Tip of the Week: Why Your Attitude Makes a Difference

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steve Annacone
It’s hard for us to understand how our attitude can play such a big role in the outcome of a tennis match. Most players believe that if they hit the ball well, use the right strategy, and take advantage of their opportunities, they will win. However, if the other player is matching your hitting...Read more

Tip of the Week: Ready, Couple of Steps, Swing

By Steve Annacone
Tennis needs to be automatic, instinctive, and repetitive. Unfortunately, the thoughts going through your head when you are playing make it very difficult for any of those things to happen. Keeping the most simple ideas in your head can help get your reactions to become less complicated from all...Read more

Tip of the Week: Hit Three Shots In a Row

Photo Credit: Brad Penner/USTA
By Steve Annacone
I have written about this idea in several different ways in the past. It seems too simple for it to actually work. However, Rafael Nadal just won his 22nd Grand Slam and his 14th French Open by basically doing this better on more of the points than his opponents. When analyzing his last match...Read more

Tip of the Week: Playing With an Injury

By Steve Annacone
Tennis players on the pro tour rarely step on the court feeling 100 percent physically. They almost always have nagging injuries, soreness, or sometimes even chronic problems that are basically caused by the repetitive nature of the game. A player needs to pay attention to these issues and do...Read more

Tip of the Week: Pick Shots You Admire and Imitate

By Steve Annacone
Watching tennis is a highly underrated way of learning the game. Each player has their own unique style and no one hits the ball exactly the same way. Developing your own shots and adjusting your technique are important learning tools that can help you become a better player. One of the best ways...Read more

Tip of the Week: Keys for the Serve

By Steve Annacone
The serve is the most important shot in tennis. Serving in a match can become extremely complicated, making it important to focus on more simple keys to hitting your serve well. Start by walking up to the baseline, bouncing the ball once and then touching the ball to your racquet. Keep the racquet...Read more

Under Promise and Over Deliver

By Steven Kaplan
The desire to “Grow The Game” is a lofty goal because if you love tennis, you want to share your devotion to the sport with others. Coaches choose to spread enthusiasm, passion, understanding and experience because they recognize that knowledge is true power and education is empowering. If you love...Read more

Tip of the Week: Stand In On the Opponent’s Second Serve

By Steve Annacone
Returning the second serve in a tennis match can be the key to success or failure. Most players’ second serve is the weakest part of their game, and many players do whatever they can just to get the shot in. The speed of the second serve usually drops off severely because of this. Try standing in...Read more

Tip of the Week: Overcome Adversity On and Off the Court

By Steve Annacone
Tennis players are faced with a lot of different obstacles before, during, and after a tennis match. Sometimes the environment is difficult: the hotel is not great, the food isn’t what you would normally eat, or the people at the tournament are not as friendly as they could be. There are almost...Read more

Tip of the Week: Shot Recognition

By Steve Annacone
Realizing what type of shot the opponent just hit to you is a very underrated skill. The best players in the world are able to identify the shot and react to it in a split second, usually resulting in a good reply. Since there is so little time between hits, it is extremely important to rely on...Read more

Tip of the Week: Automatic Response on the Tennis Court

By Steve Annacone
Tennis is a game of repetition. The goal is to repeat the same swings and techniques over and over again. The problem is, your opponent does not cooperate with this idea. Each shot that is hit tends to be a little different than the previous one. Each point you play and each match you play is a...Read more

Tip of the Week: Use Depth as Your Weapon

By Steve Annacone
Coaches often communicate to their players to “keep the ball deep” when advising them how to get their opponent on the defensive. It might not seem that keeping your shots deep can be the key to winning a tennis match. However, if you hit your shots consistently deep, your opponent will likely be...Read more
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