Y I T COP R GH , 19 2 1 , ORAN MP ANY B Y GE ORGE H . D CO

REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION OPYR GHT 1 9 2 2 C I , , E ORAN COMP ANY B Y GEORG H . D

PRINTED IN THE OF AMERICA

AP R 5 922

! 8LA6 5 9 8 08

INTRODUCT ION

ENN art T IS is at once an and a science . The game

a . as played by such men s Norman E Brookes , the l late , Wi liam M Johnston , and

‘

i . l R . N . Will ams is art Yet ike all true art , it has its basis in scientific methods that must be l earned and learned thoroughly for a f oundati on before the artistic structure of a great game can be con structed . Every player who helps to attain a high degree of effi ciency should have a clearly defined method of development and adhere to it . He should be r i ce tain that it is based on sound princ ples and, once o f t o h s assured hat , follow it , even th ug his progres seems slow and discouraging . o I began tennis wrong . My strokes were wr ng n and my V iewpoint cloude d . I had no early traini g Such as m any of our American boys have at the pres e nt time . No one told me the importance of the u as f ndamentals of the game , such keep ing the eye on the ball or correct body position and footwork . as a I w given racquet and allowed to hit the ball . t Na urally, like all beginners , I acquired many very serious faults . I worried along with moderate suc had n cess until I bee graduated from school , beating vi ii INTRODUCTION

t f airl r oo b u m m some y g d players , losing so e atches o to men below my class . The year foll wing my ’ graduation the new Captain of my Alma Mater s team asked me if I would aid him“in developing the squad for next year . Well , Fools rush in

so . where angels fear to tread , I said Yes

At that my tennis education began . The youngsters comprising our tennis squad all knew m e well and felt at perfect liberty to ask me as many questions as they could think up . I was besieged with reques ts to explain why Jones missed o he - a drive d wn t side line , or Smith ’ e to couldn t w ll , or Brown failed hit the ball

” all Frankl I o but a s e e at , y, did not kn w, I n w r d them something at the moment and said to myself it was time I learned some fundamentals of tennis . So I began to study the reason s why certain shots are missed and others made . Why certain balls are hit so much faster though with less effort than s t others , and why ome players are great while mos o s are nly good . I am still studying, but my result to date have resulted in a definit e system to be s x learned , and it i this which I hope to e plain to you in my book, i Tennis has a language all ts own . The idioms e of the gam should be learned , as all b ooks on the m ga e are written in tennis parlance . The technical terms and their counterpart in slang need to be understo od to thoroughly grasp the idea in any c written tennis ac ount . I do not believe in using a great deal of space INTRODUCTION i x

u carefully defining each blade of grass on a co rt ,

e . . or each rul e of the game . It gets nowher I do advocate teaching the terms of the game .

1 T E . . H COURT

- z c n T he Base line T he ba k li e.

he S rv ce- linez T he ac n of the erv cour T e i b k li e s ice t, extending from side-line to side- line at a point 2 1

e ro h net fe t f m t e .

- T he AlleyszT he space on, each side of the court between the side servi ce-line and the outside side of ou cour he are u o line a d bles t . T y sed nly when pl aying doubles and are not marked on a i cour s ngle t .

T he N etzT he barrier that stretches across the

r in h x ac c n r e h cou t t e e t e t e . It is 3 f et igh at the centre and 3 feet 6 inches high at the posts which stand 3 feet outside the side

lines .

T wo e ra ass s 2 . STROKES ( G ne l Cl e ) .

Groun strokeszAll o hi ro th ase A. d sh ts t f m e b n s ofi he ounc of the l li e t b e bal .

olle :Sho i th fl B . V ys ts h t while e ball is in ight hrou h the air r viou to i ts oun t g , p e s b d .

T he Servic T he method of putting the ball in play

“ T he D rive l -A ground stroke hit with a flat racquet and car n to f ryi g p spin . Z T he ChO p An undercut ground stroke is the gen

eral e n ion of cho T he l ce an ch d fi it a p . s i d op INTRODUCTION

are so clo e re ate ha xce in ro ana s ly l d t t, e pt st ke lysis,

they m ay be called chop .

S lle zBlockin a al shor in fl h top Vo y g b l t its ig t.

z u Half or Trap Shot A pick p .

a i n h u l an overhea a l T he Sm s t itt ng o t e f l y d b l .

Z n i h ara T he Hitti ng the ball i a h g p bola.

TWIST ON T H E BALL .

T op Spinz T he ball spins towards the ground and

th rec on o its fl h in e di ti f ig t .

ho Cut or Dra he a s n u ar ro C p , , n b ll pi s pw ds f m

h r u n a s the n of fl h h s is t e g o nd a d ag in t li e ig t . T i

s h evi a e in the ce but all hes term lig tly d t d sli , t e s

are use to es na the un er- s uc ac - n d d ig te d tr k, b k spi

ni n a g b ll .

Reverse T wistz A ball that carries a rotary spin

c n an that urves o e way d bou nces the opposite .

B reas spin which causes the ball to bounce at an

an e to its ne of fli h gl li g t .

: servi ce tha touches the ne i n t fl h et 4 . LET A t t i s ig t y

al s i n court or an e a or irre u ar o n f l , y ill g l g l p i t

ha oes no coun t t d t t .

z l a rv c FAU LT An i e l se . 5 . l g i e

6 O T z An sho hit outs e le al oun ar es of th . U y t id g b d i e

cour t .

Goooz An sho tha s r kes in a le a anner re 7 . y t t t i g l m p

r b u es of he a sc ibe d y r l t g me. INTRODUCTION xi

FOOT EA U LT zAn l e a erv ce e v due to in 8 . i l g l s i d li ery ’ or ec s i o of the erv r c r t po it n s e s feet.

S Z P la e e v r n ic r rv . 9 . ERVER y d li e i g se e

1 R S z P r r 0 . E or TRIKEk la er etu ni n s rvice CEIVER y g e .

W . T . T . 1 2 WIM BLEDON , J uly 9 0

PREFACE TO NEW EDITION

The season of 1 9 2 1 was so epoch-making in the

game of tennis , combining as it did the greatest number of matches that have ever been

held in one year , the invasion of France and Eng an land by American team , the first appearance in

America of Mlle . and her unf or

tunat e collapse , and finally the rise to prominence of Japan as a leading factor in the tennis world ’ that I have incorporated a record of the season s outstanding fea tures and some sidelights and per sonality sketches on the new stars in the new addi

tion of this book . ’ The importance o f women s tennis has grown so tremendously in the past few years that I have also added a review of the game and its progress in

nl . America . Not o y has Mlle Lenglen placed her mark indelibly on the pages of tennis history but 1 B 9 2 1 served to raise Mrs . Molla j urstedt Mal lory to the position in the world that she rightly h deserves , t at of the greatest match winner of all

women . The past season brought the return to M r American courts of s . Bundy and ffi Miss , in itself an event of su cient importance to set the year apart as one of highest

v alue . PRE FACE TO NE W E DITION

re f orm ances The outstanding p of the two juniors , re and Arnold Jones , must be garded as worthy of permanent recognition and among the outstanding fea tures of a noteworthy year . Thus it is with a sense of recording history 1 2 1 making facts that I turn to the events of 9 .

ILDEN 2 D WILLIAM T . T G M NT N ER A OW , PHILADELP HIA CONTENTS

IN TRODUCTION PREFAC E To N EW EDITION

é- PART I :TENNIS TECHNI! UE- STRO KES AND FUNDAM ENTALS O F T HE GAME CHAP TER FOR NOVICES ONLY T H E DRIVE SERVIC E T H E VOLLEY AND O VERHEAD SM ASH

H P F N U T S T N C O , HAL VOLLEY, A D CO R PO I IO

PART II :T HE LAWS O F TENNIS PSYCHO LO GY

VI G EN ERAL TEN N IS PSYCHOLOGY 63 VII T H E PSYC H OLOGY O F MAT C H PLAY 77 VIII T H E PSYC H OLOGY O F PH YSICAL FIT NESS 88 I! T H E PSYC H OLOGY O F SIN GLES AND DOUBLES 9 7

PART III :M O DERN TENNIS AND IT S FUTURE

! T H E GROWT H or THE MODERN GAM E ! I T H E PROBABLE FUT URE OF THE GAM E CONTE NTS

PART IV :SO M E SIDELIGHTS O N FAM O US PLAYERS

CHAPTER INT RODUCTORY AM ERICA BRIT ISH ISLES FRAN CE AN D JA P AN SP AIN AND T H E CON TIN EN T T H E COLON I ES FAM OUS WOM EN PLAYERS I LLUSTRAT I ON S

P LATE C H M T M . N P N OF H E I WILLIA T TILDE , A IO ’ R N T N Fronti zece WO LD , I AC IO sp

R II FOREHAN D G IP . FRONT VIEW E FOREHAND . BACK VI W

III T H E COM P LETED SWING O F THE FOREHAND DRIVE

N R P R N T E IV BACKHA D G I . F O VI W H A N P E BACK D GRI . BACK VI W

V COM P LET ION OF T H E BACKHAN D DRIVE

VI T H E FOREHAN D VOLLEY

VII T H E BACKH AN D VOLL EY

V CU P H EN E R N 1 2 1 VIII DA IS C ALL G OU D 9 .

AM H N T A r . N e i ca N WILLI M JO S O , m , A D

l H IY K M A A a an C A U G E, J p

I! CU P N E R N 1 1 V H 2 . DA IS C ALLE G OU D, 9 Z Z ZEN SH IM ID U Ja a n AN D WM . O , p ,

EN 2 N D A erica T . TILD , m

V C A FAM OUS DA IS U P DOUBL ES TE M S . E R N D R L RM N A E . NO A . B OOKS G ALD R ATT ER N Austra lia 1 2 0 . . . P SO , , 9 N WILLIAM S 2 N D A N D WAT SON WASH xvii xvi ii ILLUSTRATIONS

P LATE

‘ N A c 2 1 . E BU eri a 1 . M R , m , 9 M . C

O H N N . . N Am er L UG LI A D T C BU DY, a 1 1 i c , 9 4

M AV C U P ST AR RM N E . FA OUS D IS S . NO A

R K Au tral T E s ia . N H N . B OO S , A O Y F

N N ew Zaland e . E S WILDI G, B AL T L R H Am eri ca . . . N E W IG , W A AR D , Am eri ca

T H E 1 2 1 U T N V CU P AM 9 A S RALIA DA IS TE . O N R . . E N . E J A D SO , J. B HAWK S , NOR M AN E H AN D P AC C . V . TODD . T H E 1 2 0 M ER N V C U P M 9 A ICA DA I S T EA .

R A M N D . . . 2 H N N WILLI S , W M . JO

T N A P T N S M E R WM . S O , C AI A U L HA DY ,

. N 2 N D A N D S . AR AN T TILDE C . G L D

N R M H M P N O F M E . R O FOR ER C A IO S A RICA .

M . AM H RIS WILLIA S WILLI M . JO N T A E L N R E . S O . M U IC MC OUGHLIN . ROB ERT LINDLEY M URRAY

E T H E A R AN S . YR AN OF W . CHO JULI M ICK,

T A E . RR AN D ER M P . WAL C , F TO EY L R. . M URRAY 1 E DAVIS C U P DOUBLES TEAM 1 9 3 . M . .

L A E . H N A N D . TT MC OUG LI H . H H CK H Y K M A GA E FRIEN DLY EN EM IES . IO I A U A N D VIN C EN T RICHARDS

S. ! V A E H N T N A eri ca . WALL C F. JO S O , m I AR V H E A eri ca . CH IYA HOW D OS LL , m M KU M A AE Ja a n . T N . G , p WA SO

H B RN A eri ca WAS U , m ILLUS TRATIONS xix

R P O F A G OU YOUNG PLAYERS . VINC ENT R A H R . E IC DS A . L . WI N ER ( SAN DY )

A N D WM . . EN 2 N D T TILD . MISS E EN AR H L WILLS . C L FISC H ER

C S . R N AN D R . . M GA LA D N . WILLIA S ,

A r a Y e i c . A e ri ca . . m . C HARD , m A G .

ERT Fr L ance . . A N T Z B . URE GO , W A ,

France

R . K N T . B ri ti I . E sh sles . . . A F I GSCO , J C B r t I R R E i ish sles . E AT T ER PA K , G ALD P

N Au tra ia S O l . . M RD T s . AVROGO A O , T M ,

B ri tish I sles

R M out A ri ca . O U . N S h . . . L IS A AY O D , f B I C

T N o t A r ca . Z S u . SH I h i . NOR O , f F

Z R o M ID Ja an . u an U . HU ia , p N MIS , m

N B R T DT M RS . FRA KLIN I . ! MOLLA J U S E ]

R e M R . R A ri ca . S N MALLO Y, m MA IO ZN R T I DO I N A er ca S E E UP i . J SS , m MISS K R . R N E A eri ca MA Y B OW , m

L . F E Z E EN N rance . B ETH MLL GLE , MISS LI A

RY N r M TT M . Y S A e ca . RS A A , m i U ON

N Y A r M L OM B E e i ca . RS . ARC BU D , m M A N D RS . M BE T H M B E LA R C A RS,

B ri tish Isles

I :TENNIS TECHNI! UE— STROKES AND FUNDAMENTALS OF GAM E

THE ART O F LAWN TENNIS

I :TENNIS TECHNI! UE— STROKES

CHAPTER I

FO R NO VICES O NLY

TRUST this initial effort of mine in the world of letters will find a place among both novices

and experts in the tennis world . I am striving to interest the student of the game by a somewhat pro longed discussion of match play , which I trust Will

shed a new light on the game . May I tu rn to the novice at my opening and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player ! The best tennis equipment i s not too good for the

beginner who seeks really to succeed . It is a saving t ' in the end , as good quali y material so far outlasts

poor . Always dress in tennis clothes when engaging

the . in tennis . White is established colour Soft ’ shirt , white flannel trousers , heavy White socks , and 2 0 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS rubber-soled shoe s form the accepted dress f or

n . in h te nis Do not appear on the courts dark clot es , as they are apt to be heavy and hinder your speed th o f movement , and also they are a Violation of e u h nwritten et i cs of the gam e . The question of choosing a racquet is a much more o s erious matter . I do not adv cate forcing a certain r h acquet upon any player . All t e standard makes a re i . s excellent It in weight , balance , and size of handl e that the real value of a racquet frame de W pends , hile good stringing is essential to obtain the best results . The average player should use a racquet that W 1 1 eighs between 3 % and 4 % ounces inclusive . I think that the best results may be obtained by a balance that i s almost even or slightly heavy on o the head . Decide your handle fr m the individual choice . Pick the one that fits comfortably in the D al i hand . O not use too sm l a handle or too l ght

i n . a racquet , as it is apt to turn the hand I recommend a handl e of 5 to 5 % inches at the grip . Do not use a racquet y ou do not like m erely because your best friend advise s it . It may suit him

f or ou . perfectly, but would not do y at all Do not start children playing tennis with an under-sized racquet . It weakens the wrist and does not aid b o the child in learning strokes . Start a child , y

l - of 1 or girl , with a fu l sized racquet at least 3 ounces . c c e After you have a quired your ra quet , mak a

firm resolve to use good tennis balls , as a regular FOR NOVICE S ONL Y 2 1

c to boun e is a great aid advancement , While a “ ” dead ball i s no practice at all . If you really desire to succeed at the game and

a ur e ou see the dvance rapidly , I strongly g _ y to all

g ood tennis you can . Study the play of the leadi ng

players and strive to copy their strokes . Read all

the tennis instruction books you can find . They

are a great assistance . I shall be accused of press ” a t gi ating my own book by this statement , but such was my belief long before I ever thought of writing

a book of my own . c an ofl More tennis be learned the court , in the s Of tudy theory, and in watching the best players

in action , than can ever be learned in actual play .

I do not mean miss opportunities to play . Far from

it . Play Whenever possible , but strive when playing t o put in practice the theories you have read or the h strokes you have watc ed . i Never b e d scouraged at slow progress . The trick over some stroke you have worked over for weeks unsuccessfully will suddenly come to you

when least expected . Tennis players are the pro

duct of hard work . Very few are born geniuses at

the game . Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your c life . A tennis racquet is a letter of introdu tion in

any town . The brotherhood of the game is uni

versal , for none but a good sportsman can succeed i n the game for any lengthy period . Tennis pro

vides relaxation , excitement , exercise , and pure e njoyment to the man who is tied hard and fast ' 2 2 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

s to his busines until late afternoon . Age i s not a

drawback . Vincent Richards held the National

Doubles Championship of America at fifteen , While

William A . Larned won the Single s at past forty . Men of sixty are seen daily on the clubs ’ courts of England and America enj oying their game as

. s keenly as any boy It is to thi game , in great

measure , that they owe the physical fitness which

enables them to play at their advanced age . The tennis players of the world wrote a magni

ficent 0 page in the history of the World War . N branch of sport sent more men to the colours from

every country in the world than tennis , and these men returned with glory or paid the supreme sacri

fice on the field of honour . I transgressed from my opening to Show you that n tennis is a game worth playing and playi g well . It

deserves your best , and only by learning it correctly

can you give that best . wa If in my book I help you on your y to fame , I feel amply repaid for all the time spent in ana lysing the strokes and tactics I set before you in

these pages .

I am going to commence my explanation by talk ing to the players whose games are not yet formed . At least once every season I go back to first prin ciples to pull myself out of some rut into which

carelessness dropped me .

From a long and , many times , sad experience over a period of s ome ten years of tournament FOR NOVI CE S ONLY 2 3

tennis , I believe the following order of develop ment produces the quickest and most lasting results :‘

I . Concentration on the game .

2 . Keep the eye on the ball .

- - 3 . Foot work and weight control .

4 . Strokes .

5 . Court position .

6 . Court general ship or match play .

s . 7 . Tennis p ychology

Tennis is a game of intimate personal relation . You constantly find yourself meeting some definite idea of your opponent . The personal equation is the b asis of tennis success . A great player not l on y knows himself, in both strength and weakness , but he must study his opponent at all times . In order to be able to do thi s a player must not be hampered by a glaring weakness in the fundamentals o n so r of his w game , or he will be occupied t ying to hide it th a t he will have no time to worry his opponent . The fundamental weakness of Gerald ’ P a tterson s b ackhand stroke is so apparent that any player within his class dwarfs Patterson ’s style by continually pounding at it . The Patterson overhead S im and ervice are first class , yet both are rendered

a returna potent , once man has solved the method of suc ing low to the , for Patterson seldom cee ds in taking the Offensive again in that point . I am trying to make clear the importance of such

first principles as I will now explain .

FOR NOVICE S ONL Y 2 5

Yet a wandering mind in that case meant the loss of

a set . The surest way to hold a match in mind is to r in set play for every set , eve y game the , every e r the point in the game and , finally , ve y shot in set point . A is merely a conglomeration of made

and missed shots , and the man who does not miss is

the ultimate Victor .

- Please do not think I am advocating pat ball .

I am not . I believe in playing for your shot every

time you have an opening . I do not believe in trying to Win the point every time you hit the ball . Never a llow your concentration on any game to become so great that you do not at all times know e the score and play to it . I mean both point scor

and game score . In my explanation of match play in a later chapter I am going into a detailed account

of playing to the score . It is as vital in tennis as b o it is in bridge , and all ridge players kn w that the score is the determining factor in your mode of Le F bidding . t me urge again concentration . rac

tise seriously . Do not fool on the court , as it is

the worst enemy to progress . Carelessness or lazi

ness only results in retrogression , never progress . Let me turn now to the first principle of all ball

games , whether tennis , golf, cricket, baseball , polo , l or footbal . KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL ! Just a few statistics to Show you how Vital it is that the eye must be kept on the ball until the

m om ent of s triki ng i t. 2 6 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

About 8 5 per cent of the points in tennis are the errors , and the remainder earned points . As standard of play rises the percentage of errors drops

n - h u til , in the average high class tournament matc , 60 0 per cent are errors and 4 per cent aces . Any

- average superior to this is super tennis . Thus the importance of getting the ball in play i cannot b e too greatly emphas zed . Every time you put the ball back to your opponent you gl ve him another chance to miss .

Ther e are several causes for missing strokes . o First , and by far the largest class , is not lo king l at the ba l up to the moment of striking it . Fully 8 0 per cent of all errors are caused by taking the eye from the ball In the last one -fif th of a second 2 0 e of its flight . The remaining p r cent of errors 1 are about 5 per cent bad footwork , and the other

5 per cent poor racquet work and bad bounces .

The eye is a small camera . All of us enj oy a dabbling in am teur photography , and ever amateur “ ” y must take action pictures with his first camera . It is a natural desire to attain to the hardest before t understanding how o reach it . The result is one of two things :either a blurred moving obj ect and a a clear background , or a clea r moving obj ect and c blurred ba kground . Both suggest speed , but only one is a good pi cture of the object one attempted to a photograph . In the first case the camera eye w s u o foc sed on the backgr und and not on the obj ect , while in the second , w hich produced the result de s a the ired , the camera eye w s firmly focused ou FOR NOVI CE S ONLY 2 7

. o moving obj ect itself Just s with the human eye . I ff t will give both e ects , but never a clear background m n and moving object at the same ti e , o ce that 1 0 obj ect reaches a point feet from the eye . The it perspective is wrong, and the eye cannot adjust

s elf to the distance range speedily enough . Now the is your moving object while the court , gallery , net , and your opponent constitute y our background . You desire to hit the ball cleanly, t herefore do not look at the other factors concerned , b ut concentrate solely on focusing the eye firmly on l and the bal , watching it until the moment of i mpact with your racquet face .

How do I know where my op onent is , or how ”p m uch court I have to hit in ! ask countless b e g inners . Remember this :that a is always the s ame size , with the net the same height and in the s so ame relation to you at all times , there is no need to look at it every m oment or so to see if it has moved . Only an earthquake can change its

‘

O S ItI OIl . p As to your opponent , it makes little dif ference about his position , because it is determined by the shot you are striving to return . Where he will be I will strive to explain In my chapter on court position ; but his whereabouts are known With

O t . u looking at him . You are not trying to hit him

You strive to miss him . Therefore , since you must watch What you strive to hit and not follow What you

s only wi h to miss , keep your eye on the ball , and let your Opponent take care of himself . 2 8 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

Science has proved that given a tennis ball passing from point A to point B with the receiving player at l B , that if the player at B keeps his eye on the ba l throughout its full flight his chance of making a good A 1 2 3 4 B

return at B is five time s as great as if he fi took his off its eye the ball at a point 4 , or of a second of i s flight . Likewise it is ten times as great at B as it i a if the eye is removed from the ball at 3 , or i of

second of its flight . Why increase your chances of “ error by five times or t en times when it is um necessary ! an n The average player follows the ball to 4 , d the he take s a last look at his opponent to see wh e re he i s , and by so doing increase s his chance of error five 1 0 times . He judges the flight of the ball some feet ha away, and never really sees it again until he s hit it ( if he doe s ) . A slight deflection caused by the wind or a small misjudgment of curve will certainly m ' mean error . Re embering the 8 5 per cent errors in a i s tennis , I again sk you if it worth while to take the risk ! There are many other reasons why keeping the eye on the ball is a great aid to the player . It tends to hold his attention so that outside occurrences not will not distract. Movements in the gallery are c seen , and stray dogs , that seem to parti ularly enjoy sleeping In the middle of a tennis court during a hard n match , are not see on their way to their sleeping kn quarters . Having learned the ack of watching FOR NOVICE S ONLY 2 9

W the ball at all times , I felt that nothing would orry

me , until three years ago at the American Cham

i h . ons i . p ps, when I was playing T . R Pell A press c ffi camera man eluded the wat hful eye of the o cials,

! and unobtrusively se ated himself close to our side

line to acquire some action pictures . Pell angled

sharply by to my backhand , and I ran at my hardest

for the shot , eyes fixed solely on the ball . I hauled off i to hit it a mighty drive , wh ch would have prob a u bly gone over the backstop , when s ddenly I he ard a the camera click just under me , and next moment c amera , pressman , and tennis player were rolling in

a heap all over the court . The pressman got his action picture and a sore foot where I walked on

! as ffl him , and all I got w a sore arm and a ru ed ’ ’ temper . That s why I don t like cameras right under

f or still my nose when I play matches , but all that I

advocate keeping your eye on the ball .

RIP FOOTWO K AND TROKE G , R , S S

i ei h o Footwork s . w g t control . It is c rrect body

position for strokes , and out of it all strokes should

grow . In explaining the various forms of stroke and

- footwork I am writing as a right hand player . Left

handers Should simply reverse the feet . r Racquet grip is a ve y essential part of stroke , a t because a f ul y grip will ruin the finest serving . There is the so-called Western or Californian grip ‘

M L o hlin . as typified by Maurice E . ug , Willis E

Davis , and , to a slightly modified degree , W . M . 8 0 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NN IS

c . Johnston , the American hampion It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive . It i s inherently weak t for the backhand , as the only na ural shot is a chop s troke .

The English grip , with the low wrist on all ground

s has . trokes , proved very successful in the past Yet t he broken lin e of the arm and hand does not com o mend itself t me , as any broken line is weak under s tress .

The Eastern American grip , which I advocate , is the English grip Without the low wrist and broken line . To acquire the forehand grip , hold the racquet W ith the edge of the frame towards the ground and t he face perpendicular”, the handle towards the s body, and shake hand with it , just as if you were greeting a friend . The handle settled comfortably a n arm d naturally into the hand , the line of the ,

. s hand , and racquet are one The swing bring the

a rm racquet head on a line with the , and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it . The backhand grip i s a quarter circle turn of h and on the handle , bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up . The shot

. a o s travels cr s the wrist .

This is the best basis for a grip . I do not a dvo cate learning this grip exactly, but model your natu ral grip as closely as pos sible on these lines Without n sacrificing your ow comfort or individuality .

e Having onc settled the racquet in the hand , the next question is the position of the body and the o rder of developing strokes . F OR NOVICE S ONLY 3 1

In explaining footwork I am , in future , going to “refer ”in all forehand shots to the righ“t foot a”s R or back foot , and to the left as L or front . For “ ” “ ” the backhand the L foot is back and R is front . All tenni s strokes should be made with the body u at right angles to the net , with the shoulders lined p parallel to the line of flight of the ball . The Weight s should always travel forward . It should pa s from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball . Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke . It is weight that de “ ” termines the pace of a stroke ; swing that de “ ” cides the speed . and “Let ”m“e expla”in the definitions of speed pace . Speed i s the actual rate with which a “ ” ball travels through the air . Pace is the momen ff tum with which it comes o the ground . Pace is “ ” W eight . It is the sting the ball carries when it ff comes o the ground , giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the

stroke in no way s howed .

