Part 3

“Service,” that is, serving the first game of the set, is a great advantage in the boy’s game, for if he has a good service he will speedily be camped down near the net, thus putting his opponent on the defensive. First service is also an advantage to the girl, even though she cannot rush the net. For one thing, it helps to get all her muscles in play, to limber her up; so much so that if one is not to serve the first game, it is well to send over a few service balls during the knock-up or practise just before the game starts. The server, even in the baseline game, has a certain advantage, for a good serve can often be so placed that it will put the opponent on the defensive, so that she has to be content merely with getting the ball back and the server then has a good chance for a winning shot.

It must not be gathered from this, however, that points are always won so quickly. The game is one of manœuvring until one side or the other is drawn into such a position that the ball is out of reach or very difficult to return.

This manœuvring is done by so “placing” the ball that the opponent is eventually drawn out of position, or off her balance; that is, is in such a position that she cannot make her stroke properly. It is easily seen, therefore, why it is of such importance to be able to place the ball approximately in any desired spot. Speed alone is of no use, for a player of any experience can soon learn to handle a fast ball. Accuracy plus speed, of course, enables the player to get her opponent into difficulties more easily, for there is less time for court covering, but a fair degree of accuracy must first be attained; the greater the accuracy the more chance that the stroke will be effective.

This is often illustrated when two players--one steady and able to place the ball where she wants, the other speedy but lacking in control--are pitted against each other. The steady one will usually win, for her percentage of “outs” and “nets” is much smaller, owing to the fact that she is seldom out of position and is playing her shots with care. In fact, there is no use hitting every ball hard anyway. Vary the speed so that the opponent will have to pay more attention to timing her shots, allowing her that much less thought for the actual play of the point. Rather reserve your speed for shooting a fast one into an opening in the opponent’s court, which you have made by getting her out of position. An “opening” is that portion of the court that the opponent, owing to her position, cannot protect.

The server should try to place the ball in that part of the service court which seems to bother her opponent most. Put it where it must be returned by a backhand drive if that seems to be the opponent’s weak shot, or vary the corners into which you hit the ball. It is well to try to keep the ball as near the service line as possible without “faulting,” for the greater depth to the ball will give the server just so much more time to get ready to return it. If you are not going to rush the net on service--and it does not seem advisable for girls to try it, as it is too tiring--stay back of the baseline to receive the return of service. Remember in playing that whenever you are not well inside the service line, “playing net,” you should stay behind the baseline. Otherwise you will find the ball bouncing at your feet, and very difficult to handle. If you are behind the baseline, however, all the balls will bounce in front of you, and you can judge them more easily. If you find that the return is to be short, you can simply step forward to meet the ball. Having returned a comparatively short ball, either get back behind the baseline or move closer to the net, so as to be able to volley the next ball and finish the point.

A volleyed ball should always be returned very deep and with a wide angle, unless it is so short and wide of angle that the opponent cannot reach it. (The word “angle” in tennis is used in speaking of the relative position of the line of flight of the ball to the net.) A short ball puts the volleyer at the mercy of her opponent, for the ball comes back so quickly that it is extremely difficult to anticipate. Then, too, there is more chance of a passing shot.

To handle the net position successfully the player must keep cool and not be in too great a hurry to hit the ball, and when she does hit it, must do so with a firm wrist and steady forward sweep of the racket. She must not get upset by her errors. Even if at first a great many balls are missed there is no reason to get discouraged, for it is no more disastrous, though more noticeable, to lose a point at the net than it is to lose it from the backcourt. Watch the good men players; they miss many volley shots, too. It is only because a girl tries so few that her mistakes are so prominent.

