Building Locker Room Power

Tour coach and author Dave Sammel joins Steve Smith and Dave Anderson to unpack what “locker room power” really means, how players create an aura opponents can feel, and why advancing in tennis is driven by winning streaks, not perfection. He shares lessons from growing up in South Africa, playing U.S. college tennis, and decades of coaching on the tour, including the idea that the best winners are often the best losers.

They also get practical: how to identify your two weapons, why “less is more” in coaching communication, and how the five-minute rule can reset standards without drama. Episode 290 closes with Sammel’s mission to help players and parents handle the moments that happen off-court: before matches, after losses, and in the spaces where confidence is built.