Notable examples of pace are such men as W .

A . Larned , A . W . Gore , J . C . Parke , and among

the younger players , R . N . Williams , Maj or A . R . h F . Kingscote , W . M . Johnston , and , on his fore and

s . stroke , Charle S . Garland ‘ L hl n M o i . . u M . E g , Willis E Davis , and several others are famous “ ” speed exponents . ” “A great many players have both speed and pace . Some shots may carry both .

CHAPTER II

T HE DRIVE

HE forehand drive is the opening of every ff o ensive in tennis , and, as such , should be t most carefully s udied . There are certain rules o f t footwork that apply o all shots . To reach a ball o di that is a sh rt stance away, advance the foot that is away from the shot and thus swing into position too s the to hit . If a ball is clo e to the body , retreat

' foot closest to the shot and drop the weight back on it , thus , again, being in position for the stroke . c When hurried , and it is not possible to hange the O S ItIO I‘ l the o foot p , throw the weight on f ot closest ‘ to the ball . The receiver should always await the service fac ing the net , but once the serve is started on the wa y to court , the receiver should at once attain the position to receive it with the body at right angles to the net . The forehand drive is made up of one continu ous w anal s ing of the racquet that , for the purpose of y sis , may be divided into three parts

1 . The portion of the swing behind the body, which determines the speed of the stroke . 2 . That portion immediately in front of the body 33 3 45 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

which determines the direction and , in conjunction

with weight shift from one foot to the other , the

pace of the shot .

3 . The portion beyond the body, comparable to ’ “ ” the golfer s follow through , determines spin , top

or slice , imparted to the ball .

All drives should be topped . The slice shot is a

totally different stroke .

o - u To drive straight d wn the side line , constr ct in theory a parallelogram with two sides made up

- of the side line and your shoulders , and the two

ends , the lines of your feet , which should , if ex

- s s . tended , form the right angle with the side line Meet the ball at a point about 4 to feet from the the and body immediately in front of belt buckle , shift the weight from the back to the front foot o T at the m om ent f s tri ki ng the ba ll. he swing of

the racquet should be flat and straight through . The

racquet head should be on a line with the hand , or,

if anything, slightly in advance ; the whole arm and the racquet should turn slightly over the ball as i t leaves the racquet face and the stroke continue to the the the limit of swing, thus imparting top spin to ball . The hitting plane for all ground strokes Should

be between the knee s and shoulders . The m ost

favourabl e plane i s on a line with the waist . In driving across the court from the right ( or N o . 1 n ) court , adva ce the L or front foot slightly towards the Side -lin e and shift the weight a fraction T H E DRIVE 3 5

t of a second sooner . As the weight shifts , p ivo slightly on the L foot and“driv”e flat , diagonally , D - across the court . o not pull your cross court l s the o drive , un es with express purp se of p assing the net m anand using that method to di sgm se your shot . “ N e ver s tep a way f rom the ha ll i n dri vi ng cr oss hr e ho o rt Alwa s t ow our w i ht i n the s t . c u . y y g 2 The forehand drive from the No . ( or left) court is identically the same for the straight shot ’ s down your opponent s forehand . For the cros drive to his backhand , you must conceive of a diag onal line from your backhand corner to his , and thus make your stroke with the footwork as if this imagi -r

- . u nary line were the side line In other words , line p your body along your shot and make your reg ular “ ” drive! Do not try to spoon the ball over wit h a th b al l del ayed wrist motion , as it tends to slide e off your racquet . ff All drives should be made with a sti , locked wrist . There is no wrist movement in a tru e drive .

a . Top spin is imp rted by the arm , not the wrist The backhand drive follows closely the principle s of the forehand , except that the weight shifts a moment sooner , and the R or front foot Should always be advanced a trifle closer to the side- lin e t s han the L so as to bring the body clear of the wing . r ln The ball should be met in front of the ight leg, c stead of the belt buckle , as the great tenden y in

to - backhand shots is slice them out of the side line , and this will pull the ball cross court , obviating this 3 6 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

a error . The racquet head must be slightly in adv nce

o f the hand to aid in bringing the ball in the court . Do not strive for too much top spin on your back

hand . I strongly urge that no one should ever favour one of department his game , in defence of a weak

n . ess D“evelop both forehand and backhand , and do not run around your backhand , particularly In do so s u return of service . To merely open yo r

. so re court If you should do , strive to ace your s a f a turns , becau e weak ef ort would only result in

kill by your opponent . Do not develop one favourite shot and play noth o - ing but that . If you have a fair cr ss court drive , in e do not use it practice , but strive to d velop an e qually fine straight Shot .

Remember that the fast shot i s the straight shot . b e s The cross drive must low, for it has not the room owing to the increased angle and height of the

. e net Pass down the lin with your drive , but open

- the court with your cross court shot . T h e Drives should have depth . e average driv ! - fin e s hould hit behind the service line . A e d riv h - s hould hit within 3 feet of t e bas e lin e . A cross-court drive should be shorter than a straight

so the . drive , as to increase possible angle Do not

’ a n lways play o e length drive , but learn to vary your distance according to your man . You should drive

- deep against a base liner, but short against a net “ i m at his as he player, str ving to drop the feet c om es i n. b ond a d j l sfl b ne d e d ”1 10 AC K HA G IP R T IE W B ND R . F ON V N a a c u a a a ote the h nd on top of the r q et h ndle , yet ret ining the str ig ht rm a n a c a T h c m i a a d u s i a . e a l ne of , h nd r q et n the foreh nd h nge fro the a i s a C l rc l a T h e c a re u foreh nd grip one qu rter e of the h ndle . knu kles p a n d i c wa T h e a a c I S a a c d re tly to rds the opponent . he d of the r q uet dv n ed S lightly towa rd s the b all .

B AC K HA G IP AC K IE W ND R . B V N oti c e the line of a rm a nd r a c quet is str a ight a n d the ha nd on top of a T h e m m i s a a m a the h ndle . thu b in y stroke round the h ndle , but y be a c a I f s P a I u s e I t a nd pl ed up the h ndle de ired . erson lly , do not , do not a ca I t a s I t a c f m f m dvo te , tends to detr t ro the reedo of the grip . P LA TE I V P LA TE V

COMPLE T ION O F T H E B ACK H AND DRIVE N i c a re fi m s et i i f ot e the feet r ly , w th the weight on the r ght oot , to i T h a c h a s Wt h it wa s sh fted from the l eft with the S Wn . e r quet s c a nd a a o I T he at h a s tru k p ssed over the b ll , t pping t . body is rig t ngle r x 1 T h o a m a d c a a c . e to the net , the left e tended to in perfe t b l n e wh le m m i s wa wh 11e a fl T h e ove ent for rd , the eye is on the b ll , in its ight . s troke in the pi cture wa s off a high bounding b a ll whi c h a c c ounts for ’ the ra cquet s pos ition b e l ng above the wri st in order to bring down the a T h c a c i ff s nd a c a . e a o wa a b ll perfe t b kh nd dr ve is the i t, the r quet p sses a a a M a wa a c an . w long th t hitting pl ne eet the b ll ell for rd on the b kh d , a t a T 111 a c m m le st in front of the right hip . his w obvi te the o on error S c off s i d e ll n a n l ll a of li ing to the e d W tend to pull the b ll into c ourt . T h e c s a a ll a c a s ow lo ked wrist , with no turn is e senti l on b kh nd shot bel I i m a c a nd a a c th t e . the shoulders . insures sol dity of i p t dds p e to return I believe in a ll beginners pl a ying thei r b a ckh a nd shot s c ross c ourt until m nd c T h e they have fu lly a s tered the footwork a lo ked wrist swing . c om m on error of sli cing the b a ckh a nd c a nnot be too strongly e m p h a s i s e d a n d c m a nd c s s c i s a v 0 1d onde ned ro ourt ng the hot tends to it .

T HE DRIVE 37 Never allow your opponent to play a shot he likes

if you can possibly force him to one he dislikes . Again I urge that you pl ay your drive

“

1 . With the body sideways to the net . 2 . The swing flat, with long follow through .

3 . The weight shifting just as the ball is hit .

D O not strive f or terrifi c speed at first . The most e ssential thing ab out a drive is to put the ball in play . I once heard William A . Larned remark , s th when a ked e most im portant thing in tennis , “ ’ th th Put ” e ball over the net into e other man s

. c court Accura y first , and then put on your speed, for if your shot is corre ct you can always l earn to hit hard . CHAPTER III

SERVICE

ERVICE n is the opening gu of tennis . It is

putting the ball in play . The old idea was that service should never be more than merely the the beginning of a rally . With rise of American tennis and the advent of Dwight Davis and Hol combe Ward , service took on a new significance . These two men originated What is now known as the American Twist delivery .

From a mere formality , service became a poi nt winner . Slowly it gained in importance , until ‘ “ M L o hlin . u Mauric”e E g , the wonderful California k Comet , burst across the tennis s y with the first of those terrific cannon-ball deliveries that revolu tionize se - d the game , and cau d the old school players to send out hurry calls for a Severe footfault rule or some way of stopping the threatened destruction ‘ M L ou hlin m of all ground strokes . g ade service i a great factor n the game . It remained for \

R . N . William s to supply the antidote that has again put service in the normal position of mere importance , not omnipotence . Williams stood in on the delivery and took it on the rising bound . SE RVICE 3 9

Service must be speedy . Yet speed is not the

- - be . all and end all Service must be accurate , reli

’ able , and varied . It must be used with discretion and served wi th brains . I beli eve perfect service 0 0 is about 4 per cent placement , 4 per cent speed , and 2 0 per cent twist Any tall player has an advantag e over a short

. a 6 one , in service Given man about feet and im e allow h the 3 f et added by his reach , it has d v been proved by tests that should he eliver a ser ice , r pe fectly flat , with no variation caused by twist i t or Wind , that just cleared the net at s lowest point ( 3 feet in the centre) , there is only a margin of 8 inches of the service court in which the ball

‘ can poss ibly fall ; the remainder is below the net to angle . Thus it is easy see how important it is to use s om e form of twist to bring the ball into

c . ourt Not only must it go into court , but it must be sufli ci ently speedy that the receiver does not have t an oppor unity of an easy kill . It must also be placed so as to allow the server an advantage for his next return , admitting the receiver puts the ball in play . Just as the first law of receiving is to put the ball in play , so of service it is to cause the receiver t o fall into error . Do not strive unduly for clean e the aces , but use your servic to upset ground strokes of y our opponent . There are several style services in vogue in all countries . The American twist has become one of the most popular forms of delivery and as such 40 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

e deserves sp cial treatment . The usual forms of are I 2 service ( ) the slice service , ( ) the A“merican i r tw s”t, ( 3 ) the reverse delive y, ( 4 ) the cannon ball or flat serve . The slice service is the easiest and most natural

b n s ff form for all egin ers , and proves o e ective that many great players use it . It is the service of l W n . . . o i liam M . Joh ston , A R F Kingsc te , Norman

E . Brookes , and many others . Service should be hit from as high a point as

o r a the server can c mf o t bly reach . To stretch um necessarily is both wearing on the server and un o productive f results . The Slice service should be hit from a point above the right shoulder and as high as possible . The server should stand at about a forty-five degree

- e angle to the base line , with both f et firmly planted n on the grou d . Drop the weight back on the right foot and swing the racquet freely and easi ly behind the back . Toss the ball high enough into the air to ensure it passing through the desired hitting plane , and then start a slow shift of the weight . forward , at the same time increasing the power of the swi ng forward a s the racquet commences i ts upward flight to the ball . Just as the ball meet s the racquet face the weight should be thrown forward and the full p ower of the swing smashed ik h . str e t e into the service Let the ball \ racquet i si e e i n d the face of th , w th the racquet travelling directly towards the cou rt . The angle of the racqu et face will impart the twist necessary S E RVICE i f

to bring the ball in court . The wrist should be somewhat flexible in service . If necessary lift the right foot and swing the Whole body forward with h . t e the arm Twist slightly to right , using the left

a e the foot as pivot . The general lin of racquet o ri h t le t swing is fr m g to f and always forward . At this point and before I take up the other c bran hes of serving , let me put in a warning against

n can sa footfaulti g . I only y that a footfault is crossing or touching the li n e with either foot before

or . the ball is delivered , or it is a jump step I am not going into a technical discussion of footfaults .

It is unnecessary, and by placing your feet firmly t before the service there is no need o fo otfault . It is just as unfair to deliberately footfault as to al miscall a b l , and it is Wholly unnecessary . The a due to n verage footfault is careless ess , over h c t e . anxiety, or ignoran e of rule All players are ff o enders at times , but it can quickly be broken up . Following thi s outburst of warning let me return to the American twist service . T he stance for

f or the e the this is the same as slic , but ball is thrown slightly to the left of the head while the o racquet passes up and over the call , travelling fr m left to right and slightly forward . The result is a curve to the left and the break of the bound to the right . This serv ice is not fast, but gives an ex cellent c to e hance to follow the net , since it trav ls high and slowly and its bound is deep . The American twist service should be hit with the

s . mu cles of the side . The slice is a shoulder swing 42 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

The reverse twist is of an absolutely di stinct i s type . The stance facing the net with both toes th e i i fronting l ne . The racque t s gripped a s a h i club . T e ball is thrown n front of the body and

not high . The swing is a sharp wrist twist from to c right left , the ball arried for some distance on e the face of the racquet . The curv is from left to right While the bound is high and breaks sharply ff to the left . This delivery is slow, ine ective and e to very uncertain. Ther is little opportunity follow i“t to the net . ” T he cannon-ball service is nothing but a slice and as regards swing stance , but it is hit with a flat i e . racquet fac , thus mparting no spin to the ball

It is a case of speed a lone . This service i s a point Winner when it goes in ; but its average must n oces l s arily be poor S nCC Its margin of error is so small .

It is only useful to a tall man . Varied pace and varied speed is the keynote to

. n e a good service I spent hours in servi g alon , striving to disguise the twist and pace of the ball . I would take a box of a dozen balls out on the 0 1 court and serve the whole dozen to N . court with t e one s yle of delivery . Then , crossing, I would serv

i . them back w th another type of service Next , I would try the left court from both sides . My next move would be to pick out a certain section of the

r r service cou t , and se ve for that until I could put the ball where I wanted it . Finally , I would strive to put it there with speed . All the time spent in this practice has stood m e:ti n S E RVICE 43 ’

o - e g od stead , for to day it is my servic that pull s me

out of many a deep hole , and causes many a player

a s the . to wish he w delivering ball William M . o n J h ston , the American Champion , has a remark

able service for so short a man . He times his

stroke perfectly , and hits it at the top of his reach , so that he gets the full benefit of eve ry inch of his

stature and every pound of his weight . He uses

the slice delivery in the maj ority of matches .

Do not try freak services . They are useless

- against high class players . Sharp breaking under hand cuts can be easily angled off for points by a man who knows anything of the angles and eff ects

re afl e tati of twist . These deliveries a c on if used more than once or twice in a long match . A S udden shift may surprise your opponent ; but to continu e o t to serve these freaks is to destr y heir use .

the r Mishu , Rumanian star , has many ve y u pec liar deliveries ; but, when playing against high class tennis , he has brains enough to use a straight service . The freak services delight and yet annoy t off a gallery , for once the novel y has worn , nothing th but e conceit remains . The object of service i s to obtain the maximum ff return with the minimum e ort . This statement

o so holds true for all tennis str kes , but in none

strongly as in s ervice .

e o The average player hits his first s rvice s hard ,

s o and with little regard for direction , that about nine out of ten first deliveries are faults . Thus , one

CHAPTER IV

T HE VO LLEY AND O VERHEAD

i s HE net attack the heavy artillery of tennis .

It i s supposed to crush all defence . As such it must be regarded as a point-winning stroke at i s all times , no matter whether the shot volley or smash . Once at the net hit from the point at the first opportunity given to get the racquet squarely on . the ball . All the laws of footwork explained for the drive are theoretically the same in volleying . In practice you seldom have tim e to change y our to set o feet a positi n , so you obviate trouble by throw1ng the weight on the foot nearest to the ball I I h and pushing t n t e shot . t o 1 Volleys are of w classes ( ) the low volley , made from bel ow the waist ; and ( 2 ) the high v ol inc . contradi st ley , from the waist to the head In tion to the hitting plane classification are the two styles known as ( 1 ) the deep volley and ( 2 ) the stop volley . lo ked All low volleys are b c . High volleys may be either blocked or hi t. Volleys should nev er be stroke o d . There is n follow through on a low one volley and very little on a high . 45 46 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

Yo l u wi l hear much talk of chop volleys . A chop stroke is one where the racquet travels from the above the line of flight of ball , down and through i it , and the angle made behind the racquet s greater

0 . than 4 5 degrees , and many approach 9 degrees sa Therefore I y that no volleys should be chopped , for the tendency is to pop the ball up in the air off

c . any hop Slice volleys if you want to , or hit them ’ f or flat , both these Shots are made at a very small

- angle to the flight line of the ball , the racquet face travelling almost along its plane . s In all volleys , high or low, the wri t should be “ locked and absolutely stiff . It should always be a t below the racquet head, thus bracing the r cque i against the mpact of the b all . Allowthe force of tu n the incoming shot , plus your own weight , to re r “ ”

i t . the ball , and do not strive to wrist over The tilted racquet face will give any required angle to the off so no return by glancing the ball the strings , wrist turn is needed .

Low volleys can never be hit hard , and owing to the height of the net should usually be sharply ” angled , to allow distance for the rise . Any ball met at a higher plane than the top of the net m ay be nd . a hit hard The stroke should be crisp , snappy, decisive , but it should stop as it meets the ball .

The follow through should be ve ry small . Most low volleys should be soft and short . Most high volleys require spe e d and length . “ ” The stop volley IS nothing more than a shot blocked short . There is no force used . The rac T H E VOLLE Y AND OVE RHE AD S MAS H 47

quet simply meets the oncoming ball and stops it . an The ball rebounds d falls of its own Weight . o There is little b unce to such a shot , and that may be reduced by allowing the racquet to slide slightly

’ the b all t im under at the moment of impact , hu s parting back spin to the ball . Volleying is a science based on the old geometric axiom that a straight line is the shortest distance t between two points . I mean hat a volleyer must always c over the straight since it is the s shortest shot with which to pas him , and he must volley straight to his opening and not waste tim e trying freakish curving volleys that give the base ’ liner time to recov er . It is Johnston s great straight

t . volley tha mak“es him su”ch a dangerou s net man He is always punching his volley straight and ’ i n hard to the opening his opponent s court . A net player must have ground str okes in order to attain the net position . Do not think that a service and volley will suffi ce against first-class tennis . H I am not a believer in the centre theory . Briefly expressed the centre theory i s to hit down o the middle of the court and foll w to the net , since the other player has the smallest angle t o pass you .

That is true , but remember that he has an equal angle on either side and , given good ground strokes , an equal chance to pas s with only your guess or intention to tell you which side he will choose . I advise hitting to the side-line with good length u to the and following p the net , coming in just to 48 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

centre side of the straight return s down the line . Thus the natural shot i s covered and your oppon ’ ’ e o an nt s court is pened for angle volley cross . e Should your oppon nt try the cross drive , his chances of bea ting you clean and keeping the ball i in court are much le ss than h s chances of error . ”

Strive to kill your volleys at once , but should ’ o win s y ur shot not , follow the ball cros and again m an ~ cover the straight shot . Always force the s triving to pas s you to play the hardest possible shot .

is Attack with your volleys . Never defend the ball when at the net . The only defensive volley is one

- a i . at your feet s you come in . It s a mid court shot in Volleys should w with placement more than speed , a lthough speed may be used on a high volley . 3 ll ! Closely related to the vo ey , yet in no way a

r . i s volley st oke , is the overhead smash It the ; o Big Bertha f tennis . It is the long range terror t t hat should always score . The rules o f foo work , position , and direction that govern the volley will ffi ~ su ce for the overhead . The swing alone is dif e f er nt . The swing should be closely allied to the e slice servic , the racquet and arm swinging freely e from the should r , the wrist flexible and the racquet imparting a slight twist to the ball to hold it in court . The overhead is mainly a point winner e i s o t through speed , since its bounc s high tha a slow placement often allows time for a recovery . i about 60 The overhead s per cent speed , and

40 per cent combined place and twist . Any over T HE VOLLEY AND OVERHEAD S MAS H 49 head shot taken on or within the serv ice -line should the - be killed . Any overhead behind service line , - o and back to the base line , sh uld be defended and put back deep to allow you another advance to the net . The average overhead shot that is missed i s

f . netted . There ore hit deep It is a peculiar fact that over 7 5 per cent of all errors are nets with s re only 2 5 per cent outs . Let this be a con tant minder to you of the fact that all ground strokes should have a clear margin of safety of some 8

e t inches to a foot above the net, except when att mp

e ing to pass a very active volleyer . In the latter cas r the shot must be low, and the attendant isk is com pensated by the increased chances of winning the point with a pass . Do not leap in the air unnecessarily to hit over K o . os head balls eep at least one fo t , and when p

o s sible both feet , on the gr und in sma hing, as it b aids in regulating the weight , and gives etter balance . Hit flat and decisively to the point if desired . Most missed overhead shots are due to the eye leaving the ball ; but a second class of errors are due l c e s r to a k of confidenc that give a c amped , half hearted swing . Follow through your overhead shot to the limit of your swing .

d o . The overhead is essentially a oubles sh t, be cause in single s the chances of passing the net m an are e gr ater than lobbing over his head , while in 5 0 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS doubles two men cover the net so easily that the best a lo W y to open the court is to b one man back .

In smashing, the longest distance is the safest

shot since it allows a greater margin of error . ’ Therefore smash cross court when pressed , but pull your short lobs either side as determined by the man i you are play ng .

Never drop a lob you can hit overhead , as it forces y ou b a ck and gives the attacking positi on to s your Opponent . Never sma h with a reverse twist , always hit with a st raight racquet f aCe and direct

to the opening. Closely connected to the overhead since It is the h an t e . usual defence to y hard smash , is lob A lob is a high toss of the ball landing between

- - lo the service line and the base line . An excellent b

6 - should be Within feet of the bas e line . s Lobs are essentially defensive . The idea in lobbing are :( I ) to give yourself time to r ecover position when pulled out of court by your opponent ’s shot ; ( 2 ) to drive back the net m an and b reak up his attack ; ( 3 ) to tire your opponent ; ( 4 ) to i occasionally W n cleanly by placement . Thi s i s o usually a lob volley fr m a close net rally, and is f a slightly di ferent stroke . 1 lob -c There is ( ) the chop , a heavily under ut

spin that hangs in the air . This is the best defensive e of lob , as it go s high and gives plenty time to lo . 2 b recover position ( ) The stroke or flat lob ,

i - hit with a slight top spin . Thi s s the point winning lob since it gives no time to the player to run around TH E VOLLE Y AND OVE RHE AD S MAS H 5 1

it , as it is lower and faster than the chop . In mak ing this lob , start your swing like a drive , but allow the racquet to slow up and the face to tilt upward just as you meet the ball . This shot should seldom 1 0 o t go above feet in the air, since it tends to go u with the float of the ball . o h n The ch p lob , whic is a decided u der cut , 2 0 0 should rise from to 3 feet , or more , high and t must go deep . It is be ter to lob out and run your a lob opponent back , thus tiring him , th n to short and give him confidence by an easy kill . The value

a i u n of lob s mainly one of upsetting yo r oppone t , and its effects are ve ry apparent if you unexpectedly ff bring o one at the crucial period of a match . I owe one of my most notable victories to a very tim ely and somewhat lucky lob . I was playing oo Norman E . Br kes in the fifth round of the

t 1 1 . American Championships at Fores Hills , in 9 9 e o set —2 0— 1 The scor sto d one all , 3 and 3 5 ,

Brookes serving . In a series of driving returns from his forehand to my backhand , he suddenly switched and pounded the ball to my forehand corner and rushed to the net . I knew Brookes crowded the net ,

0— 1 0- and with 4 5 or 3 all at stake on my shot , I took a chance and tossed the ball up in the air over ’

. as Brookes head It w not a great lob , but it was a good one . For once Brookes was caught napping, expecting a drive down the line . He hesitated , then turned and chased the ball to the back stop , r missing it on his return . I heard him g unt as he t n urned , and k ew that he was badly winded . He

P LA TE

T H E FORE H A ND VOLLE Y N c a t i a a a c oti e the body r ght ngles to the net , the left foot dv n ed to the S i i i w w hot, the we ght evenly d str buted on the feet , the rist slightly belo a c a a c a i the r quet he d , the r que“t he d”itself slightly t lted , to lift the volley , a n m T h T d m a c a . ff the whole ove ent blo k of the b ll e wrist is sti . here

. T h e a re a c a . T h e a rm t e is no swing eyes down , w t hing the b ll left is h T h a a c e c c a nd . b l n e wheel . body rou hed the knees bent P L A TE VI I

T H E BACK H AND VOLLE Y T h e and w c n body position eight ontrol a d b a l a n c e a re the s a m e a s i n a T h the foreh nd volley . e c rou c h is m ore prono u n c ed a s th e hi tting a w . T h e a a c u l s fi m b c i pl ne is lo er he d of the r q et r ly lo ked by the st ff , c T . h e s a re c a w i c h a s u lo ked wrist eye entered on the b ll , h h J st left the r a c quet

T HE VOLLE Y AND OVE RHEAD S MAS H 5 3

s can t o s a If a hot win w uch matche s s these , it o se and is a shot w rth learning to u , knowing when T he i s on the to use . lob e of most useful and is a skilful shots in tennis . It great defence and a

fine attack . v The strokes already analysed , drive , ser ice , a lob th s volley, overhead nd , are e orthodox stroke ’

o . of tennis , and should be at every player s c mmand o These are the framework of your gam e . Yet n m o e house is co plete with framework al ne . Ther are s certain trimmings, ornaments , and decoration ar i necessary . There e the luxuries of modern m rovem ents m p , and tennis boasts of such improve ents the e in modern gam . he s me sa the e Among t luxuri e , so y ccentricities , e one 1 the of the modern gam finds ( ) chop stroke , 2 s i e st e a c se the d ( ) the l c rok ( lo r“elativ”e) , 3 ) rop - shot , ( 4 ) the or trap shot . e e All thes shots have their use. None should b c considered a sto k shot . CHAPTER V

O VO LE AND O R O SI O CH P, HALF L Y, C U T P TI N

- AM called at times a chop stroke player . I

ho i s . s eldom c p . My stroke a slice A chop stroke is a shot where the angle towards the player and behind the racquet, made by the e line of flight of the ball , and the racqu t travelling d down across it , is greater than 4 5 egrees and may 0 be 9 degrees . The racquet face passes slightly

ou tsid e the ball and down the side , chopping it , i as a man chops wood . The spin and curve s from ff right to left . It is made with a sti wrist . Irv ing

C . Wright , brother of the famous Beals , is a true

chop player , while Beals himself , being a left a nd hander , chopped from the left court sliced from

the right . The slice shot merely reduced the angle men ti n o ed from 4 5 degrees down to a ve ry small one . The racquet face passes either i nsi de or outsid e the

ball , according to direction desired , while the stroke

a is mainly a wrist twist or slap . This slap imp rts

a decided skidding break to the ball , while a chop “ ” drags the ball off the ground without break . n Wallace F . Johnson i s the greatest slice expo ent

in the world . HALF VOLLE Y AND COURT POS ITION 5 5 The rules of footwork for both these shots should

th e be the same as drive , but because both are made

with a short swing and more wrist play , without

”

the need of weight , the rules of footwork may be more safely discarded and body position not so

carefully considered .

s Both these shot are essentially defensive , and are labour- saving devices when your oppone nt is

- on the base line . A chop or slice is very hard to

u d i . drive , and will break p any riv ng game not i s It is a shot to use against a volley, as it too

slow to pass and too high to cause any worry . It s should be used to drop short , soft shot at the feet D of the net man as he comes in . o not strive to ne t m an pass a with a chop or slice , except through

a big opening .

dro b shot i s - The p a very soft , sharply angled chop stroke , played wholly with the wrist . It should drop within 3 to 5 feet of the net to be of any e i us . The racquet face passes around the o“uts de of the ball and under it with a distinct wrist turn . Do not swing the racquet from the shoulder o in making a . The drop shot has n

- . relation to a . stop volley The drop shot is all

- wrist . The stop volley has no wrist at all .

