Howard Bryant is an award winning author and journalist who has been a senior writer for ESPN since 2007. Although he writes about a number of sports and topics within sport, he is an astute observer of tennis and he always brings a unique perspective with his analysis of matches and issues within the game. Howard also plays tennis and therefore has first-hand knowledge of how difficult the sport is mentally. As a professional observer of sport, he is uniquely qualified to discuss the mental and...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Elena Rybakina defeated Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to win the women's singles championship while Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) to win the men's singles championship. The co-hosts reviewed various sport psychology themes and talked about how the finalists and champions exhibited certain mental qualities that helped them achieve success in the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Ons...
Jul 12, 2022•54 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same" This quote appears above the door leading to Wimbledon's Centre Court and it is a challenge to all players who step on to that most famous court. In this episode, Josh and Brian discuss the excerpt from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If-' and relate it to the difficulties players encounter during a tennis match. Additionally, they relate this quote to one from Theodore Roosevelt's 'The Man in the Arena' speech. Both...
Jul 09, 2022•44 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the concept of mini-wins and mini-celebrations. Tennis players can look to celebrate controllable sources of “mini-wins” that they successfully complete in practice and matches. These could include performing a stroke correctly during practice when they are trying to make a technical adjustment, celebrating successfully completing their pre-match routine, and celebrating going through the in-between point routine in matches. Mini-wins have positive benefit...
Jul 04, 2022•42 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh respond to a listener question about playing in the extreme heat. Topics discussed include the importance of preparation, the need to control the controllables, and how understanding your body and limits prior to a match gives you a better chance to perform at a high level. Additionally, they review the importance of maintaining perspective and connecting to a deeper purpose of improvement and performance excellence in order to embrace extreme weather conditions a...
Jun 24, 2022•43 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-talk strategies to handle Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT’s). Certain strategies mentioned were inspired from the book Chatter by Ethan Kross including distancing from the problem (seeing it from an outsider’s perspective), journaling, and using one’s own voice when communicating through self-talk. Additionally, the co-hosts reviewed the importance of developing one’s personal philosophy and building character when it comes to developing effective se...
Jun 16, 2022•40 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh review the 2022 French Open. They discuss Iga Swiatek and her performance in the tournament which culminated with a 6-1 6-3 victory in the championship match over Coco Gauff. This victory furthered her current winning streak to 35 matches and is her second Roland Garros title and second major title. Additionally, the co-hosts chatted about Rafael Nadal’s victory in the final over Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0 which was Nadal’s 14th Roland Garros title and 22nd major tit...
Jun 06, 2022•44 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss strategies for how tennis players can handle slumps. Slumps are times when players have a losing streak, lose more matches than they are accustomed to, or simply when a player has a period of time when they aren’t playing at their best. The co-hosts talked about research relating to the factors that determine how a player handles a slump, discussed the impact of psychological momentum, and reviewed the importance of how an individual appraises their slump....
Jun 02, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Marcus Daniell is a professional tennis player from New Zealand and the Founder & Executive Director of High Impact Athletes ( https://highimpactathletes.org/ ). He is an Olympic bronze medallist tennis player with 5 ATP titles, quarterfinal appearances at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open (twice), and numerous caps for the NZ Davis Cup Team. He has been Giving Effectively since 2014. On January 4th, 2021, Marcus took the Giving What We Can pledge to donate at least 10% of his annual wi...
May 29, 2022•49 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Brian Park is the CEO & Founder of Apeak and is a Sports Psychology Performance Consultant. He has a Master's in Sport Psychology and worked as a high-performance coach and Sport Psychology performance consultant, helping competitive tennis players to reach their full potential. In this conversation, we talk to Brian about his career, and Apeak's mission of making mental toughness training accessible and affordable to all. Link to download Apeak: https://apeak.com/onboarding/download ...