If the player has been drawn to the net on a short ball, or has made her own shot deep and well placed with the idea of going to the net, she must be on the lookout for a lob on the return. This lob is a perfectly good weapon for the opponent to use, although girls have a tendency to scorn it at present, owing to its former abuse. By carefully watching her opponent, the player will soon be able to tell from the way she handles her racket whether she is going to lob or not. Even if she does try one, a perfect lob--deep enough so that it cannot be killed and low enough that the player cannot run back and return it--is very difficult to make. It requires much practise and a very keen touch. If two or three short lobs are successfully smashed, the opponent is apt to fight shy of that particular form of defense and will go back to the passing shots to try to win the point.

From the other point of view, if the first few lobs are too short or too high, the player should try several more, endeavoring to correct her error, so that in an emergency she will not be afraid to use the lob. Furthermore, not all short lobs are successfully smashed. The opposing side may miss it entirely or may return it in such a way that it can be easily handled--either not severe enough or not well placed. Several unsuccessful smashes will go far toward upsetting the player, for in no stroke is self-confidence more needed and sooner lost than in smashing.

This is a department of the game that girls have very much neglected, but, as has already been shown, it is one that is very important, not only for actual use in the game but as training for both eye and judgment. The smash must be hit at exactly the right second, pretty well in the center of the racket. There is no reason why girls cannot learn to smash. They have fought shy of the stroke because they have not been willing to devote the necessary time to practising it, and in part because a bad smash is so conspicuous an error. A good smash is a pretty sure point winner and is a constant menace to the would-be lobber; so is well worth cultivating. Indeed, without good overhead work it is rather useless to attempt net play, for the opponent has too obvious and sure a method of defense in her lob; and the player who deprives herself of this form of the game loses much of the thrill of the game. With the inveterate baseline player the game resolves itself into a patient striving for openings--and so loses much of its snap and vigor.

A girl must, however, as a rule, play the major part of her singles game from the back court, going to the net only when drawn in or when she has a fair chance to finish the rally. Of course, there are exceptions to this, as to every rule. Some good players, for instance, play the net game consistently. But most girls will find that they cannot last through a three-set match with this style of play, it is too tiring. But they should be able to vary their backcourt game by going to the net occasionally. In order that they may handle the ball properly when they have the chance, a good deal of attention should be given to the volley and the smash while practising.

When in the back court try to return the ball where your opponent cannot easily reach it--keep it near the sidelines instead of returning it down the center of the court, a habit formed through fear of putting the ball out. Make your opponent run, that she may tire the more quickly and may often be off her balance when she has to hit the ball. But do not be afraid to run for the ball; be on your toes every minute of play and do not be afraid of a long rally. Many players feel that they are not playing well unless they finish the point quickly. This leads to a wild hitting of the ball in an effort to smash it through the opponents defense, and the percentage of errors is very high. Keep the ball in play, trying to force the other player “out of position”--either off balance by sending the ball where she does not expect it or by forcing her far out of court on one side or the other, then sending the ball into the unprotected space. Of course, a certain amount of speed is always necessary, for on a slow ball, no matter how well placed, the opponent can usually get comfortably into position for the return. The point to bear in mind is that speed without placement will seldom win a point.

[Illustration:

Miss Marion Zinderstein at the finish of a chop volley shot. Note her position, as shown by the side line behind her, relative to the net; also the firmness of her grip. ]

[Illustration: Mrs. Edward Raymond in an unusual illustration of the half-volley shot.

© American Press Association. ]

[Illustration: Miss Edith B. Handy finishing a cut service.

E. Levick, N. Y., Photo. ]

[Illustration: Miss Eleonora Sears about to chop the ball. Note position of the arm and racket.

© International Film Service, Inc., N. Y. ]

All of the foregoing is particularly true in doubles. If a player is not out of position, she should be able to handle almost any swift ball. In doubles it is very difficult to get the opponents out of position and the possible openings are much fewer and harder to make. That is why when four girls are playing, all in the backcourt, the rallies are so long and monotonous. Each side is trying to out-manœuvre the other and make a hole through which to shoot the ball. But with two persons on guard, these holes are not easily made and the rally is more apt to end in one side finally either netting the ball or putting it “out.” Points are seldom won. This is good training in accuracy and steadiness, but the fun and excitement is mostly minus.