Use o all your wrist shots , ch p , slice , and drop ,

merely as an aux illi a ry to your orthodox game . T hey are intended to upset your opponent ’s game

through the varied 3pm on the ball .

HALF VOLLE Y AND COURT POSITION 5 7

the leading exponent o f the stroke in present day,

achieves remarkable results with it . Maj or A . R .

F . Kingscote wins many a point , seemingly lost , by

- tu his phenomenal half volley re rns , particularly

- from the base line . These m en turn a defence into k an attac , and it pays . ch u So mu for the act al strokes of the game . It is in the other departments such as generalship and u psychology that matches are won . Just a few s g an gestions as to stroke technique , d I will close

this section .

Always play your shot with a fixed , definite idea

of what you are doing and where it is going . Never hit haphazard . Play all shots across the short strings of the lth racquet , W the racquet head and handle on the same hitting plane for ground strokes and the head above the handle for volleys . The racquet head should b e advanced slightly beyond the wrl st for o gr und strokes .

COURT P OSITION

A tennis court is 3 9 feet long from base -line to net . Most players think all of that territory is a

correct place to stand . Nothing could be farther

o r two fr m the t uth . There are only places in a tennis court that a tennis player should be to await

th e ball . I - . About 3 feet behind the base line near the m c iddle of the ourt , or 5 8 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

2 ' . About 6 to 8 feet back from the net and almost opposite the ball .

- The first is the place for all base line players .

. The second is the net position . If you are drawn out of these positions by a shot th which you must return , do not remain at e point t where you struck the ball , but a tain one of the two positions mentioned as rapidly as possible . T he distance from the base -line to about I O feet “ ’ ” from the net may be considered as no-man s—land “ ” or the blank . Never linger there , since a deep shot will catch you at your fe et . After making o your shot from the blank, as you must ften do ,

- e to s o retreat behind the base lin await the return , you may again come forward to meet the ball . If you are drawn in short and cannot retreat safely,

continue all the way to the net position . so Never stand and watch your shot , for to do simply means you are out of position for your next so o stroke . Strive to attain a position that y u always arrive at the spot the ball i s going to before

it a ctually arrives . Do your hard running while the

so ball is in the air , you will not be hurried in your

stroke after it bounces . It is in learning to do this that natural anticipation

plays a big rOle . Some players instinctively know where the next return is going and take position

accordingly, while others will never sense it . It is h to the latter class t at I urge court position , and recommend always coming in from behind the base HALF VOLLE Y AND COURT POS ITION 5 9

sm ce I i s line to meet the ball , t much easier to run

forward than back .

c t Should you be aught at the net , with a shor shot s to your opponent , do not stand still and let him pas

l can . you at wil , as he easily do Pick out the side he and to where you think will hit , jump it sud win e l h s . s d n y as e swing If you gues right , you off the p oint . I f you are wrong, you are no worse , since he would have beaten you anyway with his

shot . A notable example of this method of anticipation

n . ho is Norma E Brookes , w instinctively senses the

stroke , and suddenly bobs up in front of your best

e sa shot and kills it . Som may y it is luck, but, to “m i s . y mind , it the reward of brain work Your position should always strive to be such that you can cover the greatest possible area of court the without sacrificing safety , since straight shot is

s u the surest , mo t dangero s , and must be covered . It is m erely a questi on of how much more court than that immediately in front of the ball may b e guarded . A well-grounded knowledge of court position sa saves many points , to y nothing of much breath u expended in long r ns after hopeles s shots . It is the phenomenal knowledge of court position

that allows A . R . F . Kingscote , a very short man , to so o attack c nsistently from the net . Wallace F .

Johnson is seldom caught out of position , so his one e game is of extrem ease . One seldom sees 60 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

h r Jo nson unning hard on a tennis court . He is ’ e usually ther awaiting the ball s arrival .

Save your step s by using your head . It pays in s e o the end . Time pent in learning wher to play n ur s tu s a tennis co t is well expended , ince it re rn to m on you in the form of atches w , breath saved , and

energy conserved . It is seldom you need cover more than two -thirds t so a the unneces of a tennis court , why worry bout sary porti ons of it ! II :THE OF TENNIS P SYCHOLOGY

P ART II :THE LAWS OF TENNIS P SYCHOLOGY

CHAP TER VI

“ GENERAL TENNIS PSYCHO LO GY

ENNIS psychology is nothing more than understanding the workings of your oppon ’ f e ent s mind , and gauging the ef ect of your own gam a v and the on his ment l iewpoint, understanding mental eff ects resulting from the - variou s external

o v causes on y ur own mind . You cannot be a suc cessf ul psychologist of others without first under

standing your own mental processes , you must study the eff ect on yourself of the sam e happening under

ff f in. di erent circumstances . You react dif erently ff di erent m oods and under different conditions . You must realize the effe ct on your gam e of the re sultin i g irritat on , pleasure , confusion , or whatever

form your reaction takes . Doe s it increase your f c ! e ficien y If so , strive for it , but never give it to

your opponent . ! Does it deprive you of concentration If so , a not e either remove the cause , or if th t is possibl

strive to ignore it .

TE NNIS PSYCHOLOGY 65

wi th little idea of what he is doing , while the latter

always has a definite plan and adhere s to it . The - - s hard hitting, erratic, net ru hing player is a creature

. to of impulse There is no real system his attack , e no understanding of your game . He will mak

cou s s o brilliant p on the pur of the m ment , largely by instinct ; but there is no mental power of con

k . sistent thin ing It is an interesting , fascinating o type . Such men as Harold Thr ckmorton , B . I . C .

'

Norton , and at times R . N . Williams , are examples , although Williams i s really a better psychologist

than this sounds . The dangerous man is the player who mixes his ' style from back to fore court at the direction of an

’ - ever alert mind . This is the man to study and learn fi from . He is a player with a de nite purpose . A player who has an answer to every query you pro h pound him in your game . He is t e most subtle

antagonist in the world . He is of the school of S i Brookes . econd only to h m is the man of dogged determination that sets his mind on one plan and

adheres to it , bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end , with never a thought of change . He is the man e e e whos psychology is asy to understand , but whos t mental viewpoint is hard o upset , for he never allows himself to think of anything except the busi

ness at hand . This man is your Johnston or your o Wilding . I respect the mental capacity of Bro kes m the t ore , but I admire tenaci y of purpose of

Johnston . Pick out your type from your own mental proc 66 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

s the esse , and then work out your game along lines o best suited t you . Few of us have the mental brilliance of B rookes ; but all can acquire the dogged m o e deter ination of Johnst n , even if we hav not his tennis ability . When two men are in the same clas s as regards e e the t o strok quipment , de ermining fact r in any

n o . given match is the me tal viewp int Luck, s o- a i s o c lled , O ften grasping the psych logical value of to o n a break in the game , and turning it your w account . the s we We”hear a great deal about shot “have e l the o o th mad . Few rea ize imp rtance f e shots ” he f we have mi ssed . T science o miss ing shots is a s as important that o f making them , and at times a mis s by an inch i s of m ore value than a . return that is killed by your opponent . i o Let m e explain . A player dr ves y u far out Yo e . u to of court with an angl shot run hard it , e and reaching, driv it hard and fast down the side i r . line , missing by an inch Your opponent is s o surprised and haken , realizing that your sh t might a s well have gone in as out . He will expect you

e . to try it again , and will not tak the risk next time

the . He will try to play ball , and may fall into error ’ You have thu s taken som e of your opponent s con

fidence . f r r , and increased his chance o er o , all by a miss .

— If you had merely popped back that return , and i t had been killed , your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the TE NNIS P SYCHOLOGY

o t hi s ball u of reach , while you would merely have been winded without result . Let us suppose you made the shot down the side I . e line t was a seemingly impossibl get . First it

' am ounts to two points in that it took one away from your Opponent that should h ave been his and gave you one you ought never to have had . It h also worries your opponent , as he feels e has “ thrown away a big ch ance . The psychology of a tennis ma tch is very inter

. t esting , but easily understandable Both men star a with equal chances . Once one m n establishes a e real lead, his confidence goes up , whil his opponent worries , and his mental viewpoint becomes poor . to The sole object of the first man is hold his lead , thus holding his c onfidence . If the second player n pulls eve or draws ahead , the inevitable reaction occurs with even a greater contrast in psychology . There is the natural confidence of the leader now with the second man as well as that great stimulus of having turned seeming defeat into probabl e vi c th tory . The reverse in the cas e of e first player s m is apt to hopelessly de troy his ga e, and collapse follows . It is this twist in tennis psychology that makes it possible to win so many matches after they are t seemingly lo st . Thi s is also the reason tha a man who has lost a substantial lead seldom turns in the e ultimate victory . He cannot rise abov the de pression cause d by his temporary slump . The valu e m i of an early le ad cannot b e overesti ated. It s 68 T HE ART OF LAWN TENNIS

to the ability control your mental processes , and a not worry unduly over early reverses , th t make s

a great match player . Playing to the score i s the first requisite of a T h thinking match player . e two crucial points in e any game ar the third and fourth . If the first are 1 - the two points divided for 5 all , third means

a . n advantage gained If won by you , you should — s trive to consolidate it by taking the next for 40 1 5 s f or e e and two chance gam , whil if lost , you must draw even at 3o-all to have an even ch ance for game . do s be s e t In order to thi , ur to always put he o s ball in play safely, and d not take unneces ary 1 -21 0- 1 e 11 . th chances , at 5 or 3 5 Always make

server work to hold his delive ry . It worrie s him an s the s to serve long games , d increase nervou he strain of t match . th n In the game score e sixth , seventh , a d eighth et games are the crux of every close s . These game s e —2 - — 2 — m may m an 4 or 3 all , 5 or 4 3 , the ost vital e t e — - advantag in h match , or 5 3 or 4 all , a m atter

m o . of extreme oment t a tiring player If ahead, you should strive to hold and increase your lead .

If behind , your one hope of victory rests in cutting down the advantage of the other man bef ore one —2 slip means defeat . 5 is usually too late to start — i s . a rally, but 4 3 a real chance Never throw away a set because a player has a —1 — 1 e lead of 4 , or even 5 , unless you already hav two -set a do sets in a 5 m tch , and not wish to risk

P LA TE VI I I

A IS CU P CHALL G RO 192 1 D V EN E UND , PL A TE I !

TE NNIS PSYCHOLOGY 69

t an iring by trying to pull it out, d possibily failing — — at 6 4 . The great advantage of 3 1 on your own e t - m servic is a s umbling block for any players , f or o u the they unconsci usly let p at fifth game , thinking

- 2 b ad . n they have a game However , by droppi g t o 2 - - tha game , the sc re will go 3 and 3 all if your o 1— —2 opp nent holds service , instead of 4 and 4 , thus retaining a distinct advantage and di scouraging o i n y ur opponent that set. T he 2 first set is vital in a out of 3 match . Play

for all of it . The second and third sets are the - - t e turning point in a best of 5 set match . Take h fi l t t e rst where possible , but p ay o the limit for h

n - ext two. Never allow a 3 out of 5 set match to

” go to the fifth set if it is p ossible to win in less ; but never give up a match until the last point is played , even if you are two sets and five games down . e h Som occurrence may turn t e tide in your favour. A notable example of such a match occurred at

1 1 6 . o Newport, in 9 Wallace F . Johns n and h K ae h . e Ic i m a Josep J Armstrong wer playing j a u g ,

the famous Japanese star, and Harold A . Throck a morton , then Junior Champion of Americ , in the s econd round of the doubles . ’ Kum a ae n m It was g s first year i A erica , and he did not understand Am erican s and their customs K m a a Well . u g e and Throckmorton were leading 6— 0 — 1 0— 1 K e set um a a v . one at , 5 , and 4 5 , g ser ing e an Throckmorton turned and spok to him , d the a a !J p nese star did not understand what he said . w He served without kno ing , and Armstrong passed 70 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

t him down the centre . Johnson duplicated the fea

Kum a ae w flustere d . in the next court , and g gre

Throckmorton , not understanding, tried to steady

Kum a ae - him without result , as g double faulted to

. h Armstrong , and he , too , grew worried Bot men began missing , and Johnson and Armstrong pulled out the set and won the match in a runaway in the

o . . last stanza . Johns n and Armstrong met W M ffi Johnston and C . J . Gri n , the National Champions , c in the final and defeated them in five sets , infli ting the only reverse the title -holders suff ered during

- their two year reign a s c hampions . Another much mor e regrettable incident occurred

s e . in the famou match b tween R . L Murray of

N e California and George M . Church of w York in the fourth round of the American Nat i onal Cham i hi 1 ‘ ons in 1 6 . p p 9 George Church , then at the crest of his wonderful game , had won the first two sets and was leading Murray in the third , when the famous Californian started a sensational rally .

Murray , with his terrific speed , merry smile , and genial personality , has always been a popular figure with the public , and when he began his seemingly s e hopele s fight , the crowd ch ered him wildly . He broke through Church ’s service and drew even amid

- a terrific din . Church , always a very high strung , ’ a nervous player, showed that the crowd s p rtiality

was . getting on his nerves The gallery noticed it , and became more partisan than ever . The spirit of mob rule took hold , and for once they lost all as sense of sportsmans hip . They clapped errors TE NNIS P SYCHOLOGY 7 1

’ they rained from Church s racquet ; the great game ’ collapsed under the terrific strain , and Church s last

chance was gone . Murray won largely as he

‘ wanted in . , _ the last two sets No one regretted no the incident more than Murray himself , for finer sportsman steps upon the court than this player , as yet there was nothing that could be done . It w a case of external conditions influencing the psychol ogy of one man s o greatly that it cost him a victory that was his in justice . The primary obj ect in match tennis is to break up ’ the other man s game . The first lesson to learn i s to hold your nerve under all circumstances . If you ’ can break a player s ne rve by pounding at a weak

i - i t. ness , do I remember winn ng a 5 set doubles a o match many years g , against a team far over the class of my partner and myself , by lobbing con tinually to one man until he cracked under the strain and threw the match away . He became so afraid t the of a lob hat he would not approach net , and his whole game broke up on account of his lack of confidence . Our psychology was good , for we had the confidence to continue our plan of attack even while losing two of the first three sets . His was bad , for he lost his nerve , and let us know it . Sensational and unexpected shot s at cru cial mo on ments have w many a match . If your Opponent o makes a marvell us recovery and wins by it , give him full credit for it , and then forget it , for by worrying over it you not only lose that point but

as e -n several others well , whil your mind is still wan 72 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

dering . Never lose your temper over your oppon ’ ent s good shots . It is bad enough to lose it at

your own bad ones . Remember that usually the los er of a match plays ju st as well as the winner

allows him . Never lose your temper at a bad de i i c s on. c s . It never pays , and has o t many a match m b e I re ember a famous match in Philadelphia , s tween Wallace F . John on , the fifth ranking player

in America , and Stanley W . Pearson , a local star ,

in the Interclub tennis league of that city . Johnson , who had enj oyed a commanding lead of a set and - 1 4 , had slumped , and Pearson had pulled even at

set- — 1 0— 1 a all , and was leading at 5 and 4 5 , point e s t match . He pulled Johnson far out to the fore

hand and came to the net . Johnson chopped

e- n viciously down the sid line , but Pearso volleyed ’ to Johnson s deep backhand corner . Johnson had r n i started u ni ng in that direction as he hit h s return , ’ and arrived almost as Pearson s volley bounced . Unfortunately Johnson slipped and went down on H . e both knees , but held his racquet reached the ball and chopped it down the side-line for an earned point before Pearson reali zed he had even offered

at it . Pearson was so surprised and angered that he

- double faulted for deuce , and Johnson won the

- e . gam Johnson pulled even at 5 all , before Pearson won set recovered his equilibrium , and finally the ’ ’ 1 — 1 at 7 5 . Truly Pearson s lapse at Johnson s mar l v el ous get was a costly mental break . Tennis psych ology is far more than the eff ect of TE NNIS PSYCHOLOGY 73

or . certain shots , made missed , on the player One Can sum up such things by saying that eve ry kill gives confidence , every error tends to destroy it . he These things are obvious . T branch of psychol ogy that is interesting is the reaction on the vari ou s d ff ff w players of i erent courts , di erent cro ds , and other players . There is a peculiar atmosphere about the centre court at Wimbledon that is unique in my knowledge

e . of the game . Certain players r vel in it The t e majori y do not feel it , and since they do not sens t s it , they find only the ma erial disadvantage of t rather bad light , and much noise from he stand ,

c e c . and dislike the entr ourt Personally, I enj oy playing on the centre court at Wimbledon more than any court I have ever stepped upon. th a The traditions of e great players of the p st, t he notable personages that make up the parties in the Royal Box and Committee Box , the honour of si o M e a vi t fr m their aj esti s the King and ! ueen , and all the non- , above , generous , partisan , sports e manlike attitud of the British public , make it a unique privilege to enter the centre court in cham ionshi n p p competitio . These things inspire the mind to an almost abnormal keenness . It i s thi s

m . . atmosphere that ade N E Brookes , Anthony F . R . W . . . . Wilding, A Gore , F and H L . Doherty more dangerous there than anywhere else . It is C P t . ark e . R. this fac or that spurs on J . and A F . K t - ingscote o their greatest tennis to day . T he ch great ampionship turf at Forest Hills , 7 4 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

the where American Championship is held , offers a

unique contrast to Wimbledon .

The age of Wimbledon is its great attraction . It

is the spirit of youth , of progress , of busines s like f mechanical per ection of management , and the enorm ous crowd s and attendant enthusiasm that is the chief attra ction at Forest Hills . Fully were present on the closing day of the event in 1 9 1 9 . the Orderly, courteous , enthusiastic , but partisan , American tennis public comes out to cheer on its N e favourite . o people in the world appreciat visiting players more whole -heartedly and none do more for their comfort than the American people .

It is partisan , personal , sporting friendliness , warmer yet not so correct as the manner of the

th . e British public , that e Americans give We hav much to learn from our British friends . Yet I hope we will never sacrifice the warmth of feeling et that at times may run away with us , y in the main h is t e chief attraction of the American p eople . It is this enthusiasm that spurs on the men to their greatest efforts in the National Championship .

The Australian team , Norman E . B rookes , L cett . , Randolph y , and R . V

who U s 1 1 Thomas , visited the nited State in 9 9 , scored a unique personal triumph . The whole gal lery present at the notable match in the Champion d to ship , when Patterson went own defeat in a

- r . . se terrific 5 set st uggle w ith W M Johnston , ro

and cheered Patterson as he walked off the court . It was a real ovation ; a tribute to his sportsman TE NNIS P SYCHOLOGY 7 5

s o hip , and an utburst of personal admiration . Brookes was the recipient of an equal demonstra t ion on his final appearance at Forest Hills . The stimulus of the surroundings produced the highest

tennis of which these men were capable . Yet in all championships it is the personal ele ment that is ,the moving factor . Personalities are h t e deciding force in popularity . Patriotism is partially submerged in personality. The Davis Cup m atches bring‘ out the gamest

struggles in the histo ry of tennis . It is in these unique series of matches that the fame of Anthony . F Wilding, Norman E . Brookes , J . C . Parke , B . C . ‘ M M L ou hlin Wright , . E . g , and others reached its I h ’ . t was t e h crest , unselfis giving of one s best , under all conditions , for the honour of the country

that called out the finest tennis in each man . Parke reached his crest in his memorable defeat of ‘ L h in Brookes . M oug l has never quite equalled his marvellous game of 1 9 1 4 against Brookes and Wild ing . It is the psychology of patriotism that brings out this tennis . U Personality is submerged . nity of purpose as

a team , replaces the obj ect of personal glory that is the keynote o f championship .

It is the friendly rivalry of sport , between such a men s form the backbone of tennis in each country , that does more f or international understanding than

all the notes ever written from the White House . I could go on writing tennis psychology as ex

CHAPTER VII

F P LA T HE PSYCHO LO GY O M ATCH j g,

HE first and most important point in match

-L play i s to know how to lose . Lose cheer

e s . fully , gen rously, and like a sport man This is the first great law of tennis , and the second is like it— o r unto to win m destly , cheerfully , gene ously, and like a sportsman . in t The obj ect of match play is to w , but no credi goes to a man who does not win fairly and squarely . Y t A victory is a defeat if it is other than fair . e to i s so one again I say win the object , and to do ,

e ! should play to the last ounc of his strength , the ' of the last gasp his breath , and last scrap of his

. ou do so on. nerve If y and lose , the better man w

“

, d O If you do not you have ro'bbe your pponent of B o his right of beating your best . e fair to b th him and yourself . “ ’ ‘ The Play s the thing, and in match play a good defeat is far more creditable than a hollow victory. ’ th the Play tenni s for e game s sake . Play it for m en th you meet , e friends you make , and the pleasure you may give to the public by the hard working yet sporting game that i s owed them by their presence at the m atch .

Many tennis players feel they, owe the public: 77 7” 8 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

and nothing, are granting a favour by playing. is my belief that when the public so honours a play

that they attend matches , that player i s in du to bound give of his best , freely, willingly, c so heerfully, for only by doing can he repay o honour paid him . The tennis star of t day 0

! his public as much as the actor owes . the audi and only by meeting his obligation s can tennis b h retained in public favour . T e players get thei reward in the personal popularity they gain by thei

conscientious work . There i s ail other factor that is even stronger t s this , that will always produce fine tenni in ch i o h p ns ip events . It is the competitive spirit that i the breath of life to every true sportsman :th d esire to prove to himself he can beat the best 0 the other m an ; the real regret that com es when he

w as n t . i s ins , and feels the loser w o at his best It

that which has made popular idols of Anthony F . ‘ L hli s . . M ou n o Wilding , M E g , and ther famou

i . . players . It s the great attraction of J . C Parke K é . . c M . A R . F ings ote , W . Johnston , Andr Gobert

P L tz i n . auren . s s W , and many other stars It the ig

of a tru e sportsman . The keen competitive spirit that stimulates a

match player also increase s the nervou s strain . This should be recognized by tournament commit e o as te s , and the c nditions of play should be nearly s tandardiz ed as weather permits . A tourna ment committe e should never keep a p layer waiting f or an important m atch to commence MATCH PLAY 79 h they scour through t e crowd for linesmen . r t necessa y, and I trus t useful , accessories o match of importance should be picked and on

when the players appear . A good linesman i great a d to match tenni s . A poor one m ay N a great battle . ot only will bad deci sions the tide by putting a point in the wrong col 3 n , but slow decisions will ofte upset players , are not play to the line kept by slumberou s

nesmen . s fi as the A linesman hould take his rst judgmen“t ” i he l all strikes . If outs de should cal out at too l clearly , decisively, but not loudly ; a ye l h often a shock to t e nerves . If the ball is good

e shou ld remain discreetly silent . The um pire should announce the score after each ffi i point in a voice su c ently loud to be“hea”rd by the le c ent ire gal ry . His de isions as to lets or balls “ ” not up should be m ade only loud enough to ensure th that they are heard by e players . The gallery h . e t e has eyes Following ach game , game score ’ the e e should be called , giving l ading player s“nam i s et b e n . u and the g played For exampl”e , Fo r

. set . games to three , Parke leads Second About every third game following the completion of the et to the first s , an announcement as the winner of first set is an excellent idea . T“he umpire could a n set e dd to the ab ove an ouncement , First , Park , 6 This latter announcement is unnecessary when the re i s a score board that give s full details of the match . 8 0 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS Tournament committees should see that all courts have sufli ci ent room behind the base -line and at the sides to insure a player against running i nto

the stops . Galleries s hould striv e to retain their appre ci a i s tion and enthusiasm until a point completed , since

noise is very disconcerting to a player . However,

all players enjoy an enthusiastic gallery . The players themselves must now be considered

in relation to the reaction of the match . The first thing to fix firmly in your mind in play

ing a match , is never to allow your opponent to play a shot he likes if it is possible to force him t o make one he does not . Study your opponent

off . both on and the court Look for a weakness ,

“ Re and , once finding it , pound it without mercy . member that you do not decide your mode of at I tack . t is decided for you by the weakness of your opponent . If he dislikes to meet a netman, go to the net . If he wants you at the net , stay an back d force him to come in . If he attacks viciously , meet his attack with an e qually strong ff o ensive . Remember that the strongest defence is to at the c tack , for if other man is oc upied in meeting o hi s y ur attack, he will have less time to formulate! own system . are do I f you playing a very steady man , not strive to beat him at hi s own game . H e is better o to at it than you in many cases , s go m and hit win . On the other hand , if you find that your MATCH PLAY 8 1

t opponent is wild and prone o miss , play safe and ou reap the full crop of his errors . It saves y

trouble and takes his confidence .

b ov a ll ne ver cha n e a wi nni n am e . A e , g g g

Alwa s cha n e a losi n a m e s y g g g , ince , as you are

. no off and getting beaten that way , you are worse may be better with a new styl e . The question of changing a losing game is a a very serious thing . It is hard to s y just when

you are really beaten . If you feel you are playing set 6— 6— well yet have lost the first about 3 or 4 , o with the loss of nly one service , you should not

change . Your game IS not really a losing game .

