Today I have a special guest on the show: Will Hamilton of Fuzzy Yellow Balls! Together we tackle two listener questions. The first one has to do with keeping tennis fun and fresh even if you are on the court a ton. This should be a big help to all the coaches out there as well as those of you who are on the practice court lots of hours every week. The second question has to do with paying attention during competition and puting together a solid strategy.

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Speaker : Welcome to the Essential Tennis Podcast. If you love tennis and want to improve your game, this podcast is for you. Whether it’s technique, strategy, equipment or the mental game, tennis professional Ian Westermann is here to make you a better player.

And now, here’s Ian!

Ian Westermann: Welcome to the Essential Tennis Podcast. Your place for free expert tennis instruction that can truly help you improve your game.

Today’s episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast is brought to you by somersetsportsperformance.com.

Thank you very much for joining me today. It’s been a couple episodes since I’ve had a guest on the show. And today i’m going to have one back on. We’re going to answer some listener questions together. And we’re going to go ahead and get ride into it. So sit back, relax and get ready for some great tennis instruction.

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My guest today on the Essential Tennis Podcast is Will Hamilton from FuzzyYellowBalls.com. FuzzyYellowBalls. Com specializes in video tennis instruction, and they’ve been a great resource for amateur tennis players everywhere and trying to improve their game.

So Will you are great fit on the show here and we’ve had him on the show before. I can’t remember what the topics were the last time I had you on, but it’s definitely a great show. So I’m really happy to have you back. Welcome to he show.

Will Hamilton: Well, hey and thanks for having me back. I think we were talking how to play a lefty, which is obviously

Ian Westermann: Oh yes.

Will Hamilton: Right up or alleys since we’re both lefties.

Ian Westermann: Yes, that’s right yes. I remember that show that’s quite a while ago. I apologize it’s been so long since I’ve had you on last, but I’m sure we’ll make up for it with some amazing content here, right?

Will Hamilton: [laughter[ Yes, I’m sure it’s amazing.

Ian Westermann: Alright, let’s go ahead and answer some amazing questions here. We’ve got two questions that Will and I are going to talk about today h aving to do with tennis. And at the end of today’s show we’re also going to be giving you guys a brief look into the new content that Will has been putting out on FuzzyYellowBalls.com. But first let’s get down to some questions and our first one here comes from the Poster the Pronator on the forums that essentialtennis.com. And here’s his question.

He wrote and said, ‘I imagine that there’s many listener’s of the ET Podcast who coach in some way or another. My question is this: How do you keep passionate and fresh about your game when you spend hours on court each day? I used to coach 5 days a week and found that come weekend competitive time, I just didn’t feel like being in the court anymore. I wanted to spend my weekend just far away from work as possible. When I realized I was no longer enjoying the sport I’d loved for so long. I retired from coaching. Obviously others still maintain the passion for playing at the same is coaching. How do you do this? Are there any mental techniques or strategies?’

So Will what’s your first reaction to the Pronators questions there?

Will Hamilton: My first reaction is that they sounds like the pretty common question. Because coaching can if you’re standing in the court for 8 hours a day gets– it can just be difficult when you’re outside in the sun and you’re on your feet, but you’re not really moving around. I mean, standing on the court feeding or playing or kind of 2 different animals and are a lot of times when I would play a lot when I was actually in competition and I would feel fine walking off the court, but then you stand there and you’re feeding and not really moving. A nd I’ve never stiff or I don’t know if you got the same problem, but

Ian Westermann: Yes, I think that’s probably the number misconception actually Will of amateur players who know a tennis pro or who work with a tennis pro. I’ve had the comment or questions so many times from somebody saying to me, ‘Wow, your game must be awesome. You get to play all day long. That’s great.’ And no. I t’s actually the opposite. Teaching is so terrible for competitive game if you’re teaching tennis full time, because it’s basically–like you said–there’s a lot of standing around. Yes you do get a good among exercise, but even then. A good tennis pro is able to tone back his level or her level to match appropriately with whoever to be happen teaching. So it’s not the same thing as playing it’s just kind of a mental and physical drain a lot of times.

