The in between commentary adds a lot of value to this video series while upping the interest level. I think you are onto something here with this format. Good job guys!
This is the best, most real thing any online tennis coaching UA-cam channel has done. Sure others have shown matches, but the commentary is awesome and the willingness to show how you really play, good, great, and not so great sometimes is the most honest depiction of what typical tennis players go through. This shows why we love tennis and why we want to keep working to get better and how we need to be ok with not playing great every match, or every game, or every point. We need to keep positive and keep working to improve and get consisitent. This is just another example of why Essential Tennis stays on top as the best, most complete online tennis instruction channel on UA-cam. Thanks for all you do for players everywhere who are working to get better.
James Reid VanVoris You’re on it my man. Love your comment and couldn’t agree more. If tennis was easy every time we stepped on the court we would cease to learn anything new. It’s the hunger, search to improve that keeps us in love with this game!
I think this format is very entertaining, and the commentary between games i something that is very useful coz it allows the viewer to benefit not only by observing the external match (regular match) but also the internal match (emotions, thoughts).
These two videos are ground breaking. To hear and see someone (Scott) express in words what I regularly experienced during singles competition was reassuring if not therapeutic. I stopped competition because of "mental demons" but continue to play regular singles and doubles matches with players I know. What helps, in lieu of a Kevin or Nate standing by, is talking to yourself between points, making small requests, not thinking about more than two things, and not getting upset when a point is lost. Staying in the rally is for me analogous to winning the point. To those UA-cam trolls, part of the source of Scott's anxiety and nervousness in making these videos--get a life.
Great tennis video .. with the commentary in between.. keeping it real between the games / up and downs , very realistic and getting after it and battle back..great job to both players!
Guys!! What a great demonstration. To us, viewrs, it is a enourmous value. When we are at court in a tournament we fell the same anxious tighten up our strokes. I love this format and i think it have to happen more times! congratulations to you both!!
Thanks for watching Andrew, I really wish we could of made that match work, unfortunately I was battling a injury and couldn’t go. We’ll def revisit the idea in the future. You’ll enjoy the dubs though, stay tuned!! -Nate
PlayYourCourt.com Oh bummer dude - get better soon. I’ve watched Kevin play (against Ian) and that dude’s a banger. I haven’t watched you play but am guessing you’re a total beast. (I’m judging that a lot by those gnarly Kyrigios forehands you smashed - nailed it!). BTW, big ups on the Pure Strike. That’s my stick too ;) 16x19 or 18x20?
Thank you both for this series. There was plenty to absorb watching you play a competitive match--shot selection, footwork, offensive v defensive moves, and your commentary. It was all really helpful. I'm excited to watch the doubles play!
Elsie Howerton thanks for the feedback Elsie! Nothing makes us happier than to know someone Is learning and growing from what we’re putting out there into the world 🌎.
Thanks for the helpful commentary...great match. Also, thank you Scott for addressing "nerves" and being nervous before and during a match. It's comforting to know even players at your level get nervous.
It is always easier to be critical than post your own videos, so props to anyone who puts themselves out there. More so in a coaching situation like this. All good stuff guys.
Great video guys, I really enjoyed it. I struggle with nerves in my matches too, although I think i'm getting a little better now. I really enjoyed the commentaries between games about strategies and stuff. It helps me a lot to hear what goes through other people's minds as they're playing. Thank you, and please post more!
Absolutely brilliant. 5.0's playing "3.5" tennis because of nerves is the most essential and beautiful part of tennis. My criticism is that tennis coaches and pundits dont talk about it enough. 99% of the videos on YT are about how to beat the dreaded/hated pusher and junk baller. Almost zero percent are about how to push and junk ball your way to glory. Tennis does not even have the vocabulary to talk about it. Why is it even called a junk ball? Given its purpose, its the only ball that is not junk. So much of tennis suffers from this false machismo. Bravo to the ET team for opening this new door with humility.
Couldn’t agree with you more Jawad, the connotation of pusher and junk baller is extremely negative and it’s not deservingly of it. We all film content on it but because of the demand but maybe we should be filming content regarding “how to be a great counterpuncher” & “how to play with more slice and control tempo”. Thanks for the feedback and for tuning in!
Enjoyed, and learned some good things from this practice set. Specifically, reminded again that nerves kill legs, which kill position, which kills stroke production. So the battle, in many cases, lies in helping one’s opponent feel his nerves by pushing through one’s own anxiety. Good stuff, thx Ian and Scott, for putting it “on the line”!
this is my first summer of trying to play "competitively?", at age 55. i'm having a blast learning strokes, but what's lacking is "how to play a match"! this is awesome to see the mental game, as tennis is not just fundamentals and stroke technique! thanks Ian! this has been eye opening, and i'll take this to matches in the men's 3.0 ladder I've joined!
When I did my video of me playing a former 10 years ago D1 female I got the range of comments. From full blown nasty to some really good ones. I did play different knowing the camera was rolling and I think that was the case here. I think both of you know you left plenty on the table but this is the real world view of a rec match. The clips of the doubles, you can tell the body language is looser and that is going to shine more I feel. Great stuff and keep it up.
It's absolutely a different ball game once the cameras are rolling, and fear of criticism definitely prevents a lot of people from sharing their own play. Kudos for putting yourself out there!
I remember that video! I find watching videos of various levels gives me good perspective on my game, and areas to improve to bring myself to that next level
This match was an excellent opportunity to get to the net. Neither player is really hitting bombs without regard. Each player was tight and there were very few groundstrokes with a ton of pace. Return, get it back and charge the net. Serve and charge the net. Of course, I luv to charge the net on singles, and doubles, and if I just walking by a tennis court. But, seriously, get to the net as both players are tentative and guiding the balls in. That is a prime time to demoralize your opponent by slamming everything back at them with volleys. Luv the videos. I've learned so much from you guys.
