Ian Westerman from Essential Tennis joins the podcast. Ian's YouTube channel has over 300,000 subscribers, he has one of the top tennis podcasts, and has helped millions of players with his online content. Click here to watch the video on YouTube: We talk: 1:00 Why players go see Ian 2:30 Why players get stuck at the same level 11:49 Deeply ingrained habits 16:15 Working towards actual improvement 24:38 Ian's tennis passion 32:15 Best advice for the 4.0 player...
Feb 03, 2025•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast 3-time US Open Champion, 2-time Olympic Silver Medalist and former ATP World #1 Rajeev Ram joins the podcast. Click here to watch on YouTube... https://youtu.be/x9jIYxuPE6Y?si=_M98dgOW9d5dVkCe We talk: 1:07 Offseason growth 4:53 Making practices more competitive 7:09 Adjusting to a new partner 10:07 Handling a lefty serve 15:59 One-handed return of serve 21:54 First volley footwork 27:32 Losing the right way 31:21 Getting your body ready for competition 35:49 Best advice for the 4.0 player...
Jan 20, 2025•42 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Pegula joins us for the 79th episode of Baseline Intelligence. If you want to watch her interview on YouTube, click the link below... https://youtu.be/AxrDZnaVuXY?si=vixdalQ9_P9jHR7e We talk: 1:10 Her current health situation 3:11 Load management 5:59 Her mindset entering a tiebreaker 11:38 Playing mental games to feel better about the current situation 15:34 Risk vs. reward 17:45 What she's learned from Mark Merklein 21:30 What she's learned from Mark Knowles 24:28 What she learned from...
Jan 06, 2025•37 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast Ashley Neaves, aka The Tennis Mentor, joins the podcast to discusses five things you can do to improve your groundstrokes. Want to watch on YouTube? Click the link below... https://youtu.be/vHLfCZTgee0?si=oK4sG4qZE25q-OJq We talk: 2:12 What skills should you start learning first? 6:33 Anticipation vs. footwork 9:35 Obsessing over technique 11:13 The "Five R's" 12:42 Ready 16:50 Read 22:03 React 25:30 Respond 30:11 Recovery 34:23 Basic singles tips 38:20 Best advice for the 4.0 player...
Dec 23, 2024•40 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Eddie Elliott joins us for the 77th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Eddie has worked with top WTA pro Lauren Davis for the past 6 seasons. :50 What wins on the pro tour 2:07 High percentage tennis 5:32 What loses on the WTA tour 9:12 Fixing strokes before a tournament 15:58 Staying with a player for 6 seasons 20:15 Baseline success on the pro tour 23:25 What he looks for in a player 27:02 Best coaching advice he's ever received
Dec 09, 2024•33 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Charleston Doubles Camp Details Dates: March 30th - April 1st (sold out) April 2nd - April 4th (spots still available) Location: Snee Farm Country Club, Mount Pleasant SC Tennis: 8-11 each mornings, 5 coaches for 16 players Pro event: Tickets to the afternoon sessions of the WTA 500 event and a premium gift bag Group Dinner: Night 2 of the camp Price: $2850 or $2650 if you subscribe to the bonus episodes of the podcast If you have questions or are interested in reserving your spot in the camp, e...
Nov 25, 2024•34 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Steve Smith joins the podcast for the 75th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Steve has worked with players in over 40 states and 30 countries, and has helped 12 players go on to win NCAA National Championships. You can find Steve and all of his content at www.greatbasetennis.com. We talk: 1:07 Film your serve 7:53 Height of the toss 14:11 Being patient when changing a stroke 17:45 Second serve drills
Nov 12, 2024•24 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast Indian Wells Doubles Camp Dates: March 5th - March 7th Location: Cathedral Canyon Tennis Club Perks: Gift bags from Yonex, Vuori, and other sponsors. Two court side seats to the BNP 1000 night sessions Tennis: 9 hours of tennis over 3 days with 5 coaches for 16 players Price: $2850 OR $2650 for bonus episode subscribers Email me at jonathan@stokketennis.com for more information or to reserve your spot! Peter Freeman from Crunchtime Coaching joins the podcast. On today's episode we talk: 1:40 Wha...
Oct 28, 2024•35 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast Bruce Lipka joins the podcast for this week's bonus episode. Bruce is a 3-time USPTA coach of the year, has worked with over 20 top 100 WTA/ATP pros, and is currently the head coach of the Penn State men's tennis team. We talk: 1:05 Teaching technique to support tactics 7:26 Finding your optimal tactics 17:13 Fighting resistance with players 20:49 How you spell "pusher" 27:00 How pros eliminate errors
Oct 15, 2024•34 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast The 20th ranked doubles player on the ATP tour and 2024 US Open semifinalist Nate Lammons joins the podcast. We talk: 2:29 Late bloomer 5:38 Learning from his college coaches 7:31 Staying calm in big situations 11:49 Underdog vs. favorite mentality 13:33 Returning first serves 18:15 Lobbing close net players 20:28 Picking return targets 22:46 Return grip 24:44 Serving fundamentals 27:27 Second serve toss 29:58 String and racket preferences...