Will Hamilton: Yes, I mean there’s different situations where–like you said you spend a couple weeks coaching you don’t really play competitively and then you try to play a match and you can’t keep the ball on the court.

Ian Westermann: Yes.

Will Hamilton: It takes a little while to get timing back.

But do go back to the Pronator’s question. I don’t really know if there’s a silver ball. One thing that I’ve always remembered from a talk that Wayne Bryan gave was when he was bringing Mike and Bod he was very, very focused on once they were off the court they were– Mike and Bob were off the court–they weren’t going to talk about tennis. They weren’t going to focus on the sport. They were going to do something completely different and Mike and Bob ended up getting really in the music and that was sort of one of their outlets. I guess they’ve just released an album.

But it’s pretty important in my view to have something else. Something else that you’re passionate about, because if you can completely just engage from tennis and spend some time on a hobby, or some other interest. T hen what is it, ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder. ‘ That is the expression?

Ian Westermann: Yes. Absence I believe.

Will Hamilton: Yes, exactly it’s essentially you just need to be doing something else so that when you come back to the sport you’re fresh and that certainly doesn’t apply to tennis and got applies to pretty much any profession or any other sport where, if you spend 8 hours a day on it you need to be doing something else. I mean Andy Murray I guess plays 7 hours of play station to think as much from this. [laughter]

Ian Westermann: Nice.

Will Hamilton: Probably to his detriment, but.

Ian Westermann: Yes. I agree with you Will. It’s important to have other things in your life. If you’re going to be– not only a coach, but wants to play competitively a well– you’ve got to kind of pull the plug out once in a while and relax and historically I haven’t been terribly good at this. I come home after teaching all day and work on the website. And I’m lucky that I haven’t got burned out yet, but I’m very careful to listen to myself. To my body and to my brain, because I can definitely get over work and I start getting to the point where I just need down time. I’ve got to just stop and not think about it anymore.

So Pronator you need to come up with some kind of hobby or something else to do where you’re not thinking about it. And even back when I was playing in college myself and my other buddies on the team– we had so many other activities and different sports we play. We will go play basketball, we will go play ultimate frisbee. We’ve played a lot of pingpong and these days I’m playing paddle tennis, flat form tennis. I play golf. A nd these reaches all ways and other athletic things that are still fun and still competitive just like tennis is, but ways that you can get your mind of it. And even those of you who are listening who are not teachers or pros or coaches, those of you who just have a passion for the game and play a lot, I recommend this for you guys as well. If you’re practicing your tennis for more than 6 or 8 hours in a week–which I know a lot people listening are–it’s important to go and take a break sometimes and take a week off and just rest and do some other stuff/

And I like the phrase the you use well the Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That’s absolutely correct. I recently took a week off from work over Thanksgiving and I didn’t missed work very much at all. I’d be honest. It was to great away and just relax. But when I came back and step down the court from my first lesson at 6:30 in the morning I can help, but think to myself, ‘Man this is awesome. I’m so lucky that I’m able to do this. ‘ And those of you who– even who don’t coach and teach–you can get that kind of a feeling as well if you just take a break once in a while.

Will Hamilton: Yes, let me ask you this with the website and see if we have the same experience, when obviously the website probably in tennis, but do you planning that, that is sufficiently different enough or are you still stay engaged? Even if you get out of the court after teaching a 10 hours and just spend a couple of hours on the website. It seems different in a way to you?

Ian Westermann: Yes, good question and obviously its within the same room of work. I guess you could say ‘And that is instructing tennis or teaching tennis. ‘ But yes, that’s the finally that you bring that up about that up and I think about it. Yes. It’s a very different feeling thing. The work that I do in the website it’s for–it’s kind of hard to explain without trying to offend somebody, but the work I do on the website is for people who really have a strong passion for the game. And so it’s kind of different clientele. The people that I work for at my job, it’s more of a social atmosphere and it’s a very different kind of teaching. There’s a lot of different layers to what I do at the club where I work. And the work that I do in the website is very much cut and dry. I’ll tell people how it is the first time. I don’t worry about sending people or politics or anything. And so it is very different. Did that answer your question?

