I have been a long-time fan of Ian Westermann from Essential Tennis, and I was excited to sit down and talk to him for the Tennisnerd podcast.
Ian Westermann from Essential Tennis
Ian is a wise man. You don’t need to listen to him for long to learn that. And that is one of the personal benefits of doing the Tennisnerd podcast. It’s allowing me to connect and learn from intelligent people like Ian and the many other guests I’ve had on the podcast. And I like when the topics go a little outside tennis and become bigger than the game itself. Although you can easily argue that tennis is kind of a perfect metaphor for life in many ways.
You might know Ian from his YouTube channel Essential Tennis, his website, or you have perhaps read his book called Essential Tennis (I have and it’s great). Ian has a lot to give and is definitely worth a listen. If you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, there are time stamps below. You can also watch our chat on the Tennisnerd YouTube channel from 9 pm CET or listen to it on Spotify, iTunes, and your favorite podcasting platforms.
I hope you enjoy it!
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:10 How has the YouTube game changed during the 14 years you’ve done this?
04:31 Why most players don’t improve through YouTube instruction
08:09 Is tennis too difficult?
14:08 What is your main strength as a coach?
18:09 You made a video series about working on your 1-handed backhand. How was that experience?
22:31 You like to serve and volley a lot, do you miss that part of tennis?
24:40 The importance of filming yourself when you play
28:18 How essential is the equipment?
35:48 How keen are players to work on tennis tactics and strategy compared to technique?
40:55 Self-awareness as a tennis player and human
43:06 How has the reception been around your channel Real Tennis?
48:51 The YouTube algorithm is not a mystery
1:01:22 How big is the team behind Essential Tennis?
1:06:16 Do you also work on other social media channels besides YouTube?
1:08:13 Will your kids play tennis?
1:10:31 Ian’s strong opinion on tennis parents
1:17:02 The MENTAL side of tennis
1:26:31 Have you watched Break Point?
1:28:26 Do you have any other hobbies besides tennis?
1:33:50 Do you think people realize how physical tennis is and how much better they could play and feel with more strengthening and conditioning?
