Be sure to check out the other two videos in this special series so you can play your best in MATCHES! Federer Training Secret - ruclips.net/video/o2yvjPRf5bs/видео.html Why You Play Worse In Matches - ruclips.net/video/ZVoQxpNUbIU/видео.html Thank you for watching. I hope these lessons have been a huge help!
Heh You weren't trying to win Your student was trying hard to win People focus on hitting great shots in an attempt to win. The objective should be hitting good shots in a way that makes the probability of winning points higher.
I get the point but still think that hating on the ugly play guys and pusher doesn't help at all. I have lost a city final to a pusher, but in retrospect I just have to admit, although hitting more nice shots in some of the time, I was just not good enough to win. When you loose the opponent was better. Dienst matter that you want to play like Federer, if you can't hit the balls on the court you are just not good enough. Tennis is cruel sometimes and that exactly makes the value of the game!
I especially liked the second drill, because it requires the student to generate all of the pace on their shots. The biggest reason I get frustrated against "lesser" opponents is their lack of pace, especially on serves.
The narrow focus thing is really important. My friends “practise” by rallying with no focus or goal in mind, it drives me crazy. They even operate under the assumption that doing this will make them better. It’s drills or match play that will help you improve not mindless rallying
"rallying with no focus or goal in mind" I mean reps are so very important as well for recreational players, developing the muscle memory for technique so you can actually focus on areas outlined in this video. Obviously only ONE way to practice isn't sufficient but there are plenty of things to work on in mindless rallying. Particularly maybe individual items like your non dominant arm on forehands, focusing on split step etc. And if the players are weekend warriors not interested in furthering their craft it sounds like a mismatch in goals with your friends lol :shrug
Good advice. I've lost to players with naff looking technique so many times. But, there is more to this than sticking to patterns of play that work. There's a psychological thing that happens when you play someone who isn't intimidated by your nice looking strokes. You may serve hard and deep, with good angle, good returns, etc., but, this guy keeps getting them back. He/she, keeps getting your good shots back. Why? Because they're used to playing good players like you. They know that patience is one of their few values. I watched pro tennis players today at AO 2021. I watched Cameron Norrie get beat by Nadal. Do you know what the stand out problem he had over and over? When he had Nadal out wide, he didn't move in to finish the point. I see this so often in my own game and everyone else's. You open up the court and then stand back, basically resetting the point. Of course, your play pattern is seriously good sense, but, when you pressure your opponent it's time to move in and volley.
i think that when people are losing to weaker players, confidence plummets. a good way to regroup during the match would be to go less for the lines, higher and once the opponent misses a few balls, their confidence would rise and their level of play would automatically increase.
I needed this I perform really well and win vs players that are 4.5 and 5.0 but as soon as I face my dad who is 3.5 and pushes the ball I lose and I feel myself getting frustrated when in reality I need to stay calm and focus on a goal.
This drill really teaches a tennis player to learn the consistency of hitting crosscourting while putting away short balls as well as change of direction when opportunity present itself without explaining all the reasons behind it. Tennis can be so simple or complex depending how deep you to want dig up.
This is great info! From my perspective Ian is hitting on something HUGE here. I have been a musician and jazz musician for over 35 yrs. in music, you teach SCALES and arpeggios, etc. All the technical components to be a great player on your instrument of choice. We practice hundreds (yes hundreds) of hours on scales and smooth technical facility. That's so we have the tools to play the music pieces. In jazz, you have to play solos completely improvised, ie, they are not written out - just like a tennis match or other. We can play scales and modes until we are literally masters of those scales and modes. But you go to play a jazz solo and you sound incompetent - it sounds nothing like the masters of jazz. To solo well, you have to learn the LANGUAGE of jazz, the phrases, the idioms, the 'sounds' (ie, patterns). Thank you Ian for helping me put this together mentally. Tennis is the same thing. We study the technique, we can HIT USING THE TECHNIQUE! It looks GOOD. It WORKS..".in our vacuum", our practice court. When it's time to play the match, we don't know how to put all the technical pieces TOGETHER to play a match we know we can play on the practice court (exactly, we don't practice match play we practice technical stokes). So...We have the pieces not the SONG. Great jazz is learned by putting the technique with the patterns and sounds of jazz. Great tennis is the same way. To get from scales to jazz, from practice court technique to match play, we have to find the way to blend them - the LEARNING ZONE. And it's by specific learning techniques during practice, that allow us to grasp them during the match play. Not playing mindless scales or hitting mindless forehands. Thank you Ian, this is an articulation of the path to learning not just for tennis, but for countless other endeavors in life, sport, jobs, relationships, life.
Look like the foolproof tennis patterns! So helpful video. I think this type of practice is exactly what many of us need. I struggle a ton with playing tentative in matches and I’ve had to make drastic changes in my approach to match play, what teams I play on and my mindset. Your content has been pivotal in this development. In some matches, I decide that the goal is to swing freely and not care about the end result. That works sometimes, not all the time, but more so the more times I experience playing tentative and being unhappy about it afterwards, even if I won, because I knew it was more damage to my development as a player. On crucial points, if I am receiving, I remind myself not to wish for a double fault, but instead wish for the opportunity to hit an amazing return. I have a target for my return depending on if it’s a forehand or backhand. If it’s a second serve and lands shot, whether I want to attack or hit a drop shot. The struggle is still there but having a plan for what to do is super helpful. I am also grateful every time I have the opportunity to play! Perspective is so key.
Great video! Being a subscriber that is watching ALL the released videos in like 4 months, I think this one is one of the best. Looking at the most intense time of playing tennis in my life between May and November '20, my match personality has evolved by exactly these things. First, I worked on my consistency regarding ground strokes and serve. That included a slight transformation of my forehand (more topspin) and my backhand (extending the swing motion). Additionally, watching Essential tennis, I began understanding how to cover the court and getting myself advantages through playing cross court shots purposely. The training had been a mixture of playing with the same club mates (comfort zone), but also with a great coach (learning zone). Then I started to play much more matches and played my first two tournaments since 1995 (learning - panic zone). There is still so much room to improve, but especially in matches the difference of having a plan or understanding the game better plus the developed consistency have turned my very nervous, tight and fragile match personality into one that is really close to my training personality. Last year, losing to an inferior player while many club mates were watching, I got so angry that I crushed my racquet in front of everybody. This year I normally defeat better players than that guy like 6:16:1, but even when I don't perform on my common level, I am still able to keep a solid level and tend to be less angry let alone freaking out. Thank you for helping evolve my game, Ian! Unfortunately, tennis got prohibited in Germany on Monday, December 14th until January 10th or longer, so I have to be patient now. Might be a good thing to create a video what tennis players can do during pandemic restrictions to keep working on their game, fitness, flexibility, etc.
Thank you so much for this video because yesterday I lost in straight sets 4-1 4-3 to a person that I beat a couple of weeks ago 4-2 4-1. I was so embarrassed and needed to find out what was going on.
