Grab your FREE Action Plan here so you can follow a proven step by step path to improvement the very next time you step onto the court: www.tennisactionplan.com/
An even bigger mistake--Telling people to go and practice shots without telling them how to do it, i.e., TECHNIQUE. He's just encouraging people to practice and re-practice bad habits. Geez did he actually suggest at 3:05 that a "6th sense" is what is going to help you not mishit shots?!! That's really concrete, Ian. And people wonder why American tennis is in the crapper...Could have something to do with this kind of vague, opinionated coaching, not based on the physics of the swing, the geometry of the court, or anything else factual. Highly ironic that his business is titled "Essential" tennis.
Lol yeah I'm ruthless...I don't care so much though because she was so awful to me. We won everything that year - including State where I got a freak injury and she yelled at me for it! We never spoke again. lol -Kirby
@@EssentialTennis That's why I don't play doubles. Because I don't want an inferior player messing me up. I stick to singles where I have complete control
I think the split step one is the most underlooked. As a competitive junior player, this problem is something many coaches haven't seen me do. Lately my recent coach has seen it and I'm starting to do it now.
Tip 1. Excellent observations on the effect on the racket on the point of contact. Tip 2. Very good practical advice to split step even watching a tennis rally, so no excuse not to practice indoors. Tip 3. Excellent advice to be aware of tension in the tennis stroke, because if you are tense you limit the full action/path of the shot.... Very good tips shown in a unique way and very well presented by all of you.
I just want to say that I’ve been away of tennis for the last few months (I know it’s super sad). But, now that I've came back I realised how much your style of video has changed and I love it! So happy to see how the channel and the ET fam has grown over the time! Keep it up guys 🙂
Thanks so much for the encouragement, Luis! I've passed your comments on to our production staff. Happy to hear you're back on the court! Anything we can help you with?
That is a great way to practice timing the split steps. Thank you Ian and Kirby for demonstrating it for us to see and feel how much effort is involved in doing it correctly. How many minutes per session would you recommend for someone who hasn't done it before? It could be exhausting to do it as many times as the pros do it. Also, when would you incorporate swinging the racket into the sequence as that would be the next part to making the split step useful.
You're very welcome, Jocelyn! Honestly, just 5 or 10 minutes here and there would be great for the split step exercise. Two or three times per week would definitely go a long way towards making it a habit for you. No, I don't think swinging is necessary at all. Focus narrowly on the timing, and just doing it in general. Those two things are most important to start! Does that make sense? -Ian
Have you seen it on video? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an amateur player completely overdo the split step....its possible that it feels really exaggerated to you but it isn't at all.
Once I focused more on contact in my practice and warmup over the past few months its both a positive (awareness, improved game) and a negative (because I notice it more). If I recommended one overarching tip to any level player it would be more time spent on easy warmup or contact-based drills/hitting to improve ball striking at the most simple level.
Agree 100% RE slow, easy, warm up, Chad. Everybody is in such a rush to get to full speed, there's zero comfort being slow and aware. Why do you say that it's a negative noticing off center hits more? -Ian
My 'negative' comment on off-center hits is more related to the 'ignorance is bliss' feeling. When you don't know what is happening or why, you can shrug it off as variance and move on to the next point from a ball-striking perspective. Being aware of such things, however, brings a whole new focus to between points, shots, and in-match to continually refocus on ball-striking and the basics of each stroke. I am fortunate to typically get a 30-to-60 minute ball machine session even before matches. That has become my routine for a warmup. I can go slow and focus from rebound-only slow volley work in the alley to my serve progressions and traditional volleys and groundstrokes and my pace. It is a different world when stepping on the match court and knowing you are already warmed up, not relying on the player across from you for a proper warmup (which can be difficult at all but the highest levels of rec tennis). When I do not get my private warmup/practice session before a match, I have to remind myself to still go slow through the cooperative warmup as it is so easy to gloss over ball-striking and clean contact for bigger swings, etc.
Ahhh, totally know what you mean. Yup, most players rush through just about everything, very little awareness or knowledge of what they're doing or why. Really proud of your work on your game, Chad!
Wow. The logic behind that third, drill without the strings, is brilliant. Makes you really take your mind off the little things and forces you to concentrate on flowing through the stroke. 👍🏼👍🏼
You can’t always fix mishitting. No matter what you do you can’t stop mishitting and you shouldn’t really be doing drills to stop mishitting, you should just be playing until it reduces
As for the first tip on the mishit The only thing I would add is there could be other things in the player's stroke which is causing the mis-hit. For example if the tennis player constantly pulls his head and doesn't try to watch the racket hit the ball, there may be a mis-hit. The racket follows your body so if you pull off the ball early you may have a mis-hit. Another way you may have mis-hits if you are keeping your wrist fixed through the shot. Some players flick their wrist as they hit the ball causing a mis-hit as opposed to hitting the ball with their wrist laid back and then letting then wrist rest after the ball is already hit.
