This is a very good question and one I can only answer based on my point of view as a player and a coach who’s conducted over 15 years of on-court research as well as study of other ball sports.
It comes down to this: You can't play tennis if you can't hit the ball. Past beginner level you can argue about this, but at the beginner level, tennis is all about the ball.
I appreciate the viewpoint that you can't hit the ball if you can't get to the ball. True! But a beginner needs to focus their attention on what gives them the best outcome in the shortest amount of time. Otherwise they lose interest quickly.
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