Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Playing good tennis isn't just about swinging the racquet.
So many different things have to be dialed in to perform our best:
-Hydration
-Nutrition
-Conditioning/Fitness
-Flexibility/Mobility
-Strategic Plan
-Mental State
-Gear/Equipment
-Timing/Rhythm
-Balance and Stability
If you're anything like me it's pretty easy to look at that list, throw your hands up in the air and say "What's the point? I can't possibly do a great job of all that at once!".
Good news. It's not really up to your will power.
Each and every day most of what you do is on auto-pilot.
In fact, 95% of human behavior is controlled by the unconscious mind.
So, instead of trying to do everything perfect by breaking all your bad habits and patterns at once, just pick ONE little thing to do slightly better today.
Here's some super practical ideas:
-Drink a bottle of water in the afternoon instead of a soda.
-Take the stairs once instead of the elevator.
-Stretch for 15 minutes while watching TV this evening instead of sitting on the couch.
-Listen to a tennis podcast on the way back from work instead of zoning out in traffic.
-Make a more healthy selection about where to eat lunch.
-Walk around the block after getting home from work.
The options are pretty endless.
Every day we make a thousand little decisions, mostly on auto-pilot, that end up affecting the trajectory of our health, state, and overall well being.
Those decisions trickle down and impact what we're able to do (or not able to do) on the court.
Instead of getting overwhelmed by the idea of "fixing" everything at once, just pick ONE positive adjustment to your routine and commit to it.
You'll feel better, have a sense of accomplishment, and maybe, just maybe, it will be the first of many dominoes to fall in a good direction.
So what's it going to be?
Shoot me a reply and let me know!
Even the smallest of steps can have a profound impact long term so please don't fall for the trap of thinking some big, hairy, audacious change needs to happen in your life to move the needle.
Hope this message inspires you to take action.
I'm proud of you and all your hard work on your game!
Yours Truly,
-Ian
49 - 3
The top LIE in tennis is one we tell ourselves...
It doesn't matter how long you've been playing, what level you've risen to or how high your tennis IQ is; you're probably living this lie on the court right now.
In fact, the more you learn the easier it is to fall for it.
(Check "the curse of knowledge" in psychology)
Yesterday I spent the day with a student who was utterly shocked when I revealed this blindspot.
They have been playing tennis for decades and have a deep level of experience competing on many different surfaces across many different age groups.
In fact, a big goal this student has for 2025 is to play national tournaments in the 70's age group.
After spending a few hours on swing technique we shifted gears to focus on singles strategy and tactics.
"I'm looking for the best ways to improve my competitive results right away", they told me.
So we played a few service games together while I recorded the action, then reviewed the tape and set up the big video analysis display to show my student what I saw.
Before I revealed the ways my student could improve I asked them to explain a few core principles about targets and positioning:
"Let's say you're here.....and you hit the ball there....where should you go next to be most ready?"
I tested their knowledge on the baseline and at the net and unsurprisingly they had all the right answers. They immediately pointed out exactly where to stand and why. The years of lessons and watching YouTube videos had paid off!
Or so they thought...
I pulled up several examples taken from the points we had just played where my student was doing exactly the OPPOSITE of what they thought they were.
I'm not talking about being off the mark by a bit or not quite having the foot speed to cover the right amount of court...
I mean LITERALLY going left when they should have been going right and leaving huge gaps of open court available for me to hit to as a result.
And it wasn't just an isolated shot. Scrolling through our points example after example came up of my student doing the opposite of what they had just explained they should be doing.
They couldn't believe it.
All these years of learning, practicing and competing and they were breaking some of the most basic, fundamental principles of being a good tennis player.
How is that possible?
This is the lie we tell ourselves: If we know and understand the right thing to do on the court then we must also DO it.
It's false.
It's false for technique. It's false for strategy.
What we know we should do and what we actually do are often exactly the opposite. Even after decades of training and competition.
How can we avoid this pitfall?
There's only two ways:
1. Get feedback from a third party that's clear and accurate enough for us to internalize it, take it to heart, and then take action to change our habits. That's what lessons are, right? Unfortunately we're frequently resistant to hearing the truth and not all communicators can deliver the message we need to hear, the way we need to hear it.
2. Use video and see for yourself. The downside here is the intimidation of new technology, fear of seeing things you won't like, and adding additional steps to your training session or matches.
