New-York tribune., 1911-10-22
DIXON RATES AMERICANS.
Briton Puts Larned and Little at
Top of List.
CONTRASTS IN LAWN TENNIS
English Player Thinks Weakness
at Base Line Is a Chara cter-
istic Over Here.

c. p. Dixon. who led the British Isles
lawn tennis team in the preliminary
tie matches on the courts of the West Side
Tennis Club. has some interesting com
ment upon the methods ot leading Ameri-
can players in the latest issue Of the Eng
nsh official organ which arrived in this
country Yesterday. The famous Briton
brackets William A. Larned and Raymond
D. Little as the foremost American WELD
ers Of the racquet. This will not be sur
prising TO those who watched the remark
able work of Little this season. for he
easily surpassed all previous performances.
and his ripe versatility and skiful exc
cution won for him national champion
ship in the doubles which he richly de-
served The Engishman appears 10 regard
weakness at back court play as the chief
fault of the American game. TIe writes,
in part. as follows:
There are several points Of contrast be
tween American and English lawn tennis
PLAYERS and their methods. One is forcibly
struck by the comparative weakness OF
American PLAYERS from the base line rs
much as by anything else at first sight.
There are OF course, few notable eX-
ceptions. for instance. ". A Larned the
United states champion. whose back court
play is perhaps the principal feature OF
his excellence. Raymond y. Little is an
other player whose powerful forehand
rive constitutes a deadly engine of at
tack. These two Americans possess STYLES
more approaching those of our own lead
ing players.
"Tbe Wrenn brothers. though neither is
particularly severe off the ground, possess
methods more In accordance with many
of the English school. r. II. Wrenn, an
cx-champion Of the United States. reminds
me q good deal Of r. 3. Powell in his net
play. and their similarity is increased by
the fact Of their both being left handed.
In doubles the WrAnns are more subtle
than forcing. and they frequently employ
the lob with great effect.
The general body Of American players,
as compared with our own, show an in
ferority in both the pace and length of
their ground strokes There are no players
in the United States with quite the force
behind the driving Of 5. II. Smith or the
power and consistency Of A. ". Gore at
ever seen. In style and execution we are
superior also The strokes Of large num-
ler OF American players of the ground
are bella abored-they get there hut mere
energy IS expended IN 50 doing. Even
among their first class players several use
the chop. and the clean, hard hitting prac-
tisod so continually here is conspicuously
absent in the play of the Americans.
More importance IS attached by our
friends on the other side 10 service and
volleying. and in these departments the
superiority OF their PLAYERS over us Is most
marked To gain the net position and wiz
the ace by a c.ean ,laced volley seems 10
he the paramount consideration with most
of their players In fact. their methods
NAV be described as bustling. As 10 ser
vice. Maurice E McLOughlins service Is
of the fast. swervine American type. and
skilfullv placed as IT generally is, IT en-
bles him 10 use his great volleying
powers effectively. Very few of his coun-
trvnoen are so powerfully armed in this
respect. but numbers possess very awk-
ward services Notwithstanding T. G.
Bundv. the player from Los Angeles, has
q puzzling reverse service, and many
others could. be named who score heavily IN
this department. The services ~ our own
leading players on the whole suffer much
IN comparison ! include In volleying all
overhead work, and here again the Ameri-
cans are the stronger. in that they are
more consistent.
"McLoughlin's smashing is as severe as
that OF any player ! have come across, and
very rarely does ne miss sitter
Though the Californian in this particular
IS facile princeps in America. many other
players smash almost as we'll not only
from close 10 the net but some distance
hack"