Thanks for a great video I think one additional parameter should be added: size of the pattern is not a static depending only on the current level, but also depends on which type of ball are you returning, with easy balls probably size is smaller and with difficult balls its larger.
One of the best tutorial comments I've heard you issue was don't aim to hit deep. Aim for just beyond the service line. More balls will land in and those balls that do go deep will land in more often, too. Sometimes, pointing out what otherwise should be obvious works as if you cast a magic spell. "I grant you the power to win by not losing, said Stokke." Thanks, Mr. Wizard.
Wow, very helpful insights! Love your videos and podcast interviews. I really enjoy your mindset instruction and how to “think” about a players approach to the game. As someone who took up tennis at age 49, I find your instructions super helpful! Thank you!
You make great videos. This one is so simple but incredibly brilliant. As tennis players we always think we are better than we are. I’m taking this to the court right away!
@ I appreciate your coaching so very much. Not sure why you decided to start making a podcast and TH-cam videos but I’m very glad you did. Hopefully I can do one of your in-person clinics one day.
Brilliant, as always! I was taught to aim for the center early on. It’s taken me about a year to recognize and embrace that idea. Aiming for side and corner winners are so seductive. It’s hard to be patient!
Great video Jonathan! I'd love to see a series on this. Where to aim when approaching off short balls? Where to aim for passing shots? Where to aim the first volley? Where to aim returns?
I find the idea you presented here is similar to Feel Tennis' notion of Big Target, although such ideas as oval pattern of ball dispersion, different target location depending on the skill level are new. This a valuable wisdom. Thank you.
Great Instruction… with very specific (and realistic) Target focus! The ‘margin of error’ concept speaks to all skill levels…. I incorporate that strategy on my serve - but lose discipline/over confident on my forehand groundies! Thanks Coach, SteveY. 👍🎾😎
@@StokkeTennis We are exactly on the same wave-length, you say the same words I do when I explain this concept. I shared most of my tactical tips like Big Target inside the paid TH-cam Members area so you can't see it publicly, but will share more ideas in the future on the public channel. And yes, this is the single most important concept in tennis strategy / tacics but it gets lost in the massive amount of information online. So hopefully my 2 cents here help more players really take it more seriously.
Wow, this video is a huge relief. I didn’t imagine that a D1 player would have a shot pattern that large. And it turns out that what I thought was a large pattern is actually a small pattern! As a 3.5 player, I guess I don’t have to worry if my pattern is bigger than his. When I am loose, I always hit better… And this video will definitely help me to be more loose Thank you!
This have helped me to stop making too wide shots. When I tried to hit to the side or cross-court but got it in the middle I've bashed myself and tried harder, but now I understand that I simply have to keep hitting for same target until it works itself.
Great video. I remember a video from Jules Marie at Technifibre where they explained that in terms of speed and rpm, there isn’t much of a difference between Medvedev and the other, however, where pro players shine in in their accuracy.
These videos help drive home the need to go for bigger targets. I've always wondered why players camp out in the corner of the court when doing XC rally drills rather than recover to a position on the baseline that they'd actually move to if in match play. Would that not lead to better footwork and grooving of the stroke? Keep these coming. Cheers
Thank you so much. This has made a huge paradigm shift for me and also made me question what people choose to value not just in shot selection but also racket selection and marketing of rackets too. Players seem to have a cognitive bias towards noticing their big powerful winners without tracking the errors, and overestimate how accurate they are, the perfect example is the high school girl's shots and how it could be easy to to do a drill and think that you can hit it more accurately than you think. It almost seems like the vague recommendations towards tennis rackets based on what type of player you are and emphasizing speed, control, spin, maneuverability etc . Rather, it should be are you someone who wants the satisfaction of big winners but make more errors. Or are you someone who wants a lot more consistency and win more games. Not as sexy of a sales pitch, because there is such an ingrained love for POWER and the highlight reel shots that can make rec play so fun, rather than the boring stuff that wins. As someone who is happy to play the consistent tennis that is boring but wins, it only makes sense to choose the control rackets right? I have been playing for over a year and recently got the Pure Drive as a highly recommended good tweener racket, and while I can hit bigger winner more easily, I hit a lot more shots long even while adjusting technique. I think something with more control and feel is better for the consistency. Do you think making the shift not just to having a bigger target, but also to a racket that can hit the target more consistently is worth considering?