Timely video. I was playing at my club's socials today and I just realised I struggle with hitting against people who dink balls back. Something to work on for my next practice!
Learning to drill the same spot with each of the three types of serves helps me a lot because i still mix it up on them without having to worry about where its going
I LOVED this video! I love the easy blue print: - outwide balls = rip cross court - middle balls = choose the side to rip to - short balls = rip up the line *rip = confidently accelerate for topspin to make margin for error
One of the best experiences I had growing up playing tennis in a club was playing with my dad's quite older friends. What they lacked in athleticism and power they sure made up for with intelligence and "tricky" shots.
I really like this video Ian. I'm relearning to play left handed at the moment and because of that I'm playing with players that I wouldn't have played with before. And it's mind blowing how poorly they practice. No targets or intent, just hitting.
Why does everybody allways want pusher to lose? :D:And if someone is doing better than you in competition then he is a better player isn't he? That was smart training. You need repetitions and do them with no pressure, then you can use those shots in games with confidence. I have never wanted to play points in training if I have some competition in my mind.And by the way I'm very proud of all my matches where I defeated the much more skilled player who trains many times more than me. Pushing, outsmarting,frustrating, tiring them. Damn I miss those times when I was still competing. those over three hour matches and even over four hour matches. When you learn to maximize your potential, then nothing wins a feeling of competition in sports.
Proximal Zone of Development, love the educational psychology tip! Great for coaching, teaching, counseling…virtually any subject or discipline. Great video on the intentionality of training, it must be targeted and specific for the best gains.
About the "learning zone" approach: recently during matches I started concentrating on figuring out my opponent's game and learning what to do about it (i.e. strategy). This kind of learning (over the course of a match) has helped much more than trying to fix my serve or forehand. Focusing on making a plan and executing it was much more effective and added an extra level of satisfaction.
So interesting, I have been working with a coach on a consistent basis since my move. He has ne doing the same thing you have said in this video except I have to hit 25 balls correctly in the right spot or I go back to 0. Then do it "around the world". 25 forehands cross court, 25 backhands cross court, 15 balls one forehand one backhand all land on duce side, (so it's a crosscourt forehand and down the line backhand with movement from side to side) 15 balls one backhand one forehand all land on ad side. Same game strategy - short - down the line, deep cross court, middle either side. It is so helpful.
Just taking that split second of decision-making out of the equation makes such a difference! Like you show, it's minimizing the time needed to decide PLUS knowing that what you decide is the right decision. When I first started playing singles, it was a disaster. I was running like a maniac all over the court after the ball while my opponent looked so calm and confident just returning the ball again and again. I had zero sense of what to do when and where to send the ball back. Return of serve can be "automated" too - T serve? Return down the line. Out wide? Cross court.
You had me worried at the beginning there Ian when you were hitting those weak ground strokes. I was wondering what was going on till you explained further afterwards haha
I used to be like this player until i learnt the difference between "outside and inside" balls and how to hit them. I also learnt "down the middle solves the riddle." Both of these helped me to play more consistently and also kept the pressure down.
Looking forward to Tennis Fusion! Another Super Important Video from Essential Tennis with brilliant content, touching on deep subjects regarding programming the tennis mind. Focus in training with one subject at hand is "essential" when training to stamp ideas. Once this is done continually, these tactics work subconsciously when in competition, and the player can think less and keep focus on less matters at game time. Words that I have watched you say as well, many times... what a great set of videos lately Ian!!
First points show a player who has poor consistency. After the training there was obviously much more confidence and consistency in his strokes. Tactically this player seems to have the ability to hit only high net clearance heavy top spin shots with very poor penetration. Initially he seemed to be unable to hit a faster, flatter rally shot. After the drills he showed he is able to hit flatter shots, but he only did it in some of his approach shots (dealing with some of the short balls). Nevertheless, I think it'd be useful for him to develop a higher variety base line play, practicing flatter shots that change the pace. Very useful video overall!
Well.. i want to say big thank you for making this video. I'm badminton player and took up on tennis after the lockdown where indoor sports were stopped. I pick it up reasonably good, had some lessons too. Friend of mine who played tennis for many many years (over 30) he also plays competitively in mixed and men doubles in regional league. He was initially wiping me of the court it definitely got better and better as time progressed yet still i couldn't even win a set. Many times i was really leading then......lost. He is one of those dreaded pushers and me coming from quite aggressive game as badminton is by the third or fourth return i was looking for the winning shot (from any position)I was at the point when I stared really loosing enjoyment of the game. The other day your video popped out on my timeline i decided to watch it and i realised that regardless me been able to hit good shots my game totally lacked the structure. So yesterday i decided to stick to your advice and keep to your strategy plus be confident and patient keep the game going and don't let myself to be provoked to do difficult shot from bad position i left it to him, and he made lots of mistakes in long exchanges.....it did work! I haven't won the match but first set was really close WON the second then lost the third but it was really close and competitive. Something finally clicked in place I'm really pleased thank you for your video once again.
This was really helpful! To be able to retain in my memory (our mental "RAM") simple target points is really a bless. I´ve been playing and training for 35 years plus (no kidding) and i never before heard this. Thank you.
I played and coached tennis for 40+ years and wish I had a dollar for every time I had to listen to players complain about how bad the guy that they lost to was. Way back in the day when I was training to play my coach explained that every shot that I hit should have a purpose, placement and pace ( this included spin, speed and net clearance). We did real on court hitting drills with specific areas targeted. My coach told me that at 5’6” 140 lbs. I was perfect to be a “ Lean Mean Ground Stroke Machine “. He placed a tape 3 ft. Inside the baseline on his side that I had to hit into. I had to consistently keep him behind the baseline. Every short ball that I hit he would attack. When he hit wide and deep I had to return deep cross court with extra net clearance so I could recover. Sometimes he would close in and cut off my return. The idea of hitting deep heavy ground strokes was literally pounded into me during hitting lessons. My coach really helped me move up fro #4 to #1 singles on my league team in two seasons. Then we went to work on my net game. Approach shots had to be placed and be difficult to hit a pass off because they stayed low. I drilled on placement and planning. This was absolutely essential when I moved up open level where you needed something extra to stay competitive. It is not easy to advance past that 4.5 level. At the 5.0/ open tournament level it’s difficult to win two matches in one day and come back and play the next day to stay in the draw. When I played league or ladder matches at my club it was much easier. I got stronger by playing USTA tournaments out side my local community.
Thank you for the instruction! You have really opened my eyes with respect to playing smart Tennis. One question that I have is around predictability. If you play the percentages and hit cross court on the deep balls, do you become too predictable and lower your chances of winning?
