I expect that this, my first article will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am trying to arouse interest in the student of the game of tennis by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I hope will shed a new light on the sport of tennis.
I will turn to the novice in my opening article and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the beginner even if he really wants to improve. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as high quality material far outlasts poor quality equipment.
It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain brand of racquet upon any player, since all the famous makes are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to get optimum results.
After you have bought your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only quality tennis balls, as a consistent bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at the game and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.
It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be learned off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the best players in play, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever you can, but strive when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.
Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The brotherhood of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any long period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is tied fast to his business until late afternoon.
The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not be enough if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a wandering mind in a tennis match. The chief one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game properly.
Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often bewilder even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Total concentration on the game is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the quicker that lesson is learned the quicker the advancement of the player.
The best way to keep a match in focus is to go for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, eventually, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the final victor.
I will turn to the novice in my opening article and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the beginner even if he really wants to improve. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as high quality material far outlasts poor quality equipment.
It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain brand of racquet upon any player, since all the famous makes are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to get optimum results.
After you have bought your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only quality tennis balls, as a consistent bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at the game and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.
It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be learned off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the best players in play, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever you can, but strive when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.
Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.
The brotherhood of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any long period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is tied fast to his business until late afternoon.
The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.
Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not be enough if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a wandering mind in a tennis match. The chief one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game properly.
Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often bewilder even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Total concentration on the game is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the quicker that lesson is learned the quicker the advancement of the player.
The best way to keep a match in focus is to go for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, eventually, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the final victor.
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