Tip of the Week: Jim Loehr
We lost an icon when Jim Loehr recently passed away. I was lucky enough to know Jim and have followed him since the 1970’s when he began working with Tim and Tom Gullikson. Dr. Loehr was the first person to use sports psychology on the professional tennis tour. He was able to get his players to focus on both the mental and physical aspects of playing at the very highest level. The Gullikson’s both had very successful singles careers and also made their mark as one of the world’s top doubles teams. Jim played an integral role in their success.
Dr. Loehr worked with many athletes who became the best in the world at their sport (I am afraid to list their names because there are so many I will inevitably leave someone out). Although there were countless contributions that Jim made to the great sport of tennis, the “16 second cure” is probably his most well known. The routines in between points that you now see with almost every successful player, beginner to professional, are based on Jim’s ideas. I would highly recommend looking up this gem and adjusting it to your personal game and approach.
In 2025, Jim volunteered to help us with our TOP Team group at the Tucson JCC. He did a series of ZOOM meetings with our players, coaches, and parents. It was one of the most insightful, organized, and productive presentations that I have ever experienced. The delivery was simple and easy to understand. The instructions for our homework were concise and to the point. I don’t think the audience was quite aware of the gift that we were receiving. This man had the knowledge and experience of a lifetime in tennis, sports, and life. He was sharing all he had with us. I tried to take notes and realized that I was writing down every single word he said. It felt like all of the words were so important that I couldn’t leave any out. I will never forget those few hours and how much it influenced my outlook on tennis and life.
My tip this week is simple: research Jim Loehr’s work-read as many of his books as you can-figure out how to use his ideas on and off the tennis court. I have been sending my weekly tips to Jim for the past year or so. He was always so great about responding and telling me how much he enjoyed the most recent one. Hope he gets this one and realizes how much we will miss him. RIP Jim.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Jeevaj Bondalapoati, and Gill Gross run the TOP (Tennis Optimization Players-Top Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323
