Great video. I heard advice from a nationally ranked Australian player once. He said "Tennis is easy. Hit it cross court until you get a short ball. Then hit it down the line and go to the net.". Well, it sounds easy but the devil is in the details.
@StokkeTennis - this is a superb video but I have some questions: 1. What is the opponent is using exactly the same tactic (which is not uncommon at all)? 2. What about other effective matchplay and winning tactics such as “attack the weak side” and “move the opponent around”? Where do these fit with this plan?
That's another layer. The cross court is 😢 if your opponent has a bigger forehand you may want to look for other things, eg. How does he move, and how is his backhand. What height of ball does he not like. Etc. the base is the cross court n attacking the short ball.
I played another 4.0 in a team match on Saturday that is one of the top 4.0's in Austin. I used this strategy. It worked perfectly. I won 6-2, 6-3. I couldn't believe it. I did exactly what you did in the video.
@@StokkeTennis Well, I did play well. I've been working with Tom Alsopp from TPA tennis and we've rebuilt my forehand. Now it is no longer a liability. We still need the strokes to execute. Still the strategy is solid.
Watched this in the early am when I couldn’t sleep and visually implemented the strategies in my mind as I thought about playing later in the morning. After taking the first set 6-1 my buddy was in awe at how many winners I was hitting. The amazing thing is I wasn’t trying to hit winners I was just going cross court and deep. Usually I’m very aggressive. Love hitting lots of winners. Sadly I also give away too many free points. I stuck with the strategy of hitting high percentage shots and letting him make the mistakes. The train kept a rolling. Took the 2nd set 6-0. You have a new subscriber! As I get older, I’m 62, I need to play smarter and conserve energy…
@@StokkeTennisanother romp! 6-0, 6-1. The Stokke 6 is legit! I’ve cut my errors easily in half. Amazingly my winners are increasing as well and I’m really not trying to hit outright winners. My buddy wants to see this video. Not sure I’m gonna share!
Been listening to the podcast for a while, great to see you on TH-cam now! For a rec player like myself, this was one of the best strategic videos I've ever seen! I agree that talking between points hurt your recovery, but it's super beneficial as real-time analysis. Keep up the great work!
This is the video I’ve been needing!! 🙌 As a 2.5 rec player my focus has been hitting the ball over and in 😂. I plan to focus on having a plan for each play, high percentage shots vs. hitting winners, and analyzing my unforced errors then making necessary adjustments!! Thanks a million!! 👏😄
I have been using these tactics against a good opponent who can usually beat me in a cross-court forehand rally but this time I won 6-0. Stokke tennis knowledge is power!
Favorite video so far! I tried this against a friend who usually beats me and he couldn't figure out what was happening. Would love to learn more about high percentage doubles tactics as well
Jon, I used what I learned in this video in my match today and it completely worked. Thank you for this content-being able to see you put the strategy into action (breathlessness notwithstanding) really helped. Keep it coming! Also, GO DEVILS 🏀
It's amazing the difference being tired makes to our game. Started to rush your serve, arm dropped and began making contact lower. Much easier to see here than in my own game when I play and the serve errors begin and I'm not sure why. Ground strokes started landing shorter as well. Just shows how much impact fitness can have in the later points. Will apply all including working on my fitness. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly..you think you're missing cause your serve sucks. It' could be your fitness! My excuse is I haven't played points in about a year...at least I'm holding onto that haha
This is so incredibly helpful. Practiced for singles last night by losing 2 points if I hit into the net or wide. I also really benefitted from the commentary during the tiebreak. "I never mind if I get beat by a great shot." That helped me today in my match! And I noticed while I was playing today I hit one long and was more forgiving of myself than usual, it is now an upgraded error in my mind! : ) Thanks Coach!!!
This is great! I don’t play a lot of singles and was intimidated by feeling that I needed a complicated strategy. I love that you keep it simple. Also love the mental process between points-quick analysis, move on, stay positive, plan next move.
great content and not enough of this “apply-able” easy to understand content on YT. Classic example of “do less work smarter” Great video! Subbed - put the pressure on the opponent
Hi Jon! A big fan of the pod and your Instagram channel! As much notes I take of your podcast episodes, it's videos like this and your thought process through each point that really stick with me. I wish more of these are possible. Much gratitude, Coach!
I’ve been following these strategies for the past couple months and my buddy now hates me. Our typical set scores used to be 6-4, 7-5, or 6-3 and occasionally I’d lose a set every now and again. Since applying these strategies he’s not won more than 2 games a set and usually 1 of the sets is 6-0. He’s now banning me from using his ball machine! What’s fascinating to me is that I’m not trying to hit winners but I’m hitting more winners than ever and my errors are way down. Tennis is way more fun when you execute your shots and minimize errors! Thanks Coach!
Absolutely class instructional tennis! For those who can get over their egos😀 .. I admit for me it's hard to stay disciplined like that even though I kinda know and understand most of this videos philosofy . But this was so on point. Love the way you express ideas. 👍👍⚡
Thank you! Of course we are all good enough to hit some risky shots, we just don't get to choose when we execute them. Which is why you need to just stick to the percentages
Watched this video before playing match. Just floated back returns deep down the middle like you said. The guy only won 3 service games. Last time we played it was much closer. Thank you!
Great stuff. I broke a losing streak last week by playing the percentages. Hitting mainly crosscourt, deep with plenty of height over the net. Tennis is a game of errors at the rec level.
Great video. Very practical and realistic advice whereas other channels recommend emulating pros who have endless practice hours on court and super human athleticism.
