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Kris Soutar’s Tennis Journal (Blog)

Always a keen writer, Kris regularly shares his views which are often considered a bit out of the box. His original and creative thinking could spark something new in you that could lead to a positive development in your life.

 

2022
  • June 21 | Entry 64 – Adrian Stonebridge – Part 3 – The origins of the Skeleton System
    Part 3 of the Adrian Stonebridge story is here and you will hear how Adrian first started making his name at the Westside Tennis Club in Wimbledon. We then move on to discuss the origins of his coaching methodology, the Skeleton System. More great storytelling from a brilliant man who has brought joy to many […]
  • June 10 | Entry 63 – Adrian Stonebridge – part 2 – From RAF to Tennis Coach
    Entry no.63 brings you part 2 of the Adrian Stonebridge story. In this episode you will hear how being a tennis player gave Adrian a leg up when serving in the RAF (pun intended). You will then hear about Adrian’s first experiences attending coach education courses and his first jobs in tennis. A world-class story […]
  • June 2 | Entry 62 – Adrian Stonebridge – Finding Tennis
    Entry no.62 brings you the incredible Adrian Stonebridge. Adrian is 84 years old and has spent his entire life using the great game of tennis to help others. In the early 1980’s he founded the Stonebridge Tennis Academy which was a full-time training academy for tennis COACHES. This is part 1 of a series which […]
2021
  • May 10 | Entry 61 – Kris Gray – Tenerife Tennis Academy
    Entry 61 brings you Scottish tennis coach, Kris Gray. Kris is the co-owner of the Tenerife Tennis Academy and has had quite the tennis journey. Having trained in various European locations as a junior and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Juan Carlos Fererro, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian. We talk through his junior playing […]
  • May 4 | Entry 60 – Being consumed
    Entry 60 is a 7 minute dive into something I’ve been wrestling with recently. My hope is you can relate to this topic and find personal solutions to work through it. I would love to hear how you tackle this topic and welcome any feedback. Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk Artwork by http://olinightingale.com
  • April 26 | Entry 59 – Howard Green – Marine Commando to Supermovers
    This journal entry brings you former Marine Commando, Howard Green. Howard left the marines and ventured into the world of strength and conditioning. Shortly after, he was attracted by the chaotic nature of tennis. Over the last 11 years he has built a brilliant reputation in the tennis world and now leads the fitness programme […]
  • April 19 | Entry 58 – Be a show off
    This weeks episode will feel like an actual journal entry. There is no guest as I had a week off so I decided to chat for 10 minutes on something I’ve changed my mind on in recent months. Take a listen and let me know your thoughts on my reframe. Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com […]
  • April 12 | Entry 57 – Rosie Sterk – Smashing through doors
    This journal entry brings you, 17 year old tennis player, Rosie Sterk. Rosie has just secured her full tennis scholarship at Montana University and I thought it would be great to chat around that process and some other tennis topics. What I wasn’t prepared for was just how amazingly articulate, wise and passionate Rosie is. […]
  • April 5 | Entry 56 – Lara Suarez-Neves – To motherhood…. and beyond
    I am delighted to bring you Lara Suarez-Neves, mother, tennis coach and, now, working in brand identity within the tennis world. It is vital we get the messages from this podcast out there for people to speak about. Lara tells her story into tennis playing and coaching. Her coaching career was put on halt when […]
  • April 2 | UNDERESTIMATED SUPERPOWERS
      Will we ever see a year like 2020? I bloody well hope not! Being stuck in a Co-Vid lockdown has offered a few silver linings. Spending way more time with my wife and children, learning how to adapt and pivot my business, getting even more used to delivering online and offering a chance to […]
  • March 29 | Entry 55 – Nick Williams – Bringing vision to life
    Journal entry 55 brings you Nick Williams, LTA level 5 tennis coach and tutor, and now, qualified nutritional therapist. Already. this podcast has had quite the effect on me. This is a great chat about how Nick has gone about constantly evolved his career with his end game in mind. There are many great lessons […]
  • March 22 | Entry 54 – Anne Keothavong – Searching for belonging
    This journal entry brings you Anne Keothavong, former WTA player, career high ranking of 48 and now Britain’s Billie Jean Cup captain (formerly Fed Cup). This conversation is all about the sense of belonging in tennis. From the age of 4, Anne could feel she was different from the majority of others in tennis. We […]
  • March 15 | Entry 53 – Mike Aitken – Changing lives for 36 years