My observation... players are sacrificing placement for power. Even when the winner is easy, they want the satisfaction of the smash/power shot for the winner, leading to an unforced error.
Very good coaching! I notice that my strokes not only decline as I move, but I get tired as well, adding to more inaccurate placement. Not to mention, getting older is a factor. Same for basketball or other sports. I used to be a great spot shooter and could hit at any distance. Put someone on me and make me move, and my game falls apart. lol... So the next time I am out with my Slinger machine (I'm a 4.0), I think I will use those circular cup things and focus on hitting near those targets.
Great video, tactics are so important. I guess this is why people struggle playing against moon ballers. The shot selection and target are too optimistic and the errors are usually far more than the winners
I remember reading that Agassi early on learned by hitting as hard as he could as he worked on his control. He’s probably a rare exception to the rule.
This was really eye-opening for me. I had no idea that a D1 player of that caliber would have such a large pattern even on balls just being fed. What the hell am I doing trying to hit more difficult targets. Amazing video. Thank you!
Hi Stokke...you took the big targets concept to a whole new level!!!...Do you think that if you placed the targets shorter for D1 players that they would hit it consistently deeper?...Thank you for this awesome video!!!...Happy Holidays!
I don't, I think they'd hit half shorter and half deeper if they are TRULY aiming to a shorter target. But again, you'll learn a lot about your natural tendencies when you start keeping detailed track of where your shots are landing!
The examples from D1 players was great. In doubles would this mean your target as a baseliner is cross court a yard behind the service line, mid way between the center line and singles side line? Or are targets inherently too dynamic in doubles to think of a single spot?
Ok I'm convinced but I do have a question tho. When I tried this strategy of hitting middle and let my opponent miss more what happened to me was this: My pattern was so predictable, and to make sure I wasn't landing too short, I sent the ball really not that fast, like mid pace, and he would force me to hit shorter and shorter by making me move side to side until I made a mistake, got tired or hit a ball so weak that he punished it with a winner. So my question is this: Is it valid to take a little more risk if I'm trying to hit deep middle and I'm losing?
Sounds like the opponent is implementing the same strategy with a higher quality ball, in which case you need to continue to work on the quality of your rally ball. But going for a risky strategy will likely result in losing faster.
DAMN... ALREADY shared this with several instructor buddies. The TRUTH of this smacks you upside the head. I'm ADJUSTING my target TODAY ! - Mark Vogt in North Aurora IL (just another old 4.5 who foolishly aims like he's a 5.0)
I get the idea of looking at "patterns" from different players, and I agree you shouldn’t aim too close to the lines. But I think the suggested targets are kind of misleading. There are generally three types of groundstrokes: * Defensive: When you’re under pressure, the goal is just to get the ball back in play. * Neutral (Rally Ball): Like the feeds in this video-you're not stretched, jammed, or rushed, but you're not perfectly set up either. In this case, you’re just trying to hit a solid shot to keep the point going, so yeah, aiming generously makes sense to avoid missing unnecessarily. * Offensive: When you’re well set up, balanced, and have time to hit your best shot. Here, you’re willing to take more risk by aiming closer to the lines because the reward (winning the point) is higher. Most people know not to try to crush a neutral ball, so a better experiment might be feeding players balls and letting them decide when they’re set up and ready to attack. Then, measure the radius/patterns of only those attacking shots. Great video in general though. Thanks for sharing
@@fffiery5914 right. So I mentioned the pattern grows when you’re under stress (defensive). You can aim closer to the line when you have an easy ball if you want, and you’ll hit more winners, but you’ll also make a lot of errors. My suggestion is you figure out, roughly the size of your Shot Pattern and pick a target accordingly. You can hit fast slice slowtake the ball early, but if a lot of your Shot Pattern is out when you pick a target, you’re just gambling at that point in my opinion.
I play at 3.0, but aiming in the middle of the court would not make any sense on this level. I would get crashed by my opponents. When I play I have to aim to the sides, let's say 30% of the right, or 30% of left of the court. I can hit these targets repeatedly in a match around 80% of time, but with definitely much lower speed than the people on the video. So I think this advice is a bit quite counter intuitive. If I was hitting with 90-100% power, with my level of skill, yes, probably would need to aim in the middle.