It is Simply a case of one break of service , and

l . r might wel win the next set If , howeve , you have dropped the first set in a 2 out of 3 match two ar with but one or games , now you e outclassed and should try something else .

Take chances when you are behind , never when h l a ead . Risks are on y worth while when you have in everything to w and nothing to lose . It may spell victory , and at least will not hasten defeat .

Above all , never lose your nerve or confidence in a s m atch . By o doing you have handed your oppo — nent about two point s a game a rather hard handicap to beat at your best .

Never let your opponent know you are worried . o Never show fatigue or pain if it is possible to av id , since it will only give him confidence . Remember that he feels just as bad as you , and any sign of weakening on your part encourages him to go on . 82 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

e s t In oth r word , keep your teeth always in he

match . ’ ’ o o t e D n t w rry . Don t fuss . Luck evens up in h r l long run , and to wor y on y upsets your own game a with out aff ecting your opponent . A smile wins

' lot of pomts because it gives the impressi on of con fidence on your part that shakes that o f the oth er h . t e r man . Fight all the time The harder st ain u but do the harder you sho ld fight , it easily, happily,

and enj oy it . e m e Match play, wher both men are in the sa o e t e clas s a s tennis players , res lves its lf into a bat l e he ho of wits and nerv . T man w uses the first

and retains the second is the ultimate victor . e m an t I do not believ in a who expects o. go “ ” through a long tournament , going all out for t every ma ch . Conserve your strength and your the u finesse for times you need them , and win yo r

but . other matches decisively , not destructively Why should a great star discourage and dishearten

c him a player several lasses below by crushing him , as he no ! doubt could A few games a set , well earned , would be a big factor in encouraging that d rising player to play in tournaments , while it woul in no way injure the reputation of the star . Never hurry your opponent by serving before l t he is fu ly set o receive . This is a favourite trick of a few unscrupulous players , yet is really an unfair advantage . Do your hurrying after the ball is in play , by running him to unexpected places in the o d c urt . Should anyone attempt to work the hurrie MATCH PLAY 8 3

service on you , after several attempts , proving it is “ ” th e intentional , let ball go by and say not ready . The server will shortly realize that you will take h e your time regardless of him , and will slow up . — I I do not advocat e stalling nothing is worse . t

is a breach of ethics that is wholly uncalled for .

the ~ am e our e o onent Play g naturally , and give y pp

. ou full courtesy in all matters If y do , you will

receive it in return .

Take eve ry advantage of any and every weak-r ’ ness in your opponent s game ; but never trespas s on his rights as regards external adv“antages . Personally I do not believe in defaulting a ” ” h match . To scratc or retire , as the term goes , to “ is cheat your opponent of his just triumph , and you should never do this unless it is absolutely im

-r possible to avoid . Sickness or some equally impor tant reason should be the sole cause of scratching, for you owe the tournament your presence once your r ent y is in .

Match play should stimulate a player . He should produce his best under the excitement of competi

tion . Learn your shots in practice , but use them in mat ches .

Practice is played with the racquet , matches are won by the mind . J . C . Parke is a great match player , because he is not only a great player but a

great student of men . He sizes up his opponent , and seizes every opening and turns it to his own

n . account . Norma E Brookes is the greatest match player the world has ever known , because he is ever

K TT O A . OO S A G AL L PA E SO N RM N E BR E ND ER D . R N A u i 1 s tra l a, 92 0 OR A . OOK S A N T H O ITY F WIL I G N M N E BR E , . D N A u s tra li a N e w Ze a la n d

BEALS WRIGH T W . A LA . RNED A m e ri ca A m e ri c a

FA OUS A IS CUP STA S M D V R PL A TE ! I

MATCH PLAY 8 5

K a ae moment um g held the whip hand . He defeated

-ou- - Murray at Niagara the Lake a week later . Murray barely nosed out the Japanese star at Cleveland in five sets after Kum agae had the match

on to a w , only have K magae again defeat him in a

terrific match at Newport in August . ’ K a ae ff um g s game is very e ective against Murray,

because Murray , essentially a volleyer , could not exchange ground strokes with the Japanese star l player successfu ly, and could not stand the terrific pace of rushing the net at every opportunity . Kuma gae conclusively proved his slight superiority over

Murray last season .

_ Vincent Richards , who is not yet the equal of S t o - m Murray, cored w clean cut victories over Ku a gae during the same period . Why should Richards ’ Kum a ae who worry g , is certainly Murray s superior, and yet not cause Murray trouble !

The answer lie s in this style of game . Richards uses a peculiar chop stroke from the base-line that is K a very steady . He can meet um ag e at his own base-line game until he gets a chance to close in to

v . the net , where his olleying is remarkable The ’ Kum a ae result is , against g s driving he is perfectly

at home . Murray is a vicious net player who swept off Richards his feet . The boy has not the speed ho on his ground strokes to pass Murray, w volleys off s his chop for point , and cannot take the net away from him as he cannot handle the terrific speed of ’ ’ Murray s game . Thus Murray s speed beats R ’ Richards , while ichards steadiness troubles 8 6 T HE ART T E S , OF LAWN NNI

’ Kum a ae Kum a ae s g , yet g persistent driving tires

Murray and beats him . What good are compara > tive scores i

Charles S . Garland always defeats Howard

Voshell , yet loses to men whom Voshell defeats .

- Williams proves a stumbling block to Johnston , yet seldom does well against me . The moral to be drawn from the ever-interesting upsets that occur every year, is that the style of your ’ attack should be determined by the man s weakness

hi . you are playing . Suit your s tyle to s weakness o A chop is the antid te for the drive . The volley t e is the answer to a chop , ye a drive is the only saf attack against a volley . The smash will kill a lob , yet a lob is the surest defence from a smash . Rather a complicated condition , but one which it would do well to think over .

The most dangerous enemy to R . N . Williams i s

- a steady base liner of second class . William s is apt to crush a top -flight player in a burst of superlative terms , yet fall a Victim to the erratic streak that is in him when some second-class player plays pat ball with him . Such defeats were his portion at the

M avro ordato hands of Ritchie and g in England , yet

‘ on the same trip he scored notable victories ove r

Parke and Johnston . Abnormal conditions for match play always tend ff to a ect the better play er more than the poorer, and bring play to a level . The reason for this is in the fa ct that the higher ’ the standard of a player s game , the smaller his MATCH PLAY 8 7 margin of error, the more perfect his bound must be , and any variation from the normal is apt to spell error . The average player allows himself more an n leeway, d unk owingly increases his chances on a r t o bad cou t . His shot is not judged to the fra c i n i s - fli ht o fa of an inch in swing as the top g player, s slight variation does not affect him . Many a great match has been ruined by abnorm al ’ conditions . Rain caused Williams downfall to N . 1 1 W . Niles in the 9 7 American Championships . Rain and wind marred a great battle between Gobert and Johnston at Eastbourn e in the Davis Cup in 1 9 2 0 The clever match player must always be willing to change his game to meet conditions . Failure to do so may spell defeat . t to It is this uncertain y, due external conditions , that makes comparative records so useless in judging the relative merits of two players you know nothing of . Rankings based on mathematical calculations o of scores are abs lutely useless and childish , unless tempered by common sense . The questi on of the fitness of conditions of play can never be standardized . In America you play only if clear . In England sometimes when clear but more often in rain , judging by the events I swam through in my recent trip . A match player should not only be able to play tennis , but should combine the virtues of an aeroplane and a submarine as well .

PHYS ICAL FITNE S S 8 9

an . little harm , although it , too , hits eye d wind A man who is facing a long season of tournament play should refrain from either alcohol or tobacco an in any form . Excesses of y kind are bad for

and . physical condition , should not be chanced Late hours cause sluggishness of mind and body to the next day . It is very dangerous risk them im i before a hard match . The moving pictures m ed

ately before playing tennis are bad, owing to the eye strain caused by the flicker of the film and the

strong light of the camera . Lead a normal , healthy n life , and conserve your ervous force wherever pos sib“le , as you ”will need it in the hard matches . Staleness is the great enemy of players who

- o play long seasons . I t is a case of t o much tennis .

Staleness is seldom physical weariness . A player

can always recover his strength by rest . Staleness is a mental fatigue due often to worry or too close

attention to tennis , and not enough variety of m are thought . Its sy ptoms a dislike for the tennis

game and its surroundings , and a lack of interest in a th the match when you re on e court . I advocate G the a break in training at such a time . o to

theatre or a concert , and get your mind completely

! ff n o tennis . Do your worrying about te nis while

you are playing it , and forget the unpleasantness of off bad play once you are the court . Always have some outside interest you can turn to for relaxation during a tournament ; but never allow it to interfere with your tennis when you should be intent on your

a . e bu o e g me A nice balance is hard to achiev , t nc 90 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

attained is a great aid to a tournament player. I

find my relaxation in auction bridge . I know many

other players who do likewise . Among them are

Mrs . Franklin Mallory , Wallace F . Johnson , W .

M . Johnston and Samuel Hardy . T he laws o f training should be closely followed

before and after a match . Do not get chilled before

ff . a match , as it makes you sti and slow Above all else do not stand around without a wrap after a

match when you are hot or you will catch cold . Many a player has acquired a touch Of rheuma ti sm from wasting time at the close of his match in

stead of getting his shower while still warm . That ff slight sti ness the next day may mean defeat . A D e serious chill may mean severe illness . o not tak

chances . Change your wet clothes to dry one s between

matches if you are to play twice in a day . It will e mak you feel better, and also avoid the risk of cold . Tournament players must sacrifice some pleasures i for the sake of success . Training will w n many a match for a man if he sticks to it . Spasmodi c

training is useless , and should never be attempted . T he condition a player is in is apt to decide his mental viewpoint , and aid him in accustoming him

self to the external conditions of play . All match players s hould know a little about the

- phenomenon of crowd psychology since , as in the case of the Church-Murray match I related some PHYS ICAL FITNE S S 91

” an time back , the crowd may play important part

in the result . o It seldom pays to get a crowd down on y u . It i d always pays to win ts sympathy . I o not mean t o the r o os play galle y, for that will have the pp ite

eff ect than the one desired . The gallery is always f“or the weak”er player . It - is a case of helping the under dog . If you are a consistent winner you must accustom yourself to having the gallery show partiality for your oppo i . s nent . It is no personal dislike of you It merely

a natural reaction in favour of the lo ser . S ome ’ times a bad decision to one play will win the crowd s

sympathy for him . Gallerie s are eminently just in

their desires , even though at times their emotions

ru n away with them . i f ! u te aside from the ef ect on the gallery , I wish to state here that when you are the favoured one

no s in a decision that you k w is wrong, trive to equal ize it if p ossible by unostentatiou sly losing the next point . Do not hit the ball over the back stop or i“nto the bottom”of the net with a j aunty air o f Here you are . Just hit it slightly out or in the o net , and g on about your business in the regular way . Your Opponent always knows when you ex

c tend him this justice , and he appre iates it , even ff though he does not expect it . Never do it for e ect . do It is extremely bad taste . Only it when your

sense of justice tells you you should . c so to The rowd objects , and justly , a display of t real temper on he court . A player who loses his

T H E 192 1 A USTR ALIAN DAVIS CUP TE AM

V T . B H aw N m a P a c and C . . A . . . 0 . J kes , or n e h o J nderson , dd

T H E 192 0 AMERICAN DAVIS CU P TEAM T T i 2 u c i s C a a n a m H a y , . . , W a m 2 nd W . M . J , R N . i l n i W n . l s ohn to pt uel r l e , , S d d PHYS ICAL FITNE S S 93

the Oh , said second lady resignedly, I on m e thought so . The tall e ! meaning ] looks rather queer . During the Davis Cup match against the French o s L a re z at Eastbourne , I went on the c urt again t u nt “ ” a in my blue woolly sweater . The day w s cold , ’ a nd — 1 L aurentz I played the match 4 in favour , still wearing it . I started to remove it at the be ginning of the sixth game , when the gallery burst o into l ud applau“se , out of which floated a sweet : o ! e b o feminine voice Go”d Now mayb the poor y will be able to play ! For the first time I realized just what the gallery t ff hought of my e orts to pl“ay tennis , and”also of the handicap of the famous blue-bearskin as they termed it . My favourite expression du ring my Davis Cup “ ” trip happened to be Peach for any particularly o good shot by my opp nent . The gallery at the

Championship , quick to appreciate any mannerism o of a player, and to kn w him by it , enj oyed the remark on many occasions as the ball went floating n s by m e . In my m atch with Ki g cote in the final set the c was e r r , ourt v y slippe y owing to the heavy drizzle that had been falling throughout the match . - 5 2 to the At 3 in my favour, I essayed a j ourney ’ m e to net , only to have Kingscote pass cross court f er my backhand . I turned and started rapidly “ ” the shot murmuring Peach as I went . Suddenly my feet went out and I rolled over on the ground ,

. e sliding s om e distance , mainly on my face I aros ,

PHYS ICAL FITNE S S 95 not handle at all . So each time the VISItIng player served close to the line , the boy would swing at it , “ ” ! s miss it , and call Fault There wa no umpir e available and there was no qIIesti on of the older

o e team losing, so they let it go for s m time . Finally a service fully 3 feet in was casually called out by the youngster . This proved too much for the who server, “ hailed his brother at th”e net with the query :What was wrong that time ! “ ’ ” “ c I don t know, came the reply ; unless he alled ” a footfault on you ! The assurance of s ome young players is remark able . They know far more about the game of other men than the men themselves . I once travelled to a tournament with a boy who casually seated him self beside me in the train and , seeing my tennis s bag, opened the conversation on tennis and tenni s players . He finally turned his attention to variou people I knew well , and suddenly burst out with” - Tilden is a chop stroke player . I know him well . hi m s I let talk for about ten minutes , learning thing about my game that I never knew before . Finally

m e . I asked his name , which he told In reply he asked mine . The last view I had of him for some time was a hasty retreat through the door of the car for air .

I played my first match against J . C . Parke at 0 Wimbledon in 1 9 2 . The time before that I had been on the court with him was at Germantown

i 1 1 1 - Cricket Club n 9 , when I acted as ball boy in the Davis Cup between him and W . A . Larned . 96 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS ~ The Junior members of the club , sons of the m em to bers , used consider it a great honour to act as

l - ba l boy in these matches , and worked every means in to k . n s be pic ed I picked up much te ni those days ,

- a for I have worked at the ball boy position for P rke ,

x W d. Crawley , Di on , Larned , Wright , and ar CHAPTER IX

T HE PSYCHO LO GY O F SINGLES AN D DO UBLES

i In the INGLES , the greatest stra n tennis , is

I game for two players . It s in this phase of the game that the personal equation reaches its crest of the of f importance . This is game individual ef ort , mental and physical . A hard 5 -s et singles match i s the greatest strain on the body and nervous system of any form of

o . . sp rt . Richard Harte and L C Wister, the former a famous Harvard University football and baseball c t o player, the latter a football star at Prin e n , both

of whom are famous tennis players , have told me that a close 5 -set tennis match was far more wearing on them than the b iggest football game they had

ever played .

i s e Singles a game of daring, dash , spe d of foot

and stroke . It is a game of chance far more than

doubles . Since you have no partner dependent upon ff t you , you can a ord to risk error for the possibili y

of speedy victory . Much of what I wrote under

match play is more for singles than doubles , yet let me call your attention to certain peculiarities of singles from the standpoint of the spectator . A galle ry enjoys personalities far more than

S INGLE S AND DOUBLE S 99

w ! were , and are , ell liked and deservedly popular, ‘ M L ou hli but are not idolized as were g n or Wilding . the Singles is a game of imagination , doubles a

science of exact angles .

- Doubles is four handed tennis . Enough of this

primary reader definition . I only used that so as not to be accused of trying to writ e over the heads

of the uninitiated . It is just as vital to play to your - partner in tennis

as in bridge . Every time you make a stroke you must do it with a definite plan to avoid putting your e partner in trouble . The keynot of doubles succes s

is team work ; not individual brilliancy . There is a certain type of te am work dependent wholly upon

Individual brilliancy . Where both players are in l the same c ass , a team is as strong as its weakest player at any given time , for here it is even team work with an equal division of the court that should c be the method of play . In the ase of one strong player and one weaker player , the team is as good as the strong player can make it by protecting and de

fending the weaker . This pair should develop its team work on the individual brilliancy of the

stronger man . The first essential of doubles play is to put the ball i la n . but p y A is bad in singles ,

it is inexcusable in doubles . The return of service

should be certain . After that it should be low and

to the server coming in . Do not strive for clean aces

in doubles until you have the opening . Remember fi that to pass two men is a dif cult task . 100 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

s Always attack in doubles . The net i the only

place in the court to play the doubles game , and t you should always strive o attain the net position . There are two formati ons for the receiving team one is the Australian formation with the receiver’s partner standing in to volley the server’s return volley ; the other is the English and American style

with both men back , thus giving the net attack to s the server . This is safer , but les likely to produce a winning result unless the team i s a wonderful lob bing combination . Lobbing is a sound defence in o doubles , and is used to open the c urt . a I believe in alw ys trying”for the kill when you see a real opening . Poach ( go for a shot which is not really on your side of the court ) whenever e t o you s e a chance o score . Never p ach unless you go for the kill . It is a win or nothing shot since it

opens your whole court . If you are missing badly It do not poach , as IS very disconcerting to your part ner . The question of covering a doubles court should not be a seriou s one . With all men striving to attain the not all the time every shot should be built up with that idea . Volley and smash when and h b ever possible , only retreat w en a solutely necessary . When the ball goes toward the side -line the net player on that side goes in close and toward the a to line . His partner f ll s slightly back and the tw centre of the court , thus covering the shot be een

the men . If the next return goes to the other S INGLE S AND DOUBLE S 101

t o o . side , the w men reverse p sitions The theory t o of court covering is w sides of a triangle , with the angle in the centre and the two sides running

i -l to the s de ines and in the direction of the net . Each man sh ould cover overhead balls over his o s e wn head, and hit them in the air whenever pos ibl , since to allow them to drop gives the net to the nl other team . The o y time for the partner t”o protect the overhead is when the net man poaches ,

s the o s . is outgue sed , and ball t s ed over his head Then the serv er covers and strives for a kill at

once .

be to o bu Always ready protect y ur partner , t do not take shots over his head unle ss he calls for you “ ”

ou se e e i . sa to , or y a c rtain k ll Then y Mine , t step in and hit decisively . The mat er o f overhead

e s balls , crossing under th m , and uch incidentals of

team work are matters of personal opinion , and should be arranged by each te am according to their f j oint views . I only o fer general rules that can be

modified to meet the wishes of the individuals .

Use the lob as a defence , and to give time to extricate y ourself and your partner from a bad posi tion ; The value of servic e in doubles cannot be too strongly emphasized since It gives the net to

. e the server . Service should always be held To los

- service is an unpardonabl e sin in first class doubles . All shots in doubles should be low or ve ry high . Do

- oo not hit shoulder high as it is t ea sy to kill . Volley

down and hard if p ossible . Every shot y ou make

S INGLE S AN D DOUBLE S 103

want to play with you . This will do away with

much fricti on . His styl e should not be too nearly your own , since you double the faults without greatly

increasing the virtues . I am a great believer in a brilliant man teaming o up with a steady player . Let y ur steady man

keep the ball in play , and allow your brilliant man “ ” all the room he wants to poach and kill . Thus

you get the best of both men .

Doubles is a game of fine sse more than speed .

The great doubles players , the Dohertys , Norman

. s o E Brooke , the greatest in the world t day , Roper

Barrett , , and F . B . Alexander , are all men of subtle fine sse rather than terrific speed . It requires more than speed of shot to beat two men over a barrier 3 to 3 feet high with a distance

2 t . Is of some 3 fee It angles , pace, and accuracy

that should be the aim in a gre at double s game . t t win Resource , versatili y, and subtle y, not speed ,

doubl es matches .

M ODERN TENN IS AND ITS FUTURE

PART III :M ODERN TENNIS AND ITS FUTURE

CHAPTER !

T HE GRO WTH O F T HE M O DERN GAM E

AWN tenni s Is the outgrowth of the old French

game of the courts of the early Louis . It fi on e rm , spr ad to England , where it gained a hold m public favour . The game divided ; the original for being closely adhered to in the game known in ” America as Court tennis but which is called “ ” , Tennis in England . Lawn tenni s grew out of it . The old style game was played over a net some

5 feet high , and the service was always from the

same end , the players changing courts each game . It was more on the style of the present game of

badminton or battledore and shuttlecock . ff Gradually the desire for active play had its e ect ,

in a lowered net and changed laws , and tennis , as we know it, grew into being . From its earliest period ,

which is deeply shrouded in mystery , came the terms “ “ “ ” “ ” 0- of love for nothing and deuce for 4 all . m What they eant originally, or how they gained o their hold is unkn wn , but the terms are a tradition 107 108 T HE AR T OF LAWN TE NNIS

of the game an“d just”as m“uch”a part of the scoring or se t system as the game call . In 1 9 2 0 the Rules Committee of the American Tennis Association advocated a change in scoring 1 0 0 that replaced love , 5 , 3 , 4 with the more compre n he sive 1 2 4 . , , 3 , The real reason for the“prop”osed change was the belief th at the word l ove in tennis made the uninitiated consider the game eff emi n l o ate and repe led p ssible supporters . The loyal adherents of the old customs of the game proved too c in strong, and defeated the proposed hange o t scoring by an overwhelming maj ri y . to Personally , I think there is some slight cl“aim ” consideration for the rem oval of the word l ove . o It can do no go d, and there are many substitutes a l for it . It can e sily be eliminated without revo u i ti on zin . i g the whole scoring “system” “It is far ”eas er o to substitute the w rds zero , nothing , for “ ” a o love than cause such an upheaval as w s pr posed . In my opinion the b e st way to obviate the matter is to use the player’s name in conjunction with the

points won by him , when his opponent has none .

i - If the first poi”nt s won by Williams; call the score 1 5 , Williams and , with h“is oppo”nent scoring the - u 1 . next , the call wo ld become 5 all If tennis loses one adherent , it cou“ld ot”herwise m gain , si ply by its retaining the word love in the re score , I heartily advocate removing it . This moval was success fully accomplished in Chicago in 1 1 s 9 9 , with no confusion to pl ayers , umpire , or

public . R . IS WILLIA S WILLIA J OH ST NORR M M M . N ON 19 14 a nd in 19 16 19 15 an d In 19 19

BI C MAURI CE E . LOUGHLIN ROBERT LINDLEY DI URRA Y 19 12 a n 1 d in 9 13 19 17 a n d In 19 18

FORMER CHAMPIONS O F AMERICA P LA TE ! I I I

T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODE RN GAME 109

o H wever , returning from my little digression on ” “ ” e o the relative value of lov and n thing, let m e h continue my s ort history of the game . The play ing of te nnis sprang into public favour so quickly that in a comparatively short space of time it was universally played in England and France . The game was brought to America in the latter part of h the nineteenth century . Its growth there in t e

-five past twenty years has been phenomenal . Dur ing the las t half century tennis gained a firm foothold e in all the colonies of the British Empire , and ev n

a i s e an found f vour in the Orient , as xplained in of other portion this book . Tennis fills many needs of provides

! o an outlet for physical energy , relaxati n , mental

. m stimulus , and healthful exercise The oral tone is aided by tennis because the first law of tennis IS that every player m ust he a good sportsman and x inherently a gentleman . Tennis was recogn ized by the Allied Governments as one of the most beneficial sports du ring the en World War . Not only were the men in service coura ed g to play whenever possible , but the Allied Governments lent o ffi cial aid to the various service tournaments held in France following the signing of m the Armistice . The i portance of tennis in the eyes of the American Government may be gleaned from the fact that great numbers of hard courts were erected at the various big cantonments , and ff organized play o ered to the soldiers . Many of the leading players who were in training 1 10 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS in America at the time of the National Champion was ship , which played solely to raise money for

the Red Cross , were granted leave from their v a

ri ous stations to take part in the competition . A mong the most notable were Wallace F . Johnson ,

. c Conrad B Doyle , Harold Thro kmorton , S . How m ard Voshell , and myself , all of who were granted

leave of two weeks or a month . Captain R . N . W m illiams and Ensigns Willia M . Johnston and ‘ L lin n . M ou h d Maurice E g , a many other stars , were ffi h overseas . O cial recognition at suc a time puts a stamp of approval on the game whi ch goes far t - o justify its world wide popularity . The tennis world lost many of its best in that o t itanic struggle . The passing of s many from its r anks left gaps that will be hard to fill .

The gallant death of Anthony F . Wilding in Flan ders cost the game one of its greatest players and o finest men . I had not the pleasure f knowing W ilding personally yet I , like all the tennis world , felt a sense of keen personal loss at his heroic an passing . Wilding was a m whose sterling quali

ties gave even more to the game than his play , and t ennis is better for his all too brief career . America lost some of its finest manhood in the o War , and tennis paid its toll . No player was a m re likeable personality nor popular figure among the P laffm an rising stars than John , the young Harvard

man who gave his life in Flanders fields . I cannot touch on the many heroes who made everlasting f am e in a bigger game than that which they loved T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODE RN GAME 111 ffi to . so well . Time is o short It is su cient to know that the tennis players of the world dropped their th sport at e call of War, and played as well with e t death as ver hey did on the tennis court . i s The War over, please God never to return , and the men are back from their marvellous task . The

o the of e game of War is d ne , games Peac are again n n f bei g played . Ten is suf ered the world over from ’ e war s blight , but everywhere the gam sprang up in renewed life at the close of hostilities . The sea son of 1 9 1 9 was one of reconstruction after the “ devastation . New figures were standing in promi e e n nc where old stars were accustomed to be seen . T he question on the lips of all the tennis players was whether the stars of pro-War days would return h to t em form er greatness . The Championship of the World for 1 9 1 9 at

Wimbledon was anxiously awaited . Who would h ! stand forth as t e shin“ing light of that meet”ing Gerald Patterson , the Australian Hurricane , as called him , came through a n otable field and successfully challenged for the s title . Gobert and King cote fell before him , and the press hailed him as a player of transcendent powers .

