Tennis Fundamentals
I expect that this, my first literary work 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 turn to the novice in my opening and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the beginner even if he really is trying to succeed. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality material far outlasts poor quality gear.
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 advocate 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 having acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to buy 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 advance at the game and progress rapidly, I strongly recommend you to see all the good tennis you can. Observe 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 picked up off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the best players in action, than can ever be learned in one’s own actual play. I do not mean 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 seen.
Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on over 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 interest all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The brotherhood of tennis is universal, for 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 player who is bound hard to his job until late afternoon.
The order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results is: a. Concentration on the game. b. Keep the eye on the ball. c. Foot-work and weight-control. d. Strokes. e. Court position. f. Court generalship or match play. g. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique invented will not suffice if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a wandering 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 enough about the game to be willing to do the drudgery 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 often bewilder even very experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete and utter concentration on the game is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the sooner that lesson is learned the more rapid the advancement of the player.
The surest way to keep a match in focus is to try 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 collection of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.