Tennis Fundamentals

by Gail Jones

I hope that this, my first piece 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 game 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 apparel when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advocate forcing a certain racquet upon any player. All the standard makes are excellent. 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 obtain the best results. (article continues below)

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After having bought your racquet, make a firm resolve to buy only quality tennis balls, as a consistent 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 strive to emulate their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great help.

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

Never become discouraged by slow progress. The trick of playing some stroke you have worked on over weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it.

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 fellowship of tennis is universal, for none but an athletic sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is bound fast to his business until late afternoon.

The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique invented will not suffice if the directing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a wandering mind in a tennis match.

The chief one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game properly.

Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery usually confuse even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings.

Utter concentration on the game is the only remedy for a wandering mind, and the sooner that lesson is learned the quicker the advancement of the player.

The surest 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 conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.