T h . e Australian team of Brookes , Patterson , R L t . o ce t V Th mas , and Randolph y journeyed home to the Antipodes by way of America to compete in the American Championship . Meanwhile R . N .

W . . s . illiam , W M Johnston , and Maurice E ‘ M L o hlin ug were demobilized , and were again on

T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODE RN GAME 113

The whole seas on saw marked increase in tenni s in terest throughout the entire world . I have gone into more detail concerning the sea on of 1 1 s 9 9 than I otherwise would , to attempt to show the revival of th e tenni s game in the public h so w i s . interest , and y it The evolution of the tennis gam e is a natural c logical one . There is a definite cy le of events that I a can be traced . The picture S cle rest in America as the steps of advancements are more definitely m m o defined . It is from A erica that I a going t analyse the growth “of modern tennis . o The old saying , Th”ree generati ns from shirt to s“leeves shirt sleeves , may well be parodied to Three decades from ground strokes to ground strokes . T he game of tennis is one great circle that never quite closes . Progress will not allow a

t . complete re urn to the old style Yet the style , i o t W th ut the method of thir y years ago , is coming i . s back in vogue It a polished, decorated version l o d . of the type game . It is expanded and developed History tells us that the civilization of the old Greeks and Romans held many so-called modern s e luxurie , but not the methods of acquiring th m o we have t day . Just so with tennis ; for the ground was stroke game the style of the past , just as it will be the style of the future ; but the modern method of making ground strokes is a very different thing

l - from the one used by the o d time stars .

We are on the brink of the upheaval . The next few years will show re sults in the tennis game that 1 14: T HE ART OF L AWN TE NNIS

were not thought of before the War . Tenni s i s l becoming an organized sport , with ski led manage n f me t . Modern methods , where e ficiency is the watchword , is the new idea in tennis development . Tennis is on the verge of the greatest increase in t its history . Never before has tennis of all ypes s o been universally played , nor by such great multi s tudes . Its drawing power is phenomenal , hundred of thousands of people Witnessing matches the world 1 2 0 over , and played during the season of 9 . There are mor e players of fame now before the public than at any previous time since tennis became e s established . T h standard of play of the ma se s and quality of gam e of the stars have risen trem end usl N o t o y in the last decade . less an authori y than

Norman E . Brookes , Whose active playing days i cover a per od of twenty years , told me during the

American Championships last year at Forest Hills , that in hi s opinion the game in America had ad “ ” n e 1 v a c d fully 5 in ten years . He stated that he believed the leading players of to -day were the supe

s s . rior of the Larned , Dohertys , and Pim of the past The most remarkable advance has been along the lin es of junior play :the development of a large group of boys ranging in age from thirt een to , Who the eighteen , will in time replace Johnstons , ‘ - M L ou hlins . Williams , and g of to day American tennis has passed through a serie s of revolutionary stages that have changed the complex of the game . English tennis has merely followed t in its na ural development, unaff ected by external T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODE R N GAME 1 15

fluences or internal upheaval , so that the game to day is a refined product of the game of twenty years e ago . Refin d but not vitalized. The World War

s alone placed its blight on the Engli h game , and

changed the even tenor of its way . Naturally th e ff War had only a devastating e ect . N 0 go od sprang

from it . It is to the everlasting c redit of the French and Engli sh that during those horrible four

s ff and death years of privation , u ering, the sports

of the nations lived . t of The true ype English tennis , from which

s ru - driv American tenni has sp ng , was the base line

- ing game . It i s still the same . Well exe cuted

e driv s , hit leisurely and gracefully from the b ase e t line , app aled to the emperament of the English people . They developed this s tyle to . a perfection well-nigh invincible to cope with from the same posi tion . The English gave the tennis world its tradi

t s . tions , its Doher y and its Smiths

a s t i Tennis development , just enn s psychology, is largely a matter of geographical distributi on . This is so well recognized now in America that the coun try is divided in vari ous geographic districts by the a and n tional association , sectional associations carry on the development of their l ocality under the super o vision f the national body . tu s ff Na rally new countrie , with di erent customs , would not develop along the same lines as England .

America , , and South Africa took the Eng t c lish s yle , and began their tennis areer on the base line game . Each of these has since had a distinct

T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODE RN GAME 1 17 him a following and fame , both in America and

l e - Eng and , that hav seldom been equalled in the sporting world . ‘

M L o hlin wa Of . ug s the disciple speed Cyclonic, fier - dynamic energy, embodied in a y headed boy , transformed tennis to a game of brawn as well as “ ” o brains . America went crazy ver Red Mac , and all the rising young players sought to emulate his o game . N 0 man has brought a m re striking per sonali m ty , or more generous sports anship , into ten ‘ li nis than M L ough n . The game owes him a great personal debt ; but this very personal charm that was his made many players strive to copy his styl e and

t f undam ene methods , which unfor unately were not ‘ he L o hlin a tally of t best . M ug w s a unique tennis player . His whole game was built up on service and overhead . His ground strokes were very faulty . ‘ By his personal populari ty M L oughlin dwarfed the em ha importance of ground strokes , and unduly p ‘ i M L hlin sized the mportance of service . oug gave us speed , dash , and verve in our tennis . It remained

. . to for R N . Williams and W M . Johnston restore the balance of the modern game by solving the riddl e ’ of the Californian s service . Brookes and Wilding led the way by first meeting the ball as it came off the ground . Yet neither of these two wizards of the ‘ ’ court successfully handled M L oughlin s service as did Williams and Johnston . ‘ M L oughlin swept Brookes and Wilding into the o 1 1 discard on those mem rable days in 9 4 , when the dynamic game of the fiery-headed Californian 1 18 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

rose to heights it had never attained previously, C and he defeated both men in the Davis up. Les s

than one month later Williams , playing as only can Williams , annihilated that mighty delivery and ‘ crushed M L oughlin in the final of the National

Championship . It was the beginning of the end ‘ M L ou hlin hi s for g , for once attack was repulsed he had no sound defence to fall back on . Williams and then Johnston ‘ triumphe d by the ‘ wonderful ground strokes that held back M L ough ’ lin s attack . To day we are still in the period of service and c net attack , with the cycle losing toward the ground stroke game . Yet the circle will never close , for the net game is the final word in attack, and only attack a will succeed . The evolution means th t the ground stroke is again established as the only modern de

fence against the net player .

Modern tennis should be an attacking service , ‘ ’ - M Lou hlin s not necessarily epoch making , as was g , but powerfully offensive , with the main portion o f the play from the base-line in sparring for openings

to advance to the net . Once the Opening is made o o the advance sh uld f llow quickly , and the point m ended by a decisive kill . That is the modern A eri It can game . is the game of Australia as typified by

Patterson schooled under the Brookes tutelage . It L aurentz is the game of France , played by Gobert , , has and Brugnon . It spread to South Africa , and

o . is used by Winslow , Nort n , and Raymond Japan Kum a ae Shimidzu sees its possibilities , and g and are T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODERN GAME 119

even now learning the net attack to combine with

- the base line game . England alone remains obstinate b in her loyalty to her old stand y , and even there signs of t he j oint attack are found in the game of

Kingscote . Tennis has spread so rapidly that the old idea of class and class game has passed away with so many

other ancient , yet snobbish , traditions . Tennis is

universally played ; The need of proper develop ment of the game became so great in America that the American Lawn Tennis Association organized , 1 1 i in 9 7 , a system of develop ng the boys under a eighteen years of age ll over the United States . had The fundamental idea in the system , which

' ori in in its g the able brain of Julian S . Myrick , President of the United States Lawn Tennis Asso ci ati on s in , was to arouse and su tain interest the various sections by dealing with local conditions . This was successfully done through a system of local open tournaments , that qualified boys to a sectional

championship . These sectional championships in turn qualified the winners for the National Junior

Championship , which is held annually in conjunction ’ with the men s event at Forest Hills .

The success of the system has been stupendous . The growth of tennis in certain localities has been 00 phenomenal . In Philadelphia alone over 5 boys

compete in sanctioned play annually , while the city ranking for 1 9 1 9 contained the names of 8 8 boys 0 m under eighteen , and 3 under fifteen , all of who had competed in at least three sanctioned events .

T HE GROWTH OF T HE MODERN GAME 12 1

some remarkable young players . It is largely due to the junior system that Vincent Richards has m become the arvellous player that he is , at such an

early age . Second only to Richards , and but a shade

behind , are Harold Taylor and Cecil Donaldson , o who have just passed out of the juni r age limit . C a is h rles Wood , the Indoor Boys Champion , a

remarkable youngster . in In New England , particularly - Providence , ff . . n s n through the e orts of J D . E Jo e , j u ior tennis a n is rapidly ssuming an importa t place , and many young stars who will be heard of in the future are coming to the fore: By a strange coincidence the l ist is headed by the two sons of Jones . They t ’ seem o haVe inherited their father s ability. Arnold

W . Jones , the National B oy Champion , is a player

- i fine o . of marked ab lity, with a all ar und game

Following closely on his heels come J . D . E . Jones ,

r. . . J , and Wm W Ingraham . From the South one

. o finds John E . Howard Around Chicago a gr up 1 2 0 of men , led by Samuel Hardy , captain of the 9

Davis Cup team , and assisted by R . T . Van Arsdale , built up a magnificent system of tournaments and

coaching . Hardy left Chicago and came to New York in 1 9 1 9 ; but the work which he so ably organ i zed will continue under the supervision of the West e n r Ass oci ation . The leading juniors developed in Chicago were Lucian Williams and the Weber brothers , James and Jerry . ne e From the Pacific Coast , the pio r in junior de velo m ent p , wonderful boys are continually coming 122 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

’ East . A boy s tennis game matures early in Cali ‘ L h f orni a . M oug lin was about eighteen when he first came East ; Johnston less than twenty-one when he won the national title the first time ; M ervin Griffi n and Morgan Fottrell are in 1 9 2 0 the lead

ing youngsters in California . The success of the Californians i s due largely to f the ef orts of Dr . Sumner Hardy , brother of Samuel

Hardy , and one of the most remarkable figures in

the tenni s world . Dr . Hardy practically carries H the California Association single handed . e is a

big factor in American tennis success .

From up in Washington State , a fine young

player, Marshall Allen , has come to the fore . D s a . s i , Charles S Garland , the avi Cup star, , c former Junior Champion of Ameri a , and a product so of the junior system in Pittsburg , which is ably h s . handled by his father , Charle Garland Ot er young stars developing include George Morel and

and Leonard Reed . but Most o f the foregoing is irrelevant , I suppose, I have gone into detail because I want to prove that America has gone into the matter of junior develop

has ments , carefully , systematically , and p roduced

results . It has been proved conclusively that it is in the schools that the most favourable progress could be im made . Once tennis i s placed on the basis of

portance it deserves , the boys will take it up . At present there i s a tendency to discount tennis and

golf in school . This is a big mistake , as these two T HE GR OWTH OF T H E MODE RN GM IE 12 3

games are the only ones that a man can play regu larly after he leaves college and enters into busi

. . I ness The school can keep a _ sport alive t is n schools that kept cricket alive in E gland , and lack

of scholastic support that killed it in America . The

future of tennis in England , France , Australia ,

. the . Japan , etc , rests in hands of the boys If the

game is to grow , tennis must be encouraged among

the youngsters and played in the schools . i England s faced with a serious problem . Eton t o and Harrow , the w big schools , are firm set h against tennis . T e other institutions naturally fol n low i the lead of these famous schools . The younger generation is growing up with little or no knd le ‘ w dge of tennis . One thing that forcibly bore 1 2 0 in on my mind , during my trip in 9 , was the com

plete absence of boys of all ages at the various. tour nam ent s . In America youngsters from ten years of age up swarm all over the grounds at big tennis ’ events . I saw very few of either at ! ueen s Club,

Wimbledon , Eastbourne , or Edgbaston where I played . The boys do not understand tennis in Eng

land , and naturally do not care to play it . The English Lawn Tennis Association is very desirous of building up tennis in the schools ; but so far has not yet succeeded in breaking down the

old prejudice . It is really a question of life or death with English tennis at this time . Maj or A . R . F .

Kingscote , the youngest of the leading players in t e England , is older than any man in h American

t . Firs ten , with the single exception of Walter T

AN ECHO O F THE WA R

i T A e - S . M c U S . L . N N l l a . . . s l . . u Wa Jul n yri k , president ; W , runner p ; D -V a m c o a cs E . F . T ex c P e L T A U . S C p , ire t r of thleti ; orrey , i e resid nt . . . . R L M a i 1o . W a t P a am sh 1 1 . 9 7 . urr y , nner the triot Ch pion ip ,

IS CUP DO U B L E S T 19 13 DAV EAM , M E M cL hh . . oug n and H . H . T HE GROWTH OF T H E MODE RN GAME 12 5

q r portant meetings . The courts re uire f a less care r in upkeep than g ass . What has been the actual tenden cy in the la st decade ! In America the hard courts ere cted have been approximately nine to one grass . America ' a i ecom e - r is r p dly b a hard court count y . France is entirely on a hard-court basis ; there are no grass courts at all . Play in South Africa is entirely on i hard courts . Austral a and the British Isles have successfully repelled the hard-court invasion thus t o far , although during the past w years the number of hard courts put up in England has exceeded grass . The en-tout—cas court of peculiar red surface is the most popular composition in England and the

Continent . There seems little doubt but that the hard court is the coming surface in the next decade . Grass will continue to be used for the most important events , but the great majority of the tennis played , ex i clus v e . of the championships , will be on hard courts The result on the game will be one of increasing the value of the ground stroke and partially cutting

c c down the net atta k , since the surface of a hard ourt is slippery and tends to make it hard to reach the e net to volley . Thus the natural attack will becom

- a drive and not a volley . Hard court play speeds up the ground strokes , and makes the game more orthodox . The in stallation of hard courts universally should ff e spread tennis rapidly , since it will a ord more chanc

T H E GROWTH OF T H E MODE RN GAME 12 7

privately owned , on Long Island . uses the big armouries for indoor play ; but the sur

face and light in these are not fit for . The Bro oklyn Heights Casino has the only adequate

court in the Metropolitan district .

Philadelphia and Chicago , cities of enormous

populations and great tennis interest , have no courts

or facilities for indoor play . This condition must be rectified in America if we wish to keep our suprem re acy in the tennis world . The French players are

markable on wood . Gobert is said to be the supe o ri r of any player in the world , when playing under

good conditions indoors . The game of tennis is worthy of having all types of play within reach of its

‘ devotees . Why should a playe r drop his sport in October because the weather i s cold ! Indoor play during the winter means an improvement from sea

son to season . Lack of it is practi cally stagnation

or retrogression . The future will see a growth of hard-court play

! the world over . Grass must fight to hold its posi o tion . Indoor play will come more and more int vogue. CHAPTER XI

T HE PRO BABLE FUTURE O F T HE GAM E

HAT will be the outcome of the world-wide boom in tennis ! Will the game change s ! can materially in the coming year Time , alone , answe r; but with that rashness that seizes one when the opportunity to prophesy arrives and no one is “ ” l m at hand to cry Ho d , hold , I dare to submit y

Views on the coming years in international tennis . I do not look to s e e a material change in the play

. ho ing rules A revival of the footfault fiend , w de internati onal in sires to handicap the server“, is ” char

. The acter and , like the poor , always with us International Federation has practically adopted a footfault rule for 1 9 2 1 that prohibits the serv er

- lifting one foot unless replaced behind the base line . It is believed this will do away with the terrific f services . The only ef e ct I can see from it is to move the server back a few inches , or possibly a foot , while he deliver s the same service and follows in c with a little more speed of foot . It will not hange the game at all . Sir Oliver Lodge , the eminent scientist , has joined the advocates of but one service use per point . This seems so radical and in all so it n less , since entirely kills service as other tha a T H E PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 12 9

it mere formality, and puts back where it was t e -five s a o w nty year g , that I doubt if even the ’ weight of Sir Oliver Lodge s eminent opinion can

put it over . To allow one serv ice is to hand the ’ game more fully into the receiver s hands than it now ’ rest s in the server s . l The playing ru es are adequate in every way, and the perfect accord with which representatives of the h various countries meet and play, appily , success

i s ffi fully, and what more important , annually, is su

cient endorsement of the fundamental principles . ff The few slight variations of the , di erent countries are easily learned and work no hardships on visiting

players . Why change a known successful quantity ! for an unknown It seldom pays . The style of play is now approaching a type which

I believe will prove to have a long life . To day we are beginning to combine the various styles in one m an. The champion of the future will necessarily

- need more equipment than the champion of to day . The present shows us the forehand driving of John

ston , the service of Murray, the volleying of Rich the ards , the chop of Wallace F . Johnson , smash of v W Patterson , the half olley of illiams , and the back the hand of Pell . The future will find greatest

players combining much of these games . It can be e don if the player will study . I believe that every leading player in the world in 1 95 0 will have a drive

- an k e . d a chop , fore and bac hand from the bas line e one He will use at least two styles of service , sinc e i H e will not suffice against the strok of that p er od.

T HE PROBAB LE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 13 1

v . conser atism in sport Still her game will change . T h Already a slight modification is at work . e next decade will see a big change coming over the style

of Engli sh tennis . The wonderful sporting abilities to of the Englishman , his ability produce his best

when seemingly down and out mean that , no matter h t h in ow low the ebb o which tennis might fall , t e herent abilities of the English athlete would always bring it up . I sound pessimistic about the imm edi am o ate future . I not , provided English b yhood is

interested in the game .

Japan is the country of the future . There i s no more remarkable race of students on t he globe than

. are the Japanese They like tennis , and coming

with increasing numbers to our tournaments . They prove themselves sterling sportsm en and remarkable

players . I look to see Japan a power in tennis

t -fi in the next twen y ve years . e France , with her brilliant temperam ntal unstable w people , ill always provide interesting players and

charming opponents . I do not look to see France materially change her present positi on— which is

one of extreme honour , of great friendliness , and

keen competition . Her game will not greatly rise , nor will she lose in any way the prestige that is

hers . It will be many long years before the players of who o those enemy countries , plunged the world int the horrible baptism of blood from which we have

only just emerged , will ever be met by the players

of the Allies . Personally , I trust I may not see their 132 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

re- entry into the game . Not from the question of the individuals , but from the feeling which will not down . There is no need to deal at this time with the future of Germany and Austria .

Australasia and South Africa , the great colo nies of the British Empire , should be on the edge of

s e e a great tennis wave . I look to great players rise in Australasia to refill the gaps left by the pass ing of Wilding and the retirement of Brookes . It takes great players to fill such gaps ; but great play ers are bred from the traditions of the former m as ters . The ea rly season of 1 9 2 1 s aw a significant and

to my way of looking at it , wise move on the part of New Zealand when the New Zealand tennis associ ation withdrew from the Australasian tennis associ ation and decided to compete for the Davis Cup in

future years as a separate nation . No one can deny the great help Australia has but been to New Zealand in tennis development,

! the time has come now for New Zealand to stand n on her own . Since the regrettable death of A

thon . y F Wilding , in whose memory New Zealand has a tennis asset and standard that will always

hold a place in world sport , the New Ze aland ten ni s players have been unable to produce a player of skill enough to make the Davis Cup team of

Australasia . It has fallen to Australia with Nor

. w man E Brookes , to hose unfailing support and interest Australasian tennis owes its progress since

ar . . . . . the w , G L Patterson , W H Anderson , R L . T HE PR OBABLE FUTUR E OF T HE GAME 133

’ H O H ara eath , and Pat Wood to uphold the tradi

t ions of the game . The Davis Cup cnallenge round of 1 9 2 1 was s taged in New Zealand in accord with the agree m ent between Australia and New Zealand and also in i . n memory of A . F . Wilding The tremendous terest in the p lay throughout the entire country s howed the time was ripe for a drastic step forward a i f the step w s ever to be taken . So after careful consideration the split of Australi a and New Zea l ha and s taken place . What will this mean to New Zealand ! First it means that it will be years before another Davis Cup match will be staged on her s t hores , for it takes time and plen y of it to produce i s a winning team , but at the time , the fact borne in on the tennis playing faction in New Zealand t hat as soon as they desire to challenge , their play ers will gain the opportunity of International com

p etition . Experience matures players faster than anything else and I am sure that the move that will place a team of New Zealand players in the field in the D avis Cup will be the first and biggest step forward

to real world power in tennis . New Zealand pro duce d h a one Wilding, w y should not another p p ear ! I was tremendously impressed by the interest ex

i sting among the New Zealand boys in tennis . I m et a great number during my few weeks in Auck land and seldom have seen such a magnificent physi

cal type coupled with mental keenness . These boys ,

T H E PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T H E GAME 18 5

u England and France close on their heels , to j mp in the lead at the first faltering . It is only a matter of time before the last differ ence s between the Internat i onal Federation and the

America Association are patched up . The funda s of mental desire each , to spread the growth of tennis , are the same . Sooner or later the bar will fall , and a truly International Federation , world

i . wide n scope , will follow I look to se e the Davis Cup matches gain in importance and public interest as each year goes th by . The growth of the public interest in e game is seen at every hand . Wimbledon must seek new quarters . The new grounds of the All England Club will provide accommodation for to witness the championships . This enormous stadium is the result of public pressure , owing to the crowds that could not be accommodated at the old grounds .

Westside Club , Forest Hills , where the American

m was Cha pionship held , is planning accommodation for provided that they are awarded the championship for a long term of years . Davis Cup matches are now drawing from to where the accommodation is available . What will the fu ture hold ! I believe th at 1 9 5 0 will find the game of tennis

- on a plane undreamed of to day . Tennis is still in i t s infancy . M ay I have the pleasure to help in

rocking the cradle .

“ c My task is ompleted . I have delved into the

past , analy sed the present , and prophesied the f u 13 6 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS t a ure , with complete disregard of conventions and traditions .

The old order changeth , and I trust that my book may aid slightly in turning the tennis thought in the direction of organized developments . The day o of self is past . The day of c operation is dawning . n It is seen in the junior tennis , the mu icipal tennis , and the spirit of international brotherhood in the

game .

Assistance is necessary to success in any venture . My book has been made possible only by the aid afforded me by several of my companion s on the

Davis Cup team trip . The task of arranging the material in coherent order and proper style i s one

of the most important points . I owe a debt of

gratitude to Mrs . Samuel Hardy , wife of our cap

- tain , for her never failing interest and keen judg

ment in the matter of style .

Mr . Hardy , with his great knowledge of the game ffi of tennis , as player , o cial , and organizer , freely

gave of his store of experience , and to him I owe

much that is interesting in the tactics of the game .

- R . N . Williams , my team mate , was always a

willing critic and generous listener , and his playing abilities and decided ideas on the game gave much

a material that found its w y into these pages . I

wish to express my grati tude for his able assistance .

‘ Garland m Charles S . , y doubles partner and close

- friend , gave never wavering faith and a willing ear

to my ravings over strokes , tactics , and theories , T HE PROBAB LE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 137 while his orthodox views on tennis acted as a stop on my rather B olshevik ideas . To all these people I express my thanks for their part in any success I may attain with this book . I have a firm belief in the future of tennis . I recom i t . mend to all It gives firm friends , a healthy body , a keen mind , and a clean sport . It calls forth the

its . best that is in you , and repays you in own coin

THE 1 9 2 1 SEASON

The season of 1 9 2 1 was the most remarkable year in tennis history throughout the whole world . More tennis was played and more people viewed it than ever before . The climax of famous Davis Cup competition was reached when England , France , Japan , Aus trali a D , the Philippines , enmark , B elgium , Argen

Czecho- tine , Spain , India , Canada and Slovakia chal lenged for the right to play America , the holding nation . This wonderful representation naturally produced not only many new stars , but also thou sands of new enthusiasts in the various countries where the matches were played . The early rounds saw several brilliant matches and naturally some defaults . Argentine and the Philippines could not put a team in the field at the

C cho- l . ze S o last moment Belgium , after defeating was vakia , unable to finance her team to America

to meet the winner of England and Australasia . England scored a fine victory over Spain when

tt . L ce . Randolph y , F and Max E

T HE PROBAB LE FUTUR E OF T HE GAME 139

o al was re ti n star , also out of the game , having tired from active competition last year . The Eng M ax lish team wa s made up of Gordon Lowe ,

Woosnam ...... , J C Gilbert and O E H Turnbull They were accompanied by that delightful author a nd critic A . Wallis Meyers . The English met the Australians at Pittsburgh won two i n July . The latter three matches to with outstandin fi u re J . O . Anderson , the g g of a well played meeting . The tall Australian defeated both Lowe and Woosnam in the singles and aided in the d oubles victory , thus scoring all the points for his team . Meanwhile the Indian team had arrived in Amer i ca r and p oceeded to Chicago , where they met the

Japanese team of Kum ag ae and Shim idzu . The battle of the Orient resulted in a vi ctory for the 1 \li one e pp s . The final round found Australia playing Japan in I o . . the fam us old tennis center of Newport , R , where the National Singles so long held sway . It

a u w s a bitter str ggle , with the Australians within two little points of V ictory in two matches they him idzu Kum a ae afterwards lost . S and g took all

Kum a ae was two the singles , but g sets down to

Hawkes and one to two down to Anderson . Thus Japan in its first year in Dav is Cup competition earned the right to challenge America for the treas u re d trophy .

It was a marvellous meeting of these two teams . Over people watched the players in three 140 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS fi . on e e days Although America w all v match s , Shim idzu came within two points of defeating me in straight sets and carried Johnston to a bitter four s et struggle . The Cup is safe for another year but the new blood infused into the competition by such men as Shimidzu oosnam , Alonzo , W , Anderson and Hawkes shows clearly that America must keep

e working or w will fall from our present position .

