Here's the FULL match between Cole and Mark. It was an incredible battle! ruclips.net/video/QEzLkU-DupU/видео.html Thanks for watching today's lesson. I hope it was a huge help.
The matches have been fun and exciting, but the gold is in your analysis. The way you break down strategies is so clear and straightforward. Thanks, Ian!
I just wanted to say you excel in these types of presentations. Watching that amateur match was something like watching a professional match on tv but better because of the strategic commentary. You've found a good niche.
To be honest it was better than watching another 100 hours of Fed's forehand. Ian is bringing the real world to us. These guys are human. I'm learning more from watching them and this analysis.
Nadal uses this shot all the time. He's got one pattern where he hits a super high looping forehand to his opponent's backhand, and then when they send a weak backhand back to him, he crushes a forehand. He's done it against Schwartzmann in some really critical points (the US Open last year is one I can think of) and I've seen him do it other times.
Good point, while keeping in mind there are maybe 10 people on the planet who can generate the speed and rotation that Nadal gets on his high topspin shots. I do remember many years ago got into the second round of a tournament (first time I had ever played a tournament, took me three sets to win the first round and had to play again in two hours) and a guy destroyed me 1 and 1, his western grip forehand landed really deep and bounced up over my head LOL. He kept sending that to my backhand and I just plain could not handle it (plus he had a nasty kick serve I could not deal with either, the dude loved spin). Back then I did not react to the path of the ball and adjust well, and it would not have occurred to me to take the ball out of the air. But yeah, Nadal's high topspin to a short player like Schwartzmann ... very effective.
@@georgebasham2279 Miss the point. You don't need top 10 ATP topspin to attack your opponents 3.0 to 4.0 backhand. Hell, even a puff ball moonball with no topspin is effective against anyone under 5.0.
Great pt on doing this to a players backhand. When we consciously do this vs just putting it back to the middle or to their forehand, dividends are paid big time. Game changer really, just that little diff. Same goes for lobs. When u can go over the backhand. Simply being aware of that element is huge
At 11:00 I was not aiming that close to the line. My target was about 5 feet from the sideline. I “missed” my target, so it ended up being a better shot than I had hoped for. If I had aimed for the spot that my ball landed I would have hit it wide.
This is my life as a tennis player. I have hit many 2nd serve aces because I missed my target (middle of the box) and hit the sideline with a kicker. Great job in this match! Thanks for putting yourself out there and for sharing your thoughts in the comments!!
Balls through the middle of the court are really effective because they don’t give your opponent angles and push them behind to baseline which improves your court positioning. It is important to mix up the type of ball you hit through the middle depending on the type of player you are playing. I used a lot of heavy looping topspin balls against mark because he prefers low balls, is on the shorter side, and hits a one handed backhand. If I were playing someone who was taller and takes the ball off the rise, I would hit lower, shorter balls to make the big guy get low
Don’t forget to take offense and open up the court when you have the advantage in the point. At times I was too hesitant and missed opportunities to be offensive when I got opportunities in the point.
Cole there was a famous instructor back in the day named Vic Braden who used to assert that for a recreational player if you could consistently hit the ball down the middle with some depth, you could beat 90% of the people at your level.
Vic Braden was the best and I learned so much from him. He was one of the smartest and best instructors when the tennis boom started. He had a show on public tv and then had videos and books.
Holy moly. Watching them hit the high backhands keeps me humble! I must incorporate more purpose when drilling with my ball machine--hitting balls four feet over the net, six feet, cross court, down the line, etc. Thanks!
Ian you didn’t cover perhaps of the most important dimensions between the two players here. Recovery position. Cole recovers one foot behind the baseline every time and goes back when pushed but not before then. Mark actually retreats to 3 feet behind the baseline before Cole strikes the ball. He actually goes from the baseline back. So he’s not saving energy staying back there, he goes up and then goes back on his own. Just my viewpoint and a common difference between a high 4.5 or a low 5.0 and a rock solid 5.0. But that is conditioning too. And I’ve never been higher than a low 4.5 so I’m not talking as though I can do it. But I’ve seen collegiate coaches emphasize this very point.
Loved the superb insight. Nobody on youtube has spoken about this tactic! This is actually what kids or juniors do inherently without the obscene amount of topspin and power. This tactic works fantastic on fast courts and not so much on clay because it is the default thing on clay. What you do in junior is very much a successful play even in seniors. Its all about position and getting the opponent out of position. We see this saparingly on tour because courts arent that fast anymore and you have a lot of space behind the court mostly and also they read such ploys faster. I would say its would have been a very good move for mark to go for a slice when he sees that insane amount of topspin by Cole. One thing you point out from this tactic is that you got to learn to hit on the rise for such shots! Thank you again!
In those examples, you can also see how quickly Cole goes back into position after hitting the ball, he was super quick to head back to the middle of the court and was ready to hit the next ball. His footwork is excellent also, and that why this kind of gameplan worked so well. But again super great video explaining this shot that is so under used.
Agree on Cole's quickness and footwork. On the other hand, most of Mark's (unforced and semi-forced) errors are due to his poor footwork while (not)trying to adjust his feet/body to hit the shot. This is where he has the biggest room for his improvement as a tennis player. Hopefully we can witness his improvement in this area.
Reading again my yesterday's post, I need to clarify one thing: Mark's footwork is not poor in absolute term. In the other videos, where he plays against lower ranked players, who can't expose him as much as Cole, his footwork seems quite fine and sufficient. Against them, his high-level strokes and energy do the work and make the difference. However, against Cole, when he needs to bring his A-game in all dimensions (footwork, strokes, tactics, energy, persistency...) his coarse footwork (final preparation before the shot) gets in the way so he can't continuously apply his +5.0 level strokes. In his match against Cole, Mark makes a lot of unforced errors and plays way too many defensive slices from both side of the body - defensive slicing is one of the first signs that the player can't set up his feet in order to produce penetrating, topspin shots.
