LAWN TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 92, 18 April 1929, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS

NOVEL VOLLEY BOARD ENTHUSIAST’S EXPERIMENT. A TOUCH OF GENIUS. A contributor forwards details of a novel volley board. “I decided on a volley board in a [determined attempt to get a back hand [for next spring,” he writes. “I did not have money enough to spare to pay [a carpenter to put one up, so I went Io Hi garage and bought a big case, with | lour sides 6ft, by Bft. The two jends I promptly chopped up for firo|wood. The boards ran the long ways |of the sides, so 1 sawed the battens through on one side, cutting it in two. I then nailed this half to one whole I side with battens along tho back, get[ting a volley board 9ft. high by Sft. wide. “At tho limber yard .1 bought, a 4in. by Jin. hardwood post 12ft. long, aim dug a Sft. hole at lhe place, where T wanted the board. Then I sot up the post. 9ft. in the air. “So far it. was an ordinary .volley board, but with tho aid of an intelligent blacksmith who lived near by, an iron rod was made and bolted to the volley,hoard and fastened to the post, the board being 3ft. away from the post It was a touch of genius of mine to have a volley board that could bo sloped to and from the player in order to find the best position. “T. found (and this was not altogether to niy surprise) that a volley board should lean forward, the top towards tho striker. With an erect hoard and a player hitting tho ball with Hop’ on (and most players do), the hall comes nff tho board almost, level, giving a bounce straight in the air. a hall that is too rnre in tennis to bo worth practising on. With the top sot forward, the ball hits the ground with a better angle, and tho bounce is more like tho real thing. “Still experimenting. I sot tho top of the board back (away from the player), and found that hero was splendid overhead practice .the bounce of tho ball being just like an ordinary lob. ‘‘l had placed tho board on a back lawn. but. although T rolled and to}) dressed tho lawn, I could not got a true enough surface for good practice. I found that an uneven bounce cramped free hitting, so I determined to got an asphaltor in to put down a good-sized square. Tt. w-ns then that I got. another good idea. I nailed tho other half lid to tho two remaining sides, and laid them on tho lawn, and got a true fast bounce. By letting the battens into the ground and painting tho hoard green, the effect is not unplensing. “The total cost, including cartaeo, was 155.”