We’ve all seen it happen, and maybe even experienced it. You are dominating your opponent and suddenly you miss a few “easy” shots. Instinctively, you attempt to fix it, try harder to execute, and then, become hyper-focused on your technique, “I need to get the ball deeper, accelerate more, don’t take such a big backswing.” But, it is this additional focus on your strokes, and even worse, the alarm at the sudden anxiety that has begun to literally electrocute you–an internal “tug of war” that sends you down the rabbit hole.  As I am sure you know, amateur players are not the only one ..read more

Pre-Covid, when we could safely go to the gym, I often remember pulling out my old headphones wondering how they could get so tangled, especially since I know they were definitely not tangled after my last workout. Each time, as I sat in the locker room untangling the cord, I remember being struck how our lives can feel a little like this sometimes. So I decided to do a little research, and, lo and behold, I discovered that there is, in fact, a scientific reason why your headphones get so tangled in your bag. And this little bit of data could be a game-changer for you if you apply this new me ..read more

The King of Clay, Rafa Nadal, won his 13th French Open Title last Sunday and tied Roger Federer’s Grand Slam record of 20. Here’s what Rafa said about it immediately following his win: “When I lose it’s not a drama for me, and when I achieve something important I don’t see it as especially amazing either.” I always try to treat victory and defeat in the same normal, natural way.” This is not conventional. But, neither is Rafa. Rafa’s long time coach, Uncle Tony, famously forced Rafa to carry his own bag and fly in coach, not first class, after he won tournaments. Why? Because he didn’t want Ra ..read more

What’s New? 1-1-1 with Jeff Greenwald Over the next ten weeks I will be sharing ONE Idea that can transform the way you think and live, ONE Analogy to drive it home, and ONE Action you can take to see its effects in your life. These time-tested ideas–drawn from 22 years working in the field of sport psychology, are reflected in this document HERE. We’ll work through one each week so you can see their potential to change your performance on the court and your enjoyment in everyday life. “The future depends on what we do in the present.” -Mahatma Gandhi ONE IDEA: Present vs. Future Do you think ..read more

While waiting to play tennis with a friend yesterday (I’ll call him Shane), I asked him how many of his friends were happy from his perspective. He said, “Most of them, actually.” “Because you probably don’t want to be around negative people, right?” He quickly responded, “Exactly.” But, he did acknowledge that many of the people he used to associate himself with were negative, not for any specific reasons, but he believed because they “were born that way.” I confirmed that there does seem to be a sort of happiness “set point”–the idea that everyone is born with their own level of potential ha ..read more

A few days ago my son, Will, asked me to jump with him on the trampoline. He particularly likes it when I bounce him really high, which I do by using the well-known technique where I jump right next to him just before he lands sending him twice as far into the air as he would go on his own. When he’s in the air, I notice a branch of a tree hanging over the trampoline that is well beyond his reach. Pointing to the branch, I say, “Hey buddy, you see that? Let’s see if you can touch it.” He’s immediately excited. “Ok,” he says very enthusiastically. To be perfectly honest, my son will take a shot ..read more

I know we can all feel low and sometimes our motivation, or even the belief in ourselves, can fluctuate. Clearly, we all have good reason to drag at this moment. But, we don’t have to lay down and give in for too long. That said, if you are struggling, as many people are these days, give yourself that permission, too. I want to share a heart-warming story of a client I worked with who had no real inspiration or belief. A decade ago I asked an 18 year old young man about his aspirations for the future and he said, “I’d be content with a single small apartment, a shower, a microwave and a TV ..read more

With our desire for immediate results and a lack of self-awareness, we often don’t even see the learning opportunities in front of our eyes. Engaging in the learning process is a critical step toward achieving goals on the tennis court.  Recently, I was practicing my serve for an upcoming tournament. On the court next to me was a woman in her forties also hitting buckets of serves. However, what particularly stuck out was how she was responding to each serve. I quickly became intrigued. I noticed that when she missed her serve—even just by an inch or two—she would hang her head and then s ..read more

In the near future, perhaps sometime next month or early June, this first wave of Covid will be behind us. This will be a relief for everybody. Will you be depleted and burned out when you re-emerge? Or, will you have a new appreciation for the little things in life, including your relationships with friends and family, and, of course, the game of tennis? One crucial factor that will help you not only to survive, but even thrive, is resiliency. It’s easy to think that people are either resilient or not. But, in reality, everyday, in any moment, you can choose to BE resilient. And, amazingly ..read more

This morning, as I was staring down the rabbit hole of a minimum of two more months with two home-schooled children living in my home 24/7, I felt that had a choice to make. Would l let the heavy blanket of despair envelope me and hold me in a state of inaction or would I choose to be proactive and engage? What does this time mean to you? Other than staying safe and healthy, and staying connected to your friends and family, how are you viewing this experience? Is it an unfortunate disaster? An unfair inconvenience? A blow that knocks you off the ladder you were climbing? An intolerable level o ..read more