Hi, I am a 17 year old colombian tennis player. Could you please make an updated racquet review/what you should get depending of your play style. I am really lost on what should I get, plus all the different string patters, head sizes, grip sizes, etc. Thank you, it would be appreciated. Keep up with the great videos. Best tennis channel without a doubt.
This is exactly why I searched for tennis advice and found this incredible channel. I played a couple of times this summer against a guy who plays as smart as Cole but doesn't hit as hard as him. It was pretty frustrating because I thought I was better than him just because I hit the ball way harder, but he always managed to go from a defensive situation to an agressive one. At some point frustration takes place and I found myself hitting the net or outside the court a lot of times because I wanted to go for more. High balls are definitly a shot I should start using, to neutralize the point, instead of trying to go for a winner and ending up loosing the point. Thank you Ian, again !
Definitely good advice. When I'm playing singles I try to hit neutral shots until I get a return I can take advantage of. And by putting them deep down the middle you minimize angles that your opponent can exploit. It's like, jab, jab, jab, PUNCH.
Not really Mark, by definition treeing is when you are hitting the ball as hard as you can without any strategy and everything luckily falls into place. I think Cole surgically dissected you, so it was more like he pruned you LOL
Great video analysis Ian. Playing high and heavy down the middle is such an underutilised play in tennis. You see a lot of the pros doing this so that they can push the opponent back and open the angles.
It how you string shots together into a rally, at this point it is when to use which shot at what time in a rally asking yourself constantly where are you at offens or defens or in between? Are you I control of the rally who is steering who? Most can't tell this after a normal rally at lower lever.
If anyone has not watched the full match between Cole and Mark I highly recommend you do so. It was awesome, a good college player against a good club player, both were really impressive and I think you can LEARN more by watching a match like that as opposed to watching ATP pros play each other (don't get me wrong, I watch a lot of professional tennis, the Tennis Channel is my go to channel :) ).
As a developing player I was fortunate to have a Tennis Pro who drilled this strategy into me. When you do the drills the skills become automatic. Then you have to go out and practice the way you want to play. This means hours of hitting with purpose, placement and variable pace, spin and net clearance. One of my favorite drills is designed to rally baseline to baseline trying to hit the ball within three feet of the baseline. We tape a line across the court and try to bounce the ground strokes in that target area. This is easier to do when you have a higher trajectory on your shots. If you can push your opponent far back from the baseline it is more difficult for them to attack. When they return short into the court it opens up your angles so you can change the pace and spin and open up the court for a placement to close the point.
Players who don't respect the high, heavy, deep ball need to appreciate Nadal's strategy. I will never hit as hard as Rafa in a million years, but I think he's taught me something about patience. Great note about resisting the urge to crush the "moon ball" flat. I've netted too many with my back against the fence!
When I get into the moonballing rut I'll force myself to step in and take balls on the rise. Flat slow or slice back just to be consistent, and that always breaks the spell, or curse
My coach teaches to take those balls early from the ground. That is any high ball with topspin arriving between the baseline and the half way to the serviceline. It not just keeps you closer in case their next move is slice, but also steals their time for recovery. Not much energy or swing is required either, hence you get less fatigued. Note, you have to take it literally off the bounce right from the ground to mitigate an unpredictable bounce angle imparted by the spin.
against a heavy high ball, your odds of taking it on the rise, inside the baseline with any consistency are very low. It depends on the level of player you are playing against, a well struck, high bouncing deep ball is one of the most difficult shots there is to take on the rise. Over the course of a match you will lose to a player that hits high deep spinny balls if you think you can take them on the rise most of the time. At the rec level, the ball may not kick hard enough to effect your ability to hit it on the rise, but against a good player, you will have difficulty doing it consistently.
"Treeing" means to be balling out of control or playing to the best of your ability. Everything seems to go right. Very popular tennis term where I'm from. All my homies say "treeing"
I'm 48. We used to say that all the time as a junior. We would scream it out during matches "this guy is treeing" just to get in their head and make them think about how well they are playing to hopefully bring them back down to earth.
@@fixit.makeit.buildit.1926 *A dog would never bagel a bear,* there _IS_ such a thing in the Animal Kingdom as compassion for one's fellow furry, four-legged friends. By the by, I think dogs tree foxes, methinks a bear would just turn around and open the proverbial Can of Whoop-Ass, no matter how many dogs come to the party. Your comment was funny, you should consider a career in showbiz. A late-night talk show host perhaps, in a small market, like Guam or American Samoa. Can I be your first guest? Yours Truly - Buy it, Shake it, Break it, Sell it
Both Mark and Cole seemed to strike the ball really cleanly, even when the pace picked up and shots got tougher. Do you have any advice on how to consistently strike the ball so well?
Great vid. I made a comment a short while back about going for highlight reel shots when I feel like I'm about to lose a point anyway, but this might be a better alternative. One question: how to handle the shots that you talk about here - the ones that push you back - when the opponent is rushing the net? So, basically, an aggressive approach shot that has you backpedaling. Replace the rainbow shot with an outright lob? Thank you.
Yeah that's actually the game plan I'm as of late going for and trying to use my good floaty/topspin balls deep into the court and also try to search for an easier ball to attack with my forehand by getting a little bit closer inside the court..I'm only playing for 3-4years so I'm just now trying to look for tactic more and shot selection now that I can aim a little bit better
Where can I ask you a question that ends up in a video? I just started playing at considerably old age to become a pro but im in love with the game and evolving pretty fast, thanks.
@@EssentialTennis oh thanks, so I’m just wondering if it’s still possible to become a pro starting to play at 16, I’m very talented and been playing for 3 months, is it possible?
