The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-08
TENNIS NOV|CES
MAKE bLUNDERS
Young Players Not InfrequentIy
Wear Themselves Out in
Practice Work.
INTENSE HEAT OF SUMMER
Sun OFTEN 0VERP0WERS
Expert Gives Suggestions to Be
POndered During Cold
Weather Months.

NEW YORK. Nov. One of the best
things in the world for "A lawn tennis
player is TO get 1T 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 tho warm
weather and In doing so undermine their
vitality, and they wonder Why they arc
sets. An instance or the advantage OF
being In condition early Is that of Rich
ard III. Palmer. who recently won the trl
state championship, and among those
whom he defeated was Wallace +. John
son. Had Palmer been in the Same trim
Tor the New York state championships
last June as when hc defeated johnson,
he would have surely annexed the titlc,
Another good thing for player. cspc-
cIally a beginner, is 10 practice the right
way of making his shots. In discussing
expert remarks: Nearly every asDrant
for lawn tennis honors Is firmly imbUed
with the idea that the only way Inc viii
ever get 10 be "A first class player is
through tournament play, by meeting
men with whose STYLE ho is unfamiliar
and getting beaten by some So-callcd
crack. But while il iS undoubtedly an
advantage for the novice TO play against
men much better than himself. The notion
that IL sufiicicncy of Tournament play Is
ALI he needs In Time TO make him
champion or ncar-Champion IL an
fortunate dclusion. from which too many
young players arc suffering. About as
reasonably might they hope 10 become
great singers by 'supins' faithfully at
grand opera.
Teaching is Needed.
There are several reasons why many
d man possessing all tho physical at
tributes requisite for d FIRST class player
tails to become ono. and the chief OF
these reasons is that most OF these play
ers arc wholly and (car(ully self made
they have never been taught the game.
As result. most of them do not know
how tn make tie simplest strokes prop
erly. while tho rudimentary principles Of
iootwork. position. timing. etc. are wholly
unknown 10 Them. The novice at tennis
seldom or never receives amy competent
coaching. He picks up the game as best
nc can by playing with other uovices.
during which process he IS certain TO
acquire a great many faults OF style
which later he finds II almost impossible
TO get rid OF. IL, indeed, ne ever realizes
the necessity of doing SO
1t would hardly be an exaEgeratiou
To say that al least nine out OF ten
players who take Up the game arc so
badly handicapped at tile start by this
lack of skilled coaching that there is
practically no chance OF their ever ac-
quirinE Il correct form or developing half
tho proficiency they might have attained
had they been taken in hand carly by
experts and taught correct methods of
play.
Another almost insurmountablo OBJ
staclc 10 the success Of most tennis play
ers Is their curious inability or unwill-
ingness 10 recognize their mistakes and
to correct them To the observer IL
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 ho will he guilty Of
making the same stupid and fatal mis-
taec--such as trying To voley from the
back 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
average player. in short. uses everything
but his head In trying TO win.
''Favorite'' Shots Hurt.
He is apparently too much con-
cerned a rule in trying TO bring off
ly~ spectacular and risky kind-to give
any thought TO anything else. II is as
though ne were fatally obscssed with
the idea that lie must win the point I'm
one particular way. maybe the one least
adapted TO the purpose. Ills main notion
is To end the point one way or another
as soon as possible. Seldom does he
evnco the slightest disposition TO plan
ahead for a shot. TO try to work his op-
ponent out of position or to keep him
guessing as 10 just what sort Of a stroke
to expect next.
IA contest between two players OF this
kind is usually a slam bang affair which
provides moro amusement than real in
tercSt for the players.
In the early stages of any large
tournament one may SEQ men who have
been playing tennis for years and years
repeatedly 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 tho best players of this coun-
try compete; they are not deficient in
powers of observation OF mental astute-
ness, 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 scems
10 apply with peculiar force in the case
or players like these. Their style. ~ such
IL may be called, was formed long ago,
and. despite It's glarng imperfections-
or which they appear blissfully uncon-
sc,ous.they cling tcnaciously 10 II and
rely valniy on agility. steadness or luck
TO give them victory"