Tennis has been taught as a difficult sport to learn. Modern Tennis Methodolgy makes tennis simpler and much easier to learn, capitalizing on the student’s own instinct. Strokes and movements are developed in line with the student’s own idiosyncrasies, within parameters that ensure maximum efficiency.

If the person already plays, to experience the simplicity of these new techniques he may need to redirect all of his attention towards a new feel for the ball, with other aspects such as deliberate footwork and preparation cast aside in favor of trusting the operation of what we call the instinctive level, below conscious thought.

Coaches too must be open-minded if they want to try these new tenets with students and observe results. It takes courage to go against our teaching grain, and then under-teach and plainly observe the seniority that a person’s own instinctual ways, learned at a very young age, have over his operating ways, thus allowing a new, astoundingly efficient reflection of the talent within each one of us.

The Inner Game of Tennis, the most famous and popular book by Tim Galloway opened the door to the promises of what we call modern tennis. The following teachings allow us to deliver them.

Groundstrokes:

Find the ball. Tracking the ball with the hands and racquet in front makes it easy to make contact with it. No backswing is taught until the student can rally at lower ball speeds and control of the height and direction of the shot, with no unforced errors. Furthermore, his backswing will be very personal, generated by wanting to hit the ball harder as he progresses and nothing else.

Feel the ball. Upon making contact, push it up, allowing it to roll slightly on the racquet.

Finish. Come up and across, emphasizing the brush feeling and acceleration, and finish over the shoulder, with the butt of the racquet pointing to where the ball is going, the elbow up, and the back of the hand towards the cheek.

Serve:

Upward spin serves are taught first from close to the net. The student grips the racquet as if gripping a hammer, starting above the shoulder, approaching the ball with the edge of the racquet, and then spins it up, observing the curving flight. As he progresses he moves back towards the baseline, learning gradually to control the ball with more of an upward arc and plenty of spin. This methodology creates instant pronation, length of feel, plenty of spin, and an easy way to extend upwards the arm.

Volleys:

A simple, short movement of the hand and racquet across the ball, not forward, maximizes firmness and feel. No stomping your feet. Track the ball with the hand, moving your head and body instinctively and as needed to reach the ball, and strike across it with a very short slice.