If you are a 3.0 and your controller is good enough to close for the lines, I highly recommend that. Most three hours I know don’t have great control, but if you do, you should certainly take advantage of that.
@StokkeTennis I have seen 3.5 pushers win matches hitting strictly moonballs to the the T. If you are playing people who can can consistently crush short balls they aren't 3.0s.
@StokkeTennis very good! Looking forward to it! What I am really curious about is how we should go about thinking about maximizing equipment to become as solid as possible and miss less which has been the topic in your last few videos… which are great btw, and I am learning a lot. My issue is that when I play against better opponents and I play safe targets(like you suggested) I can’t damage them enough and eventually during the rally they end up hitting shots that make me hit a weaker shot that’s short and the point is over… this forces me to push it closer to the lines and then I start missing more. So I lose either way 🤷♂️. Against weaker or equal level opponents this strategy works really well though…
I like this idea? One thing Ive wondered is really we should be aiming at a target over the net. Almost like when you’re hitting at the wall. The cone is on the ground and something you are seeing through the net. Some walls have a square or circle and I wonder what the shot pattern would be? Unfortunately its not easy to replicate easy feeds and the weird bounce can make you run…
This is an amazing tip. Would definitely practice this. Does this also work when aiming for serves? With the area being smaller how much leeway can we give?
@@etoroabasiakpan7050 same concept for all shots. Size of your serve pattern depends on quality of serve. A pro probably has a 3 foot wide patterns on serve. A 3.0 is probably 13 feet. So practice, measure your pattern and then aim accordingly!
Hi Coach, thanks for always keeping it real. I am trying to reconcile the “aim small, miss small” concept with that of “hit an aggressive shot to a conservative target” axiom. I realize that in many ways they mean the same thing based on where you place the target according to playing level, but they sound very different. Are we really aiming small in this instance, or would I get a similar result by creating a “cone zone”, maybe a circle or a square in a sensible place? Or does placing one tiny-ass cone in a safe area of the court produce a better result?
This is a great lesson! Had no idea as a 3.5 player I should aim essentially dead center right behind the service box. But makes sense after watching the video when you account for the dispersion between a handful of shots (especially when account for live ball/pressure situations). Question: does the target move if I am standing dead center on the baseline or if I am rallying cross court closer to the single’s alley?
One more question is as a 3.5 player if I am aiming at a target quite so dead center in the court does it mean my ‘strategy’ is really more to wait for my opponent to make an error more so than trying to win the point? For example if I get an approach shot opportunity from a weaker defensive shot should I: 1) not hit down the line or 2) hit down the line but hit shorter (just beyond service box) or 3) aim back at the center? Totally understand the concept of improving my winning chances by making fewer errors but wanted to clarify this.
Love it. Here is my question. Assuming if using the 4.0 cross court target you laid out on neutral, what If I get a short ball that’s attackable, do you recommend a). Same target but just aim lower over net (b) a target 2 feet or so closer to sideline c). Hitting to the safe target but the down the line version rather than cross d). Something I haven’t thought of?
@@valliberace3851 you can hit cross or line, fast or slow. Up to you. The faster you hit, the bigger your shot pattern gets. And just think. On a short ball, if you hit faster and take it early, why would you even need to aim wider. Also, you’re going to hit it wider on accident a lot. That’s how the pattern works. Don’t assume you’re gonna hit it near your target!
Thank you. And to your point about technique and the hours it takes to make meaningful lasting changes. As a rec player with only so much time to dedicate to this hobby but still with a great desire to continue to improve, I humbly request more videos like this that emphasize shot selection and targets walking through permutations of the various play situations (high percentage approach shot targets, first and second volley targets, defensive targets) tailored to level like you did here would be amazing. I mean, as a religious listener to the pod, hearing pros like Pegula say that under pressure she defaults to hard deep middle has been so valuable. Like just knowing that it doesn’t have to be complicated help us rec players get out of our own way. Thanks again!!
In the first minute I hear you speaking about the first if three areas that could lead to errors, and I keep hearing you day Tactical errors, but I'm I hearing this wrong, because surely you mean Technical errors?
Great tips to keep in mind when practice instead of feeling frustrated for not hitting the cones. only a suggestion for your clips, it’ll be better if there a way for you to deliver the same contents in shorter clips. I think it a bit long go beyond 10 minutes, might be fine for other viewers.
