Â
The Present Play Method. Mental Footwork for Competitive Women
Founded by Gary Ingram
Â
The 10-Second Reset
Break the cycle of a bad point instantly. Learn the physical trigger that flushes frustration and resets your nervous system before the next serve.
The Awareness Anchor
Stop the "mental drift." Use sensory cues to stay locked into the present moment, keeping your focus on the ball rather than the scoreboard.
The 3-Step Recovery
A cognitive sequence to analyze a mistake without the "inner critic" taking over. Turn errors into data so you can adjust your strategy mid-match.
Pressure Protocols
Pre-set "if-then" mental scripts for high-stakes moments. Know exactly how to breathe and think when you are at break point or tie-breakers.
39 Years of Coaching Competitive Racquet Sports
Â
Gary Ingram is the founder of Present Play, with a degree in psychology and over 40 years inside competitive racquet sports. He has competed and coached internationally across the United States, Canada, England, and France—working with nationally ranked juniors, professional tour players, club teams, and high-performance academies. Since then, he has coached:
✦ Club teams
✦ Competitive adult players
✦ High-performance academies
Â
Credentials & Leadership:
I hold a B.S. in Psychology from Birmingham Southern College and have served in leadership roles including
✦ Director of Tennis 21 years
✦ Head Professional
✦ Sports Science Director
✦ Strength & Conditioning Coach
✦ Head Platform Tennis Professional
PTR Certified
TPA Member
Â
The Real Problem Isn’t Technique
At every level — junior nationals, pro events, club championships — the biggest performance barrier wasn’t stroke mechanics. It was emotional reaction.
-
Tension after mistakes.
-
Overthinking under pressure.
-
Scoreboard anxiety.
-
Partner frustration in doubles.
Talent gets blocked by tension. And no one teaches adult women how to manage that in a practical way.Â
 Why I Created Present Play
Most mental training falls into two camps: hyper-aggressive “killer instinct” or distant academic theory. Neither speaks to intelligent, competitive women. Present Play is mental footwork for real matches.
Simple between-point resets.
Emotional regulation under pressure.
Systems you can use at 5-all.
Who I Work With
Women 35–65 who play tennis, padel, or pickleball. If you love the game but struggle with nerves or spirals, we’ll work well together. I provide grounded confidence and clarity under pressure — not chest-pounding hype.
My Approach
Calm is not a personality trait. It’s a trained response. Confidence is not motivational hype. It’s emotional stability under stress. After 36+ years in this game, I’ve learned: You don’t rise to your intentions in competition. You fall to your habits between points. So we train those habits.
The Edge
I combine
Elite-level coaching experience combined with decades inside real competitive environments
Strength & conditioning knowledge integrated with sport psychology training   Â
Club leadership expertise and adult program design built specifically for competitive players
You already have the strokes. Let’s remove what’s blocking them.
— Gary
Founder, Present Play
