Essential Tennis Podcast - Instruction, Lessons, Tips

If you want to play your best tennis then setting up healthy habits and routines is critical, especially around the “Big 3”: sleep, exercise and nutrition. In this special episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast you’ll hear what tips, tricks and rituals I use to maximize those three areas of my life so I can go into every day with the most energy, focus and drive possible.

It's been a long time since I've uploaded an episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast. I'm sorry! I felt like I should explain where I've been so this is a quick update. No coaching or instruction. Just letting you know how things are going and what my plans are.

Recently I took off my coach’s hat and put on my student hat as I took my first tennis lesson in two decades from a local high performance coach. It was an amazing experience and in this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast I’ll share how I dealt with him asking me to focus on different technical elements than what I was trying to do in my own training. Having the right mindset about developmen...

If you think old dogs can’t learn new tricks this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast is for you! You’ll hear the story of a 76 year old coaching student that transformed his first and second serves within just a few hours of training. He even used his new technique in a match the very next day with amazing results. We can all learn from the attitude and mindset of this experienced player!

Have you invested in lots of online coaching only to feel overwhelmed and stuck? If so this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast is exactly what you need to listen to! Ian uncovers his 7 step process for identifying what to work on, how to make steady, positive progress in the right direction, and knowing when to move on to something new. You’ll finish the episode knowing exactly how to guide y...

Do you have a bad tennis habit that’s been stuck for 10 years or more? So did John, but recently he made a huge breakthrough! Find out how he was able to do it and what steps he took that you can copy yourself. Hint: it did NOT involve hitting more balls, taking more lessons, or playing more matches. This episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast contains the key to finally dropping your old, frustr...

Guess what you DON’T need to improve your tennis game: a coach, ball machine, hitting partner or even a tennis court! Sure, those things could all be helpful but often we’re restricted in our ability to access them which is why this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast is so important. You’ll learn what other two things you need to advance your skills and exactly how to use them so you can impr...

Millions of tennis players dedicate mental and emotional energy to the WRONG things every single time they play a match. The result is no bandwidth left over to focus on what really matters when it comes to playing great tennis! In this special episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast you’ll learn what your mind should be focused on, what it shouldn’t, and how you can improve this critical skill an...

What do skateboarding tricks and tennis improvement have in common? You’ll find out in this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast! Any time you venture out and try new techniques, swings, or upgrades you’re making a risk. Time, energy, and money is on the line but so is one other BIG factor. Find out what that is so you can keep improving your tennis game.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been playing your whole life or picked up a racquet for the first time yesterday: tennis is chock full of challenges, obstacles and disappointments. What really matters is your response when you encounter them, which can have a tremendous effect on your success as a player and your enjoyment of the game. In this episode we’ll discuss the difference between action and re...

In life we’re frequently put in situations that feel hopeless. Where it doesn’t seem like there’s anything we can control and everything is working against us. I was recently put in an uncomfortable position exactly like that and some people around me wondered if I was going to throw in the towel. Thankfully tennis has taught me valuable lessons and in this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast...

Have you had a long break away from the court and you’re wondering how to transition back in an effective way? If so this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast is critical listening! You’ll learn how to mentally, physically, and technically ease back into high quality tennis without overdoing it, injuring yourself, or setting unrealistic expectations that leave you frustrated and dejected. This...

Most tennis players have terrible feel because they view “touch” as being an on/off switch. Find out how you should approach it instead in this special episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast! You’ll even learn a feel drill that you can do right now with a racquet and ball to help develop your awareness of an element critical to developing soft touch.

A lot of changes have taken place at Essential Tennis over the past two months. This quick upload explains them! Not a regular tennis instruction episode. Thanks for your support!

Today’s special guest is a two time tennis world record holder who knows a thing or two about focusing on what matters most! You’ll learn about Angelo Rossetti’s breakthough “3-2-1 Method” for drawing his student’s attention to the most essential elements of tennis success, why thinking about the “controllables” is so important to your tennis happiness and much, much more!

Believe it or not being stuck at home presents 3 big opportunities for tennis players! Unfortunately they're overlooked by most because their mindset and perspective has been thrown off by the difficult situations around them. Find out how you can break free of the negativity and fully take advantage of the chances to improve your tennis game at home on this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast...

Some time ago, while Ian was teaching a week-long clinic, he lost the feel for his simplest, most practiced shot – the feed! It's a universally dreaded experience for tennis players to have an off day and lose one of their most trusted tools, often in the middle of a critical match. In this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast, Ian shares how to navigate yourself out of this common situation so...

With leagues cancelled, clubs closed, and tennis courts all around the world being shut down it feels like the improvement journey has to be put on hold. Wrong! There is SO much you can do right in your own living room, garage or yard to improve every aspect of your tennis performance and IQ. In this special episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast you’ll learn which 6 parts of your game you can wo...

There's nothing more frustrating than putting your valuable time into improving an aspect of your tennis game, only to look back weeks, months, or even years later and still be struggling with the same problems. The truth is, it doesn't matter how correct the instruction you're receiving is if you aren't following the correct process for learning, applying and developing a new habit. Here's how we...

Have you ever wondered what separates a tremendously successful tennis player from a struggling one, or what separates a world-class player from an amateur? This episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast features Warren Pretorius, founder of Tennis Analytics – a company that provides detailed match analytics, scouting along with detailed statistical reports. We take a deep dive into the fascinating...

It doesn’t matter if your mental game, strategy game, technique or even fitness is holding you back: this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast will give you the solution to breaking through those barriers and reaching the next level of performance! It all starts with viewing improvement through the right lens which is exactly what you’ll hear Ian explain. Enjoy and keep working hard on your ten...

This mindset episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast will get you thinking deeply about why you love the game, what you really want to get out of it, and where you should set your sights in the coming weeks, months, and years. Get this wrong and your tennis experience can become miserable just like it did for me! Get it right and literally every time you walk onto the court can be a big success.

What patterns, techniques and strategies can you copy from the pros NOW? Find out in this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast! You’ll hear a special conversation with Matt Bradshaw, the host of “Coffee Break Tennis” on YouTube who’s been breaking down the stats and data from the best players in the world for years. He’ll fill you in on exactly what top pros are doing with their serves, returns...

Feedback is a crucial element for any successful student-coach relationship, but what about directing your coach to work on the things you want to improve? In this episode the of the Essential Tennis Podcast we'll discuss how trying to manage your your own tennis improvement can do more harm than good, and why you probably don't know your tennis self as well as you think you do...

We like to believe that simply knowing how to fix bad technique is enough to help us correct it, but when the rubber meets the road and the ball starts flying our way, we find ourselves going right back to what we know. Unlearning a deeply-rooted habit can be a challenge, but knowing how to counter your tendency to stick with what's comfortable can mean the difference between tennis transformation...