One way or another it's critical you find a way around this issue. Otherwise continued improvement is next to impossible as the gap between what we know and what we do widens over time.
It's a tough nut to crack but I'll keep doing everything I can to provide you with resources and encouragement that moves you in the right direction.
Hopefully this message did exactly that.
Thanks for reading and have a fantastic day.
Yours Truly,
-Ian
102 - 17
The first time I saw this student's original serve motion (the first one, outdoors) I honestly wasn't quite sure what to say or where to start.
There's just so much out of sync and out of rhythm. Over the last 20 years I've seen a LOT of "creative" service motions but this one might take the cake.
There's a huge pause at the bottom of her racquet drop killing momentum and acceleration, a classic "YMCA" position for a trophy pose, and a double bounce with her legs that isn't timed with the upper body at all.
Of course, there's more, but those are the big, hairy pieces.
Now for the GOOD news: this student was highly motivated, completely open to direction, and fed up with the results her old serve was bringing her.
We went to work learning completely new positions, timing and toss location and a couple weeks of hard work later I'm super proud to say her serve is completely unrecognizable from what it was before (the second one, indoors).
Now there's flow and rhythm to her racquet, it's not longer starting, stopping, and bouncing around.
Her whole body is working together to generate speed and momentum instead of fighting against itself in rough, jerky movements.
She's even using the new serve in real matches already!
Of course, there's more work to do, but she now has a dramatically more sound foundation to build on top of for years to come.
The most incredible part:Â this transformation was achieved from 4,000 miles away.
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (just north of Chicago) while she resides near London. Even better, during our 8 weeks of remote training together, she was jet setting around the world to multiple destinations, but she always traveled with her racquet to do the simple training drills I prescribed wherever she could.
She often wasn't even practicing on a tennis court. Instead, she executed her Action Plan in hotel rooms, back yards, and wherever else she had 10-15 minutes of time.
Want to make a serve breakthrough like this, no matter how big your serve flaws are or where you live?
For the first time ever, I'm offering a Personal Serve Workshop to guide a small group of passionate players through the process of unlocking their true serve potential.
Here's what's included:
-Eight weeks of personal, remote guidance so all your unique serve flaws can be overcome.
-A personal Action Plan to follow at home, the exact drills and progressions you need to permanently change your bad habits.
-Daily feedback from me, personally, in a private community (NOT Facebook or other social media) so you can be sure you're on track to reach your goals.
-Weekly, personal, video feedback to review your progress and update your Action Plan so you can make breakthroughs as fast as possible.
-Support and inspiration from a small group of passionate peers inside the private community.
-NO COURSES TO WATCHÂ - This is all about personal, direct feedback and serve transformation. Â
It doesn't matter where you live, what level you are, or how flawed your service motion is, I can help you completely transform it into the consistent, confident, powerful weapon you've always dreamed of.
Now the bad news: this 8 weeks of remote coaching is only available for a small group of truly motivated, passionate players because I want to be certain everyone can get the personal time and attention they need.
That's why, if you're interested in this coaching, the first step is filling out an application so I can get to know you and your goals to see if you're a good fit for the small group.
If you're interested, please leave a comment below and I'll link you right to the application form.
If your serve has been a frustration in your game then this is the opportunity you've been waiting for to turn things around and master the serve of your dreams.
Yours Truly,
-Ian
28 - 13
So much is riding on this decision. Don't drop the ball.
51 - 2
Uncover the secrets of Carlos' incredible power and spin creation in this special lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aPwb...
12 - 4
You've heard it a million times: âHit the ball further out in front.â
Itâs practically a mantra in tennis circles, especially when it comes to forehand technique. Coaches and players alike have hammered this idea home for decades. And donât get me wrongâwhere you make contact with the ball is important. But hereâs something that might surprise you:
Focusing on the contact point is not the real fix.
I see it all the time with players of every level. They struggle to hit the ball strongly and end up overcompensating arming the ball, making their swings feel tight, forced, and inconsistent. Maybe youâve experienced this yourself: making contact too late, which leads to muscling the ball just to get it over the net.
But hereâs the kickerâtrying to fix the contact point by focusing on just the hand, arm, or racquet position wonât solve the problem. Itâs a symptom, not the root cause.
Let me explain whatâs really going on...
A few days ago, I was working with a student who was experiencing exactly this problem. Her forehand contact was late, she was fighting her own body to get through the ball, and her shots lacked both power and consistency.
You can see what her original forehand looked like in the "BEFORE" image.
