Tip of the Week: Play Short Against the Deep Player

By Steve Annacone
One of the biggest changes in modern tennis is the increasing number of players who are positioning themselves way behind the baseline (literally at the fence or beyond on a stadium court) to return serve and often, to play the entire point. This has happened because of the speed the ball is...Read more

Tip of the Week: How to Fix an Extreme Western Forehand Grip

By Steve Annacone
There is a lot of conversation about the different grips that players use when hitting a shot, especially on the forehand side. Many players lean towards a semi-western forehand grip but the grip varies slightly from player to player. Coco Gauff has a pretty extreme western grip on her forehand and...Read more

Tip of the Week: Stick With What Got You There

Photo Credit: Rhea Nall/USTA
By Steve Annacone
Watching Carlos Alcaraz play continues to amaze me. He can basically do everything and has a huge selection of shots to choose from. Jim Courier stated that Alcaraz is very unpredictable and doesn't always stick to the idea of playing the same way he normally does, especially in the crucial...Read more

Tip of the Week: Use Your Big Muscles

By Steve Annacone
Many of today’s top tennis players seem to generate a tremendous amount of racquet head speed using their wrist. However, the best players use a combination of a lot of things to get speed, depth, and consistency. Using your legs to push off or step in can make your shot more effective. In addition...Read more

Tip of the Week: Nerves

By Steve Annacone
It is normal to be nervous before a tennis match. The key to dealing with the nerves that you feel on the court is to focus on one or two simple thoughts. If there are too many things going through your head, the chaos that is moving through your mind will show up in your physical ability to...Read more

Tip of the Week: Hang In No Matter What

Photo Credit: Mike Lawrence/USTA
By Steve Annacone
I have written about this in the past but because it is so important, here it is again: Tennis matches can be an emotional rollercoaster. You hit a great shot and win an important point, and then lose three points in a row to be down love 40 in the next game. It is extremely important to keep...Read more

Tip of the Week: Simple and Consistent Technique and Fundamentals

By Steve Annacone
I have stated many times that if there were one way to do anything in tennis, all of the players would look the same. They do not. For instance, many of the players who have great forehands look very different when hitting their shots. Closed stance, open stance, western, semi-western, or eastern...Read more

Tip of the Week: Every Day is Different

By Steve Annacone
Tennis players would benefit greatly by following the idea that each time you step on the court, things will be different. It is extremely unusual for matches to happen exactly the way they happened last time. The conditions can vary, the court surface can be different, the players can feel...Read more

Tip of the Week: Make a Directional Adjustment to Prevent Repetitive Errors

By Steve Annacone
It is so important to understand how your mind and body work together when you are playing a match. If you can remind yourself of something that will help your body correct the mistake that just happened, you will avoid making the same errors over and over again. My advice is to adjust where you...Read more

Tip of the Week: Return of the All-Court Player

Photo Credit: Rhea Nall/USTA
By Steve Annacone
After Pete Sampras won the U.S. Open in 2002, the game of tennis had evolved into more baseline play and less movement towards the net. However, that has begun to change, and I believe that the recent success of Carlos Alcaraz will be the catalyst to turn things back in the direction of the...Read more

Tip of the Week: Keep Hitting Your Shot, Even When You Miss

By Steve Annacone
Confidence is a big factor when you are playing a match. We have all seen players at the professional level suddenly have problems making a specific shot after an error. Often, the serve seems to be the most common trouble area. However, your forehand, backhand, volley or overhead can all succumb...Read more

Tip of the Week: Carrying Yourself Well on the Court

By Steve Annacone
Things are not always going to go right on the tennis court. Even so, it is a great idea to tell yourself something positive between points or just before starting a point. Phrases like “let’s go”, “you’ve got this”, “come on”, “yes” are all good, short positive self talk ideas. If you make an...Read more
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