The List - What it will take to get to the next level

Yulee, Florida.

We are just into the second week of February, 2026.

The weather has been cold and windy, with stretches of snow, mist, and rain mixed in. Flu season has been in full effect, and coaches and players alike have been battling that nasty virus.

Because of that, training and teaching on the court has been limited.

And I’m okay with that.

For most of 2025, the boys at Title Town Tennis have been grinding. Grinding on the court and grinding off the court. Long practice sessions paired with structured training away from the court.

Many days in extreme heat. Many days in the chilly cold.

Tennis is an outdoor sport. You either adapt to the conditions or you perish as a player. To get closer and closer to the tip of the iceberg, you have to push yourself to levels that most people would consider extreme.

Early this year, Maximus reached a high UTR of 9.72. Since then, he has plateaued — and plateaus force honest questions.

The most important one being:

What will it take to reach a 12 UTR?

Right now, 12 UTR is the benchmark. If a player wants to be competitive at the NCAA Division I level, this is the territory he must enter.

Which brings us to The List.

The List is a breakdown of the specific areas of Maximus Pisani’s game that must be refined, improved, and fine-tuned in order to move forward.

The List

1. Mental Toughness

2. Consistency

3. Accuracy

4. Nutrition & Weight Control

5. Daily Recovery

1. Mental Toughness

There is a simple truth that applies not only to tennis, but to life:

Without the brain, nothing functions.

It’s a simple statement — but a profound one.

As an extreme example, we can look at Maximus’s sister, Parker Kate.

PK was born with a rare neurological condition called lissencephaly, a disorder that affects how the brain develops before birth. Because of this, Parker has significant limitations in daily function.

The takeaway here isn’t comparison — it’s perspective.

The brain is the control center. It governs decision-making, emotional regulation, resilience, and the ability to adapt under stress.

In tennis, mental toughness shows up when momentum swings, when calls don’t go your way, when fatigue sets in, and when expectations get heavy. It also in showing up everyday on the court with a professional, positive attitude, ready to train and get better THAT day.

At the next level, matches are rarely lost because of talent.

They’re lost because the mind blinks first. This is especially true at the very high levels.

2. Consistency

Consistency is the great separator.

At lower levels, talent can carry you. At higher levels, talent is assumed. What matters is how often you can execute with clarity and repeatability.

One issue in the past has been not always having a clear purpose before the shot. When a player reacts instead of decides, consistency disappears — especially at higher speeds.

This is where the box drill has become a staple in our training.

The box drill forces intentionality. Every ball has a target. Every swing has a purpose. There is no guessing and no autopilot.

By repeatedly feeding forehands and backhands into defined corner boxes, the player learns to:

• commit to a decision before contact

• control direction and depth under rhythm

• stay mentally present point after point

Consistency isn’t about playing safe.

It’s about playing deliberately — again and again — without mental drift.

3. Accuracy

Accuracy is where consistency turns into pressure.

It’s one thing to keep the ball in play.It’s another thing to place it with intention.

The box drill directly sharpens this skill.

When Maximus finds the corner boxes, the ball does real damage — and this is where his strength becomes a weapon. Because he generates natural pace and heavy spin, balls that land deep and wide don’t just stay in — they move opponents off the court.

At higher levels, accuracy amplifies power.

Strong players without accuracy spray balls.Strong players with accuracy control points.

This is why precision matters more than raw speed.

The goal isn’t to hit harder.

The goal is to hit heavier, deeper, and wider — on purpose.

4. Nutrition & Weight Control

This is not a glamorous topic, but it’s a necessary one.

Tennis is a sport of endurance, recovery, and repeat effort.

Extra weight doesn’t show up early in matches — it shows up late. It shows up in footwork, recovery between points, and movement into the third set.

In cycling a very common metric is watt/kilogram . So the higher your "power to weight" ratio is, the less you have to work on the court.

Maximus is big, strong boy, coming in at 188 lbs which isn't to bad...however, 183 lbs would make movement, feel considerably easier.

Fuel matters. Timing matters. Hydration matters.

At 12 UTR, you’re not just training to play well.

You’re training to recover fast enough to play well again tomorrow.

5. Daily Recovery

Training breaks the body.

Recovery builds it back stronger.

This includes:

• sleep

• mobility work

• stretching

• hydration

• managing overall stress

Recovery is not optional. It’s part of the program.

The players who last the longest at high levels aren’t the ones who train the hardest.

They’re the ones who recover the smartest.

Closing Thoughts

The climb from 9.7 to 12 is not linear.

It requires discipline, patience, and a willingness to train with purpose — not just intensity.

The List isn’t about pressure. It’s about clarity.

And clarity is what allows real progress to happen.

Coach Pauly P

Title Town Tennis inc.