Brilliant, as always! I was taught to aim for the center early on. It’s taken me about a year to recognize and embrace that idea. Aiming for side and corner winners are so seductive. It’s hard to be patient!
This advice is just packed with wisdom, and is based on the fact that tennis is a PERCENTAGE endeavor. I'll take it to heart.
Thanks for a great video
I think one additional parameter should be added: size of the pattern is not a static depending only on the current level, but also depends on which type of ball are you returning, with easy balls probably size is smaller and with difficult balls its larger.
One of the best tutorial comments I've heard you issue was don't aim to hit deep. Aim for just beyond the service line. More balls will land in and those balls that do go deep will land in more often, too. Sometimes, pointing out what otherwise should be obvious works as if you cast a magic spell. "I grant you the power to win by not losing, said Stokke." Thanks, Mr. Wizard.
Thank you!
Outstanding. Great video.
Thank you very much!
An added benefit is any ball that touches a line in league matches gets called out now days.
Wow, very helpful insights! Love your videos and podcast interviews. I really enjoy your mindset instruction and how to “think” about a players approach to the game. As someone who took up tennis at age 49, I find your instructions super helpful! Thank you!
So glad you’re enjoying it!
Great lesson!
I love the idea of picking a target so that the whole shot pattern will be IN THE COURT!!
Once you do that your level skyrockets
You make great videos. This one is so simple but incredibly brilliant. As tennis players we always think we are better than we are. I’m taking this to the court right away!
@@roblevley505 if you buy in it will be a total game changer for you
@ I appreciate your coaching so very much. Not sure why you decided to start making a podcast and TH-cam videos but I’m very glad you did. Hopefully I can do one of your in-person clinics one day.
@@roblevley505 Would love to have you at a camp! I started the podcast a few years ago and TH-cam in 2024. Really enjoying TH-cam so far.
Brilliant, as always! I was taught to aim for the center early on. It’s taken me about a year to recognize and embrace that idea. Aiming for side and corner winners are so seductive. It’s hard to be patient!
It's incredibly difficult to be disciplined
Great video Jonathan! I'd love to see a series on this. Where to aim when approaching off short balls? Where to aim for passing shots? Where to aim the first volley? Where to aim returns?
Good idea, although people may not be excited about the targets I choose!
@@StokkeTennis haha, you're right, we probably won't be ... but we may as well face the music. ;)
I find the idea you presented here is similar to Feel Tennis' notion of Big Target, although such ideas as oval pattern of ball dispersion, different target location depending on the skill level are new. This a valuable wisdom. Thank you.
I'll go check out that video!
Great Instruction… with very specific (and realistic) Target focus!
The ‘margin of error’ concept speaks to all skill levels….
I incorporate that strategy on my serve - but lose discipline/over confident on my forehand groundies!
Thanks Coach,
SteveY. 👍🎾😎
@@stephenyost132 Once you get disciplined with your targets your level will skyrocket
@@StokkeTennis We are exactly on the same wave-length, you say the same words I do when I explain this concept. I shared most of my tactical tips like Big Target inside the paid TH-cam Members area so you can't see it publicly, but will share more ideas in the future on the public channel. And yes, this is the single most important concept in tennis strategy / tacics but it gets lost in the massive amount of information online. So hopefully my 2 cents here help more players really take it more seriously.
@@feeltennis Looking forward to seeing that video in the future!
This is a great video and organized goal oriented approach. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Wow, this video is a huge relief. I didn’t imagine that a D1 player would have a shot pattern that large. And it turns out that what I thought was a large pattern is actually a small pattern! As a 3.5 player, I guess I don’t have to worry if my pattern is bigger than his. When I am loose, I always hit better… And this video will definitely help me to be more loose Thank you!
This is one of the most eye opening tips I’ve come across. Great content - thanks.
This have helped me to stop making too wide shots. When I tried to hit to the side or cross-court but got it in the middle I've bashed myself and tried harder, but now I understand that I simply have to keep hitting for same target until it works itself.
Great video. I remember a video from Jules Marie at Technifibre where they explained that in terms of speed and rpm, there isn’t much of a difference between Medvedev and the other, however, where pro players shine in in their accuracy.
These videos help drive home the need to go for bigger targets. I've always wondered why players camp out in the corner of the court when doing XC rally drills rather than recover to a position on the baseline that they'd actually move to if in match play. Would that not lead to better footwork and grooving of the stroke? Keep these coming. Cheers
Yes, recovering to the correct spot is ideal for MANY reasons.
