PODCAST

The Grey Zone

Zack Ohlin & Alastair Millar

Two friends discuss coaching high performance tennis.

sports tennis

All Episodes

50:25

The 4 Factor Model of Player Development

The Grey Zone ·

2024/06/20

And more crazy ideas...4:00 - Feeding in group sessions16:00 - The 4 Factor Model36:45 - Coach self-confidence and insecurity

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49:17

What is leadership? How do we get better at it?

The Grey Zone ·

2024/04/23

Happy New Year! In our first episode of 2024, we tackle leadership: how we define it, what makes it good or bad, and how we can get better at it. Enjoy!

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38:42

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

The Grey Zone ·

2023/12/25

Happy Holidays! We got together, late as always, to discuss how to plan your training blocks, how your coaching philosophy influences your players, and the benefits of structured coaching vs. unstructured play. Enjoy!00:00 Planning sessions and blocks11:05 Structured vs. unstructured practice20:40 The influence of a coach's ideology29:50 Players who decide they no longer need coaching

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50:06

Our Best Episode Ever?

The Grey Zone ·

2023/10/13

Or just our nerdiest. Open vs. closed skill development, non-linear pedagogy, training decision-making, and whether it's more important to be consistent or to have weapons.0:00 - Non-linear pedagogy & open/closed skill development29:30 - Developing smart players39:45 - Consistency vs. power

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38:39

Types of Training & Ethical Responsibilities

The Grey Zone ·

2023/09/29

Season 2 is here! In which we continue to delve off topic, touching on but rarely answering a variety of questions, such as:How much of an athlete's training should be 4 to a court, 2 to a court or individual?How do you go about welcoming someone new to your program?What are the ethics of communicating with parents and coaches?Enjoy!

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37:03

U12 Technical Development & The First Four Shots

The Grey Zone ·

2023/09/09

The Lost Episode! Season 2 starts soon, but for now, enjoy Season 1 Episode 12:00:00 - U12 swing paths18:45 - Developing timing skills for return of serve22:00 - Should the First 4 really be the First 1?

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49:34

Technical Evolution, Top 50 Juniors, and Team Coaching

The Grey Zone ·

2023/05/22

07:40 - Why does technique evolve?26:20 - Giving technical feedback in competition31:10 - Differences between juniors ranked 800 ITF and 50 ITF38:25 - Players having multiple coachesThanks to Magnus, Thomas, and Jordan for sending in questions!

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54:32

Mental Toughness (What it is and How to Train it)

The Grey Zone ·

2023/04/28

Mental toughness! What does it mean? How do we develop it? Does Al drink coffee or tea? Automaticity, problem-solving, beliefs, mindsets, skills, focus, and more. Timestamps:0:00 - Start of episode54:30 - End of episode

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60:38

Motor Learning and Genetics

The Grey Zone ·

2023/04/14

Easter Special! Timestamps:2:37: Genetics and responsiveness to trainingThe David Epstein book The Sports GeneHow does this affect the way we coach?23:26: The Steve Smith model of technical developmentIs it bad if all your players look the same?Is there value in your players feeling that everyone is doing the same thing, that we're all in this together?35:35: Coaching through feelingsIs it useful?Zack's pet peeveUsing the athlete's own words44:29: Kyle Edmund and life after tennisHow

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62:56

Legendary Coaches & Creating the Environment

The Grey Zone ·

2023/04/03

What makes a coach one of the best ever?What goes into creating the right environment for players to progress and succeed?Why is the Tennis Director at ATC such a good-looking guy?and more... or less.

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67:40

More Things We Think Are BS

The Grey Zone ·

2023/03/25

0:47 Representative learning design/Constraints-led approach is overhyped16:26 Don't undervalue mini-tennis31:32 Creativity is overrated41:30 Change of rhythm52:40 Questions from the listeners

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57:18

Things We Think Are BS

The Grey Zone ·

2023/02/22

In this week's episode: Zack and Al attempt to have a heated debate, only to end up agreeing on most everything. Al questions why some players consistently beat players ranked above them while others don't, Zack doesn't think your dominant eye affects your technique, Al has some questions about the stats in women's tennis, and the boys both discuss extreme western grips.Zack's appearance on The First Serve:

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55:20

Ben Shelton, Andy Murray, & High Performance Mindsets

The Grey Zone ·

2023/02/06

00:00 Al's controversial opinion on Ben Shelton05:45 Coaching the follow-through10:00 Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and dealing with pain13:40 Fighting for every point16:20 The state of American tennis19:00 What does it take to be a good coach?38:10 Idolizing a particular coach or approach46:15 Maximizing time spend feeding in balls

en-US

47:56

Culture, Values, and Getting The Job Done

The Grey Zone ·

2023/01/25

Do values on a wall mean anything? How do you go about creating a culture of high performance? How do you know when a player needs a kick in the pants? Zack has the questions, and Al has none of the answers.

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36:02

The Coach as a Performance Athlete

The Grey Zone ·

2023/01/09

The use of scientific studies as evidence, why it's called the grey zone, and viewing the coach as a high performance athlete.

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45:51

Reaction Time, Chess Vision, and Tactical Definitions

The Grey Zone ·

2022/12/24

In which Al and Zack butcher their introductions and eventually get into some interesting discussions.

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39:52

Myths and Misconceptions Around Making it to the Top

The Grey Zone ·

2022/12/06

I told Al we'd discuss the mindsets of players who make it to the top. From there, we talked about desire, different sources of motivation, successful habits, and more topics that I can no longer remember!

en-US

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The Grey Zone

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