You can strive. I started playing at age 25, been playing 6 months and I'm at high school level. I played with high level people who didn't mind coaching me. Its important to be consistent. If I started at 16 I would be way more skilled because I am naturally on the athletic side. Everyone I meet can't believe I only started 6 months ago. Either you wanna go pro or not, tennis is a fun sport and totally worth learning.
I love heavy and deep shots, that’s my weapon. However a good player can attack the ball within the court(volley era/Sampras) , or early off the bounce(Agassi), or reverse pivot with even more spin at the baseline(thiem). I felt Mark came back during the match when Cole shifted to neutral deep balls and stated to the camera that he just needed to keep the ball in. Momentum shifted in favor of mark. Imo ...
This comment really ought to have been at the match between Mark and Cole. Aside from the fact that Cole is very good, I'm gonna guess Mark was a lot less patient than Cole and made way more unforced mistakes. Cole also took the ball much, much earlier while Mark tended to lose time by moving back and running around to hit forehands. Overall, Cole played very high percentage tennis.
Honestly I don’t think having a variety of shots is the most important thing. However, you are right about hitting harder and lower is also not the most important thing. I think they are both important but I think the most important thing is to sharpen your basics and make sure your movement is right, and make it your muscle memory.
please come to India sometime for roaming after COVID19. I will take you to places around. Don't worry about food and accommodation. We have a little tennis court in our apartment. Just give us your few hours on the court :)
Something that Mark didn't do in those examples but I was taught in the past and I think what you should do if you hit the high deep shot is look for the chance to attack by ghosting in. When the ball bounces up high and deep like that your opponent isn't watching you they are looking up at the ball and concentrating on hitting it back. You can move in, volley/smash the return and be at the net before they realise what's happening. To do this move inside the base line as your ball is travelling, watch their return. If it's great move back and continue the rally (the return should be pretty slow so there is time). If it's a bit short then volley/smash it and move into the net. Your opponent won't have seen your move in till too late (hence the term "ghosting"). You now are well on top in the point.
I was thinking the same thing. Looking to come in may be more of an old school tactic. Players seem content these days to try and bully from the baseline.
Great comments, Random. I think play style has a LOT to do with it. Personally, I'd be looking to close in, but Mark is much more of a baseline attacker.
Yeah. So much more going on than meets the eye, many many gambits just like in chess. We, 4.0 and unders, concentrate so much on execution that a lot of "the deeper stuff" gets overlooked. In the last year tons of this stuff finally "clicked" for me and I shot up to a fairly solid 4.5 guy, floated around high 4.0 due to being fairly athletic and able to execute shots. With (some) intelligence behind shots now it was truly eye opening. Fun stuff
treeing /trē-ing/ verb 1. A derogatory term for a tennis player who plays way beyond their skill level, usually by painting lines with wild and aggressive swings.
I believe you would say that's playing smart. And I agree about your comments about players over rating themselves. IMO most of us amateurs rate ourselves one half a level higher than we actually are. To denigrate another player without playing them is a big mistake. Regardless of skill level, the last ball over the net into the court wins the point.
So essentially, Ian, grind it out, with high moon balls (if needed) or neutral balls, keep opponent back at baseline until you have the opportunity to be aggressive, then try to finish them?
The presentation, this one in particular, has taken the videos from excellent self-help to clickbait, teaser. Other presenters lose me 3-5 minutes into the footage and are still dealing with marketing. I scanned this one to see how far it was necessary to watch before the ‘secret’ underutilized shot was revealed
Ian before the lockdown I was playing uber aggressive and used to hit winners every second ball but since I rejoined I have become a pusher and sometimes go whole matches without properly striking the ball and the other kids I play with easily capitalize on that and I can't find any confidence in my game and am feeling bad what should I do
@@maxm17 no bro played for 2 months after rejoining Dont know why I shifted playstyles I'm a junior ( pro?) ranked 120 in India used to play for 5 hours a day minimum plus fitness and up to 9 hrs when school was off Maybe you are correct earlier I was rusty and then fell into a pattern Thanks for input May I ask if u play and then what racquet do you use
Good players answer moon balls with a volley, a half volley or a flat nuke, literally jumping into it. But yes, the intuitive reaction is to step back 3 yards and play it then. But when doing you show the opponent that playing moon balls is effective against you. Kill it right away so he doesn't try again. Yes moon balls can be a very effective (not so beautiful though) weapon against some players. Federer perfect, well placed baseline half volley from moon ball: ruclips.net/video/ivnk3JO481Y/видео.html Monfils obliterates moon ball: ruclips.net/video/2wr_WeX9ugY/видео.html
@@danield.7359 Haha....just making sure, almost sounded like you were thinking it's an easy ball to handle if you have any weapons. Mark and Cole both have a LOT of offensive weapons but the high, heavy ball was still super effective in this match. Appreciate you watching and leaving your thoughts, Daniel!
@@EssentialTennis no it's a difficult situation for any player - even more so on the backhand. My comment was generic, not specifically addressed at this one situation. Nevertheless I am a believer in forward playing and gain control quickly in a rally. Moon balls are a last resort defense weapon in my opinion, one more chance for the opponent to make an error. But it can be also a shot in the foot as can be seen in the two videos I linked in my initial comment.
All the guys you feature are baseliners and almost always avoid going to net, even when the opponent is jammed way back in the court. Seeing some "all-courters" play would show some other dimensions to the game.
Shame that there are not anymore clay court specialists that uses heavy topspin and plays that grinding style like there was in 90's players like muster, albert Costa, Corretja, Bruguera, Berasategui etc.. The game is too fast nowadays that you have no time hit those heavy topspin shots. Everybody hits flat shots nowadays.