Thank you so much. This has made a huge paradigm shift for me and also made me question what people choose to value not just in shot selection but also racket selection and marketing of rackets too. Players seem to have a cognitive bias towards noticing their big powerful winners without tracking the errors, and overestimate how accurate they are, the perfect example is the high school girl's shots and how it could be easy to to do a drill and think that you can hit it more accurately than you think.
It almost seems like the vague recommendations towards tennis rackets based on what type of player you are and emphasizing speed, control, spin, maneuverability etc . Rather, it should be are you someone who wants the satisfaction of big winners but make more errors. Or are you someone who wants a lot more consistency and win more games. Not as sexy of a sales pitch, because there is such an ingrained love for POWER and the highlight reel shots that can make rec play so fun, rather than the boring stuff that wins.
As someone who is happy to play the consistent tennis that is boring but wins, it only makes sense to choose the control rackets right? I have been playing for over a year and recently got the Pure Drive as a highly recommended good tweener racket, and while I can hit bigger winner more easily, I hit a lot more shots long even while adjusting technique. I think something with more control and feel is better for the consistency. Do you think making the shift not just to having a bigger target, but also to a racket that can hit the target more consistently is worth considering?
Certainly, although racket preference is personal. No matter what racket, you can figure out your shot pattern and aim accordingly
Please do one on approach shots from inside the baseline...I curious to see how the shot pattern would get smaller...Thanks
@@RK-ft9rn it could be a little smaller because you’re closer to the target, but still think it would be a large pattern
My observation... players are sacrificing placement for power. Even when the winner is easy, they want the satisfaction of the smash/power shot for the winner, leading to an unforced error.
Good stuff once again.
Very good coaching! I notice that my strokes not only decline as I move, but I get tired as well, adding to more inaccurate placement. Not to mention, getting older is a factor. Same for basketball or other sports. I used to be a great spot shooter and could hit at any distance. Put someone on me and make me move, and my game falls apart. lol... So the next time I am out with my Slinger machine (I'm a 4.0), I think I will use those circular cup things and focus on hitting near those targets.
Great coaching.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video, tactics are so important. I guess this is why people struggle playing against moon ballers. The shot selection and target are too optimistic and the errors are usually far more than the winners
Matches are ALWAYS lost with errors. Remember, you can hit fast or slow to a good target
I remember reading that Agassi early on learned by hitting as hard as he could as he worked on his control. He’s probably a rare exception to the rule.
@@georgepalavi5060 remember, hitting hard and aiming are too separate things.
Hard and accurate requires a good strong tricep and delts..no joke@@StokkeTennis
This was really eye-opening for me. I had no idea that a D1 player of that caliber would have such a large pattern even on balls just being fed. What the hell am I doing trying to hit more difficult targets. Amazing video. Thank you!
This is the realization I was hoping for!!!
This is why I follow Coach Stokke, I’m learning concepts that are completely foreign to me and at the same time extremely useful!
@@StokkeTennis I'm going the rent the ball machine, warm up, set up the target, and then use Swingvision to see what my oval looks like!
This video should be required viewing for any competitive tennis player. 🎯
Such good advice. As a 4.0 player (or thereabouts) matches are decided by consistency and not big amazing winning shots 😅
Absolutely
Gold baby.. Gold! 😀
Thanks as always for following and supporting!
Hi Stokke...you took the big targets concept to a whole new level!!!...Do you think that if you placed the targets shorter for D1 players that they would hit it consistently deeper?...Thank you for this awesome video!!!...Happy Holidays!
I don't, I think they'd hit half shorter and half deeper if they are TRULY aiming to a shorter target. But again, you'll learn a lot about your natural tendencies when you start keeping detailed track of where your shots are landing!
The examples from D1 players was great. In doubles would this mean your target as a baseliner is cross court a yard behind the service line, mid way between the center line and singles side line? Or are targets inherently too dynamic in doubles to think of a single spot?
@@nx3106 the doubles alley is 4.5 feet wide, so you could move your singles target 4.5 feet wider
Thanks for the great tips! Wondering where would you aim approach shots and serves?
Depends on the size of your shot patterns!