Just finished watching Ian play Kevin in a previous video & was thinking "Man, I'd like to see more of this stuff." Sure enough, found this video! Hungry for more now.
First part of series had me wondering if this was really 5.0 tennis because it looked a bit rough. This was much better. Good battle and interesting strategies.
Great job guys. Thanks for sharing. Good to see on a more humane level the aspects and applications of the game of tennis. Good ball rallying. A lot closer to home on a more comprehensive level.
Nice game format that was boys. At particular points in the match we are given insights on what things we should pay attention to and how to make the right adjustments. I would love to see Ian execute penetrating topspin backhand though. I'm dead sure it will make the biggest difference in his game. This time I' m your coach Ian, hello! No offense meant but your backhand is all defense. You're still young and if you work on it you can do it like Scott and Kevin. Trust me. God bless you all and thanks for the video.
Respect for putting this up without editing the gameplay. Well done. Interested to know what rackets you were both using and the strings/tension you like.
Great match guys and some good play from both of you. Just goes to show, we all get nervous and winning tennis matches is all about playing under pressure, embrassing the struggle and playing well on the big points. Looking forward to the dubs!
what a great format and match, appreciate you guys doing this.. battle of nerves, tightness, gave me anxiety watching... hopefully I will play loose tonight in my match.
Great playing guys, I really like the commentary and breaking down the points. I also like the mid match adjustments. Would really like to come visit you guys one day. Keep up the good work, big supporter here.
Hard to say. I’ve been watching his FH technique for ages now and it tends to randomly fly long because his body falls away from the ball, so he loses control at contact. Happens to everyone when we lose focus, but it seems to be a bit more systemic here.
Brilliant series! Could we have a few different camera angles maybe when the player runs off camera. Also, maybe introduce 1 coaching time out at any point the coach feels he can make a dramatic impact. Would be nice to get that added commentary from the coach too :) Thanks guys
I love the reality! Two guys dealing with the stress of the camera, both have audiences that will see it and they want to perform well and just the tennis of trying to get a feel for each other's game. There was a comment earlier about a second set; that time prevented from happening. That would be the interesting set as both of you might be able to loosen up and play like you're capable of. And gosh the camera scrubs so much speed off the ball, it makes the errors look a lot more glaring. As a comparison what is Scott's first serve speed (about) on this video? Because I know Ian has excellent hands, compact swing and great anticipation and Scott had him hitting some rushed defensive balls on return. I fully agree with the other comments super interesting and instructive!
There is absolutely no need for criticism here. It’s a lot of pressure playing and knowing that the camera is rolling for thousands of tennis players to see. Of course, they want to play their best. But, pressure will bring you down. How many of you hit these great shots and feel loose and confident when it’s just a hitting practice. But, turn the scoreboard on and start filming, I guarantee that your level drops 0.5 to 1.0 on the NTRP. Don’t be so critical.
Alex Dashkoff I was speaking about their situation. You are obviously not that bright and I seriously doubt you could do better than me if I played on a sprained ankle. Your game must be a joke...like your intelligence.
Chris De Tone I was speaking about their situation as well. I don’t know why you threw those insults, that was a bit uncalled for. 5.0, is a pretty competitive level. You’d have to play a lot of tournaments and you should be pretty experienced at that level. If you can’t handle that kind of pressure to the point where your level goes down that much, it’s honestly sad. I’ve played tournaments with college coaches watching and had the pressure of winning and impressing them or else they would lose interest if I didn’t do well in them. I don’t know what level you’re at, but I’m 5.0 and I’m fairly knowledgeable on the game.
Alex Dashkoff I play 5.0 NTRP as well, in Florida. I apologize for the insults. But, you’ve got to leave these guys alone. I can’t imagine any player not being affected by nerves. It’s natural.
Chris De Tone the entire point I’m trying to make, is that the 5.0 level is a different caliber of player. That is the level where everyone has a complete game, everyone has many weapons in their arsenal that they can pull out at anytime, and at that level you need to be able to handle pressure well because at that level weakness is very easily taken advantage of and the other players will rip you to shreds. These guys didn’t show any of that. They looked like 4.5 players that reverted back to 4.0s. If what you’re saying is true, that they are 5.0s that can’t even handle the pressure of A PRACTICE MATCH, then that is really pathetic. That is the only point I was trying to make
The commenters saying this isn’t 5.0 need to watch more college and 5.0 matches on UA-cam. Many of them look like this even at the highest levels. Imperfect strokes but great positioning, anticipation and some natural athleticism. These guys would bagel most players under 5.0.
2 points - The commentary after every game was very good to understand the mentality - With all due respect this is not 5.0 Question for Ian - You not putting spin on the ball, is that intentional ? - What racquet and strings you are using ?
Question for Scott: Did you feel like that your best serve game was at 4-4? It looked like to me that big serve out wide in the ad court was the deal maker, followed by excellent shot down the line. Can you guys zoom in just a tad and lower camera angle please as I just could not get a good feel how hard the serves were and where they were placed. Thanks!
Lack of shoulder turn murdered Ian’s forehand, turned it all arms. Fun to watch though and we have all had the nerves and jinxes. I haven’t won a toss for serve in three years, 3 in 124 called it right. Can be a weird game.
I know Scott and agree with his comments about been nervous. He hits the ball hard but I can tell he is cautious and very nervous. it happens at all levels.
Shocked with all the "keyboard coaches" and negativity. For all the trash talking trolls, please provide links to your recorded videos of your "high level" matches... crickets will follow. Thanks Ian and Scott for taking one for the team and showing the humility to post knowing full well that all of the 7.0 trolls would be anxious to comment.
@@EssentialTennis Don't hold your breath-the you tube links aren't going to be pouring in anytime soon! Loved the dubs as well. Fun stuff It's what tennis is about, having fun, trying to improve, and encouraging one another!