Dude, you crack me up ..love your videos. I’ve implemented basically everything I’ve seen from these vids in some form or fashion over the last couple months and it has really helped. Really practical, really logical stuff. Keep it up brother 🙏🏼
Out of breath while still talking and thinking clearly, analysing and focusing on your gameplan, i'd like to be out of breath like this ahahaha. Thanks for your lesson, keeping it simple is usually the hardest things to do. Gonna use all my energy thinking about this while playing. :) And thanks again for all your videos.
Had to watch this again before playing tomorrow to refresh my mind on the Stokke 6. Really like the commentary during the play of this tiebreaker. Especially your thoughts during the serve and returns… All positive!
Thanks for your content. Much appreciated. Almost everyone in social media focus in technique rather than keep it simple which is key (watch Medvedev...) Thanks.
Easy to understand 6 rules of tennis: 1. Don't miss into the net, 2- don't miss returns, 3. don't double fault, 4. don't change directions, 5. don't miss wide, 6. don't miss serves or returns +1's.
Just went through and tried to find all your videos. Subscribed and liked them all! I wish I had this instruction when I was beginning! Outstanding content and explanation! Gracias Amigo!
This is great, I'm trying to figure out more strategy these days. My shots are such that I feel pretty comfortable with all of them, but knowing where to put them when, especially under pressure is huge. I've lost a lot based on these six reasons (that if I'd cleaned up my play I'd have much greater chance of winning), something I'll definitely work on from here on.
At 4-0 when you hit the backhand down the line for a winner it's tempting to think that you can break your own rules but this is where discipline and keeping to the rules works better.
Great stuff. Took me way too long to learn this. It took so much losing to figure it out and I still don't do it all the time. But my question is this: what do you do when you face off with a player doing the same thing? My current league is filled with 4.0-4.5ish players who pretty much wait for people to miss. Very sound play.
When someone does it better than you...you're in trouble. Because it's tough to be risky and go for more. You need to try different spins, heights, patterns to see if you can get them uncomfortable. Otherwise, they are better than you and you need to go practice and improve the quality of your rally ball!@@Rodman108
I think rec players like me often have a hesitation in matches. Going for high percentage balls usually means feeding a weak on to my opponent that they attack. So we try to break through our hesitation with aggression and we go for the winners on every shot and end up in the net or out. Which i think happens because match balls have a slightly different pace than practice or rally balls and that throws the technique and confidence off, leading to hesitation. Currently reading "the inner game of tennis" to address this
Really good advice. The way you talk to yourself is how I talk to myself (in my mind 😁), literally just talking through my game plan for the point. No thoughts about previous points or overall score. Just how am I going to play this point 🎾
The best video you helped a lot Although I have developed my strokes I don't have the confidence in matches and I know why. Keep going that is the coaching we need
Looking great Coach and you are in great shape, wait until you hit your 50s my friend and you will look back on this match and think you are in the best shape of your life my friend. Hahe you are a great coach and a good man. Thank you for posting this video Coach
I've been teaching something similar to my high school kids for crosscourt. If it lands on the deuce side, hit it back to deuce side. If it lands on the ad side, hit it back to the ad side!
loved this! how old is stokke? like mid 40s? i am 32 and find guys who are over 45 or especially 50 could use this advice. i can't tell you how many come out swinging going for crazy shots at 4.0 level and all i have to do is play the percentages cross court or down the middle keeping returns in play to win matches.
I have been listening to your podcast on my way to work every day, they are really good! I was wondering, do you have any targets in mind when playing cross neutral? Or is it just “play deep if possible until I get an easy ball or an error”? Thanks!
This was great. Just watching your warmup serves at 1minute, I was amazed w/ how much pop you're getting for what looks like little effort. I am curious on these rules to net play b/c I feel you do have to change direction unless you're picking it off your shoelaces. What are your bad misses/errors for volleys and overheads?
Kelly Jones came on my podcast and he suggested just hitting every volley cross court (except for OBVIOUS winners). That way there's less thinking and you're naturally hitting across your body. Missing in the net and wide is occasionally ok at the net, as you're likely to hit a few more winners up there to offset those errors
@@StokkeTennis I finally found your podcast! In one of the videos you talk about changing from a grinder to going to college and playing a 3-shots or less strategy. That may be more applicable. I'm nearly 50 and seeing a fit guy like you getting out of breath playing a tiebreak, makes me question if I want to play 2-3 sets that way. And if in a tournament, coming back for a second or third match later... I like Kelly Jone's simple strategy... skeptical as it may mean giving them FHs rather htan volleying DTL to make them hit a BH, but it's worth a shot!
Any reason you didn’t add ‘missing long for no reason’ and make the stokke seven? Focused on the six yesterday and won; focused on gloating today and lost. But curious if hitting long is an acceptable error compared to missing net since it also encourages deep shots.
If I included long I'm saying just "don't miss". The net is a mental mistake to me, same as wide. Missing long could be technical (not enough spin) so it's less in your control. And at the end of the day, you're GOING to miss. It's inevitable. I just want you to get rid of the stupid ones so that you can miss slightly less than your opponents.
As you noted, your serve started going into the net as you got fatigued. This happens to me, too. Especially on the ad court first serve. Any suggestions other than keeping my tossing arm and head up?
Ok Stokke you got me all fired up to compete again. Playing my first USTA level 5 tournament starting this weekend. They didn’t have a 60+ category so I signed up for the 4.5 18+. No doubt I’ll be facing a younger player, probably a baseliner, that hits with lots of spin. I’m an older school serve and volleyer. My strategy is to stick with the Stokke 6 and come to the net on short balls to apply pressure. I’m a crafty server and love applying pressure by coming to the net on both first and second serves. I have a pretty good kick second serve which helps me get into pretty good position at the net. Also will hit lots of backhand slices to keep the ball low. Still working on my forehand slice. It’s way too inconsistent. Any other thoughts for this old guy to compete against the younger crowd that love banging from the baseline?
