Samantha Stosur is confident a new, more instinctive approach in matches will pay off despite going winless in her three matches at the Hopman Cup.
Stosur says she'll continue trying to play with more freedom at this week's Hobart International and then the Australian Open from next week, even as she attempts to overcome her poor record on home soil in recent years.
Australia's top player has declared she wants to play a less structured game in 2014.
The new philosophy comes with new coach Miles Maclagan, former mentor of men's world No.4 Andy Murray.
"It's still only early days, I've only played a few matches," the 29-year-old Stosur told reporters in Hobart on Sunday.
"But even at the end of last year I felt like I was able to do that a little bit better and not be maybe quite so rigid in what I was doing, and maybe just react and play a bit more instinctively.
"I certainly want to try and use that same process of thinking for the rest of this year as well."
Stosur said the new approach still involved doing her homework on opponents, but also meant imposing her style on them.
"At the end of the day I'm always going to try and play my game and my style of tennis.
"I guess that's an easy way to try and let it all happen and let it flow."
Stosur has also shaken up her Australian schedule in an attempt to be better prepared for the Open, where she has failed to live up to home fans' hopes, her best results being fourth round appearances in 2006 and 2010.
The 2011 US Open champion played the Hopman Cup mixed teams tournament to ensure more match practice and hopes the low-key Hobart International will do the same.
She said Perth had been valuable despite her failure to notch a win.
"Obviously it was a little bit disappointing," Stosur said.
"Nevertheless I feel like I'm hitting the ball well and at least getting used to these matches, and the more matches I can play at the moment the better."
The world No.18 said bettering the fourth round in Melbourne would not be her measure of success or failure at the season's first grand slam event.
"As long as I can play well and give everything I've got and if you're opponent beats you then (they are) too good," she said.
Stosur, the Hobart International's top seed, will be looking to add to her five WTA titles when she opens her campaign against a qualifier on Monday.
But the tournament's dream final - Stosur against Venus Williams - won't become a reality after former world No.1 Williams withdrew on Sunday, saying her body needed a break after reaching the final in Auckland where she lost to Ana Ivanovic in a tough final on Saturday.
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