The Real Athlete Blog

Expert Contributor: Steven Yellin

Biography

Steven Yellin is President and co-founder of PMPM Sports. He has been teaching tennis and golf for over 30 years and is responsible for developing the innovative and powerful drills that PMPM Sports uses that help athletes in all sports to reach their full potential. Steven was the Florida High School state tennis champion, and went on to play number one singles on the University of Pennsylvania tennis team. He was a member of the All-Ivy League tennis team in 1973, played in the 1973 NCAA National Championship, and was invited to play on the 1972 Israeli Davis Cup team. Steven also holds two masters degrees in Business and Education.

He will be sharing knowledge applicable to any age athlete in any sport to assist them in accessing their full potential especially under pressure.

 

Most Recent Articles

1. What the Giants-Packers Playoff Game Can Teach You About Any Sport

   by Steven Yellin 01-27-2012 12:05 AM Coaching | Training

   
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   Here is the scenario: the Packers were big favorites going into the playoffs. They were the top seed in the NFC Division. They had lost only one game all season. They were the defending Super Bowl champions and they were playing at Lambeau Field, their home field. Everything was looking good for them. Unfortunately, the game did not turn out as expected.
   
   An ESPN blog by Kevin Seifert tells the story: 

   But here, as they say, is the stone-cold truth: One of the most explosive and efficient offenses in NFL history -- the one that almost single-handedly was responsible for a 15-1 regular-season record -- stumbled at the starting line and never regained its footing. Credit goes to the Giants' defense for scheming to take away the deep pass, but independent of that, I think we can agree it's been a while since we've seen the Packers' offense play so poorly. ESPN Stats & Information had it with six drops, tied for the most by any NFL team in a game this season. The Packers committed a season-high four turnovers, including a fumble by Rodgers as he was trying to hit a wide-open Jennings in the third quarter. They had only two plays go for more than 20 yards, a 29-yard run by running back James Starks and a 21-yard pass to receiver Randall Cobb once the game was out of hand.

   "This year," receiver Jordy Nelson said, "we've made the easy plays into big plays. And we didn't make the easy plays today. That's what hurts you. Every once in a while, you'll get a big shot, but if you can't make the easy plays, you aren't going to make any plays."

   I couldn't have put it better if I tried. Why that happened, however, will be a mental mystery that will haunt the Packers all offseason.

   Let's decipher that mental mystery right now.
   
   Actually, it is not a mental mystery as much as it is a collective neurophysiological breakdown. In order to produce motion in the body, any motion, whether it is swinging a golf club or throwing a football, the signal about the motion has to go directly to the motor system and not be intercepted by the pre-frontal cortex. This ability of signals to go directly to the motor system has a crucial component attached to it. That component is the element of time.

    

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2. Tiger Tales

   by Steven Yellin 03-27-2011 11:01 PM Sports Psychology | Training

   
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   Like millions of sports fans around the world over the past 15 years, I counted myself as a loyal fan of Tiger Woods. Needless to say, his achievements were remarkable and his charisma magnetic. I thought he was the best athlete to ever grace our planet. Even my mother who finds watching golf on TV about as exciting as watching paint dry, loved to watch golf when Tiger was playing.

   We all cringed when the news of his exploits hit the papers. We now know the story of his fall from grace. But like a good old fashioned mulligan, he, like all of us, deserves a second chance. OK Tiger, tee it up again and let's see what you can do. Let's see if you can pull off those spectacular shots that often left Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo speechless in the booth.

    

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3. Federer Versus Nadal: The Real Story of the ATP Finals

   by Steven Yellin 01-03-2011 11:13 PM Sports Psychology | Coaching | Training

   
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   Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal on November 28 in the ATP Tour World Finals in London. This came as a surprise to many, as Nadal had a 14-7 edge in their matches. Many have said that Federer is the best tennis player of all time, but right now he may not even be the best of his generation, which is paradoxical to say the least.

   Nadal’s strategy against Federer is simple: camp out on Federer’s backhand and pound high balls there until he gets a short one and then rifle it away for a winner. This has worked perfectly in the past. Federer would start to get defensive because he couldn’t hit an aggressive shot when the ball jumped up so high and the 14-7 advantage in match play told the story.

   That scenario was different in this year’s final.

    

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4. World Champs and Questions

   by Steven Yellin 12-01-2010 01:36 AM Coaching | Training

   
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   Every year after the playoffs and World Series, two things happen: 

   • A team is crowned world champion.

   • One or more stars are asked why they had such a lousy post-season. 

   This year was no different. 

   It was refreshing to see a team not usually in the mix win it all. Hats off to the Giants. They played great and deserved the crown. 

    

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