Will Hamilton: Yes, I was saying I feel like the web angle is also just–I don’t know if inner disciplinary is the right word. I think it’s the good one, because it’s just the web is kind of it’s entirely different angle than coaching and posting your video. You have audio like this Podcast.

Ian Westermann: Yes. Will Hamilton: The coding HTML like does in behind any website you’re putting together. So I just feel like it’s very separate. From my experience at least. When I’m working on the website it doesn’t feel like to a degree that I’m coaching or that I’m working on tennis.

Ian Westermann: Yes, that a good point too.

Will Hamilton: I don’t know if [inaudible]

Ian Westermann: Yes, the work I do on my site is a combination of hobbies that I’ve had in the past actually. So that’s another good point. Back when I was in high school and in college I worked as a sound technician for awhile for many years actually. Both in churches and auditoriums in college. And so doing this Podcast is something that I actually enjoyed doing a lot just from a technique side of things and an audio side of things. And video has is been something I’ve really enjoyed as well. And finally doing some video stuffs.

So I bet it’s probably through for you as well and the video that you do. I mean it’s fun to play with the technology and–although I know that Adam who’s your sidekick does a lot of the technological stuff–but it’s fun getting in there and actually creating stuff isn’t it?

Will Hamilton: Absolutely. I mean, Adam will figure out how to do it and help teach me what to do. [laughter] So that’s the basic developmental process on it.

Ian Westermann: It’s a good deal you got there.

Will Hamilton: Yes it’s a great deal. I can’t complaint. But yes you’re right. I mean I wouldn’t know what a croma key is or how to do it or how to light yourself if it wasn’t for trying to put together all those videos.

So yes, I mean again to go back to prior. I think just keeping things interesting and new regardless of what are you’re focused. You’re still focus on tennis or you’re doing something that’s more of a hobby and I think that is an extremely important aspect to staying passionate. If you kind to get in a rut, and things become monotonous you’re going to lose focus and you’re going to lost passion. If you always feel like you’re moving forward and again doing something new doing something interesting then I think passion shouldn’t be a motivation will be too much of a problem.

Ian Westermann: Alright, I think that’s sums it up pretty well. A nd Pronator hopefully that answers your question. A nd hopefully that’s going to be an interesting discussion for people listening. Not only people who coach and teach, but just really people who are passionate about their games. Who are just players as well. And the interesting thing I think– and Will pointed this out when we first started–is this can apply to really anybody in any profession it’s important to get away and relax and think about other stuff for awhile. You don’t want o get burned.

Alright, let’s go on to the next question and it comes to us from Dan in Seattle, Washington. He’s a a 3.0 level player. Dan wrote and said, ‘I didn’t grow up playing and I feel like I’m analytically challenged to understand what is happening to whom when I play. I come off the courts and can’t always explain why the winner prevailed and what weaknesses were exploited. After my last doubles match my opponents commented that my partner won every point he serve in the 10 point tie break. And
I was shocked at this acuity and envious of his observational power’.

I like that phrase observational power.

‘I hadn’t known the fact of course. Is there a way to better develop my ability to analyze the results on the fly? Would charting or keeping stats on another player help develop this? I feel like if I had that skill I could adjust faster when my opponent is beating me with the common or reoccurring weapon. Thanks and all the best, Dan.’

So what do you think Will?

Will Hamilton: Well, my first impression would be that on FYB we focus on–t he very first thing to do is talk about the fundamentals. To the point where probably is a bulk of record to a lot of people. Whether it would be forehand fundamentals, backhand fundamentals, surf fundamentals.

