Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Dario Novak.Dario has for the past 15 years attempted to translate scientific findings into practical advice and have worked with the likes of Christina McHale, Marta Kostyuk, Donna Vekic and Borna Coric.

You’ll get to know:

• Why the split step is important
• 3 different types of Split Step
• How to practice the Split Step

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps:
01:00 The studies on the Split Step  
05:10 The reason to pay attention to the Split Step
07:45 The differences in Split Steps in tennis
11:30 Tools to practice the spilt step
14:30 Basketball, jumping rope and music
16:00 How to use a basketball to better the Split Step
18:15 Using a jumping rope to improve the Split Step
19:30 Practicing the Split Step on after the serve
20:45 Practicing the Split Step during ground strokes
23:00 Using video and imitating the pro’s
24:40 The example of Caroline Garcia
26:40 Believe in your instinct
27:00 Defining a proper workload
28:10 Little steps, watch the ball
30:20 How pro players and recreational players watch the ball
32:00 The power of single words
33:30 You have got to have a long-term plan

Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Freddie Nielsen. Freddie turned pro in 2001 and is still an active player on the doubles circuit. At the same time, he is coaching Swedish youngster Mikael Ymer and stepped in as Davis Cup Captain for Denmark at the end of 2019.

You’ll get to know:

• The importance of a Playing Philosophy
• The danger of short-term Ranking Goals
• Why “Work Hard” might be a misleading advice

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps:
01:00 Freddie’s value set
05:45 Collaboration with coaches
08:15 Finding a good coaching collaboration
10:45 How to Coach Freddie Nielsen
13:00 The importance of communication skills as a Tennis Coach
14:10 Why Freddie decided to pursue a professional career in tennis
16:00 Being a tennis coach
17:00 How Freddie got involved as a Tennis Coach with Mikael Ymer
18:15 The biggest lesson of beginning to Coach for Freddie
21:00 Overcommunicate in the start of a coaching relation
22:00 The importance of a philosophy as tennis player
24:45 Why ranking goals don’t make sense
26:30 Let’s not all be the same
28:10 Freddie’s decision to accept the position as DC Captain
30:40 Be in a more professional environment
33:40 I’m an over achiever
35:20 Stubbornness
37:00 The process is the best way to be results-oriented
42:00 Find a way
43:30 The danger of short-term ranking goals
48:30 Freddie’s excitement about tennis
49:30 The importance of diet
50:15 Work right > work hard (Feeling the ball)
52:20 Doing is more important than being motivated
55:30 What quality of life is
56:20 Decisions are not motivated by money
56:45 Mom, dad and Christian Engell
59:15 The results can’t make up for compromised values
61:30 Freddie Nielsen’s advice to players, Parents and Coaches

Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Nick Saviano. Nick has more than 35 years of experience as a coach working with ATP and WTA players including Grand Slam Winners and World Number 1’s. He was the Director of Coaching at the USTA for 14 years before setting up his Academy, the Saviano High Performance Tennis, which he is still running to this day

You’ll get to know:

• How to guarantee success
• How nobody is a natural Tennis Player
• How to build around on-court personality

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps:
01:00 A sacred trust
05:30 Guaranteeing success
08:20 What to focus on during a match
11:30 The difference between nerves and fear
13:00 From Vision to personalized tactics
16:45 Build around the on-court personality
19:00 Tennis specific athleticism
21:30 Movement patterns and overloading
24:15 Clarifying “Stealing candy from babies” quote
26:00 Patience and perseverance
27:45 The journey is the reward
29:00 No excellence without letting go of the fear of mistakes
30:00 Making the most out of the journey 
32:00 Tomorrow will be your today
34:00 I understand that I’m not going to be perfect
35:00 The biggest waste of time is to not seize the moment
35:40 Nobody is “just” a natural tennis player
38:00 You’re not a tennis player you’re whole life
38:45 Nick Saviano’s goal with every player
40:50 On Serena Williams’s greatness
43:00 Dick Gould, John Wooden & Stephen Covey
44:10 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis players
47:15 Nick Saviano’s advice to tennis coaches

Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, in this episode you get to listen to Beni Linder. Beni has been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Swiss Tennis Federation for more than 15 years and worked with everyone from grassroots to the very top players of tennis.