Typical advice would have been: âJust make contact earlier! Get the ball further out in front!â But we didnât do that. Why? Because the contact point wasnât the core issue. The real problem was what was happening before the contact even occurredâher body positioning and rotation were all out of sync.
Her shoulders were still facing sideways when she made contact, and her hips were lagging behind, which meant her arm was doing all the heavy lifting. When youâre not rotating your body properly, your arm and racquet simply can't get into the right position to meet the ball out in front, no matter how hard you try.
Think about it: your arm, hand, and racquet are just the end of the chain. Theyâre connected to your shoulders, your hips, and ultimately, your core. When those big parts arenât moving efficiently, your contact point suffers. Thatâs why focusing on just the hand or racquet canât fix the issue. You have to get the whole body working together.
During our session, I focused exclusively on helping my student with her body rotation, not her contact point. We worked on getting her shoulders and hips to turn sooner, to be more connected during the swing. This was the real solution to her problem.
Within about 45 minutes, everything started to change (see the "AFTER" image)
She stopped muscling the ball, and instead of reaching for contact, her body naturally rotated into a strong, athletic position where the racquet met the ball out in front. Her shots became effortlessâstrong, smooth, and balanced. And guess what? We never once talked about "hitting the ball further out in front." It happened naturally because we addressed the root cause.
With better timing in her rotation, she was able to meet the ball naturally out in front without forcing it. Her whole body was working together, and the difference in power, consistency, and smoothness was dramatic. Shots that once felt like a struggle became second nature. And hereâs the best partâshe wasnât even thinking about her contact point.
Why does this matter to YOU?
I want you to take a moment to reflect on your own game. Have you ever felt like youâre trying to muscle your forehand? Do you find yourself thinking, âWhy canât I hit the ball further out in front?â If so, then hereâs the simple truth:
Itâs probably not your contact point thatâs the issueâitâs your bodyâs rotation.
If your hips and shoulders arenât rotating properly, if theyâre lagging behind in the swing, your arm will always be left playing catch-up. Thatâs why you feel tight and inconsistent, why it feels like youâre fighting your own body to get the racquet in the right place. The solution isnât to focus on the hand or arm, but to make sure the whole body is working together.
When your body moves in the right order, you set yourself up for effortless power. Instead of overworking your arm, your whole body works as one, creating natural power without needing to muscle the ball.
Next time youâre on the court, donât focus on just the contact point. Think about how your body is moving. Are your hips and shoulders turning soon enough? Are they leading your arm and racquet?
Itâs time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Stop obsessing over just hitting the ball further out in front. Focus on the foundationâyour bodyâs rotationâand watch as your forehand starts to transform.
At the end of the day, the biggest improvements come not from tweaking the small details but from focusing on the right fundamentals. When the big parts of your body move the way they're supposed to, everything else tends falls into place.
Thanks for reading and have a fantastic day.
Yours Truly,
-Ian
129 - 18
Use these 3 strategies from Daniil Medvedev to instantly upgrade your game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eq-1...
19 - 0
Yesterday I wrapped up two days with a private student who had several big breakthroughs on her game but, as per usual, there was a big sticking point...
She assumed she was turning to the side on her overhead because she had heard coaches say she should in clinics and lessons a million times.
But the iPad screen showed otherwise.
To her credit, rather than be frustrated by her lack of execution on something that seems so simple on the surface she went right to work diligently practicing a footwork pattern and body preparation movement that was completely different than the tens of thousands of other times that she's hit an overhead (one of her weakest shots).
Initially, each time I tossed her a practice ball to try implementing the new footwork and preparation she would go back to her old, familiar habits.
After watching herself do this a couple of times and then catching herself revert during practice she said "I can't believe how much concentration this takes....it's like learning a new language".
She's so right!
Our bodies all have their own "native tongue" of movement that's familiar, comfortable and safe.
Purposefully doing ANYTHING other than that (even if it's the correct movement!) only happens through very high levels of focus.
It's so easy to assume the cliche instructions and phrases we've heard countless times are "sunk in" over time but the reality is there's a language barrier for most of us.
Thankfully this student stayed positive and kept pushing forward because she's now on the right track.
I hope you keep pushing forward, too.
Thanks for reading and have a great day.
Yours Truly,
-Ian
51 - 3
Use these 3 Djokovic Secrets to winning more matches today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mIXc...
8 - 0
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26 - 0
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