Focus on the ball is critical.....but Federer and every other pro shanks the ball as well! We can't ever be perfect with that element, which is why, for me, learning when and where misshits happen is super critical for amateur players. Most have zero idea about either, so they keep making the same mistake over and over. Appreciate your comments, Mike!
Hi Guys, 3 great points. Would like you to see you explain how to avoid hitting off centre as well as being aware when it's happening. Great vids. Many thanks. Steve.
I have always split stepped in Tennis. Competitive Squash really changed it for me and I quickly found out it's just as useful in tennis. Doesn't it help your reaction speed at which you move because your feet are off the ground
I see the way you grip the racquet vs your wrist, which was straight. My question is, is it OK to twist your wrist when doing ground stroke forehand and backhands? My grip would be semi western for forehand and inverse western for a one handed backhand, and I twist my wrist. Thanks.
Thanks for the informative video! Just started my first practice at tennis for school. I hope to be able to learn a lot and improve for next semester Texas UIL. I can already tell it’s gonna be fun.
About the split step. I may be nitpicking but here goes. Kirby says you should split step at your opponent's point of contact. But should you "jump" at point of contact, be in "mid air" at point of contact, or "land" at point of contact?
Not "nitpicking" at all! Here's an old video where I talk about precise timing of the split step, which is absolutely a critical part of it: th-cam.com/video/jtWMP75377k/w-d-xo.html Is that helpful?
Honestly, I almost never teach the "real way" that the pros split step. It requires incredible timing, awareness, and quick identification of where the ball is headed....all at once. Overwhelm for most amateur players. For the "simple" split step you want to touch down on the balls of your feet just as contact is being made. Thanks for watching :-)
ooo I make #1 all the time during matches and I just kinda wipe the sweat from my grip and hold it tighter lol Thanks so much this video was very helpful!!
watching the ball till contact, with steady head. Even Stefan Edberg, when interviewed about #1 most important tip for playing at the net was: watch the ball. Sounds silly but true. & another that took me a while, especially tough against players that hit W good pace (4.5+)... is, get that racquet back soon enough.
Hey Ian! Great video! For the third mistake, while playing with a loose grip, the impact causes the racquet to get imbalanced, what wrong am I doing & how to correct? Thanks a lot.
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Hey thanks!! So, if it's a mis-hit, it's because of improper contact point on the strings and not because of a loose relaxed grip, never thought of it, always tried to squeeze harder just before contact. You're amazing!! Thanks.
A very good video...thank you. I was just curious why Ian and Kirby have unidentifiable racquets painted black, while Ira is clearly playing with a Babolat frame?
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players I need the most work on the mis-hitting, 100 percent! I find it hard to keep my eye on the ball and make sure I'm getting the ball in the middle of the frame!
First, I was watching almost every swimming video for tips. Now I'm learning tennis with my non dominant hand. Always on the prowl for clips worthy of repeat viewing, I found this! Thanks!
Pretending to be on court when you see tennis on TV is like me when I see a game and am really looking at a player hitting a hard ball I automaticaly react with my shoulder turn. That happens a lot. After 2 months Im already hiting strong but consistency is an issue cause I can only sustain 6 to 10 balls at max pace. However I think I have some fundamentals that come from other sports like soccer and american football.. My footwork is great at least.
The way you say it and point at the camera it's not even worth to argue you you hahaha...I stopped the video at 0:12 hahaha...you made me feel guilty lol
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Yeah well done you scared the s....t out of me...I was at the office finishing my work and then boom you almost smashed the camera hahaha
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players no seriously...I mean at my level of playing is just about taking the ball wai in front...the more I do this the less I misshit
Contact point definitely helps a lot (hit cleanly), but there will always be off center hits, no matter how good your technique is. The key is not hitting the same spot over and over again, which is what most players do!