    Journal entry no.53 brings you Scottish coach, Mike Aitken. A true Scottish tennis stalwart, who is admired by everyone in the game. One of the most honest and humble coaches you could ever meet. In this episode you will hear how he got into the game, took the brave plunge to go into full-time coaching […]
  • March 3 | Entry 52 – Alan Beaddie – Clontarf Tennis Club Aces the Majors – St Francis Hospice
    This impromptu episode brings you Irish tennis coach, Alan Beaddie. Alan has been raising funds for St Francis Hospice for the last 4 years and has created an imaginative initiative to raise more funds while in lockdown. We talk about his idea, the hospice and then have a great chat about his tennis coaching career […]
  • March 1 | Entry 51 – Cultiv8 Tennis – Developing people for life
    Entry 51 brings you 4 of the 7 team at Cultiv8 Tennis. A fantastic player development and sports science company based out of Leeds, England. We have head of coaching, sports science, nutrition and strength and conditioning all chatting through the what, why and how of their work. It was a fascinating insight to how […]
  • February 22 | Entry 50 – Anna Smith – Journey to top 50
    Podcast journal entry no.50 sees former top 50 WTA doubles player, Anna Smith, bring you her tennis journey. This podcast gives you a real insight to the key learnings and reflections of a successful professional tennis player. You will hear how Anna first got into tennis and how tennis wasn’t necessarily her first choice sport. […]
  • February 15 | Entry 49 – Pete Bothwell – his journey to Davis Cup team
    Entry 49 brings you, former ATP pro and Irish Davis Cup player, Pete Bothwell. Pete reached a career high of 602 in singles and retired at the tender age of 24. He is now steaming ahead with a career in coaching. He reflects on his tennis journey, from sleeping in airports to catch early flights […]
  • February 8 | Entry 48 – Mark Walker
    Entry 48 brings you Scottish tennis coach, Mark Walker. Mark has developed many Scottish players from their early years, through to playing international level tennis. Coach to ATP top 50 doubles player, Jonny O’Mara for 12 years. This is podcast of 2 halves. 1st half we delve into the unique route Mark took into tennis […]
  • February 1 | Entry 47 – Emma Doyle – Dream Seekers
    My 47th tennis journal entry brings you Emma Doyle. Hailing from Australia, Emma has constantly invested in her skills as a coach over many years and has worked in many areas of tennis and business. You will hear about Emma’s journey and how she has transformed her business in the early months of Co-Vid hitting […]
  • January 25 | Entry 46 – Mike Castle – Learning about learning
    KSTJ podcast is back! I’m delighted to bring you Mike Castle of Cardiff Met University. Mike is a lecturer in physical education and sport pedagogy and is currently near the end of his PHD in sports coaching which focuses on the social nature of learning within a coach education context. This podcast has really got […]
2020
2019
  • December 23 | Entry 30 – SARAH FLOTEL – TRANSFORMING YOUR INNNER GAME
    In this episode you will hear from wellbeing coach, Sarah Flotel. This was an enlightening chat, as my perception of spiritual and soulful work was that it is intangible. However, I could not have been any more mistaken as most of the work results in practical activities you can do in your own time. You […]
  • December 2 | Let’s throw out the patchwork quilt
    I’m going back to my blogging roots. When I first started blogging, I had a rule of 15 minutes typing without major editing. Essentially, I type what is on my mind and don’t change my mind so here goes…. I am not politically minded and couldn’t tell you what the major differences are between the […]
  • October 23 | Entry 29 Garry Cahill – Prodigy Tennis
    In this episode you will hear from the one and only Garry Cahill. Gary was the performance director and national academy coach for Tennis Ireland for 14 years. 4 of those years he was Davis Cup Captain for Ireland. He has worked with players who have played the main draw of grand slams at senior […]
  • September 18 | Entry 28 – Barry Fulcher – Progress Tour – Bridging the gap in competition
    In this 28th episode, you will hear from former ATP Professional, Barry Fulcher. Barry is the founder and director of the fabulous Progress Tour. Providing a money tour for tennis players wishing to compete to a high level on their doorstep, earn money to keep them in the professional game and prolong their competitive careers […]
  • August 21 | Scratching under the surface of the 1-4 shot stat
    On average, 70% of all points are finished within 4 shots on the professional tour. In typical fashion, many coaches are jumping on the bandwagon and perceiving that we should be placing most of our focus on to the 1st 4 shots at all levels. In this blog, I will offer a different view to […]
  • August 21 | Entry 27 – Scratching under the surface of the 1-4 shot statistic
    I have taken a different approach for this podcast. In this 7 minute podcast you will hear my thoughts on the statistic that is dominating tennis. 70% of all points are finished within 4 shots. I believe this stat is being butchered and misunderstood by coaches. In this show, you will hear me scratch beneath […]