It i s a healthy thing for the game that this i s so . I hope we will see many more new players of equal promise next year . U e The nited Stat s Lawn Tennis Association , fol lowing its policy of co- operation with the Interna tion Federation , decided to send a team to France and England for the championships . The person

r k . a M s . nel of the team w s Fran lin I Mallory , Miss

d . Edith Sigourney , Arnol W Jones (boy champion of America , and myself . J . D . E . Jones , o father of Arnold , himself a tennis player of ren wn ,

as . . accompanied the team , did Mr M allory The invading tennis players sailed M ay 1 2 th on the M a ure mni a to Cherbourg and from there j our ne e d y to Paris , where they engaged in the Hard

Court Championship of the world . The first week of the stay was devoted to practice i ran a s . on the courts at the Stad F c , St Cloud , where a the championship w s held . The team were the guests of the Racing Club at a most delightful luncheon and shortly afterward dined as the guests of the Tennis Club of Paris . WALLAC F J OH STO . E N N S . HOWARD VOSHELL Am e ri ca A m eri ca

I CH I YA K U M A GA E T WA SON M . WASHBURN J a a n p A m e ri ca

PLA TE ! V

T HE PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 145 1

The finals of the championship of France were and held during our stay , greatly to our surprise , d A . H . Gobert , the efending title holder , fell a hi s victim to old enemy , heat , and went down to de

i l m feat before Sam azeuh . The Hard Court cham pi onships of the world produced a series of the most sensational upsets in the history of the game ,

a series , I might add , that did much to allow me to win the event . Gobert lost to Nicholas Mishu in m the first round . Alonzo , after defeating Sa a zi euhl at L aurentz , went down to defeat hands of , who in turn collapsed to Tegner . Fate pursued the as winners , for Tegner w eliminated by Washer , who came through to the final against me . Either Alonzo or L aurentzshould have been finalists if the unexpected had not occurred , and either would have been a hard proposition for me particularly in my condition . I had been taken ill on my arrival in

was . Paris and still far from well However , Fortune smiled on me and I succeeded in defeating Washer 6— 6— 6— 3 , 3 , 3 . Meanwhile the long awaited meeting between M r Mlle . Lenglen and s . Mallory was at hand .

Mrs . Mallo ry had come through one side of the n Billoutt tour ament after a bitter battle with Mme .

B r i . ocad es ( Mlle ) in the semi final .

Mlle . Lenglen had proceeded in her usual lei surely fashion to the finals with the loss of but two games . t o M r . What a meeting these w great players , s ! Mallory and Mlle . Lenglen , had Every seat in “ 142 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS the stands sold and every inch of standing room ! crowded It was a marvellous match , both women n i playing great tennis . Mlle . Lenglen had co s s

tently better depth and more patience . She out m ance u red 6— 2 v the American champion and won ,

— - 6 3 . The match was far closer than this one sided as s core sounds . Every rally w long drawn out and b itterly contested , but the French girl had a slight superiority that brought her a well deserved victory .

L a re z . . u nt A . H Gobert and W retained their d oubles title after one of the most terrific struggles o f their careers in the semi -final round a gainst Ar

nold Jones and me . The boy and I h ad preVi ously put out Sam azi euhl and his partner in three sets and

, “just nosed out the Spanish Davis Cup team Manuel

Alonzo and Count de Gomar . The semi final between Gobert and L aurentzand t he Americans brought out a capacity audie nce that l iterally jumped to i ts feet and cheered during the s parkling rallies of the five bitterly contesting sets . Just as Gobert drove his terrific service ace past me L aurentz for the match , suddenly collapsed and

fainted dead away on the court . It was a dramatic e nd to a sensational match .

The scene then shifted to England , where the American team j ourneyed across the Channel to prepare for the championship of the i world at Wimbledon . My preparat on consisted

o f - a hasty j ourney to a hospital , where a minor o peration put m e to bed until the day Wimbledon a ts t rted . T HE PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T H E GAME 1 43 The remainder of the team j ourneyed first to Beckenham and then to Roehampton for their first

. . grass court play of the season _ Mrs Mallory met d efeat at. the hands of Mrs . Beamish at Becken ham while the other members fell by the wayside

M r R eh a . o m at sundry points s . Mallory won p in ton , decisively defeating Miss Phillis Howkins

the final . Francis T . Hunter , another American a who j oined the team in England , although he w s ’ abroad on business , scored a victory in the men s

' on event at Roehampt . ’ The world s championship at Wimbledon was another series of sensational matches and startling

a the u . w s psets The draw as usual topheavy , all strength in ' the upper half with Frank Hunter and

. it . s aw s B . I . C Norton in the lower Every day Shim idzu feature matches produce the unexpected . and Ly cett battled for nearly four hours in a strug gle that combined all the virtues and Vices of ten nis and pugilism . Col . A . R . F . Kingscote , after three sensational Victories over Fisher , Dixon and

Lowe , collapsed against Alonzo and was decisively Shim i defeated . dzu looked a certain winner against

2 1 — 1 Alonzo when he led at sets to and 4 , but the Spaniard rose to great heights and by sensational play pulled out the match in five sets .

Norton and Hunter , after several close calls , met in the semi final . Norton took two sets and led 5 — 3 in the third only to have Hunter follow in ’ Alonzo s footsteps and pull out the set and win

T H E PR OBABLE FUTUR E OF T H E GAME 145

tu a ment put his re rn out by inches . It w s a life and fortunately for me I seized my chance and suc cee d e d in pulling out the match and retaining the i n . n champio ship Norton deserved to w , for noth m e ing but luck saved as I walked to the net , think a a ing my shot w s out . Norton is the youngest m n to have won the All Comers Singles . He is just

2 1 .

n The championships had two s ad moments . O e

was . . t the absence of J C Parke , due to retiremen from singles . The other was the retirement of A 0 W . Gore , the famous veteran , after 3 ye ars a participant in the championship s . ’ The women s events found an even more unf or~ as ta nate draw than the men . All the strength w i M cKane n one eight . Miss Ryan defeated Miss K . i in the first round and Mrs . Beamish her old rival n the second . She met Mrs . Mallory in the third . set M r For one s . Mallory played the finest ten nis of her career to that time and in fact equal even to her play against Suzanne Lenglen in America off ix She ran s games in ten minutes . Miss Ryan , cleverly changing her game , finally broke up the ’ M rs t perfection of . Mallo ry s stroking and jus n t osed her out in the next wo sets . It was a well deserv ed victory . Miss Ryan easily won the tournament and chal

l . enged Mlle Lenglen , but her old jinx in the form of Suzanne again proved too much and she played far below her best . The French girl easily retained 6— 2 6— 0 her title , winning , . 1 46 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

The j ourney of the wandering tennis troupe abroad was far from the most important develop ment of the year . The American season was pro t da cing remarkable results . Every year produces i s outstanding figure and the early months of 1 9 2 1 s aw Vincent Richards looming large on the tennis horizon . The first sensation of the year was the decisive defeat inflicted on Kum ag ae by young Richards at

Am a a i k ss n . Club , New York This was immediately ’ Kum a ae s followed by g victory over Dick Williams , ’ a venging Williams win at Palm Beach some months

Ku a ae b efore . m g scored in the intercity match for the George Myers Church Trophy played in 1 9 2 1

T e . in Philadelphia . h following day Wallace F Johnson defeated Kumag ae in one of the most ter ifi r c battle of the year . Vincent Richards went through the season to the m H on iddle of July without sustaining a defeat . e w fi ve tournaments . I arrived home from France and England July i 2 th and j ourneyed at once to Providence where I t ook charge of the Rhode Island State Champion Shim idzu s hip at the Agawam Hunt Club . Zenzo h a d accompanied me to America on the O lympi c a nd made his first tournament appearance two days

a . fter landing at Greenwich , Conn , before coming to Providence . He went down to unexpected de

a t . feat the hands of S H . Voshell . The Providence tournam ent held the gre atest entry list of any event except the National Singles T H E PROBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 147

Shimidzu itself . The singles had , Williams , Rich

. . . . Vo ards , C S Garland , , S H

s . . hell , Samuel Hardy , N W Niles , many young c Ichi a Ku Western ollegiate stars and myself . y magae arrived to play doubles with Shimidzu in preparation for the Davis Cup . Sh m id u b e Then the fun began . i z again fell

net fore the attack of Voshell , who was himself de e feat d by the calm quiet steadiness of Washburn .

Garland went out at my hands . Williams faced certain defeat when Niles led him 4— 0 in the final

et - e s , but in one of his super tennis streaks tor

i through to victory , only to collap se aga nst Vincent ff 6— 2 6— 2 i n Richards and su er a crushing defeat ,

-fina l the semi . Meanwhile Washburn had dropped 6— 2 6— 2 s by the wayside to me , and young Richard and I took up our annual battle .

r . Youth is cruel . The world is c uel . Life is hard

I know it , for Vinnie , with care and discretion ,

- quietly led me along the Road of the - Has Be cus , 6— 1 6— 2 1— 6 where he deposited me to the tune of , , — 6 0 .

Kum a ae Richards , with the scalps of g , Williams , s e Vo hell and myself dangling at his belt , s emed e destined for the championship itself . Alas , prid

a goeth before a fall . The fall came to Vinnie sud d enl y .

The following week was the Longwood Singles . ” t Lit le arrived East , together with the rest of his California team , the day the event started . Johnston was the holder of the trophy

T HE PROBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 149

venge for his defeat at Longwood . Washburn hi s played the best tennis of life , in defeating John ’ ston and Williams , which , coupled with Richards r crushing defeat , placed Washbu n on the Davis Cup

team . A sensational upset occurred i n the first round

when L . B . Rice defeated W . E . Davis . Rice has madea great improvement this year and bids fa i r to

go far . L Seabright , the next week , found ittle Bill John OI ston playing the stellar r e . Washburn took a week off but Williams and Richards were in the

competition . two Johnston crushed Richards when the met , in a display o f aggressive tennis so remarkable that

the boy was helpless before it . Richards was stale

r and below fo m , but even if he had been at his ’ best , he could not have withstood Johnston s at

tack . Little Bill followed this up by sweeping Wil liams off the court by another marv ellous streak of well nigh perfect tennis . Southampton and the Women’s National Cham i onshi fl p p con icted the next week . The story of ’ Mrs . Mallory s sensational triumph and successful

defense of her title is told elsewhere in this book .

Southampton , as always , proved the goat , for almost all the leading players took a week ’s rest before the National Doubles Championship .

The English Davis Cup team , Willis E . Davis ,

Vincent Richards and the Kinsey brothers , Bob and

Howard , were the leading stars . The event nar 15 0 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS rowed to Davis and Richards in the finals with no upsets of a startling nature . Davis had had a very poor record all year , while Richards boasted of the

finest list o f victories of the season . On the other hand the boy was over-tenni sed and stale and it won proved his undoing , for a fter one set , which he hi easily, the sting went out of s game and Davis took the match in four sets .

The championships were just ahead . The Doubles held at Longwood Club , , found several teams closely matched . Williams and Washburn , with the c Rhode Island State and Newpo“rt to their” redit , were the favorites for the title . Little Bill Johns

ton and W . E . Davis and Bob and

of California had both pressed them closely . Vin cent Richards and I teamed together for the first time since N . E . Brookes and G . L . Patterson had

the 1 1 won title from us in 9 9 . Samuel Hardy and h S . H . Voshell were a pair of veterans w o needed watching . Williams and Washburn had a close call in the third round when Hardy and Voshell led 3— 1 in the

fifth set , but an unfortunate miss of an easy volley by Hardy and a footfault on game point at 3— 4 and 3 0—40 by Voshell turned the tide and the favorites were safe . Johnston and Davis had several chances in the semi-final but Davis was too uncertain and Bill

too anxious and they tossed away the opportunities . Vinnie and I met the Kinseys in the semi -final and a fter chasing their lobs all over the court for hours

and smashing until our backs ached , we finally pulled T HE PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T H E GAME 15 1

out three sequence sets . I have seldom seen a team

work together more smoothly than the Kinseys . i and The final match between Will ams Washburn , Richards and I for two sets wa s as sensational and closely contested doubles as ever featured a national

championship . Our slight superiority in returning service gave us just enough margin to pull out the 1 — 1 2 1 2 — 1 0 e first two sets 4 , . Th n Richards went

mad . There is no other way to describe it . Every time he got hi s racquet on a ball it went for a clean Al placement . I stood around and watched him . most single -handed this remarkable boy won the last

- s et 6 2 .

T he Davis Cup challenge round stretched itself between the Doubles and Singles Championship . There was no work except for us poor hard-working players who were on the team . The rest was a he blessing to Richards , who needed it badly, as was ti re d and drawn . m Follow g the American victory in the Davis Cup , the scene shifted to Philadelphia and the eyes of the tennis world were centered on the Germantown

Cricket Club , where the greatest tournament of all time was to be held . Players of seven nations were to compete . The Davis Cup stars of England , Australia and Japan added their brilliance to that of all the leading American players . Six American champions , W . A . Larned , W . J . Clothier , R . N . m Williams , R . L . Murray , W . M . Johnston , and y self were entered . Fate took a hand in the draw and for once I think

T H E PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T H E GAME 15 3

Johnson was very steady and outlasted Washburn

on. in the first set , which he w Washburn then took ff to storming the net and carried o two sets decisively . The strain took its toll and he was perceptibly slower when the fourth set opened . Johnson ran him from corner to corner , or tossed high lobs when Washburn took the net . It proved too much for even Wash won burn to stand , and the Philadelphian the next t o w sets and with it the match . M any people con

i ere . s d d it a great upset Personally I expected it , m as I know how dangerous Johnson ay be . The Johnston-Richards match and my meeting with Shimidzu came on the third day . Fully people j ammed themselves around the court and t yelled , clapped and howled heir excitement through

’ a the a f ternoon. It w s a splendidly behaved gallery but a very enthusiastic one . hi s Richards , eager to avenge crushing def“eat by Johnston at Seabright , started with a rush . Little ” Bill was uncertain and rather nervous . Richards ran away with the first two sets almost before Johns ton realized what was happening . The tennis

Richards played in these sets was almost unbeatable . Johnston nerved himself to his task and held even

- to 3 all in the third . Here he broke through and

Richards , I think foolishly, made little attempt to pull out the set . The boy staked all on the fourth — set . Johnston led at 5 3 but Richards , playing des

eratel 6— was p y , pulled up to 5 and within two points ’ 0 - of the match at 3 all on Johnston s service . It was his last effort . Johnston took the game and Rich 15 4 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS H i ards faded away . s strength failed him a nd the ’ match was Johnston s . I hit a good streak against Shim idzu and ran away with three straight sets more or less easily . Meantime one of the most sensational upsets of the whole tournament was taking place on an out P hil l side court where Stanley W . Pearson of ade ff as . phia w running the legs o N W . Niles of

Boston and beating him in five sets . “ ” Little Bill Johnston and I met the next day in

as what w the deciding match of the tournament , even though it was only the fourth round . Every avail able inch of space Was j ammed by an overflow gal

e lery when w took the count . It was a bitter match from the first point . We were both playing well .

In the early stages Little Bill had a slight edge , but after one set the balance shifted and I held the whip hand to the end . The same day Dick Williams went down to sud den and unexpected defeat at the hands of J . O .

Anderson of Australia in five well played sets . It wa s ff a typical Williams e ort , glorious tennis one A minute followed by inexcusable lapses . The us li tra an was steady and clever throughout . The keen speculation as to the outcome of the tournament fell off after the meeting o f Johnston and I , and with it a decrease in attendance . This ran very high , however , again reaching capacity on the day of the finals . The round before the semi finals saw a terrific t o struggle between w Californians , Bob Kinsey and T HE PROBABLE FUTUR E OF T HE GAME 15 5

Willis E . Davis . Kinsey had defeated Davis in the Metropolitan Championship the week before and

a w s expected to repeat , but Davis managed to out last his team and nosed out the match . Kinsey col lapsed on the court from exhaustion as the last point was played . Gordon Lowe went down to me in a fine match while J . O . Anderson and Wall ace Johnson com l finali t ete d s s . p the ! uartet of semi _ I finally got my revenge on Davis for the many fl defeats he had in icted on me in years gone by . Wallace Johnson scored a magnificent victory over

J . O . Anderson in four sets after the Australian — — 2 0 1 . led at a set all , 5 , and 4 5 Johnson ran n the , visiti g Davis Cup star all over the court and finally pulled out the match in one of the finest dis of plays court generalship I have ever seen . a The finals w s more or less of a family party .

was - f t o P hiladel It an all Philadelphian af air , w phi ans competing with more cheering them on .

Johnson was unfortunate . Saturday the match was started under a dark sky on a soft court that just suited him . I have seldom seen Johnson play

s o a e . well ; as always , his judgment w s faultl ss We divided games with service with monotonous regu l - arity . The score was 5 all when it began to driz zle . The court , soft at best that day , grew more ’ treacherous and slippery by the minute . Johnson s s hots hardly left the ground . He broke my service

- at 7 all when the rain materially increa sed . He

VINCENT RICHARDS T h e gre ate s t Ju nior pl ayer in the world

A L W IE R SA A . . NE ( NDY) ND W T T IL 2 N D M . . DEN D i s cu ss m g a c om ing m a t ch a s they t a ke the c ou r t

DI I S S H E LEN W ILLS CARL FISCHER Girl Champ ion of Am eri ca

F S A GR OUP O YOUNG P LAYER .

P LA TE ! VI C H . A A RDY C . S . GARL ND AND R . N . WILLIAMS Am eri ca A m e ri ca

A . G . GOBE RT F ance W . A L A URE z r . N T Fr ance

T HE PROB AB LE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 15 7

1 . . W . M Johnston

. 2 a Beat V Richards , Williams K magae , Shim idzu , Roland Roberts , Davis and others . Lost to

Washburn , Tilden , Roberts .

2 . 2 d R . N . Williams . Shim idzu Kum a ae Beat Richards , , g Voshell

and . 0 others Lost to Johnston Richards , J . . K m a a e u . Anderson , g

3 . Vincent Richards

Kum a ae Shimi Beat Tilden , Richards , g dzu V ( in exhibition at Toronto ) , oshell , Hawkes ,

Lost to Johnston Williams , D avis .

i a 4 . Ish ya Kum gae

Beat Williams , Voshell , Anderson , Hawkes . Lost

to Johnston , Tilden , Williams , Richards . Shimidz 5 . Zenzo u

Beat Wallace Johnson Anderson , Hawkes ,

. V Niles Lost to Johnston , Tilden oshell 2 Richards ( ) ( in exhibitions ) . o 6 . Wallace J hnson n Beat Watson , Washbur , Anderson . Lost to Til

Shim idzu den ,

7 . Watson Washburn

Beat Williams , Johnston , Voshell . Lost to Wallace

sen Johnson , Tilden , Atherton Richards ( a most i l s at ona upset) .

8 . J . O . Anderson of Australia

Beat R . N . Williams , Tilden , Hawkes , Lowe . Lost z Kum a a e Shimid u . to Wallace Johnson , g ,

9 . S . H . Voshell 1 5 8 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

him i z S d u . Beat Davis Lost to Richards , Wil

liams , Washburn , Neer ( an upset) , Allen Behr ( a

gift ) . 1 0 . W . E . Davis

Beat Richards , R . Kinsey, Lowe . Lost to Niles ,

. . p . and L B Rice ( an u set) , R Kinsey , Voshell Til

d en.

These few records show how useless comparative e 1 2 1 s cores may be . If another season lik 9 strikes

American tennis , the ranking will need either clair

voyance or a padded cell . These upsets are part of the zest of the game and it is due to the very uncertainty of tennis that the public is daily becoming more enthusiastic about the

e game . I believe next year will s e even a greater

interest taken in it than was shown this . Second in importance only to the big events them l selves was the season n Junior tennis .

s ea . Little Miss , in her first Eastern s on on s , w the Junior championship for girl and brought to the game one of the most delightful personalities that has appeared in many years . Her s uccess at her early age should prove a great boom ’ to girls tennis all over America . Vincent Richards passes from the Junior ranks this year but leaves a successor Who is worthy to wear his mantle in the person of Arnold W . Jones e o f Providence . Jon s should outclass the field in 1 2 2 9 , by as wide a margin as did Richards this year . T HE PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 15 9

Arnold Jones has had a remarkable record . He ’ 1 1 won the boys championship of America in 9 9 . In 1 9 2 0 he carried Richards to a close match in the National Junior Singles , taking one set . He ” was ranked two for the year . This year Arnold had his greatest yea r of his brief career . He j ourneyed to France and England , a ffi s the o cial Junior representative of America , rec i H e ogn zed by the National Tennis Association . e i played spl ndidly in France , defeat ng A . Cousin in the hard court championship of the world and forced

Tegner , the Danish Davis Cup star , to a close bat H i tle before admitting defeat . s sensational play in the doubles was a great aid in carrying him and

s -final e Go me to the emi ground , where w lost to

L a rentz bert and u after five terrific sets . In Eng of land young Jones played Jacob , Captain the

Indian Davis Cup team , a splendid match . On his return to America he carved his niche in the Hall of Junior Tennis fame by defeating Har old Godshall of California , W . W . Ingraham o f Providence and Morgan Bernstein of New York on successive days in the Junior championship . He forced Richards to a bitter fight in final , and again proved beyond question that he is but a step behind i s . Richards today , although he a full year younger ‘

r . Godshall , Ingraham , Charles Wood , J , Bern stein , Jerry Lang , Charles Watson III , Fritz Mer cur and many other boys are but a step behind

. we Jones With this list of rising players , need face the future with anything but the most supreme

T H E PR OBABLE FUTURE OF T HE GAME 161

’ 2 o clock President Harding personally called play . Singles between Williams and me opened the

matches . Then Williams and Washburn decisively

defeated Johnson and me , following which Williams and I nosed out Washburn and Johnson to close the program . The second outstanding feature was the tour for the benefit of the American Committee for Devas

tate c . d Fran e . The appearance in America of Mlle Suzanne Lenglen was due primarily to the eff orts who of Miss Anne Morgan , secured the services of the famous French champion for a tour of the

States , the proceeds to go to Devastated France . ’ Mlle . Lenglen s regrettable collapse and forced de parture left the Committee in a serious position .

co The American Tennis Association , which had

operated with Miss Morgan in the Lenglen tour , found its clubs eager for a chance to stage matche s

for France but no matches available . Finally , in ff October , in response to the voluntary o er of sev

as eral of the leading players , a team w organized that toured the East for the benefit of Devastated

France . It included Mrs . Franklin I . Mallory ,

American champion , Miss Eleanor Goss , Miss Les

M r . . s . . . . lie B ancroft , B F Cole , Mrs F H Godfrey ,

V . . incent Richards , Watson Washburn , N W Niles ,

R . N . Williams , W . F . Johnson and myself .

Matches were staged at Orange , Short Hills , Mor i to r s wn and Elizabeth , New Jersey , Green Meadow

-on- - Club , Jackson Heights Club , Ardsley the Hudson , 162 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

New Rochelle , Yonkers , New York , New Haven , and Hartford , Connecticut . They proved a tre m endou s success financially , and France netted a sum in excess of IV:SOM E SID ELIGHTS ON FAMOUS P LAYERS

P ART IV :SOM E S IDELIGHTS ON FAM OUS P LAYERS

INTRODUCTORY

U ’ T . BARN M immortalised Linco“ln s lan guage by often quoting him with :You can

fool some of the people all of the time , and all of ’ ou the people some of the time , but y can t fool all

of the people all of the time . P . T . was an able the judge of public, and it is just this inability to fool all of the people all of the time that accounts for the sudden disappearance from the public eye of s ome one who only fooled all of the p eople for a little

ff . while . That person was a sham , a blu , a gamester h s e . He , or , as the case may be , had no personality Personali ty needs no disguise with which to fool t e e It - h peopl . is not hidden in a long hair eccentric b“eing . That type is ”merely one of thos e who are born every minute , as the saying goes . Per li sona t e . y is a dynamic , compelling forc It is a

positive thing that will not be obliterated .

. sex Personality is a sexless thing It transcends . t Theodore Roosevelt was a compelling personali y, and his force and ability were recognized by his e friends and enemies alike whil the public , the m h asses , adored him without knowing w y . Sarah Dusé Bernhardt, Eleanor , and Mary Garden carry 166 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS with them a force far more potent in its appeal to the public than their mere feminine charm . They

. r hold their public by personality It is not tricke y, but art , plus this intangible force . The great figures in the tennis world that have held their public in their hands , all have been men s of marked personality . Not all great tennis player have personality . Few of the many stars of the game can lay claim to it justly . The most powerful personality in the tennis world during my time i s

- . c Norman E Brookes , with his pe uliar sphinx like repression , mysterious , quiet , and ominous calm . B o ro kes repels many by his peculiar personality . as He never w the popular hero that other men , ‘ L M ou hlin . notably g and Wilding , have been Yet

Brookes always held a gallery enthralled, not only l by the sheer wizardry of his p ay, but by the power i o f his magnet c force . ‘ L h Maurice E . M oug lin is the most remarkable example of a wonderful dynamic personality , liter

a ff e an ally carrying public o its feet . Am rica d England fell before the dazzling smile and vibrant

- force of the red haired Californian . His whole game glittered in its radiance . His was a triumph of a popular hero .

. e Anthony F Wilding , qui t , charming, and mag him netic , carried his public away with by his a dynamic game . It w s not the whirlwind flash of ‘ the Comet M L oughlin that swept crowds off their com feet , it was more the power of repression that l pe led . INTRODUCTORY 1 67 I know no other tennis players that sweep their public away with them to quite the same degree as n these three men I have mentio ed . R . L . Murray ‘ ’ h M L ou hlin s th e has muc of g fire , but not spon taneit y that won the hearts of the crowd . Tennis needs big personalities to give the public that glow of personal interest that helps to keep the game

alive . A great personali ty is the proper ty of the

! public . It is the price he must pay for his gift . who It is the personal equation , the star, appeals ’ to the public s imagination . I do not think it is the star who keeps the game alive . It is that great class of players who play c at lubs the world over , who can never rise above

t en the dead level of mediocri y, the mass of tennis thusi asts who play with dead racquets and old balls , and who attend all big“events to w”itness the giants of the court , in short , The Dubs ( with a capital m D ) , who ake tennis what it is , and to whom tennis s owes its life , since they are its upport and out from them have come our champions .

Champions are not born . They are made . They emerge from a long , hard school of defeat , dis o t a re enc uragement , and mediocri y, not because they born tennis players , but because they are endowed with “a force that t”ranscends discouragement and cries I will succeed . There must be something that carries them up

from the mass . It is that something which appeals in some form to the public . The public may like it , or they may dislike it , but they recognize it .

CHAPTER XII

AM ERICA

WILLIAM M . J O HNSTON

HE American champion is one of the really e great orthodox players in the world . Ther n is nothi g eccentric, nothing freakish about his game .

Johnston is a small man , short and light ; but by

f - h per ect weight control , footwork, and timing e hits with terrific speed . th i His service is a slice . Hit from e top of h s reach Johnston gets power and twist on the ball with ff little e ort . He has a wonderful forehand drive ,

- of a top spin variety . This shot is world famous , for never in the history of the game has so small he a man hit with such terrific speed and accuracy . T the racquet travels flat and then over ball , with a peculiar wrist-snap just as the ball meets the racquet the face . The shot travels deep and fast to base line . Johnston ’s backhand is a decided drag or chop He hits it with the same face of the racquet as his

forehand , and with very little change in grip . It w is remarkably steady and accurate , and allo s John to ston to follow the net behind it .