May 22, 2022•52 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the mental attributes of Carlos Alcaraz that have led to his rise in the rankings. The co-hosts consider the confidence, humility, and work ethic that he has shown thus far in his career, and how rare it is to see such traits from someone his age (19 years old). Furthermore, they review how all tennis players can learn from Alcaraz’s motivational and instructional self-talk (featured in the first quote below) and the positive impact that activating the coa...
May 10, 2022•48 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of parenting tennis players, and offer some good practices to assist in the journey. Topics reviewed include having a clear purpose for why a child plays tennis and the benefits of the sport, parents as performers on match day, ensuring that tennis remains fun, and the benefits of sport sampling for young tennis players. A list of resources for parents and athletes is listed below. USTA Player Development Parent Resources Page: ...
May 08, 2022•56 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of closing out a match. Topics reviewed include loss aversion, the benefits of practicing being a closer, and how you can use a self-talk closing script and visualization to help you have a plan for closing situations. Additionally, the co-hosts talk about how professional players often struggle to close out matches, and that this is a phenomenon that occurs at all levels of the game. To learn more about Josh and Brian's b...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Brian and Josh chat with Swupnil Sahai, the co-founder and CEO of SwingVision, about the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in tennis and how the data extracted can relate to the mental side of the sport. Swupnil is a lifelong tennis player and massive Federer fan. He has a triple major from UC Berkeley, a PhD in Statistics from Columbia, and built patented A.I. for autonomous driving at Tesla Autopilot. He created SwingVision with the mission to democratize the professional tennis exper...
Apr 19, 2022•52 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-talk strategies for tennis players to optimize their internal dialogue. Strategies discussed include utilizing a self-talk log, cognitive restructuring/reframing, thought stopping/replacement, repetitive writing, and using scripts. The co-hosts emphasize that regardless of the strategy utilized, it is important to “listen to yourself less, and talk to yourself more” (h/t @DanAbrahams77 ) - don’t listen to everything that goes through your mind and tal...
Apr 08, 2022•53 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is a follow-up to an earlier conversation on the topic of cheating in tennis. In Ep. 24, Brian and Josh discussed how players can respond to instances of cheating as well as how to handle "difficult" opponents. In this conversation, the co-hosts expand on the topic, and examine why cheating occurs, how to reframe cheating in your mind, what to do when a bad line call occurs, and additional strategies players can use when they encounter cheating. For more on this topic, check out Ep....
Mar 31, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the unique challenges of tennis. Topics discussed include a conversation on why the scoring system in tennis can lead to constant judgement and riding an "emotional rollercoaster", the multiple roles that tennis players need to play in a match (player, coach, line judge), as well as the fighting/combat nature of the sport. Additionally, the co-hosts consider how the nature of the sport invites comparisons to other players which can lead to increased expect...
Mar 24, 2022•55 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how to play Level 3 in the Tennis IQ model developed by USPTA Master Professional Jorge Capestany. Level 1 of this model involves the player and the ball (beginner level), Level 2 is about a player’s own side of the court, and Level 3 is the opponent’s side of the court (pro level). The co-hosts review the types of mindsets and tactics that tennis players can utilize in order to play Level 3 more often, and play in a way that keeps the opponent's side of t...
Mar 17, 2022•55 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss what to do when a tennis player is “supposed” to win or lose a match. The co-hosts review things to avoid when you are supposed to win or lose, along with mindsets that keep you focused and competitive. Lastly, they consider better ways to approach these scenarios including the mantra “respect all, fear none." To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com . If you ...
Mar 10, 2022•38 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players should handle trying to come back when they are losing. Topics discussed include learning from top pros on how they deal with playing from behind, how to identify what sort of adjustment needs to be made mid-match, and the type of mindset and attitude that you need to turn a match around. To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPsych.com and PerformanceXtra.com . If y...
Mar 01, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can systematically develop their confidence. Topics discussed include how to set up reminder systems about your sources of confidence (achievements, making progress towards goals, etc.), how to utilize confidence journals and make daily "deposits" to your confidence bank, and how to use mental skills such as visualization to develop your confidence on the court. To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology...
