Tennis IQ Podcast

Ep. 150 - How to Train Decision Making

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the 150th episode of the podcast, Brian and Josh discuss how decision making on court can be improved through intentional decision training. The co...

Ep. 149 - Kollman Gearhart - Who Are You Built to Be?

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kollman Gearhart is the founder and driving force behind the BTB Project (Built to Be Project), a dynamic podcast that empowers listeners to discover ...

Best of Tennis IQ: Ep. 30 - Marius Barnard and Self-Belief

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marius Barnard is a former ATP pro who spent 13 years on the tour, winning 6 titles, and reaching the men’s doubles quarterfinals at both Wimbledon ...

Ep. 148 - US Open 2023 Recap | Gauff, Djokovic, Sabalenka, Medvedev

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2023 U.S. Open where Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil...

Ep. 147 - Using a Brief Serve Intervention to Improve Performance

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss a recent case study “Serving a Brief-Contact Cognitive Behavior Therapy Intervention” by Zoe Louise Moffat...

Ep. 146 - Visualization for Decision Making

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Visualization has many uses for improving tennis performance, and in this episode, Brian and Josh review how visualization can aid and train better de...

Ep. 145 - The Connection Between Performance and Behavior

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the connection between a tennis player’s behavior and their performance. This conversation started with a qu...

Ep. 144 - The Benefits of Optimism

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the benefits of optimism for tennis players. The co-hosts start by defining the differences between optimism a...

Ep. 143 - Believing in Yourself When You Aren't Getting Results

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss what tennis players can do when they feel that they're doing all the right things, but not getting the res...

Ep. 142 - Wimbledon 2023 - Alcaraz, Djokovic, Vondrousova, Jabeur, Eubanks

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. On the women’s side Marketa Vondrousova defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4, and ...

Ep. 141 - Dan McCain and 7 Shot Tennis

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh interviewed Dan McCain. Dan is an author and a former college coach and director who now serves as the Head Coach and ...

Ep. 140 - Good Questions for Post-Match Reflection

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss developing a process to reflect on and learn from matches. The co-hosts review various questions that tennis p...

Ep. 139 - How to Use Quiet Eye Theory to Improve Your Game

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss quiet eye theory and gaze control as a means of helping players perform better physically and mentally. The di...

Ep. 138 - The Psychological Profile of Champions

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh review a research article entitled “Building A Psychological Profile of Olympic Medalists and World Champions” by ...

Ep. 137 - Roland Garros 2023 | The Locker Room Power of Djokovic and Swiatek

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2023 French Open. On the women’s side Iga Świątek defeated Karolína Muchová 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win the...

Ep. 136 - The Challenge of Changing Surfaces

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the various challenges of changing surfaces. In a comparable way to how professional players change surfaces t...

Ep. 135 - The Preparation Episode

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh answer a listener question about creating an episode that can be listened to prior to matches. The co-hosts discussed ...

Ep. 134 - Finishing Matches

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the difficulties faced in finishing sets and matches. The co-hosts examine why these moments in matches are so...

Ep. 133 - Using Rules to Make Better Decisions

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh examine how tennis players can utilize rules for making better decisions during matches. The co-hosts discuss ways tha...

Ep. 132 - Embrace Uncertainty to Become a Better Player

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can embrace and accept uncertainty. Uncertainty is an inevitability in tennis and in life, ...

Ep. 131 - Why Practicing Acceptance Is Important

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss why the concept of acceptance is necessary within a tennis player’s development, and during matches. They re...

Ep. 130 - The Good and Bad of Perfectionism in Tennis

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss perfectionism in tennis. Due to the individual nature of the sport as well as the demands and time requirement...

Ep. 129 - The Value of Consistency in All Things

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the benefits of consistency in tennis. Oftentimes, consistency is brought up in reference to players being abl...

Ep. 128 - Suffering Is a Key to Success

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the philosophical concept of suffering and how it applies to persevering and focus in a match. The more that p...

Ep. 127 - Carrie Jackson on Mindset and Injury Recovery

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Carrie Jackson is a performance and mental training expert, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, and the author of On Top of Your Game: Mental S...

Ep. 126 - Perform Better Through Discipline

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how discipline with good habits tend to decreases over time. The co-hosts review why this can happen to player...

Special Announcement from Josh and Brian

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are very excited to announce a new model of support for the Tennis IQ Podcast through Patreon along with some great benefits! Fan level - $3 per ...

Ep. 125 - How to Perform Well in Team Tryouts

19 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can excel in tryout situations. These tryouts could include evaluations for high school, co...

Ep. 124 - Differences Between Practice and Competition

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the psychological differences between practice and playing competitive matches. Often, players will report tha...

Ep. 123 - You gotta relax! Building body awareness through relaxation training

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss developing body awareness via relaxation training. Many tennis players experience physical tightness while pla...

