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. 5d ago

    How Ecological Coaches Actually Change Tennis Technique

    🎾 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/ 🏆Ecological dynamics is often accused of ignoring tennis technique and biomechanics. But ecological coaches do not abandon movement they investigate why particular movement solutions emerge.Inspired by a recent conversation with Wayne Elderton, Steve Whelan explores how intention, attention, anxiety, physical capacity and practice design can shape the technique we observe, and why describing a movement is not the same as diagnosing its cause.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/🎾 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. Sep 2

    How I Coach a Complete Tennis Beginner Without Teaching Strokes First

    🎾 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/ 🏆Can ecological dynamics really be used with complete tennis beginners?Steve Whelan walks through the first twoweeks he would design for an adult who has never played tennis explaining how he scales the court, manipulates constraints, guides attention and develops functional tennis skills without teaching isolated strokes first.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/🎾 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

  3. Aug 26

    Five Things Tennis Coaches Confuse With Evidence

    🎾 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/ 🏆Tennis coaches regularly defend their methods through experience, successful players, longevity, tradition and popularity. But what do these arguments actually demonstrate?Steve Whelan examines five things tennis coaches frequently mistake for proof and explains the difference between observation, immediate performance, learning, causation and 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.📩 Get my FREE practice design guide:https://mytenniscoaching.com/serve-return/🎾 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

  4. Aug 19

    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

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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

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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
    103
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © My Tennis Coaching
  • Show Website
    My Tennis Coaching Podcast

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