Training a Tennis Mind

In this episode, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson sit down with Tim Ross, who spent over a decade at Ernst & Young before making a full-time leap into tennis coaching. Tim shares his early years at the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis, how mentors like Arvin Aravindhan and David Detweiler shaped his development, and how his corporate background now helps him approach coaching with structure and intention.

Tim also discusses his time volunteering with the Isha Foundation and how meditation, breathwork, and inner-work practices have transformed his emotional control and on-court performance. The conversation explores practical tools players can use, breathing patterns, mantras, routines, and daily habits, to develop calm intensity, stronger focus, and a healthier relationship with competition.

Episode 276 finishes with insight into junior tennis culture, the pressures young players face, and why mindset training must accompany technical training. Tim starts his new coaching role at Doylestown Tennis Club, and Steve and Dave offer advice, encouragement, and stories from decades of teaching and competing.