@@StokkeTennis tournament starts today. I got a bye and have my first match at 8:00am tomorrow. If I win, or when I win, the next match is at 11:30. Haven’t played 2x’s in a day in many years. Energy efficiency and conservation now comes into play. Going to scout out my opponent today. He has his first match at 5pm. The competitive juices are flowing…
@@StokkeTennis So I competed in my first official USTA tennis tournament today as an old guy (I’m 63). They did not have any age categories. So I had to play to my skill level which is a 4.5. I got a bye in the first round and was able to scout out other 4.5 players that I might have to compete against. I kept asking myself where are the older dudes? Seemed like they were all young studs that hit hard and were in great shape. The guy I had to play this morning was 24, hit hard, fast as a cat, consistent, and a really nice guy. After he wore my ass out after 3 games I knew I was in trouble. It didn’t take him long to whoop me 6-0 in the first set. I changed my strategy and frankly he lowered his intensity and I almost won the 2nd set but I was drained and couldn’t finish him off. I lost that set 7-5. I was totally drenched from sweating. I mean everything from hat, sweatbands, shirt, shorts, socks, were dripping wet. A humbling experience but a learning experience. My only hope is that he wins the tournament and I can claim to have lost to the champ! My next tournament in the fall will have age categories. Clearly I can’t compete at the fitness level of a 20 or 30 year old. Drinking a glass of wine and icing my body now!
It wouldn't be much different at all. Make returns. Make serves. I don't view net errors the same as groundstroke errors because volley turn into winners far more often. But missing a groundstroke net or wide in doubles, when you have 9 extra feet to play into, is inexcusable
That was a sick cross court my friend. Coach I am 52 years old and I smoke a half a pack of cigarettes a day, and I don’t breathe that hard. Are you playing in Colorado? I live in Florida and it’s a new kind of hot down here my friend.
@@StokkeTennis your in great shape my dude! I was just joking around with you because I like you, and I joke with friends. I started a tennis channel because I got diagnosed with diabetes last year and I have been playing tennis again for over a year now. Before that I hadn’t played tennis in over 23 years and so far I lost 45 pounds and I am playing much better tennis because I have learned from you and my buddy Nick from Intuitive Tennis. I am still playing tennis with the Wilson Profile 95 and they are the original Profiles from West Germany and not the 2.5. The good news my friend is that I just got a brand new Wilson Blade v6 98 and I hit with that racquet and I was hitting much better than I was. I am supposed to play against Trey from Winners only Tennis and I have been training to get faster on the court and getting to the ball faster. If you ever want to have a laugh go watch one on my videos and you can bust on me. I love guys are age because we have a great sense of humor and make tennis fun to play. One of my doubles partners is a lovely lady who is 97 years old and we have fun playing doubles together. Thank you Coach for posting this video and having a good sense of humor. I used your strategies against my friend who is a college player and it worked out I just let him make the mistakes and I didn’t have to play out of mind to win points and games. Thank you coach!
11 UTR. Remember these points are a small sample size. And even great players have poor stretches. If you watch a pro when they're losing a set 6-1, they don't look very good.
@@StokkeTennis That's crazy, I would have guessed 8 or 9 at most. Despite his serve looking like he's having some issues with over-rotation, it must win him a lot of points. And video is always so unflattering so I must be missing something.
I did this the other day on our community tennis tournament. won 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 and got me that sweet prize money. at recreational levels just put it in cross court and make them make mistakes.
I really enjoyed the few videos that I have watched so far..Would you consider doing a video on how to win against moon ballers, ball pushers and junk balls? Thank you...
Did you ever play again Aaron Krickstein? I am trying to remember if I seen you play at the Open? You’re a younger man than myself so I don’t remember where I seen you play before, but I was thinking of you playing against Krick!
Fairly new here, love your videos. Can't help but laugh at all the "qualified" pros in the comment section criticising the young fella. I'm still going through your videos, but perhaps it would help these "pros" if they learned not everyone plays as conservatively when training as they would during legitimate competition. Hope he's enjoying his tennis!
@@StokkeTennis I have a nice game, I think but to win often I play ugly. I hate it but it works. My strategy is more or less this: - always return the ball in the middle (just like you). Never attack a return which is very hard. I also use Roger's old tactics (not just on return) by slicing the ball short and invite them to the net. Surprised how effective it is - hitting flat and long. Comfortable with that, especially on my 1h backhand. - when I use an approach shot and come to the net, I often go to their body. They'll have little time to adjust and feel the pressure. I would also volley to their body often
At the recreational level , the main reason players don’t do well during a match is because they just don’t have the necessary shot making abilities ! For example: They lack a proper forehand technique which then results in a bad approach shot !
If your opponent is more solid than you, you're almost certainly going to lose. You can try to take more risk, but typically speaking, that'll just make you lose faster.
@@StokkeTennis Thanks for responding, I ran into a problem this Sunday, and the only way I squeaked it out was by creating situations in which he was more prone make errors in despite his baseline game being superior.
In the first tie break, at least, he did not play like a D1 player or even a solid HS player. He played like a typical 3.5 rec player with some good shots, trying to go big and missing. You played like a good 4.0 who was playing within himself.
@@huntsail3727 there’s not a world that exists where I play like a 4.0 😂. But I appreciate you watching the video. Hopefully some of my thoughts help your game, they’ve certainly worked for me in my career 👊
Rising D1 player my arse. Sorry but I coached rising D1 players/juniors and they didn't look like that. I do though, love the way you think the game and you look like a guy we all hate to play against---Intelligent and self aware. Just subscribed so haters steer clear. :)
@@daftroses I played college tennis in Spain, where there is no concept such as D1; however, I played against some D1 players from the US, and most looked better technically than this player. As I said, I didn't mean to disrespect: everybody is working towards improving, at any level. But the player from this video seems like a subpar D1 player to me.
