Taylor Fritz has one of the finest two-handed backhands in men's tennis: Paul Annacone
Taylor Fritz possesses one of the "finest two-handed backhands" in the men's game, according to his coach Paul Annacone. Analyst and former player Prakash Amritraj believes the American's increased confidence has been crucial in making the shot "such a weapon."
The 24-year-old produced an impressive display to dispatch countryman Jack Sock 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the inaugural Dallas Open. The top seed will face another American - the No. 7 seed Marcos Giron - in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.
The American is currently at a career-high ranking of World No. 19 after backing up his strong finish to 2021 with an impressive start to the year. He has won 18 of his last 24 matches going back to the start of the Indian Wells Masters in October.
Speaking on Tennis Channel, host and commentator Brett Haber referenced Annacone saying Fritz had "one of the finest two-handed backhands in all of men's tennis" during his win over Sock.
When asked for his assessment of the shot, Amritraj highlighted the 24-year-old's greater belief as the key to its improvement.
"It's funny, I think that shot (the backhand) has improved with the swagger," Amritraj said. "It's a funny thing what belief does for a player. You can strike the ball well, but if you're not feeling it, you're not feeling confident - all of a sudden those aren't going in, you're hitting the tape. But when you're really feeling it, even today - Fritz was stepping into that backhand down the line, cross court, coming in behind it. It's turned into such a weapon."
"The backhand to me is something that's bread and butter - he feels like he should be able to hit it in the sleep" - Paul Annacone on Taylor Fritz
During the conversation on Tennis Channel, renowned coach Paul Annacone further praised Taylor Fritz's backhand while analyzing the development of his forehand. The former World No. 12 also agreed with Prakash Amritraj's assertion that the American's confidence is a major factor in his recent success.
"Taylor talked about his forehand in the interview on court," Annacone said. "He's feeling more comfortable with the forehand [in] a lot of different ways. Changing direction with it, when it's high, when it's low. But the backhand to me is something that's bread and butter. He feels like he should be able to hit it in the sleep. But I think like you said, confidence, right? It leads the way. You can say it as much as you want, but until you really believe it, its not going to happen."
Annacone has worked with the 24-year-old - who is also coached by David Nainkin and Michael Russell - since 2018. He previously coached Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Tim Henman and Sloane Stephens.