There’s also fundamentals to strategy. And my first piece of advice would be: Do you understand the basic strategy involves in a tennis match? The dimensions of a tennis court. How that applies to your shot selections. Where you should be positioned based on where your opponent hitting the ball. What is the high percentage shot base on the ball you hit them ? And so on

And if you understand just basically and fundamentally where these high percentage shots or whether its low percentage shots are then that will give you a sound strategy. A strategy that not only applies at the 3. 0 level, but also the professional level. I mean there’s a reason that every single pro point for the most part is constructing around a cross court rally. It’s a neutral rally and then some other stuff goes on where one player is jacking position or try to take control the point. But there’s first of all the fundamentals of strategy that you will need to master and then once you have that in your back pocket then I would move on to analyzing my opponent.

Ian Westermann: So and first of all, let me–yes, I agree with you Will. And I’ve been accused many times of repeating myself to often both on the Podcast and in my teaching in person. And the fundamentals or the essentials if you will. I think are

Will Hamilton: I think I [inaudible]

Ian Westermann: Yes are what most players need to focus on it. They want to improve their game. And most players out there listening are around the 3. 5 level or so and the way you guys are going to advance and Dan here who asked the question is a 3.0 level player. Dan where you going to advance are by paying attention to the fundamental things and so I certainly agree with that Will.

Now I’m going to put you on the spot here whether what’s an example of 1 or maybe 2 things that you would say are part of that. What would be a fundamental tactical thing that Dan and other players listening have to understand and have to learn?

Will Hamilton: Well, I mean the first it would have to be– like I was saying with the cross court rally being the foundation of any winning tennis strategy. That’s just because you put the ball across court. The court is longer in that direction and you have a bigger target to hit to the net is lower in the middle of the court.

And the other one– I’m sure many of your listener’s are put it directionals. The type of ball, based on how the ball is coming at you–that’s going to makes certain shots easier than others and you obviously know the concept of inside versus outside ground strokes. And it’s similar to how if you’re playing baseball, if the pitcher throws you a ball, you’re batting and the ball is moving towards you and just like moving into you. Then those balls are going to be easier to control. Those are called inside ground strokes. And you could do more of that in terms where you want to place that ball, but if the ball is moving away from you and essentially that means I figure out I wanna describe this. It basically and think of you’re in the cross court rally and your opponent hit you the ball back cross court is going to move across the plane of your body and then it would get farther away from you if you didn’t hit. I hope that make sense.

Ian Westermann: Yes.

Will Hamilton: It’s hard for me– it’s easier me to describe it visually.

But in any event, those balls are harder to get leverage over. Harder to control. It’s easier to make errors trying to change direction on those balls. So if you get an outside ground stroke, essentially you want to just go back cross court with that balls.

So essentially with this always talk boils down to: is if you’re in a cross court rally hit the ball back cross court unless you have a good reason to change direction of the ball. And a good reason is typically just a weak shot that you can–that ‘s easier to hit basically. That’s short. T hat’s it’s up. That you got some time to prepare for.

That would be the #1 thing. I think is people step on the court and they’re like, ‘OK, well my opponent is in this position I’m just going to hit the ball away from them. ‘ That’s actually a recipe for errors. Trying to run your opponent. Trying to hit away from them is an extremely common tactic and a huge mistake in most part. If you watch Pro Tennis a lot of the time those guys just go cross court for a couple of shots. Even though it’s essentially right back to their opponent and the reason is, because they are hitting outside ground strokes, and changing direction is probably going to do a mistake or a ball that the opponent can export.

Ian Westermann: Yes the directrionals are definitely a very, very important thing to understand when putting together single strategy. So a little bit different in doubles. It’s not quite as cut and dry as it is in singles when having a rally back and forth from the base line. But the directionals are something that I’ve really believe in strongly. So it’s definitely a good stuff