Hey, I can’t seem to find the other video(s) you mentioned with similar purposeful drills and ‘game plan’ ideas to this video. Mind dropping the links please?😊🙏🏻
To be fair pushing the ball to the middle and deep in the court even if they are weak balls is a pretty good tactic since it's hard to get an angle on the ball when it's in the middle. He's gotta get good at going for the precise line shots to beat it or just beat em at his own game and be more consistent. Either one
These are very helpful even for a beginner. Time to up my practice intensity. I love the idea of a few set decisions, especially as a new player who doesn't have a lot of weapons in their backpack yet
@@EssentialTennis I will probably never be able to catch up skill wise since I'm starting so late, but my strategy is to be very very fit, play smart, and thus if I can't outplay my opponent, maybe I can outthink and outlast them in long sets LOL.
I see many reasons why players fail against pushers. 1)You lose against a pusher because you NEVER play inverted forehands. Pushers hit low pace balls so that should give you time to move and go on your forehand and... 2.Hit down the line! Be aggressive. Try to finish points and come to the net. 3. Use a kick serve on the ad side. It works, you can also use it to go to the net.. 4. Another problem is most players use Western forehands and they are never taught to hit balls ON THE RISE. Stop waiting for the pushers moonballs to be in a good position. Hit on the rise. 5. Shot variety. Approach the net with a down the line slice. Use dropshots.
I have a question. With all the various tennis racquets. I have a progressing youngster. Racquets come in different price and ways. Is it worth buying the expensive racquet vs a cheaper one? She likes Babolat and knowing the types they come with $200 plus racquets but they also have less expensive but almost the same type of racquets. What do you advice?
@@EssentialTennis (Sorry if my sentences are not very clear english is not my mother tongue) At first I was really frustrated because i didn't understand why I can loose against them. I thought it was because I didn't pratice enough. So I decided to pratice everyday after the lockdown (from April to June ).I was training every single day then there were tournament during the holidays and I kept loosing against worse tennis player but winning against player that play better than me. I was really sad because i didn't understand why... but I watched your videos juste before my tennis lesson on wednesday. And this day we were playing a game named (montée descente in french) the goal is to go at the champion's court and just keep the place on the champion's court. So the coaches put me directly at the champ's and I had to keep the place and not loose. ( I was playing against kids (12-15) i am 17) and then when I played with them I was not loosing like usual and I was WINNING just because I was moving and beeing more regular (not trying to hit a super ball to win in a shot) and now i know i don't have to be in a hurry and just take my time :)
@@EssentialTennis by the way, can you make a video explaining how to win against players who play randomly, like we can't know what they will play because their game is just returning the ball in the court and not caring if they win are not, and sometimes thay put randomly some effects on their balls - I hate playing against them so much
Thanks Ian! I'm mostly hitting and not playing games or sets, because I switched hands a year ago and haven't reached that comfort zone yet. As my strokes improve, I hope to change that. I do try to hammer the cross court groundies with my LH forehand to their backhand. I suppose I can start playing baby sets even without an overhead whack. Think you too?
Funny answer, but this mindset doesn't help to get into the learning zone. Being positive and willing to improve helps tremendously to work on your game and to get over the hump. My experience is, that most players are not satisfied with their game, but they are not willing to really transform their game by putting in a lot of effort and, of course, time. If you're willing to sacrifize, you'll have a very relevant advantage and most probably will progress. This will improve your skills and confidence. And in the end help you to win much more matches.
@@melfox215 Since you went there, I will disagree with what you said and counter with "its not one or the other". If you want to get better you have to do both 1. Know what you are lacking in in order to fix it and 2. Have the willingness to sacrifice and put in the hard work
In my experience (and what I've seen in 4.0 and lower) majority of the time, the winner is determined by the person who makes less mistakes and not necessarily the "better player" who is more athletic or has better technique. So to be frank, if you lose the game, YOU are the worse player of the two. Figure out and recognize what you did wrong and put in the effort to fix it.
@@samrim I don't disagree to anything then. Regarding your second statement, I interprete your first one more like Ian's "don't underestimate the pusher who wins by consistency and smart decisions". Additionally, the mindset to think "I should be better than him/her" doesn't help to play at your highest level during a match.
You lose because you are a "lesson player". Someone who hits the ball the "Right way". YOU took lessons and you thought your coach gave you good advice, but he didn't. Lose those big topspin shots, and just push the ball back deep with whatever stroke seems natural. Put some spin on it. Then quickly run back to the middle of the court and try to anticipate the next shot. Then do the same thing....If you get pulled out wide, throw up a lob...get it in the court. If your opponent hits an overhead, try to read where he is going to hit it, then run to that spot and just block it back at his feet, or lob him again if he is close to the net....This is called "retriever's tennis", and it's the lesson all the coaches skip, but it's the most important lesson. If you can return three balls, you will usually win the point. If you can return five, you almost ALWAYS will win the point. If you want to drive your opponent crazy, hit a big topspin to his one-handed backhand. But be CONSISTENT above all else. When I played tournaments, I noticed that most of the top weekend warriors were self-taught guys, who started as adults, and like to run.
As a rec player who has only ever played doubles I can suggest that singles players lose mostly because of an incomplete skillset. Confident with big groundies on the baseline but beat down easily by junk balls. Against other baseliners it's a fair fight. But against a masterful junk ball pusher like Fabrice Santoro they're in trouble. Play enough doubles to put away the junk confidently. If your opponents are any good you won't get to hit big groundies much at all anyway.
I've noticed that the ratings of 4.0, 4.5 etc vary by location. You called this guy a strong 4.0....but not in my region. He would be a solid 3.5. And even the WTN can be off by location. I find that UTR is good about being location independent.
How to improve two handed backhand?My most backhand land in service box I have very bad contact point and sometimes good .but same result they land it service box How to improve the dept
It looks like you described my problem. :-) Nice suggestions! Thank you. However, there is a further problem, at least in my case: I am afraid to attack the short balls, as you suggested. Since I do not want they fly long, I just phone my opponent and push them. What do you suggest to overcome that? Thank you very much!
Hitting with good form is like writing love poetry..... in French. You might feel good about yourself because you’re doing it ‘how it should be done’, but until you reach a decent level of fluency, the Pusher’s IM booty call will win the girl.
I am a 4.5-5 player but lost to a guy barely 3.5 bloody pusher last night...pissed me off so much. Technique-wise i was far more superior but i was making way too many unforced errors.
@@EssentialTennis here you go: Senninger's Learning Zone Model www.thempra.org.uk/social-pedagogy/key-concepts-in-social-pedagogy/the-learning-zone-model/
Man I need this soo BAD, I notice that when I hit with purpose and confidence (don't hesitate between shot selection or aim) I hit insanely good. When I hesitate mostly I hit poorly. Ian would it work if I just put this rule in place. Hitting cross deep when it comes cross deep, hitting aggressive down the line when its short and pick a side when its middle?
When I play, my opponent doesn't win, I lose by throwing away 90% of the points. It's like when in game mindset, I actually don't know how to play; inrush shots, my swing goes, u snatch, then my confidence goes completely and my head goes down. It's so demoralising. I need help.