  • August 5 | Entry 26 – DEAN SUTHERLAND – POWER RANGER – WORLD CHAMP KICKBOXER – PRO BOXER
    In this episode you will hear from the exceptional Dean Sutherland. Dean is a former multiple world kickboxing champion and has made a smooth transition into the world of professional boxing. You will hear how he was transformed into a fighting machine from the age of 3 and exhausted all options in kickboxing. Now he […]
  • August 1 | THE TIPPING POINT BETWEEN WHINING AND WINNING
    During Wimbledon, I spent some time with someone who used to work in tennis and now works in a different sport. He made a statement which has been running around my mind gathering moss. This blog is my attempt to weed kill between my ears. The essence of his statement was, the people who work […]
  • July 12 | Entry 25 – MARK BULLOCK – the vision of inclusive tennis
    Welcome to another episode and another guest. In this show, you will hear from internationally respected disability coach, Mark Bullock will let you know how he got into disability sport by the nature of him having a driving licence. Most importantly, you will hear how open and honest Mark is about his journey to becoming […]
  • June 21 | THE SUPERPOWER OF SENSITIVITY
    Long before I can even remember, I’ve been labelled sensitive. It has come in many shapes and sizes and as I have become more mature and reflected on this label, it strikes me, it has never had a positive slant. In this blog, I will share how I developed certain coping strategies to transform my […]
  • June 5 | Entry 24 – Road Tripping with Judy Murray – Bonus Episode
    In this bonus episode, you’ll hear Judy and I discuss two topics. First, I ask Judy what Andy and Jamie would have made of mini-tennis if they were 7 and 8 years old nowadays Secondly, I ask her opinions on Sir Alex Fergusons method of identifying some of his players through the parents, mainly the […]
  • May 30 | Entry 23 – Road Tripping with Judy Murray
    In my latest podcast show, you will hear a 40 minute conversation between myself and Judy Murray while we were driving on the M25 in London. We were coming to the end of an epic National workshop roadshow and we discuss Judy’s crazy schedule, all the what’s, why’s and how’s of everything we were doing […]
  • May 7 | The most important ingredient is LOVE
    We all know that ‘love’ in tennis means zero but, in life, it means everything. Did you know, the origin of the term in tennis derives from the French word ‘l’oeuf’, which means egg. This represented the number zero and, for some reason, it stuck. However, the purpose of this blog is not to speak of […]
  • March 28 | Remember the days of the autodidact?
    This week I listened to an amazing man speak on a podcast. His name is Colin Salmon and he is an actor, plays jazz trumpet and has a steel drum band. I didn’t know his name but I recognised his voice. When I googled him, I recognised his face from various TV programmes. About 2/3 […]
  • March 1 | Entry 22 – Nicholas Jacobsen – see the ability not the disability
    In January 2019, I met an exceptional young man on a coach education workshop I ran in London. I asked for a volunteer to help demonstrate some exercises and his exact reply was “I will, I have cerebral palsy but I’ll be fine” Nick is a level 3 tennis coach, working out of David Lloyd […]
  • February 27 | TENNIS DRILL – WRONG FOOTING YOUR OPPONENT
  • February 25 | 5 reasons why mini-tennis is not working
    Last week a colleague and friend sent me a video of a young player’s forehand. It was, what I describe, a Frankenstein Forehand. Meaning, it looked like a science experiment where a coach had taken a piece of every forehand trend and meshed it all together to create this monster. This forehand quickly lead to […]
  • February 18 | 8 STEPS TO A HEALTHIER TENNIS COACH – COMMITTEE RELATIONSHIP
    I believe we are at a tipping point in tennis….. The Davis Cup reforms – FANS being disregarded ITF World Tour – PLAYERS being disregarded Tennis Clubs – COACHES  and committees appear to be battling with each other. The world of tennis has changed massively in the last 10-15 years. Some for the better and some […]
  • February 5 | DON’T POUR POISON INTO EARS
    Words do matter! When it comes to language, we have a responsibility to ensure we do all we can to make our words as impactful as possible. I hear impactful words all time. Unfortunately, the words have a negative impact. People are, on a daily basis, pouring poison into each others ears. Last Sunday I […]
  • February 4 | Entry 21 – Max Evans – Rugby pro to Padel Tennis ambassador
    It has been a real pleasure getting to know Max in the last 5 months. Former rugby professional, capped 44 times for Scotland and, most recently known for his 3rd place finish on Dancing Ice. In this chat we cover a range of topics from what motivated him to become a sporting star, how his […]
  • January 22 | BUILDING CONFIDENCE
  • January 18 | My love/hate affair with social media
