Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-23
TENNIS MEN MARE BLUNDER
Novioes often Wear Themselves Out
in Practice.
TOO MANY JOURNEYS BAD
Young Players Lose Form ~ P1ayiHE
superiors Too often and over
Fractions under Hot
Summer sun.

Summer SUM-
NEW YORK. oct. 22-One Of the best
things IN the world for lawn tennis player
Is to get ut IN the early part OF the season
and keep in condition until II closes. A
majority Of players try to get in condition
in the full glare Of the warm weather and
in doing so undermine their vitality and
they wonder why they are not able to stay
more than a couple OF sets. An instance of
advantage of being in condition early is
that Of Richard H. Palmer who recently
won the tristate championship and among
those whom he defeated was Wallace F.
johnson. Had Palmer been In the same
trim for the New York state championships
last June as when he defeated Johnson he
would have surely annexed the title.
Another good thing for a player, espe-
cially a beginner, Is to practice the right
way OF making his shots. In discussing
this and other points Of the game an ex-
pert remarks; Nearly every asplrant for
lawn tennis honors 10 firmly lmbued with
the idea that the only way he will ever
get 70 be first class player is through
tournament play. by meeting men with
whose style he Is unfamiliar and getting
beaten by some so-called crack. But while
novice to play against men much better
than himself. the notion that sufflciency
Of tournament play 10 all he needs in time
TO make him a champion or a near-chem-
pion Is an unfortunate delusion. from which
toe many young players are suffering
About as reasonably might they hope to
become great singers by 'suping faithfully
at grand opera
Teaching A. Needed.
There are several reasons why many a
man possessing all the physical attributes
requisite for a first class player fails to
become one and the chief OF these reasons
is that most Of these players are wholly
and fearfully self-mads--they have never
been taught the game. As a result most OF
them do not know how to make the sim
plest strokes properly, while the rudi-
mentRry principles Of footwork position,
timing, ETC., are wholly unknown to them.
The novice ct tennis seldom or never re-
ceives any competent coaching. He picks
up the game Rs best he can by playing with
other novces, during which process he is
certain to acquire a great many faults Of
style which later he finds It almost Inn
possible to set rid Of II indeed he ever
realizes the necessity of doing so.
1T would hardly be an exaggeraticz &c
say that at least nine out of ten players
who take up the game are so badly handi-
capped at the start by this lack OF skilled
coaching that there Is practically no chance
OF their ever acquiring a correct form OF
developing half the proficiency they might
have attained had they been taken in hand
early by experts and taught correct meth
DDS OF play.
Another almost insurmountable obstacle
to the success of most tennis players is
their curious inability or unwillingness to
recognize their mistakes and to correct
them. To the observer It sometimes seems
as though the average player must leave
what brains he has in the clubhouse when
he goes out to play, for he so rarely acts
as though he had them with him on the
court Again and again in a match he will
be guilty Of making the same stupid and
fatal mistake-such az trying to volley from
the beck OF the court or rushing wildly
to the net after an easy return, or stick
ing to the sort OF game which is only too
plainly to his opponents liking. The aver
age player, in short, uses everything but
his head in trying to win.
"FavOrite' shots Hurt.
HE is apparently too much concerned
as rule in trying to bring off some favor
and risky lxind-to give any thought to any
thing else. II is as though he we're fatally
obsessed with the idea that he must win
the point In one particular way maybe the
one least adapted to the purpose. His main
notion is TO end the point one way or an
other as soon as possible. Seldom does he
evince the slightst disposition to plan ahead
for shot, to try to work his opponent out
of position or TO keep him guessing as to
just what sort OF a stroke 10 expect next.
"A contest between two players of this
kind is usually a slam-bang affair. which
provides more amusemsnt than real interest
for the players
''In the early stages Of any large tourna-
ment one may see men who have been
playing tennis for years and years repeat
edly commit errors Of Judgment and faults
OF execution which make their playing
seem like that OF the veriest tyro. These
men have, time and again, watched the best
players OF this country compete; they are
not deficient in powers OF observation or
mental astuteness and yet to watch them
one would think them ignorant OF all the
finer points Of the game. The adage that
you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
seems to apply with peculiar force in the
case OF players like these. Their style, II
such Il may be called, was formed long
ago, and, despite it's glaring imperfections-
OF which they appear biissfully unconscious
they cling tenaciously to It and rely
vainly on agility, steadiposs or luck TO give
them Victory"