I feel like this video is similar to one you released years back that had to do with losing to people that you were better than. I think it was one of those Q&A videos you used to do. I believe you said something like, maybe you're losing to those people because you're not better than them and that if you were, you'd be beating them. We decide that we're better than someone based off of biases like how their shots look or the shape they're in or various other reasons. I think this comes down to a perception issue. On paper, you could be perceived to be better than someone because maybe you've won way more matches than them. Maybe they've lost more matches than they've won over the course of their "career". But if you play that person and they beat you, they were the better player that day.
@@EssentialTennis No, it's not that one. You were sitting in a chair in a studio with lighting equipment and other things you would use to make videos in the background while you read questions from your phone. This was years ago.
I think there can be many reasons 1) As you said we think to be better than someone based on shots looks but in real match play they hit and place shots better than you with/without technique...So these are not worse player buts its our belief. In case you losing to a player because of Unforced errors which maybe due to when you hitting the ball you are not very clear what to do with ball..then this video is targeting that problem...
It's also unhealthy to compare yourself to your opponent in the sense, "I'm 'better' so I'm entitled to win". At most, take note of the opponent's technical shortcomings and figure out how you can use your win conditions to exploit them. Getting frustrated because you're losing to an opponent that's "worse" is a horrible psychology.
Agreed. The simplest and best thing to do when playing a new opponent is to decide which is his strongest wing, and which is your stronger side. If his weak side is his backhand, and your strong side is your forehand, then try to hit as many forehands as possible, and hit to his backhand as much as possible.
I just got a grade 3 ankle sprain.. since you have same experience on ankle sprains just wondering how many months would it take for me to play tennis fully again
So sorry to hear that, kinhoe! It took me two months before I started moving around again, but at low intensity. I think I probably have another month or two to go.
I had a Grade 2 sprain with a torn ligament 2 months ago and can wobble around the court and play semi-competitively , I’d say at least another month or 2 more 👍🏻
How do you deal with hard, heavy, and fast shots? I play against one of my friends and his shots are heavy, low, and fast and it's super hard for me to return them
@@Whisper555 Typically, yes. But the way he hits it, he hits it so it barely goes over the net by one or two feet and it goes fast enough to the point where it will still land well past the service line. Then it just kicks forward and up because of the topspin and it makes for a really weird and uncomfortable shot.
@@shreyasvaranasi7629 That sounds like a very flat low percentage shot. My suspicion is not the fact you have difficulty dealing with this very hard hit low flat shot that you think goes in a lot and puts you under a lot of pressure, but the probability that you are giving him balls that allow him to do so. Is that what is happening? There are times when you should lose the point if you give your opponent the opportunity to do so. I would not focus on solving that problem, I would focus on the problem of not giving my opponent the opportunity to hit forcing balls & winners. It is hard to provide a definitive answer using text without knowing what tools you bring to the table. It could be something stupidly fundamental like a poor ready position, no split step without a useful unit turn. This entire series of videos ought to be giving you great ideas on what practice measures you can use to assist you if your technique is fundamentally sound. That being said, the bar for what I consider to be fundamentally sound is quite high.
I thought I was losing to players that are worse than me... And then I videotaped myself last week and apparently I am winning against the players who are better than me... Rude awakening... I am ready to give up.
@@EssentialTennis true story, I do not think I am giving up though.... I thought I was a graceful gazelle... And apparently I am a bear on rollerblades... I admit I was like everyone else judging your technique , and imagining myself a 4.5 player (though I never commented)...I decided to tape myself to see if there is a potential improvement to get myself to the next level... Well I do not think I am anywhere close to 4.5 or 4 for that matter... I also was surprised that my two handed backhand looks a lot better than my forehand. It opened my eyes that my unit turn is nowhere to be found and that I muscle my forehand through...
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Be sure to check out the other two videos in this special series so you can play your best in MATCHES!
Federer Training Secret - ruclips.net/video/o2yvjPRf5bs/видео.html
Why You Play Worse In Matches - ruclips.net/video/ZVoQxpNUbIU/видео.html
Thank you for watching. I hope these lessons have been a huge help!
Heh
You weren't trying to win
Your student was trying hard to win
People focus on hitting great shots in an attempt to win.
The objective should be hitting good shots in a way that makes the probability of winning points higher.
@@Whisper555 Totally agree!
I get the point but still think that hating on the ugly play guys and pusher doesn't help at all. I have lost a city final to a pusher, but in retrospect I just have to admit, although hitting more nice shots in some of the time, I was just not good enough to win. When you loose the opponent was better. Dienst matter that you want to play like Federer, if you can't hit the balls on the court you are just not good enough. Tennis is cruel sometimes and that exactly makes the value of the game!
I especially liked the second drill, because it requires the student to generate all of the pace on their shots. The biggest reason I get frustrated against "lesser" opponents is their lack of pace, especially on serves.
Yup, that's a great point, Gretchen!
Losing to worse player is so frustrating I lose my tournament because of the pressure . My trophy went from my hand 😢
I feel like this video lesson was made for exactly for me. Great stuff!
Glad to hear it!
There's a formula:
"Frustration = self image - reality"
Absolutely!
The narrow focus thing is really important. My friends “practise” by rallying with no focus or goal in mind, it drives me crazy. They even operate under the assumption that doing this will make them better. It’s drills or match play that will help you improve not mindless rallying
"rallying with no focus or goal in mind"
I mean reps are so very important as well for recreational players, developing the muscle memory for technique so you can actually focus on areas outlined in this video. Obviously only ONE way to practice isn't sufficient but there are plenty of things to work on in mindless rallying. Particularly maybe individual items like your non dominant arm on forehands, focusing on split step etc. And if the players are weekend warriors not interested in furthering their craft it sounds like a mismatch in goals with your friends lol :shrug
Good advice. I've lost to players with naff looking technique so many times. But, there is more to this than sticking to patterns of play that work.
There's a psychological thing that happens when you play someone who isn't intimidated by your nice looking strokes. You may serve hard and deep, with good angle, good returns, etc., but, this guy keeps getting them back. He/she, keeps getting your good shots back. Why? Because they're used to playing good players like you. They know that patience is one of their few values.
I watched pro tennis players today at AO 2021. I watched Cameron Norrie get beat by Nadal. Do you know what the stand out problem he had over and over? When he had Nadal out wide, he didn't move in to finish the point. I see this so often in my own game and everyone else's. You open up the court and then stand back, basically resetting the point. Of course, your play pattern is seriously good sense, but, when you pressure your opponent it's time to move in and volley.
i think that when people are losing to weaker players, confidence plummets. a good way to regroup during the match would be to go less for the lines, higher and once the opponent misses a few balls, their confidence would rise and their level of play would automatically increase.
I needed this I perform really well and win vs players that are 4.5 and 5.0 but as soon as I face my dad who is 3.5 and pushes the ball I lose and I feel myself getting frustrated when in reality I need to stay calm and focus on a goal.