Nice video!!! Some good strokes and strategy :). Although for video looks when shot inside courts can better track the ball as compared to these open courts ....
Thanks for watching! It can definitely be hard to track the ball, especially on a small screen. We're working on getting our own indoor court, so stay tuned 😉
Ian, I never really noticed until I had paused the video randomly to see you do the perfect back scratcher on your serve. You have really good serve form and technique! Its no wonder you are at the level you are. I missed out on the Serve videos when you gave out access :'( . My serve consistency is really bad, but if it ever goes in its big trouble for the other player. I need a lot of work on that. Also, just a speculation, but your forehand looks kind of weird on video. It looks like you are hitting with a continental grip or it could be some natural habit or preference of hitting a forehand. But in any case, it doesn't look like its equipped to handle all types of shots, resulting in errors later on in the match when you get tight. For a lot of people their unique forehands work for them and get a huge percentage of their shots in, but once a certain type of ball comes, that type of forehand swing is no longer helpful. IE I have a friend that loves to hit flat balls on the fh side and sends complete rockets to you. But once you get the ball high up on his forehand, he can only send back sitters.
Hi David, I’m the head of high performance at The Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach. Scott is the CEO of PYC and coaches several collegiate players privately on the side, also in VB. Thanks for watching!
Sorry to see you lose that way, Ian but it shows you are just human. It was more like you lost the match than Scott winning the match. Also, there was the pressure of having to prove yourself. Having said that - pros to Scott for hanging-in there, conquering your nerves and delivering when it most counted. You were able to tap into your strengths at the penultimate game such as the serve and your forehand. Kudos guys and I’m looking forward to the doubles.
No question I gave it away....it was so disappointing. As I said in the video, I honestly didn't feel any nerves or pressure, just plain missed. Wish I could go back and play it again! -Ian
It's a shame about Ian's last game because the tactical battle was intriguing. From 4-4 30-40 he lost 7 straight points! Thanks for the work you guys do, like you say it definitely gives us 3.5 players a reference point 😁
@@Playyourcourt I'm not trying to offend you, I was just trying to make sense of what I consider a good tennis coach (from what I see) with a forehand technique that I'm sure you wouldn't teach.
9:21 In that last game, Ian launched 4 balls long. Why? While Ian does a high take-back, is his FH still too flat? Was his contact point too late? Would love someone to do a frame-by-frame of those 4 misses in a row. Excellent vid, Ian! Takes a lot of constitution to expose yourself to the trolls
Good shit, thats like me on turnament, sudden drop in skill coz of nerves. I think those matches with other yt coatches is really fun and good idea. Oh and maybe add 3rd match with kevin playing! 1 set is too short to loosen up.
Thanks for the feedback Invy! It’s def tough to find rhythm and to stay loose knowing your just playing one set. Part of the game and we were thrilled to be a part of it. Cheers 🍻
Ian, I was rooting for you. This was a fun match to watch. I noticed your body stiffened up a lot in last game which caused you to resort to using more arm than your body. This is a mistake I make all the time when game gets tense that leads to hitting long balls. Keep up the good work. I love your channel.
Scott is absolutely a solid player (with a big serve) - nerves can get the best of us sometime so it just took him awhile to settle in. Thanks for watching Frank!
I think we can all relate to playing shit because of nerves. routine misses, can't generate topspin, can't make it over the net - all that! You two deserve a medal for playing a competitive match on camera...it's stressful enough under normal circumstances :D
Well said imrizzle83. Nerves happen, it’s simply a part of the game. Isn’t the battle against our inner self truly the battle that’s being played out!? Love the comment!
PlayYourCourt.com exactly! It’s so hard to just play every point and reset after each one. I tend to get tight when I’m up - was playing a set on Monday and was 5-0 up - stood at the line and hit my first 2 double faults after a really solid set of serving. Subbed to your channel as well btw - looking forward to seeing more content 👍
You guys willing to put yourselves on the line with the potential to deal with criticism reminds me of Roosevelt, "“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..."
Great quote - it can definitely be scary to expose yourself to criticism (otherwise there would be a great deal more match play footage around here) but we hope to encourage more people to do the same!
Ian does move well up to the net, and has good racquet head speed on serves. I'd love to see his dubs game and setting up Kevin at the net to put the point AWAY 😂
For the criticizers out there, one thing that is really hard to see on camera is how hard and heavy a ball is. It may not look fast, but it could be a beast to return if the ball is super heavy. That's a huge difference I notice playing higher level players.
Ya, camera actually makes a big difference. Unfortunately most tennis players have never seen themselves play, so its tough to understand what you're looking at exactly. Cheers!
Though of you both too sign up for this match. Much on the line here, neither wants to look bad for the audience, of course. Seemingly not much to win. Naturally there must have been a tremendous amount of pressure on ya. In the end you're both winners for taking this challenge on and going through with it full hearthedely. Well going!! Tight match!!@ Let's have a rematch in a couple of months! 😅🍺🎾
I think there is a lot of confusion about NTRP level and how they should look like. A lot of people assume that to be a 5.0 you need all the shots. The truth is that USTA does not based your NTRP level on how good your look or how well you hit your strokes. Yes USTA have guidelines but the computer system does not know how you hit the ball. If you have not played USTA leagues in a while and you played college you can probably self rate at 5.0 or even 5.5, there are guidelines for that too. Once you get a rating and start competing at USTA leagues or tournaments, it is all about results and how competitive you are. Bottom line you can have the ugliest game in the world and if you beat everybody at your level or win some matches at the upper level, you likely will get bumped no matter how you play. Ive seen plenty of ugly looking 5.0s that were just unbeatable at 4.5. Even the new UTR rating system is based on results and not on form. Hope that clarifies some of the comments and criticism
MAELOB that’s a really solid observation my man. The NTRP rating system is not a perfect tool for understanding someone’s level. UTR in my opinion is the preferred module. The simple idea that a 4.51 is the same as a 4.99 is not realistic. The idea of a former collegiate player having to rate as a 5.0 is simply because the skill set is there to advance rather quickly. Although maybe said 5.0 hasn’t played in awhile or infrequently plays, it is understood with a little rededication to the game that player will be competing at a much higher level. The other thing that is important to note, Shot tolerance is really what often determines ones ability. Of course there were prob too many unforced errors due to nerves but many errors occurred due to the weight of the ball / depth / court position etc. If Scott or Ian we’re to play a 3.5 they would be knocking off winners left and right due to shot tolerance and the lack of weight on the ball. Think heavy weight’s jab vs light weight jab. Two different fights. Thanks for the insights and thank you for watching. -Nate
Watching you guys struggle makes me wonder how shitty my game would look on camera. May be I will even forget to change the grips knowing about the camera rolling. Good effort Ian. I was rooting for you to win. You still rock.