If, however, net play is introduced into the game, the story is quite different. More and more this fact is being recognized and girls are devoting more attention to their volleying. At present many teams are composed of one net and one backcourt player. Against two backcourt players this is a very effective combination. However, it forces the backcourt player to carry most of the burden. The girl at the net is too apt to take only those balls which are right on her racket. Instead of which she should try to return everything within possible reach, so as to save her partner as much as she can. These returns should be, as in singles, either very deep and wide, or else close to the net and very much crosscourt. This latter is the more effective in doubles, for the deep shot is too easily returned when there are two players guarding the back territory. The baseline player must always keep the ball deep (near the baseline), for otherwise she is putting her partner at the mercy of the other side. She must be ready to cover practically all the back court. But, on the other hand, she should not back her partner too closely on the latter’s shots. Many girls come right in behind their net partner, as if sure she is going to miss, thus almost making her miss the point solely through lack of self-confidence. The baseline player must guard her own side, but she must be on the constant lookout for a lob over her partner’s head or for a wide crosscourt behind her partner. Then she must cross over to return the ball, her partner likewise crossing to cover the unprotected court. The net player, however, must take as many chances, try for as much as possible, in order to assist her partner--not be content, as many girls are, to take only the inevitable, sure shots.

This combination is productive of much more interesting and much faster tennis than is the baseline combination. But it is less effective than the baseline combination when matched against a team that takes the net. Then the backcourt player has no choice but to lob, and if that be short, the net player is practically helpless. She cannot hope to return the expected smash, the ball comes too quickly for her to anticipate it (guess just where it is coming and be ready for it) and with too much downward force for her to handle it, even if she could get her racket on it. She is also at a disadvantage, for she stands a fair chance of being hit by a fast drive. It is very hard to drive successfully through the opponents, for with two persons covering the net the openings are very small, down the center being about the best chance, for then there is apt to be confusion as to who should take the ball, whereas the openings for the net players are proportionately large. They have an easy chance to volley the ball deep and very wide, behind the opposite net player, or else very short and wide, to the other side of the court.

The disadvantage of the all-net game comes from the lobbed ball. Girls are very much afraid of “being lobbed.” But, by carefully watching the opponent’s racket, a lob can usually be foreseen, and the players ready to go back under it. This anticipation is the result only of much practise and of keen concentration on the game. Moreover, even if a few lobs are counted against the net players, of what matter so long as the percentage of points thus lost is not too great? The advantages gained by taking the net will usually more than offset this disadvantage. If, however, the opposing team are lobbing unusually deep and accurately, it is well for the net team to change their tactics and stay back for a while. But do not be afraid of a possible lob, and stay back after the first ball missed. The chances of a lob being either out or else so short that it is an easy kill are in your favor; give yourself a fair trial before staying back.

It is easier for girls to develop a net doubles game than a singles game, for doubles is naturally a much less tiring game. There is less court to cover, the service comes less frequently, and the odds are more in the net player’s favor. The best women players are more and more inclining towards the net position in doubles, and by so doing are broadening and developing their whole game, improving the quality of their singles as well, through their increased familiarity with net play.

MIXED DOUBLES.

Opinion as to court position in mixed doubles seems to be divided in the minds of the men who play it, some men preferring the girl to take the net and stay there under all circumstances, letting the man do his share of the net play, and all the backcourt work. Others insist that as a girl is naturally a baseline player, her job should be to guard the back court while the man plays at the net. This latter seems the more logical of the two plans, for it gives both players their natural positions. Furthermore, a man is usually much more effective in his volleying than the girl, no matter how good she may be. But as girls develop their net play, devoting more time to their volleying and their overhead work, both in singles and in doubles, they will quickly learn to do their fair share of work in mixed doubles and not merely occupy a small portion of the court. They will play it as a regular doubles game, with both partners up or back together, making it much more interesting for all concerned.