You got it, Gabriel!
Your Dad isn't a 3.5 if you are as good as you say.
There's a lot of psychological things that go on when you are playing your dad or brother or other family member.
Awesome blueprint for a simple strategy to have purpose behind your shot placement.
Glad you enjoyed it, George! Thanks for watching.
THIS WAS MY PROBLEM!!!! THANK YOU FOR THE SOLUTION!!!
This drill really teaches a tennis player to learn the consistency of hitting crosscourting while putting away short balls as well as change of direction when opportunity present itself without explaining all the reasons behind it. Tennis can be so simple or complex depending how deep you to want dig up.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching, Joseph.
Great! A simple zone system should be the first step for anyone who struggles with shot selection.
This video is all about my life in and off the court. Thanks to ET and TTD! I will practice the Learning zone part and let you know about my results.
This is great info!
From my perspective Ian is hitting on something HUGE here. I have been a musician and jazz musician for over 35 yrs. in music, you teach SCALES and arpeggios, etc. All the technical components to be a great player on your instrument of choice. We practice hundreds (yes hundreds) of hours on scales and smooth technical facility. That's so we have the tools to play the music pieces. In jazz, you have to play solos completely improvised, ie, they are not written out - just like a tennis match or other. We can play scales and modes until we are literally masters of those scales and modes. But you go to play a jazz solo and you sound incompetent - it sounds nothing like the masters of jazz. To solo well, you have to learn the LANGUAGE of jazz, the phrases, the idioms, the 'sounds' (ie, patterns).
Thank you Ian for helping me put this together mentally. Tennis is the same thing. We study the technique, we can HIT USING THE TECHNIQUE! It looks GOOD. It WORKS..".in our vacuum", our practice court. When it's time to play the match, we don't know how to put all the technical pieces TOGETHER to play a match we know we can play on the practice court (exactly, we don't practice match play we practice technical stokes).
So...We have the pieces not the SONG. Great jazz is learned by putting the technique with the patterns and sounds of jazz. Great tennis is the same way. To get from scales to jazz, from practice court technique to match play, we have to find the way to blend them - the LEARNING ZONE. And it's by specific learning techniques during practice, that allow us to grasp them during the match play. Not playing mindless scales or hitting mindless forehands.
Thank you Ian, this is an articulation of the path to learning not just for tennis, but for countless other endeavors in life, sport, jobs, relationships, life.
Ian, these videos are spot on what everyone needs. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Look like the foolproof tennis patterns! So helpful video. I think this type of practice is exactly what many of us need. I struggle a ton with playing tentative in matches and I’ve had to make drastic changes in my approach to match play, what teams I play on and my mindset. Your content has been pivotal in this development. In some matches, I decide that the goal is to swing freely and not care about the end result. That works sometimes, not all the time, but more so the more times I experience playing tentative and being unhappy about it afterwards, even if I won, because I knew it was more damage to my development as a player. On crucial points, if I am receiving, I remind myself not to wish for a double fault, but instead wish for the opportunity to hit an amazing return. I have a target for my return depending on if it’s a forehand or backhand. If it’s a second serve and lands shot, whether I want to attack or hit a drop shot. The struggle is still there but having a plan for what to do is super helpful. I am also grateful every time I have the opportunity to play! Perspective is so key.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Sabina!
Great video! Being a subscriber that is watching ALL the released videos in like 4 months, I think this one is one of the best.
Looking at the most intense time of playing tennis in my life between May and November '20, my match personality has evolved by exactly these things.
First, I worked on my consistency regarding ground strokes and serve. That included a slight transformation of my forehand (more topspin) and my backhand (extending the swing motion). Additionally, watching Essential tennis, I began understanding how to cover the court and getting myself advantages through playing cross court shots purposely. The training had been a mixture of playing with the same club mates (comfort zone), but also with a great coach (learning zone). Then I started to play much more matches and played my first two tournaments since 1995 (learning - panic zone).
There is still so much room to improve, but especially in matches the difference of having a plan or understanding the game better plus the developed consistency have turned my very nervous, tight and fragile match personality into one that is really close to my training personality.
Last year, losing to an inferior player while many club mates were watching, I got so angry that I crushed my racquet in front of everybody. This year I normally defeat better players than that guy like 6:1 6:1, but even when I don't perform on my common level, I am still able to keep a solid level and tend to be less angry let alone freaking out.
Thank you for helping evolve my game, Ian!
Unfortunately, tennis got prohibited in Germany on Monday, December 14th until January 10th or longer, so I have to be patient now.
Might be a good thing to create a video what tennis players can do during pandemic restrictions to keep working on their game, fitness, flexibility, etc.
Congrats on the amazing improvement, Mel! I'm super happy for you!
One of the best videos ever made for levels
Thank you so much for this video because yesterday I lost in straight sets 4-1 4-3 to a person that I beat a couple of weeks ago 4-2 4-1. I was so embarrassed and needed to find out what was going on.
Timely video. I was playing at my club's socials today and I just realised I struggle with hitting against people who dink balls back. Something to work on for my next practice!
Love the low key psychology at the end that doesn't only apply to tennis but also life in general :)
Learning to drill the same spot with each of the three types of serves helps me a lot because i still mix it up on them without having to worry about where its going
Great advice. It's so easy when you're nervous in a match to completely forget about placement
Absolutely! Thanks for watching, Mona!
I LOVED this video! I love the easy blue print:
- outwide balls = rip cross court
- middle balls = choose the side to rip to
- short balls = rip up the line
*rip = confidently accelerate for topspin to make margin for error
Very, very nice approach to the chasm between practice and match.
Now it's just a matter of internalizing and applying all of that here.
One of the best experiences I had growing up playing tennis in a club was playing with my dad's quite older friends. What they lacked in athleticism and power they sure made up for with intelligence and "tricky" shots.
I love this sort of training advice. Basic, to the point, easily understandable, and it works and is effective. Thanks
I really like this video Ian. I'm relearning to play left handed at the moment and because of that I'm playing with players that I wouldn't have played with before. And it's mind blowing how poorly they practice. No targets or intent, just hitting.
Why does everybody allways want pusher to lose? :D:And if someone is doing better than you in competition then he is a better player isn't he? That was smart training. You need repetitions and do them with no pressure, then you can use those shots in games with confidence. I have never wanted to play points in training if I have some competition in my mind.And by the way I'm very proud of all my matches where I defeated the much more skilled player who trains many times more than me. Pushing, outsmarting,frustrating, tiring them. Damn I miss those times when I was still competing. those over three hour matches and even over four hour matches. When you learn to maximize your potential, then nothing wins a feeling of competition in sports.
Your videos are so helpful to our novice tennis princesses every time I watch them. Thank you.
I'm so glad!
This an extremely valuable drill to be prepared for match play!