Ep. 122 - Themes from Break Point on Netflix

26 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh review Break Point, a recent documentary series on Netflix about the ATP and WTA tours. The co-hosts discussed multipl...

Ep. 121 - Why You Should Play the Back Draw

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh answer a recent listener question about playing in the back draws of tournaments. The co-hosts discuss some of the mai...

Ep. 120 - Getting Through Fatigue/Pain in Matches

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss strategies that tennis players can utilize when they’re playing while tired or in pain. Strategies discussed...

Ep. 119 - Australian Open 2023 Recap | Thoughts on Sabalenka, Rybakina, Djokovic, and Tsitsipas

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2023 Australian Open. Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the women's singles cha...

Ep. 118 - Adopting a Beginner's Mind

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the idea of approaching situations with a “beginner's mind”. This concept was discussed in depth in the bo...

Ep. 117 - Improving Your Game by Increasing Self-Awareness

22 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the Resonance Performance Model as a way for tennis players to increase self-awareness and improve aspects of ...

Ep. 116 - The Value of Good Mistakes

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the value of making good mistakes. The co-hosts reviewed what they mean by “good mistakes” and how they di...

Ep. 115 - The Importance of Developing Your Character

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss why tennis players should prioritize developing good character and make it an explicit goal of their training....

Ep. 114 - The Wisdom of Nick Saviano

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Widely regarded as one of the world’s preeminent tennis coaches and experts in the field of coaching education, Nick Saviano emphasizes the importan...

Ep. 113 - The Psychology of Doubles

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the psychology of doubles. This topic was addressed in one of the first episodes of the podcast, episode 9, wh...

Ep. 112 - The Dangers of Being Judgmental

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the dangers of being judgmental. Tennis players have the tendency to be judgmental about a number of different...

Ep. 111 - Make Learning Your Top Priority

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can prioritize learning and developing their game instead of just focusing on results. The ...

Ep. 110 - Tennis as a Fighting Sport

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss tennis as a fighting sport and as a combat sport. This conversation was inspired by The Fighter’s Mind, a bo...

Ep. 109 - Brian Teacher and Using Technology to Improve Your Game

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Teacher is a former top professional tennis player and coach as well as the founder of the Full Court Tennis app. As a player, Brian won the 198...

Ep. 108 - Using Visualization to Improve Performance

06 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can utilize visualization as part of their overall training. Previously, in episode 18, the...

Ep. 107 - Max Newlon and Training Your Attention with FocusCalm

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Max Newlon is the President of BrainCo USA. Max spent several years working in top hospitals conducting research on the impact of neuro-technology and...

Ep. 106 - The Best Version of You

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can focus more on who they are becoming as a way to take pressure off of themselves. The co...

Ep. 105 - When to Copy the Pros

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss whether club players and juniors should emulate professional tennis players. Topics discussed include how to l...

Ep. 104 - Self-Compassion Is Good for You!

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-compassion. Self-compassion is a process that tennis players can/should embrace during matches, practices...

Ep. 103 - Mylène Steinhardt and Maximizing Your Energy

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mylène Steinhardt is a NASM & PPSC certified health coach who specializes in helping high-school and college tennis players make the cut by round...

Ep. 102 - Reflections on Roger Federer and Serena Williams

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the careers of Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Both players have recently announced their retirements from ...

Ep. 101 - US Open 2022 Recap | Alcaraz, Ruud, Świątek, and Jabeur

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the 2022 US Open. Iga Świątek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6(5) to win the women's singles championship while ...

Ep. 100 - Answering Your Questions on Our 100th Episode!

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For this milestone episode, Brian and Josh answered various questions from listeners of the podcast and shared feedback from listeners in different pa...

Ep. 99 - The Gold Medal Profile and Improving Your Mental Game

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Natalie Durand-Bush is a sport psychology professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. She specializes in mental skills ...

Ep. 98 - A Strengths Based Approach to Tennis

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss taking a strengths-based approach to tennis. This episode was inspired by a paper titled “The Strengths-Base...

Ep. 97 - UTR and Aspiring College Tennis Players

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Universal Tennis Rating, more commonly known as UTR, has become ubiquitous in tennis over the last several years, and it has been especially prominent...

Ep. 96 - The Art of Playing Badly Well

14 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh reflect on a quote by golf legend Jack Nicklaus: “The worse you’re performing, the more you must work mentally and...

Ep. 95 - Playing Against an Injured Opponent

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Brian and Josh discuss how to handle playing an injured opponent. The co-hosts review various mental challenges related to playing an ...

Ep. 94 - Integrating Mental Skills into Practice

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how to integrate mental skills into practice. A number of strategies are covered that players and coaches can ...

Ep. 93 - Howard Bryant on the Mental Game in Tennis, and more

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 92 - Wimbledon 2022 | Perspectives from Rybakina, Djokovic, Jabeur, and Kyrgios

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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&...

Ep. 91 - Triumph and Disaster

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"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 Cent...

