Secrets to Understanding Momentum

with Emma Doyle,
Tennis Australia High Performance Coach;
ACE Coach Education and Sports NLP Director;
United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) - Professional 1;
Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Performance Coach;
Emotional Intelligence and Neuro-Linguistic Programing (NLP) Practitioner;
2006 Australian Junior Fed Cup Captain and Junior World Team Captain (2003-2006);
20+ years of experience in teaching, coaching, and mentoring (coached at Bollettieri, Saddlebrook and Evert tennis academies);
played collegiately (#1 singles/doubles, MVP) at Middle Tennessee State University

Tennis players often play the same way regardless of the score. The majority of players will use the same tactics and exhibit the same tendencies regardless of the situation in a tennis match.

In this video, Tennis Australia High Performance Coach Emma Doyle shows a more powerful way to navigate a tennis match by recognizing that there is always momentum within a match either working for or against the player. Momentum is that invisible force that allows you to win several points in a row when you are on a roll, and conversely works against you when your opponent gains the upper hand. Doyle shares how to adjust your tactics and mentality to extend momentum when it is working in your favor, and stop momentum when it is working against you.

Mental Approach to Managing Points

Throughout the training, Coach Doyle maintains a strong focus on managing your mental state during point play. You'll learn how to put more emphasis on how a point is played, rather than the outcome of a point. Doyle shows players how to filter all the things that are out of their control so that they can focus on what they can influence in a match.

Starting Momentum

Coach Doyle shows how to manage points at the beginning of a match and when the score is close. Players will learn:

• The concept of hitting 'through a tunnel' and centering the opponent.
• How to develop rallies and shot tolerance in the tunnel area before going for more aggressive shots.

Stopping Momentum

When a player is losing, Coach Doyle shows tactics for how to regain momentum, including:

• How to slow down points and plays so the player gains mental composure.
• Simplifying decision-making and tactics in a match when momentum is working against the player.

Steering Momentum

When a player is ahead in the score, the momentum is with them. In this situation, the player should want to take advantage of this momentum and maintain their lead in the match. Coach Doyle gives powerful insight on strategies which can steer the play in your favor:

• Serving strategies for playing the first shot after a return.
• How players should adjust their baseline play when ahead in a match.

Tiebreak Play and Team Activities

In a tiebreak, there can be many momentum changes within a short period of time. As players play practice tiebreakers, Doyle guides them through point play and adjusting their mental approach based on the score.

During the last segment, Coach Doyle shows drills to practice playing under pressure:

• Butterfly Drill - 4-8 players. Players learn to how to focus on more than one thing at once.
• Rally, Seek, Destroy - 3-8 players - Players learn how to build points and work on the pressure of having to win multiple points in a row.
• Fast Fifteen - Players experience competitive games, sometimes with unfair rules, and learn to play under adverse conditions.

Match tactics must be adjusted based on the game score, external circumstances, and changes in conditions. In this video, Coach Doyle shows you exactly how to deal with momentum changes throughout a match.

44 minutes. 2019.