Waited to see Ian raise his game up at 4-5 serving to keep it on serve but darn it's a mystery why Ian kept going for deep balls n short points against someone struggling with fitness. Good game, nice commentary. Better luck next time Ian.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The in between commentary adds a lot of value to this video series while upping the interest level. I think you are onto something here with this format. Good job guys!
Glad you enjoyed it, Rick!
Great stuff guys. Best quote, "That's an hours worth of work wasted in 45 seconds."
The truth hurts sometimes 😂
This is the best, most real thing any online tennis coaching UA-cam channel has done. Sure others have shown matches, but the commentary is awesome and the willingness to show how you really play, good, great, and not so great sometimes is the most honest depiction of what typical tennis players go through. This shows why we love tennis and why we want to keep working to get better and how we need to be ok with not playing great every match, or every game, or every point. We need to keep positive and keep working to improve and get consisitent. This is just another example of why Essential Tennis stays on top as the best, most complete online tennis instruction channel on UA-cam. Thanks for all you do for players everywhere who are working to get better.
James Reid VanVoris You’re on it my man. Love your comment and couldn’t agree more. If tennis was easy every time we stepped on the court we would cease to learn anything new. It’s the hunger, search to improve that keeps us in love with this game!
Thank you so much for those words, James! Appreciate you very much.
I think this format is very entertaining, and the commentary between games i something that is very useful coz it allows the viewer to benefit not only by observing the external match (regular match) but also the internal match (emotions, thoughts).
Glad you're enjoying the new format, Simone! We've got lots more planned 😉
Good doubles teaser ... would also like to see Kevin vs. Nate :)
Would love to know how that match would go as well! Maybe next time 😉
I applaud the coaches for putting their game on the line for the world to see!
Steven Yeong thank you Steven!
These two videos are ground breaking. To hear and see someone (Scott) express in words what I regularly experienced during singles competition was reassuring if not therapeutic. I stopped competition because of "mental demons" but continue to play regular singles and doubles matches with players I know. What helps, in lieu of a Kevin or Nate standing by, is talking to yourself between points, making small requests, not thinking about more than two things, and not getting upset when a point is lost. Staying in the rally is for me analogous to winning the point. To those UA-cam trolls, part of the source of Scott's anxiety and nervousness in making these videos--get a life.
So happy to read your feedback, Scott! Thanks for watching and taking the time to write. Hope you get back out there for matches some day.
You have your finger on the pulse of things Scott. Love the feedback.
Great tennis video .. with the commentary in between.. keeping it real between the games / up and downs , very realistic and getting after it and battle back..great job to both players!
Stunning work, well structured, filmed and edited. Hearing the communication between the partners was so valuable. It felt so real!
Stephen Keppie glad you enjoyed it my man! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Yes! The nerves are a significant factor. Thanks for being vulnerable and honest. Well played!
Guys!! What a great demonstration. To us, viewrs, it is a enourmous value. When we are at court in a tournament we fell the same anxious tighten up our strokes. I love this format and i think it have to happen more times! congratulations to you both!!
Thank you for watching, Marcelo! Glad you found it helpful; we will definitely be sharing more like this in the future.
Oh, and one more upvote for Kevin vs Nate!!! Kevin, bring more than one strung racket this time, bro!
haha
Thanks for watching Andrew, I really wish we could of made that match work, unfortunately I was battling a injury and couldn’t go. We’ll def revisit the idea in the future. You’ll enjoy the dubs though, stay tuned!!
-Nate
PlayYourCourt.com Oh bummer dude - get better soon. I’ve watched Kevin play (against Ian) and that dude’s a banger. I haven’t watched you play but am guessing you’re a total beast. (I’m judging that a lot by those gnarly Kyrigios forehands you smashed - nailed it!). BTW, big ups on the Pure Strike. That’s my stick too ;) 16x19 or 18x20?
@@EssentialTennis Yes, we want to see Kevin vs Nate!
@@Playyourcourt Yes, we want to see you play Kevin!
Thank you both for this series. There was plenty to absorb watching you play a competitive match--shot selection, footwork, offensive v defensive moves, and your commentary. It was all really helpful. I'm excited to watch the doubles play!
Elsie Howerton thanks for the feedback Elsie! Nothing makes us happier than to know someone Is learning and growing from what we’re putting out there into the world 🌎.
Thanks for the helpful commentary...great match. Also, thank you Scott for addressing "nerves" and being nervous before and during a match. It's comforting to know even players at your level get nervous.
Terry Leong transparency was our goal here. Can’t hide nerves can simply work to overcome them. Keep grinding out there Terry!
I found this really fun to watch. I’d love to see more of this, perhaps against other youtubers. IMO your best content so far.
It is always easier to be critical than post your own videos, so props to anyone who puts themselves out there. More so in a coaching situation like this. All good stuff guys.
