My Tennis Coaching Podcast

My Tennis Coaching
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Tennis
  • Updated Weekly

The My Tennis Coaching Podcast is a practical, evidence-informed podcast for tennis coaches who want their players to perform in matches not just look good in training. Hosted by Steve Whelan, coach educator, researcher, and founder of My Tennis Coaching, the podcast explores how modern skill acquisition, ecological dynamics, and intelligent practice design can transform the way you coach. Episodes bridge research and real-world coaching, unpacking why traditional drills often fail to transfer and what to design instead. Expect clear explanations, applied examples, coach reflections, and honest conversations about what actually helps players adapt, decide, and compete. This podcast is for coaches who want to: • Design practices that show up on match day • Move beyond technique-first, drill-heavy coaching • Understand learning, not just copy methods • Coach with clarity, confidence, and intent If you’re ready to challenge convention and coach in a way that matches how players really learn, you’re in the right place.

  1. 2d ago

    Why Coaches Defend Drills That Don't Transfer

    🎾 Players look great in practice but struggle in matches? Download the free Practice-to-Match Scorecard and access the mini-course here https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-practice-to-matchplay/ 🏆For one week, Steve Whelan has assessed viral tennis drills for their potential to transfer into match play. The reaction has revealed a deeper tension: what should count as evidence that a practice develops skill?This episode explores representative practice, path dependence, confirmation bias and survivorship bias and explains why immediate improvement, attractive technique and professional-player examples cannot independently establish learning or transfer.Why do tennis players perform well in practice but struggle in matches?Most coaching focuses on technique, drills, and repetition…But that’s not how skill actually develops.On this channel, I break down:• Why tennis practice doesn’t transfer to matches• How to design match-ready sessions• Ecological dynamics & constraints-led coaching (explained simply)• Real coaching examples you can use immediatelyIf you’re a tennis coach who wants players to think, adapt, and perform under pressure, you’re in the right place.🎾 Players look great in practice but struggle in matches? Download the free Practice-to-Match Scorecard and access the mini-course here https://mytenniscoaching.com/tennis-practice-to-matchplay/ 🏆🏆 Join My Tennis Coach Academy:https://mytenniscoaching.comSteve WhelanCoach Developer & Researcher

  2. Aug 11

    The Pseudoscience Problem Taking Over Tennis Coaching

    Tennis social media is increasingly filled with coaching methods described as “research-backed,” “neuroscience-based” or scientifically proven. But what evidence actually supports these claims? Steve Whelan examines how elite-player videos, isolated studies, scientific terminology and personal testimonials can create an illusion of evidence—and why ecological coaching must be held to the same critical standards as every other approach.

  3. Aug 5

    Why Your Players Keep Looking at You During Matches

    Why do tennis players constantly look towards their coach or parent during matches?Steve Whelan explores how excessive instruction and immediate feedback can unintentionally create coach-dependent players. This episode examines the difference between providing answers and helping players become better at perceiving, solving and evaluating problems independently.

  4. Jul 29

    Why Players Look Great in Practice but Struggle in Matches

    Why do tennis players look technically strong in practice but struggle when they compete? Steve Whelan explores the difference between immediate performance and genuine learning—and asks whether conventional tennis practice creates an illusion of progress. In this episode of the My Tennis Coaching Podcast, Steve discusses practice transfer, representative learning environments, perception-action coupling and how coaches can design sessions that prepare players for the real demands of competition.

  5. Jul 22

    The Confidence Myth Behind Basket Feeding

    "We use basket drills to build confidence."It's one of the most common reasons coaches give for feeding balls.Whether it's introducing beginners to tennis or helping elite players "find their rhythm," basket feeding is often defended as a way to increase confidence.But what kind of confidence are we actually developing?In this episode of the My Tennis Coaching Podcast, I challenge one of the biggest justifications for basket drills and explore confidence through the lens of ecological dynamics and skill acquisition.We discuss:🎾 Why confidence is always linked to the environment🎾 The difference between feeling confident in a drill and feeling confident in a match🎾 Why basket drills often create fragile confidence🎾 Confidence vs self-efficacy🎾 Why representative practice builds more transferable confidence🎾 How beginners can develop confidence without removing the game🎾 What coaches should focus on if they want players to trust themselves under pressureThe goal isn't simply to make players feel confident.The goal is to help players become confident solving the real problems that tennis presents.Because confidence developed in one environment doesn't automatically transfer to another.If you want players who are confident in matches—not just in practice—this episode is for you.Why do tennis players perform well in practice but struggle in matches?Most coaching focuses on technique, drills, and repetition…But that’s not how skill actually develops.On this channel, I break down:• Why tennis practice doesn’t transfer to matches• How to design match-ready sessions• Ecological dynamics & constraints-led coaching (explained simply)• Real coaching examples you can use immediatelyIf you’re a tennis coach who wants players to think, adapt, and perform under pressure, you’re in the right place.📩 Get my FREE practice design guide:https://mytenniscoaching.com/serve-return/🎓 Drills to Skills Course: https://mytenniscoaching.com/drills-to-skills-fast-track-to-match-success/🏆 Join My Tennis Coach Academy:https://mytenniscoaching.comSteve WhelanCoach Developer & Researcher