Doesn't make Stokke's strategy any less valid. Playing smart and consistent is a winning strategy at any level. Look close and you'll see, Sinner and Djokovic are both masters of this. You are right though, his opponent made way too many unforced. Probably is not a Stokke subscriber like all of us 6-tennis rules followers. 😂
I've never seen somebody commit so many errors so quickly .... Maybe that's because it's a fast hard surface ... On clay where we play you never see this stuff... Unless it's a really low/beginner level (clearly not the case here)
yea it's really weird, I just met someone who used to be on a D1 team, USTA computer rated him 5.0, but bro didn't even have a stroke that look like he's ever taken a lesson and misses 50% of the shots for no reason, and doesn't have the technique or ability to serve anything past 80mph. He's 3.5 at best, but it's true he actually used to be on D1 college team. The kid in the video looks like 4.5, he could potentially make D1, but he would be the bench of the bench, he does not have the footwork, athleticism or pace to really compete in D1
Awesome video and thanks for sharing. I used to think playing high level tennis required a complicated strategy, but like you said, it's not. Focus on first touches, attacking on the right ball and working on your fitness and that will do wonders. By the shortness of breath in your vid you might need to up your fitness 😁 jk
There are like 350 D1 tennis programs, so about 3500 players from US and abroad. So if you’re one of the best 3500 18-24 year olds who aren’t trying to play pro, you’re in!
@@StokkeTennis and why is he hitting shot after shot out? I get your message, but top players at my club would never make those many errors on these balls. Was he told to try to hit winners?
@ he’s missing cause I won’t miss against him. That’s the game. 70% errors, 30% winners. If you play someone who’s more consistent than you, you’ll end up missing a ton. From my experience, club tennis is A LOT of missing. Either way, he currently plays for a D1 program.
Great video. I heard advice from a nationally ranked Australian player once. He said "Tennis is easy. Hit it cross court until you get a short ball. Then hit it down the line and go to the net.". Well, it sounds easy but the devil is in the details.
Tennis is difficult, but it's not complicated
@StokkeTennis - this is a superb video but I have some questions:
1. What is the opponent is using exactly the same tactic (which is not uncommon at all)?
2. What about other effective matchplay and winning tactics such as “attack the weak side” and “move the opponent around”? Where do these fit with this plan?
That's another layer. The cross court is 😢 if your opponent has a bigger forehand you may want to look for other things, eg. How does he move, and how is his backhand. What height of ball does he not like. Etc. the base is the cross court n attacking the short ball.
I played another 4.0 in a team match on Saturday that is one of the top 4.0's in Austin. I used this strategy. It worked perfectly. I won 6-2, 6-3. I couldn't believe it. I did exactly what you did in the video.
Wish I could say I’m surprised haha! You must have played well with this simple game plan 👊
@@StokkeTennis Well, I did play well. I've been working with Tom Alsopp from TPA tennis and we've rebuilt my forehand. Now it is no longer a liability. We still need the strokes to execute. Still the strategy is solid.
Great content, nice to see you displayed it in use and not just talking about it.
These are things I wish I knew when I actually played!
Watched this in the early am when I couldn’t sleep and visually implemented the strategies in my mind as I thought about playing later in the morning. After taking the first set 6-1 my buddy was in awe at how many winners I was hitting. The amazing thing is I wasn’t trying to hit winners I was just going cross court and deep. Usually I’m very aggressive. Love hitting lots of winners. Sadly I also give away too many free points. I stuck with the strategy of hitting high percentage shots and letting him make the mistakes. The train kept a rolling. Took the 2nd set 6-0. You have a new subscriber! As I get older, I’m 62, I need to play smarter and conserve energy…
Love hearing this!!! Simple tennis executed at a high level!!
@@StokkeTennisanother romp! 6-0, 6-1. The Stokke 6 is legit! I’ve cut my errors easily in half. Amazingly my winners are increasing as well and I’m really not trying to hit outright winners. My buddy wants to see this video. Not sure I’m gonna share!
@@SummitSeeker546 Love to hear it!!
Been listening to the podcast for a while, great to see you on TH-cam now! For a rec player like myself, this was one of the best strategic videos I've ever seen! I agree that talking between points hurt your recovery, but it's super beneficial as real-time analysis. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for listening and glad it helped!
This is the video I’ve been needing!! 🙌 As a 2.5 rec player my focus has been hitting the ball over and in 😂. I plan to focus on having a plan for each play, high percentage shots vs. hitting winners, and analyzing my unforced errors then making necessary adjustments!! Thanks a million!! 👏😄
@@mld641 amazing!!! Good luck with your game moving forward!
I have been using these tactics against a good opponent who can usually beat me in a cross-court forehand rally but this time I won 6-0. Stokke tennis knowledge is power!
Favorite video so far! I tried this against a friend who usually beats me and he couldn't figure out what was happening. Would love to learn more about high percentage doubles tactics as well
Did you win?
Jon, I used what I learned in this video in my match today and it completely worked. Thank you for this content-being able to see you put the strategy into action (breathlessness notwithstanding) really helped. Keep it coming! Also, GO DEVILS 🏀
So glad to hear it helped!!