You’ll get to know:

• How to build on strengths
• How to adapt to the present
• Why Tennis is like Formula 1

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps

01:00 The Airplane project
03:40 Winning through intensity
06:50 Building on strengths
09:30 Integrating parents
11:30 Having players walk away with soft skills
14:00 We adapt to the present
18:30 Guiding players in their long-term development
20:00 Managing the 15 % strength gain
23:30 The race for points
25:00 Tennis is like formula 1
29:00 Beni’s advice to himself 
30:00 Softskills in high performance
30:45 Grit and Growth Mindset
31:30 Too much volume with no intensity
32:30 It’s about the player, not the coach
33:00 Are we getting the practice court right?
33:30 Awareness
34:00 Beni Linder’s advice for coaches

Enjoy your listen! 

Hi guys, this time around you will get to listen to Brad Gilbert. Brad probably doesn’t need a whole lot of introduction, but in brief highlight he was ranked as high as number 4 in the ATP Rankings. After his playing career he has among others coached Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick while he won his sole Grand Slam and reached number 1 in the world as well as Andre Agassi during 6 of his 8 Grand Slam titles. 

Brad has further written one of the most well-known tennis books “Winning Ugly” and “I’ve got your back”. Currently Brad is commentating on ESPN, coaching local juniors and makes sure to have a hit on the wall several times a week. 

You’ll get to know:

• What we can learn from Nadal & Medvedev 
• Why Djokovic is the new Lendl 
• Why you need to be even keel as a Coach

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps

01:30 Using Nicknames
02:30 The best coaching over dinner
04:00 How players process information
05:30 How the idea of Winning Ugly arose
07:30 What we can learn from Medvedev and Nadal
08:55 How Djokovic is the new Lendl
10:50 How to learn from losses
12:25 The surprising coaching advice from Allan Fox
14:05 Even keel Chivington
15:15 Taking losses harder as a coach than player
16:15 Amazed at the game of tennis
17:45 The luxury of seeing the 3 best ever competing against each other
19:00 Short term memory loss
21:00 Think about today and tomorrow
22:00 Nothing is a given
22:30 Life is like a tennis match
23:30 The match should be the easy part 
24:30 John Wooden25:30 How to learn from other sports
26:15 How to stay updated on Brad Gilbert

Hi guys, this time around you will get to listen to Craig O’Shannessy. Craig analyses tennis strategy and teaches players, coaches and fans patterns of play and the winning percentages that dominate tennis. Craig has among others coached the likes of Amer Delic, Rajeev Ram, Marcel Ilhan and Kevin Anderson. He was a part of Team Djokovic from 2017-2019 and is currently a part of the team around Jan Lennart Struff.

You’ll get to know:

• The misconception of 0-4
• What U12-U18 Junior Tennis Data looks like
• Why a higher 1st serve % is not always better 

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps

01:20 The History of Data in tennis
06:30 The old and new mantra for tennis coaches
09:05 Why 0-4 is so important
11:50 Switzerland vs Tuscany
13:50 It’s not ONLY about 0-4
15:20 Why a higher 1^st serve percentage is not always better
18:50 3 shot rallies and approaching the net
22:50 Data in Junior Tennis U12-U18
24:50 Like a radio wave opposed to a shockwave
27:10 Permission to miss
31:35 The misconception about 0-4
32:50 Bridging the gap between the mental and the strategy
33:50 Work on patterns rather than shots in isolation
35:00 The longer the rally goes the more even the outcome will be
36:20 Novak loosing 9+ rallies when he won Australian Open 2018
37:05 The first 2 touches are everything
37:50 Anytime you can upgrade a backhand to a forehand you do it
38:50 We gave up on serve and volley, serve and volley never gave up on us
40:20 Winning percentages at the baseline, net + serve and volley
42:35 The run around forehand effect
44:50 Open by Agassi, Rafa by Rafa
45:20 Serving wide in deuce side
47:10 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Coaches
47:55 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Players
48:50 Craig O’Shannessy’s advice for Tennis Parents
49:50 Where to stay updated on Craig O’Shannesy

Hi guys, hope you are all continuously safe, healthy and happy!This time around you will get an insight into the thoughts of Wim Fissette. Wim started his coaching journey on the tour with Kim Clijsters and have for the past decade been coaching the likes of Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta, Angelique Kerber and is currently the coach of 2 time Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka.

