Grit: A Case Study of Felix Auger-Aliassime's 2022 Season
On Saturday, Felix Auger-Aliassime's 16-match win streak ended at the hands of Holger Rune in the semifinals of the Paris Master's. It...
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Zack Ohlin
Jan 28, 20215 min read
Scoring Systems and External Motivation in Tennis
Much has been written by academics and sports psychologists about internal versus external sources of motivation and the roles they play...
Zack Ohlin
Aug 13, 20207 min read
The Role of the Coach: Teaching vs. Training
This is the third part in a series on the differences between teaching and training. Part one (The Distinction) is here. Part two (When...
Zack Ohlin
Jul 18, 20205 min read
Teaching vs. Training: When to do What
Last week, I wrote about the difference between learning/teaching (changing a motor pattern) and training (refining a motor pattern)....
Zack Ohlin
Jul 5, 20203 min read
Learning vs. Training: The Distinction
If we really wanted to divide athletes into two groups, we could make the argument that there are thinkers, and there are grinders. This...
Zack Ohlin
Jun 27, 20204 min read
Smart Tennis: Playing Both Sides of the Ball
As coaches, we often talk about players being smart. But what does that mean? Is it that they are creative or crafty? Is it that they...
Zack Ohlin
Jun 14, 20205 min read
On the Use of Questions When Coaching
Questioning is a valuable tool for any coach – the benefits are numerous and include increased retention, a greater sense of ownership,...
Zack Ohlin
Jun 6, 20206 min read
Fostering Connection and Competitiveness in the Era of COVID-19
As many parts of the world are loosening the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, most competitive athletes are returning to training,...
Zack Ohlin
May 30, 20205 min read
Planning for Performance: Designing Training Sessions for Maximum Improvement
As mentioned in last week’s post on designing training blocks, the quality of the work we do on court is often more important than the...
Zack Ohlin
May 23, 20205 min read
Planning for Performance: Designing Training Blocks for Maximum Improvement
Proper planning prevents poor performance, especially in the case of high-level tennis. Athletes are always in competition with one...
Zack Ohlin
May 9, 20206 min read
Developing Confident Net Players: The Three F's
I suspect that most everyone reading this agrees on the importance of developing net skills. I won’t bore you with reasons why, but I...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 25, 20205 min read
Considerations When Training the First 4 Shots
Few topics have captivated the coaching world in recent years like that of the “First 4 Shots”, popularized by Craig O’Shannessy. It’s...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 21, 20201 min read
Interview with Zack Ohlin on Teach Like a Champion
Last week, I was interviewed by Doug Lemov, Managing Director of Uncommon Schools and Teach Like a Champion. Doug is an author and expert...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 18, 20204 min read
Training Depth is Overrated
Yes, I said it. But before you accuse me of heresy, note the phrasing – I didn’t say that depth is overrated, just that training it is....
Zack Ohlin
Apr 13, 20201 min read
Interview with Zack Ohlin on Tennis 2020 with Duey Evans
Last week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Duey Evans on his show Real Talk. We discussed what I'm doing to help our athletes...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 11, 20205 min read
Success Quality #3: Maturity
Life as an aspiring professional athlete differs from regular life in many ways, and one of them is the requirement to be among the top...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 8, 20206 min read
Success Quality #2: Fast Learner
In Part 1 of the Success Qualities, I discussed the importance of being a hard worker. I chose to put it first because I believe it is...
Zack Ohlin
Apr 5, 20204 min read
Success Quality #1: Hard Worker
Hard work is the factor most commonly quoted when discussing what differentiates high achievers. However, I believe the devil is in the...
Zack Ohlin
Mar 30, 20202 min read
Introduction to the Success Qualities
The legendary Canadian coach Louis Cayer often says, “I coach people tennis — not tennis to people.” The message is clear: our primary...
Zack Ohlin
Mar 30, 20202 min read
Performance Tennis During COVID-19
Coaches, This is, it goes without saying, a challenging time for both us and our players. But while the world is in crisis, it’s...
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