Back of the Line Tennis Thanks for the feedback Back of the Line Tennis, we couldn’t agree with you more. 👍🏼🙏🏻
Great video guys, I really enjoyed it. I struggle with nerves in my matches too, although I think i'm getting a little better now. I really enjoyed the commentaries between games about strategies and stuff. It helps me a lot to hear what goes through other people's minds as they're playing. Thank you, and please post more!
Absolutely brilliant. 5.0's playing "3.5" tennis because of nerves is the most essential and beautiful part of tennis. My criticism is that tennis coaches and pundits dont talk about it enough. 99% of the videos on YT are about how to beat the dreaded/hated pusher and junk baller. Almost zero percent are about how to push and junk ball your way to glory. Tennis does not even have the vocabulary to talk about it. Why is it even called a junk ball? Given its purpose, its the only ball that is not junk. So much of tennis suffers from this false machismo. Bravo to the ET team for opening this new door with humility.
Appreciate your support, Jawad!
Couldn’t agree with you more Jawad, the connotation of pusher and junk baller is extremely negative and it’s not deservingly of it. We all film content on it but because of the demand but maybe we should be filming content regarding “how to be a great counterpuncher” & “how to play with more slice and control tempo”. Thanks for the feedback and for tuning in!
Enjoyed, and learned some good things from this practice set.
Specifically, reminded again that nerves kill legs, which kill position, which kills stroke production.
So the battle, in many cases, lies in helping one’s opponent feel his nerves by pushing through one’s own anxiety.
Good stuff, thx Ian and Scott, for putting it “on the line”!
Thanks for watching Tom! Glad you could learn something from our struggles 😂
Someone bring Top Tennis Training on here
😂
Actually, though!
Would be a very one sided match
TTT would crush them 0-0
Top tennis seems like he would demolish these guys, based on the competitive doubles match they posted. But you never truly know unless you see it.
Thanks for putting this up with the commentary in between! great format :) ..
Looking forward to the doubles game!
Glad you're enjoying it - thanks for watching Krishna!
Thank you SO MUCH for this format! It's a great eye-opener and morale-booster to see you big kids talk about being nervous!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a great video series. Really interesting hearing their thoughts during the match
Glad you enjoyed it, Reviewer!
❤️🙏🏻🍻
this is my first summer of trying to play "competitively?", at age 55. i'm having a blast learning strokes, but what's lacking is "how to play a match"! this is awesome to see the mental game, as tennis is not just fundamentals and stroke technique! thanks Ian! this has been eye opening, and i'll take this to matches in the men's 3.0 ladder I've joined!
So glad you found it useful, Greg! Good luck in your ladder!
When I did my video of me playing a former 10 years ago D1 female I got the range of comments. From full blown nasty to some really good ones. I did play different knowing the
camera was rolling and I think that was the case here. I think both of you know you left plenty on the table but this is the real world view of a rec match. The clips
of the doubles, you can tell the body language is looser and that is going to shine more I feel. Great stuff and keep it up.
It's absolutely a different ball game once the cameras are rolling, and fear of criticism definitely prevents a lot of people from sharing their own play. Kudos for putting yourself out there!
I remember that video! I find watching videos of various levels gives me good perspective on my game, and areas to improve to bring myself to that next level
@@lct1196 I might shoot a practice with her today. Getting ready for matches this weekend.
This match was an excellent opportunity to get to the net. Neither player is really hitting bombs without regard. Each player was tight and there were very few groundstrokes with a ton of pace. Return, get it back and charge the net. Serve and charge the net. Of course, I luv to charge the net on singles, and doubles, and if I just walking by a tennis court. But, seriously, get to the net as both players are tentative and guiding the balls in. That is a prime time to demoralize your opponent by slamming everything back at them with volleys. Luv the videos. I've learned so much from you guys.
This was great! Loved the commentary and strategy discussions in-between the games. Great work guys!
Just finished watching Ian play Kevin in a previous video & was thinking "Man, I'd like to see more of this stuff." Sure enough, found this video! Hungry for more now.
First part of series had me wondering if this was really 5.0 tennis because it looked a bit rough. This was much better. Good battle and interesting strategies.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS. Please keep doing this:(
Michael Larson thanks Michael, really appreciate the feedback.
When will you guys play Brady from Daily Tennis Lesson?
Great job guys. Thanks for sharing. Good to see on a more humane level the aspects and applications of the game of tennis. Good ball rallying. A lot closer to home on a more comprehensive level.
Nice game format that was boys. At particular points in the match we are given insights on what things we should pay attention to and how to make the right adjustments. I would love to see Ian execute penetrating topspin backhand though. I'm dead sure it will make the biggest difference in his game. This time I' m your coach Ian, hello! No offense meant but your backhand is all defense. You're still young and if you work on it you can do it like Scott and Kevin. Trust me. God bless you all and thanks for the video.
Respect for putting this up without editing the gameplay. Well done.
Interested to know what rackets you were both using and the strings/tension you like.
Thanks for watching, D G!
Ahhhh... such a close set! BUT OH MAN!!!! DOUBLES? YES!!! This is going to be AWESOME!!!
Thanks for watching Eric! We share your love for doubles
Great match guys and some good play from both of you. Just goes to show, we all get nervous and winning tennis matches is all about playing under pressure, embrassing the struggle and playing well on the big points. Looking forward to the dubs!
I love these types of videos from Essential Tennis, thanks Ian and Co.! And a shout-out to my occasional coach, Scottie B! Good win!
Thanks for watching, David! More to come!
what a great format and match, appreciate you guys doing this.. battle of nerves, tightness, gave me anxiety watching... hopefully I will play loose tonight in my match.
I like the honesty out there
The struggle is real! Can't be afraid to show it.
Great playing guys, I really like the commentary and breaking down the points. I also like the mid match adjustments. Would really like to come visit you guys one day. Keep up the good work, big supporter here.