1 69 170 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

’ s n Johnston volleying is hard , deep , a d usu ally r ve y reliable . He crouches behind hi s racquet and

volleys directly in to the flight of the ball , hitting

down . His low volleys are made with a peculiar -fli ck H i wrist that gives the rise and speed . s over

head is accurate , reliable , but not startling in its ’

. W power Johnston s game has no real weakness , hile his forehand and volleying are superlative .

Johnston is a remarkable match player . He his one reaches greatest game when behind . He is of the hardest men to beat in the game owing to his utter lack of fear and the dogged d ete rmination h with which e hangs on when seemingly beaten . He o s is quiet , m dest , and a sterling sportsman . He get a ff maximum result with a minimum e ort .

R . N . WI LLIAMS

R. . n n 1 1 N Williams , America Champio 9 4 and

1 1 6 - s 9 , another of my Davis Cup team mate , is a

t the . unique personali y in tennis world Personally, I believe that Williams at his best is the gre atest Um tennis player in the world , past or present . tu for nately , that best is seldom seen , and then not

i s for a consistent performance . He always danger

ous , and his range of variation is the greatest among

any of the leading players . W ’ h illiams service is generally a fast slice , althoug m t he at times uses an A erica n wist . He is erratic

in his delivery , scoring many aces , but piling up

- enormous numbers of double faults . His ground

strokes are made off the rising bound of the ball . AME RICA 17 1 N . But They are flat or slightly sliced ever topped , ’ sometimes pulled . Williams margin of safety is so small that unless his shot is perfectly hit it i s

r H e h useless . its hard at all times and makes tre of mendons numbers earned points , yet his errors always exceed them , except when he strikes one of “ ” his super days .

s His volleying is Very hard , crisp , and deci ive , e coupled with an o ccasional stop v olley . His us of the half volley i s unequalled in modern tennis . al His overhead is severe and ordinarily reliable , H though h e will take serious slumps overhead . e s is a past master of his own style stroke , but it is an unorth odox game that should not b e copied by the a average pl yer . ’ He is never willing to alter his game for safety s s ake , and defeats himself in sheer defiance by hitting throughout a match when his strokes are not work e s ing . He is gr atly praised for this unwillingnes

e . to alter his gam in defeat Personally, I think he deserves condemnation rather than praise , for it seems recklessness rather than bravery to thus seek defeat that could easily be avoided . r Williams takes tennis almost too lightly . Chee y ,

- h e all modest , and easy going, is very popular with;

as . galleries , his personality deserves He is a bril

- liant ever interesting light in any tennis gathering , and his game will always show sheer geniu s of exe ca tion even while rousing irritation by his refusal

- to play safe . He would rather have one super great da y and bad defeats , than no bad defeats without

AME RICA 173

of o This is true his f rehand , but his backhand lacks Hi punch . s whole game needs speed and aggres

siveness .

e s He is q ui t , mode t , and extremely popular . His perfect court manner and pleasant smile have made Ga rland a universal favourite in America and Eng a of l nd . His game is the result hard, conscientious d . a n work There is no genius about it , little natural i talent . It is not an interest ng game as it lacks brilliancy , yet it is very sound , and much better than t i looks .

VINCENT RI C HARDS

Vincent Richards , National Junior Champion of America and the most remarkable boy playing ten nis , is a distinct personality . Richards , who is now ’ only seventeen , won the Men s Doubles Champion ship of America at the age of fifteen . Richards i s a born tennis player and a great tennis genius . ’ Richards service i s a fast slice that he follows to the net . It is speedy and very accurate . His ground strokes are both slice and drive , although the basis of his game is slice . He meets the ball on “ ”

off . the rise and spoons it his forehand It is low,

f . ast , but none too sure His backhand shot is a fast twisting slice that is remarkably eff ective and very excellent as a defence . He is learning a flat drive .

His volleying is the great feature of his game .

He is the greatest natural volleyer I have ever seen .

Low and high volleying , fore and backhand is per f ect is me a . in execution . His half volleying pheno n l 1 7 4 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

His overhead is very severe for a boy, and carrie s so great speed for small a person , but it is inclined

to be slightly erratic . He is tremendously fast on

to . his feet , but it inclined be lazy Vincent Richards has the greatest natural apti tude and equipment of any tennis player I have ever

seen . Against it he has a temperament that is in i cl ned to carelessness and laziness . He tends to

s . sulkine s , which he is rapidly outgrowing He is a d elightful personality on the court , with his slight

figure , tremendous speed , and merry smile . He is a “ ” second Gus Touchard in looks and style . I hope to see him develop to be the greatest player the

. e world has ever seen . He gives that promise T h ’ as matter rests in Richards hands , his worst enemy i s his temperament . At his best he is to day the equal of the top flight in the world . At his worst he is a child . His

average is fine but not great . Travel , work , sincere f ef ort , and a few years , should turn this astonishing boy into a marvellous player .

R . L . MURRAY ” The new California Comet , successor to M . E . ‘ L hli M ou n . . g , is the usual sobriquet for R L f Murray , now of Buf alo . Murray won the National

1 - 1 1 Crown in 1 9 7 9 8 . His service is of the same cyclonic character as ‘ M L o hl - u in . i g Murray s left handed . He hits a fast cannon -ball delivery of great speed and an AME RICA 17 5

Am erican twist of extreme twist . His ground stroke s u o or are not good , and he r shes the net at every pp Hi s tunit . y forehand drive is v:ery fast , excessively “topped”, and exceedingly erratic His backhand is a

Hi . poke . s footwork is very poor on both shots

- He volleys very well , shooting deep to the base line

- e and very accurately . His shoulder high volleys ar it marvellous . His overhead is remarkable for s m severity and accur acy . He seldom isses an over

head ball . M is terrificall r r urray a y ha d worke , and tires l ff himself out very rapid y by prodigious e ort . He

is a hard fighter and a hard man to beat . He works

at an enormous pace throughout the match . H e r is la ge , spare , rangy, with dynamic energy,

and a wonderful personality that holds the galle ry.

i s s of His smile famous , while his sen e humour never

- . fin er deserts him A sportsman to his g tips , there is no more popular figure in American tennis than e i Murray . His is not a great gam . It s a cas e of a great athlete making a second-class game first

class , by sheer power of personality and fighting ‘ M L ou hlin ability . He is really a second g in his

game , his speed , and his personal charm .

WATSON WAS H B URN

In contrast to Murray , Watson Washburn plays

- -flurri ed a cool , never hurried , never game that is

unique in American tennis . There is little that is noteworthy of Washburn ’s

AME RICA 177

s Washburn , but for pure tenni genius Johnson

ranks nearly the equal of Brookes .

- Johnson is a one stroke player . He uses a

peculiar slice shot hit from the wrist . He uses it

in service , ground strokes , volleying, and lobbing .

- u It is a true one stroke game , yet by sheer a dacity of enterprise and wonderful speed of foot Wallace Johnson has for years been one of the leading

players of America .

SAMUEL HARDY

The overwhelming success of the American Davis in 1 2 0 n C 9 , whe we brought b ack the cup up team _ from Australia was due in no small measure to the s wonderful general hip displ ayed by one man , our

Captain Samuel Hardy . The hardest part of any such trip is the attention

to training, relaxation and accommodations for the team and only perfect judgment can give the comfort e so n eded by a team . It is to Captain Hardy that the team owes its perfect condition throughout the

entire miles we j ourneyed after the cup . Yet ’ Captain Hardy s success was far bigger than that ,

for by his tact , charming personality and splendid sportsmanship at all times he won a place for us in the hearts of every country we visited . Hardy,

- i s although a non playing member of the team , a great tennis player . He i s one of the best doubles players America has produced . His clever general ship and wonderful knowledge of the game proved 17 8 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

of inestimable value to th e team in laying out our

plan of attack in the Davis Cup matches themselves .

Clever , charming , just and always full of the most

as n who delightful humour , Hardy w an ideal Captai kept his team in the best of spirits no matter how badly we might have been playing or how depressing

appeared our outlook .

CARL FISCH ER I am including in my analysis of players a boy who i s just gaining recognition but who I believe is

to be one of the great stars of the future , Carl

Fischer of Philadelphia . h i nl 1 i s Young Fischer , w o s o y 9 , a brilliant, hard

- hitting left hander . He has already won the East

-u ern Pennsylvania Championship , been runner p to

Wallace Johnson in the Pennsylvania State , Phila b e delphia Championship and Middle States event , sides holding the Junior Championship of P ennsyl t U vania for wo years . He won the niversity of

Pennsylvania Championship in his freshman year .

His service is a flat delivery of good speed , at

times , verging on the American twist . His ground

game carries top spin drives forehand and backhand . His volleying and overhead are severe and powerful but prone to be erratic . Fischer is an all court

“ player o f the most modern type . He is aggressive , almost too much so at times as he wastes a great te a i deal of energy by useless rushing . He needs s d ness and a Willingness to await his opening but gives AME RICA 179

promise of rounding into a first class player, as his

stroke equipment is second to none .

MAR S HALL ALLEN W Far out in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle , ash in ton who d g , is a young player bi s fair to some day

be world famous . It is quite possible he may never

arrive at all . r a Marshall Allen is a typical Weste n pl yer . Allen

has a hurricane service that is none too reliable . His M L hlin forehand drive is reminiscent of c oug . It is a furious murderous attack when it goes in and quite i ff ’ useless when it s o . Allen s backhand is a flat e driv played to either side With equal ease . At

present it is erratic but shows great promise . Allen

volleys at times brilliantly, but is uncertain and at i re t mes misses unaccountably . His overhead is

m arkabl . y brilliant and severe , but also erratic He

reaches great heights and sinks to awful depths . If Marshall Allen consolidates his game and refines the material he has at hand he should be a marvel

‘ lous player . If he allows his love of speed to run away with his judgment at the expense of accuracy and steadiness he will never rise above the second se class . Time will tell the story . I look to e him world famous .

O UR RI SING J UNIORS

For a moment I am going to pay tribute to some

boys who I look to see among the stars of the future .

AME RICA 18 1

I In the younger class of boys those under 5 , one

finds many youngsters already forming real style . The boy who shows the greatest promise and today

- the best all round game , equalling in potential power i even Vincent Richards at the same age , s Alexander

L . ( Sandy) Wiener of Philadelphia . At fourteen young Weiner is a stylist of the highest all-court type . Among the other boys who may well develop into stars in the future are Meredith W . Jones , Arthur r Ingraham , J . , Andrew Clarke Ingraham , Miles

Valentine , Raymond Owen , Richard Chase , Neil

Sullivan , Henry Neer , and Edward Murphy .

There _ are many other great players I would like

“ to analyse , but space forbids . Among our leaders

- ffi are Roland Roberts , John Strachan , C . J . Gri n ,

W . Davis , and in California ; alter T

Hayes , Ralph Burdock , and Heath Byford in the ; Middle West ; Howard Voshell , Harold Throck C morton , onrad B . Doyle , Craig Biddle , Richard

l . Co ke . . Harte , t Caner , Nathaniel W Niles , H C an Johnson , Dean Mathey, d many others of equal th fame in e Ea st . CHAPTER XIII

BRITISH ISLES

J . c . P ARKE

HERE is no name in tenni s history of the e past decade mor famous than that of J . C . P e . 1 1 2 1 1 ark In twelve months , during 9 and 9 3 , ‘ b e s M L o hlin— a defeated Brooke , Wilding, and ug i 1 2 0 n. notable record ; and now 9 , after his wonder in W W tu s ful work the orld ar, he re rns to tenni

a d . and scores ecisive victory over W . M . Johnston s a - e Parke is es entially base lin player . His

l . service is soft , flat , but well p aced His ground strokes are hit with an almost flat racquet face and a peculiar short swing . He uses a pronounced snap of the wrist . He slices his straight backhand shot , ’ ’ but pulls his drive cross court . It is Parke s famous running drive down the line that is the outstanding

- feature of his game . Parke was a ten second

- hundred yard man in college , and still retains his remarkable speed of foot . He hits his drive while running at top speed and translates his weight to the

s . ball . It Shoot low and fast down the line It is a marvellous stroke . ’ Parke s volleying is steady and well placed but i not decisive . His overhead s reliable and accurate ,

1 8 2 B RITISH ISLES 183

’ but lacks punch . The great factor of Parke s game is his uncanny ability to produce his greatest game under the greatest stress . I consider him one n of the fi est match players in the world . His tacti cal knowledg e and brainy attack are all the more dangerous , because he has phenomenal power of n defence a d fighting qualities of the highest order .

Th ere is no finer sportsman in tennis than Parke . a Generous , quiet , and modest , Parke is deservedly popular figure with the tennis world .

F K A . R . . INGSCOTE

The most recent star to reach the heights of fam e

h i . s . in Englis tennis Maj or A R . F . Kingscote Kingscote has played good tennis for some years ; 1 1 but it was only in 9 9 , following his excellent work

. H e in the War , that he showed his true worth defeated Gobert in sequence sets in the Davis Cup tie at Deauville , and followed by defeating Anderson in Australia and carrying Patterson to a hard match . Since then he has steadily improved and this seas on found him the leading figure of the British team . Kingscote played much of his early tennis with

R . 1 1 0 . N Williams in Switzerland during 9 and 1 1 f 9 1 . The ef ect of this training is easily Seen on ’ o his game t day for, without Williams dash and ex are excute treme brilliancy , their strokes d in very much the same s tyle . ’ Kin scote s s and g ervice is a fast slice , well placed cleverly disguised . It carries a great deal of pace

B RITISH ISLE S 18 5 A member of every Davis Cup team since the the matches were inaugurated , a doubles player of introduc highest strategy, Roper Barrett needs no Hi s . tion or analysis . game is soft His service t looks a joke . In reali y it is hard to hit , for Barrett pushes it to the most unexpected places . His ground s trokes , soft , Short, and low, are ideal doubles shots . He angles off the ball with a Short shove in the direc

. an ss s tion He c drive hard when pre ed , but prefer to use the Slow poke .

His volleying i s the acm e of finesse . He angles

- r s soft to the side lines , stop volleys the hardest d ive successfully . He picks ope“nings w”ith an unerring h eye . His overhead lacks punc , but is steady l and reliab e .

Barrett is a clever mixer of shots . He is playing H i the unexpected shot to the unexpected place . s sense of anticipation is remarkable , and he retrieves m o n a s the st u usu l Shots . It is his great tenni i s tactics that make him noteworthy . His game n rou d but not wonderful .

E . T H LOWES , A . H . AND F G.

t e The famous brothers , called indiscriminately h

- Lowes , are two of the best base line players in the

. e British Isles Both m n play almost identical styles , and at a distance are v ery hard to tell apart .

Gordon Lowe uses a Slice service , while Arthur m an serves with a reverse spin . Neither has a dangerous delivery . Both are adequate and hard to m win earned points fro . 1 86 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS The ground strokes of the Lowes are very ortho

d ox . Full swing, top spin drives fore and back ’ or hand , straight cross court , are hit with equal t l facili y . The Lowes volley defensively and on y

come in to the let when pulled in by a Short shot . i Their overhead work s average .

Their games are not startling . There is nothing c m to require much om ent . Both men are excellent tennis players of the tru e English school :fine base e line drivers , but subj ect to defeat by any aggressiv volleyer . It is a lack of aggressiveness that holds t both men down , for, hey are excellent court coverers ,

fine racquet wielders , but do not rise to real heights . The Lowes could easily defeat any player who was off Slightly his game , as they are very steady and t make few mistakes . Neither would defeat a firs class player at his best .

A RDA T . M . M VRO GO T O

One of the most consistent winners in Engli sh ten nis for a span of years is a little man with a big who r n“ame , is universally and popula ly known as Mavro . 1 2 0 Mavro added another notable victory in 9 , when he defeated R . N . Willia“ms in th”e last eight o a in the World Championships . Mavr h s always been a fine player, but he has never quite Scaled the top flight . i His game s steadiness personified . He shoves his service in the court at the end of a prodigious swing BRITIS H IS LE S 18 7

a . s that ends in poke It goes where he wi hes it . are His ground strokes fine , in splendid form , very

accurate and remarkably fast f or so little effort . to Mavro is not large enough hit hard, but owing to his remarkable foo twork he covers a very large

territory in a remarkably Short space of time . His racquet work is a delight to a student of orthodox H i . s form volleying is accurate , steady, well placed no o t b ut defensive . He has speed r punch o his

volley . His overhead is steady to the point of being

uniqu e . He is so small that it seem s as if anyone so could lob over his head , but his speed of foot is great that he invariably gets his racquet on it and puts it back deep . Mavro turn s defence into attack by putting the ball back in play so often that his opponent gets

tired hitting it and takes unnecessary chances . His accuracy is so great that it make s up for his lack

. . of speed ‘ His judgment is sound but not brilliant

h - He is a ard working, conscientious player who de

serves his success .

There are many other players who are interesting

s tu . dies The two Australians , now living in Eng land , and to all intents and purposes Englishmen ,

L e c tt . . Randolph y and F M . B Fisher , are distinct

and interesting types of players . C . P . Dixon ,

. . . Woosnam Stanley Doust , M J G Ritchie , Max ,

Da on . . . vs . the rising young star , P M , A E Beamish ,

W . C . Crawley, and scores of other excellent play c ~ ers , will arry the burden of English tennis success

CHAPTER XIV

FRANCE AND JAPAN

Fra nce

ANDRE GO B ERT

NE of the most picturesqu e figure s and de lightfully polished tennis games in the world a re j oined in that volatile , temperamental player , é Andr Gobe rt of France . He is a typically French product , full of finesse, art , and nerve , surrounded by the romance of a wonderful war record of his un people in which he bore a magnificent part , yet in stable , erratic, and uncertain . At his best he is v incible . He is the great master of tennis . At his i i worst he s mediocre . Gobert s at once a delight and a disappointment to a student of tennis . ’ Gobert s service is marvellous . It is one of the great deliveries of the world . His great height ( he is 6 feet 4 inches ) and tremendous reach em able him to hit a flat d elivery at frightful speed , and still stand an excellent chance of it going in

. so re court He uses very little twist , the pace is m r a k ably fast . Yet Gobert lacks confidence in his service . If his opponent handles it successfully

1 89

FRANCE AND JAPAN 191

m player . Victory is the criterion of a atch player,

and Gobert has not proved himself a great victor . Gobert is probably the finest indoor player in

the world , while he is very great on hard courts ; but he his grass play is not t equal of many others . I ’ heartily recommend Gobert s s tyle to all student s him of the game , and endorse as a model for

strokes .

R Z W . LAU ENT

Another brilliant , erratic and intensely interesting figure that France has given the tennis world is L aurentz r ho , the wonderful young playe , w at the

age of seventeen defeated A . F . Wilding . L aurentzis a cyclonic hitter of remarkable speed

and brilliance , but prone to very severe lapses . His

H e service is of several varieties , all well played . u uses an American twist as his reg lar delivery , but

varies it with a sharp slice , a reverse twist of great

- L o . aurentzi s spin , and a fast cann n ball smash

. ha c s very versatile He s ex ellent orthodox drive ,

fore and backhand , and a competent forehand chop . His volleying is brilliant almost beyond descrip

tion , but very erratic . He is very fast on his feet , and anticipates remarkably well . He will make the

- inex li c most hair raising volleys , only to fall down p

e ably the next moment on an easy Shot . His ov r

head is like his volley , severe , brilliant , but uncertain . L aurentz e is a very hard worker , and , unlik

Gobert , is always at his best when behind . He is a H i s fair fighter and a great match player . defeats 192 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

- are due more to over anxiety than to lack of fight . i He s temperamental , sensational , and brilliant ,

a sportsman of the highest type , quick to recognize his opponent’s good work and to give full credit for

it . He is one of the most interesting players now

before the public . He is a clever court general but not a great tennis

thinker , playing more by instinct than by a really

- L a rentz deep laid plan of campaign . u might beat anyone in the world on hi s day or lose to the veriest dub when at his

S M AZIE UH L J . A The New French Champion of 1 9 2 1 who defeated André Gobert most unexpectedly in the challenge

!

round , is an interesting player of the mental type . i He is anything but French n his game . His style i s rather that of the crafty American or English

- player than the hard hitting Frenchman . am azi euhl i t S s an exponent of craf y patball . His

service is a medium pace Slice , well placed but not ff decisive . His ground strokes are a peculiar sti arm chop varied at times with an equally cramped hi s t drive , yet extreme mobili y allows him to cover a

tremendous amount of court , while his return , which i is well disguised , s capable of great angles . His

volleying is reliable but lacks severity and punch . He

makes excellent low volleys , but cannot put away

Shoulder high balls while his overhead is not deadly . ’ It is Sam azi euhl s clever generalship and his abil

I“ It was wi th d ee e st re ret the ne s of hi e ath r a hed s a p g w s d e c u , s thi s di i on w n t e t e t o p ress. FRANCE AND JAPAN 193 ity to recover seemingly impossible Shots that win matches for him . He is a comparatively new tournament player , and should improve greatly as he gains confidence and experience .

R . DANET One of the most interesting young players in who e France is R . Danet , has com to the fore in the past few years . This boy , for he is little more , has a hard hitting brilliant game of great promise .

His service is a speedy Slice . He drives with et great speed , if as y with none too much accuracy, off both fo re and backhand . His net attack is very severe while overhead he is deadly . His speed of foot is remarkable , and he is a very hard worker . His limitations are in his lack of a set plan of at tack and the steady adherence to any given method o f play . He throws away too many easy chances , but this will correct itself as time goes on and Danet has fought through more tournaments . I consider him a player of great promise .

Decu i s Max g and Brugnon , the two remaining 1 2 0 members of the 9 Davis Cup team of France , f D ecu i s t present totally di ferent types . g , craf y, cool , and experienced , is the veteran of many long seasons of match play . He is a master tactician , and wins most of his matches by outgeneralling the other

. r player Burgnon is b illiant , fl ashy , hard hitting , u erratic , and inexperienced . He is very yo ng, hardly

FRANCE AND JAP AN 195

Shimidzu th Kum agae and Zenzo , e famous Japanese stars . a ae e Kum g , who for som years reigned supreme in Japan and Honolulu , has lived in America for Shimi z the past three years . d u is a product of

has . Calcutta , where he lived for some years No player has caused more discussion than Kum a ae nl it Shimidzu g , u ess is ; while surely no man Shim idzu received more critical comment than , ex m a a cept Ku g e . The press of America and England have vied with each other in exploiting these two men . There was unanimity o f opinion concerning f these two men in one respect . No iner sportsmen nor more delightful opponents can be found than e a th se Jap nese . They have won the respect and h friendship of all w o have met them . Kum a ae i s g the speedier tennis player . He came 1 1 6 to America in 9 , the possessor of a wonderful f K m a orehand drive and nothing else . u gae is left handed , which made his peculiar shots all the harder l to hand e . He met with fair success during the year ;

was hi s . his crowning triumph defeat o f W M . John ston at Newp ort in five sets . He lost to J . J . Arm strong , Watson M . Washburn , and George M .

Church . He learned much du ring his year in Amer ica , and returned to Japan a wiser man , with a firm determination to add to his tennis equipment . In 1 9 1 7 Kum agae returned to America to enter business in New York . Once established there he began developing his game . First he learned an American twist service and then strengthened his 19 6 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

backhand . That year he suff ered defeat at the

. a hands of Walter T Hayes and myself . He w s ' t a il s g d y improving . He now started coming to the His t and learning to volley . He is not yet a good th low volleyer , and never will be while he uses e peculiar grip common to his people ; but his high

! v olleying and overhead are now excellent . Last y ear Kum agae reached his top form and was ranked t hird in America . His defeats were by Johnston ,

Vincent Richards , and myself ; while he defeated H Murray, S . . Voshell , Vincent Richards , and me , as well as countless players o f less note . The season of 1 9 2 0 found Kum agae sweeping all before him , Since Johnston , Williams , Garland, and

I were away on the Davis Cup trip . Williams barely

defeated him in a bitter match , just previously t_o Kum a a sailing . g e left America in the middle of the summer to compete in the Olympic games , rep n resenting Japa . Kum agae is still essentially a base -line player of marvellous accuracy of shot and speed of foot . His drive is a lethal weapon that spreads destruction a mong his opponents. His backhand is a severe “ ” poke , none too accurate , but very deadly when it goes in . His service overhead and high volley are i all severe and reliable . His low volley s the weak

K a a spot in an otherwise great game . um g e cannot

- handle a chop , and dislikes grass court play , as the “ ” ball bounds too low for his peculiar loop drive . He is one of the greatest hard- court players in the world , and one o f the most dangerous opponents at any time on any surface . FRANCE AND J APAN 197

Shim idzu - Kum a e is to day as dangerous as ga . ’ - Kum a a e s He , too , is a base line player , but lacks g Shim i terrific forehand drive . dzu has a superior Kum a ae backhand to g , but his weak serv ice rather f o fsets this . His low volleying is far superior to Kum a a e g , while his high volleying and overhead are quite his equal . He has all the fighting qualities

Kum a ae in his game that make g so dangerous , but Shimidzu he has not had the experience . learns

se very quickly, and I look to e him a great factor in the gam e in future years . Both Shimidzu and Kum agae are marvellous court coverers , and seem absolutely untiring . They are “ ” t ac getters of almost unbelievable ac ivity, and curate to a point that seems uncanny . Both men hit to the lines with a certainty that makes it very dangerous to attempt to take the net on anything except a deep forcing shot that hurries them . Kum a Shim idzu With such players as gae and , fol lowed by S . Kashio and K . Yamasaki , and the late

i n tu . H . Mikami , Japan is a big factor fu re tennis 1 9 2 2 will again see Japan challenging for the Davis

fir - st . Cup , and none but a class team can stop them The advent of a Japanese team with such players will mean that this year we must call out our best to repel the Oriental invasion :so competition receives another stimulus that Should raise our standard of play . The probability of j ourneying to Japan to chal lenge for the Davis Cup is not so remote but that we must consider it as a future possibility .

