I expect that this, my first dissertation on the fundamentals of tennis, will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am trying to arouse interest in the student of the game of tennis by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I trust will shed a new light on the sport of tennis.
I will address the novice in my opening article and speak of certain things which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of good to the novice even if he really wants to succeed. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality material far outlasts poor quality equipment.
It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of selecting a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain make of racquet upon any player, since all the standard brands are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to obtain the best results.
After having acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only quality tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is of no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and progress rapidly, I strongly advise you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the best players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great help.
It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be learned off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever you can, but try when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have watched.
Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The manner of playing some stroke you have worked on over weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you interest all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The fellowship of the game is universal, since none but an athletic sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is bound hard to his job until late afternoon.
The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not suffice if the playing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a wandering mind in a tennis match. The main one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game properly.
Give it up at once unless you are willing to work hard. Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the quicker the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.
The best way to keep a match in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.
I will address the novice in my opening article and speak of certain things which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of good to the novice even if he really wants to succeed. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality material far outlasts poor quality equipment.
It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of selecting a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain make of racquet upon any player, since all the standard brands are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to obtain the best results.
After having acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only quality tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is of no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and progress rapidly, I strongly advise you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the best players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great help.
It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be learned off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever you can, but try when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have watched.
Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The manner of playing some stroke you have worked on over weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you interest all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The fellowship of the game is universal, since none but an athletic sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is bound hard to his job until late afternoon.
The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not suffice if the playing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a wandering mind in a tennis match. The main one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game properly.
Give it up at once unless you are willing to work hard. Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the quicker the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.
The best way to keep a match in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.
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