Baseline Intelligence with Jonathan Stokke

Peter Smith is our guest for the seventh episode of Baseline Intelligence. Peter coached Division I men's tennis for over 30 years, winning 5 NCAA championships, 2 National coach the year awards, and took four different schools into the top 25. He also spent time coaching top American professionals Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey. We talk:3:25 Why his teams won so many NCAA championships6:00 How the love of his players improved performance8:37 Loving the big moments10:00 The difference between good and great12:00 Common "walls" players put up17:05 His coaching philosophy19:00 Coaching a college match24:48 Top thing he looked for in a recruit28:27 Top thing a 3.5 player can do to improve29:51 How easy it was to coaching against me 32:10 A legendary coaching story** Sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Marc Lucero is our guest for the sixth episode of Baseline Intelligence. Marc spent time as the assistant coach at Princeton University, was a USTA national coach, and has coached several top professional players including Shelby Rogers, Genie Bouchard and Steve Johnson. He also has his own podcast "Check the Marc" and is a commentator for collegiate and professional tennis matches.We talk:1:40 How he comes up with a game plan for his players5:18 Why it takes time for a game plan to work 9:39 What a relationship between a pro player and their coach looks like11:41 Differences between the men's and women's games14:52 What tactics the pros use that you can add to your game16:53 His coaching influences20:53 His communication style22:53 The most important skill to have as a coach26:10 His biggest mistake as a coach and what he learned from it** Sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Carlos and Josh Goffi are our guests for the fifth episode of Baseline Intelligence. Carlos is the author of "Tournament Tough" and was the longtime coach of world number 1 and 7-time grand slam champion John McEnroe. His son, Josh, is currently the head men's tennis coach at the University of South Carolina where he helped coach Paul Jubb to the individual NCAA Singles title in 2019. We talk:2:30 Carlos' first tennis lesson with John McEnroe4:45 What you should be doing between points6:30 Controlling your opponent10:22 The traffic light analogy 14:45 The two phases of junior development21:00 The role of the tennis parent28:30 Kids who have parents as their coach34:00 Not all points are worth the same**Sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Nick Saviano is our guest for the fourth episode of Baseline Intelligence. Nick is widely regarded as one of the world's preeminent tennis coaches with over 45 years of world class experience. He has helped helped train over 75 players who have gone on to professional careers on the WTA and ATP tours, including world number ones, olympic gold medalists and grand slam champions. We talk:1:25 What he looks for in a player6:12 The difference between nerves and fear9:08 The ground rules for playing a tournament 15:30 Everybody has an on-court personality19:05 Every practice shot should have a tactical objective 24:26 Core fundamentals for developing an elite serve28:52 How much time a player should dedicate to practicing serve and return31:11 What to do when you aren't playing well in a match**sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

Craig O'Shannessy, leading strategy analyst for the ATP Tour and former strategist for Novak Djokovic, discusses the importance of analyzing patterns and strategies in tennis matches. He emphasizes focusing on the opponent's weaknesses and the significance of practicing serve, return, and specific match segments. Other topics include the mental and emotional aspects of tennis, tactics that make the guest cringe, and minimizing errors to maximize performance.

Rajeev Ram is our guest for the second episode of Baseline Intelligence. Rajeev is ranked 4th in the ATP Doubles Rankings after a fantastic 2021 season where he (and partner Joe Salisbury) reached the Australian Open final, the semifinals of Wimbledon and won the US Open. We talk:3:42 - How he maintains his emotional energy throughout a long season5:04 - Managing 10 point tiebreakers11:10 - What he and Joe need to work on to finish as the top ranked doubles team12:40 - What it's like preparing for a grand slam final16:00 - How the game of doubles is changing21:30 - What makes a great doubles partner27:20 - What it means to be a "performer"31:45 - How to avoid burnout**sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

18th ranked Jessica Pegula discusses her climb in the WTA rankings, the importance of 1% improvement, her basic match tactic, and the role of junior tennis experience. She also shares insights on practice 'tickles' and her dogs' dietary habits.

Welcome to the Baseline Intelligence podcast! Each episode will feature a prominent player or coach who will share what they've learned throughout their careers. We'll discuss their strategies, techniques, mindsets, fitness plans, and anything else they consider when trying to be great at the game we all love. My hope is that each episode will help you learn something new and improve your game without even hitting a tennis ball.