And Dan I’m going to give you a couple of other things here. A little bit different thread then what Will is talking about. I think that the most important things for you to pay attention too Dan are I’ve got 3 things here. You need to know and you should know this before the warm ups are done. The strengths and the weaknesses of both of your opponents if you’re playing doubles. And singles is a little bit easier, because you’ve only got one person that you’ve got to pay attention to. But you’ve got to know what you’re opponents or opponent’s like and what they’re good at and they don’t like and what their bad at. And at the 3. 0 level obviously this should be pretty easy to pick out if you watch many tennis players. If you’ve been watching tennis for very long at all, it becomes pretty obvious what people are trying avoid and so this is extremely important information, because you can effectively build the strategy around information like this. You can avoid what they like and make them hit what they don’t like. And this is good place to start. And along with different with knowing different patterns and the percentages like what Will is talking about. Cross court most of the time is going to be the way to go on your return of serving doubles. And that’s because the nets lower the court is longer. And that’s the way you should be going most of the time. And then beyond that you wanted to get into the point and figure out how you can make your opponents as uncomfortable as possible. And that’s basically what good strategy comes down to. Anything into that Will?

Will Hamilton: Yes, I think the strengths and weaknesses is definitely an important thing to understand. I think equally as important is when you lose typically– should say taking step back– most people don’t realize what their opponent is doing to neutralize them. And most people step on the court and say, ‘OK. Well my forehand is my best shot, so I’m going to fill a lot of forehands, because that’s how I win a match. ‘

Well, that’s probably works most of the time, but against a particular opponent that might not work as well. The opponent might have a shot that their cross court forehand to your forehand for whatever reason is out to your strike zone. And you’re kind of go to is not as effective as normally is. So understanding what your opponent does to diminish your strength or to neutralize you is valuable, because than you say, ‘OK. Well, I need to make some sort of adjustment. What am I going to do to put myself in a better winning position?’ So like you were saying, absolutely you need to know your opponent is good at and bad at, but you also need to know what they do to you so that you can work around whatever they maybe to neutralize your best shots.

Ian Westermann: Yes, absolutely. And I think a big mistake that tennis players make is that they get so caught up with themselves and they’re just thinking their own technique. What feels good? What feels bad that day? I think players get caught with themselves. A nd they don’t pay very close attention to what’s going on the other side of the court. And that includes both the strengths and weaknesses that I was talking about. And now Will talking about as well, is paying attention to specific things that your opponent is doing– as you said Will -yrying to neutralize your shots and if your opponents any good. There will be doing to what Will and I are talking about. They going to be putting together a game plan/ And if you guys are totally caught up in what’s happening on your own side of the court. You going to completely missed what’s happening with your opponents and you’re not going to be able to make those adjustments that Dan was talking about. And a good strategist is able to constantly evaluate what’s going on. What their opponent is doing. And this has, it does have something to do with your own game guys. Don’t get me wrong. I mean you need to walk on to the court with the good understanding of what you’re bringing to the table. But really it’s more important to know what your opponent is doing so that you can then use your strengths and your skills, and use them accordingly.

So Dan you’ve got to learn how to pay attention. Watch what’s happening on the side of the court. And then be able to make adjustments accordingly and to answer one of your questions directly Dan. No I don’t think you need to go out and start charting matches. I don’t know maybe t hat can help you though.

Will Hamilton: I wouldn’t chart either.

Ian Westermann: Yes. I mean there’s a difference between paying attention and becoming a statistician and keeping track of stats. And you don’t need to know percentages when you’re walking of to court and you don’t need to know that you want 4 out of 9 points that you came to the net. Or whatever. It doesn’t have to be specific. They’re just need to be a general paying attention and understanding of what’s going on.

So don’t go out and chart. Just get on the court. Play more matches. Gets some more experience and open your eyes up to what’ going on the other side of the court.

Will Hamilton: Yes, I’d say the one statistic that I think would be fine to keep track of, and actually probably should keep tract of this unforced errors just make a note that the unforced errors you make each side, because that is the number leak so to speak

Ian Westermann: Yes, that’s the good one.

Will Hamilton: In people’s game. So losing those points by making mistakes. And if you just eliminate and if you’re cognizant. I mean Ian how many unforced errors did you make the last time you played a match? I mean how you,

Ian Westermann: 0 [laughter]

Will Hamilton: Yes 0 that’s what you say? Nice.