I remember playing points against my coach who’s like a pro and he told me the reason I lost the points was because I hit down the middle which allowed him to dictate play
If you were hitting relatively flat shots that would allow him to dictate play, especially when you hit a short one as he would have been able to easily step in. Probably the difference is that in Cole's case he was using heaving topspin with good depth, which pushed Mark 1-2 metres behind the baseline and prevented him from stepping in on his shots. Even if Cole mistimed a shot and hit one shorter than he wanted to, the heavy topspin he uses which produces a high bounce gave him an element of safety as it is still a tricky shot to step in on and hit on the rise (as least when compared to a flat groundstroke which only travels a foot or so over the net).
Sorry for being off topic here, but in your last video you were working on your back and with the ball machine I just saw this very simple yet really really effective tip from your buddies Scott and Nate over at playyourcourt. Take a look. I think it'll actually help you on your backhand. The video title says topspin, but it's about bending you back leg when hitting a backhand, double handed, or single. Try it and see for yourself. It's super simple and very effective. Let me know if this helps your backhand progress. ruclips.net/video/JN5DW7P3OAI/видео.html
What if that shot gets hit by the opponent as if it was a softball? I try to do that but they always return it with ease and lots of pace. Effectively it turns the point into their offense when I try to neutralize the point.
@@EssentialTennis That is a good point, my ball is always very slow on that shot. I'll try to add more swing speed for extra pace. It bounces high already but is extremely slow. I guess that's why it's not very challenging to the opponent.
Your analysis is good, but a great player will start coming in and knocking those balls off on the bounce. These two were playing moon balls. That will work in these levels easily, just keeping the point going, but a top level cat will knock these balls off quickly on the bounce like agassi. Not something you see much anymore, all the players like staying wayyyyy back to hit. But it is a great strategy for this level
@@EssentialTennis Ha ha ... I'm showing my age, about 1 minute into watching this I started thinking "Andrea Jaeger". Against most players throwing up a high ball with topspin can get you out of trouble, or is a nice change of pace, especially for players who tend to plant their feet near the baseline and don't adjust to the path of the ball. My tennis coach (former member of a Big Ten championship team where he played third singles back in the day) will however volley it out of the air and put it away, but that is an advanced shot that he is trying to teach me but I don't have the confidence to try very often.
@@colelindwall9284 Ohh! If moonball is good enough for Cole (or Nadal, for that matter), it's good enough for a random clown on RUclips. Cole, you rule. Thanks for keeping tennis REAL for these internet wanna-be's like Robert.
Ohh! If moonball is good enough for Cole (or Nadal, for that matter), it's good enough for a random clown on RUclips. Cole, you rule. Thanks for keeping tennis REAL for these internet wanna-be's like Robert.
??? It's a moon ball. One of the most Overused shots ever. While it is a great pt to make on when to correctly use it, getting out of the moonball rut is a bigger deal for 4.0's and under
Here's the FULL match between Cole and Mark. It was an incredible battle! ruclips.net/video/QEzLkU-DupU/видео.html
Thanks for watching today's lesson. I hope it was a huge help.
The matches have been fun and exciting, but the gold is in your analysis. The way you break down strategies is so clear and straightforward. Thanks, Ian!
I just wanted to say you excel in these types of presentations. Watching that amateur match was something like watching a professional match on tv but better because of the strategic commentary. You've found a good niche.
Thank you so much, Fleek! I appreciate your support.
I agree your comments are more thoughtful than many pro-match commentators.
🙏
this guy cole seems unable to hit a flat fast forehand. All of his forehands are lobs with topspin. He doesnt have much variety on his right side
To be honest it was better than watching another 100 hours of Fed's forehand. Ian is bringing the real world to us. These guys are human. I'm learning more from watching them and this analysis.
Nadal uses this shot all the time. He's got one pattern where he hits a super high looping forehand to his opponent's backhand, and then when they send a weak backhand back to him, he crushes a forehand. He's done it against Schwartzmann in some really critical points (the US Open last year is one I can think of) and I've seen him do it other times.
Great example!
Good point, while keeping in mind there are maybe 10 people on the planet who can generate the speed and rotation that Nadal gets on his high topspin shots. I do remember many years ago got into the second round of a tournament (first time I had ever played a tournament, took me three sets to win the first round and had to play again in two hours) and a guy destroyed me 1 and 1, his western grip forehand landed really deep and bounced up over my head LOL. He kept sending that to my backhand and I just plain could not handle it (plus he had a nasty kick serve I could not deal with either, the dude loved spin). Back then I did not react to the path of the ball and adjust well, and it would not have occurred to me to take the ball out of the air. But yeah, Nadal's high topspin to a short player like Schwartzmann ... very effective.
@@georgebasham2279 Miss the point. You don't need top 10 ATP topspin to attack your opponents 3.0 to 4.0 backhand. Hell, even a puff ball moonball with no topspin is effective against anyone under 5.0.
Great pt on doing this to a players backhand. When we consciously do this vs just putting it back to the middle or to their forehand, dividends are paid big time. Game changer really, just that little diff.
Same goes for lobs. When u can go over the backhand.
Simply being aware of that element is huge
At 11:00 I was not aiming that close to the line. My target was about 5 feet from the sideline. I “missed” my target, so it ended up being a better shot than I had hoped for. If I had aimed for the spot that my ball landed I would have hit it wide.
This is my life as a tennis player. I have hit many 2nd serve aces because I missed my target (middle of the box) and hit the sideline with a kicker. Great job in this match! Thanks for putting yourself out there and for sharing your thoughts in the comments!!
Appreciate your comments, Cole!
What do you about the shot u were hitting. Who does guy think he is?