Proximal Zone of Development, love the educational psychology tip! Great for coaching, teaching, counseling…virtually any subject or discipline. Great video on the intentionality of training, it must be targeted and specific for the best gains.
About the "learning zone" approach: recently during matches I started concentrating on figuring out my opponent's game and learning what to do about it (i.e. strategy). This kind of learning (over the course of a match) has helped much more than trying to fix my serve or forehand. Focusing on making a plan and executing it was much more effective and added an extra level of satisfaction.
Let me recommend Brad Gilbert's "Winning Ugly", it's the best book on that strategic mentality.
So interesting, I have been working with a coach on a consistent basis since my move. He has ne doing the same thing you have said in this video except I have to hit 25 balls correctly in the right spot or I go back to 0. Then do it "around the world". 25 forehands cross court, 25 backhands cross court, 15 balls one forehand one backhand all land on duce side, (so it's a crosscourt forehand and down the line backhand with movement from side to side) 15 balls one backhand one forehand all land on ad side. Same game strategy - short - down the line, deep cross court, middle either side. It is so helpful.
Just taking that split second of decision-making out of the equation makes such a difference! Like you show, it's minimizing the time needed to decide PLUS knowing that what you decide is the right decision.
When I first started playing singles, it was a disaster. I was running like a maniac all over the court after the ball while my opponent looked so calm and confident just returning the ball again and again. I had zero sense of what to do when and where to send the ball back.
Return of serve can be "automated" too - T serve? Return down the line. Out wide? Cross court.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sandrat! Absolutely any pattern or target can be "automated", yes.
You sir, are a really, really amazing coach!
You had me worried at the beginning there Ian when you were hitting those weak ground strokes. I was wondering what was going on till you explained further afterwards haha
I'm a great tennis player trapped in a shit tennis player's body. How the hell can I get out as it's so damn frustrating?
I used to be like this player until i learnt the difference between "outside and inside" balls and how to hit them. I also learnt "down the middle solves the riddle." Both of these helped me to play more consistently and also kept the pressure down.
This video was extremely helpful I lose to players that are worse than me (specifically pushers) because sometimes i dont know what to do.
Glad it was helpful, Ethan!
Looking forward to Tennis Fusion! Another Super Important Video from Essential Tennis with brilliant content, touching on deep subjects regarding programming the tennis mind. Focus in training with one subject at hand is "essential" when training to stamp ideas. Once this is done continually, these tactics work subconsciously when in competition, and the player can think less and keep focus on less matters at game time. Words that I have watched you say as well, many times... what a great set of videos lately Ian!!
Thank you so much, Munditimum! I appreciate your support.
I implemented this simple tactic and started 3-0 vs my regular opponent, very eye opening
Great advice! Taking the decision making process of where to hit the ball out of the equation will make things so much easier.
Thanks for watching, Shameel!
First points show a player who has poor consistency. After the training there was obviously much more confidence and consistency in his strokes. Tactically this player seems to have the ability to hit only high net clearance heavy top spin shots with very poor penetration. Initially he seemed to be unable to hit a faster, flatter rally shot. After the drills he showed he is able to hit flatter shots, but he only did it in some of his approach shots (dealing with some of the short balls). Nevertheless, I think it'd be useful for him to develop a higher variety base line play, practicing flatter shots that change the pace. Very useful video overall!
Glad you found it useful, Dionisios!
Amazing video. This is so common and a tough mental issue for all of us. Thanks for posting and look forward to more on the subject.
I really needed this thank you :)
You're so welcome!
Well.. i want to say big thank you for making this video. I'm badminton player and took up on tennis after the lockdown where indoor sports were stopped. I pick it up reasonably good, had some lessons too. Friend of mine who played tennis for many many years (over 30) he also plays competitively in mixed and men doubles in regional league. He was initially wiping me of the court it definitely got better and better as time progressed yet still i couldn't even win a set. Many times i was really leading then......lost. He is one of those dreaded pushers and me coming from quite aggressive game as badminton is by the third or fourth return i was looking for the winning shot (from any position)I was at the point when I stared really loosing enjoyment of the game. The other day your video popped out on my timeline i decided to watch it and i realised that regardless me been able to hit good shots my game totally lacked the structure. So yesterday i decided to stick to your advice and keep to your strategy plus be confident and patient keep the game going and don't let myself to be provoked to do difficult shot from bad position i left it to him, and he made lots of mistakes in long exchanges.....it did work! I haven't won the match but first set was really close WON the second then lost the third but it was really close and competitive. Something finally clicked in place I'm really pleased thank you for your video once again.
This was really helpful! To be able to retain in my memory (our mental "RAM") simple target points is really a bless. I´ve been playing and training for 35 years plus (no kidding) and i never before heard this. Thank you.
I played and coached tennis for 40+ years and wish I had a dollar for every time I had to listen to players complain about how bad the guy that they lost to was. Way back in the day when I was training to play my coach explained that every shot that I hit should have a purpose, placement and pace ( this included spin, speed and net clearance). We did real on court hitting drills with specific areas targeted. My coach told me that at 5’6” 140 lbs. I was perfect to be a “ Lean Mean Ground Stroke Machine “. He placed a tape 3 ft. Inside the baseline on his side that I had to hit into. I had to consistently keep him behind the baseline. Every short ball that I hit he would attack. When he hit wide and deep I had to return deep cross court with extra net clearance so I could recover. Sometimes he would close in and cut off my return. The idea of hitting deep heavy ground strokes was literally pounded into me during hitting lessons. My coach really helped me move up fro #4 to #1 singles on my league team in two seasons. Then we went to work on my net game. Approach shots had to be placed and be difficult to hit a pass off because they stayed low. I drilled on placement and planning. This was absolutely essential when I moved up open level where you needed something extra to stay competitive. It is not easy to advance past that 4.5 level. At the 5.0/ open tournament level it’s difficult to win two matches in one day and come back and play the next day to stay in the draw. When I played league or ladder matches at my club it was much easier. I got stronger by playing USTA tournaments out side my local community.
Please make a video on how to make our forehand into complete weapon like pros
Here you go! ruclips.net/video/W277kUwRATg/видео.html
Love these vids! This is so me...
Glad they've been helpful, Pavel! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the instruction! You have really opened my eyes with respect to playing smart Tennis. One question that I have is around predictability. If you play the percentages and hit cross court on the deep balls, do you become too predictable and lower your chances of winning?
Thank you soooo much
You're very welcome, Vishnu!
Oh wow, this vid is such an eyeopener again! Thank you very much!
MARVELOUS! cheers
🙏❤
Hey, I can’t seem to find the other video(s) you mentioned with similar purposeful drills and ‘game plan’ ideas to this video. Mind dropping the links please?😊🙏🏻
I just love your videos. They gave me a lot tennis knowledge!
Always love you vids and techniques
Your videos are awesome! Thank you.