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players perfectly agree you you...so winter tournaments are coming and I'll see how many balls I'll be miss hitting...maby I'll be sending you a video with a match out here in France..😉
Man I've been watching this channel non stop for 4 days now and can't help but think Ian looks like Dani Olmo And I got the Bundesliga title with Leipzig in FM20 so that alone's a reason for me to sub apart from the top notch quality of the videos in this channel
from mistake number 1 and 3 i developed pain in my inner elbow and hand palm...so that after playing tennis the enxt day my fist is weak, and i have no strength in my fist
The 3rd mistake is interesting. I believe that the tension at impact is probably necessary, but it doesn't need to be consciously practiced. It's likely an automatic response to the collision. You just don't want to over squeeze it and then likely mishit the ball due to the tension.
im going into hs next year i got second place in district as a number 1 seeded doubles team and i cant wait for this upcomingg season and im trying to improve for next year as i will play singles and i really wanna get the gold and fix my backhand and other mistakes i make like stepping into the hit
Top 3 mistakes I see from beginners and intermediates: 1) Copying the stroke of their favorite pro, imposing an idiosyncratic motion onto their body. 2) Looking for magical shortcuts in the perfect combo of shoes, string, racket, tension, and youtube videos instead of going out and hitting as many balls as possible. 3) Making being a tennis player a part of their identity, being too egotistical, not getting better by playing lots of matches and allowing yourself to lose.
Basic stuff about off center hitting.... the bouncing exercise is learned as a child as a game to improve coordination anyway.... staying on toes more important than split step because mentally a split step fools the body into expecting all balls come at you the same way .. harder to push off left or right from a split step because your already trying to set your feet and body weight in a certain way... I prefer to stay light like a boxer and anticipate from the opponents strike on the ball...
The 3 segments I really appreciate everything you do , your teaching , the manner and content the filming all are perfect , tennis is an intelligent sport art . you make things look so easy like Albert Einstein when he talks about quantum physics that s BIG , I hope we will meet one day
I want to start but theirs no court near me and I have none of the stuff. (Which I think I can afford). I mainly like playing sports for fun. I'm 13, is it bad I want to try tennis because of an anime?
I had a great tennis couch growing up, it seems... I instinctually do a half step all the time and wore myself out so fast in a tennis lesson, I was the only one doing the half step all the time; loose arm hits are what I do to warm up and ensure my form and grip are good and I know where I am miss hitting on feel, just instintually, kinda confused what that first exercise was? See better? Larry Duque is the man, Nor Cal lost a "legend" ;)
You did not mentioned the biggest mistake of them all: playing while standing right on the baseline or worse, hitting and going 1-2 feet INSIDE the court. Easiest way to loose a point. I just have to hit a normal long ball and no way in heaven you can hit half volleys from the back line like Federer does, or Kerber. 1. Actually that's an effect to an earlier mistake: wrong position to the ball, misjudging the bounce, etc. As a result you are hitting it wrong. I know the moment I hit it, sometimes even before that, that I will launch a "dud". Based on the feel and sound I can also say with which part of the string bed or even frame I hit it. To counteract: play without racquet. Throw balls at each other, leave them to bounce once and try to catch them at your hip level after that bounce. It will show you where to move and when, for the best contact with the ball. 2. Not everyone can do the split step. I can't do it, tried everything. But, I've played basketball before and I can start moving pretty quickly when I have to. A lot of time my opponents think the have the point, but I am still able to reach the ball in the last moment and hit a winner. You can play pretty good tennis even without hopping around like a bunny. 3. Yeap, doing it almost all the time when playing for points. I have a full swing, a fast one too. But because usually the opponent plays "just bounce the ball back" tennis, with almost no power and fence high, you need perfect placement to be able to fully swing on something like that and still make the court. So, what I usually end up doing, is shorting or braking my swing, I execute incomplete ones, thus I loose precision or power. Huge amounts of errors, etc. And from there is just a downwards spiral.
i think ntrp 3,5 and the last part a with more relaxed arm was my bigest mistake for my forehand .I manage to be relaxed by using a scale from 1-10 in which i propose to keep my wrist when i hit on 2 and it was a improvement from my old forehand and u right when ball came with speed u have the instinct to tight the grip,now with this change i just made 3 weeks ago, i hope to get to 4 finally.
Definitely not the best way to execute it, Dustin. Ideally you want your stance to be completely lateral to where the ball is. In other words, your stance should face where the ball is being hit from. If one foot is in front of the other then you aren't equally prepared to move in either direction. Does that make sense? -Ian
Number one mistake is hitting the ball out. Number two is hitting the ball into the net. Number three is not hitting an Ace/Winner on every serve or a winner/ forcing and error on every return. The sure way to win is to always hit the ball in.
Logan Baxter count till 2 on contact before you start to move , you will have more information on THE comming ball and feel more confident ( have fun with iT )
That's tricky, especially if you have a really big serve. Not much time to react, and if you didn't catch your balance very well landing on the serve even tougher! Are you working on it?
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Always working on something. But yeah, big serve leads to a lot of floater returns that i tend to just wait for instead of meeting the ball.