Sep 23, 2024•34 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast David Roditi joins the podcast to discuss winning the 2024 NCAA D1 Championship. Roditi is a 5-time Big 12 coach of the year, has finished in the top 10 of the ITA rankings ten times, has won two ITA National Indoor Championships, and most recently won the 2024 NCAA Championship. We talk: 2:14 What it's like to win the NCAA championship 5:47 Talking less as a coach 6:51 Why this particular team was able to win it all 9:04 Preparing for a big match 12:15 How his program develops professional play...
Sep 09, 2024•27 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast Rick Macci joins the podcast to preview this year's US Open. Rick is a 7-time USPTA national coach of the year and has coached some of the best players in the history of the game, including the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick. We talk: 1:09 What makes Novak so great 3:46 How you can handle pressure more efficiently 6:20 Alcaraz movement 11:28 Fundamentals of the Sinner groundstrokes 14:16 Why Iga isn't as dominant on hard courts 17:07 What he looks for when he's watching a slam 20:45 Billion D...
Aug 26, 2024•32 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Today's guest is Will Boucek. Will is the host of the Doubles Only Tennis Podcast and recently was part of the team that scouted for Team USA at the Olympics. We talk: 1:13 Scouting for Team USA 4:42 Do players get surprised by the data 6:55 Understanding win percentages 10:52 How variables affect scouting 14:27 Scouting Carlos Alcaraz 16:12 Scouting Nadal 18:16 Scouting opponents on-site 21:09 Improving your reflex volleys Click here for more great information from Will https://www.thetennistri...
Aug 12, 2024•26 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast On today's episode I share a sneak peak from the bonus doubles mailbag with 2024 NCAA Champion David Roditi. We talk: 1:14 Working with Phillip Farmer 4:14 Should you respect when someone goes down the line 5:26 My All-American story
Jul 29, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today's episode I share the top 4 things I learned from this year's Wimbledon. One: You're never out of a match with the scoring system Two: Matches are not won with winners Three: Hard work pays off Four: Attitude before performance
Jul 15, 2024•7 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Querrey joins us for the 67th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Sam reached a career high ranking of 11th in singles and 23rd in doubles on the ATP tour. He reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2017 and the quarterfinals of the US Open later that year. We talk: 1:34 Developing as a junior player 4:31 Committing to a grip change 5:46 How he worked on his serve 12:01 How returners could mess with his serve 14:10 Beating Murray at Wimbledon 18:01 Beating Djokovic at Wimbledon 22:25 Wimbledon ...
Jul 01, 2024•37 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast David Starbuck Smith joins us for the 65th episode of Baseline Intelligence. David wrote the popular book "Ageless Painless Tennis" and specializes in overall health and performance. We talk: 1:31 Getting older doesn't mean getting weaker 5:32 How active is active enough? 9:45 Developing good posture 12:45 What is core strength? 17:48 Elbow pain 20:40 Clay vs hard court for injury prevention 22:55 Where to look for increased performance 27:27 How long should you warmup for? 28:42 Secret to maint...
Jun 17, 2024•33 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast Marc Lucero joins us for the 65th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Marc has coached several top players on both the ATP and WTA tours, including Shelby Rogers, Steve Johnson, and currently Amanda Anisimova. We talk: 0:52 the week before a grand slam 2:44 Cramming for the exam 5:47 The differences in the red clay 9:02 Moving on slick surfaces
Jun 03, 2024•14 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast Gigi Fernandez joins us for the 64th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Gigi won 17 grand slam titles, 2 Olympic gold medals, was ranked #1 in the world and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. We talk: 1:24 Playing her best tennis in big matches 4:53 Focusing on yourself 6:15 Detaching from the outcome 7:59 Understanding the game of doubles 11:35 Common mistakes net players make 15:37 The holy grail of doubles formations 21:56 Returning down the line early 24:15 Adjusting to a f...
May 20, 2024•33 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Emma Doyle joins us for the 63rd episode of Baseline Intelligence. Emma is a speaker, coach, trainer, and author of the book "What Makes a Great Coach". We talk: 1:51 What makes a great coach 9:19 Empowering your player to make decisions 13:46 What makes a great question 17:28 Five gaming principles 21:25 Being a good listener 28:50 Why the coach/player relationship matters 33:22 Best advice for the 4.0 player You can find Emma at her website https://www.emmadoyle.com.au/...