Crazy
Balls through the middle of the court are really effective because they don’t give your opponent angles and push them behind to baseline which improves your court positioning. It is important to mix up the type of ball you hit through the middle depending on the type of player you are playing. I used a lot of heavy looping topspin balls against mark because he prefers low balls, is on the shorter side, and hits a one handed backhand. If I were playing someone who was taller and takes the ball off the rise, I would hit lower, shorter balls to make the big guy get low
Don’t forget to take offense and open up the court when you have the advantage in the point. At times I was too hesitant and missed opportunities to be offensive when I got opportunities in the point.
Cole there was a famous instructor back in the day named Vic Braden who used to assert that for a recreational player if you could consistently hit the ball down the middle with some depth, you could beat 90% of the people at your level.
@@georgebasham2279 I haven’t heard of them, but that’s what my coaches say. I started winning a lot of matches after I started playing this way.
Angles are interesting and the name of the game here.
Complex stuff actually. Or at least difficult to fully understand and exploit
Vic Braden was the best and I learned so much from him. He was one of the smartest and best instructors when the tennis boom started. He had a show on public tv and then had videos and books.
Holy moly. Watching them hit the high backhands keeps me humble!
I must incorporate more purpose when drilling with my ball machine--hitting balls four feet over the net, six feet, cross court, down the line, etc.
Thanks!
I thought the smartest shot in tennis was the inside-out Andy Murray 2hbh winner lol
😆
It is. Idk what Ian is talking about 😂
Ian you didn’t cover perhaps of the most important dimensions between the two players here. Recovery position. Cole recovers one foot behind the baseline every time and goes back when pushed but not before then. Mark actually retreats to 3 feet behind the baseline before Cole strikes the ball. He actually goes from the baseline back. So he’s not saving energy staying back there, he goes up and then goes back on his own. Just my viewpoint and a common difference between a high 4.5 or a low 5.0 and a rock solid 5.0. But that is conditioning too. And I’ve never been higher than a low 4.5 so I’m not talking as though I can do it. But I’ve seen collegiate coaches emphasize this very point.
Thanks, very helpful on being patient, currently not part of my game
Adding just a bit of it will make a big difference!
Loved the superb insight. Nobody on youtube has spoken about this tactic! This is actually what kids or juniors do inherently without the obscene amount of topspin and power. This tactic works fantastic on fast courts and not so much on clay because it is the default thing on clay. What you do in junior is very much a successful play even in seniors. Its all about position and getting the opponent out of position. We see this saparingly on tour because courts arent that fast anymore and you have a lot of space behind the court mostly and also they read such ploys faster. I would say its would have been a very good move for mark to go for a slice when he sees that insane amount of topspin by Cole. One thing you point out from this tactic is that you got to learn to hit on the rise for such shots! Thank you again!
In those examples, you can also see how quickly Cole goes back into position after hitting the ball, he was super quick to head back to the middle of the court and was ready to hit the next ball. His footwork is excellent also, and that why this kind of gameplan worked so well.
But again super great video explaining this shot that is so under used.
Totally agree about Cole's footwork!
Agree on Cole's quickness and footwork. On the other hand, most of Mark's (unforced and semi-forced) errors are due to his poor footwork while (not)trying to adjust his feet/body to hit the shot. This is where he has the biggest room for his improvement as a tennis player. Hopefully we can witness his improvement in this area.
Reading again my yesterday's post, I need to clarify one thing: Mark's footwork is not poor in absolute term. In the other videos, where he plays against lower ranked players, who can't expose him as much as Cole, his footwork seems quite fine and sufficient. Against them, his high-level strokes and energy do the work and make the difference. However, against Cole, when he needs to bring his A-game in all dimensions (footwork, strokes, tactics, energy, persistency...) his coarse footwork (final preparation before the shot) gets in the way so he can't continuously apply his +5.0 level strokes. In his match against Cole, Mark makes a lot of unforced errors and plays way too many defensive slices from both side of the body - defensive slicing is one of the first signs that the player can't set up his feet in order to produce penetrating, topspin shots.
Brilliant I should use it more, and trade more shot down the middle
Appreciate the point analysis, Ian. Very informative. Good strategy lesson. Keep up the great work!
Hi, I am a 17 year old colombian tennis player. Could you please make an updated racquet review/what you should get depending of your play style. I am really lost on what should I get, plus all the different string patters, head sizes, grip sizes, etc. Thank you, it would be appreciated. Keep up with the great videos. Best tennis channel without a doubt.
tennisnerd might be a better resource for this type of question. Good luck!
Thanks for watching, Juan! I'm definitely not a big gear guy....lots of other great channels out there!
Thank you for the feedback!! I'll be sure to check out tennis nerd.
It's not about the racket. These players could use a broomstick and wipe you off the court. Focus on your tennis, not silly rackets.
This is exactly why I searched for tennis advice and found this incredible channel. I played a couple of times this summer against a guy who plays as smart as Cole but doesn't hit as hard as him. It was pretty frustrating because I thought I was better than him just because I hit the ball way harder, but he always managed to go from a defensive situation to an agressive one. At some point frustration takes place and I found myself hitting the net or outside the court a lot of times because I wanted to go for more. High balls are definitly a shot I should start using, to neutralize the point, instead of trying to go for a winner and ending up loosing the point.
Thank you Ian, again !
So glad to help, Doghmi!
Definitely good advice. When I'm playing singles I try to hit neutral shots until I get a return I can take advantage of. And by putting them deep down the middle you minimize angles that your opponent can exploit. It's like, jab, jab, jab, PUNCH.
Love the boxing analogy!
That touches on patience. Interesting often overlooked factor
We way too often rush things, and why? No reason we can think of. :)
God I looove this channel and the new content you ve been providing us lately ! Singles strategy's the best! Keep up the good work Ian
Yeah have to agree Ian is stepping up his game. Very impressive.
Excellent tutorial, Ian!
tree
/trē/
noun
1.
What Cole did to me
😭😭😭
But again @essentialtennis - thanks for the analysis! Glad that you found more points that I lost :)
Even though you lost the point, these heavy topspin forehands were amazing!