It's amazing the difference being tired makes to our game. Started to rush your serve, arm dropped and began making contact lower. Much easier to see here than in my own game when I play and the serve errors begin and I'm not sure why. Ground strokes started landing shorter as well. Just shows how much impact fitness can have in the later points. Will apply all including working on my fitness. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly..you think you're missing cause your serve sucks. It' could be your fitness! My excuse is I haven't played points in about a year...at least I'm holding onto that haha
This is so incredibly helpful. Practiced for singles last night by losing 2 points if I hit into the net or wide. I also really benefitted from the commentary during the tiebreak. "I never mind if I get beat by a great shot." That helped me today in my match! And I noticed while I was playing today I hit one long and was more forgiving of myself than usual, it is now an upgraded error in my mind! : ) Thanks Coach!!!
So glad to hear you found it helpful!
Have been wanting this added value for me in the audio thought process during points. Awesome. No worries on the aerobic noises!
It's not fun to be out of shape haha
This is great! I don’t play a lot of singles and was intimidated by feeling that I needed a complicated strategy. I love that you keep it simple. Also love the mental process between points-quick analysis, move on, stay positive, plan next move.
tennis is do difficult....but we don't need to make it TOO complicated @@laurasax9333
Great to watch this "match" with regard to your tactics. Awesome learning opportunity for us recreational players.
great content and not enough of this “apply-able” easy to understand content on YT. Classic example of “do less work smarter”
Great video! Subbed - put the pressure on the opponent
Hi Jon! A big fan of the pod and your Instagram channel! As much notes I take of your podcast episodes, it's videos like this and your thought process through each point that really stick with me. I wish more of these are possible. Much gratitude, Coach!
Thanks so much for listening/following
Top tips! 👍 Great example of what should be going on in your head during the match! 😇
I’ve been following these strategies for the past couple months and my buddy now hates me. Our typical set scores used to be 6-4, 7-5, or 6-3 and occasionally I’d lose a set every now and again. Since applying these strategies he’s not won more than 2 games a set and usually 1 of the sets is 6-0. He’s now banning me from using his ball machine! What’s fascinating to me is that I’m not trying to hit winners but I’m hitting more winners than ever and my errors are way down. Tennis is way more fun when you execute your shots and minimize errors! Thanks Coach!
@@SummitSeeker546 that’s so great to hear!!!!
Really liked this kind of format! Very informative. I like to mix things up, though better would be to stay with the percentages.
That cross-court running forehand at 3-0 really was a bit special. Worth savouring.
she was a beauty
Absolutely class instructional tennis! For those who can get over their egos😀 .. I admit for me it's hard to stay disciplined like that even though I kinda know and understand most of this videos philosofy . But this was so on point. Love the way you express ideas. 👍👍⚡
Thank you! Of course we are all good enough to hit some risky shots, we just don't get to choose when we execute them. Which is why you need to just stick to the percentages
Watched this video before playing match. Just floated back returns deep down the middle like you said. The guy only won 3 service games. Last time we played it was much closer. Thank you!
@@10sbassski makes my day to hear this
Great stuff. I broke a losing streak last week by playing the percentages. Hitting mainly crosscourt, deep with plenty of height over the net. Tennis is a game of errors at the rec level.
At ALL levels!
Great video. Very practical and realistic advice whereas other channels recommend emulating pros who have endless practice hours on court and super human athleticism.
Dude, you crack me up ..love your videos. I’ve implemented basically everything I’ve seen from these vids in some form or fashion over the last couple months and it has really helped. Really practical, really logical stuff. Keep it up brother 🙏🏼
@@christon.stevens4898 glad to hear they’re helping your game!!
Out of breath while still talking and thinking clearly, analysing and focusing on your gameplan, i'd like to be out of breath like this ahahaha.
Thanks for your lesson, keeping it simple is usually the hardest things to do. Gonna use all my energy thinking about this while playing. :)
And thanks again for all your videos.
Of course! Happy to help!
One of the best tennis videos on youtube. And I've seen them all.
Thank you!
Had to watch this again before playing tomorrow to refresh my mind on the Stokke 6. Really like the commentary during the play of this tiebreaker. Especially your thoughts during the serve and returns… All positive!
Hope it helps you play well!!
Thanks for your content. Much appreciated. Almost everyone in social media focus in technique rather than keep it simple which is key (watch Medvedev...) Thanks.
Easy to understand 6 rules of tennis: 1. Don't miss into the net, 2- don't miss returns, 3. don't double fault, 4. don't change directions, 5. don't miss wide, 6. don't miss serves or returns +1's.
Your backhand looks more confident than your forehand, n l like your backhand strokes, thanks ! You reminded me of Brad Gibert
Just went through and tried to find all your videos. Subscribed and liked them all! I wish I had this instruction when I was beginning! Outstanding content and explanation! Gracias Amigo!
Looks like in few years you could win world Championship among seniors. Very interesting style
2:44 great shot!
Great video and analysis !
This is great, I'm trying to figure out more strategy these days. My shots are such that I feel pretty comfortable with all of them, but knowing where to put them when, especially under pressure is huge. I've lost a lot based on these six reasons (that if I'd cleaned up my play I'd have much greater chance of winning), something I'll definitely work on from here on.
Let me know how it goes!
At 4-0 when you hit the backhand down the line for a winner it's tempting to think that you can break your own rules but this is where discipline and keeping to the rules works better.
Great stuff. Took me way too long to learn this. It took so much losing to figure it out and I still don't do it all the time. But my question is this: what do you do when you face off with a player doing the same thing? My current league is filled with 4.0-4.5ish players who pretty much wait for people to miss. Very sound play.
I wish I knew this 20 years ago!
