Symmetrical Tennis Technique Training!
Dear Friends and Tennis Minds:
Here is a modern pro tour example of an ambidextrous player whose technique and footwork is symmetrical.
https://youtu.be/8iosXeyBb9U
I’m considering starting a special project—a group of young players based in NYC who play symmetrically. Team Symmetry.
I want to train mirror image or close to mirror image technique on both sides to maximize power and spin, with two forehands—and movement efficiency with two open to semi open stances.
Players will have either have dual two handed forehands or dual one handed forehands.
In addition, I would like to train this group of players to be dual handed servers, both lefty and righty—I call them Ambiservers.
If any serious parents would like to participate in this Symmetry Project, please let me know.
I can also work remotely with coaches and parents through our online school platform CLTA.teachable.com. I can advise symmetrical player development through video, WhatsApp, and email.
I would also like to get thoughts and feedback from the coaching community.
I have stated for a long time now that symmetrical training could be a major future trend in technical tennis coaching.
There are a lot of doubters, but I want to prove that symmetrical technique and movement training can be a viable—if not a better—approach to building high level players.
In my view, more power, spin, and better movement efficiency will come from a symmetrical teaching approach, and the body will be healthier, with fewer physical imbalances. Furthermore, forces and loads will be distributed more evenly across the muscles and joints, helping to reduce overuse injuries, which are very common in tennis.
These are radical ideas, but I believe they are viable. We simply haven’t explored this type of systematic training yet.
Once players demonstrate that symmetrical training is possible, the current asymmetrical approach to building technique may be regarded as a quaint period in tennis history, the way we view classic continental grip strokes and play from the early 20th century now.
Here are some additional thoughts on the subject from my blog:
http://prodigymaker.com/index.php/2019/03/30/symmetrical-tennis/
Chris Lewit, Prodigy Maker