To be fair pushing the ball to the middle and deep in the court even if they are weak balls is a pretty good tactic since it's hard to get an angle on the ball when it's in the middle. He's gotta get good at going for the precise line shots to beat it or just beat em at his own game and be more consistent. Either one
I’m wondering, yes I can slide on clay but how do I slide on grass and hard court?
These are very helpful even for a beginner. Time to up my practice intensity. I love the idea of a few set decisions, especially as a new player who doesn't have a lot of weapons in their backpack yet
If beginners can learn this from the start it's HUGE!
@@EssentialTennis I will probably never be able to catch up skill wise since I'm starting so late, but my strategy is to be very very fit, play smart, and thus if I can't outplay my opponent, maybe I can outthink and outlast them in long sets LOL.
Absolutely, love that attitude and mindset. Keep working hard!
Keep the points short, I know this is going to sound over simplified for some, but serve and volley works for me.
Glad you found what works for you!
I see many reasons why players fail against pushers.
1)You lose against a pusher because you NEVER play inverted forehands. Pushers hit low pace balls so that should give you time to move and go on your forehand and...
2.Hit down the line! Be aggressive. Try to finish points and come to the net.
3. Use a kick serve on the ad side. It works, you can also use it to go to the net..
4. Another problem is most players use Western forehands and they are never taught to hit balls ON THE RISE. Stop waiting for the pushers moonballs to be in a good position. Hit on the rise.
5. Shot variety. Approach the net with a down the line slice. Use dropshots.
I have a question. With all the various tennis racquets. I have a progressing youngster. Racquets come in different price and ways. Is it worth buying the expensive racquet vs a cheaper one? She likes Babolat and knowing the types they come with $200 plus racquets but they also have less expensive but almost the same type of racquets. What do you advice?
I am exactly in his position
Let him play a singles match vs MEP (green shirt guy) for his ultimate lesson
Absolutely!
Omg now i have the answer i was searching for 5 months thank you!!!
Great to hear this was helpful, Anny! What specifically where you searching for?
@@EssentialTennis (Sorry if my sentences are not very clear english is not my mother tongue)
At first I was really frustrated because i didn't understand why I can loose against them. I thought it was because I didn't pratice enough. So I decided to pratice everyday after the lockdown (from April to June ).I was training every single day then there were tournament during the holidays and I kept loosing against worse tennis player but winning against player that play better than me. I was really sad because i didn't understand why... but I watched your videos juste before my tennis lesson on wednesday. And this day we were playing a game named (montée descente in french) the goal is to go at the champion's court and just keep the place on the champion's court. So the coaches put me directly at the champ's and I had to keep the place and not loose. ( I was playing against kids (12-15) i am 17) and then when I played with them I was not loosing like usual and I was WINNING just because I was moving and beeing more regular (not trying to hit a super ball to win in a shot) and now i know i don't have to be in a hurry and just take my time :)
@@EssentialTennis by the way, can you make a video explaining how to win against players who play randomly, like we can't know what they will play because their game is just returning the ball in the court and not caring if they win are not, and sometimes thay put randomly some effects on their balls - I hate playing against them so much
@@Kwakamole442 that's what exactly happened to me
Very good content. 👍
This is big. In matches we do not have time ti think. 1 core strategy will make you feel calm.
Thanks Ian! I'm mostly hitting and not playing games or sets, because I switched hands a year ago and haven't reached that comfort zone yet. As my strokes improve, I hope to change that. I do try to hammer the cross court groundies with my LH forehand to their backhand. I suppose I can start playing baby sets even without an overhead whack. Think you too?
Good stuff as always
Much appreciated
I just did this, and my UTR when WAYY down 😭😭
8:53 history of my life.
Great! Could really relate to that.
9:29 so true
Why I lose to worse tennis players?
Let's be honest. Its because I'm even worse than them.
😳
Funny answer, but this mindset doesn't help to get into the learning zone. Being positive and willing to improve helps tremendously to work on your game and to get over the hump.
My experience is, that most players are not satisfied with their game, but they are not willing to really transform their game by putting in a lot of effort and, of course, time.
If you're willing to sacrifize, you'll have a very relevant advantage and most probably will progress. This will improve your skills and confidence. And in the end help you to win much more matches.
@@melfox215 Since you went there, I will disagree with what you said and counter with "its not one or the other". If you want to get better you have to do both
1. Know what you are lacking in in order to fix it and 2. Have the willingness to sacrifice and put in the hard work
In my experience (and what I've seen in 4.0 and lower) majority of the time, the winner is determined by the person who makes less mistakes and not necessarily the "better player" who is more athletic or has better technique. So to be frank, if you lose the game, YOU are the worse player of the two. Figure out and recognize what you did wrong and put in the effort to fix it.
@@samrim I don't disagree to anything then.
Regarding your second statement, I interprete your first one more like Ian's "don't underestimate the pusher who wins by consistency and smart decisions".
Additionally, the mindset to think "I should be better than him/her" doesn't help to play at your highest level during a match.
You lose because you are a "lesson player". Someone who hits the ball the "Right way". YOU took lessons and you thought your coach gave you good advice, but he didn't. Lose those big topspin shots, and just push the ball back deep with whatever stroke seems natural. Put some spin on it. Then quickly run back to the middle of the court and try to anticipate the next shot. Then do the same thing....If you get pulled out wide, throw up a lob...get it in the court. If your opponent hits an overhead, try to read where he is going to hit it, then run to that spot and just block it back at his feet, or lob him again if he is close to the net....This is called "retriever's tennis", and it's the lesson all the coaches skip, but it's the most important lesson. If you can return three balls, you will usually win the point. If you can return five, you almost ALWAYS will win the point. If you want to drive your opponent crazy, hit a big topspin to his one-handed backhand. But be CONSISTENT above all else. When I played tournaments, I noticed that most of the top weekend warriors were self-taught guys, who started as adults, and like to run.
By chance can you tell me which application you use to do your analysis videos?
OMG PLEASE HELP LOL! I am so angry while playing and my opponent has not such a good serve. I keep smashing it back and sometimes hard in the net.
As a rec player who has only ever played doubles I can suggest that singles players lose mostly because of an incomplete skillset. Confident with big groundies on the baseline but beat down easily by junk balls. Against other baseliners it's a fair fight. But against a masterful junk ball pusher like Fabrice Santoro they're in trouble. Play enough doubles to put away the junk confidently. If your opponents are any good you won't get to hit big groundies much at all anyway.
I've noticed that the ratings of 4.0, 4.5 etc vary by location. You called this guy a strong 4.0....but not in my region. He would be a solid 3.5. And even the WTN can be off by location. I find that UTR is good about being location independent.
How to improve two handed backhand?My most backhand land in service box
I have very bad contact point and sometimes good .but same result they land it service box
How to improve the dept
Here's some drills for you: ruclips.net/video/xCFsGFT56lo/видео.html
Height = Depth
It looks like you described my problem. :-) Nice suggestions! Thank you. However, there is a further problem, at least in my case: I am afraid to attack the short balls, as you suggested. Since I do not want they fly long, I just phone my opponent and push them. What do you suggest to overcome that? Thank you very much!
