TENNIS FOR GIRLS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 160, 12 August 1914, Page 11

TENNIS FOR GIRLS.

A COMPLETE CHANGE OF IDEAS.

The victory in Paris of Mile. Lenglen —tli o winning of the Hard Court World's Championship by a fifteen-year-old girl —should lead to a complete change in the ideas of mpst people with regard to lawn tennis for, girls.' The theory is held, fairly generally, that athletics, or at any rate games of the more strenuous kind, are bad for girls, and that only the strongest among them should attempt such things. But. surely the fact that a girl of such tender years can compete on level terms with women of greater age and experience 'entirely disproves this theory, writes Ethel YV. Larcombe, ex-lady champion in the "Manchester Guardian."- I

Of course, no one wishes girls to become .mannish or to lose their femihiue qualities in any degree, and this is Usually the-po-int. of attack for the general condemnation of all strenuous games. They are supposed ro lead ,to ungracefuluess, over-development, hard muscles, and so on. -But lawn tennis, played in good style, tends to nothing contrary to the ideal of feminine beauty. ludeedj-ut is conducive to moije grace, to firmness of flesh and inusclie without hardness or over-development, and to the perfect health and conditioji of the,body without strain of any kirn}. .Naturally all this helps to keep tire brain also in good working order. , '' TI I K LEAST STRAIN ON THE j IMPLEMENT." : 1

I lay stress on cbi-rect, style for 'thje following 'reason's. It is- obvious to anyone that doing anything in the easiest way involves the least possible ;strain oil 1 what 1 'may call the implements used'. Thus in adopting good stvl6 autl easy -methods' for dawn tehrtis One is asking for the least possible effort from 'all' parts of the l)ody—lieart iiii<-l lungs, limbs amf diieiselt free to make the greatest pdssiblfe use of the brain instead of tiring it with the body's useless exertion: Another important advantage gained by these methods is the possibility of playing well, although possessing no physical qualifications. -To give myself .as an instance-—I have bad eyesight, • no great ljiuscular strength, and no fleetness of foot whatever. As a child I .was not at all strong, but lawn tennis, instead of acting on t.his weakness in any disagreeable .way, has helped me in no small degree to the good health I now enjoy. One tremendous advantage, however, I did"«possess—that 'of being correctly taught. Mile. Lenglen has the same advantage, and in this undoubtedly lies the secret of. her victory in Paris; On the one hand,, her; comparative' weakness in size, -strength, reach, r and speed. On the othery the single ; fact that she has been anil; istill is correct style and .with a complete knowledge of the game and its finer-points. The moral is obvious. All girls should strive for good teaching, and, failing personal instruction, which is hot always easy to obtain, should try ;to\ find out for themselves .how,, to make al 1 strokes in the right way. They niust not be content to piay.'' knyhow.' f ; HOW TO HOLD THE RACQUET. Perhaps I can help a little by repeating here what I consider the simplest grip for the forehand stroke. Hold the racquet straight out with its face perpendicular; grasp it so that the "V" between-the thumb and-- first fingfer comes on the left or front edge of the straight piece -down -the- side of the; handle. Close the- fingers; round-the, handle,, naturally, slanting • slightly upwards,.*, and the little finger will ; be half or three-quarters of an inch above the leather at the end. With this grip it is possible —and easy: —to serve overhead or underhand, and to take any forehand stroke- with the ball at any height, whether volleyed or off the ground. For the backhand the grip must be changed. The hand should be turned i to the left "until, the whole of the back of it is showing that straight I side-piece" where the 'V "« was before. I The thumb should be placed straight up | the front of the racquet, as it gives j added power and control. ! The correct position of the body is" ! sideways to the net, facing the riglitj hand side-line for a forehand stroke, | and the left for a backhand. .When i running towards the ball it is impoitant Ito remember that a forehand stroke I should be taken with the left foot most ] i forward, and a bilckhand with the right ! foot most forward. The taking of ;' strokes "off the wrong foot" is a more I common form of error than manj 1 imagine. A correct swing is impossible j if the body and the feet are not in the ! right position. | DIFFICULTIES OF THE VOLLEY. ! This is the reason that girls as a' j find it difficult, to Play at the: ! net is so qiiick that one has not time to i i assume ~ correct ' positions, hence the swing must be done away with. Of; course, the whole art of volleying can-; not be dismissed in a few words, but, briefly speaking, it is almost entirely wrist* work., The racquet is gripped more tightly and held firm and stiff at the correct, "angle and in the right place for the stroke required. This does not applv, however, to "smashes," as ,for overhead strokes one has usually time for correct position and its accompanying swing. Technicalities are not always interesting, and I fear this article is too full of them, but I shall be only too glad if it helps any girl either to learn or to play more easily. Lawn tennis is worth playing for so many reasons — for its own sake as a game, for the sake of health as a body-builder, for educa- j tiou as a' character-builder. It de- i velops unselfishness, good temper, cool; I ness under difficult circumstances, hoh : j our, and all the many little acts 'of j straightness' included : in the I;erm 1 "good sportsmanship." ' . i