Featuring Brian Garber
ATP Tour Coach • WTA Experience • NCAA Division I • Evert Academy • Coach to ATP Player Ethan Quinn (World No. 56)
About This Episode
Brian Garber doesn’t just coach — he develops decision-makers.
From becoming a Division II head coach at just 23 to years spent around top professionals at Evert Academy, to the WTA and now the ATP Tour — where he currently coaches Ethan Quinn (World No. 56) — Brian has seen what actually separates players who look good in practice from players who compete when it matters.
In this conversation, he shares a philosophy built around simplicity, ownership, and trust. Less talking. More awareness. Fewer perfect drills. More real decisions — and knowing when to step back and let players figure it out.
He challenges one of the biggest habits in coaching today — the need to fix everything. Instead, he leans into helping athletes understand why something happened and whether it needs fixing at all.
The result? Players who think, adjust, and compete — without needing someone in their ear every point.
TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS
Clarity beats complexity.
Most players don’t need more information — they need less. The best coaches simplify the game so athletes can actually see it, trust it, and execute under pressure.
Awareness is more powerful than instruction.
Instead of immediately correcting, help athletes identify what just happened. When players can diagnose their own mistakes, improvement sticks.
Practice should look like competition.
If practice is too controlled, athletes never learn to make decisions. Real development happens when players are forced to read, react, and choose.
Define how you win.
Every athlete needs a clear identity — not just technically, but strategically. What patterns do you rely on? What decisions define your game? Without that, practice lacks direction.
The goal is ownership.
The best players don’t rely on constant feedback. They adjust, solve, and move forward on their own. Great coaching builds that independence over time.
TRY THIS TODAY
The next time your athlete makes a mistake — pause.
Instead of giving the answer, ask:
“What do you think that was?”
Then have them identify:
- Technical
- Tactical
- Mental
Let them walk you through it.
You don’t need to jump in right away. In many cases, they already know — they just haven’t been asked.
That shift builds awareness, ownership, and ultimately, better competitors.
“The more you say, the less they hear. The less you say, the more they start to figure it out.”
— Brian Garber