I use to work with Faris and Niroop in Arizona. They play for Duke. Faris just graduated
Ok I'm convinced but I do have a question tho.
When I tried this strategy of hitting middle and let my opponent miss more what happened to me was this:
My pattern was so predictable, and to make sure I wasn't landing too short, I sent the ball really not that fast, like mid pace, and he would force me to hit shorter and shorter by making me move side to side until I made a mistake, got tired or hit a ball so weak that he punished it with a winner.
So my question is this: Is it valid to take a little more risk if I'm trying to hit deep middle and I'm losing?
Sounds like the opponent is implementing the same strategy with a higher quality ball, in which case you need to continue to work on the quality of your rally ball. But going for a risky strategy will likely result in losing faster.
DAMN...
ALREADY shared this with several instructor buddies.
The TRUTH of this smacks you upside the head.
I'm ADJUSTING my target TODAY !
- Mark Vogt in North Aurora IL (just another old 4.5 who foolishly aims like he's a 5.0)
Love to hear it! If this little video can help a few players then my work here is done!
I get the idea of looking at "patterns" from different players, and I agree you shouldn’t aim too close to the lines. But I think the suggested targets are kind of misleading. There are generally three types of groundstrokes:
* Defensive: When you’re under pressure, the goal is just to get the ball back in play.
* Neutral (Rally Ball): Like the feeds in this video-you're not stretched, jammed, or rushed, but you're not perfectly set up either. In this case, you’re just trying to hit a solid shot to keep the point going, so yeah, aiming generously makes sense to avoid missing unnecessarily.
* Offensive: When you’re well set up, balanced, and have time to hit your best shot. Here, you’re willing to take more risk by aiming closer to the lines because the reward (winning the point) is higher.
Most people know not to try to crush a neutral ball, so a better experiment might be feeding players balls and letting them decide when they’re set up and ready to attack. Then, measure the radius/patterns of only those attacking shots.
Great video in general though. Thanks for sharing
(Yes, those feeds aren't hard, but tennis is a hard game and more often than not you aren't really set up even on easy feeds.)
@@fffiery5914 right. So I mentioned the pattern grows when you’re under stress (defensive). You can aim closer to the line when you have an easy ball if you want, and you’ll hit more winners, but you’ll also make a lot of errors. My suggestion is you figure out, roughly the size of your Shot Pattern and pick a target accordingly. You can hit fast slice slowtake the ball early, but if a lot of your Shot Pattern is out when you pick a target, you’re just gambling at that point in my opinion.
I wonder what the aim should be for double.
I play at 3.0, but aiming in the middle of the court would not make any sense on this level. I would get crashed by my opponents. When I play I have to aim to the sides, let's say 30% of the right, or 30% of left of the court. I can hit these targets repeatedly in a match around 80% of time, but with definitely much lower speed than the people on the video.
So I think this advice is a bit quite counter intuitive.
If I was hitting with 90-100% power, with my level of skill, yes, probably would need to aim in the middle.
If you are a 3.0 and your controller is good enough to close for the lines, I highly recommend that. Most three hours I know don’t have great control, but if you do, you should certainly take advantage of that.
@StokkeTennis I have seen 3.5 pushers win matches hitting strictly moonballs to the the T. If you are playing people who can can consistently crush short balls they aren't 3.0s.
Hey Jonathan, still waiting for that video about how to choose the right racquet… or did I miss it?
@@pro71 you haven’t missed it yet! Each video takes a ton of time to make. It’s on my to do list.
Ezone 98?
@@speedypete4987 This is the VCore, but I use all of the Yonex
@@StokkeTennis nice, looking forward to this as well
@StokkeTennis very good! Looking forward to it! What I am really curious about is how we should go about thinking about maximizing equipment to become as solid as possible and miss less which has been the topic in your last few videos… which are great btw, and I am learning a lot.
My issue is that when I play against better opponents and I play safe targets(like you suggested) I can’t damage them enough and eventually during the rally they end up hitting shots that make me hit a weaker shot that’s short and the point is over… this forces me to push it closer to the lines and then I start missing more. So I lose either way 🤷♂️. Against weaker or equal level opponents this strategy works really well though…
Great lesso!