Great video Ian.. I would love something like this for doubles😊
It's the exact same thing, hildy! Just different targets at different times!
@@EssentialTennis so will you be doing a video on the different targets n different times
I'm sure I will 🙂
Love this vidéo... Its my favorit
❤🙏
Hitting with good form is like writing love poetry..... in French. You might feel good about yourself because you’re doing it ‘how it should be done’, but until you reach a decent level of fluency, the Pusher’s IM booty call will win the girl.
😆
I am a 4.5-5 player but lost to a guy barely 3.5 bloody pusher last night...pissed me off so much. Technique-wise i was far more superior but i was making way too many unforced errors.
Hey Ian, did you manage to find where did you learn about the famous circles from?
I haven't yet, no!
@@EssentialTennis here you go: Senninger's Learning Zone Model www.thempra.org.uk/social-pedagogy/key-concepts-in-social-pedagogy/the-learning-zone-model/
Awesome! Thank you so much!
If he beats you, he's not worse than you. Pretty strokes in practice tend to break down under pressure!
Man I need this soo BAD, I notice that when I hit with purpose and confidence (don't hesitate between shot selection or aim) I hit insanely good. When I hesitate mostly I hit poorly. Ian would it work if I just put this rule in place. Hitting cross deep when it comes cross deep, hitting aggressive down the line when its short and pick a side when its middle?
YES! That alone is going to help you tremendously, Milo. Keep up the good work!
@@EssentialTennis You to Ian, If I ever have the money I'll come visit you in America for some lessons !
When I play, my opponent doesn't win, I lose by throwing away 90% of the points. It's like when in game mindset, I actually don't know how to play; inrush shots, my swing goes, u snatch, then my confidence goes completely and my head goes down. It's so demoralising. I need help.
I feel like this video is similar to one you released years back that had to do with losing to people that you were better than. I think it was one of those Q&A videos you used to do. I believe you said something like, maybe you're losing to those people because you're not better than them and that if you were, you'd be beating them. We decide that we're better than someone based off of biases like how their shots look or the shape they're in or various other reasons.
I think this comes down to a perception issue. On paper, you could be perceived to be better than someone because maybe you've won way more matches than them. Maybe they've lost more matches than they've won over the course of their "career". But if you play that person and they beat you, they were the better player that day.
That's most definitely part of it, Brandon! I think this is the video you're thinking about: ruclips.net/video/fawsmqPMULM/видео.html
@@EssentialTennis No, it's not that one. You were sitting in a chair in a studio with lighting equipment and other things you would use to make videos in the background while you read questions from your phone. This was years ago.
I think there can be many reasons 1) As you said we think to be better than someone based on shots looks but in real match play they hit and place shots better than you with/without technique...So these are not worse player buts its our belief. In case you losing to a player because of Unforced errors which maybe due to when you hitting the ball you are not very clear what to do with ball..then this video is targeting that problem...
Brandon - Ahhh....you mean this one: ruclips.net/video/NIIyieIvKR0/видео.html 5 years ago!
@@EssentialTennis That's the one!
It's also unhealthy to compare yourself to your opponent in the sense, "I'm 'better' so I'm entitled to win". At most, take note of the opponent's technical shortcomings and figure out how you can use your win conditions to exploit them. Getting frustrated because you're losing to an opponent that's "worse" is a horrible psychology.
Agreed. The simplest and best thing to do when playing a new opponent is to decide which is his strongest wing, and which is your stronger side. If his weak side is his backhand, and your strong side is your forehand, then try to hit as many forehands as possible, and hit to his backhand as much as possible.
Not entitled to win but not meant to lose 🤷♀️
Agreed. Sadly it happens to a lot of players .
I just got a grade 3 ankle sprain.. since you have same experience on ankle sprains just wondering how many months would it take for me to play tennis fully again
So sorry to hear that, kinhoe! It took me two months before I started moving around again, but at low intensity. I think I probably have another month or two to go.
Ahh 3-4 months.. thanks for your reply! Wish you a speedy recovery! 😊
I had a Grade 2 sprain with a torn ligament 2 months ago and can wobble around the court and play semi-competitively , I’d say at least another month or 2 more 👍🏻
Good luck in your recover too roberto
so it sounds like giving him this direction about where to go with his shots, it is taking some stress off of your student
Yes, absolutely! It narrowed his focus and took a lot of stress off his mind.
I fare better in doubles because of that - less options/narrower focus
How he hold his bh will limit him to 4.0. seem it can only hit loopy high ball cross court
How do you deal with hard, heavy, and fast shots?
I play against one of my friends and his shots are heavy, low, and fast and it's super hard for me to return them
Great topic, I'll cover it soon!
Heavy usually means a ball with a lot of top spin.
Heavy balls typically will not stay low.
@@Whisper555 Typically, yes. But the way he hits it, he hits it so it barely goes over the net by one or two feet and it goes fast enough to the point where it will still land well past the service line. Then it just kicks forward and up because of the topspin and it makes for a really weird and uncomfortable shot.
@@shreyasvaranasi7629 That sounds like a very flat low percentage shot.
My suspicion is not the fact you have difficulty dealing with this very hard hit low flat shot that you think goes in a lot and puts you under a lot of pressure, but the probability that you are giving him balls that allow him to do so.
Is that what is happening?
There are times when you should lose the point if you give your opponent the opportunity to do so. I would not focus on solving that problem, I would focus on the problem of not giving my opponent the opportunity to hit forcing balls & winners.
It is hard to provide a definitive answer using text without knowing what tools you bring to the table. It could be something stupidly fundamental like a poor ready position, no split step without a useful unit turn.
This entire series of videos ought to be giving you great ideas on what practice measures you can use to assist you if your technique is fundamentally sound.
That being said, the bar for what I consider to be fundamentally sound is quite high.
@@shreyasvaranasi7629 Play with more topspin and hit deep so he cannot blast easy balls. From the baseline he can't hurt you.
Looking at his backhand form is giving me arm pain
I thought I was losing to players that are worse than me... And then I videotaped myself last week and apparently I am winning against the players who are better than me... Rude awakening... I am ready to give up.
Wait....is this actually true story or just a joke/funny comment?
@@EssentialTennis true story, I do not think I am giving up though.... I thought I was a graceful gazelle... And apparently I am a bear on rollerblades... I admit I was like everyone else judging your technique , and imagining myself a 4.5 player (though I never commented)...I decided to tape myself to see if there is a potential improvement to get myself to the next level... Well I do not think I am anywhere close to 4.5 or 4 for that matter... I also was surprised that my two handed backhand looks a lot better than my forehand. It opened my eyes that my unit turn is nowhere to be found and that I muscle my forehand through...
Thank you for sharing your story! Most people wouldn't have the courage to post it. I really respect that a lot.