by Oscar Wegner
Definition of Modern Tennis Methodology (MTM)
Two underlying factors critical to MTM are the degree of simplicity and the degree of naturalness in the learning experience. A person has an instinctive sense of balance and coordination, sometimes hidden by negative experiences early in life or lack of overall sports participation. But his ability is inherent regardless, whether dormant or hidden, and it can be quickly brought to life with simple drills that appeal to his innate potentiality.
Bruce Lee said: “Art is the expression of the self. The more complicated and restricted the method, the less the opportunity for expression of one’s original sense of freedom.” Furthermore, the first things learned in a sport (or in life) are the most marking, affecting future computations. Typically, tennis beginners are taught restrictive procedures and movements to be adhered to systematically. For example, players are taught to move in a certain pattern and assume certain positions for hitting, rather than being allowed to adjust to what they feel is most comfortable.
The goal of MTM, whether applied to coaching professionals or players of any level is not to add more to the complexity of the tennis technique, but to simplify it in order for the player to achieve even greater effectiveness in stroke production.
Beyond simplicity, MTM operates on the premise that everyone is different, has a different speed of assimilation, a different ratio of learning and different outlooks to any experience. Respect and understanding of these differences puts the player in sync with the instructor.
This is what Modern Tennis Methodology techniques are all about: efficiency, naturally powerful moves and strokes, a delicate guidance of students to help them find out, by themselves, what feels good and what does not.
MTM differs from traditional tennis teaching theory in another way. Traditional techniques are significantly different from the style of the pros. Tennis is perhaps the only sport where teaching the way the pros play is shunned by teachers. The end result is that most people end up limiting their tennis performance. The basic tenets of MTM dispel the myths that have been perpetuated for decades and give the player permission, by making him aware of his own ability to judge the efficacy of various stroke mechanics, what works best, both generally and on an individual basis.
Tennis is not just a mechanical game. The deepest aspects of a personality, including one’s strengths and fears, need to be employed in a constructive manner to maximize performance and enjoyment of tennis. To have confidence that certain techniques lead to known results and that by performing specific actions, one minimizes the risk involved. Together with the application of a whole array of known tenets MTM may change the player from a fearful or doubt-ridden performer into a personality quite sure of himself who then becomes capable of playing his personal best.
The Axioms of Modern Tennis Methodology
Foreword
1) The tennis game has evolved gradually over the ages as an easier, more effective and efficient use of the human body and the human mind in the practice of the sport of tennis.
2) A human being operates with a composite of perceptions that lead him into decisions.
3) In tennis, as in many other facets of life, a human being judges performance from the observation of the relationship between cause and effect. Highly included, although in different ratios for every athlete and player, is the perception of feel. Any experience has an instinctive component which makes something feel good and aligned, or feel bad or not aligned, efficient or not efficient, highly dependent on the observation of the components and amount of effort necessary to accomplish a desired result.
4) A human being operates best with data that aligns with his nature and efficient effort, and operates poorly when instilled with false data which does not align with his own nature, or expends too much effort to accomplish a result.
5) A false datum accepted by a human being leads into a problem. If he does not know or realize that it is a false datum, he devises or acquires solutions to the problem, furthering the complication of the problem and making him susceptible to accept (and sometimes demand from his teaching sources) more false data.
6) Compounding the problem, the tennis coaching world in general assigns fault to failures of the inner nature of the student instead of accepting responsibility itself for having created the situation through false data in the first place.
Modern Tennis Methodology (MTM)
Preface
a) MTM has elevated the teaching of modern techniques by study and adoption of what works efficiently and the elimination of what does not work efficiently.
b) Keen observation and study of the separate natures of the body, the human spirit and the mind permit the application of MTM to improve the relationship and optimum modus of each, most closely noticed in the high echelons of the game.
c) Collaboration with experts in the field of medicine, especially those deeply versed in human anatomy and function, including chiropractic, substantiate the efficiency of the modern tennis techniques, well above those of conventional tradition.
The Basic Axioms of MTM
1) Open stance on the forehand and two-handed backhand as the primary, most fundamental, and most efficient stance.
2) Hitting up and across for any and all topspin drives on both sides.
3) Primarily closed stance for the one-handed backhand drive, including the slice.
4) Tracking the ball as long as possible, especially after the bounce.
5) Closer distances to the ball better for control. Corollary: In MTM, it’s almost impossible to be too close to the ball, because MTM encourages to move away or pull off the ball while whipping across the ball with the strings.
6) Attention to finding the ball with the hand and the finish, rather than the backswing.
7) Sliding the outside foot first, leaning with the head and rest of the body, rather than cross-stepping, the first move on the run or on the volley reach.
8) Running naturally to increase speed.
9) Volleying downwards while pulling up the body with a sharp stop.
10) Serving up and across.
11) Smashing down.
12) The wrist laid back while using the hand to move up and across the ball allowing the wrist only a passive role is a key to modern strokes.
13) The two main sources of power in the racket are the edge and the butt of the racket. On FHs and BHs you see the butt of the racquet move very close to the ball as the closer to the ball the hand moves, the easier it is to find the ball and change direction across it.