The Real Issues in
Building Technique

Chris Lewit


What did Paul Annacone think of Pete's elbow lead?

John Yandell on Paul Annacone and Pete Sampras:

I had an amazing experience with Paul Annacone when he was coaching Pete Sampras. I had the chance to show Paul a video analysis I did of Pete's backhand. The video showed Pete had developed a pronounced elbow lead and that when he missed backhand drives, he didn't quite make it to the straight arm contact position. Paul agreed and saw exactly what I saw in the video and he and I had a great talk about it. At the end I asked him if he wanted to take it to Pete.

"Oh I would never take it to Pete," he said. "Mind if I ask why?" I asked. "Because Pete doesn't think there's anything wrong with his backhand," was his answer.

Crazy?

Now that may sound crazy, but actually it makes complete sense if you understand players. The point is that for a player at the world class level, admitting that there is a significant technical problem on a particular stroke could cause a loss of overall confidence that might have a worse negative effect than the technical problem itself. That's what Paul believed about Pete anyway.

But this issue of confidence is actually a huge problem for any player at any level contemplating deconstructing a stroke. There is a high likelihood the process may initially or even permanently increase his frustration and have a negative impact on his results.

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Chris Lewit is a leading high-performance coach, author, and educator. He is the author of the best-selling book Secrets of Spanish Tennis 2.0, which is now available, and a new technique book, Winning Pretty, which will be published by New Chapter Press in paperback in 2026. He is also a contributing editor for Tennisplayer.net magazine and a long-time member of the RSPA and PTR. As an educator, he has presented at several large conferences, including the PTR International Tennis Symposium. Chris studied religion and literature at Cornell, Harvard, and Columbia, and is currently pursuing a PhD in kinesiology and biomechanics.

As a player, Chris Lewit played No. 1 for Cornell University and competed on the USTA and ITF pro circuits. As a coach, he has recently worked with several No. 1 junior players in the US and has trained hundreds of nationally ranked juniors. He directs a boutique full-time academy for homeschool/online players and a high-performance summer camp program, as well as high-performance training for all ages and levels, all at his club in the beautiful green mountains of Manchester, Vermont.

Chris Lewit has a popular YouTube channel, Youtube.com/ChrisLewit, and you can follow his writing portfolio at https://medium.com/@ChrisLewit.

Chris Lewit Tennis
World-Class Technical Training
Expert in Spanish and European Training Methods
New York, New York and Londonderry, Vermont
914-462-2912

Contact Chris directly by phone/WhatsApp at 914-462-2912 or chris@chrislewit.com.


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