Sequential simplicity:
Take the forehand, for example. You teach someone, like Guga (aided by “Gelatina” (Jello) Renato Meirelles, the kids’ favorite coach), when Guga was a little 5 year old: “I’ll toss you the ball. You touch the ball, pushing it up this way, it goes in. Later on, you run for the next ball, you touch it this way, it goes in.” He tries it and observes that the ball goes over the net and in the court. Simplicity.
Next, I say hit it a bit harder. His racquet moves back and forth a bit more, but he basically has done it the same way, same follow-through we showed him initially. He observes that it works. He has now made the transition from touch to hit. Which is his basic truth? Touching or hitting? If you did enough practice at the “touching” level, he’ll never forget it in his entire life. He has developed the “touch”, that feel that helped Guga become world number one at 23 years old[...]
Take the forehand, for example. You teach someone, like Guga (aided by “Gelatina” (Jello) Renato Meirelles, the kids’ favorite coach), when Guga was a little 5 year old: “I’ll toss you the ball. You touch the ball, pushing it up this way, it goes in. Later on, you run for the next ball, you touch it this way, it goes in.” He tries it and observes that the ball goes over the net and in the court. Simplicity.
Next, I say hit it a bit harder. His racquet moves back and forth a bit more, but he basically has done it the same way, same follow-through we showed him initially. He observes that it works. He has now made the transition from touch to hit. Which is his basic truth? Touching or hitting? If you did enough practice at the “touching” level, he’ll never forget it in his entire life. He has developed the “touch”, that feel that helped Guga become world number one at 23 years old[...]