Ian Westermann: Just kidding.

Will Hamilton: Yes, I know. We don’t I probably show the next time I put a match and then where I’m making too many error, but if you are actually cognizant ‘OK I made 11 errors just stat then you can work to reduce that.

Ian Westermann: Yes.

Will Hamilton: At the level up to 4, 5. Most people don’t have a big enough game to hit winners consistently, or hit good enough shots where you’re always on the run and you’re always pressured. So by simply eliminating errors from your game there’s only really 1 way your opponent can win points and that’s by hitting a winner or

Ian Westermann: Yes.

Will Hamilton: Hitting forcing you into an error and that’s why pushers win so many matches at 3.5, 3. 0 level. It is eliminate the major leak in most in that level at the 3. 0 level. It’s unforced errors. So don’t make errors. A nd that’s sounds so simplistic, but it’s amazing how effective it is.

Ian Westermann: Absolutely.

Will Hamilton: And other sort of tangential points I would not focus on your technique when your playing a match. That’s another thing a lot of people do and takes your focus off your opponent, yourself in terms of what you’re strategy should be. And if you’re thinking about your technique then you’re probably going to start making mistake. Always that’s happen. I don’t know if that’s my experience. I don’t know if that happen with you as well.

Ian Westermann: Yes, I can put agree well and this is a big mistake people like can golf as well. It’s they get on the court and start trying to fix their swing and it’s the right from their focusing.

Will Hamilton: [inaudible]

Ian Westermann: Yes, exactly and listen guys take the focus off to yourself whether be your technique, your strengths and weaknesses whatever. You know what’s you’re bringing to the table, and you don’t have the time to sit there and try to analize your technique and how your swinging at the ball. It’s too late for that. You’re going to have whatever you have grooved. Whatever you hit enough to be a habit and to be second nature. That’s where you going to have that day to play with. And you’re not going to learn anything or improve anything on the fly while you are playing the match.

So I think the big thing here Dan is you need to focus on your opponents. Pay close attention and know the percentages like Will was talking about. Know the patterns of play and what’s smart shot to go for and what’s not . And you can start winning more points in more matches by paying close attention to these things.

Will Hamilton: Yes and also add real quick that— his is some of the attention as well–that people always do, I’m not sure how many questions you get about the mental game and how do I prevent myself from joking and how do I stay positive. But if you focusing–on technique is a perfect way come apart mentally, because you’re start missing a couple of shots and then you get frustrated. And the way you prevent yourself from getting frustrated or being confused or feeling helpless is you understand basic strategy and you are always thinking about what your opponent is doing. What you were doing and you’re trying it comes kind of a problem solving situation. You have a basic framework for a plan. You’re trying to implement it and making adjustments along the way. A nd if you have some sort of road map or blueprint, then you’re not going to feel like you’re out in the wilderness and you’re not going to feel like, ‘What will I do here? I’m helpless, this is helpless. ‘ And that’s the main way people start coming apart.

Ian Westermann: I agree. Good stuff Will. And Dan hopefully that answers your question. And if you have anything further. Feel free to send me another e-mail or you can post on the forums at essentialtennis.com.

And Will thanks very much for helping me answer these questions today. And before we wrap things up I want to talk to Will a little bit about the new section of his website and that is FYB Premium. Will tell us a little bit about it.

Will Hamilton: Well, it’s essentially a very focused way of learning tennis. What we had on our normal website FYB.com. And this is sort of something that I feel a lot over internet instruction that is somewhere unfocused. People ask questions kind of been above or what do I do to fix my kicks are for example. And what we wanted to do is kind of take a more logical to teaching a game. Almost like our college course where concepts start building on top of each other so that you would know– go back to this kind of Blueprint as map. It build your game of in a logical phase and not just technique, but also strategy. And as you move through you’ve obviously get more advanced, but you’re never learning something that you’re not able of implementing, because the stop they came before serves as the foundation for the later concepts.

