Tennis Fundamentals

I trust that this, my initial dissertation on the fundamentals of tennis, will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am striving to arouse interest in the student of the game of tennis by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I hope will cast a new light on the sport of tennis.

I will turn to the novice in my opening and write of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the beginner even if he really is trying to succeed. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality material far outlasts poor quality gear.

It is important to always dress in tennis attire when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advocate forcing a certain make of racquet upon any player, since all the standard makes are excellent. However, it is on the weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is essential to get the best results.

After having selected your racquet, make a firm decision to use only quality tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a “dead” ball is of no use at all. If you really desire to advance at tennis and progress rapidly, I strongly recommend you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the top players and try to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can find. They are a great help.

It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be picked up off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in one’s own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever possible, but strive when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.

Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked at for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when least expected. Good tennis players are the product of hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you interest all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any town.

The brotherhood of tennis is universal, since none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any long period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is bound fast to his job until late afternoon.

The following is the order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results: i. Concentration on the game. ii. Keep the eye on the ball. iii. Foot-work and weight-control. iv. Strokes. v. Court position. vi. Court generalship or match play. vii. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The best racquet technique invented will not suffice if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a distracted mind in a tennis match. The main one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game correctly.

Give it up at once unless you are willing to work hard. Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only cure for an erring mind, and the sooner the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.

The best way to keep a match in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a collection of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.

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