Appreciate that so much, Jay!
I love it guys FINALLY I can see you guys play an actual game Ian :)))
Glad you're enjoying it, Rob! Don't forget the match play series between Kevin and I: ua-cam.com/video/DugZsyYXPx4/v-deo.html
7:46 Should Ian have come forward to the net instead of going back to the baseline ? Deep lob to the BH
Your best series to date. Keep it up!
Glad you enjoyed it, Ithilion! More coming on Monday.
Sorry Ian but that was a cleaaaar CHOKE !!
Hard to say. I’ve been watching his FH technique for ages now and it tends to randomly fly long because his body falls away from the ball, so he loses control at contact. Happens to everyone when we lose focus, but it seems to be a bit more systemic here.
@@evanstreater6096 lack of focus is choke no ?
@@siccimo4501 no my thoughts are it's ingrained in his technique
@@evanstreater6096 yeah he has a weird forehand btw. But I really like his skills and touch in the net.
This video was great because i realised that if these guys are 5.0 players i must be an ATP pro so i immediately started practising for Wimbledon.
Congrats! What level do you play? Have you ever seen yourself play a match on video?
Wow, straight to Wimbledon, good on ya. 🍻
Watch this guy be the equivalent to a 3.5/4.0
And ian btw, you should really hit a topspin backhand once in a while 😂
That's all I could think the entire time.
ya why do you do that?
Brilliant series! Could we have a few different camera angles maybe when the player runs off camera. Also, maybe introduce 1 coaching time out at any point the coach feels he can make a dramatic impact. Would be nice to get that added commentary from the coach too :) Thanks guys
Thanks for the good ideas, Malcolm!
I love the reality! Two guys dealing with the stress of the camera, both have audiences that will see it and they want to perform well and just the tennis of trying to get a feel for each other's game. There was a comment earlier about a second set; that time prevented from happening. That would be the interesting set as both of you might be able to loosen up and play like you're capable of.
And gosh the camera scrubs so much speed off the ball, it makes the errors look a lot more glaring. As a comparison what is Scott's first serve speed (about) on this video? Because I know Ian has excellent hands, compact swing and great anticipation and Scott had him hitting some rushed defensive balls on return.
I fully agree with the other comments super interesting and instructive!
nice stuff. But im sad there wasnt a second set. Could have been alot of good content and possible comeback from ian for a third set
We had a lot of shooting to get done in a single day, but we'll definitely experiment with more sets in the future. Thanks for watching, Jordan!
Would be good to see Ian rip some topspin one-handers to help prevent points like 3:57 from occurring
Ian, i am wondering....if you were to kick the left leg backward instead of sideway, would that generate more power?
There is absolutely no need for criticism here. It’s a lot of pressure playing and knowing that the camera is rolling for thousands of tennis players to see. Of course, they want to play their best. But, pressure will bring you down. How many of you hit these great shots and feel loose and confident when it’s just a hitting practice. But, turn the scoreboard on and start filming, I guarantee that your level drops 0.5 to 1.0 on the NTRP. Don’t be so critical.
Chris De Tone if you handle pressure so poorly that your level drops an entire level in a practice match, competitive tournaments are not for you
Alex Dashkoff I was speaking about their situation. You are obviously not that bright and I seriously doubt you could do better than me if I played on a sprained ankle. Your game must be a joke...like your intelligence.
Chris De Tone I was speaking about their situation as well. I don’t know why you threw those insults, that was a bit uncalled for. 5.0, is a pretty competitive level. You’d have to play a lot of tournaments and you should be pretty experienced at that level. If you can’t handle that kind of pressure to the point where your level goes down that much, it’s honestly sad. I’ve played tournaments with college coaches watching and had the pressure of winning and impressing them or else they would lose interest if I didn’t do well in them. I don’t know what level you’re at, but I’m 5.0 and I’m fairly knowledgeable on the game.
Alex Dashkoff I play 5.0 NTRP as well, in Florida. I apologize for the insults. But, you’ve got to leave these guys alone. I can’t imagine any player not being affected by nerves. It’s natural.
Chris De Tone the entire point I’m trying to make, is that the 5.0 level is a different caliber of player. That is the level where everyone has a complete game, everyone has many weapons in their arsenal that they can pull out at anytime, and at that level you need to be able to handle pressure well because at that level weakness is very easily taken advantage of and the other players will rip you to shreds. These guys didn’t show any of that. They looked like 4.5 players that reverted back to 4.0s. If what you’re saying is true, that they are 5.0s that can’t even handle the pressure of A PRACTICE MATCH, then that is really pathetic. That is the only point I was trying to make
The commenters saying this isn’t 5.0 need to watch more college and 5.0 matches on UA-cam. Many of them look like this even at the highest levels. Imperfect strokes but great positioning, anticipation and some natural athleticism. These guys would bagel most players under 5.0.
Joe Perdue thanks Joe for the feedback. Solid insights sir.
2 points
- The commentary after every game was very good to understand the mentality
- With all due respect this is not 5.0
Question for Ian
- You not putting spin on the ball, is that intentional ?
- What racquet and strings you are using ?
Ian what's up with that topspin backhand???
this was a fun concept from 2 great channels... thanks guys
Thanks for watching, Jim! Glad you've been keeping up with Scott and Nate already
Neat to see Jason Sudekis and Thomas Middleditch play a match. Good tennis guys!
😂
Yes! Doubles...... can't wait!!!!
Doubles is the best. Thanks for watching enystn!
Looking forward to seeing the doubles!
The tennis looked good but I don't know if I would consider this 5.0 tennis but it seems like it's different throughout all states.
Joel Johnson agree it’s all different across- the USTA system is not the most accurate - their rating is legit but a UTR rating would be more accurate
Thanks guys, useful to watch and listen to your comments.
