Backhand Slice Course

I'm the founder of CoachLife and a former professional player ranked 220 in the world. After my playing career, I coached beginners through to college and professional level, with multiple players reaching high-level competition. I then spent over two years traveling globally, filming and learning from 30+ elite junior coaches behind players like Alcaraz, Djokovic, and Swiatek.

My content focuses on situation-specific technique—executing the right shot based on court position, incoming ball characteristics, time available, and match situation. I specialize in the buggy whip forehand and its variations, which I consider the most important and misunderstood shot in modern tennis. Everything is designed to be practical, repeatable, and built for real match play.

Diego Moyano is one of tennis's most distinguished developmental coaches, having guided Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz from juniors into the pros during his 11-year tenure with the USTA. He has also toured with elite players including Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Kevin Anderson, and Fernando Gonzalez.

A former top-130 ATP player and Buenos Aires Open finalist, Diego blends South American footwork intensity, French technical precision from 17 years abroad, and US strategic insights. He currently coaches top juniors globally, sharing expertise on periodization, the 64-point rule, and developing world-class serves and forehands.

Guy Fritz's legacy in tennis coaching is solidified by his unparalleled achievement of developing two top-ten players from the ground up, including his son, Taylor Fritz, from age 2 to 18. Under his guidance, Taylor developed one of the cleanest techniques in the sport's history. Additionally, Guy coached Coco Vandeweghe from ages 8 to 16, further showcasing his expertise in nurturing young talent.

A former professional player with over six decades of experience and thousands of players coached, Guy is celebrated for his mastery in technical shot shaping. His series on CoachLife stands out for offering in-depth technical breakdowns of all shots, accompanied by game-changing tips. Guy's philosophy emphasizes creating the optimal environment for development, focusing on the long-term growth of the game rather than the immediate outcomes of winning or losing. This approach is a testament to his visionary coaching style, which is vividly presented in his content.

Joel Myers is a USPTA Elite Professional and former Australian college standout widely regarded as one of the top 10 coaches in the world. Based in San Diego, he works daily with elite juniors and consults with top global players, blending deep technical knowledge with a practical, modern approach that works at every level.

His content covers the first two shots that decide most points, return targets, grip setups, slice technique, court positioning, and smart approach strategies — always with clear, high-percentage solutions. Joel emphasizes performance-based goals over results, and his serve and return drills are among the most creative anywhere, building match pressure and advanced tactics players can use immediately.

With over 10,000 hours coaching Nick Kyrgios, Todd Larkham has been instrumental in shaping Nick's career from age nine. As a player, Todd competed in 18 Grand Slams with a career-high ranking of 136, giving him deep insight into what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Todd's CoachLife content includes detailed forehand techniques, highly effective kick serve instruction, and research on pathways to breaking into the top 100. His lessons combine professional experience with practical drills designed to elevate your game.

Misha Kouznetsov recounts the remarkable journey of Frances Tiafoe, from living at a tennis club to ascending as one of the world's top tennis players. His content delves deep into the backstory of their countless hours on the court and their collective aspirations to compete among the elite. Misha provides an insightful breakdown of fundamental forehand and backhand techniques, emphasizing the early development of playing angles before transitioning to crafting powerful strokes.

He offers detailed guidance on drills and techniques that shaped Frances's exceptional touch, drop shots, and overall feel for the game. Misha explains that the secret to developing formidable weapons lies in harnessing power from the hips combined with mastering angles and spins—crucial elements for junior players' growth. Additionally, he shares the intriguing story of securing a billionaire sponsor and the rigorous training regime of six hours daily, where Frances battled relentlessly for every point. This narrative not only highlights Frances's technical skills but also his grit and determination under Kouznetsov's mentorship.

Glenn Weiner is a former ATP professional who reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 119 and later became head coach at IMG Academy. He helped develop Kei Nishikori from his junior years through to the professional tour and also worked with Michael Mmoh as he progressed into professional tennis.

On CoachLife, Glenn shares detailed lessons on backhand footwork, serve technique and different slice shots. His instruction includes medicine-ball exercises, practical movement patterns and step-by-step progressions for transitioning forward and approaching the net.

Patrick Tauma, one of the world's premier tennis coaches, blends French technical brilliance with American adaptability. As former junior coach to Naomi Osaka, he shaped her championship technique and mentality while coaching top juniors and touring professionals worldwide.

His masterclasses break down complex techniques into actionable steps, from slice backhands inspired by Federer to movement patterns used by Djokovic and Osaka. Patrick's balanced approach integrates tactical preparation with technical precision, helping players adapt and reach their full potential.

John Sherwood is a high-performance junior development coach, RSPA Elite Professional and USTA High-Performance Coaching Graduate. His experience includes Division I tennis, academy management and coaching at the Saviano High Performance Tennis Academy, giving him a broad perspective on player development.

John specialises in establishing strong technical and tactical fundamentals for players under 10. His CoachLife lessons cover the serve, return, forehand, backhand slice, volleys, drop shots, defensive lob, footwork, grip changes, positioning and decision-making through age-appropriate progressions.