Grab your FREE Action Plan here so you can follow a proven step by step path to improvement the very next time you step onto the court: www.tennisactionplan.com/
An even bigger mistake--Telling people to go and practice shots without telling them how to do it, i.e., TECHNIQUE. He's just encouraging people to practice and re-practice bad habits. Geez did he actually suggest at 3:05 that a "6th sense" is what is going to help you not mishit shots?!! That's really concrete, Ian. And people wonder why American tennis is in the crapper...Could have something to do with this kind of vague, opinionated coaching, not based on the physics of the swing, the geometry of the court, or anything else factual. Highly ironic that his business is titled "Essential" tennis.
Hi guys. Thanks for the video. Could I ask what is the black racquet Ian is holding? That looks sleek! Cheers.
I split
starting varsity tennis in two weeks at my high school, can’t wait 🎾
Awesome, congrats, Linda! Hope these videos are helpful.
How did it goo
My dad was a varsity player
@@ironspade4189 depending on where she lives, probably not good because of Covid and shut down of schools
I hoped you used a racquet with strings
A Fourth common mistake: Too Much Focus on Your Opponent. . . so much so that you miss hitting a good, solid shot.
Definitely a big one!
Do this all the time... can't stop having my eyes on the other side and not on the ball :(
What if they’re really good looking
Kirby is cold blooded...calling out her high school doubles partner...#notlettinggo
I know! I asked if she was sure she wanted to do that during the shoot, haha. -Ian
Lol yeah I'm ruthless...I don't care so much though because she was so awful to me. We won everything that year - including State where I got a freak injury and she yelled at me for it! We never spoke again. lol -Kirby
Kirby is a straight savage from the streets 😂
nah dude, She is giving it to you straight. That was just honest criticism, not ball busting.
@@EssentialTennis That's why I don't play doubles. Because I don't want an inferior player messing me up. I stick to singles where I have complete control
I think the split step one is the most underlooked. As a competitive junior player, this problem is something many coaches haven't seen me do. Lately my recent coach has seen it and I'm starting to do it now.
Good for you, Philipp!
Tip 1. Excellent observations on the effect on the racket on the point of contact. Tip 2. Very good practical advice to split step even watching a tennis rally, so no excuse not to practice indoors. Tip 3. Excellent advice to be aware of tension in the tennis stroke, because if you are tense you limit the full action/path of the shot.... Very good tips shown in a unique way and very well presented by all of you.
I just want to say that I’ve been away of tennis for the last few months (I know it’s super sad).
But, now that I've came back I realised how much your style of video has changed and I love it!
So happy to see how the channel and the ET fam has grown over the time!
Keep it up guys 🙂
Thanks so much for the encouragement, Luis! I've passed your comments on to our production staff. Happy to hear you're back on the court! Anything we can help you with?
Joke's on you, I make none of these mistakes! I don't play tennis!
You win, Max.
Good for you
Joke’s on you, that’s your first mistake!
Your only mistake was watching this when you don't play tennis cuz u wasted 9 minutes of your life lol
@@jasonma8889 true lol😂😂😂😂 like what's the point of watching this
That is a great way to practice timing the split steps. Thank you Ian and Kirby for demonstrating it for us to see and feel how much effort is involved in doing it correctly. How many minutes per session would you recommend for someone who hasn't done it before? It could be exhausting to do it as many times as the pros do it. Also, when would you incorporate swinging the racket into the sequence as that would be the next part to making the split step useful.
You're very welcome, Jocelyn! Honestly, just 5 or 10 minutes here and there would be great for the split step exercise. Two or three times per week would definitely go a long way towards making it a habit for you. No, I don't think swinging is necessary at all. Focus narrowly on the timing, and just doing it in general. Those two things are most important to start! Does that make sense? -Ian
What's the make of that black tennis racket? I like the black matte finish and it looks light!
DD Tresor i’m not sure, but i kinda looks like one of the custom painted matte wilson rackets
it was crafted by an african
DD Tresor v core 98 yonex black paint job though I don’t think it was widely released when u commented though if u still don’t know that’s what it is
Wilson something part of the 2018 with the blade and burn
Ironically, I suffer from a disease called Split stepping like a demented kangarootis. Any tips on how to fix that?
lol....not sure I'm familiar with that one, Theodor. Are you saying you jump super high?
:)) Yes, I usually jump rather high during a rally.
Have you seen it on video? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an amateur player completely overdo the split step....its possible that it feels really exaggerated to you but it isn't at all.
