THE BLUE ELEPHANT: Helping Players Stay Focused When Distraction Strikes

The Blue Elephant: Helping Players Stay Focused When Distraction Strikes By Paul Dale | The 3AM Tennis Method In my years working with competitive junior players, one of the most common — and frustrating — challenges I face is helping talented tennis players translate their practice performance into real match results. These players can strike the ball cleanly, move well, and execute drills as well as anyone. But when tournament day comes, something unravels. Their game becomes shaky, inconsistent, and the confidence we thought we’d built seems to vanish. One recent case brought this issue sharply into focus. Meet Kevin: A Case of Potential vs. Performance Kevin was one of those players coaches love to have. Technically solid, smart on the court, and coachable. After working together for a few months, his confidence rose, and his results reflected it — finals in two consecutive tournaments. It felt like we were finally turning a corner. Then came the setback. In his next event,...