THE mother of Andy Murray, Britain’s teenage tennis sensation, has produced a guide to the pitfalls of being a “pushy parent” when hothousing a sporting prodigy.

Judy Murray has overseen the rise of her 19-year-old son from shy schoolboy to the player who last week beat Roger Federer, the world number one, in straight sets.

Now, on her new website Britishtennisparents.com, she has advised ambitious mothers and fathers that their offspring’s best chance of success may lie in not having excessive pressure heaped on them.

The website is aimed at parents who want to emulate her success in keeping her son’s fiery temper in check while guiding him to the top of his game.

Andy Murray’s win over Federer last week at the Cincinnati Masters in Ohio was the biggest of his career, although he was later knocked out of the tournament by the American Andy Roddick. He will be ranked in the world top 20 this week.

His mother’s tips for parents range from the practical — drawing up “scouting sheets” while watching the matches of their child’s next opponents — to warnings against the tendency to “define their self-worth in terms of their son or daughter’s successes or failures”.

Judy Murray, a former Scottish national tennis coach, said this weekend: “You do find the mad mum and the bad dad who get too uptight when watching their child’s match.

“I have seen verbal and physical abuse of children by parents who are just far too intense. As young players progress, parents can see their child’s success on the tennis court as a path to a better life. They get so obsessed by it that they don’t cope when things are not going well and they take it out on the child.”

One of the dangers is over-training a child. The website recommends the age of 12 as a “balance point” at which the child should do the same number of training hours a week as their age.

When the child is younger, they should do slightly fewer hours a week than their age. When the child is over 12, they should train for slightly more.

She suggests practical alternatives to ranting or seething silently from the sidelines.

“Parents should analyse their child’s matches so they have something to do rather than tutting and sighing,” she said. “It is something positive to talk about afterwards, rather than saying ‘you played rubbish’.”

Despite Judy Murray’s successful approach, tennis has taken a toll on family life.

She reportedly grew apart from her husband William, a retail manager, while she travelled to tournaments around the world. The couple divorced in 2004 after an amicable split.

The website suggests a no-nonsense attitude towards unruly behaviour on the court. She is likely to have her son in mind with this advice — in April Andy received Britain’s first fine in the 106-year history of the Davis Cup after swearing at a match official.

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