Interestingly you are almost the only one who is teaching us about strategy and patterns ❤
I like this idea? One thing Ive wondered is really we should be aiming at a target over the net. Almost like when you’re hitting at the wall. The cone is on the ground and something you are seeing through the net. Some walls have a square or circle and I wonder what the shot pattern would be? Unfortunately its not easy to replicate easy feeds and the weird bounce can make you run…
This is an amazing tip. Would definitely practice this.
Does this also work when aiming for serves? With the area being smaller how much leeway can we give?
@@etoroabasiakpan7050 same concept for all shots. Size of your serve pattern depends on quality of serve. A pro probably has a 3 foot wide patterns on serve. A 3.0 is probably 13 feet. So practice, measure your pattern and then aim accordingly!
Your book out for preorder soon?
Haha, don't hold your breath. But a new video could come out in a few days!
Hi Coach, thanks for always keeping it real. I am trying to reconcile the “aim small, miss small” concept with that of “hit an aggressive shot to a conservative target” axiom. I realize that in many ways they mean the same thing based on where you place the target according to playing level, but they sound very different. Are we really aiming small in this instance, or would I get a similar result by creating a “cone zone”, maybe a circle or a square in a sensible place? Or does placing one tiny-ass cone in a safe area of the court produce a better result?
Aim to a specific spot in the big part of the court
This is a great lesson! Had no idea as a 3.5 player I should aim essentially dead center right behind the service box. But makes sense after watching the video when you account for the dispersion between a handful of shots (especially when account for live ball/pressure situations). Question: does the target move if I am standing dead center on the baseline or if I am rallying cross court closer to the single’s alley?
One more question is as a 3.5 player if I am aiming at a target quite so dead center in the court does it mean my ‘strategy’ is really more to wait for my opponent to make an error more so than trying to win the point? For example if I get an approach shot opportunity from a weaker defensive shot should I: 1) not hit down the line or 2) hit down the line but hit shorter (just beyond service box) or 3) aim back at the center? Totally understand the concept of improving my winning chances by making fewer errors but wanted to clarify this.
Glad you enjoyed it
What is the typical UTR range for D1 College players?
It’s only for reference for my 8’s, 9’s and 10’s who try to be too perfect.
This is stellar advice 👏🏿 would you recommend the same thinking for serves ? Or would you approach it differently ?
Same exact concept for serves, although the shot pattern is much smaller than a groundstroke
Working it!
👊
Love it. Here is my question. Assuming if using the 4.0 cross court target you laid out on neutral, what If I get a short ball that’s attackable, do you recommend a). Same target but just aim lower over net (b) a target 2 feet or so closer to sideline c). Hitting to the safe target but the down the line version rather than cross d). Something I haven’t thought of?
@@valliberace3851 you can hit cross or line, fast or slow. Up to you. The faster you hit, the bigger your shot pattern gets. And just think. On a short ball, if you hit faster and take it early, why would you even need to aim wider. Also, you’re going to hit it wider on accident a lot. That’s how the pattern works. Don’t assume you’re gonna hit it near your target!
Thank you. And to your point about technique and the hours it takes to make meaningful lasting changes. As a rec player with only so much time to dedicate to this hobby but still with a great desire to continue to improve, I humbly request more videos like this that emphasize shot selection and targets walking through permutations of the various play situations (high percentage approach shot targets, first and second volley targets, defensive targets) tailored to level like you did here would be amazing. I mean, as a religious listener to the pod, hearing pros like Pegula say that under pressure she defaults to hard deep middle has been so valuable. Like just knowing that it doesn’t have to be complicated help us rec players get out of our own way. Thanks again!!
@@valliberace3851 I'll do my best, and thanks for listening to the podcast!!
I would like to see doubles targets.
My assumption is add the doubles alley to the cone.
Same concept!
Good stuff from 74 yo past college player
Great video as always. Are you using the VCore 95?
98
In the first minute I hear you speaking about the first if three areas that could lead to errors, and I keep hearing you day Tactical errors, but I'm I hearing this wrong, because surely you mean Technical errors?
I said technical first!
Great tips to keep in mind when practice instead of feeling frustrated for not hitting the cones. only a suggestion for your clips, it’ll be better if there a way for you to deliver the same contents in shorter clips. I think it a bit long go beyond 10 minutes, might be fine for other viewers.
Brilliant, as always! I was taught to aim for the center early on. It’s taken me about a year to recognize and embrace that idea. Aiming for side and corner winners are so seductive. It’s hard to be patient!