😆
Not really Mark, by definition treeing is when you are hitting the ball as hard as you can without any strategy and everything luckily falls into place. I think Cole surgically dissected you, so it was more like he pruned you LOL
Can this thread get an "F" because@@georgebasham2279just put me into a casket
F
Great video analysis Ian. Playing high and heavy down the middle is such an underutilised play in tennis. You see a lot of the pros doing this so that they can push the opponent back and open the angles.
It how you string shots together into a rally, at this point it is when to use which shot at what time in a rally asking yourself constantly where are you at offens or defens or in between? Are you I control of the rally who is steering who? Most can't tell this after a normal rally at lower lever.
Ian did you know that you gave me better advice than my coach!!! thank you very much
If anyone has not watched the full match between Cole and Mark I highly recommend you do so. It was awesome, a good college player against a good club player, both were really impressive and I think you can LEARN more by watching a match like that as opposed to watching ATP pros play each other (don't get me wrong, I watch a lot of professional tennis, the Tennis Channel is my go to channel :) ).
As a developing player I was fortunate to have a Tennis Pro who drilled this strategy into me. When you do the drills the skills become automatic. Then you have to go out and practice the way you want to play. This means hours of hitting with purpose, placement and variable pace, spin and net clearance. One of my favorite drills is designed to rally baseline to baseline trying to hit the ball within three feet of the baseline. We tape a line across the court and try to bounce the ground strokes in that target area. This is easier to do when you have a higher trajectory on your shots. If you can push your opponent far back from the baseline it is more difficult for them to attack. When they return short into the court it opens up your angles so you can change the pace and spin and open up the court for a placement to close the point.
Great bit of analysis Ian. Something I need to make a conscious effort to incorporate into my points
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video! You should do an instructional video on how Santoro used to beat Safin with all his slicing and spins.
Treeing can be a term that is used pejoratively by people who suffer from severe rating distortion syndrome :)
Hahaha....very well done!
Players who don't respect the high, heavy, deep ball need to appreciate Nadal's strategy. I will never hit as hard as Rafa in a million years, but I think he's taught me something about patience. Great note about resisting the urge to crush the "moon ball" flat. I've netted too many with my back against the fence!
When I get into the moonballing rut I'll force myself to step in and take balls on the rise. Flat slow or slice back just to be consistent, and that always breaks the spell, or curse
My coach teaches to take those balls early from the ground. That is any high ball with topspin arriving between the baseline and the half way to the serviceline. It not just keeps you closer in case their next move is slice, but also steals their time for recovery. Not much energy or swing is required either, hence you get less fatigued. Note, you have to take it literally off the bounce right from the ground to mitigate an unpredictable bounce angle imparted by the spin.
against a heavy high ball, your odds of taking it on the rise, inside the baseline with any consistency are very low. It depends on the level of player you are playing against, a well struck, high bouncing deep ball is one of the most difficult shots there is to take on the rise. Over the course of a match you will lose to a player that hits high deep spinny balls if you think you can take them on the rise most of the time. At the rec level, the ball may not kick hard enough to effect your ability to hit it on the rise, but against a good player, you will have difficulty doing it consistently.
"Treeing" means to be balling out of control or playing to the best of your ability. Everything seems to go right. Very popular tennis term where I'm from. All my homies say "treeing"
You got it! I don't hear it a whole lot these days.
I'm 48. We used to say that all the time as a junior. We would scream it out during matches "this guy is treeing" just to get in their head and make them think about how well they are playing to hopefully bring them back down to earth.
What does it mean? I've only heard of it for when a dog trees a bear. Are you telling me it's for when a dog bagels a bear?
???
Being in the zone
@@fixit.makeit.buildit.1926 *A dog would never bagel a bear,* there _IS_ such a thing in the Animal Kingdom as compassion for one's fellow furry, four-legged friends. By the by, I think dogs tree foxes, methinks a bear would just turn around and open the proverbial Can of Whoop-Ass, no matter how many dogs come to the party.
Your comment was funny, you should consider a career in showbiz. A late-night talk show host perhaps, in a small market, like Guam or American Samoa. Can I be your first guest? Yours Truly - Buy it, Shake it, Break it, Sell it
Both Mark and Cole seemed to strike the ball really cleanly, even when the pace picked up and shots got tougher. Do you have any advice on how to consistently strike the ball so well?
That's a great question, I'll make a video soon!
It's easy dude. Just hit the sweetspot and stay balanced.
Footwork and racquet preparation
@@kuruptgt fair enough, it just seems harder than it probably is sometimes lol
@@colelindwall9284 right - I think footwork especially is something I often take too lightly. Thanks for the reply!
So helpful!
Great vid. I made a comment a short while back about going for highlight reel shots when I feel like I'm about to lose a point anyway, but this might be a better alternative. One question: how to handle the shots that you talk about here - the ones that push you back - when the opponent is rushing the net? So, basically, an aggressive approach shot that has you backpedaling. Replace the rainbow shot with an outright lob? Thank you.
Yeah that's actually the game plan I'm as of late going for and trying to use my good floaty/topspin balls deep into the court and also try to search for an easier ball to attack with my forehand by getting a little bit closer inside the court..I'm only playing for 3-4years so I'm just now trying to look for tactic more and shot selection now that I can aim a little bit better
Awesome, keep up the good work, Anthony!
@@EssentialTennis thank you 😊 same to you too 👌💪
They're also working the point with directionals.
Absolutely!
My indirectionals often go against me
@@Bubbles99718 Well mine are perfectly into the fence or net. haha
Would definitely use it
You should!!
Where can I ask you a question that ends up in a video? I just started playing at considerably old age to become a pro but im in love with the game and evolving pretty fast, thanks.