Oh I hadn't finished the video. Finished it and yeah, you being tired sums up my game. lol
When someone does it better than you...you're in trouble. Because it's tough to be risky and go for more. You need to try different spins, heights, patterns to see if you can get them uncomfortable. Otherwise, they are better than you and you need to go practice and improve the quality of your rally ball!@@Rodman108
I think rec players like me often have a hesitation in matches. Going for high percentage balls usually means feeding a weak on to my opponent that they attack. So we try to break through our hesitation with aggression and we go for the winners on every shot and end up in the net or out. Which i think happens because match balls have a slightly different pace than practice or rally balls and that throws the technique and confidence off, leading to hesitation. Currently reading "the inner game of tennis" to address this
Great book...highly recommend!
Really good advice. The way you talk to yourself is how I talk to myself (in my mind 😁), literally just talking through my game plan for the point. No thoughts about previous points or overall score. Just how am I going to play this point 🎾
It’s all you have time for!
The best video you helped a lot
Although I have developed my strokes I don't have the confidence in matches and I know why. Keep going that is the coaching we need
So glad you found this helpful!
Great lesson(s)... thanks! I think one can easily transpose this to doubles as well...
I might do something similar with some doubles matches
Looking great Coach and you are in great shape, wait until you hit your 50s my friend and you will look back on this match and think you are in the best shape of your life my friend. Hahe you are a great coach and a good man. Thank you for posting this video Coach
I've been teaching something similar to my high school kids for crosscourt. If it lands on the deuce side, hit it back to deuce side. If it lands on the ad side, hit it back to the ad side!
Super practical. Great vid thanks!!
Love this video and the thought process behind it. Curious if you would adjust these for doubles at all?
You mean with the type of errors made? Not really. Changing down the line I might be a little more lenient on though
Amazing video Coach Stokke!
Thank you!
loved this! how old is stokke? like mid 40s? i am 32 and find guys who are over 45 or especially 50 could use this advice. i can't tell you how many come out swinging going for crazy shots at 4.0 level and all i have to do is play the percentages cross court or down the middle keeping returns in play to win matches.
I'm only 40!! Anyone can use this advice. Playing solid = wins.
Just discovered your channel. So many great tips for players and coaches
Thank you!
I have been listening to your podcast on my way to work every day, they are really good!
I was wondering, do you have any targets in mind when playing cross neutral? Or is it just “play deep if possible until I get an easy ball or an error”? Thanks!
Thanks for listening! Yes, I usually go cross court middle. I'll make a video showing how I choose my targets.
How aggressive should you hit cross court and high over the net?
Just as hard you comfortably can control???
This was great, thanks for making it!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This was great. Just watching your warmup serves at 1minute, I was amazed w/ how much pop you're getting for what looks like little effort. I am curious on these rules to net play b/c I feel you do have to change direction unless you're picking it off your shoelaces. What are your bad misses/errors for volleys and overheads?
Kelly Jones came on my podcast and he suggested just hitting every volley cross court (except for OBVIOUS winners). That way there's less thinking and you're naturally hitting across your body. Missing in the net and wide is occasionally ok at the net, as you're likely to hit a few more winners up there to offset those errors
@@StokkeTennis I finally found your podcast! In one of the videos you talk about changing from a grinder to going to college and playing a 3-shots or less strategy. That may be more applicable. I'm nearly 50 and seeing a fit guy like you getting out of breath playing a tiebreak, makes me question if I want to play 2-3 sets that way. And if in a tournament, coming back for a second or third match later... I like Kelly Jone's simple strategy... skeptical as it may mean giving them FHs rather htan volleying DTL to make them hit a BH, but it's worth a shot!
@@rsh8057 ha ha I’m not fit, and three shots are less is something I wouldn’t recommend anymore. I wish I had played like this when I was younger.
Any reason you didn’t add ‘missing long for no reason’ and make the stokke seven? Focused on the six yesterday and won; focused on gloating today and lost. But curious if hitting long is an acceptable error compared to missing net since it also encourages deep shots.
If I included long I'm saying just "don't miss". The net is a mental mistake to me, same as wide. Missing long could be technical (not enough spin) so it's less in your control. And at the end of the day, you're GOING to miss. It's inevitable. I just want you to get rid of the stupid ones so that you can miss slightly less than your opponents.
As you noted, your serve started going into the net as you got fatigued. This happens to me, too. Especially on the ad court first serve. Any suggestions other than keeping my tossing arm and head up?
Where is this? I would LOVE to play you 🎾 that was an AMAZING video! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽
Ok Stokke you got me all fired up to compete again. Playing my first USTA level 5 tournament starting this weekend. They didn’t have a 60+ category so I signed up for the 4.5 18+. No doubt I’ll be facing a younger player, probably a baseliner, that hits with lots of spin. I’m an older school serve and volleyer. My strategy is to stick with the Stokke 6 and come to the net on short balls to apply pressure. I’m a crafty server and love applying pressure by coming to the net on both first and second serves. I have a pretty good kick second serve which helps me get into pretty good position at the net. Also will hit lots of backhand slices to keep the ball low. Still working on my forehand slice. It’s way too inconsistent. Any other thoughts for this old guy to compete against the younger crowd that love banging from the baseline?
@@SummitSeeker546 how’d it go??
