Tennis Fundamentals
I trust 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 prolonged discussion of match play, which I hope will shed a new light on the sport of tennis.
I will turn to the novice in my opening and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of 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 clothing 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 desire to advance at the game and progress rapidly, I strongly advise you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the best players and strive to copy their play. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.
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 best 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 watched.
Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked at for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. 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 good sportsman can succeed in the game for any long period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is tied hard and fast to his job until late in the 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 first with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique invented will not suffice if the playing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a distracted mind in a tennis match. The chief one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any expectation of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the practice 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 noises in the gallery usually bewilder even very experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete and utter concentration on the game is the only remedy for a wandering mind, and the quicker 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 just a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.
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