Right here 🙂
@@EssentialTennis oh thanks, so I’m just wondering if it’s still possible to become a pro starting to play at 16, I’m very talented and been playing for 3 months, is it possible?
You can strive. I started playing at age 25, been playing 6 months and I'm at high school level. I played with high level people who didn't mind coaching me. Its important to be consistent. If I started at 16 I would be way more skilled because I am naturally on the athletic side. Everyone I meet can't believe I only started 6 months ago. Either you wanna go pro or not, tennis is a fun sport and totally worth learning.
2:14 - Returning balls high when under pressure
Hey sir good video on how to use lobs or moon balls. Can you make a video on how to perfect contact on serve. Also what is the topic of next video??
What is that screen you use? Cool
I love heavy and deep shots, that’s my weapon. However a good player can attack the ball within the court(volley era/Sampras) , or early off the bounce(Agassi), or reverse pivot with even more spin at the baseline(thiem). I felt Mark came back during the match when Cole shifted to neutral deep balls and stated to the camera that he just needed to keep the ball in. Momentum shifted in favor of mark. Imo ...
This comment really ought to have been at the match between Mark and Cole. Aside from the fact that Cole is very good, I'm gonna guess Mark was a lot less patient than Cole and made way more unforced mistakes. Cole also took the ball much, much earlier while Mark tended to lose time by moving back and running around to hit forehands. Overall, Cole played very high percentage tennis.
"I'm just going to let him make a mistake." Proceeds to crush FH and BH all match long. Cole is awesome.
He's a beast!
You’re ability to draw In a 3D manner on a 2d screen is incredible
Thanks!
Honestly I don’t think having a variety of shots is the most important thing. However, you are right about hitting harder and lower is also not the most important thing. I think they are both important but I think the most important thing is to sharpen your basics and make sure your movement is right, and make it your muscle memory.
please come to India sometime for roaming after COVID19. I will take you to places around. Don't worry about food and accommodation. We have a little tennis court in our apartment. Just give us your few hours on the court :)
Something that Mark didn't do in those examples but I was taught in the past and I think what you should do if you hit the high deep shot is look for the chance to attack by ghosting in. When the ball bounces up high and deep like that your opponent isn't watching you they are looking up at the ball and concentrating on hitting it back. You can move in, volley/smash the return and be at the net before they realise what's happening. To do this move inside the base line as your ball is travelling, watch their return. If it's great move back and continue the rally (the return should be pretty slow so there is time). If it's a bit short then volley/smash it and move into the net. Your opponent won't have seen your move in till too late (hence the term "ghosting"). You now are well on top in the point.
I was thinking the same thing. Looking to come in may be more of an old school tactic. Players seem content these days to try and bully from the baseline.
Great comments, Random. I think play style has a LOT to do with it. Personally, I'd be looking to close in, but Mark is much more of a baseline attacker.
Remembering of course, that it looks so much easier on screen than on court.
@@jimsichterman4684 Most definitely!
I love how tennis 🎾 can be played like a game of chess ♟ both mentally & physically. 👍
Yeah. So much more going on than meets the eye, many many gambits just like in chess.
We, 4.0 and unders, concentrate so much on execution that a lot of "the deeper stuff" gets overlooked.
In the last year tons of this stuff finally "clicked" for me and I shot up to a fairly solid 4.5 guy, floated around high 4.0 due to being fairly athletic and able to execute shots. With (some) intelligence behind shots now it was truly eye opening.
Fun stuff
treeing
/trē-ing/
verb
1. A derogatory term for a tennis player who plays way beyond their skill level, usually by painting lines with wild and aggressive swings.
MOON BALLING !!! thts the name !
I believe you would say that's playing smart. And I agree about your comments about players over rating themselves. IMO most of us amateurs rate ourselves one half a level higher than we actually are. To denigrate another player without playing them is a big mistake. Regardless of skill level, the last ball over the net into the court wins the point.
So essentially, Ian, grind it out, with high moon balls (if needed) or neutral balls, keep opponent back at baseline until you have the opportunity to be aggressive, then try to finish them?
What would be said equivalent for doubles? Is there an equivalent?
Cross court all day long until your net man poaches.
Let's set up a matchup between Ira and Cole. That should be interesting.
Some day...
The presentation, this one in particular, has taken the videos from excellent self-help to clickbait, teaser. Other presenters lose me 3-5 minutes into the footage and are still dealing with marketing. I scanned this one to see how far it was necessary to watch before the ‘secret’ underutilized shot was revealed
You see I do use this but when the next few balls come I’m fine until the growing pains kick in
Ian before the lockdown I was playing uber aggressive and used to hit winners every second ball but since I rejoined I have become a pusher and sometimes go whole matches without properly striking the ball and the other kids I play with easily capitalize on that and I can't find any confidence in my game and am feeling bad what should I do
Mix it up. Don’t just do one or the other. Learn when to try to hit winners rather than just trying to hit them all the time.
Time to train your swing speed! It's a great topic, I'll make a video about it soon.
@@EssentialTennis thanks ian waiting for it definitely it's just I am increasingly feeling bad about my tennis
Probably just rusty, need to practice a lot, build up consistency, confidence then power again
@@maxm17 no bro played for 2 months after rejoining
Dont know why I shifted playstyles
I'm a junior ( pro?) ranked 120 in India used to play for 5 hours a day minimum plus fitness and up to 9 hrs when school was off
Maybe you are correct earlier I was rusty and then fell into a pattern
Thanks for input
May I ask if u play and then what racquet do you use
Good players answer moon balls with a volley, a half volley or a flat nuke, literally jumping into it. But yes, the intuitive reaction is to step back 3 yards and play it then. But when doing you show the opponent that playing moon balls is effective against you. Kill it right away so he doesn't try again. Yes moon balls can be a very effective (not so beautiful though) weapon against some players.