@@StokkeTennis tournament starts today. I got a bye and have my first match at 8:00am tomorrow. If I win, or when I win, the next match is at 11:30. Haven’t played 2x’s in a day in many years. Energy efficiency and conservation now comes into play. Going to scout out my opponent today. He has his first match at 5pm. The competitive juices are flowing…
@@StokkeTennis So I competed in my first official USTA tennis tournament today as an old guy (I’m 63). They did not have any age categories. So I had to play to my skill level which is a 4.5. I got a bye in the first round and was able to scout out other 4.5 players that I might have to compete against. I kept asking myself where are the older dudes? Seemed like they were all young studs that hit hard and were in great shape. The guy I had to play this morning was 24, hit hard, fast as a cat, consistent, and a really nice guy. After he wore my ass out after 3 games I knew I was in trouble. It didn’t take him long to whoop me 6-0 in the first set. I changed my strategy and frankly he lowered his intensity and I almost won the 2nd set but I was drained and couldn’t finish him off. I lost that set 7-5. I was totally drenched from sweating. I mean everything from hat, sweatbands, shirt, shorts, socks, were dripping wet. A humbling experience but a learning experience. My only hope is that he wins the tournament and I can claim to have lost to the champ! My next tournament in the fall will have age categories. Clearly I can’t compete at the fitness level of a 20 or 30 year old. Drinking a glass of wine and icing my body now!
Did you zoom in on the serve? Was it in or out?
Out!
I’m curious what the doubles equivalent to the Stokke 6 would be.
Great video! Love the podcast. I listen to it on my way to the club.
It wouldn't be much different at all. Make returns. Make serves. I don't view net errors the same as groundstroke errors because volley turn into winners far more often. But missing a groundstroke net or wide in doubles, when you have 9 extra feet to play into, is inexcusable
Instantly subbed.
Stokke, great to see you grinding...so is short angle groundstrokes just off the table?
Not off the table...but there are a certain set of rules for where I think it would make sense...certainly not a standard baseline rally
@@StokkeTennisrules for having higher % short angle crosscourt balls would be a great video
why do you keep the left hand up during serve?
To keep your body up!
That was a sick cross court my friend.
Coach I am 52 years old and I smoke a half a pack of cigarettes a day, and I don’t breathe that hard. Are you playing in Colorado? I live in Florida and it’s a new kind of hot down here my friend.
haha...it's tough to have a running conversation after playing points for the first time in 20 years. I'm in better shape now!
@@StokkeTennis your in great shape my dude! I was just joking around with you because I like you, and I joke with friends. I started a tennis channel because I got diagnosed with diabetes last year and I have been playing tennis again for over a year now. Before that I hadn’t played tennis in over 23 years and so far I lost 45 pounds and I am playing much better tennis because I have learned from you and my buddy Nick from Intuitive Tennis. I am still playing tennis with the Wilson Profile 95 and they are the original Profiles from West Germany and not the 2.5. The good news my friend is that I just got a brand new Wilson Blade v6 98 and I hit with that racquet and I was hitting much better than I was.
I am supposed to play against Trey from Winners only Tennis and I have been training to get faster on the court and getting to the ball faster. If you ever want to have a laugh go watch one on my videos and you can bust on me. I love guys are age because we have a great sense of humor and make tennis fun to play. One of my doubles partners is a lovely lady who is 97 years old and we have fun playing doubles together. Thank you Coach for posting this video and having a good sense of humor. I used your strategies against my friend who is a college player and it worked out I just let him make the mistakes and I didn’t have to play out of mind to win points and games. Thank you coach!
Your forehand form doesn’t look like the forehands we see today. Am I right?
Nope..I take it back very low. It's not ideal but it gets the job done
As a dedicated low-percentage player, I love your concepts. Hard to imagine your opponent playing at division 1. What's his UTR?
11 UTR. Remember these points are a small sample size. And even great players have poor stretches. If you watch a pro when they're losing a set 6-1, they don't look very good.
@@StokkeTennis That's crazy, I would have guessed 8 or 9 at most. Despite his serve looking like he's having some issues with over-rotation, it must win him a lot of points. And video is always so unflattering so I must be missing something.
Good stuff!
I really like it!
Your opponent doesn't look like he knows how to do short slices or drop shots, which is why I think your scored well by simply keeping it in.
I did this the other day on our community tennis tournament. won 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 and got me that sweet prize money. at recreational levels just put it in cross court and make them make mistakes.
@@DK-ic5uc even good D1 level
I really enjoyed the few videos that I have watched so far..Would you consider doing a video on how to win against moon ballers, ball pushers and junk balls? Thank you...
Well done
Did you ever play again Aaron Krickstein? I am trying to remember if I seen you play at the Open? You’re a younger man than myself so I don’t remember where I seen you play before, but I was thinking of you playing against Krick!
I’m not that old! Played doubles in 2001 when I was 17 years old
Fairly new here, love your videos. Can't help but laugh at all the "qualified" pros in the comment section criticising the young fella. I'm still going through your videos, but perhaps it would help these "pros" if they learned not everyone plays as conservatively when training as they would during legitimate competition. Hope he's enjoying his tennis!
@@Matt-fz3pw I’ve just learned that not only do people need help with their games, but also talent evaluation
Playing 3 seed in my tournament tomorrow going to try this
Serve and volley off a second serve? 😮
This guy just made a ton of errors, and you make difficult shots look easy.
Damn, you're good... from the warming up session, you couldn't tell
I've got an ugly game...but it works!
@@StokkeTennis I have a nice game, I think but to win often I play ugly. I hate it but it works. My strategy is more or less this:
- always return the ball in the middle (just like you). Never attack a return which is very hard. I also use Roger's old tactics (not just on return) by slicing the ball short and invite them to the net. Surprised how effective it is
- hitting flat and long. Comfortable with that, especially on my 1h backhand.
- when I use an approach shot and come to the net, I often go to their body. They'll have little time to adjust and feel the pressure. I would also volley to their body often
At the recreational level , the main reason players don’t do well during a match is because they just don’t have the necessary shot making abilities ! For example: They lack a proper forehand technique which then results in a bad approach shot !
Rally balls are the key. Letting the other make the mistakes = 4.0.
I find playing downwind with my opponent looking into the sun every game is a good way to minimize errors.😅
That was my tradeoff for not playing tennis for the last 10 years!
