I am going to commence my explanation by talking to the players whose games are not yet formed.At least once every season I go back to first principles to pull myself out of some rut into which carelessness dropped me.
From a long and, many times, sad experience over a period of some ten years of tournament tennis, I believe 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.
Tennis is a game of intimate personal relation.You constantly find yourself meeting some definite idea of your opponent.The personal equation is the basis of tennis success.A great player not only knows himself, in both strength and weakness, but he must study is opponent at all times.In order to be able to do this a player must not be hampered by a glaring weakness in the fundamentals of his own game, or he will be so occupied trying to hide it that he will have no time to worry his opponent.The fundamental weakness of Gerald Patterson's backhand stroke is so apparent that any player within his class dwarfs Patterson's style by continually pounding at it.The Patterson overhead and service are first class, yet both are rendered impotent, once a man has solved the method of returning low to the backhand, for Patterson seldom succeeds in taking the offensive again in that point.
I am trying to make clear the importance of such first principles as I will now explain.
CONCENTRATION
Tennis is played primarily 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 wandering mind in a tennis match.The chief one is lack of interest in the game.No one should play tennis with an idea of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the drudgery necessary in learning the game correctly.Give it up at once unless you are willing to work.Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing under new surroundings.Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the sooner the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.An amusing example, to all but the player affected, occurred at the finals of the Delaware State Singles Championship at Wilmington.I was playing Joseph J.Armstrong.The Championship Court borders the No.1 hole of the famous golf course.The score stood at one set all and 3-4 and 30-40, Armstrong serving.He served a fault and started a second delivery.Just as he commenced his swing, a loud and very lusty "Fore!" rang out from the links.Armstrong unconsciously looked away and served his delivery to the backstop and the game to me.The umpire refused to "let" call and the incident closed.Yet a wandering mind in that case meant the loss of a set.
The surest way to hold a match 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 does not miss is the ultimate victor.
Please do not think I am advocating "pat-ball." I am not.I believe in playing for your shot every time you have an opening.I do not believe in trying to win the point every time you hit the ball.Never allow your concentration on any game to become so great that you do not at all times know the score and play to it.I mean both point score and game score.In my explanation of match play in a later chapter I am going into a detailed account of playing to the score.It is as vital in tennis as it is in bridge, and all bridge players know that the score is the determining factor in your mode of bidding.Let me urge again concentration.Practise seriously.Do not fool on the court, as it is the worst enemy to progress.Carelessness orlaziness only results in retrogression, never progress.
Let me turn now to the first principle of all ball games, whether tennis, golf, cricket, baseball, polo, or football.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL!
Just a few statistics to show you how vital it is that the eye must be kept on the ball UNTIL THE MOMENT OF STRIKING IT.
About 85 per cent of the points in tennis are errors, and the remainder earned points.As the standard of play rises the percentage of errors drops until, in the average high-class tournament match, 60 per cent are errors and 40 per cent aces.Any average superior to this is super-tennis.
Thus the importance of getting the ball in play cannot be too greatly emphasized.Every time you put the ball back to your opponent you give him another chance to miss.
There are several causes for missing strokes.First, and by far the largest class, is not looking at the ball up to the moment of striking it.Fully 80 per cent of all errors are caused by taking the eye from the ball in the last one-fifth of a second of its flight.The remaining 20 per cent of errors are about 15 per cent bad footwork, and the other 5 per cent poor racquet work and bad bounces.