Federer perfect, well placed baseline half volley from moon ball:
ruclips.net/video/ivnk3JO481Y/видео.html
Monfils obliterates moon ball:
ruclips.net/video/2wr_WeX9ugY/видео.html
Do you think Mark and Cole are "good" players?
@@EssentialTennis Absolutely! What a question.
@@danield.7359 Haha....just making sure, almost sounded like you were thinking it's an easy ball to handle if you have any weapons. Mark and Cole both have a LOT of offensive weapons but the high, heavy ball was still super effective in this match. Appreciate you watching and leaving your thoughts, Daniel!
@@EssentialTennis no it's a difficult situation for any player - even more so on the backhand. My comment was generic, not specifically addressed at this one situation. Nevertheless I am a believer in forward playing and gain control quickly in a rally. Moon balls are a last resort defense weapon in my opinion, one more chance for the opponent to make an error. But it can be also a shot in the foot as can be seen in the two videos I linked in my initial comment.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Any shot that works is beautiful.
All the guys you feature are baseliners and almost always avoid going to net, even when the opponent is jammed way back in the court. Seeing some "all-courters" play would show some other dimensions to the game.
I disrespected this shot. Now you made me respect it
That's because it's used willy nilly when moonballing. Selectively using it is huge
6:42 U sorta sound like Simon from TTT
Shame that there are not anymore clay court specialists that uses heavy topspin and plays that grinding style like there was in 90's players like muster, albert Costa, Corretja, Bruguera, Berasategui etc.. The game is too fast nowadays that you have no time hit those heavy topspin shots. Everybody hits flat shots nowadays.
I remember playing points against my coach who’s like a pro and he told me the reason I lost the points was because I hit down the middle which allowed him to dictate play
If you were hitting relatively flat shots that would allow him to dictate play, especially when you hit a short one as he would have been able to easily step in. Probably the difference is that in Cole's case he was using heaving topspin with good depth, which pushed Mark 1-2 metres behind the baseline and prevented him from stepping in on his shots. Even if Cole mistimed a shot and hit one shorter than he wanted to, the heavy topspin he uses which produces a high bounce gave him an element of safety as it is still a tricky shot to step in on and hit on the rise (as least when compared to a flat groundstroke which only travels a foot or so over the net).
Sorry for being off topic here, but in your last video you were working on your back and with the ball machine I just saw this very simple yet really really effective tip from your buddies Scott and Nate over at playyourcourt. Take a look. I think it'll actually help you on your backhand. The video title says topspin, but it's about bending you back leg when hitting a backhand, double handed, or single. Try it and see for yourself. It's super simple and very effective. Let me know if this helps your backhand progress.
ruclips.net/video/JN5DW7P3OAI/видео.html
What if that shot gets hit by the opponent as if it was a softball? I try to do that but they always return it with ease and lots of pace. Effectively it turns the point into their offense when I try to neutralize the point.
Adding more swing speed and topspin will totally change that! I'll be posting a lesson soon about how to hit a HEAVY shot.
@@EssentialTennis That is a good point, my ball is always very slow on that shot. I'll try to add more swing speed for extra pace. It bounces high already but is extremely slow. I guess that's why it's not very challenging to the opponent.
Stay tuned!
Mark vs Ira ?
I never back up and hug the baseline taking everything on rise. Just too slow to move like those guys. Too afraid of the short ball to back up
Ian is making baree content from these matches lately
Baree?
@@EssentialTennis yeah bare means a lot
@@EssentialTennis but bare is more of a british word
You should do cole vs you after your foot gets beter
Idea for a match mark and ben
Would be really interesting!
Why no net rushing on aggressive shots with short weaker replies?
Wrong! I'm doin it, but probably too much. I pretty much do this all the time until I get a winner shot and go for it.
I did the first like
🔥🙏
I’m gonna be the last like!
Your analysis is good, but a great player will start coming in and knocking those balls off on the bounce. These two were playing moon balls. That will work in these levels easily, just keeping the point going, but a top level cat will knock these balls off quickly on the bounce like agassi. Not something you see much anymore, all the players like staying wayyyyy back to hit. But it is a great strategy for this level
Maybe a rematch from mark and cole.
Will definitely happen in the future!
Bianca uses this a lot. Too bad she has not played much this fall.
IRA vs mark I want
Maybe soon!
For all you moonballers out there, "Stop it. Get some help."
Don’t fix what aint broke
Over powered
Thanks for watching!
Is it so hard to just say “ moon ball ? “
Literally didn't cross my mind.
@@EssentialTennis Ha ha ... I'm showing my age, about 1 minute into watching this I started thinking "Andrea Jaeger". Against most players throwing up a high ball with topspin can get you out of trouble, or is a nice change of pace, especially for players who tend to plant their feet near the baseline and don't adjust to the path of the ball. My tennis coach (former member of a Big Ten championship team where he played third singles back in the day) will however volley it out of the air and put it away, but that is an advanced shot that he is trying to teach me but I don't have the confidence to try very often.
The moon ball is the most under appreciated and least respected shot in tennis. But, it can be effective, so why not use it?
@@colelindwall9284 Ohh! If moonball is good enough for Cole (or Nadal, for that matter), it's good enough for a random clown on RUclips. Cole, you rule. Thanks for keeping tennis REAL for these internet wanna-be's like Robert.
Ohh! If moonball is good enough for Cole (or Nadal, for that matter), it's good enough for a random clown on RUclips. Cole, you rule. Thanks for keeping tennis REAL for these internet wanna-be's like Robert.
:)
🙂
???
It's a moon ball. One of the most Overused shots ever.
While it is a great pt to make on when to correctly use it, getting out of the moonball rut is a bigger deal for 4.0's and under
there’s a difference between a moon ball and a high deep topspin ball
@@joshbrown6728 No there isn't