TENUIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 December 1924, Page 10

TENUIS.

COMING EVENTS

New Zealand Championship—December 26 to January 1, fit Auckland. Marlborough Championships—December 25, 26, 27, at Blenheim. North Otago Championships—December 25, 26, 27, ait Oainavu. Southland Championships—D eeember 25, 26, 27, at Southland. Rotorua Championships—December 25, 26, 27. at Rotorua. South AVairafiipd Champioiiships— December 26, 27, 29, at Martinborough. Canterbury Open Tournament.—December 26, 27, 29, 30, at Christchurch. Wanga'nui Championships—January 1. 2,3, at Wanganui. South Canterbury Championships— January 1,2, 3, at Timaru. Taranaki Championships-f-January 6 to 9, at New Plymouth. Rotorua Junior Championships—Jariiiafy 15 anc( IQ, at Rotorua. Auckland Championships—January 29, 30, 31, at Auckland. ■ , West Coast Championships—February 10 to 13, at Greyrriouth. Hawke’s Bay Championships—Easter at Napier. PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Some 30 public schools are this year represented in the 1924 championships, bfit, unfortunately, owing to the shortage of courts the entries have been limited to four girls and four boys from each school. Notwithstanding that the entries are limited, they total 850, and the players will have to be distributed over 43 courts in different parts of Wellington to play the events off. Last Saturday rain drove all the young enthusiasts home before many had a hit. Some of them were on the courts well before 8 a.m. By dividing the draw into sections, ten centres are being used, and as the finals are approached the competitors will be assembled at one centre, possibly the Brougham Hill courts. The sending of the children to so many different parts of the city, all means extra management, and all' that would be avoided if Miramar, with its 80 odd courts, were now available. Conv petitors from as far as Paekaliariki,. J. limmerton, and Hutfc Valley schools were in attendance on Saturday, W.J. Melody, the honorary secretary ’of the i v Association, was in charge, and although the arranging of the matches at the different centres was of a complicated nature, he, with his years of experience at the job, made light w r ork ot it. Mr. Melody wished, this season to retire from the position of secretary, but his. fellow school teachers prevailed upon him to carry on his good work for another year. Some fine young players, both boys and girls, will be seen m this year’s competitions, and clubs would be wise to keep an eye on these budding champions, as it is'from the school ranks that clubs are most likely to secure their champions of the future. Each year, ever since the Public ochool Championships have been plaved most promising players have been brought to light, and although so far only one has won the highest honour—a Aew Zealand ch am pi on sli i p —vet others Have won junior New' Zealand championships, and several have been successful in winning championships at °u i i £ ournarnen ts. More interest should be taken in the Public School Championships by tennis nlayers generally and considerable help could be given by the way of umpiring Next year it is to be hoped that there will lie plenty of courts available, so that it will not be necessary to limit the en.y- ny °u<J who has not seen the y ung idea- at work on the tennis courts p n S, t , better than attend the Public School’s gathering It is interesting from many points of view, and even adult players can pick up a point or two from some of the vouneer players Many styles of play are tohe observed, and although one and all are anxious to win for their respective Sw t’ yet i a en^oy the S ame to the utmost, and never for one moment look l%J l i P -? nt Ji nless they have fairly i t- +i T} - ey have all keen well coached bv their teachers as far as the latter matter is concerned.

FOREHAND AND BACKHAND PLAY.

i Come . 0n ’ ? oy .’ piek Jour feet up an d Quit swinging off your wrong toot. Every one who has received

a single day’s coaching in tennis has had something of this kind yelled at him Jand has sulkily w-ond'ered why the other fellow was so nasty. It was ydur own. foot you were hitting off of, ancl why couldn’t you hit off either one you felt like; it was none of his business, gosh! Well, possibly so, yet he was out to try to teach you the correct stroke, apd no stroke can he made correctly il your weight is badly ulaeed on your feet in wrong position. Therefore, though they were your feet, still the position was up to your coacher. In dealing with position the matter will be taken up in regard to various strokes. Thus writerW. T. Tilden. THE' FOREHAND DRIVE. From either court the- forehand drive or ground stroke depends on three things: (1) Keep your eye on the ball. (2) Rositicm of feet and its relation to your weight. (3) Position in the court lire only one* we need vConsider today is foot work and weight, position. This will also hold true of all the other shots taken.up. A forehand drive may be made two "ays either straight down the line or cross court. The fast shot tends down the line, the slower shot cross court, the sharper the angle, the slower the shot must be to star in the court.

