Okay, so I got interested in Taylor Fritz’s game recently, especially how he’s climbed up the rankings. Naturally, that led me down the path of looking into his coaching setup. It wasn’t like I was planning to coach him, obviously, but more about seeing what us regular folks could maybe pick up.
Starting Point: Just Watching
First thing I did was just watch a bunch of his matches again. Not just highlights, but full matches where possible. I paid attention to the moments between points. What’s his body language? Does he look over to his box much? I tried to spot patterns. Consistency seemed key. Less flashy stuff, more solid, powerful baseline game. His forehand is obviously a huge weapon, and it felt like they really built strategies around that.
I also did a quick search, you know, just to see who was actually in his corner. Found names like Michael Russell and Paul Annacone mentioned. Annacone’s name obviously stands out, having worked with giants like Sampras and Federer. That made me think, okay, there’s probably a lot of emphasis on tactical awareness and maybe managing the big moments.
Trying to Decode It
So, watching wasn’t enough. I started thinking, what are they actually telling him? What drills might they be running? Of course, I couldn’t know for sure, but I tried to guess based on his play style.
- Weapon Development: Clearly, they work tirelessly on that forehand. Getting it bigger, more accurate, using it to dictate points.
- Serve Plus One: His serve is big. Seemed like a lot of focus was on that first shot after the serve, often the forehand again.
- Movement & Fitness: Fritz is a tall guy. Getting him to move efficiently, especially defensively, must be a constant thing.
- Mental Game: Staying calm under pressure, resetting after bad points. Annacone’s influence, maybe?
It felt like a very pragmatic approach. Build on the strengths, make them overwhelming, and manage the rest. Less about reinventing the wheel, more about perfecting what’s already there.
Hitting the Court Myself
Alright, here’s the “practice” part for me. I’m no Taylor Fritz, not even close. But I thought, okay, let’s try to apply some of these ideas to my own weekend hits. It was pretty basic stuff, really.
I went out to the court with a couple of things in mind:
- Focus on my Forehand: I spent a whole session just trying to hit my forehand with more intent. Not necessarily harder all the time, but with a clearer purpose. Trying to hit specific spots, even if I missed more initially.
- Serve +1 Mentality: After my serve (which is nowhere near Fritz’s level, let’s be real), I consciously tried to be ready for the return and look for the first opportunity to hit an aggressive shot, preferably my forehand. This was harder than it sounds. Usually, I’m just happy to get the serve in.
- Staying Level: Tried to consciously copy that calm demeanor. Shrugged off errors instead of getting frustrated. Easier said than done when you shank one into the fence.
What Happened?
Well, it wasn’t magic. My forehand didn’t suddenly become a weapon overnight. Trying to hit bigger often meant hitting longer or wider. The Serve +1 thing sometimes worked, but other times I just rushed and made silly errors.
But the mental side? Trying to stay calmer did help a bit. I felt less frantic between points. And focusing intensely on one or two things (like the forehand) during practice felt more productive than just mindlessly hitting balls back and forth.
It really highlighted the gap between watching a pro and actually executing even a simplified version of their strategy. The consistency, the power, the decision-making under pressure – it’s just a different world. But it was a fun experiment. Made me appreciate the coaching process and the discipline involved, even if my own “Taylor Fritz coaching” experiment was just me trying to hit my forehand a bit better down at the local park courts.