    I can’t quite recall when I entered into the world of social media. In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday, in others it feels like it was a lifetime ago. It is safe to say, I have a very strange relationship with social media. I am going to attempt to articulate it […]
  • January 12 | My favourite Andy Murray memory
    It has been a slightly surreal 24 hours since Andy gave his emotional press conference in Australia. There has been an outpouring of emotion from his many fans around the world and huge support from his peers and legends of the game. This speaks volumes, not just for the player, but for the person he […]
2018
  • December 29 | 2018 Tennis Tour Review
    So Christmas is over, we’re all probably full to the gills with unhealthy food and in just a few days, the 2019 tennis season will be upon us.  In this week’s hit in the service box, I will review the tennis year and give my predictions on who may break through in 2019. So let’s […]
  • December 18 | Entry 20 – The new ITF World Tennis Tour
    In this bonus episode, I unpack the new ITF World Tennis Tour. You will hear how the new tour is to be structured, how the new rankings are calculated, how players gain entries to all the different levels and, finally, what I think it will mean to British tennis players. I am looking for your […]
  • December 11 | WRITE THE BEST SONG YOU CAN
    The title will make sense nearer the end of this blog. DISCLAIMER: I am ambitious, always have been, always will be. I am competitive, always have been, always will be. I want every single player to reach the level they deserve to. I want more British players to be self-sustaining tennis professionals. Never, in my […]
  • December 11 | Entry 19 – Ally Begg – from boyband to football producer
    Welcome to part 2 of the Ally Begg chat. In this episode you will hear how Ally carved out a career in TV presenting after his spell in boyband, Bad Boys Inc. Ally did what I wish more would do. He attached his newfound skill set to his passion, in this case, football. Ally immersed […]
  • December 7 | Entry 18 – Ally Begg – from footballer to boyband
    Welcome to episode 18 of the podcast and what a cracker it is In this show, you will hear from BeIn Sports Senior Football producer on how he dreamed of being a professional footballer for Aberdeen Football Club and, instead, ended up being in a successful boyband. Yes, you read that correctly, a boyband. Ally […]
  • November 27 | IT’S WHAT WE DON’T SEE THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
    I have re-written the start of this blog about 10 times now. This is very unusual for me as writing normally comes naturally to me. The reason I’ve struggled, I didn’t want to write about myself as I’m concerned I come across as narcissistic. As with a lot of people, I tend to overly worry […]
  • November 25 | DADDY – DAUGHTER TIME – kitchen tennis
  • November 20 | FAMILY TENNIS TIME PLAYLIST
  • November 14 | USING EMOJIS TO CHART MENTAL SKILLS IN TENNIS
  • November 12 | Being NORMAL is the new exceptional
    I entered the words ‘being normal’ into the google search bar and was confronted with pages upon pages of pictures stating that ‘normal’ is boring and, would appear, is frowned upon in modern society. Last week I was speaking with a friend and colleague and we were both agreeing that, what was once considered normal […]
  • November 9 | MATCH CHARTING #5 – STATISTICS AND PERFORMANCE
  • November 8 | DEVELOPING RALLY SKILLS IN TENNIS
  • November 6 | “You can tell they have been coached!”
    This is a saying I have found myself saying more and more in recent years. The sad thing being I have found myself saying it with a heavy heart. What am I seeing when I see someone who I think has received a lot of coaching? Wooden strokes Posed finishes to their strokes Poor movement […]
  • October 16 | RALLY THRESHOLD OR FIRST STRIKE MENTALITY?
  • October 14 | Entry 17 – Georgie Bruinvels – FITR Women “A game changer for girls”
    In this episode I am working with a co-host, Judy Murray, and a special guest, Georgie Bruinvels Georgie is the research scientist responsible for the development and launch of an amazing new app which helps females track and support themselves through their menstrual cycle. There is also a brand new app which allows the coach […]
  • October 8 | MATCH CHARTING #4 – PATTERNS OF PLAY
  • October 2 | CHARTING RETURN OF SERVE IN TENNIS – THREE METHODS
  • October 1 | MATCH CHARTING – #2 – TACTICS INTO TECHNIQUE
  • October 1 | HOW TO CHART A TENNIS MATCH – #1 – starting simple
  • September 20 | HOW TO WRITE A MATCH REPORT IN TENNIS
  • September 18 | Changing the feeling of THREAT into the feeling of OPPORTUNITY
    It is said, the only instinct we are born with is survival. It this instinct that drives our behaviour while under pressure. It is amazing that our brain took millions of years to evolve and millions of years later it remains the same. When there is a perceived threat to our ‘survival’ we act in […]
  • September 10 | Serena is guilty…… of being human….
