MY TOP 3 WINNING STRATEGIES– That Any Player Can Use




My 3 Top Winning Strategies – That Any Player Can Use

In trying to identify my top three winning strategies, I sought ideas that players of all levels could adopt immediately—strategies that, if committed to, could completely shift the momentum of a match.

These aren’t flashy or complicated. They’re practical, repeatable, and proven to dominate.

1. Win the Crosscourt Battle

If hitting a down-the-line winner gets you on the highlight reel, winning the crosscourt battle is how you actually win matches.

There’s an old saying in tennis:

“Win the crosscourt battle and you win the match.”

When you consistently dominate cross-court exchanges, your opponent starts to feel the pressure. They’re the ones forced to change the direction down the line first—often making a mistake or leaving an opening.

This is your bread and butter pattern. Stick with it. Trust it. When your opponent breaks first, you’re already halfway to breaking them.

2. Serve Lights Out

I’ve watched countless matches where one player served so well that their opponent had no answers. No strategy. No rhythm. Just hope.

The serve is the only closed-skill shot in tennis—you control the ball, the timing, the setup. Every other shot is reactive. But the serve? That’s your personal launch pad.

Some pros make entire careers out of a dominant serve. Even if the rest of their game is solid but unspectacular, their serve gets them through tough matches—and makes them dangerous to anyone on any given day.

So if you want a fast track to elevating your game, make your serve a weapon. Not just consistent—devastating.

3. Win the Mental Arm Wrestle

Boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini once said:

“Most fights are won or lost on the walk from the dressing room to the ring.”

The same could be said for tennis.

Many players lose before the first ball is struck—through doubt, nerves, or a lack of belief. But the truly great players? They enter each match ready for a mental battle.

Tennis is a constant mental arm wrestle. While both players may start with the same determination, only a few can outlast the pressure, ride the momentum shifts, and out-think and out-believe their opponents over time.

In the end, it’s not just your strokes that win matches. It’s your willpower. Your persistence. Your mind. Once you beat your opponent in the head, the rest is a formality.

Final Word

Next time you step on court, remember:

  • Dominate crosscourt = control the rally.

  • Serve like a sniper = start each point on your terms.

  • Mentally outlast = win the long game upstairs.

Master these 3, and you'll stop hoping to win—and start expecting to.


Ready to Take Your Game to the Next Level?

These three strategies are just the beginning. In my 3AM Signature Series, I reveal the complete systematic approach that's transformed players and coaches at every level:

  • 3AM Theory - Develop the adaptability to perform at your best under ANY conditions


  • Mental Training the 3AM Way - Master the psychological warfare that determines match outcomes


  • Master 3AM Strategy - Learn the 8 Opposites framework for systematic opponent analysis

Whether you're a coach seeking advanced methodologies, a competitive player looking for breakthrough results, or a program director wanting to elevate your entire academy, my proven systems integrate technical, strategic, and mental training like no other approach.

Because champions aren't made by accident - they're made by design.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEYS TO THE TWO-HANDED BACKHAND

Image
This article aims to provide you with 5 ingredients to help simplify the  two-hander and give you more control and versatility.       1. THE BOTTOM HAND The bottom hand on the grip controls the length of your contact zone.  The further on top the knuckles of the bottom hand are positioned, the longer your contact zone. The further around to the front of the grip the knuckles of the bottom hand are positioned, the shorter the contact zone will be. The Djokovic bottom hand is positioned almost on  top of the handle.  This would indicate that he intends  to hit down the line.   Positioning the knuckles of your bottom hand on top of the handle makes it a lot easier to hit your down-the-line shots, while placing the bottom hand in the front of the handle makes it easier to hit extreme cross-court angles. Y ou  need to play your backhand in various grip positions on the handle. The important thing is not the position of your hands on the...
Read more

CAN YOU PLAY YOUR BEST TENNIS AT 3AM?

Image
Several years ago, I was on a practice court with Tamarine Tanasugarn. She was part of a team that had travelled with me overseas to compete. It was 7am, and everyone was taking time to adjust to the unfamiliar conditions. Everyone except Tamarine, that is! This was our first practice session after the long flight. Tamarine was striking the ball as cleanly as ever.   Her timing was perfect from the first ball until the last. What created her ability to adapt so well to the conditions and thrive? Later, Paradorn Srichaphan, who reached a career-high ranking of #9 on the ATP, also demonstrated the same adaptability. I began to ask myself what this quality was and whether I could actually teach it to my students on the court. I began to formulate what I called 'The 3am Theory': the ability to play your best tennis at any time, anywhere, on any surface, even at 3am in the morning.   Imagine being woken from a sound sleep at 3 a.m. and asked to play a tie-break aga...
Read more

YOUR BEST GUIDE TO TEACHING UNDER-SPIN FUNDAMENTALS

Image
Is there a resurgence in the use of underspin in tennis today? Having witnessed years of topspin domination (and underspin neglect), are we finally seeing underspin getting the recognition it deserves? I think we are. For too many years, players have relied almost totally on topspin to attack and defend in points.    This new trend from the top male and female players in tennis may be signalling a new and exciting era for the once-maligned underspin. During this year's French Open, players were mixing in underspin groundstrokes during the rally to keep the ball low and using underpin to help defend the point whenever needed. Underspin is also a key element when playing the drop shot, which we see much more now in rallies, particularly by Novak Djokovic.   "...players today must understand how to technically incorporate under-spin into their game, and just as important when to execute under-spin during the point."    As tennis gets increasingly diverse in its...
Read more