during match play. There is ample discussion on coaching intervention for practice or off court, between match analysis, but not a lot of discussion regarding match play, on court coaching in the forum. As this is a relatively new thing in tennis, do any of you have thoughts to share on this topic or suggested reading resources.

[doctorhl]

This thread could supply someone with an article title: “Don’t play with my head- pitfalls in navigating the coach/ athlete engagement process during match play”.

[johnyandell]

There is a story about John McEnroe and Coach Dick Gould when Mac was at Stanford. Dick came over on a change over and John told him "Shut up Dick." And Dick got up and left.

[doctorhl]

Interesting and most likely two sides to that story!

[jimlosaltos]

There is a story about John McEnroe and Coach Dick Gould when Mac was at Stanford. Dick came over on a change over and John told him "Shut up Dick." And Dick got up and left.

One mic-ed example I recall includes McEnroe on the other side. At a Laver Cup (Chicago, I think) McEnroe told Sock when both were sitting on a change over "You know what they say? They say you give up." Sock looked straight forward, silent. Went out and turned the match around. I suppose you need to know your player's psyche.

[stotty]

While watching match play, on court coaching at a recent university tennis match, I noticed player reactions to each team’s two coaches’ intervention style and the players’ response. Some players seemed to respond positively while others seemed to have their match attention interrupted or they simply tuned out the intervention. It obviously takes real artistry in regards to timing, length and content of a coaches intervention during match play. There is ample discussion on coaching intervention for practice or off court, between match analysis, but not a lot of discussion regarding match play, on court coaching in the forum. As this is a relatively new thing in tennis, do any of you have thoughts to share on this topic or suggested reading resources.

I've invested a lot of time recently in this area with young performance players. Some kids have talent and play well but cannot win matches. Once the losing cycle starts it becomes self-fulfilling. Some kids know how to win instinctively and some kids have to learn it. But there is no substitute for standing behind a kid and walking him/her through a set. Once I am controlling things (in the sense that I'm telling them what to do in realtime as they play) things improve very quickly because the outcome changes. Kids learn rapidly like this and have a good chance of building some confidence through it. I believe it's a very underused coaching method.

With young adults it's different, and as Jim rightly points out, you need to know your athlete. McEnroe crossed a line and Dick was 100% right to walk away. It unrepairable once that sort of thing starts happening. I have seen Murray abuse his box to the point where if any of them had any self respect they should have walked away and given him a right hook on the way out. They hung around of course because there's money at stake.

But I'm with Jim. Make sure you know your athlete well because it will help you choose the right advisory path.

[johnyandell]

Stotty,
Great approach. When coached high school tennis I couldn't do this in match play, but tried to provide similar feedback on the changeovers. If I had thought of this I would have definitely have done it during practice matches!

[doctorhl]

I've invested a lot of time recently in this area with young performance players. Some kids have talent and play well but cannot win matches. Once the losing cycle starts it becomes self-fulfilling. Some kids know how to win instinctively and some kids have to learn it. But there is no substitute for standing behind a kid and walking him/her through a set. Once I am controlling things (in the sense that I'm telling them what to do in realtime as they play) things improve very quickly because the outcome changes. Kids learn rapidly like this and have a good chance of building some confidence through it. I believe it's a very underused coaching method.

With young adults it's different, and as Jim rightly points out, you need to know your athlete. McEnroe crossed a line and Dick was 100% right to walk away. It unrepairable once that sort of thing starts happening. I have seen Murray abuse his box to the point where if any of them had any self respect they should have walked away and given him a right hook on the way out. They hung around of course because there's money at stake.

But I'm with Jim. Make sure you know your athlete well because it will help you choose the right advisory path.

Stotty, Do you have thoughts on a coaches’ “effort” language during match play. Some players might respond to the coach’s effort language by using strategy to find a way to win as you say.( Federer perhaps.) Others might respond heavily by increasing muscular effort ( Nadal perhaps). The “ give 110% “ speech I received from various youth team sport coaches did not translate well for me in tennis. In fairness, there is not always time for individual dialogue in team sports. “ Know the player” as you say, I suppose.

[stotty]

Stotty, Do you have thoughts on a coaches’ “effort” language during match play. Some players might respond to the coach’s effort language by using strategy to find a way to win as you say.( Federer perhaps.) Others might respond heavily by increasing muscular effort ( Nadal perhaps). The “ give 110% “ speech I received from various youth team sport coaches did not translate well for me in tennis. In fairness, there is not always time for individual dialogue in team sports. “ Know the player” as you say, I suppose.

No, my on court coaching is purely cerebral. It's about 'showing the way'. Asking a player to give 110% is on the whole pointless unless dealing with a lazy player. I go on court with players who struggle to win matches and ask them to execute patterns, tactics, placement, etc,. I discuss with them before a point starts and during the rally. By doing this I am overriding their faulty decision making (and belief mechanism) and substituting it for my own. In effect it's a real time correction process. It works wonderfully and is a largely unexplored coaching method in my view.

[doctorhl]

No, my on court coaching is purely cerebral. It's about 'showing the way'. Asking a player to give 110% is on the whole pointless unless dealing with a lazy player. I go on court with players who struggle to win matches and ask them to execute patterns, tactics, placement, etc,. I discuss with them before a point starts and during the rally. By doing this I am overriding their faulty decision making (and belief mechanism) and substituting it for my own. In effect it's a real time correction process. It works wonderfully and is a largely unexplored coaching method in my view.

A. Agree 100%. But, your real time correction method requires: 1. extensive knowledge of the game and 2. an understanding of each individual player’s capability to implement those corrections. I suspect very few coaches have that ability. The elite player who becomes a coach is often lacking in #2. The “110%” effort and “return one more ball than your opponent” coaching mantras can only carry one so far. As you well know, Stroke development teaching, practice game coaching and tournament coaching require different skill sets.

B.Do you ever( at practice matches) stop a player and question them about their thought process on the last point or game and compare/ contrast it with your own? If such a study was conducted, I think we would be surprised at what some player’s were really thinking and why.

[stotty]

A. Agree 100%. But, your real time correction method requires: 1. extensive knowledge of the game and 2. an understanding of each individual player’s capability to implement those corrections. I suspect very few coaches have that ability. The elite player who becomes a coach is often lacking in #2. The “110%” effort and “return one more ball than your opponent” coaching mantras can only carry one so far. As you well know, Stroke development teaching, practice game coaching and tournament coaching require different skill sets.

B.Do you ever( at practice matches) stop a player and question them about their thought process on the last point or game and compare/ contrast it with your own? If such a study was conducted, I think we would be surprised at what some player’s were really thinking and why.

I think pre-match conversations and post match analysis are always useful and have long been adopted by coaches. But training sets against opponents work best with students who struggle with decision making and self belief. Where we have to be careful with coaching is that traditional coaching can inadvertently destroy the student's ability to make decisions. Often self-taught players make better decision makers as they learn to rely on themselves rather than instructions from the coach. However, on court coaching during a set, ironically, gets round this by its show-as-you-go method which enlightens rather than tells - there is a difference.

[doctorhl]

Well said!