Feb 22, 2022•44 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can find their optimal level of intensity on the practice court and in matches. The co-hosts outline some of the research concepts relating to Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) and the Inverted-U Theory which shows the relationship between pressure and performance (also known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law). They discuss how tennis players can use mental preparation to control their intensity levels, and review specific ways that ...
Feb 11, 2022•56 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast The 2022 Australian Open has wrapped up with Ashleigh Barty winning the women’s singles title over Danielle Collins 6–3, 7–6(2), and Rafael Nadal winning the men’s singles title over Daniil Medvedev 2–6, 6–7(5), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5. In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the finals of the women’s and men’s singles championships, and share sport psychology themes that emerged from the champions, Ashleigh Barty and Rafael Nadal. Ashleigh Barty’s interview transcript after the championship ...
Feb 02, 2022•48 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh talk about the concept of being coachable. Lack of coachability is often cited as a key factor that holds athletes back from fulfilling their goals and making progress in their development. The co-hosts discuss ways that athletes can be more coachable including committing to becoming a "student of the game," being inquisitive, and embracing a growth mindset. To learn more about Josh and Brian's backgrounds and sport psychology businesses, go to TiebreakerPs...
Jan 26, 2022•46 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Josh and Brian discuss how tennis players can respond after a tough loss. Whether that loss is a blowout, a match that a player feels that they lost to a weaker player, or a close match, there are strategies that tennis players can utilize to increase the likelihood of bouncing back successfully. Much of the conversation is based on Emma Raducanu's response to her recent 6-0 6-1 loss and the way that she handled the situation in the immediate aftermath. Quotes by Emma Raducanu r...
Jan 17, 2022•33 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh explore what it truly means for an athlete to be "competitive," and misconceptions surrounding the concept. The co-hosts explain the difference between simply being competitive and being a great competitor. Additionally, they explain potential drawbacks to wanting to win at all costs. Lastly, they take a closer look at the Sport Orientation Questionnaire and discuss the differences between having an orientation primarily focused on winning rather than development ...
Jan 10, 2022•48 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Brian and Josh review highlights from a number of episodes in 2021. Ep. 25 - Mindfulness in Tennis Ep. 26 - The Power of Routines Ep. 27 - Cristina Rolo and Dave de Haan on the Importance of Mental Training Ep. 36 - Coming Back After an Injury or Break Ep. 37 - How to Play One Point at a Time Ep. 41 - Ryan Harry and Play Ep. 48 - Building Mental Fortitude in Tennis Ep. 50 - How To Be A Clutch Performer Ep. 56 - David Sammel and Developing Your Locker Room Power To learn more abo...
Dec 30, 2021•52 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast This episode discusses examples of self-limiting beliefs that tennis players place on themselves and some strategies for dealing with those beliefs. Examples of self-limiting beliefs are perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and focusing solely on winning. This conversation also included a discussion on the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and the difference that one's mindset has on their ability to improve as an athlete. Lastly, Brian and Josh discuss the significant impact that the wo...
Dec 19, 2021•49 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast Todd Martin is the CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., a position he has held since September 2014. In addition to his role as CEO, Martin serves as Tournament Chairman of the Hall of Fame Open, the only ATP World Tour event in the Northeast and the only professional grass court tournament in the Americas. Todd was a top-ranked player on the ATP World Tour in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. He achieved a career high ranking of world No. 4, reached the finals at the US Ope...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is a discussion on mental contrasting, a self-regulation strategy related to goal-achievement based on the work of Gabriele Oettingen. Mental contrasting and WOOP (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan) help individuals establish plans for the obstacles that they expect to encounter. In this conversation, Brian and Josh discuss how this concept can be applied to tennis matches and review some of the common obstacles that tennis players will inevitably encounter. To learn more about Josh and...
Dec 03, 2021•55 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast 