    On Saturday evening a 36 year old mother and a 20 year old lady walked on a court to play a game. It just so happened there were around 23,000 people there to witness this game and countless millions watching on various devices around the world. On this occasion, it was the younger lady who […]
  • September 6 | BAN COACHING FOR A YEAR
    Don’t worry, I’ve not lost my mind but please bear with me while I unpack this statement. I was a speaker at a conference last year and, as per normal, you do a Q&A at the end. Quite often people don’t want to ask questions in case they look foolish so I prompted the facilitator […]
  • August 28 | Entry 16 – Yasmin Clarke – from playing on tour to coaching on tour
    In this episode you will hear from Yasmin Clarke, former tour professional who now, plays an integral part, of Jay Clarke’s team. We discuss Jasmin’s quick rise to international level junior tennis and whether she believes her quick transition to the senior game was a positive or a negative. You will hear Jasmin speak fondly […]
  • August 24 | How much time do you spend with your loved ones?
    Last week’s journal entry was around the subject of contribution. I have had lot’s of nice messages on the blog with many stating they are reflecting how they view their contribution. That is the exact reason I write blogs and post on social media. All I want people to do is reflect on how they […]
  • August 17 | The Cogs of Contribution
    It has been a strange week for tennis. For the first time in my 33 years involved in tennis, it feels like a fundamental change has happened within the game. The ITF nations voted 71% in favour of the new Davis Cup reforms. The competition, as we know it, will no longer feel remotely the […]
  • July 24 | Learnings from the world of boxing
    For those of you that know me a little bit, get ready to have a chuckle. For those of you know me best, you’ll get this! I have taken up……. BOXING!! Why, I hear you ask? Three reasons, I want to get fit (hate going to the gym by myself), I prefer to learn a […]
  • July 18 | The Irish Tennis Family
    I am a big fan of the proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I strongly believe the tennis world needs to embrace the essence of this proverb when it comes to creating a culture of tennis. The reality for most countries is they don’t have singular places which can cater for the […]
  • July 4 | Story instead of Stats
    It is estimated 67.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot 😉 Yes, I am sarcastic and cynical. Not a great combination but it does make me constantly challenge things and ask questions. I can’t help but question almost every statistic I hear especially when it is used to highlight growth in tennis. […]
  • June 28 | Determination vs Desperation
    I wrote this blog over 3.5 years ago. As I watch Columbia vs Sengal in the World Cup, I cannot help but think how important it is to remain determined to perform and not desperate to win. Some of the play acting I am seeing in this football tournament sometimes makes me embarrassed to be a […]
  • June 25 | To GROW-UP or PLAY?
    “Oh, grow-up for goodness sake” How many times have you heard that in your life? Have you found yourself saying this to your children? I have told my son to grow up and he’s 3-years old. I remember telling him not to be such a baby and his response was priceless…… “but I am a […]
  • June 22 | BOP it
    No, this latest journal entry is not about a toy! If you don’t know me, I am a huge believer in developing tennis players with a tactical focus. Tennis a game and I believe the most fun you can have on a tennis court is in playing the game. With that in mind, I thought […]
  • June 18 | Bring back the poster days
    Was your bedroom wall plastered with posters of your sporting heroes? Mine were and I think we have an opportunity to bring the nostalgic days of posters on children’s bedroom walls. I am fed up of competitive tennis players not following professional tennis. There are more opportunities to watch tennis than at any point in […]
  • June 15 | Entry 15 – Judy Murray – building from the foundation up
    Welcome to another episode of Kris Soutar’s Tennis Journal. In this episode you will hear from the one and only Judy Murray. You will hear about Judy’s exciting new foundation which will help develop tennis in rural and/or socially deprived areas around Scotland. You will get great insights into one of the world’s best tennis […]
  • June 11 | Be a problem solver
    This is a follow up from last week’s ‘does your coaching reflect life?‘ blog. I’m writing this to expand on the list of problems tennis players have to overcome if they are competitive tennis players. https://theservicebox.com/2018/06/05/does-your-coaching-reflect-the-game/ The reason I am  writing this particular blog is to raise awareness on how many different areas there are […]
  • June 5 | Does your coaching reflect life?