@@StokkeTenniscoach’s rights when you’re in the sun all day already
Well, the first good strategy was to pick an opponent that was very weak!
He’s an 11 UTR on his way to division 1
Is the D1 player in the room with us?
what happens if your opponent is just a wall and is also limiting his mistakes?
If your opponent is more solid than you, you're almost certainly going to lose. You can try to take more risk, but typically speaking, that'll just make you lose faster.
@@StokkeTennis Thanks for responding, I ran into a problem this Sunday, and the only way I squeaked it out was by creating situations in which he was more prone make errors in despite his baseline game being superior.
it looks like you are not even hitting hard at all, looks very relaxed and not pushing at all. Right or misinterpretation due to video?
Yea I'd say 60mph or so on the groundstrokes...just a smooth simple pace!
Some of the margins are getting skinning. I know I can’t aim that low but think I need to to get more not on ground strokes
In the first tie break, at least, he did not play like a D1 player or even a solid HS player. He played like a typical 3.5 rec player with some good shots, trying to go big and missing. You played like a good 4.0 who was playing within himself.
@@huntsail3727 there’s not a world that exists where I play like a 4.0 😂. But I appreciate you watching the video. Hopefully some of my thoughts help your game, they’ve certainly worked for me in my career 👊
He’s definitely a 5.0 lol
This is a good instruction for pushing. And it works as pushing can make up a 0.5 level deficit or more particularly when the opp is 4.5 or less
Hitting cross court isn’t pushing! An 11.2 UTR is at least a 5.0 as well 👊
14:57 nice SABER lol
also helps when you're about 4 utr points higher skill lvl than your opponent.
@@TheCodeOfChrist he’s a 10.8….so I guess I’m a 15!!!!!
@@StokkeTennis skill wise? yea i would say high 13. Close enough to make that 10.8 look like an 8
Why did you stop playing tennis?
Didn’t have the love to pursue a pro career
I need to commit the Stokke 6 to memory!
I think that's a good idea!
Rising D1 player my arse. Sorry but I coached rising D1 players/juniors and they didn't look like that. I do though, love the way you think the game and you look like a guy we all hate to play against---Intelligent and self aware. Just subscribed so haters steer clear. :)
Thanks for following. He’s an 11.2 UTR and going to play at a CAA conference school in the fall.
I love people who think they are better than others just by judging from a yt clip. Probably never seen themselves on video but know it all.
Great video!! But why isn’t anyone talking about the terrible line calls?!? Lol!
I don't mean to disrespect, but that is a weak D1 player. Still, great advice, really appreciate it.
It's not disrespectful...didn't say he was a top D1 player...just that he's on his way to play for a D1 school
Oh so you’re an expert tell me where you played D1
@@daftroses I played college tennis in Spain, where there is no concept such as D1; however, I played against some D1 players from the US, and most looked better technically than this player. As I said, I didn't mean to disrespect: everybody is working towards improving, at any level. But the player from this video seems like a subpar D1 player to me.
Doesn't make Stokke's strategy any less valid. Playing smart and consistent is a winning strategy at any level. Look close and you'll see, Sinner and Djokovic are both masters of this. You are right though, his opponent made way too many unforced. Probably is not a Stokke subscriber like all of us 6-tennis rules followers. 😂
I've never seen somebody commit so many errors so quickly .... Maybe that's because it's a fast hard surface ... On clay where we play you never see this stuff... Unless it's a really low/beginner level (clearly not the case here)
Gracias🇪🇦🇪🇸
No way that’s D1 Tennis, kid can’t even rally.
Sorry...he is! Starts next fall
Must be some pretty shit competition at that college @@StokkeTennis
yea it's really weird, I just met someone who used to be on a D1 team, USTA computer rated him 5.0, but bro didn't even have a stroke that look like he's ever taken a lesson and misses 50% of the shots for no reason, and doesn't have the technique or ability to serve anything past 80mph. He's 3.5 at best, but it's true he actually used to be on D1 college team.
The kid in the video looks like 4.5, he could potentially make D1, but he would be the bench of the bench, he does not have the footwork, athleticism or pace to really compete in D1
Awesome video and thanks for sharing. I used to think playing high level tennis required a complicated strategy, but like you said, it's not.
Focus on first touches, attacking on the right ball and working on your fitness and that will do wonders.
By the shortness of breath in your vid you might need to up your fitness 😁 jk
haven't moved faster than a walk in years!
@@StokkeTennis 😂
no way this is D1... well, maybe he is, but anyone can get into D1 for various reasons and some D1's are really not that strong.
There are like 350 D1 tennis programs, so about 3500 players from US and abroad. So if you’re one of the best 3500 18-24 year olds who aren’t trying to play pro, you’re in!
Thanks for the great insight. I like your strategy. But your opponent is not a D1 player.
He starts D1 in September... I wouldn't be so fast to judge someone's level based off 25 points
@@StokkeTennis Point taken, sorry.
Great advice! Not convinced you’re playing against a “D-1 to be” HS player. Is he actually your son? 😎🎾
@@willecutlip he plays at Richmond
@@StokkeTennis so, he’s a “spider”? 😎
No way these kids are d1 or even d3 eligible
I was an all American at Duke...he plays at university of Richmond.
@@StokkeTennis and why is he hitting shot after shot out? I get your message, but top players at my club would never make those many errors on these balls. Was he told to try to hit winners?
@ he’s missing cause I won’t miss against him. That’s the game. 70% errors, 30% winners. If you play someone who’s more consistent than you, you’ll end up missing a ton. From my experience, club tennis is A LOT of missing. Either way, he currently plays for a D1 program.