You’ll get to know:

• How he applies Data in his Coaching
• Why Technical execution comes 3rd 
• Why Women’s Tennis is getting more vertical

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps
01:00 SAP Tennis Analytics
03:20 How Wim use statistics as a Tennis Coach
04:11 What the practice court looks like with Wim Fissette
05:20 Balancing working on a tennis players strengths and weaknesses
06:46 How Wim overinformed Kerber
08:00 Wim Fissette’s learnings from on court coaching
11:10  When it’s time to make a change with a player
12:53 Do you follow the data or do you follow your feeling
14:40 It’s about details with the best tennis players in the world
16:12 Mentality, feet and technical execution
17:45 How Wim Helped Simona understand that she was a top 10 player
19:44 It’s the players responsibility
21:09 You don’t control how well your opponent will play
22:54 What the Coach Program Advisory Committee is all about
25:05 Exciting time for WTA Tennis Ahead
26:05 Women’s tennis is getting more vertical because of slow courts
27:00 How to approach getting players to play more vertically
29:10 Don’t do spectacular drills – Keep it simple
29:50 Separate your professional and personal life
30:40 How Victoria Azarenka got Wim back on the Tour
33:45 Wim Fissette’s advice for Tennis Coaches
34:40 Wim Fissette’s advice for Players
35:30 How to keep updated on Wim

Hi guys, during these Corona Times I have been fortunate to get the opportunity to listen and learn from some very clever and experienced Coaches. This time around you will get an insight into the thoughts of Dirk Hordorff. Dirk has coached a multitude of players but to name a few he coached Rainer Schuettler during all of his career. He has coached both Lars Burgsmüller and Yen-Hsun Lu for 10 years and was with Janko Tipsarevic in the 2 years where he finished inside the top 10. Besides his strides as a tennis coach Dirk owns 2 real estate companies as well as a Sports Management Company and is the Vice President of the Global Tennis Coaches Association. Currently Dirk is coaching Richardas Berankis.

You’ll get to know:

• How Trust is a prerequisite for honesty
• The Steps of managing a top 100 ATP Player
• How Data is a part of the equation

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps

01:20 The Steps of Creating a long-term Coaching relation
04:20 Balancing being respectful and honest
05:10 Trust as a prerequisite to being honest
06:25 Advantages for top 100 players sharing a Coach
09:30 Why top 10 players need their own coach
10:25 The first part of Dirk’s life
11:05 How business and tennis are the same
11:50 How tennis players should go about hiring Coaches
13:20 Why Dirk started a management company
14:40 The steps of managing an ATP Player
16:10 Why Dirk quit his office job and became a Tennis Coach
17:45 Rafa’s Character at 16 Years old
21:05 How Dirk didn’t do his job well enough
23:10 How Data is a part of the equation
24:50 What excites Dirk within tennis
26:15 Novak hasn’t got the respect he deserves
27:40 Dirk’s thoughts on the Corona virus situation
31:25 How Rafa tried to help Janko
33:35 People who are successful can better tell you what to do
34:30 Dirk Hordorff’s advice to tennis coaches
35:35 Dirk Hordofrf’s advice for Tennis Players
36:37 Dirk Hordofrf’s advice for Tennis Parents

• The steps of Creating a Coaching Relation
• Why Players need to Play their game
• How Tennis Players are a Reflection of Society

It’s Corona-time globally and I wish all of you and your families happiness and health through these times. Robert Davis asked me half a year ago who was on the top of my Wishlist for a Podcast interview. I promptly answered Magnus Norman, and that is exactly who you guys will get to listen to in this episode.

You’ll get to know:

• Balancing being a good listener and at the same time telling the truth
• How Magnus keeps a match journal for Stan
• Magnus’ thoughts on coaches longevity

Enjoy the show!

Timestamps
01:07 Corona Virus
02:34 Reasoning for the Good to Great name
04:12 Inspiration from Jim Collins
05:13 Choosing the coaches for the academy
07:16 The brutal facts of running a Tennis Academy
08:24 Being a good listener and telling the truth
11:09 It’s the player who makes the coach
12:37 Match Journal for Stan Wawrinka
15:18 Coaching Stan Wawrinka the 2nd time around
17:00 Lessons from Triathlon
19:10 Longevity as a Tennis Coach
21:40 You can’t accept random mistakes
23:40 Movement patterns
24:30 Difference on tennis now and then
25:07 Tennis has a great future
26:05 New Grand Slam winner in 2020?
27:00 I thought I knew everything 10 years ago
27:25 Principles over method
28:30 Create a team
29:02 Pep Guardiola and John Wooden
30:23 Magnus Norman’s advice for coaches
31:25 Magnus Norman’s advice for players