S PAIN AND T HE CONTINE NT 1 99 Alonzo has a terrific forehand drive that is the ’ closest rival to W . M . Johnston s of any shot I have

seen . He is reliable on this stroke , either straight or cross- Court from the deep court but if drawn in

- to mid court is apt to miss it . His backhand is a

flat drive , accurate and low but rather slow and in the main defensive . His volleying is at once a joy and a disappoint

- ment . Such marvellous angles and stop volleys off diffi cult drives ! Yet immediately on top of a daz zling display Alonzo will throw away the easiest sort of a high volley by a pitiable fluke .

i s His overhead at once severe , deadly and relia ble . He smashes with speed and direction . It is not only in his varied stroke equipment that Alonzo hi is great but in s marvellous footwork . Such speed of foot and lightning turning I have never before a seen on tennis court . He is a quicker man than

Norman E . Brookes and higher praise I cannot

se e who give . I look to Alonzo , today loses matches through lack of resource , become by virtue of ex peri ence and tournament play the greatest player

on the continent . n His brother , J . M . Alo zo , although nowhere in ’ Manuel s class , is a fine all court player as are Count

de Gomar and Flaquer , the remaining members of

the Cup team . If Alonzo and his teammates are an indication of the type of players Spain is develop ing a new and powerful factor in the tennis world is

entering the field to stay . 2 00 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

S ome O ther Champi ons There are some individual players of interest from the countries where tennis as a game has not reached a place worthy of national analysation but who deserve mention among the great players of the

world . First among them comes Nicholas Mishu of

Rumania .

N . MI S H U

What can I say of Mishu ! AS a tennis player he

defies analysis . His game is a freak . He adores to do the unusual and his game abounds in freak shots

that Mishu executes with remarkable Skill . He has

many and varied services , underhand cuts , fore and “ ” off hi s backhand , a push nose , and even one serve where he turns his back on the court and serves the

ball back over his head . His drives are cramped in Swing and hit with t excessive top spin . His foo work is a defiance of

all rules . His volleying game looks like an accident ,

1 2 1 . yet Mishu produces results . In 9 he beat A . H Gobert in the World ’s Hard Court Championship ’ at St . Cloud . Mishu is a winner . I don t know how

he does it but he does . He is above all a unique personality . Cheery, individual , at times eccentric ,

Mishu is a popular figure in tournaments abroad . He plays with a verv e and abandon that appeals to the European galleries while his droll humour and good

nature make him a delightful opp onent . S PAIN AND T HE CONTINE NT 2 01

J . WAS HER

m . o Belgiu is represented by J Washer , my p ponent in the final round of the Hard Court Cham

i 1 2 1 1 pi onsh p of the World in 9 . Washer 3 a fine orthodox tennis player . His service is a well placed h twist delivery of medium pace . He as a terrific forehand drive that gains in effectiveness owing to

- the fact he is a left hander . Like so many players with a pronounced strength , he covers up an equally

he pronounced weakness by using t strength . Washer has a very feeble backhand for so fine a player . He pokes hi s backhand when he is un able to run around it . i r s . His ove head strong , speedy and reliable His volleying lacks punch and steadiness . He has had little tournament experience and Shows promise of great improvement if given the opportunity .

E . TEGNER

Denmark is represented by a player of promis e and skill in the person of E . Tegner . This young

L a ren z u t . star defeated W . H . at St Cloud in the Hard Court Championship of the World in 1 9 2 1 a when the latter w s holder of the title .

i b eli Tegner s a as ng player o f fine style . His strokes are long free drives of fine pace and depth .

H i s service is hardly adequate for first flight tennis , yet while his ground game c annot make up for the lack of aggression in his net attack . Tegner is not

S PAIN AND T HE CONTINE NT 2 03

is a baseliner of the most pronounced type . He r gets everything he can put his racquet to . He e M avro ordato minds me irresistibly of g , seemingly n reaching othing yet they all come back . I cannot adequately analyse hi s game because his first prin ci le p is to put back the ball no matter how , and ff en this he carries into excellent e ect . Zerl di is a match winner first and a stylist second . CHAPTER XVI

T HE CO LO NIES

Aus tralasi a

of t s HE death tha sterling sport man , Anthony

. e F Wilding , and the natural decline in th

s of o m playing power N r an E . Brookes , owing to

the advance of years and his war experiences , leave Australasia ( Australi a and N ew Zealand) in a somewhat uncertain condition regarding its tennis prospects .

NORMAN E . B ROOKES

m . s Volu es have been written about N . E Brooke

and his tennis genius , but I would not feel right if I could not pay at lea st a Slight tribute to the great

est tennis player and genius of all time . ’ is There is no need to dwell on Brookes Shots , h s marvellou mechanical perfection , his peculiar vol i are h s . leying style , uncanny anticipation All these too well known to need my feeble description . They are but the expression of that wonderful brain and dominant personali ty that lie behind that sphinx ’ e as like fac we know Brookes . e - es To s e across the net those ever r tless , ever

2 04 T HE COLONIE S 2 05

is e that very sever and consistent , but his back hand Where in all the rest of tennis history was there a first-class man with a backhand so n ! l fundame tally w“rong His grip is bad , he pul s up on the ball and loops it high in the air . I do not t mean Pa terson always misses his backhand . He

does not . He even makes remarkable shots off it ti ss at mes , but , if Patterson is pre ed , his backhand the s t track is fir t por ion of his game to , because it

is hit inherently wrong .

Patterson relies mainly on speed to win matches . a i He is not a str teg st , and finesse is not part of his

. m a nifient tennis equipment He has a g physique ,

reli es lar el his r and _ g y on strength to car y him

through a long match and win in the end .

H e r is ve y quiet , and inclined to be somewhat n careless on the court , u less pressed , when his busi nesslik e s , determined play hows what a great match H player Patterson can become . e produces his

a best game at the cruci l moment of the match . Pat terson is a superior match player to his real tennis

- ability . His is not t ruly a top notch game . It has

superlative features , but its whole texture is not of the finest . Patterson owes much of his success in 1 9 1 9 to

s . Brookes , under who e guidance he played The absence of the ma ster mind directing his attack ’ 1 2 0 proved a decided handicap in 9 , and Patterson s attack was not so certain nor sustained as in the ’ ’ previous season . Patterson s game plus Brookes strategy would be a great combination in one man .

T H E COLONIE S 2 07

’ P AT o HARA WOOD

This young Australian is one of the greatest doubles players in the world and bids fair to press

the leading Singles stars close . ’ Pat O H ara Wood is a player without a weak

et . ness , y also one without a strength He is a typical all court player with no outstanding feature

to his game unless it be his volleying . Pat Wood has a natural aptitude for double s which at times seriously interferes with his singles game . His service is a well placed speedy slice that he mixes up well . It is not a great delivery but very H i ff . s e ective ground strokes , taken on the rising

a bounces , are flat drives , accurate and v ried as to

H e direction but lacking punch . does not hit hard

i s ff enough . He a brilliant volleyer , cutting o at e sharp angl s the hardest drives . His overhead is

erratic . At times he is deadly overhead but is t prone to lapses into uncertain y . He is remarkably quick and speedy of foot . His sense of anticipa tion is magnificent . His generalship good , though not brilliant . It is lack of punch , the inability to put ’ the ball away, that keeps Pat O H ara Wood from the first flight in Singles .

Clever , blessed with a keen sense of humour , a sterling sportsman and delightful opponent , Pat ’ O H ara Wood is a big asset to tennis and a man who is needed in the game . 2 08 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

c HAWKE J . . S The youngest of the Australasian players and a i boy of great promise s Jack Hawkes . He is only i 2 2 and young in the game for h s age . 5 Let me state now I do not approve of Hawkes ’ i . s style His footwork wrong , hopelessly wrong and I fear that unless he corrects it , it may keep him f rom attaining the place his natural abilities promise . “ ” “ as Austral , the famous critic , describes him hav ” ing the genius of the game . Jack Hawkes has an exaggerated American twist

- un service that , since he is a left hander , places an ter necessary strain ou his heart muscles . It carries rific twist but little speed and does not pay him for the amount o f energy he expends .

His forehand drive is excellent , fast , deep , and h well placed , yet in making t is he steps away from the ball , again wasting energy . His backhand is a

s poke and very unreliable . To save it he run i unneces around everything possible , aga n causing t sary exertion . His volleying is brillian while his overhead is magnificent . Hawkes ’ waste o f energy has cost him many a match , yet for all the inherent defects in his game

has hi o he is so clever in using what he , s tactics are s good for so young a player that I believe he will be one o f the leading players of the world in a few U years . nder the watchful eyes of Norman Brookes I foresee Hawkes changing his footwork to at least a reasonable copy of the old master . TH E COLONIE S £09

'

o. AN E N J . D RSO This young player is again a promise rather than

- a star . He is a big , rangy, hard hitting typ e like

d . Geral Patterson He is crude , at times careless and unfortunately handicapped in 1 9 2 0 and 1 9 2 1 by a severe illness that only allowed him to resume play in the middle of the latter year . His ground strokes Hi are flat drives fore and backhand . s forehand i s a particularly fine shot . He hits it with a short sharp snap o f his arm that imparts great speed and yet hides the direction . His backhand is defensive .

His volleying clever , accurate but soft . His over hand severe and reliable . His service flat , fast and dangerous .

He needs finesse , experience and season , with which he may well become one of the greatest play ers as the fundamental potentialities are there .

NORMAN P EAC H

The steady base -line game of England has its ex ponent in Australia in Norman Peach . He has a beautiful driving game , with adequate but not severe

so . service , that one finds much in England At times Peach will advance to the net but his volleying and

hi - overhead are secondary to s base line game . He is not a great tennis player but is certainly one of high

I standard of play . He s Just below the first flight in Australia .

R . V . Thomas is one of the finest doubles players

T HE COLONIE S 2 11

m he bounding service of good speed , which at ti es i a follows to the net . His best ground stroke s

l . . has severe chop , not un ike Wallace F Johnson He

a good drive both forehand and backhand , which he only uses when pressed or in attempting to pass a net net man . He volleys very well , and covers the

quickly . His overhead is very severe , steady, and the reliable . He is a fine natural player just below s top flight . He is an excellent strategist , and mixe

-r his shots very well . He has exceptionally fast foot a nd work , repeatedly runs around his backhand to chop diagonally across the court in a manner very similar to Johnson .

. a B . I C . Norton , the South African champion , of t i youngster twen y, s a phenomenal player of ex a treme brilliancy . He h s everything in stroke equip an ment , drives , slices , volleys , and a fine service d U hi overhead . nfortunately Norton regards s tenni s largely as a j oke . His judgment is therefore faulty , and he is apt to loaf on the court . He tries the most impossible shots that sometimes go in ; and in the main , his court generalship is none too good . hi He is an irrepressible boy, and s merry smile and chatter make him a tremendous favourite with

has the gallery . He a very strong personality that

should carry him a long way .

- , the left handed star of the South

Africans , has an excellent ground game coupled with

a good serv ice and fair volleying and overhead . His

- game is not remarkable . He is a hard working, deserving player who attains success by industry 2 12 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

rather than natural talent . His judgment is sound

and methods of play orthodox , except for a tendency

to run around his backhand .

C . R . Blackbeard , the youngest member of the

team , and G . H . Dodd , its captain , are both very

excellent players of the second flight . Blackbeard

is very young , not yet twenty , and may develop i into a star . At present he chops too much , and s

very erratic .

There are many other players Whom I would analyse if I had the time or space j but in these days i s of paper shortage and ink scarcity, conservation

the keynote of the times . Let me turn for a few moments to the women whose fame in the tennis world i s the equal of the

men I have been analysing . CHAPTER XVII

FAM O US WO M EN PLAYERS

’ Wom e n 5 T e nnis

' HE great boom that f e atured the whole tennis season of 1 9 2 1 in America found one of its most remarkable manifestations l n the increased amount of play , higher standard of competition and remarkable growth of public interest in women ’s

tennl s .

ha England s led , and still leads , the world in ’ u1 i women s ten s . The general standard of play s on a higher scale and there i s more tournament play in Su England than elsewhere . France , with Mlle . n Billo B o adi . ut . r c e zanne Le glen , Mme ( Mlle s ) and

Mme . Golding, forces England closely for European supremacy, but until recent years America , except for individuals , has been unable to reach the stand ’ ard of women s tennis found abroad .

M r . s . Miss May Sutton , now Thomas H Bundy, placed American colours in the field by her wonderful ’ performances m w1nn1ng the World s Championship at Wimbledon more than a decade ago , but after her retirement America was forced to content itself with local honors . Neither Miss Mary Browne nor Miss Hazel 2 13

FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE R S 2 15

in the teens , jumped to the thirties or forties , in h o . w o n w the regular events Young girls , up to ,

had not played tournaments , fearing they lacked s the nece sary class , rushed to play in the Junior ’ a girls events . From this latter class came such p romising young star of today as Miss Marth a r who Baya d , bids fair to be national champion at

some not distant date . It was a tremendous task of organization that u Miss Ballin and her assistants ndertook , but they B . ur did it in a most efficient manner . Mrs Molla j stedt Mallory lent her invaluable assistance by play

a ing in as many tournaments as possible . She w s a magnet that drew the other players in her wake with i an irresist ble force . ’ 1 2 0 r 9 s aw Mrs . Mallo y s first invasion of M i sf or Europe since her American triumphs . a tune was her portion . She w s ill before sailing r oa and , neve at her best on shipb rd , a bad voyage

completed the wreck of her condition . She had lit tle time for practice in England and it was a player far below her best who went down to crushing defeat

r - at the hands of M s . Lambert Chambers in the semi ’ fi nal round of the World s Championship at Wim

ble don.

r Defeated but not discouraged , Mrs . Mallory e turned to America and , again reaching her true form , won the championship with ease . She made up her mind the day of her defeat in England that 1 9 2 1 would again find her on European courts . The season of 1 9 2 1 in America opened in a blaze 216 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

of tournaments throughout the entire country. Mrs . Mallory showed early in the year she was at her best by winning the Indoor Championship of the United States from one o f the most representative

fields ever gathered together for this event .

Early May found Mrs . Mallory on the seas

bound for France and England . The story of her

magnificent, if losing , struggle in both countries is

e told elsewh re in this book , but she sailed for home recognised abroad as one of the great pl ayers of

the world , a thing which many of the foreign critics

had not acknowledged the previous year . e The trip of the American team to Franc , and

particularly the presence of Mrs . Mallory , coupled with the efforts of the Committee for Devastated

France , finally induced Mlle . Suzanne Lenglen , the ’ famous French World s Champion , to consent to

come to America . The announcement o f her deci sion started a boom in the game that has been un M . rs . equalled Out in California , May Sutton

Bundy and Miss Mary Kendall Browne , our former

champions , heard the challenge and , laying aside the e duties of everyday lif , buckled on the armour of the courts and journeyed East to do battle with

the French wonder girl . Mrs . Mallory, filled with

a desire to avenge her defeat in France , sailed for

home in time to play in the American championship . What a marvelous tournament this proved to be ! ’

a M rs . In very truth it w s a World s Championship . ’ May Sutton Bundy, former world s champion , back again after fifteen years with all her old charm of FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE RS 2 17

manner , much of her speed of shot and foot , and even more cunning and experience ; Miss Mary K .

Browne , brilliant , fascinating , clever Mary, with all her old- ti me personality and game that three times had carried her to the highest honors in American

re tennis ; Mrs . Mallory , keen , determined and sourceful , defending the title she had held so long and well ; the young players , rising in the game , strug gling to attain the heights , and finally lo oming over

the fi ure all _ g of the famous French champion of champions , Suzanne Lenglen , considered by many competent critics the greatest woman tennis player of all time .

as se t The stage w for the sensational , and for once it occurred . The God of Luck took a hand in the blind draw and this resulted in all the stars , with the exception of Miss Mary Browne , falling in a one h lf . Mlle . Suzanne Lenglen was drawn against

Miss Eleanor Goss , while Mrs . Mallory met Mrs .

Zinderstei n Marion Jessop , her famous rival , in the first round , with the winners of these matches to play each other in the second . U nfortunately illness prevented Mlle . Lenglen from sailing at her appointed time . She arrived in America but one day before the tournament was to fi U start . The of cials of the nited States Lawn Ten l an nis Association wisely granted Ml e . Lenglen other day’s grace by holding her match with Miss

Goss until Tuesday . Mrs . Mallory, playing bril li ntl a . y , crushed Mrs Jessop on Monday . ! ud Then came the deluge Miss Goss , taken s

FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE RS 2 19

She had trouble getting her breath and was oh viously feeling the strain of her tremendous exer ! tions . She defaulted the match Mrs . Mallory walked from the court conqueror , clearly the superior ’ of the much vaunted world s champion .

It is regrettable Mlle . Lenglen defaulted , for if she had played out the match , everyone would have made full allowance for her defeat , due , it would be said , to natural reaction from her recent sea j ourney . N0 one would have been quicker to make

allowance for Mlle . Lenglen than Mrs . Mallory herself . The whole tennis public deeply regretted an incident that might well have been avoided . M r a Sh s . Mallory w s the woman of the hour . e marched on to victory and successfully defended her title by virtue of victories over Mrs . May Sutton Bundy in the semi-final and Miss Mary Browne in th e final . ’ M arvellous Molla ! World s Champion in 1 9 2 1 beyond shadow of dispute ! It i s deplorable that the quite natural reaction and nervous upset , coupled with a return of her bron chial illness , forced Mlle . Lenglen to return to France before she was able to play her exhibition tour for the Committee for Devastated France . Possibly 1 9 2 2 will find conditions more favorable and the Gods of Fate will smile on the return of

Mlle . Lenglen to America . 2 2 0 T HE AR T OF LAWN TE NNIS

F K MRS . RAN LIN I . MALLORY

( Molla Bj urstedt )

One of the most remarkable personalities in the

B r te . u s dt tennis world is Mrs Molla j Mallory, the American Champion and actually Champion of the 1 2 1 World , 9 .

N or Mrs . Mallory is a sewom an by birth . She 1 1 came to America in 1 9 1 5 . In 9 9 she married

Franklin I . Mallory, and thus became an American citizen .

ha It is a remarkable game which M rs . Mallory s

h a . developed . She s no service of real value Her

i overhead is nil , her volley ng is mediocre ; but her marvellous forehand and backhand drives , coupled with the wonderful court-covering ability and fight

- ing spirit that have made her world famous , allow her to rise above the inherent weaknesses of thos e portions of her game and defeat in one season all the greatest players in the world , including Mlle .

Suzanne Lenglen .

Mrs . Mallory , with delightful smile , never failing sportsmanship and generosity in victory or defeat , i s one o f the most popular figures in tennis .

B MRS . TH OMAS C . UNDY ( May Sutton ) “ It is said they never come back , but Mrs . May Sutton Bundy has proved that at least one

MISS

LL . L GL M E EN EN A m e ri ca F r a nce

L A R MRS . CO M B E AND

MRS . LAMB ERT C HAMBERS B ri ti s h I s les

MRS . MAY SUTTON BUND Y A m e ri ca P LA TE ! ! I

FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE RS 2 2 1

great athlete IS an exception to the saying . Fifteen he years ago , May Sutton ruled supreme among t women tennis stars of the world . 1 al M r M a s . In g y Sutton Bundy , mother of four re children , after a retirement of over a decade , turned to the game when Mlle . Lenglen announced her intention of invading America . If Mlle . Leng len ’s visit to our shores did nothing more than bring

”

. as Mrs Bundy and Miss Browne back to us , it w well worth while . 1 2 1 a Mrs . Bundy in 9 w s still a great player . She has a peculiar reverse twist service , a wonderful de C forehand , but with excessive top spin , a queer b ackh and oke p , a fine volley and a reliable over head . Much of her old aggressiveness and speed of foot are still hers . She retains all of her famous

fighting spirit and determination , while she is even more charming and delightful than of old . She is a h a remark ble woman , w o stands for all that is best in the game .

MARY KENDALL B ROWNE The return of another former National Cham 2 r ho 1 1 . w pion in 9 in the person of Ma y K Browne , ’ ’ 1 1 2 1 1 held the title in 9 , 3 and 4 , brought us again a popular idol . The tennis public has missed Miss Browne since 1 9 1 4 and her return was in the nature o f a personal triumph . Mary Browne has the best produced tennis game of any American woman . It is almost if not quite

FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE R S 2 2 3

e s e has stood for the b st in tennis , but h has given freely of her time and ability to aid young players

in r e in the game . She made Marion Zde st in Jessop a the fine p layer she is . Mrs . Wrightm n is always willing to off er sound advice to any player who de sires it .

M r s . Wightman and Miss Florence Ballin are the prime factors in the new organization of woman ’s tennis that has resulted in the great growth of the game in the past two years .

M RS P . JESSO ( M arion Zinderstein)

There i s no player in tennis of greater promise Zin i derst n . than Marion e Jessop She has youth , a n wonderful game , the result of a sound foundatio given her by Hazel Wightman , and a remarkable amount of experience for so young a girl . She has f a beauti ul fast service , but erratic . Her ground game is perfectly balanced , as she chops or drives from either side with equal facility . She volleys with great severity and certainty . Her overhead is e possibly her weakest point . She lacks the confidenc that her game really deserv es .

H ELEN WILLS The most remarkable figure that has appeared on the horizon of woman ’s tennis since Suzanne e Lenglen first flashed into the public eye , is littl

Helen Wills of California , Junior Champion o f 2 2 4 T H E ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

1 2 1 9 . She is only fifteen . Stocky, almost ungainly , t owing to poor foo work , her hair in pigtails down h her back , she is a quaint little person w o instantly

walks into hearts of the gallery .

The tennis this child plays is phenomenal . She serves with the power and accuracy of a boy. She drives and chops forehand and backhand with reck less abandon . She rushes to the net and kills in a M L lin way that i s reminiscent of Maurice c ough . Suddenly she dubs the easiest sort of a shot and he i al grins a happy grin . There is no doubt s s a e ready great player . She should becom much i i greater . She s a m niature Hazel Wightman in her she i game . Above all , s that remarkable combina

t . tion , an unspoiled child and a personali y There are many other players of real promis e

coming to the front . Boston boasts of a group that

M r Shea f e wh s . n o contains Benj amin E . Cole ( A ne ) has made a great record in the season of 1 9 2 1 Miss h Edith Sigourney, w o accompanied Mrs . Mallory

. e . abroad , Miss Leslie Bancroft and Mrs Godfr e

There are Miss Martha Bayard , Miss Helen Gil

lean ean . d , Mrs Helene Pollak Folk , Miss Molly

Thayer , Miss Phyllis Walsh and Miss Anne Town

send in New York and Philadelphia .

Fra nce Z MLLE . SU ANNE LENGLE N

There is no more unique personality , nor more remarkable player among the women than M adem oi FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE R S 2 2 5

selle Suzanne Lenglen , the famous French girl h ’ o . w holds the World s Championship title Mlle .

Lenglen is a remarkable figure in the sporting world . h as t She personali y, individuality , and magnetism

that hold the public interest . She is the biggest

drawing card in the tennis world . ’ Mlle . Lenglen s fame rests on her drive . Strange

though it may seem , her drive is the least interesting part of her game . Mlle . Lenglen uses a severe over head service of good speed . It is a remarkable

service for a woman , one which many men might

do well to copy . Her famous forehand drive is a i full arm sw ng from the shoulder . It meets the ball just as Mlle . Lenglen sp rings in the air . The

i . result is pictorially un que , but not good tennis She loses speed and power by this freak . Her backhand tw is beautifully played , from perfect foo ork , with

a free swing and topped drive . It is a remarkable re stroke . Her volleying is perfect in execution and

sult . She hits her overhead smash freely with a “ ” punch that is as great as many men . It is as

fine an overhead as that of Mrs . George Wightman ,

the American Champion . ’ Mlle . Lenglen s speed of foot is marvellous . She

runs fast and easily . She delights in acrobatic

jumps , many of them unnecessary , at all times during

her play . She is a wonderful gallery player , and

wins the popularity that her dashing style deserves . at She is a brilliant court general , conducting her tack with a keen eye on both the court and the g allery .

FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE RS 2 2 7

E ngla nd

In marked contrast to the eccentricities of Mlle . Lenglen one finds the delightfully polished style o f

M rs . . M r Lambert Chambers s . Chambers has a purely orthodox game of careful execution that any student of the game should recognize as the highest

form of tennis strokes . r n M s . Chambers serves an overhead delivery of o “ ” particular movement . She slices or spoons her ground strokes , forehand or backhand . She seldom Her volleys or smashes . only excursions to the net are when she is drawn to the net . ’ i M rs It s not . Chambers game itself so much as h ' e o do s . what s e with it , that I commend s highly Her change of pace and distance is wonderfully controlled . Her accuracy marvellous . Her judg she s ment is remarkable , and the way in which save undue exertion is an art in itself . She gets a wonder ff ful returnfor her outlay o f e ort . r Hers is a personality of negation . Her manne on the court is negative , her shots alone are positive .

flustered . She is never , and rarely shows emotion “ ” as Mrs . Chambers is the Mavro of women re regards her recovering ability. Her errors are duced to a minimum at all times . To err is human ; but at times there is something very nearly inhuman ' ’ about M rs . Chambers tennis . 2 2 8 T HE ART OF LAWN TE NNIS

ELIZAB ET H RYAN

The English-American star Elizabeth Ryan is an of other player marked individuality . Born in Cal i f orni a , Miss Ryan migrated to England while ” n h . e quite young For the past decade Bu ny, as s e is called , has b en a prominent figure in English and

Continental tournaments . Miss Ryan has a queer push-reverse twist service i that s well placed but carries little speed . She chops viciously forehand and backhand off the H e ground and storms the net at every opening . r

volleying i s crisp and decisive . Overhead she is

severe but erratic . She is a dogged fighter , never

so dangerous as when behind . Her tactics are ag

ressi all t she i s g ve attack at times , and if his fails

lost . Although Miss Ryan is an American by birth she

must be considered as an English player , for her

development i s due to her play in England .

MRS . B EAM SH This English player is an exponent of the famous

- base line game of the country . She drives , long deep

shots fore and backhand , corner to corner , chasing her opponent around the court almost impossible distances . Her service volleying and overhead are t fair but not noteworthy . Ano her player of almost

identical game and of almost equal class is M rs .

Peacock , Champion of India . Her whole game is FAMOUS WOME N PLAYE RS 2 2 9

M r s . e a little better rounded than Beamish , but sh ’ lacks the latter s experience . Among the other women in England who are de i 1 M r lightfully or g nal in their games are s . Lar

- combe , the wonderful chop stroke player , whose clever generalship and tactics place her in the front ‘

M N th . rank , and Mrs . air , wi her volleying attack Women ’s tennis in England is on a slightly higher plane at this time than in America ; but th e standard of play in America is rapidly coming up . Interna ti onal competition between women on the lines of 1 a t the Dav s Cup , for which rophy has previously ff been o ered by Lady Wavertree in England , and in

1 M r re 1 s . 9 9 by Wightman in America , and twice

” fused by the International Federation , would do ’ more than any o ther factor to place women s tennis on the high plane desired . This plan has succeeded a for the men , why should it not do s well for the women