LAWN TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 18399, 6 October 1923, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS

OH BUYING A RACKET. [By Recorder.] It is now a daily occurrence for the more experienced players to bo stopped in the streets by future champions, of both sexes, and asked for advice on the important question of buying a racket. These young enthusiasts come filled with tales as to how certain friends perform wonders with a particular make of racket. They will tell you, also, that the frame comprised wood of two different colors, that the head was very long, or very wide, and that the handle was, or seemed, shorter or longer than the one they used. Again, it was strung differently—either tighter or more loosely. Would you advise mo to get ono of tlio.so wonder rackets?

My advice to intending buyers is ; First, do not worry about the name of the maker or the player’s name which tho manufacturer uses tor advertising purpose. These are rackets named after Doust, Patterson, Wood, Wright, Wilding, Doherty, and numerous others; rackets of wood and rackets of steel. Loading makers turn out high-class and inferior goods at high and low prices. When you visit a dealer’s shop you are generally summed up fairly quickly. Tho inexperienced youth or maiden goes up, to tho salesman and says, in a timid sort of way; “I want to buy a racket." "Oh, yes! Just como over here. Now, would you like ono of these made by and it has tho name of the celebrated player Mr on the handle, but ho is dead now. Or: What about this one? Take it in your hand. Isn’t it beautifully balanced? And seo that dark knot in the frame?—that was put there to strengthen it. And do you notice that the framowood is of two different colors? You may bo told, also, that the trees from which tho wood comes are all exactly alike, and every tree has these knots oqui-dis-tant, about 3ft, from each other, which explains why every frame has one knot in the same pln.ee. Tho dark wood, you may be told, is also put into the frame for strengthening purposes. You got this information from a salesman who has probably never been on a tennis court in his life; the only time he ever swung a racket was in the shop, and then he smashed tho overhead gas globe. You next ask the price—the main tiling in life is “tho price wo pay.” Ninety shillings this one; the other is 5s less, but it really ought to be 10s more. That makes the young lady jump. She sees another. Oh, what a lovely racket! How much for this one That ono is 15s. We usually sell them to children who visit the St.‘Kilda beach, and they use them as sand sieves. Oh, I’m sorry. The—the—l mean tho pfft (vulgar word !) seems so good. Yes, it is made of cord, veneered with a substance giving the appearance of the real article. All dealers are not so reliable as those we have in Dunedin. Here you may iel,v on getting your money’s worth if you buy in any o<. tho well-known establishments. In choosing a racket don’t bo led to value its v/r(h because it happens to Hear the name of some champion player. A charge of shot, from an ancient muzzle-loader will kill you just as surely as ono fired from a niodcrn breechloader. Makers can afford to put better workmanship into rackets on which no royalty is paid for the use of a player’s name. Different colored woods in ono frame usually denote two separate pieces of timber—ono (tho dark) barked, the other unbnrked. Choose tho lightcolored wood, and for choice the one without knots. Next, the handle. The grip is an important factor. Tildcn’s advice as to the method of gripping is very apt. If the implement is being handed to you just grip it ns if you were shaking hands with a friend—a. truly natural grip. Choose the octagonal-shaped handle; don’t take one which seems either too thick or too small. Tho over-thick one tires tho muscles of the forearm; the too small tiros and cramps tho hand itself. The handle which permits only the thumb and forefinger to overlap is the idea! one. If possible, abjure the racket with thick strings ; thin, almost transparent, gut is tho best, and select tho tightly-strung. See, also, that file gut is jiV) 'well' into' the frame) otherwise it soon gives wav through coming into contact with the asphalted court. An abomination is tho top-heavy racket, and this brings in the question of balance. It is impossible for a. player to have proper control with, a badly-balanced racket, and it is_a great strain on tho arm. What constitutes a well-balanced weapon? When selecting choose the. one, if its other qualities are good, which, when gripped, seems to bo almost a. part of your arm, or an extension of it. That is the ideal. Weight is not now tho consideration it used to bo years ago, when the W’cight was never b than 15oz, a.nd many, including “ Recorder," used 16]oz and sometimes 17oz rackets. To-day even the looz is rare. For men 14 oz to 14|nz is the vogue, and for women Ujroz to 14oz. Lastly, don’t buy foreign makes. The Bril-ish-ninde article is infinitely superior, and ils manufacture employs your ain folk. I have not referred io tho steel-framed implements—it is at the cross roads, Tho fact that you possess a racket almost perfect in every respect docs not necessarily mean that you are. or will be a good player. The racket itself will never make, you one. of the elect: it is the brain and sinew, or in other words “tho man (or woman) behind the gun ” which counts.