Ep. 90 - The Value of Mini-Wins

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the concept of mini-wins and mini-celebrations. Tennis players can look to celebrate controllable sources of “...

Ep. 89 - Thoughts on Playing in Extreme Heat

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh respond to a listener question about playing in the extreme heat. Topics discussed include the importance of preparati...

Ep. 88 - Strategies For Automatic Negative Thoughts

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-talk strategies to handle Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT’s). Certain strategies mentioned were inspir...

Ep. 87 - Lessons from Roland Garros 2022 via Swiatek, Gauff, Nadal, and Ruud

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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-...

Ep. 86 - How To Deal With Slumps

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 85 - Marcus Daniell and Making an Impact

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Daniell is a professional tennis player from New Zealand and the Founder & Executive Director of High Impact Athletes (https://highimpactat...

Ep. 84 - Brian Park and Apeak Tennis

22 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 83 - The Rise of Carlos Alcaraz

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Ep. 82 - Thoughts on Parenting Young Tennis Players

08 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of parenting tennis players, and offer some good practices to assist in the journey. Topics rev...

Ep. 81 - Why is it so hard to close matches?

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the challenges of closing out a match. Topics reviewed include loss aversion, the benefits of practicing being...

Ep. 80 - Swupnil Sahai and A.I. in Tennis

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

Ep. 79 - Self-talk Strategies To Optimize Your Internal Dialogue

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss self-talk strategies for tennis players to optimize their internal dialogue. Strategies discussed include util...

Ep. 78 - Cheating in Tennis

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 77 - Why Tennis Is So Tough | The Unique Challenges Of The Sport

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the unique challenges of tennis. Topics discussed include a conversation on why the scoring system in tennis c...

Ep. 76 - How To Play At The Highest Level of Tennis IQ

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 75 - What To Do When You Are Supposed To Win/Lose

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 74 - Playing From Behind | Lessons from Barty, Djokovic, Medvedev, and Nadal

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players should handle trying to come back when they are losing. Topics discussed include learning f...

Ep. 73 - Building Your Confidence

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can systematically develop their confidence. Topics discussed include how to set up reminde...

Ep. 72 - Finding Your Optimal Intensity

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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-host...

Ep. 71 - Australian Open 2022 Recap | Barty & Nadal

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 Nada...

Ep. 70 - Thoughts On Being Coachable

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 bac...

Ep. 69 - Responding to a Tough Loss

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 68 - What It Means to Be Competitive

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh explore what it truly means for an athlete to be "competitive," and misconceptions surrounding the concept. The co-hos...

Ep. 67 - The Best of 2021

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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....

Ep. 66 - How to Deal with Self-Limiting Beliefs

19 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses examples of self-limiting beliefs that tennis players place on themselves and some strategies for dealing with those beliefs. E...

Ep. 65 - Todd Martin on Passion and Focus

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 64 - How To Use Mental Contrasting To Perform Better

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a discussion on mental contrasting, a self-regulation strategy related to goal-achievement based on the work of Gabriele Oettingen. Me...

Ep. 63 - Getting to Know Brian Lomax

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Josh interviews Brian about his start in tennis, how he transitioned careers to sport psychology, and how he approaches working with ...

Ep. 62 - Getting to Know Josh Burger

21 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian interviews Josh about his background and philosophy as a sport psychology professional. Josh is the founder and sport psycholog...

Ep. 61 - The Performance Equation

13 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the “Performance Equation” inspired by Tim Gallwey: Actual Performance = Potential - Interference. Tim Gal...

Ep. 60 - Mardy Fish Documentary on Netflix

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the recently released Netflix documentary on Mardy Fish "Untold: Breaking Point".  This documentary tells...

Ep. 59 - The Importance of Full Focus

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss the topic of full focus. The ability to fully focus during tennis matches is often cited as a critical factor ...

Ep. 58 - Learning to Love the Stress of Competition

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss how tennis players can learn to enjoy the stress of competition. The co-hosts talk about the need to embrace t...

Ep. 57 - Improving Your Tennis Team's Performance

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh discuss tennis performance in various team settings such as adult teams, college teams, and high school teams. Within ...

Ep. 56 - David Sammel and Developing Your Locker Room Power

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David Sammel is a world prominent tennis coach based in the UK who has coached dozens of professional players and international junior players. He’s...

Ep. 55 - The Yips and Double Faults

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode includes a brief discussion on the yips in tennis. The yips has been described as “a sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute ...

Ep. 54 - US Open 2021 | Lessons from Radacanu, Fernandez, Medvedev, and Djokovic

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Josh and Brian review some of the bigger stories from the 2021 US Open through the lens of sport psychology. First, they discuss Emma Raducanu’s vic...

Ep. 53 - How to Deal With Losing

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Brian and Josh review how to deal with losing. Losing is a necessary and inevitable part of competition and the development process. ...