Theodor Dinu just bend your knees on THE moment THE other makes contact, you dont have to jump, works perfect for people like you
Once I focused more on contact in my practice and warmup over the past few months its both a positive (awareness, improved game) and a negative (because I notice it more). If I recommended one overarching tip to any level player it would be more time spent on easy warmup or contact-based drills/hitting to improve ball striking at the most simple level.
Agree 100% RE slow, easy, warm up, Chad. Everybody is in such a rush to get to full speed, there's zero comfort being slow and aware. Why do you say that it's a negative noticing off center hits more? -Ian
My 'negative' comment on off-center hits is more related to the 'ignorance is bliss' feeling. When you don't know what is happening or why, you can shrug it off as variance and move on to the next point from a ball-striking perspective. Being aware of such things, however, brings a whole new focus to between points, shots, and in-match to continually refocus on ball-striking and the basics of each stroke.
I am fortunate to typically get a 30-to-60 minute ball machine session even before matches. That has become my routine for a warmup. I can go slow and focus from rebound-only slow volley work in the alley to my serve progressions and traditional volleys and groundstrokes and my pace. It is a different world when stepping on the match court and knowing you are already warmed up, not relying on the player across from you for a proper warmup (which can be difficult at all but the highest levels of rec tennis). When I do not get my private warmup/practice session before a match, I have to remind myself to still go slow through the cooperative warmup as it is so easy to gloss over ball-striking and clean contact for bigger swings, etc.
Ahhh, totally know what you mean. Yup, most players rush through just about everything, very little awareness or knowledge of what they're doing or why. Really proud of your work on your game, Chad!
I’m playing tennis for my school and ah it’s my fourth day playing and this video clarified a lot of things for me, thank you !
You play for your school and you’ve only been playing for four days!?
Same for me I came to tryouts with jeans and no experience whatsoever
@@andrewpark6602 how's it going? Or been👀
@@kim-sj5ol I'm in the hospital conceiving my 2nd child...wish me luck
@@andrewpark6602 oh really interesting God bless you love ❤️🙏 did you play tho
Wow. The logic behind that third, drill without the strings, is brilliant. Makes you really take your mind off the little things and forces you to concentrate on flowing through the stroke. 👍🏼👍🏼
PLEASE CONTINUE DOING THIS FOREVERR 💞💛
0:53 lol at Kirby doing the ball bouncing thing too XD
Haha, I didn't even notice that. Practice makes perfect ;-) -Ian
You can’t always fix mishitting. No matter what you do you can’t stop mishitting and you shouldn’t really be doing drills to stop mishitting, you should just be playing until it reduces
Angelo Dillon Demosthenous
He meant drills so you know which shots a misshits.
@@dimitarlalov5675 You're right. I think he was trying to get newbies to do that drill so they focus on what he means by a good hit vs a mis-hit.
You can sometimes fix mishitting like if your strings are facing more on an angle
You can change that
Timing certainly plays a role in mishitting, but working on a shorter back swing and improving your footwork can help reduce mishits
I got the same opinion
This was super helpful! LOVED the split step activity and I found it super helpful to do it with you as it showed me the exact timing! Thanks!
Great reminders and instructions of these 3 tips, thanks.
As for the first tip on the mishit The only thing I would add is there could be other things in the player's stroke which is causing the mis-hit. For example if the tennis player constantly pulls his head and doesn't try to watch the racket hit the ball, there may be a mis-hit. The racket follows your body so if you pull off the ball early you may have a mis-hit. Another way you may have mis-hits if you are keeping your wrist fixed through the shot. Some players flick their wrist as they hit the ball causing a mis-hit as opposed to hitting the ball with their wrist laid back and then letting then wrist rest after the ball is already hit.
Focus on the ball is critical.....but Federer and every other pro shanks the ball as well! We can't ever be perfect with that element, which is why, for me, learning when and where misshits happen is super critical for amateur players. Most have zero idea about either, so they keep making the same mistake over and over. Appreciate your comments, Mike!
Hi Guys, 3 great points. Would like you to see you explain how to avoid hitting off centre as well as being aware when it's happening. Great vids. Many thanks.
Steve.
I have all of that mistakes.. i'm just beginner.. but i will fix it.. tks for the advice..
I have always split stepped in Tennis. Competitive Squash really changed it for me and I quickly found out it's just as useful in tennis. Doesn't it help your reaction speed at which you move because your feet are off the ground
I love the drill with a racquet and no strings! I will try this to help me not grip so tight - thanks, love these videos!
that's a great tip on tension. Racquet with no strings really makes the point. Thanks all 3 for another great video.
Great video, On the jump step, it should be done before your opponent makes contact with the ball so that you can read and react.
