Hey everyone,

I've recently felt like my game has hit a plateau in my college tennis career, and the frustration and uncertainty about how to move forward have been real challenges. My Dad—who has been my coach since I first picked up a racquet—and I are going back to basics and developing a comprehensive approach to breaking through my performance ceiling. While I'm still very much on this journey, I wanted to share what we will be working on, hoping it helps other players facing similar challenges.

Confronting My Mental Game

The biggest revelation for me has been how much my thinking is holding me back. In college tennis, the mental aspect becomes increasingly important as the physical and technical gaps between players narrow. Here's what we are implementing:

• A consistent pre-point routine that helps me reset regardless of the previous point's outcome.

• A match journal where I track my thoughts during matches to identify negative patterns.

• Visualization sessions before practice to mentally rehearse executing under pressure.

• Video review focusing specifically on my body language during tough moments.

The change isn't instant, but my college teammates have already commented on how much more composed I appear on court, especially in tight situations. Just last week, I won a three-set match—something that would have been unthinkable a month ago during the depths of my slump.

Developing Strategic Clarity

Dad is helping me realize I've been playing without clear patterns or purpose. We're working on:

• Identifying my genuine strengths (not just what feels good).

• Creating 3-5 reliable patterns of play that I trust under pressure.

• Improving my ability to read opponents early in matches.

• Adjusting my court positioning based on score and momentum.

Our breakthrough moment came when we charted my successful points for several recent matches and discovered I win significantly more points when initiating with my forehand inside-out—a shot I've been avoiding because it feels risky.

Building Overall Athletic Development

Rather than focusing solely on tennis-specific movements, we recognize the value of general strength and power development:

• Compound strength movements like squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups are building a foundation of raw strength.

• Explosive power exercises including medicine ball throws, jumps, and Olympic lift variations translate strength into on-court power.

• Core stability work focusing on anti-rotation and bracing is improving my ability to transfer energy efficiently.

• General conditioning through varied cardio approaches helps my recovery between points and matches.

This approach is liberating because it means I can get meaningful training even in regular gyms when traveling or during off-seasons. The overall athletic development is making me more durable, powerful, and confident on court without getting caught up in overly specialized training.

Quality Over Quantity Practice

With classes, RA duties and team commitments, I can't just add more practice hours. Instead,here is what we are doing:

• Create purposeful practice blocks with specific, measurable goals.

• Simulate pressure situations using scoring games and constraints.

• Record and analyze key practice sessions to ensure quality.

• Track improvement metrics beyond just win-loss records.

Equipment Optimization: Helpful But Not a Magic Bullet

While equipment adjustments are playing a role in my improvement, all of us players need to be constantly reminded that gear changes won't solve fundamental issues:

• Experimenting with different setups is teaching me what works for my game, but won't replace the hard work.

• Finding the right racquet-string combination takes time, but is worth the patience.

• Recognizing when equipment is actually the issue versus when I'm just looking for an easy fix.

• Making incremental adjustments rather than constant major changes.

The biggest lesson here is learning when to tinker and when to focus on my technique and strategy instead. Some players blame their equipment for problems that are actually technical or mental. That said, when I find the right setup for my game, it does remove unnecessary obstacles and lets me focus on executing without distraction.

The Ongoing Journey

Breaking through a plateau isn't a one-time event but an ongoing process. Dad and I are learning to celebrate small victories while maintaining perspective on the bigger journey. The most valuable lesson has been learning how to problem-solve my own game—a skill that will serve me long after college tennis.

I still have days where the breakthrough feels distant, but the structured approach we're developing provides a roadmap when I feel lost. The progress isn't always linear, but it's undeniably upward.

For other players facing similar challenges, I recommend taking a holistic look at your game rather than obsessing over one aspect. Often, the breakthrough comes from an unexpected area—the mental adjustment that allows the technical improvement to emerge, or the strategic clarity that makes physical development meaningful.

My journey continues, but for the first time in a while, I'm excited about the process rather than frustrated by it.

See you on the court,
Cade & Chris

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