Coaching

I'm giving Paul Annacone credit for this. I've heard him state numerous times that a player should "hit the ball aggressively to a big target". This is a much underused strategy and one that can be extremely effective. Many players have shots with a lot of power and/or depth, and that itself is...Read more

I once had the chance to watch Martina Hingis, who was the top-ranked player in the world at the time, practice up close while coaching several players at the 1997 U.S. Open. Superficially, Hingis was solid, but not great. She was fast, but not the fastest. She struck the ball well, but half the...Read more

Are your best shots failing you in a match? It may be time to change tactics. Strategy and tactics go hand in hand when winning a tennis match. Strategy is an overall plan to achieve your goal, while tactics are the actions that implement the strategy. When your best efforts to win a match fail, it...Read more

This seems like a minor detail, but it’s very important and can make or break your next shot. Many players do not assume the correct ready position when they are waiting to hit the ball. The racquet should be directly in front of you with the racquet head above the height of your hands. If you have...Read more

It can be very frustrating for parents when their kid’s technique is poor or the player is struggling to make and retain important technical changes. More often than not, the failure is due to either the fault of the coach, player, or parent—or a combination of the three. Over the last 20 years...Read more

Summer is upon us and the opportunity to improve your tennis game waits. There are a number of potential areas of your game you can work on now. Hitting the ball, having a good strategy, being in good shape, and learning how to compete better, are key. Many of my students ask me to recommend some...Read more

I have often stated how difficult competitive tennis is. There are so many different aspects for a player to focus on. Basically, tennis is a game of repetition. Players are trying to produce shots that are effective, and then, repeat them over and over. As players get better, the opponent often...Read more

A tennis match can be a rollercoaster ride . Players have moments when they feel everything is going right, and shortly thereafter, everything can go wrong. It can change again and again. Being on the brink of winning the match is not an easy situation. If the player is any good at all and they are...Read more

The serve is the most important shot in tennis. It is often the least practiced shot and the hardest to learn. This sometimes makes a tennis professional or coach hesitant to teach the shot to a young player. However, I believe it should be one of the first things these young players learn. Try...Read more

When I was growing up, we were always taught to keep the ball deep. The idea was to push your opponent back and give them very few opportunities to move forward. These days, there are a lot of players who start the point standing relatively deep in the court. This pretty much negates the "hit the...Read more