There are many other reasons why keeping the eye on the ball is a great aid to the player.It tends to hold his attention so that outsideoccurrences will not distract.Movements in the gallery are not seen, and stray dogs, that seem to particularly enjoy sleeping in the middle of a tennis court during a hard match, are not seen on their way to their sleeping quarters.Having learned the knack of watching the ball at all times, I felt that nothing would worry me, until three years ago at the American Championships, when I was playing T.R.Pell.A press- camera man eluded the watchful eye of the officials, and unobtrusively seated himself close to our sideline to acquire some action pictures.Pell angled sharply by to my backhand, and I ran at my hardest for the shot, eyes fixed solely on the ball.I hauled off to hit it a mighty drive, which would have probably gone over the backstop, when suddenly I heard a camera click just under me, and the next moment camera, pressman, and tennis player were rolling in a heap all over the court.The pressman got his action picture and a sore foot where I walked on him, and all I got was a sore arm and a ruffled temper.That's why I don't like cameras right under my nose when I play matches, but for all that I still advocate keeping your eye on the ball.
GRIP, FOOTWORK, AND STROKES
Footwork is weight control.It is correct body position for strokes, and out of it all strokes should grow.In explaining the various forms of stroke and footwork I am writing as a right-hand player.Left- handers should simply reverse the feet.
Racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke, because a faulty grip will ruin the finest serving.There is the so-called Western or Californian grip as typified by Maurice E.M'Loughlin, Willis, E.Davis, and, to a slightly modified degree, W.M.Johnston, the American champion.It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive.It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.
The English grip, with the low wrist on all ground strokes, has proved very successful in the past.Yet the broken line of the arm and hand does not commend itself to me, as any broken line is weak under stress.
The Eastern American grip, which I advocate, is the English grip without the low wrist and broken line.To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the faceperpendicular, the handle towards the body, and "shake hands" with it, just as if you were greeting a friend.The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one.The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.
The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up.The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.
This is the best basis for a grip.I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality.
Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.
In explaining footwork I am, in future, going to refer in all forehand shots to the right foot as R or "back" foot, and to the left as L or "front." For the backhand the L foot is "back" and R is "front."All tennis strokes, should be made with the body' at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball.The weight should always travel forward.It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball.Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke.It is weight that determines the "pace" of a stroke; swing that, decides the "speed."Let me explain the definitions of "speed" and "pace." "Speed" is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air."Pace" is the momentum with which it comes off the ground.Pace is weight.It is the "sting" the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed.
Notable examples of "pace" are such men as W.A.Larned, A.W.Gore,J.C.Parke, and among the younger players, R.N.Williams, Major A.R.F.Kingscote, W.M.Johnston, and, on his forehand stroke, Charles S.Garland.
M.E.M'Loughlin, Willis E.Davis, Harold Throckmorton and several others are famous "speed" exponents.
A great many players have both "speed" and "pace." Some shots may carry both.
The order of learning strokes should be:
1.The Drive.Fore- and backhand.This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way.Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.
2.The Service.
3.The Volley and Overhead Smash.
4.The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.
