at the so-
(Photo by
Most knowledgeable observers of the tennis scene agree that the
so-called \"inner game\" is no longer as popular as it once was. Most
of us who teach professionally know many players who have tried
inner tennis and have given up on it. These players usually offer a
simple explanation for their disappointment with it: its main theme--
to \"watch the ball and let it happen\" -- mistakenly induced them to
minimize the importance of good
ment， if any， was only temporary.
strokes. As a result， their improve-
Their inadequate strokes with their
resulting deficiencies in shots remained apparent despite the \"new\"
theory that we all have built-in good strokes and that we need only
to relax on the court and let them emerge naturally. Many of these
players admit that they are not only playing badly because of experi-
menting with inner tennis techniques， but that they are losing to
players they had often beaten earlier.
No wonder that emphasis in teaching and learning the game is still
on the basics. Most knowledgeable and experienced teachers still
stress stroke practice in which learners consciously think about deve-
loping an efficient and effective way to hit the ball.
If you ve had the experience I ve described above， if you ve discov-
ered that there must be more to learning to play well than simply
relaxing and swinging naturally， this book is for you. But it is also
intended for readers who are not familiar with inner tennis. Regard-
less of whether you are self-taught or were taught by a teacher or a
\"pro，\" if you appreciate the importance of good strokes and if you
accept the need for practice to develop your strokes， there is some-
thing here for you.
A large majority of skilled players learned to play this way， by
thinking of how to play. Few of them believe they were born with
good strokes. Rather， they are proud to have developed their strokes
through many hours of practice， and they admit to continuing to fine-
tune and hone their strokes through additional practice.
The history and literature of the game is replete with incidents of
even world-class players taking time off from tournament play to
work on certain parts of their games. For example， we read that both
Bill Tilden and Don Budge spent winter months revamping their fore-
hands. I remember， too， that Jack Kramer spent an equal amount of
time developing his serve-and-volley techniques. As you would expect，
this kind of dedication extends to today s crop of players.
We know， for example， that Bjorn Borg gave himself a two-week
practice period before one of his f~ successful Wimbledon tourna-
TENNIS FOR THINKING PLAYERS 7
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