May 06, 2024•35 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff Greenwald joins us for the 62nd episode of Baseline Intelligence. Jeff is one of the premiere sports psychologists and wrote the award winning book "The Best Tennis of Your Life". We talk: 2:16 Why people get nervous 5:57 Framing "not missing" in a positive way 7:05 Step 1 to handling nerves 8:59 How expectations affect nerves 15:50 The stats he wished he knew when he was a player 18:34 Permission slips 20:33 Taking your practice game to the match court 29:10 Building confidence 30:36 Best ...
Apr 22, 2024•35 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Scott Fawcett is our guest for the 61st episode of Baseline Intelligence. Scott founded the golf analytics platform DECADE Golf, and has helped players win NCAA Championships and PGA Tour events. We talk: 1:35 Who is Scott Fawcett? 3:49 Tiger 5 statistics 10:47 Managing expectations 15:24 Solving problems 26:45 Four pennies drill 29:12 Shot patterns 41:02 Optimal strategy
Apr 08, 2024•43 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast We talk: 1:33 Analyzing Krueger vs. Badosa 6:04 Adapting to different court conditions 14:32 Why depth is important for your rally ball 18:45 Maria Sharapova at the French Open 24:04 When you should change directions and go down the line 30:54 Taking your practice game to the match court 34:42 Best advice for the 4.0 player
Mar 25, 2024•38 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast Gaby Dabrowski is our guest for the 59th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Gaby is the 2023 US Open Women's Doubles Champion and has been ranked as high as 4th in the WTA rankings. She also won the 2017 French Open and the 2018 Australian Open in Mixed Doubles. We talk: 1:35 Mixed vs. women's doubles 2:42 Returning a faster serve 4:10 Where to stand on a kick serve 5:00 Lobbing 6:24 Return targets 8:08 Players with weaker backhand volleys 10:12 Getting comfortable at the net 13:53 When to close ...
Mar 11, 2024•34 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Kiernan is our guest for the 58th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Dan hosts the popular podcast "Control the Controllables" and currently works with the reigning US Open doubles champions Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. We talk: 2:15 Lightning in a bottle with a doubles team 6:40 Learn how to communicate as a doubles partner 9:55 Creating stress for your opponents 14:07 What to do when you don't serve well 16:33 The extended warmup 19:33 Technique vs. tactics 23:08 The daily bill 26:03 ...
Feb 26, 2024•36 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Jay Berger joins us for the 57th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Jay was ranked as high as 7th on the ATP tour and won 3 singles titles throughout his career. He was the head men's tennis coach at the University of Miami, was the head of men's tennis at the USTA Player Development, and currently coaches Reilly O'Pelka. We talk: 2:05 Playing with intensity 6:36 Pillars of his success 9:48 Hitting without a coach 11:45 Watch more tennis 16:01 Learning from Jose Higueras 18:34 Developing good hab...
Feb 12, 2024•35 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast Louis Cayer is our guest for the 56th episode of Baseline Intelligence. Louis is the premiere doubles coach in all of tennis. He's a lead coach for the LTA and has helped several players to world #1 in the ATP doubles rankings including Jamie Murray, Neal Skupski and Joel Salisbury. We talk: 1:48 Informing, forming and transforming 5:00 Louis' values and beliefs 10:52 What the world number ones have in common 13:24 Joe Salisbury's climb to ATP #1 17:38 Playing the net when you're on defense 20:4...
Jan 29, 2024•35 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast On our first bonus episode we discuss second set letdowns and what we can do to get off to quicker starts in the second set. We talk: 1:31 What is a second set let down? 2:51 The unique scoring system in tennis 5:39 Three ways to get off to quicker starts 7:40 Jessica Pegula on getting off to quick starts and closing out matches 12:50 Bathroom breaks 16:40 Tactics your opponent might use to bring your energy down
Jan 22, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Pegula joins us for the beginning of the 2024 season of Baseline Intelligence. Jess had another incredible season, winning the Montreal WTA 1000 and the Korea Open, and finished top 5 in both singles and doubles on the WTA tour. We talk: 1:25 Playing in difficult conditions 2:22 Playing downwind 5:23 Beating four straight top 10 players 6:39 Describing her rally ball 9:25 How fast she tries to hit her average rally ball 12:25 Finding your rally ball 14:58 Swing thoughts on her backhand 1...
Jan 08, 2024•31 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast We had a lot of great technical tips this year and today I'm sharing a few of my favorites. 1:12 Andy Fitzell on the time it takes to change 2:53 Andy Fitzell on hitting pure topspin 4:29 Steve Johnson on his forehand 5:52 Shelby Rogers on her backhand 6:58 Brad Stine on the backhand slice 9:03 Joel Myers on serve
Dec 27, 2023•12 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast 
