I expect that this, my initial article 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 prolonged discussion of match play, which I hope will cast a new light on the sport of tennis.
I will address the beginner in my opening article and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the novice even if he really wants to improve. 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 important to always dress in tennis clothes when engaging in tennis. The question of selecting a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advise forcing a certain racquet upon any player. All the standard makes are excellent. It is on the weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is essential to obtain the best results.
After you have acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and try to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great help.
More tennis can be learned off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in actual play. I do not mean miss opportunities to play tennis. Far from it. Play whenever possible, but try when playing to put in practice the theories you have read or the strokes you have watched.
Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when least expected. Good tennis players are the product of hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The fellowship of the game is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is bound hard to his business until late afternoon.
The following is the order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results: i. Concentration on the game. ii. Keep the eye on the ball. iii. Foot-work and weight-control. iv. Strokes. v. Court position. vi. Court generalship or match play. vii. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not be enough if the playing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a distracted mind in a tennis match. The chief one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game correctly.
Jack it in right now if you are not willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the murmurs in the gallery usually confuse even very experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete and utter concentration on the game is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the quicker that lesson is learned the quicker the improvement of the player.
The surest way to keep a match in focus is to go for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, eventually, 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 winner.
I will address the beginner in my opening article and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the novice even if he really wants to improve. 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 important to always dress in tennis clothes when engaging in tennis. The question of selecting a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advise forcing a certain racquet upon any player. All the standard makes are excellent. It is on the weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is essential to obtain the best results.
After you have acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and try to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great help.
More tennis can be learned off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in actual play. I do not mean miss opportunities to play tennis. Far from it. Play whenever possible, but try when playing to put in practice the theories you have read or the strokes you have watched.
Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when least expected. Good tennis players are the product of hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The fellowship of the game is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is bound hard to his business until late afternoon.
The following is the order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results: i. Concentration on the game. ii. Keep the eye on the ball. iii. Foot-work and weight-control. iv. Strokes. v. Court position. vi. Court generalship or match play. vii. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not be enough if the playing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a distracted mind in a tennis match. The chief one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game correctly.
Jack it in right now if you are not willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the murmurs in the gallery usually confuse even very experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete and utter concentration on the game is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the quicker that lesson is learned the quicker the improvement of the player.
The surest way to keep a match in focus is to go for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, eventually, 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 winner.
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