Carlos Santos Bosque was Carlos Alcaraz's first coach, working with him daily from age 5 to 12 and shaping the foundations that made him a future Grand Slam champion. He developed an all-court style built on variety, touch, net aggression, and creative shot-making, underpinned by elite footwork and mental resilience.

Over eight years, Santos trained Alcaraz in every facet: explosive groundstrokes with natural feel, the drop shot as a daily weapon, disguised slice, aggressive returns, and pressure scenarios from match points to tiebreakers. He fostered trust, joy, and freedom, letting creativity flourish while building a player who loved the game and thrived under pressure in any style.

Aref Jellali is one of the world’s leading junior development coaches, known for building complete players through innovative drills, elite movement patterns and long-term development. Originally from Tunisia, he developed his coaching philosophy under legendary coach Bob Brett before becoming a Head Coach at Tennis Canada, where he coached Bianca Andreescu from ages 9 to 13 and also worked with Victoria Mboko. He now coaches at the Ons Jabeur Academy.

His 38 CoachLife lessons cover strokes, footwork, tactics and player development, with a strong focus on movement, timing and decision-making. Aref believes the drill should teach the player, using purposeful, game-based exercises to develop heavier shots, faster serves, better volleys and complete all-court players.

Luke Bourgeois is a former ATP professional, Australian Coach of the Year and founder of Voyager Tennis. He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 262, trained with Roger Federer around six Grand Slams and was coached by Tony Roche. His player-development work includes guiding two players to the Top 100, three ITF Top 10 juniors and more than 30 national champions.

Luke's coaching uses implicit learning, outcome-based drills and progressive development. His CoachLife lessons feature serve and overhead progressions, a shoulder-to-shoulder volley system, the Backhand Shield, Serve +1 patterns, return drills, the Spoon Drill and tactical games that help players become more effective in matches.

Australian tennis coaching legend Gary Stickler has left an indelible mark on the sport, most notably for his work with former world number 1 Pat Rafter, guiding him from junior levels through to the heights of the pro tour. Stickler's influence extends to nurturing talents like Jason Kubler and John Millman from their junior days to becoming top 50 ATP players. Having worked with nearly 20 top 200 players, Gary is celebrated as one of the greatest junior coaches of all time, known for his innovative technical teaching, coupled with profound psychological and tactical insights. He has a unique ability to instill belief in players, advocating for the value of individuality and leveraging it to cultivate champions.

His content on CoachLife encapsulates his distinctive coaching philosophy, including the adoption of a one-grip system, refining a player's unique game style, and the importance of high-percentage tennis, emphasizing that consistency involves utilizing shots that are effective 80% of the time. Additionally, Stickler shares invaluable insights on what constitutes a great coach and a champion player, exploring the reasons some talents don't reach their potential. This comprehensive approach not only highlights his technical acumen but also underscores his belief in nurturing the personal growth and self-confidence of his charges, making his CoachLife offerings essential for those aspiring to excel in tennis, whether on the court or in coaching.

Nathan Healey is a former ATP professional who reached world No. 159 in singles and No. 58 in doubles, winning three ATP doubles titles. He later coached former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and helped Max Purcell develop into a leading singles and doubles player.

On CoachLife, Nathan teaches volley technique, serve returns, court positioning and tactical decision-making. He also shares his Play Awake philosophy, which uses mindfulness, emotional awareness and visualisation to help players conserve energy, manage pressure and perform with more freedom.

Todd Widom is a former Top 200 ATP player and respected American tennis development coach. He helped develop Peyton Stearns from her junior years towards college and professional tennis, including intensive training during her teenage years.

Todd's CoachLife instruction focuses on practical drills and match-ready strategies for building consistency, movement and tactical decision-making. His professional playing experience helps him translate high-level technique into clear, repeatable training patterns.

Former top 100 ATP player and Italian Davis Cup representative, Vincenzo Santopadre brings elite playing experience and proven coaching expertise. Most notably, he coached Matteo Berrettini from age 14 to the Wimbledon final, guiding him through every developmental stage.

His coaching philosophy focuses on long-term development, point construction, and shot selection over pure technique. Inside his videos, you'll find advanced pattern-building drills, decision-making frameworks, and insights into serve and return patterns—connecting technical, tactical, and mental aspects into one clear system for developing high-performance players.

Adriano Fuorivia, a renowned Canadian coaching legend, guided Denis Shapovalov from age 12 to 18, transforming him from a player with no national titles to a champion winning junior Grand Slams and famously defeating Rafael Nadal at the Masters Series. His coaching philosophy centers on taking the ball early, creating linear power through leg drive, and developing a wide base for explosiveness.

Fuorivia's content includes brilliant drills using targets to track ball placement, second serve plus one patterns, and turning defense into offense. His famous mantra "I'm not in the business of excuses" was pivotal in developing Denis's mental toughness, pushing players to their limits while teaching attacking tennis and smart court positioning.