Tip of the Week: Keep it Simple

By Steve Annacone
The more advanced the player, the more complicated our strategy seems to get. Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward. Return to the basic ideas that allowed you to improve to your current level-watch the ball, move your feet, follow through consistently, use crosscourts to set up down the...Read more

Rank Out

By Steven Kaplan
How would the best male tennis player do against the best female tennis player? The man would win. What if the man were pregnant and the woman had the superpowers of Jessica Jones? The woman would win. What if the man were ranked better than 700th in the world and he played Serena Williams? The man...Read more

Tip of the Week: Early Direction

By Steve Annacone
Many errors occur in tennis because the player makes contact with the ball late. Try hitting all balls in the early direction. When playing doubles, if you are hitting to the inside out direction (deuce side backhand for a right hander, ad side forehand for a right hander), hit the ball towards the...Read more

Tip of the Week: Get to the Ball in the Optimum Position

By Steve Annacone
The goal of your footwork should be to get yourself in a position to take a normal swing at the ball as often as possible. This means getting to the ball early enough so that you are making contact at the peak of the bounce and/or in between waist height and shoulder height whenever you can. If the...Read more

The Gambler and the GOAT of Roland Garros

By Steven Kaplan
The two big stories at this year's French Open are the coming out party of Jelena Ostapenko and the total domination of the men's field by Rafa Nadal. The 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko did more than just fill a void at the top level of women's tennis. She played with the heart of a champion and the...Read more

Tip of the Week: Go to the Middle

By Steve Annacone
Start the point towards the middle of the court in both doubles and singles. The net is the lowest at this point and your shot will still be in if you hit it a little early or late. Also, if you keep it deep, the shot down the middle takes away the angles for your opponent's next shot. As the point...Read more

Tip of the Week: Use Deep and Short to Win the Point

By Steve Annacone
With the new technology in the modern game, many players tend to use speed and hitting it through the player to win the point. A better idea is to keep the ball deep and push the player back, setting up a big opening in front of your opponent. Players have a difficult time moving forward in general...Read more

Tip of the Week: Use Crosscourt Groundstrokes to Set Up the Point

By Steve Annacone
Groundstrokes should be hit crosscourt , especially at the beginning of the point. In doubles, use the crosscourt (or diagonal) idea until you have your opponents in trouble and then change the direction or move forward. In singles, use the crosscourt to get the opponent moving and then use down...Read more

Tip of the Week: Always Have a Game Plan

By Steve Annacone
It is a great idea to formulate a strategy or plan prior to stepping on the court. A game plan may be as simple as "hitting three or four crosscourt groundstrokes and being patient at the baseline". It could be to "serve and volley on all first serves, and work your way in to the net gradually on...Read more

Tips From The Pro: The Two Most Common Errors

By Steve Annacone
It is always difficult during a match to determine what may have caused a mistake. However, it is extremely important to identify the cause so that you can make an adjustment and hit the shot better the next time. At all levels of play, from beginner to professional, the two most common technique...Read more

Tips From The Pro: The Serve is All About the Toss

By Steve Annacone
If you put 10 different players on the baseline and have them serve, you will likely see 10 different service motions and serves. The most common attribute of the best servers is their ability to keep the toss consistently in the same place. This allows the server to swing with confidence and adds...Read more

Tips From The Pro: You Can Always Get Better

By Steve Annacone
Tennis is an incredible sport. As you are learning the game, you can work on so many different areas to improve on. Most of us initially focus on the actual hitting of the ball-strokes, footwork, placement, etc. As you improve, it becomes pretty obvious that winning a tennis match is not always...Read more