CHAMPION DISCUSSES RUDIMENTS OF TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 14

CHAMPION DISCUSSES RUDIMENTS OF TENNIS

(SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR THE SOUTHLAND TIMES)

By

DONALD BUDGE

No. 1

Whan discussing the elements of first practice I naturally think back to my own introduction to the game. Soon after my eighth birthday my brother and I went out to a nearby dirt court and there, decked out in a pair of brown overalls and a khaki Boy Scout hat, I tried for the first time to hit n few balls. The first stroke we worked on was the forehand drive, which I believe is the most important stroke of all. Certainly it is the most powerful attacking weapon in a player’s game. I sincerely recommend that everyone concentrate first on the forehand drive, for without full control of this stroke there is little or no chance for future success. \ The second stroke, really a brother to the forehand drive, is the backhand drive. This wing is the obvious point of an opponent’s attack and is more difficult to develop to a high degree as an attacking stroke. As my idea of the game is to build up a strong attack as the best possible defence, I put the backhand drive second in the order of importance. SERVICE IMPORTANT As the service is the starting point of the game some authorities believe that young players should learn to serve first. I-relegate the service to third place because it is an easy stroke to learn. The principle is that of throwing a cricket ball and is therefore no stranger to the average youth. Further, the problem of timing is easier with the service as the player throws the ball into the air before hitting it and is therefore faced only with standardizing the throw and swing. An off-shoot of the serve is, of course, the overhead smash, which should be carefully studied as it is a very useful attacking stroke. The next stroke in order of importance is the volley. I believe that the forehand and backhand volleys should be learnt at the same time. Nowadays there are two types of volley. The first and orthodox stroke is the “block” volley. The second is known as the “full” or “kill” volley. This is used by such players as Ellsworth Vines, Widmer Allison and Gene Mako in their playing of shots between the waist and shoulder while at the net. This stroke may be new to many and I shall discuss it in detail later because I think it may revolutionize volleying and add a great , deal to the possibilities of net play. After the volley comes the lob. Most novices regard this stroke only -as a valuable unit in defence, but it can also be used as a means of attack. It consists of merely hitting the ball up into the air, over the head of an opponent who is charging to the net. In addition to these fundamental strokes there are “slices,” “drop-shots,” “chops,” “half-volleys,” “lob-drives,” and various unorthodox methods of serving, which should be left- to the end of a beginner’s programme. They are much less important than the fundamental strokes and it is preferable not to attempt them until the all-im-portant strokes have been mastered. The first thing for a beginner to learn is to keep his eye on the ball. This is, of course, necessary in all bail games, but most people fail to do so. The

ball must be hit, and to be hit must be seen and watched closely. It is best to watch the ball right up to and through the' moment of impact with the racket. A good method of teaching the beginner to do this is to toss, a ball to him a few times and let him catch it on the first bounce. He will soon get used to the flight and bounce and be able to keep his eye trained on it while preparing to stroke it. 7 . The learner should first be shown tne complete stroke so that he can go about reproducing it. If at all possible he should get a professional or good amateur player to throw, balls to him so that he may stroke them. This should be done first from short distances, which may be increased as he shows improved judgment and stroke ability. When he can handle the tossed balls which bounce uniformly he should practice on balls hit to him. Where he was first called upon to handle a uniformly bouncing ball he should now learn to handle balls with assorted bounces and pace.

SOLID OPPOSITION

Not until he has acquired a fair knowledge of stroke production and timing, which also includes keeping his eye on the ball, should he begin to play the game. Then he should play against the best available opponent. In this way he is assured of having plenty of balls hit back to him and will get a chance to put into practice all the strokes which 1 he has been trying to master. The amount of practice that should be given to the game depends on several factors. I The individual power to absorb the fundamentals of the game and still maintain interest must be considered. A player who is tired should never be forced to continue practice, nor should one who has lost interest. A good professional is able to diagnose symptoms of these evils and arrange practice to overcome them. .To reach the championship class one should put aside about four days a week, with recesses spaced properly to avoid boredom. Some players are so interested in the game that they become lost unless practising. For them there is the danger of overdoing it. I think every precaution should be taken against overplaying. When a player feels himself losing interest or playing badly he should, rest