Alright, let’s talk about this Taylor Fritz coaching stuff. Not like I got coached by his team, obviously, but I got curious about how these top guys get so good, especially Fritz with that big game he has.
So, I started watching his matches more closely. Not just for the fun of it, but really trying to see what was going on. You know, paying attention to his footwork, how he sets up for that massive forehand, the serve motion. I figured, maybe I can pick up a thing or two for my own weekend hits.
My Little Experiment
I went out to the local courts. First thing I wanted to try was getting more pop on my forehand, kinda like his. Watched a few clips again right before I went.
- Tried to copy the stance: More open, maybe? Tried to get my body coiled up. Felt kinda weird, honestly. Not natural for me.
- Swinging faster: He swings so fast and smooth. I tried to just… swing harder. Let me tell you, the ball went everywhere but in the court most of the time. A few sailed over the fence. Embarrassing.
- Hitting flatter: He seems to hit a flatter ball than I do. I tried taking off some topspin. Result? More balls slapped right into the net. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Then I thought about the serve. His motion looks pretty simple, but the power is huge. I focused on the toss and trying to really snap my wrist.
What happened?
Well, my serve speed probably went up by like, two miles per hour, maybe? But my accuracy went way down. Double faults galore. My shoulder started feeling a bit funky too, probably because I was forcing it instead of having the right technique.
Reality Check
After a couple of sessions trying this stuff, I kinda realized something pretty obvious. Watching a pro and trying to copy them is… well, mostly useless without proper guidance.
These guys like Fritz have coaches, real coaches like Michael Russell or Paul Annacone in the past, working with them day in, day out, since they were kids probably. They tailor everything:
- The technique is built over years.
- The strategy fits his specific game and body.
- The fitness is insane to even allow those kinds of shots repeatedly.
Me trying to just bolt on one piece of his game onto my very average foundation? It just doesn’t work. It actually made me play worse for a bit because I was thinking too much and messing up my own timing.
So, yeah. My little “Taylor Fritz coaching” experiment mostly taught me about my own limits and the massive gap between watching tennis and actually playing it well. It’s way more complex than just seeing and doing. You need someone who knows what they’re doing to guide you, based on your level and your style. Guess I’ll stick to my regular game and maybe take an actual lesson sometime.
