Of course, one side expects this to be a "breakthrough" for traditional tennis, while the other is concerned about the so-called "shortcomings of a trend".
In theory, ToTen owns "AND tennis" to be the perfect stepping stone for tennis. With a sponge ball and a short racket, players learn how to swing their hands, feet and feel the ball accurately without having to bear physical pressure or worry about injury. It can be understood that the Vietnam Tennis Federation (VTF) re-identifies this sport, turning it into a "filter bucket" to retain and attract tennis lovers.
However, looking at the current situation of Vietnamese tennis, the road from a small court to a large court is not paved with roses. The biggest barrier is psychology. ToTen is too convenient when playing on a small area, no noise, cheap cost and less sweating. When society favors quickness, ToTen's "easyness" inadvertently creates psychological inertia. When accustomed to standing in the "safe zone" of a slow-flying sponge ball, how many people will choose to move to a standard tennis court, where more is required in terms of physical strength, professional technique and finance?
Not to mention, the lack of connection between the ToTen training system and professional tennis can put players in a "half-hearted" state. A playing style that uses too much wrists from light rackets when carrying heavy rackets will be the fastest formula leading to injury. Without a systematic curriculum strategy, ToTen will only be an entertainment stop instead of being the foundation for something bigger.
ToTen has potential, but needs a serious leadership, not just seasonal communication campaigns. At least don't say it's Vietnam's birth, but it's just a creative version of the sport that originated in 2002 in London. And especially in the context that VTF is facing the fact that Vietnamese tennis itself has been struggling for many years, even falling into crisis when a series of players switched to pickleball.
Not denying the efforts to develop a new sport so that people have more choices for the goal of health training, but the steps need to be cautious and appropriate, making it useful, avoiding ToTen becomes... embarrassing.