I see the way you grip the racquet vs your wrist, which was straight. My question is, is it OK to twist your wrist when doing ground stroke forehand and backhands? My grip would be semi western for forehand and inverse western for a one handed backhand, and I twist my wrist. Thanks.
Thanks for the informative video! Just started my first practice at tennis for school. I hope to be able to learn a lot and improve for next semester Texas UIL. I can already tell it’s gonna be fun.
Same dude
Good luck to both of you! Work hard!
About the split step. I may be nitpicking but here goes. Kirby says you should split step at your opponent's point of contact. But should you "jump" at point of contact, be in "mid air" at point of contact, or "land" at point of contact?
Not "nitpicking" at all! Here's an old video where I talk about precise timing of the split step, which is absolutely a critical part of it: th-cam.com/video/jtWMP75377k/w-d-xo.html Is that helpful?
It is helpful. Looks like the pros are a lot more precise at this than I will ever be, but it's clear now. Such a quick response too :D tnx!
Honestly, I almost never teach the "real way" that the pros split step. It requires incredible timing, awareness, and quick identification of where the ball is headed....all at once. Overwhelm for most amateur players. For the "simple" split step you want to touch down on the balls of your feet just as contact is being made. Thanks for watching :-)
Pure info no bullshit . Appreciated ❤️
I’m so bad at tennis haha. I am playing it for 5 years now and I’m still bad and I don’t have strength ;(
Hope our videos help!
5 years? Your strengths are patience, determination, experience and grit to keep playing then ;). With that comes improvement.
Same here but 3 years and sad but I won’t give up
ooo I make #1 all the time during matches and I just kinda wipe the sweat from my grip and hold it tighter lol
Thanks so much this video was very helpful!!
I have to much tension because I always hit the ball over the fence or to hard
Kirby love the blacked out tennis racket, make and model please!!
watching the ball till contact, with steady head. Even Stefan Edberg, when interviewed about #1 most important tip for playing at the net was: watch the ball. Sounds silly but true.
& another that took me a while, especially tough against players that hit W good pace (4.5+)... is, get that racquet back soon enough.
Hey Ian! Great video!
For the third mistake, while playing with a loose grip, the impact causes the racquet to get imbalanced, what wrong am I doing & how to correct?
Thanks a lot.
Yes, you are correct, Virendra! Here's a video that answers your question: th-cam.com/video/BbsLMOsyhbM/w-d-xo.html
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players
Hey thanks!!
So, if it's a mis-hit, it's because of improper contact point on the strings and not because of a loose relaxed grip, never thought of it, always tried to squeeze harder just before contact.
You're amazing!! Thanks.
Great video guys! You didn't scare me at all like others have said, great tips for all players!
A very good video...thank you. I was just curious why Ian and Kirby have unidentifiable racquets painted black, while Ira is clearly playing with a Babolat frame?
Such a perfect video. You guys are great at explaining things easy enough for beginners to understand. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the kind words! Which of these three things do you need to work on the most? -Ian
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players I need the most work on the mis-hitting, 100 percent! I find it hard to keep my eye on the ball and make sure I'm getting the ball in the middle of the frame!
Super important. Here's another video that will help: th-cam.com/video/5xCuXCz76n4/w-d-xo.html
First, I was watching almost every swimming video for tips. Now I'm learning tennis with my non dominant hand. Always on the prowl for clips worthy of repeat viewing, I found this! Thanks!
You're very welcome, Jeffrey!
what raquets are you guys using the black out ones
Where were you guys seeded on your high school teams?
All three tips are great. Thanks for video.
so so so so helpful. thank you guys
Thank you sm u don’t know how much that helped I might do 1 and 3 definitely I apply too much power and ummm I also occasionally hit on the corner
Ian, HI! Is that Fischer Pro No one in your hands? Do you still love the stick? Me too))
Nope, but I've hit with Fischer frames before and have really liked them. Super solid. -Ian
a couple of ways to reduce mishits is to practice with shorter back swings, making our swings more compact and improving our footwork.
Pretending to be on court when you see tennis on TV is like me when I see a game and am really looking at a player hitting a hard ball I automaticaly react with my shoulder turn. That happens a lot. After 2 months Im already hiting strong but consistency is an issue cause I can only sustain 6 to 10 balls at max pace. However I think I have some fundamentals that come from other sports like soccer and american football.. My footwork is great at least.
The way you say it and point at the camera it's not even worth to argue you you hahaha...I stopped the video at 0:12 hahaha...you made me feel guilty lol
Lol, sorry!!! Just trying to motivate everybody into action 😉
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Yeah well done you scared the s....t out of me...I was at the office finishing my work and then boom you almost smashed the camera hahaha
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players no seriously...I mean at my level of playing is just about taking the ball wai in front...the more I do this the less I misshit
Contact point definitely helps a lot (hit cleanly), but there will always be off center hits, no matter how good your technique is. The key is not hitting the same spot over and over again, which is what most players do!