  6. Jul 15

    Why Technique Doesn't Create Skill (And Never Has)

    Can perfect technique create skilled tennis players? For decades, tennis coaching has been built on the assumption that if players can repeat the "correct" technique often enough, skill will eventually emerge. But what if we've got it backwards? In this episode of the My Tennis Coaching Podcast, I explore one of the biggest misconceptions in sport: the belief that technique and skill are the same thing. Drawing on the work of Nikolai Bernstein, ecological dynamics and contemporary skill acquisition research, I explain why movement alone doesn't create performance. We discuss: 🎾 Why technique and skill are fundamentally different🎾 Bernstein's famous "degrees of freedom" problem🎾 Why repetition doesn't guarantee learning🎾 Why copying professional technique often fails🎾 How skilled players adapt rather than reproduce movement🎾 Why variability isn't the enemy of good performance🎾 What coaches should focus on instead of technical perfection The goal of coaching isn't to create players who move identically. It's to develop players who can adapt their movements to solve the constantly changing problems the game presents. Because skill isn't found in the movement itself. It's found in the relationship between the performer and the environment. If you're interested in ecological dynamics, constraints-led coaching, skill acquisition and designing more representative tennis practices, this episode is for you. 🏆 Join My Tennis Coach Academy:https://mytenniscoaching.com #TennisCoaching #SkillAcquisition #EcologicalDynamics #Bernstein #ConstraintsLedApproach #PlayerDevelopment #RepresentativeLearningDesign

  7. Jul 8

    Has the Constraints-Led Approach Created Bad Coaches?

    Has the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) gone too far? A recent LinkedIn post argued that too many coaches are hiding behind constraints-led coaching, becoming "robotic organisers" who simply set up games, ask players to "find a way," and stop coaching altogether. It's a criticism I've heard many times. And interestingly... I actually agree with parts of it. In this episode, I unpack where I think the post raises valid concerns, where I believe it misunderstands the Constraints-Led Approach, and why the real issue isn't ecological dynamics itself—it's how some coaches interpret and apply it. We discuss: • Does CLA encourage coaches to stop coaching?• What is the actual role of the coach in an ecological approach?• Why "just let them self-organise" is a misunderstanding of skill acquisition• The difference between designing constraints and coaching behaviour• Why observation may be the coach's greatest skill• The place of feedback, questioning and instruction within ecological dynamics• Why methodology should never become ideology• What modern coaching really looks like in practice Ultimately, great coaching isn't about blindly following a methodology. It's about understanding how people learn, recognising what performers need in the moment, and designing environments that help them adapt, solve problems and perform under pressure. If you're interested in ecological dynamics, skill acquisition, constraints-led coaching and modern tennis coaching, this episode is for you. 🎓 Join My Tennis Coach Academy:https://mytenniscoaching.com #TennisCoaching #EcologicalDynamics #ConstraintsLedApproach #SkillAcquisition #CoachEducation #PlayerDevelopment

  8. Jul 1

    Did the LTA Accidentally Damage British Tennis Clubs?

    Did the LTA accidentally damage the very club culture it was trying to improve? In this episode, I explore one of the most fascinating papers ever written about British tennis: "Managing Change in British Tennis 1990–2006: Unintended Outcomes of LTA Talent Development Policies" by Robert Lake. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the LTA invested heavily in talent development, club modernisation, coach education and performance programmes. The goal was clear: create more champions and transform British tennis. But what actually happened? Drawing directly from the research, I examine how these policies changed the relationship between the LTA, tennis clubs, coaches and players. We discuss: • The shift from participation to performance• The rise of Club Vision and club assessments• Why traditional club culture came under pressure• The growth of commercial coaching environments• How competition between coaches intensified• Why policy intentions often produce unintended consequences• What ecological dynamics can teach us about organisational change This isn't an attack on the LTA. It's an exploration of what happens when governing bodies attempt to create cultural change from the top down. Because sometimes the most important question isn't whether a policy was well intentioned. It's whether it produced the outcome that was intended. If you're a coach, club leader, parent or anyone interested in the future of tennis, this is a conversation worth having. #TennisCoaching #BritishTennis #LTA #CoachEducation #TennisDevelopment #EcologicalDynamics #SportPolicy #Tennis

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The My Tennis Coaching Podcast is a practical, evidence-informed podcast for tennis coaches who want their players to perform in matches not just look good in training. Hosted by Steve Whelan, coach educator, researcher, and founder of My Tennis Coaching, the podcast explores how modern skill acquisition, ecological dynamics, and intelligent practice design can transform the way you coach. Episodes bridge research and real-world coaching, unpacking why traditional drills often fail to transfer and what to design instead. Expect clear explanations, applied examples, coach reflections, and honest conversations about what actually helps players adapt, decide, and compete. This podcast is for coaches who want to: • Design practices that show up on match day • Move beyond technique-first, drill-heavy coaching • Understand learning, not just copy methods • Coach with clarity, confidence, and intent If you’re ready to challenge convention and coach in a way that matches how players really learn, you’re in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    My Tennis Coaching
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © My Tennis Coaching
  • Show Website
    My Tennis Coaching Podcast

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