Basic technique. Correct, energetic footwork. Decision-making. Feel. Stretching, warming up, and conditioning. Repetition and analysis. Keeping score and making fair calls. Teamwork and court etiquette.
These are the fundamentals required to be an intermediate tennis player. My job is to communicate and instill as much of this as possible, as quickly as possible, to as many students as possible. But I do not control what is “possible.” Those with a strong work ethic figure it out sooner than the rest. Passion for the game, pressure from their family, or an innate stubbornness raises the ceiling of possibility.
When looked at individually, the fundamentals are easy to learn. The difficult part is putting them all together. Timing your rotation with your swing. Taking the optimal path to attack the ball before it bounces. Slowing the pace of the match when playing poorly, and increasing the pace when the opponent shows signs of breaking down. Winning demands simultaneous perfection across these skills.
After mastering a few of these fundamentals, the game opens up into a magnificent battle of wills and wits. Elevating my students to this level makes my role obsolete. But my soul carries on. Specifically in the topspin, so I’ve been told.