To hit down the line, the line of the toes of both feet should be nearly parallel to the line of driving the ball and both feet making a right angle to it, the left foot should be about twelve or- eighteen inches in advance of the right and the weight should rest on the back (or right) foot until the moment of hitting the ball, when it should shift with the shot on to the front (or left) foot, thus putting the full force of your body into the ball. This shot heeds plenty of “top” spin and can be hit very hard, but a moderate sure odee is preferable. Any shot to he of ally real value ihrst go in better than 50 per cent of the times played of it will be losing for you.

The cross-court off-hand drive is made in the same manner a.s Regards th£ question of weight, but the front (or left) foot is extended in front of arid over neater the sideline than the straight shot, and a distinct “pull” given to the ball by swing oh to that foot. This shot should beeobie slower as its angle becomes greater, since speed will carry it blit over tlie opposite side-line. . THE BACKHAND. This, shot, so., remarkably developed by Theodore Roosevelt Pell, is capable. of two .typers of footwork, both good, one safe and sure, one erratic, but making the shot much more severe. The safe footwork is the one to acquire, and will be the only one taken up now, The other will Be explained when writing on Pell’s famous shot. To hit down the line from the right court the position is merely reversed frbm the. foreliaiid.. shot to .the same place, the line from the heels being parallel to the sideline and the weight going from, the left (ill this case the back foot) on to the right (or front) foot.

To drive cross-court. Mekhaiid from the right court, imagine a line drawrl corner to' corner from your rig Tit hand, back-line court corner to your opponent’s, set your fefet as directed for the straight SHbt _ and hit in the same manner. It is merely a question of facing diagonally across the court instead of down the line. To HIT DOWN THE LINE from the second, or left court, the weight travels' front the back (or left) foot on to the front (or right) with the shot, the feet', making a right angle with the ’sideline .and the line of the toes being parallel with it . To

hit. cross-court shove your front foot over farther (be nearer the sides) and “pull” on it, driving ball cross-court. The greater the angle the. slower the shot must be. On all shots from the back court, the weight should travel into the shot—with the swing, the body should meet the ball as it comes to you, but should never interfere with ' a freer serving of the arm. There , are two, ways of getting this result of keeping the body away from the ball: First: To advance tlie front foot when the ball is away from you and you wish to reach it. Second: To retreat the back foot when the ball is coming directly at you or close to you and you wish to get your.'body out of the way of the : ball to swing atit. In all shots your j weight should go from the hack foot to the front foot. That is in' forehand shots from the right to the left, in backhand shots from the left to right-. This holds true in hitting straight pi* cjross-court, from either court one- or two from the back court. BROOKES GOES ON FOR EVER, (By Alfred Lawn Tennison). The following clever jingle appeared in 1914 in a Victorian contemporary, written by “Oriel,” in Passing Show. That is ten years ago, when Brookes had just beaten in succession Gordon Lowe, Mavrogordato, Beamish, Ritchie, W. Gore, Froitzheim, and Anthony Wilding: With simple fdith and Norman Brookes V e ought to do the goblet, And enter in Australia’s books , T .P nce . more the Davis goblet, with judgement rare and wondrous dash He makes a sudden sally; And with, a nicely tempered smash He terminates the rally. And then with drive or "wily shove He’ll make the pace a roarer Until 6-0, 6—o, 6—o. Is chanted by the scorer. won, as once lie won before — Observe the touching fate oh ' 0f Froitzheim, Ritchie, Gore, And Mav-etcetera-dato, les, once again the Cup we’ll show lo crown our brave endeavour, I*or stars may ccjme and stars may go -But Brookes gods on forever