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players perfectly agree you you...so winter tournaments are coming and I'll see how many balls I'll be miss hitting...maby I'll be sending you a video with a match out here in France..😉
What’s that Matt black racket you’re using?
Man I've been watching this channel non stop for 4 days now and can't help but think Ian looks like Dani Olmo
And I got the Bundesliga title with Leipzig in FM20 so that alone's a reason for me to sub apart from the top notch quality of the videos in this channel
What racket is the one you guys are using?
I like this New video format/thumbnail thing, it looks really cool.
Appreciate that very much, Momo! We're working hard to continue improving for you.
great advise, thanks! :)
from mistake number 1 and 3 i developed pain in my inner elbow and hand palm...so that after playing tennis the enxt day my fist is weak, and i have no strength in my fist
Oh no! Here's a video series to help you with that pain: th-cam.com/video/CLX2CzKXjCI/w-d-xo.html Do those exercises and you'll feel better!
The 3rd mistake is interesting. I believe that the tension at impact is probably necessary, but it doesn't need to be consciously practiced. It's likely an automatic response to the collision. You just don't want to over squeeze it and then likely mishit the ball due to the tension.
I have a good coach so the only one of these I do wrong is miss hitting still working on that
great video guys. keep it up ;)
where is your racquet from?
How about doing one on forehand stroke for high/low ball.
Do u have some exercises by which I can increase strength and power in my shots? ??
Here's a good one, KG: th-cam.com/video/OV9boPlrlB4/w-d-xo.html
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players thanks a lot ! :) it's a huge help
You bet!
How practical we always get right postion and right time and right place to hit at center of rocket.
im going into hs next year i got second place in district as a number 1 seeded doubles team and i cant wait for this upcomingg season and im trying to improve for next year as i will play singles and i really wanna get the gold and fix my backhand and other mistakes i make like stepping into the hit
not stepping *
Good luck in the upcoming season, Lavar!
Top 3 mistakes I see from beginners and intermediates: 1) Copying the stroke of their favorite pro, imposing an idiosyncratic motion onto their body. 2) Looking for magical shortcuts in the perfect combo of shoes, string, racket, tension, and youtube videos instead of going out and hitting as many balls as possible. 3) Making being a tennis player a part of their identity, being too egotistical, not getting better by playing lots of matches and allowing yourself to lose.
Basic stuff about off center hitting.... the bouncing exercise is learned as a child as a game to improve coordination anyway.... staying on toes more important than split step because mentally a split step fools the body into expecting all balls come at you the same way .. harder to push off left or right from a split step because your already trying to set your feet and body weight in a certain way... I prefer to stay light like a boxer and anticipate from the opponents strike on the ball...
Can you do a video on how to hit a perfect slice serve rising into your opponent
Great question, Milo. We'll add it to our list!
very helpful thank you
You're very welcome!
3 great tips from 3 great tennis masters thank you .
Appreciate that very much, Pierre! Which of the three segments was most helpful to you?
The 3 segments I really appreciate everything you do , your teaching , the manner and content the filming all are perfect , tennis is an intelligent sport art . you make things look so easy like Albert Einstein when he talks about quantum physics that s BIG , I hope we will meet one day
I hope so, too, Pierre! Where do you live?
Omggggg I thought I didnt squeeze hard enough.... Sub for sure thank you
great video thank u
You're very welcome, Ahmad!
Someone please ID Ian's racquet. Also, I miss Andy Murray.
Is it possible to do the third exercise (the no strings) throwing my self the ball ?
Absolutely, Matteo! Not exactly the same experience, but still extremely beneficial. Have you had a chance to try it out yet? -Ian
I want to start but theirs no court near me and I have none of the stuff. (Which I think I can afford). I mainly like playing sports for fun. I'm 13, is it bad I want to try tennis because of an anime?
Where is this acedmy
8:14 - less is more
Absolutely!
A video on improving in tennis please
Here's 1,335: th-cam.com/users/essentialtennis 😃😃
I had a great tennis couch growing up, it seems... I instinctually do a half step all the time and wore myself out so fast in a tennis lesson, I was the only one doing the half step all the time; loose arm hits are what I do to warm up and ensure my form and grip are good and I know where I am miss hitting on feel, just instintually, kinda confused what that first exercise was? See better? Larry Duque is the man, Nor Cal lost a "legend" ;)
You did not mentioned the biggest mistake of them all: playing while standing right on the baseline or worse, hitting and going 1-2 feet INSIDE the court. Easiest way to loose a point. I just have to hit a normal long ball and no way in heaven you can hit half volleys from the back line like Federer does, or Kerber.