Glad you found it helpful; thanks for watching Roger!
Well deserved. Ian does have a good slice and net game, but ground strokes, my god, pretty shocking for a coach. Glad your superior game won out.
They looked solid to me...
It's do as I say, not as I do.. 😄
Honestly, these types of comments just scream "I know nothing about tennis."
@@39thstreetmedia nah mate guys got a fair point there, his forehand is technically poor, footwork is hurrendous
Zac Spooner no it’s not.
Great insight into ur strategy. Thanks. Bring on the dubs!
Thanks for watching, Mr. Sinbad!
Question for Scott: Did you feel like that your best serve game was at 4-4? It looked like to me that big serve out wide in the ad court was the deal maker, followed by excellent shot down the line. Can you guys zoom in just a tad and lower camera angle please as I just could not get a good feel how hard the serves were and where they were placed. Thanks!
I do have to agree. This match in comparison to Ian vs Kevin, the ball was a bit more harder to see.
Lack of shoulder turn murdered Ian’s forehand, turned it all arms. Fun to watch though and we have all had the nerves and jinxes. I haven’t won a toss for serve in three years, 3 in 124 called it right. Can be a weird game.
Lunch time with Essential Tennis.
Pork Chops today for me.
perfect 👌
Glad we could join you, Doc!
I myself live the u.k and have no interpretation of the US ranking system, how do u increase ranking or is it opinion based
The NTRP system here in the US is based on match play, Luke. If you win you move up, lose you move down.
Same as the u.k but different kind of
brief introduction of gears used?
Great Video!
I know Scott and agree with his comments about been nervous. He hits the ball hard but I can tell he is cautious and very nervous. it happens at all levels.
MAELOB that it does! Thanks for watching MAELOB 🙏🏻
Shocked with all the "keyboard coaches" and negativity. For all the trash talking trolls, please provide links to your recorded videos of your "high level" matches... crickets will follow. Thanks Ian and Scott for taking one for the team and showing the humility to post knowing full well that all of the 7.0 trolls would be anxious to comment.
🙏
@@EssentialTennis Don't hold your breath-the you tube links aren't going to be pouring in anytime soon! Loved the dubs as well. Fun stuff It's what tennis is about, having fun, trying to improve, and encouraging one another!
Nice video!!! Some good strokes and strategy :). Although for video looks when shot inside courts can better track the ball as compared to these open courts ....
Thanks for watching! It can definitely be hard to track the ball, especially on a small screen. We're working on getting our own indoor court, so stay tuned 😉
I'm sure that in the doubles match it will be better with Ian's serve and volleys, I am eager to see !!!
Doubles is my sweet spot for sure! Serve and volley all day 😂
where are yall playing these matches? would love to see all 4 of you playing each other in singles.
This was filmed in Indian Wells, CA. We're based in Wisconsin. Play Your Court is based in Virginia.
Maybe one day in the near future. Perhaps a Davis Cup format?
Ian, I never really noticed until I had paused the video randomly to see you do the perfect back scratcher on your serve. You have really good serve form and technique! Its no wonder you are at the level you are. I missed out on the Serve videos when you gave out access :'( . My serve consistency is really bad, but if it ever goes in its big trouble for the other player. I need a lot of work on that. Also, just a speculation, but your forehand looks kind of weird on video. It looks like you are hitting with a continental grip or it could be some natural habit or preference of hitting a forehand. But in any case, it doesn't look like its equipped to handle all types of shots, resulting in errors later on in the match when you get tight. For a lot of people their unique forehands work for them and get a huge percentage of their shots in, but once a certain type of ball comes, that type of forehand swing is no longer helpful. IE I have a friend that loves to hit flat balls on the fh side and sends complete rockets to you. But once you get the ball high up on his forehand, he can only send back sitters.
i would think stopping to analyze after each game would make me think too much and play less fluidly. but it would be interesting to find out
Where do you guys coach?
Milwaukee, Wisconsin! We occasionally travel as well.
Hi David, I’m the head of high performance at The Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach. Scott is the CEO of PYC and coaches several collegiate players privately on the side, also in VB. Thanks for watching!
Mountains and palm trees. Is that california??
Sorry to see you lose that way, Ian but it shows you are just human. It was more like you lost the match than Scott winning the match. Also, there was the pressure of having to prove yourself.
Having said that - pros to Scott for hanging-in there, conquering your nerves and delivering when it most counted. You were able to tap into your strengths at the penultimate game such as the serve and your forehand.
Kudos guys and I’m looking forward to the doubles.
No question I gave it away....it was so disappointing. As I said in the video, I honestly didn't feel any nerves or pressure, just plain missed. Wish I could go back and play it again! -Ian
It's a shame about Ian's last game because the tactical battle was intriguing. From 4-4 30-40 he lost 7 straight points! Thanks for the work you guys do, like you say it definitely gives us 3.5 players a reference point 😁
Definitely a shame! Wish I could go back and play it again. Thanks for watching, Rob! -Ian
Great video! I love seeing tennis UA-camrs battling it out.
Maybe a Tennis UA-camr's championship? :)
And.. Ian, where's your backhand?
What's going on with that weak John McEnroe/TW Granville forehand??
Gus did McEnroe have a weak forehand?
@@Playyourcourt in his era no, but in todays game it wouldn't survive
@@Playyourcourt I'm not trying to offend you, I was just trying to make sense of what I consider a good tennis coach (from what I see) with a forehand technique that I'm sure you wouldn't teach.
9:21 In that last game, Ian launched 4 balls long. Why? While Ian does a high take-back, is his FH still too flat? Was his contact point too late? Would love someone to do a frame-by-frame of those 4 misses in a row. Excellent vid, Ian! Takes a lot of constitution to expose yourself to the trolls
Forget the trolls, forget the camera, forget the opponent, it's just you, the ball (your playmate) and a ball machine on the other side.