      Recent studies have suggested we spent just under 50% of our waking lives on autopilot. The rest of the time we are problem solving. Does your coaching reflect life? A tennis match involves so much problem solving from start to finish and our goal is to help players be able to solve a large […]
  • May 28 | Cutting the cords of dependancy – part two – for the coach
    Is a player dependant on the coach or is the coach dependant on the player? Hopefully, the answer is neither but I am seeing a worrying trend of coaches creating a dependency between themselves and the player. As usual, if you are offended by that statement then I am clearly not meaning you. I am […]
  • May 22 | Cutting the cords of dependancy
    I recently heard a coach say ‘we are putting a strong team around him’ As with most things in tennis, trends are often set by the very best players in the world. The emergence of large tennis teams accompanying the very best players around the globe has raised awareness of the hugely important aspect of […]
  • May 15 | Entry 14 – Elliott Mould – ADHD – a journey of self discovery
    This show brings you an extraordinary story from an incredible young man.   Elliott Mould was a full-time tennis and has been world no.1 in touchtennis on and off for the last 7 years. However, this is not his story. Elliott was diagnosed with ADHD at 7 years old and spent the next 7 years […]
  • May 7 | Stats the way ….ahaha I like it ….ahaha
    I’m hoping I’ve not been either, too clever or too old, with my title. I am a geek. I say that as it has taken me decades to embrace this side of me and I would say it is only in recent years I am now openly proud to say I am this way. When […]
  • May 7 | Reflective Questions Playlist
  • May 3 | Be a Michelin starred Tennis Coach
    This is going to be a super quick little read. Something for you to mull over as you sit and have your next cup of tea or coffee. Are you a Michelin starred tennis coach? I don’t mean do you coach the best players in the world. Do you strive to maintain and constantly develop […]
  • May 1 | Entry 13 – Leolia JeanJean – the pressures of being a child prodigy in tennis
    Leolia JeanJean is a tennis player from France with an exciting future ahead of her. Once considered a tennis prodigy with long-term contracts from Nike and Lacoste, Leolia suffered a bad injury which saw her sponsors drop her like a stone. Reaching a career high WTA ranking of 548 using her own money she decided […]
  • April 30 | Compare with Caution -the pitfalls of taking your eye off the ball
    It all starts at a very early age…. “Max, you don’t need a nappy, be a big boy like your friends. None of them still wear a nappy” Max is 3 years old and already I am questioning whether this common tactic is sewing the seeds for a life of comparing himself with other people […]
  • April 25 | Time to Invest in the Cockroaches
    I bet your wondering where I am going with this blog? A colleague of mine recently, affectionally, referred to me as a cockroach. Perhaps you are wondering how on earth it is possible to affectionally call someone a cockroach. I asked exactly the same question. He explained, cockroaches apparently would survive a nuclear war. I […]
  • April 25 | The Realities of Coaching Playlist
  • April 15 | Example of Tennis Player Analysis leading to goal setting and action plan
  • April 13 | Let’s farm out tennis!!
    April 2018 Last weekend we took the kids to one of our favourite places in the world, Aviemore. I love this place as the pace of life is so much slower and relaxed and there are tons of things to do. When I sit back and look at the town I see it as a […]
  • April 4 | Facebook Live Q&A from 23rd March 2018
  • April 4 | Tennis Methodology Playlist
  • April 4 | Player Development Pathway Playlist
  • April 1 | Entry 12 – Stuart Fraser – insights to tennis tour journalism
    Welcome to another show where you will hear from The Times tennis correspondent, Stuart Fraser. Stuart travels the world reporting on the tennis tour and in this show you will hear what a typical year looks like, how Stuart got into journalism and worked his way up to be the main man at the UK’s […]
  • March 29 | Be Bully Proof
    This has been tough, really tough to write. It is such an emotive topic and I found myself writing with too much emotion. It is unlike me to take a long time to write but in this instance this article has been edited more than all my other blogs put together. So here goes…. First […]
  • March 26 | Feel sorry for the cheats….
    The first thing I want to clarify is the title of this blog is tongue in cheek…… slightly. The second thing I want to mention is I hate the word cheat and something in me recoils when I hear people refer to people as cheats especially when they are referring to young children. So this […]
  • March 16 | Hierarchy is the root of all evil
    This is something I have been thinking for a while, and more recently, saying out loud. The more I think about it the more I believe it to be true and not just for tennis but in society also. Let’s list all of the areas of tennis where there is a hierarchy: Rankings Ratings Coaching […]
  • March 15 | Entry 11 – Kelsey Stewart – Commonwealth Games Athlete
    In this episode I bring you my first non-tennis guest. Kelsey is the British U23 400m champion and is representing Scotland in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia. This episode was recorded several weeks before she travelled to OZ.   In this show you will gain insights to the world of an international level athlete […]
  • March 14 | DEATH BY COMMITTEE – PART 2
  • March 13 | FOOTWORK CYCLE PLAYLIST
  • March 2 | Prestwick Parents talk on monitoring and developing confidence in your sporty child
  • March 1 | Entry 10 – Jenny Claffey – Mindset of a Champion
    In this show you will hear from former WTA tour pro, Jenny Claffey. If you are a coach get this into the ears of any pupil you have that has competitive aspirations. Jenny has a world class mindset and you will hear exactly how she goes about her business. You will hear what motivated Jenny […]
  • February 28 | Competing with instant gratification
    During the mid-term holidays I took my family…….. trampolining!! I was literally jumping for joy (puntastic). I had never been to one of these facilities before but I’d heard a lot about them. The building was approximately the size of 3 court indoor hall and housed a multitude of jump related equipment for all ages. […]
  • February 28 | BACKHAND PREPARATION TIPS
  • February 28 | SLICE BACKHAND TIPS
  • February 28 | Tactical Analysis FIRST Technical Analysis SECOND
  • February 28 | HOW DO YOU SET GOALS??
  • February 26 | Facebook Live – 24th February 2018
  • February 16 | THREE LAYERS OF TECHNIQUE – CONFORM – APPLY – ADAPT
  • February 15 | Entry 9 – Paul Delgado – Living Tennis – Building a Tennis Business
    Welcome to a cheeky bonus episode where I hear about developing a large tennis coaching business from director of Living Tennis, Paul Delgado.   Paul is one of four directors with the others being his two brothers, Jamie and Johnny Delgado and ex top 100 pro, Martin Lee.   In this episode he will tell […]
  • February 14 | A little less conversation….
    Has tennis development largely become a paper exercise? There are now more people employed under ‘tennis development’ than ever before. I have been involved in the game for 33 years and in that time it has gone from having zero employees and hardly any coaches to 100’s of employees and 1000’s of coaches. So, here […]
  • February 13 | Entry 8 – Half Hour Haver – Cameron Norrie – Implicit vs Explicit learning
    In this haver I talk about Cameron Norrie’s amazing Davis Cup debut and then answer Ben Roberts-Law’s question on implicit vs explicit learning. I finish by setting up my next guest on the show, former tour pro and Irish Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com  
  • February 13 | #13 – How do you YOU deal with cheats??
  • February 7 | Don’t become a chef just because you like eating food
    Strange title for a tennis blog huh! Last week I drove 27 hours for my week of work. This gave me time to do what has become a new passion, listen to 27 hours of podcasts. I did not listen to 1 minute of radio in that time. Podcasts allow me to do one of […]
  • February 6 | How do you train?
  • February 1 | Entry 7 – Dan Kiernan – Soto Tennis Academy
    In this episode you will hear from former ATP pro Dan Kiernan. Once Britain’s number 1 doubles player Dan brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience and is now director of the ever growing Soto Tennis Academy in the south of Spain. Dan will speak about how he first got into tennis and how […]
  • January 27 | Do our players study for their exams?
    Earlier this week I was training with a player who is in the process of doing his prelims or mock exams as you may know them as. These are for his highers (Scottish equivalent to A levels) and are therefore pretty important. Ace your highers and all sort of doors can be opened for you […]
  • January 27 | Entry 6 – Half Hour Haver – tennis philosophies and methods
    In this episode I have a haver while driving back from 3 long days of work. A haver is Scottish for a chat and I speak about what I’ve done last 3 days and give a little insight into some of my philosophies and principles. I also set up my next podcast which is released […]
  • January 18 | Kris Soutar’s Tennis Journal – Vlog #11 – Re-filing your memories
  • January 16 | I’ll see you in the gutter….
    Around 250 years ago our world experienced an industrial revolution. Measures were put in place to ensure the population had key skills to service this time in history and school education as we know it was born. The subjects of English and Math were prioritised as companies needed staff who could at least read, write […]
  • January 10 | Kris Soutar’s Tennis Journal – Vlog 10 – Experiences & Memories
  • January 3 | Entry 5 – Kenneth Bastiaens – Activate your Potential
    Welcome to the 7th entry into my journal where I bring you world class motor skills expert, Kenneth Bastiaens.   Kenneth was the head of fitness for the Belgian Tennis Federation for 10 years working with all their top players including Kim Clijsters, Ruben Bemelmans & Yanina Wickmayer. After coming away from life on the […]
2017
2016
  • December 15 | The Ace of Clubs
    THE ACE OF CLUBS I recently had a spare day of time and decided to use this time to go and visit a place and person I had heard was great. I had met the coach several times and he always struck me as someone who knew his mind and didn’t conform (my favourite types). […]
  • July 6 | Kyrgios as Kyrgios can be
    Kyrgios as Kyrgios can be Its been just under two days since Nick Kyrgios sat in the press room at Wimbledon and answered truthfully the questions that were fired at him. There has been some support for the Aussie kid but in the main he appears to be getting a ridiculous amount of grief. I’ve […]
  • June 29 | Tennis Identity
    Tennis Identity On Monday I watched James Ward take on defending champion, Novak Djokovic. Tim Henman was in the commentary booth and was asked what he felt James Ward would have to do to develop his ranking. His answer……….. ‘he needs to have a tennis identity’ His point was that the individual parts of James’ […]
  • May 23 | The numbers game
    The numbers game Does Scotland have the luxury of having performance tennis programmes? As things stand Scotland has one tennis coach dedicated fully to junior performance tennis, take a bow Toby Smith! I feel a change coming…. In my opinion Scotland does not need talent ID programmes or specific performance programmes. Just so we’re clear […]
  • May 18 | Could we farm tennis out a bit more….
    Could we farm tennis out a bit more…. Last Sunday I spent several hours at a local farm with my family and friends. We arrived, had a lovely lunch then played with the children in a huge playground which included trampolines, toy houses, bikes, cars, a huge fort, a go kart track and excellent pedal […]
  • April 12 | How could a healthy competition structure help develop coaches?
    How could a healthy competition structure help develop coaches? “Most people work hard. Hard work is the common denominator in this equation. I’m tired of the story we tell that hard work leads to success. That story allows those of us who make it to believe that we deserve it and by implication those who […]
  • March 23 | High Performing vs High Performance
    High Performing vs High Performance Last Friday I attended an excellent workshop hosted by SportScotland. It was to sound out representatives from many different sports on a new High Performance Coach Development Strategy. It was so interesting to hear from coaches in other sports and one particular area of interest was when one coach asked […]
  • March 11 | People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
    People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care Last night I was a guest at the Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust annual dinner. As part of the evening they held a Q&A with three of the clubs playing legends, Neale Cooper, Neil Simpson and John Hewitt. They were all […]
  • March 10 | Parents – don’t make robots out of your children
    Parents – don’t make robots out of your children The other day a coach and I found ourselves speaking about the myth of ‘you can only get better training with better players’. I used an analogy I’d never thought of before. I said, imagine there were 1000 robots all programmed to play tennis and part […]
  • March 3 | Product of our environments
    Product of our environments Ok, so I am going to stick to my 15 minute rule here and type as fast as I can and highlight my main message. A bunch of local coaches have a whatsapp thread, a great idea by the way. We use it for sharing events, news and the occasional debate […]
  • January 21 | Technique has become……. too technical!!
    Technique has become………… too technical!! As I promised to myself at the start of my site, I am going to attempt to write this article in under 15 minutes. No editing other than spell check……… so here goes! Technique is my least favourite subject in tennis. I know it is important, I get that but […]
2015
  • September 30 | No such thing as easy
    No such thing as easy How many times have you had someone ask for a lesson on returning slow second serves, hitting a mid court ball which sits up or easy put away volleys? It is often said that in order to change someones behaviour you first have to change the way they perceive or […]
  • September 27 | Career paths in tennis
    Raising the bar This site is all about connection and collaboration. I believe together we can collectively contribute to raising the bar across the industry. It is often forgotten just how massive the tennis industry is. No matter what you interest you have you could connect it to tennis and create your dream job. Last […]
  • September 24 | Naomi Cavaday on the perception of female coaches in British tennis
    Naomi is not only an excellent tennis player, she is an excellent tennis coach. She has amazing has had amazing experiences and has great skills. She desperately wants to use these to help tennis players develop. What is holding her back? She is a female. Read her excellent words as this happens in many parts […]
  • September 24 | Take what you do seriously but not yourself
    Take what you do seriously but not yourself! A lot of my blogs may feel like they are not tennis specific. I tend to write to get people thinking and there is enough reinventing of the wheel going on in the tennis world so I like to write about generic coaching principles which could potentially lead […]
  • September 23 | Don’t get strung along
      It is my pleasure to introduce you to Huw Philips. Huw has been stringing for nearly 20 years and is qualified as a ERSA Master Racket Technician. Huw has been stringing at Professional tournaments including the Boodles championships at Stoke Park. His company, Racketspec provide a full racket matching and customisation service. If you […]
  • March 30 | Feedback Pyramid
    Feeding back by Kris Soutar   “Be specific with your feedback” This is a comment I write on many a feedback form during coach education. Can you see the irony? I don’t like repeating myself so when I found myself saying the same thing over and over I had to ask myself what I could […]
  • March 30 | Developing Confidence
    Kris is a Scottish tennis coach who has been working within British Tennis for 23 years. He is an LTA Master Performance Coach and Senior Performance Tutor. As well as coaching and tutoring Kris is a speaker at National & International Conferences. Kris is the director of the high performance tennis company, The Service Box […]
2014
  • December 11 | Determination vs Desperation
    ‘They only get emotional because they are so competitive’ These are the type of words and sentiment I hear often from parents when describing why their child folds under pressure. If someone loses emotional control it does not mean they are ‘more’ competitive than a person who maintains control. True competitiveness begins from within. Tennis […]
  • December 3 | Help or Hinder
    I am writing this days away from becoming a father for the second time. I am looking over at my 3 year old daughter lying sleeping on the sofa suffering from a cold that has floored her. I have spent the whole day helping my daughter mainly in the form of comforting her. I am […]