1. Actually that's an effect to an earlier mistake: wrong position to the ball, misjudging the bounce, etc. As a result you are hitting it wrong. I know the moment I hit it, sometimes even before that, that I will launch a "dud". Based on the feel and sound I can also say with which part of the string bed or even frame I hit it.
To counteract: play without racquet. Throw balls at each other, leave them to bounce once and try to catch them at your hip level after that bounce. It will show you where to move and when, for the best contact with the ball.
2. Not everyone can do the split step. I can't do it, tried everything. But, I've played basketball before and I can start moving pretty quickly when I have to. A lot of time my opponents think the have the point, but I am still able to reach the ball in the last moment and hit a winner. You can play pretty good tennis even without hopping around like a bunny.
3. Yeap, doing it almost all the time when playing for points. I have a full swing, a fast one too. But because usually the opponent plays "just bounce the ball back" tennis, with almost no power and fence high, you need perfect placement to be able to fully swing on something like that and still make the court. So, what I usually end up doing, is shorting or braking my swing, I execute incomplete ones, thus I loose precision or power. Huge amounts of errors, etc. And from there is just a downwards spiral.
Gold quality!!!
Appreciate that, agradina! What level player are you? -Ian
i think ntrp 3,5 and the last part a with more relaxed arm was my bigest mistake for my forehand .I manage to be relaxed by using a scale from 1-10 in which i propose to keep my wrist when i hit on 2 and it was a improvement from my old forehand and u right when ball came with speed u have the instinct to tight the grip,now with this change i just made 3 weeks ago, i hope to get to 4 finally.
what are those blacked out rackets, great vid though
When the racquet twists in my hand which is often it's always because my hands are sweaty! Certainly not my poor technique!
I often have a split step, but also have one foot forward and one back. Is that incorrect?
Definitely not the best way to execute it, Dustin. Ideally you want your stance to be completely lateral to where the ball is. In other words, your stance should face where the ball is being hit from. If one foot is in front of the other then you aren't equally prepared to move in either direction. Does that make sense? -Ian
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Yes, that makes sense. Thanks.
I love that girls smile. She makes me feel good :)
I’m two years late, but I have my first hight school tennis tryouts in 14 hours!
Hey is this mirrored or are you left handed?
I never thought I’d get tennis coaching from ZerkaaHD
Crispy M I thought I was the only one that thought it was josh haha
Number one mistake is hitting the ball out. Number two is hitting the ball into the net. Number three is not hitting an Ace/Winner on every serve or a winner/ forcing and error on every return. The sure way to win is to always hit the ball in.
Is it just me, or are Ian and Kirby left handed in some videos and right handed in some? Good tips though! 😀👍
I always splitstep
Have you seen yourself play on video, Snoopy? -Ian
I usually video my serves, but occasionally I look at my point play. Split stepping was drilled into me from a young age.
I also always do splitsteps
I never splitstep
i dont play tennis how can i make a mistake?
Biggest mistake of your life: NOT PLAYING TENNIS!!
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players
Hahahahahaha😂😂😂
I like the video 😃
sucks about hitting the ball late, especially balls thats deep thanxs
Yup, those are tough, Marko!
What's wrong with being Andy Murray Ian? 😄
Nothing!! 😬😬
3:24 ...and Benoit Paire ;)
cute assistant in the back
"We're playing." "No we're not." "I'm winning." "No you're not." Hehe.
Kirby ! Kirby ! I’m wait for you in Sicily....
Why was Ian way too early on every split step? :)
My biggest problem is turning my shoulders too quickly on the forehand, resulting in a shank :/
Do you mean rotating forward towards contact too soon? Or rotating back to prepare to quickly? -Ian
rotating forwards towards contact too soon!
Interesting, not many amateur players pull forward too early, its usually the opposite. Keep up the good work on your game!
Logan Baxter count till 2 on contact before you start to move , you will have more information on THE comming ball and feel more confident ( have fun with iT )
My problem is not split stepping right after i serve.
That's tricky, especially if you have a really big serve. Not much time to react, and if you didn't catch your balance very well landing on the serve even tougher! Are you working on it?
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players
Always working on something. But yeah, big serve leads to a lot of floater returns that i tend to just wait for instead of meeting the ball.
Totally know what you're talking about. Here's a video to help on those shots: th-cam.com/video/B5KjzDwtckc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!
You bet :-)