LAWN TENNIS

NZ Truth, Issue 936, 3 November 1923, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS

For Champions and Colts THE ONE THING NEEDED. A Theory of Match -Winning. (By "Umpire.") / I might have headed thia article: "For Youngsters Only," if it wasn't for my deep conviction that there are mighty f?w players, old or young, who con afford to ignore the things I mean to talk about, I might have headed it "New Season Resolutions," but for the fact that "season" has two of the letters that go to the spelling of "year." 80 I'll be content with the ohaste inscription which has drawn your eya here and corns down to hard foots. That suptr-six cylinder giant ot the oourt, W. T. Tllden, one* confessed that h« overhauled his footwork and racqust work anow at the commencement of each s#ajion. And whatever you may believe W.T.T. to be be isn't a liar, so we must bolieve him. Just think what that confession means. The American tennis season Is only as long aa ours, with the difference that championship p)ay is poaßlblo FROM THE JUMP. Tho tennis fan can, and does, spend much of tho winter m practice, unless he lives In New York, which has other attractions. If ho's a wise man he'll tako a holiday from tho racket before the season starts, or else ho will bo likely to And himself sutterlnu from profound boredom m the middle of an Important match before half tho summer has fjpwn by. The champion does have his holiday, though to hear Big BUI, Champion of Champions, talk you would think that he begrudged It But the youngster hasn't tho brains to do tho Bamo thing. Here's the moral of tho sermon: 'Ware stalonoss, you colts! I hayo «obn an awful object losson to younjj players during the sermon Ju«t past. One was a youngster v.-»o had practised all the winter Sn order to collect summer scalps. Ho did. At the beginning oi! the season ho was unbeatable and th« old men were atlU finding their feet. But around tournament tlmo ho WENT TO THE PACK. I witnessed the pitiful spectacle of the biding which ho received at the hands of another man who won shrewd and accurate: but hadn't a stroke to compare with the colt's. Iwv him m troubU through weak sarvloo returns,

netting easy vollies, smashing recklessly. = I saw bis conrt being raked by the other fellow's powerful forehand and the boy playing a defensive game almost from the start. And then I saw a - grand recovery, when the kid pulled up from 2-5 m the third set, winning three games m a row, two of them against service. But the effort was 'too much and he slumped again. His opponent led 0-40, when the kid set his teeth. He slammed for the other man'iS backhand and, tired -aa he was, rushed the net, putting away the point with* a neat crosscourt volley, ■ -A drive, a volley and a smash gave him the point for 30-40, and a brilliant back-hand passing shot made the score deuce. I thought for the moment that HE .MIGHT PULL OUT, but "the effort was too great. He simply threw away the next two points. The score m that match speaks for Itself. It was 10-S, 1-6, 6-4. The. other awful example was a boy lf withi plenty of v. style;. -who- almost 'lives on a court and yet doesn't improve because he lacks those two /primary -necessities—concerltration and determination. Not .all the play m the world will give them to him, of course; but he'd stand, a bigger chance if ,he would not insist upon whacking "the i ball every ' chance that he • gets,' -winter and summer. The Americans are a. serious-tninded ; people and you will find m the 1 States that the problem i with which they are engaged ip .the iproblem of stateness. For though I ' strokes, may, dnly be met by strokes, ! the biggetst factor . against effective I racket- work. .is ';•,.';. LACK OP CONCENTRATION. Go to the old player for advice, and what Is the first thing that ho will tell you? "Keep 'your eye on the ball," Is the /fundamental maxim which \rill greet the colt m haste to be a champion, and the old player will blame it for many of. the colt's errors, which, if the youngster be worth his salt, result from nothing of the sort, but from over-eagerness and. hitting too soon. I will put this, advice m another way and sum it up m the one word— "Concentrate.", Concentrate and you will find that there will be no need to add the rider about watching the ball, because this is a part of the mental attitude that you will inevitably adopt. Go for your shots and hit boldly, but firmly. Know where you want to put the ball, and • PUT IT THERE courageously. An out Is worth two nets any day m tho week. Play as hard as an International forward following up a 1 fumbled . kick with five minutes to go and a try needed. Do your darndest, without thought of the shower or sun, or to-night's jazz party. ■ Don't scruple to take risks, but I don't take them recklessly and always j reserve . the risk taking for when you are behind. But when you go on the court go on to do your best, m practice or match., Remember that the first point, m each game ia of equal Importance aa the last, and that when you lead 15 -love your opponent MUST WIN TWO STROKES to pass you. .. '. " What , makes a match-player — strokes, style, severity? Not a bit of It! Sheer will to win, determination, grit. That Is why the plodder ia so feared bj' tho youngster. The colt Is erratic. His shots go m or out In spasms and ho understands the reason for it imperfectly. If he ?s a great player-to-be he. overwhelms his opponent m the long run by sheer brilliance, but lack of training, or too much play, are bound to take their toll m. lethargy or fatigue. And then the plodder comes into his own. The apcret of the good player is his command, not only, over his racket, but of himself, and the application with which he goes about tilings. In sport, as m business, THE GRAFTER WELL. GET THERE. Other knowledge is ossential, of course, the theoretical side must be studied and tho boy taught to think at the. moment when thought Is required, but even unsupported by the haziest notions of the theory of tho game, the sticker will go a long way. Remember, too, you colts, m your immense scorn of reputations, which I win so many matches, that every player of prominence was once unhonored i and unsung and that luckily or unluckily ho has come Into prominence through beating men— and through going on beating them. That's what matters; and if his style Beoma all wrong to you, IC bo ploys pat. ball or hits 'em over with the handle, remember that the main thing ia that he hits them over and that the othor fellow doesn't, and that tho presumption' is that he concentrates more and makes more use of his racket within his ability. And even if tho other man misses a couple of hair-raising shots per game — well, he misses thorn, and what is a match m tho ultimate analysis but a whole series of ahots m which he who makes the most wins?