Ian did not, and I'm sure he would agree, get quite enough acceleration / arcing across the ball / "windshield wipering" on those shots.
Still looking for Ian’s backhand
Good shit, thats like me on turnament, sudden drop in skill coz of nerves. I think those matches with other yt coatches is really fun and good idea. Oh and maybe add 3rd match with kevin playing! 1 set is too short to loosen up.
We'll definitely keep doing them, Invy!
Thanks for the feedback Invy! It’s def tough to find rhythm and to stay loose knowing your just playing one set. Part of the game and we were thrilled to be a part of it. Cheers 🍻
Ian, I was rooting for you. This was a fun match to watch. I noticed your body stiffened up a lot in last game which caused you to resort to using more arm than your body. This is a mistake I make all the time when game gets tense that leads to hitting long balls. Keep up the good work. I love your channel.
Tension is the technique killer for sure. Thanks for watching, James - glad to have you in my corner 👊
Scott has some very nice effortless serving. Can tell he has solid strokes and this should not have been a match but emotions creep in..
Scott is absolutely a solid player (with a big serve) - nerves can get the best of us sometime so it just took him awhile to settle in. Thanks for watching Frank!
When does the Dubs video come out?
Zach Nelson Monday, Monday Monday!!! (said in my best Monster Truck announcer voice)
Tennis match is much harder once we reached a certain age if winning even feel much better afterwards.
I don't understand what it means to be D1 or D2. Both of you here are 5.0 rating right? shouldn't you both have the same rating and level then?
I think we can all relate to playing shit because of nerves. routine misses, can't generate topspin, can't make it over the net - all that! You two deserve a medal for playing a competitive match on camera...it's stressful enough under normal circumstances :D
No question, Izzle....stuff EVERY tennis player deals with!
Well said imrizzle83. Nerves happen, it’s simply a part of the game. Isn’t the battle against our inner self truly the battle that’s being played out!? Love the comment!
PlayYourCourt.com exactly! It’s so hard to just play every point and reset after each one. I tend to get tight when I’m up - was playing a set on Monday and was 5-0 up - stood at the line and hit my first 2 double faults after a really solid set of serving.
Subbed to your channel as well btw - looking forward to seeing more content 👍
You guys willing to put yourselves on the line with the potential to deal with criticism reminds me of Roosevelt, "“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..."
Great quote - it can definitely be scary to expose yourself to criticism (otherwise there would be a great deal more match play footage around here) but we hope to encourage more people to do the same!
Ian does move well up to the net, and has good racquet head speed on serves. I'd love to see his dubs game and setting up Kevin at the net to put the point AWAY 😂
I think you might be onto something there... 😉
For the criticizers out there, one thing that is really hard to see on camera is how hard and heavy a ball is. It may not look fast, but it could be a beast to return if the ball is super heavy. That's a huge difference I notice playing higher level players.
Ya, camera actually makes a big difference. Unfortunately most tennis players have never seen themselves play, so its tough to understand what you're looking at exactly. Cheers!
All about shot tolerance my dude. You obviously get it. Thanks for the feedback. 🤙🏼🍻
Though of you both too sign up for this match.
Much on the line here, neither wants to look bad for the audience, of course. Seemingly not much to win.
Naturally there must have been a tremendous amount of pressure on ya.
In the end you're both winners for taking this challenge on and going through with it full hearthedely.
Well going!! Tight match!!@
Let's have a rematch in a couple of months!
😅🍺🎾
I think there is a lot of confusion about NTRP level and how they should look like. A lot of people assume that to be a 5.0 you need all the shots. The truth is that USTA does not based your NTRP level on how good your look or how well you hit your strokes. Yes USTA have guidelines but the computer system does not know how you hit the ball. If you have not played USTA leagues in a while and you played college you can probably self rate at 5.0 or even 5.5, there are guidelines for that too. Once you get a rating and start competing at USTA leagues or tournaments, it is all about results and how competitive you are. Bottom line you can have the ugliest game in the world and if you beat everybody at your level or win some matches at the upper level, you likely will get bumped no matter how you play. Ive seen plenty of ugly looking 5.0s that were just unbeatable at 4.5. Even the new UTR rating system is based on results and not on form. Hope that clarifies some of the comments and criticism
MAELOB that’s a really solid observation my man. The NTRP rating system is not a perfect tool for understanding someone’s level. UTR in my opinion is the preferred module. The simple idea that a 4.51 is the same as a 4.99 is not realistic. The idea of a former collegiate player having to rate as a 5.0 is simply because the skill set is there to advance rather quickly. Although maybe said 5.0 hasn’t played in awhile or infrequently plays, it is understood with a little rededication to the game that player will be competing at a much higher level. The other thing that is important to note, Shot tolerance is really what often determines ones ability. Of course there were prob too many unforced errors due to nerves but many errors occurred due to the weight of the ball / depth / court position etc. If Scott or Ian we’re to play a 3.5 they would be knocking off winners left and right due to shot tolerance and the lack of weight on the ball. Think heavy weight’s jab vs light weight jab. Two different fights. Thanks for the insights and thank you for watching. -Nate
Watching you guys struggle makes me wonder how shitty my game would look on camera. May be I will even forget to change the grips knowing about the camera rolling.
Good effort Ian. I was rooting for you to win. You still rock.
Thanks Prashant. It can definitely be a scary thing to put yourself out there - just gotta embrace the haters!
Waited to see Ian raise his game up at 4-5 serving to keep it on serve but darn it's a mystery why Ian kept going for deep balls n short points against someone struggling with fitness. Good game, nice commentary. Better luck next time Ian.
Thanks Joseph, it's hard to rewatch this and think of all the things I would do differently 😂
I think this requires a re-match for redemption, Ian.
I couldn't agree more! Look out, Scott...
Ok, it's back now.