I expect that this, my first piece 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 cast a new light on the game of tennis.
I will address the novice in my opening article and write of certain matters which are second nature to the experienced tennis player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of use for the novice even if he really is trying to succeed. Nevertheless, one has to purchase good quality; it is a saving eventually, as high 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 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 having bought your racquet, make a firm resolve to buy only good 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 the game and progress 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 get your hands on. They are a great help.
Much 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 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.
Do not allow yourself to become discouraged by lack of progress. The way of playing some stroke you have worked on over weeks in vain, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the result 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 brotherhood of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person 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 most perfect racquet technique in the world will not suffice if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a distracted mind in a tennis match. The main 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 drudgery necessary to learn the game correctly.
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 a wandering mind, and the quicker the lesson is learned the quicker the improvement of the player.
The best way to keep a game 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 winner.
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