The Fundamentals of Tennis.
I trust that this, my initial dissertation on the fundamentals of tennis, will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am striving 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 and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good for 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 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 brand of racquet upon any player, since all the famous 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 get optimum results.
After you have bought 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 desire to succeed at tennis and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can find. They are a great assistance.
Much more tennis can be picked up off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the top players in play, 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 strive when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.
Never become discouraged by lack of 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 interest all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The fellowship of tennis is universal, since none but an athletic sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is tied fast 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 in the world will not be enough if the playing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a distracted 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 correctly.
Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often bewilder even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Utter concentration on the game is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the quicker that lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.
The best 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 final winner.
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