Tip of the Week: Keep the Racquet Head Up on the Backswing for Solid Groundstrokes

By Steve Annacone
An excellent way to naturally move the racquet in a low to high direction on your forward groundstroke swing begins with the racquet head coming back high. Although this sounds like it goes against the low to high idea, the high racquet head helps create a "loop" which is what many pros consider to...Read more

Tip of the Week: Put It All Together

By Steve Annacone
There are a lot of different things that go into a good shot. First and most importantly, you must hit the ball in the center of the racquet. Use your feet to get in a position to do this. As you get in position, make sure you have turned your shoulders and started the racquet back. As the swing...Read more

Tip of the Week: Serve, Return of Serve, First Shot

By Steve Annacone
The points in tennis have gotten shorter and shorter. A great concept to increase your chance of success is to focus on the first two hits of each point. Try to hit a good serve (preferably first serve) and a good first shot on as many points as possible. Use the same idea when returning serve-good...Read more

Tip of the Week: How and When to Think on the Court

By Steve Annacone
A big part of being a successful tennis player is the ability to use knowledge and thoughts you have accumulated from experience, on the court. There is usually a very small physical difference between most of the pros on the tour (and probably many of your opponents). This often makes the mental...Read more

“Start Where You Are. Use What You Have. Do What You Can"

By Steve Annacone
This quote from Arthur Ashe is a great tip for anyone who plays competitive tennis: "Start where you are" means to realize exactly what the situation is, but to play the point as if this is the first point of the match without interference from what has already happened. A player cannot do anything...Read more

Tip of the Week: Find Your Optimum Number of Hits

By Steve Annacone
Every player is different. Many players would love the point to last one or two hits (if they win the point) and many would love to keep you on the court all day and try to get the point to last 10+ hits each time. A good way to get things happening the way you would like is to pick a number of...Read more

Tip of the Week: Basic Volley Technique

By Steve Annacone
Once you have moved forward and begin to hit balls out of the air, your idea needs to become simpler. There is less time to react and get ready and also less time to get your racquet on the ball. Make sure your racquet is directly in front of you, that you have a continental grip (v formed by your...Read more

Tip of the Week: Adjust Your Game for Today's Match

By Steve Annacone
Every time you walk on the court things will be different. Even the best players have to be aware of how things are going and how they feel on that day. Of course, the ideal adjustment would be to hit the shots that you are having trouble with a little better. However, sometimes it makes more sense...Read more

Tip of the Week: Move Forward As The Point Gets Longer

By Steve Annacone
If you play some good shots at the beginning of the point, you should look for opportunities to move forward as the point gets longer. The best way to make this happen is to keep shots deep and diagonal (usually crosscourt in singles). Try to keep your opponent back or get the player moving, which...Read more

Tip of the Week: Using the Drop Shot and the Lob

By Steve Annacone
With the innovations in racquet and string technology, tennis has become much more power oriented. Most players try to use the speed of the shot as their primary weapon to win the point. Players try to hit the ball "through" their opponents or get it back to them with enough speed to force an error...Read more

Tip of the Week: Always Have a Game Plan at the Beginning of the Match

By Steve Annacone
It is extremely important to walk on the court for a match with a plan. A game plan can be as simple as hitting two or three crosscourt groundstrokes and being patient at the baseline. Another simple idea is to serve and volley on all first serves, and work your way in to the net gradually on other...Read more

Tip of the Week: Use the Depth of Your Shot to Draw a Short or Weak Ball From your Opponent

By Steve Annacone
Keeping your shots deep is a strategy that most pros and coaches continuously encourage their students to follow. The reason this is such a good idea is because it reduces the options that your opponent has on their next shot. A deep ball often results in a short or weak shot from your opponent. If...Read more