TOURNAMENT PLAY.

Tournament play does not appeal to everyone. But those who enter into it find that it improves their game a great deal. They become much more keen, they have to develop greater concentrative powers, they become used to dealing with many different styles of play, they learn “never to say die,” for no match is won or lost until the last point is played. This, however, is an advanced form of play that is well covered by a number of interesting books and that has no place in a “book for beginners.”

It often has been said of girls that they are not “good sports.” This was no doubt more or less true in years past. But as girls go more and more to boarding school and college, play on teams and generally have to consider themselves a small part of a big whole, they are learning how to behave in the field of sports, to take what comes with a smile. Remember, before all things, no matter how trying the circumstances, always be a good sport.

[Illustration:

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE

THE SPALDING TRADE-MARK

GUARANTEES QUALITY ]

SPALDING CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS RACKETS

The National Men’s Championship was won with a Spalding Hackett & Alexander Racket, (No. HA as listed below) used by and named for these famous players.

The National Women’s Championship was won with a Molla Bjurstedt Racket, (No. MB as listed below) made by us under special direction of this great Norwegian player.

SPALDING HACKETT & ALEXANDER MODEL HA

No. =HA.= Has depressed throat piece, rawhide reinforcements inside and out at bend, supplemented with gut throat winding. It has a full bow frame, no bevel. The handles are four-sided, all cedar, either 5, 5¼ or 5⅜ inches in circumference. The stringing is of best quality Spalding Autograph gut, by our most expert stringers. Without cover.

Each,

[Illustration: No. HA]

[Illustration: No. MB]

“MOLLA BJURSTEDT” AUTOGRAPH MODEL MB

No. =MB.= Built with depressed throat piece, gut throat winding. Full bow frame, no bevel. The handle is of cedar, four-sided, with small size grip. Weight 13¼ ounces and slightly over or under. It is made specially for women and is identically the same model as used for the past two seasons by this famous woman champion, Miss Molla Bjurstedt. Best Spalding Autograph gut only is used, strung as are other Spalding highest grade rackets, by our most expert stringers.

Without cover. Each,

In the complete Spalding tennis line is a racket to suit the requirements of every kind of player.

[Illustration:

PROMPT ATTENTION GIVEN TO ANY COMMUNICATIONS ADDRESSED TO US.

A. G. SPALDING &. BROS. STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES

FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORES SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THIS BOOK ]

=PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.= For Canadian prices see special Canadian Catalogue.

[Illustration:

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE

THE SPALDING TRADE-MARK

GUARANTEES QUALITY ]

SPALDING “TRADE-MARK” TENNIS RACKETS

[Illustration: No. XF]

[Illustration: No. 6]

[Illustration: No. 7]

[Illustration: No. 4X]

=No. 6. The Nassau.= Black depressed throat with oak reinforcement. Frame of white ash, highly polished, with combed Spanish cedar handle, leather capped. Stringing is of good quality gut. (Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.). Ea.,

=No. 7. The Oval.= Oval shape, with extra stringing in central portion; good quality gut. Gut wound shoulders. (Patented Jan. 3, 1905). Each,

=No. XF. Fairfield.= Black throat. Frame of selected ash. Wound shoulders. Good quality gut strung. Each,

=No. 4X. Ace.= Depressed throat. Frame of selected ash. Gut strung double in central portion. Each,

[Illustration:

PROMPT ATTENTION GIVEN TO ANY COMMUNICATIONS ADDRESSED TO US.

A. G. SPALDING &. BROS. STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES

FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORES SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THIS BOOK ]

=PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.= For Canadian prices see special Canadian Catalogue

[Illustration]

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Transcriber’s note

Duplicate illustrations from the original have been removed in this version.

Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice.