The Frustration Most Coaches Try to Avoid

If This Frustrates You, That’s a Good Sign

There was a point in my coaching where something kept bothering me.

Players looked fine in practice.
Sessions felt productive.
Parents were happy.

And yet…

Matches told a different story.

The frustration wasn’t loud.
It was subtle.

A feeling that something should be working — but wasn’t.

For a while, I tried to get rid of that feeling.

I added more drills.
More explanations.
More structure.

It didn’t help.

Eventually, I realised something uncomfortable.

The frustration wasn’t the problem.

It was the signal.

3 Things That Often Trigger That Frustration

1. Players ask, “What should I do?”​
   Not because they’re lazy — but because the practice never asked them to decide.
2. You talk more than you planned​
   Because the environment isn’t doing enough teaching on its own.
3. You know the session looks good… but doesn’t feel right​
   Because deep down, you know the game doesn’t look like this.

That tension is information.

2 Ways I Learned to Use It

1. Treat frustration as feedback, not failure​
   It’s usually pointing to a mismatch between practice and the game.
2. Ask a better question​
   Not “How do I fix this?”
   But “What is this environment actually shaping?”

That question changes how you design everything.

1 Practice Design to Explore This Week

Practice Design of the Week

A simple, match-relevant environment designed to surface decisions, not suppress them.

👉 Download this week’s Practice Design - ZOMBIES

A fast-paced, high-energy game that helps players explore height in a fun, competitive way, without over-coaching or slowing the session down.

As an exclusive extra behind-the-scenes sneak peak , see how My Tennis Coach Academy members can access this practice inside the Academy area, complete with video examples showing exactly how it looks in action.

Just click the banner below

I stopped trying to remove frustration from my coaching.

I started listening to it.

In 2026, my work is centred on helping coaches do the same:
designing practices that feel uncomfortable at first — because they’re closer to the game.

If this email annoyed you a little…
That’s probably a good sign.

If you want help navigating that shift:

• Reply to this email for a 1-to-1 or staff session
• ​Or follow along as we build toward the Modern Tennis Coach Conference 2026, where real practice design is the focus

Discomfort isn’t the enemy.
It’s often the doorway.