Ian Westermann: Nice. So it’s sounds like you’ve kind of put together– I guess a learning system or a road map to success for the tennis game ins general?

Will Hamilton: Yes, I mean Want to go back to what were discussing earlier. You were talking about analyzing your opponents strengths and weaknesses. And that’s something we addressed in the section called. We divide up like a premium in the blocks essentially, which are kind of like the premium chapters in the book and block 6 we call SLOT which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. So that the SW strengths and weaknesses.. A nd in learning how to evaluate the strenght and weakness of your opponent. You first need to have the news from other perspective and understanding of basic strategy. And that goes back to those inside and outside ground strokes court positioning. What high percentages which low percentages. And once you understand that stuff that source is the foundation for learning how to evaluate your opponents so that you can exploit your opponent’s weaknesses and a fundamentally sound matters.

So you’re not–for example if you knew your opponent had a bad backhand and a good forehand. You would think, ‘OK, well I’m going to hit everything that are backhand and that is generally true, but if you’re in a forehand to forehand cross court rally and you say to yourself, ‘OK, well now to go on their backhand. ‘ You might be hitting a low percentage shot down the line and that would be a mistake. Because you’ve probably make an error even though you’re going at their weaker shot. And it you would presume it’s not so weak that if you get a bad ball. They wouldn’t be able to do something with it.

Ian Westermann: It’s tough well I strongly suggest that my listeners go check it out.

And real quickly before we wrap things up. Will I know that you had a special offer going as well for an instructional series and please tell us about that. Has to do all about the forehand, correct?

Will Hamilton: Yes, it’s just a free e-mail course that we put together, because last year we went to Indian Wells and we feel flattered and adore those folks. And got some really cool footage and haven’t really use it like we wanted to. Ato we kind of went back and look at forehand fundamentals videos that we put together about a year ago and we updated some concepts and we basically took–I’d say 10 prior I mean we have obviously Federal and adore Roddick, Rodesko, Bonevac a bunch of demanded women– and we on our website we talked about the 5 fundamentals of the forehand. So we go through all their shots and show you that each of these pros is doing those 5 things that we’re talking about. And then we compare their strokes the pros to some amateur players that we filmed to demonstrate that –like we’ve been talking about these whole time. It’s the fundamentals that virtually everybody needs to focus on and it’s not smaller stuff like do like Pronator as a hit by forehand or ‘What’s that angle of my risk?’ That stuff is loudly secondary to these 5 things and our goal with the course is approve that.

Ian Westermann: It’s tough. Well as Will and I been talking here. My web guys got the link up. If you guys go to essentialtennis. Com and click on just about any page on the website, the videos, the Podcast pages, all 5 at the written blogs you also see around the right hand side a little add for the forehand videos and just click on that and you guys will be taked two page you guys can sign up and it’s totally free. A nd I’ve suggest that you guys do that and take advantage of it. It’s really good contents and good instructions. So definitely check it out.

Will anything else before we wrap things up here today?

Will Hamilton: At the top of my head, not really. And thanks again for having me on. Don’t focus on your technique when you’re plan to match. Mentioned one of those things we talked about before. That’s something that people do all the time and can lead to a lot of mistakes.

Ian Westermann: Alright, Will it’s been great to having you back on the show. And hopefully in the near future we can have you on as a guest again.

Will Hamilton: Yes, absolutely I’m looking forward to it.

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Alright, that brings the Essential Tennis Podcast episode #95 to a close. Thank you very much for joining myself and Will today. And hopefully you found those topics interesting and our conversation is helpful.

Real quickly before I wrap things up. I just like to do a quick shout out to a couple of very special on the Essential Tennis forums. John in real life, Howard and Royce. All 3 of those posters just in the last couple of days passed 1,000 posts on the Essential Tennis forums. So I wanted to give all 3 of you guys a shout out and all 3 of you are very important and an intricate part of the community at Essential Tennis. So thank you guys so much for your passion for the game and for how much time you’ve spent at essentialtennis.com.

Alright that does it for this week. Take care everybody and good luck with your tennis. [music]