Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-16
FIRST
REQUISITE OF
CLASS Tennis

! Pace always tells in tennis. Fl. NJ.
| Doust writes in the London. Globe. 1t
| is direct expression of the personality
Of the player-a remark best illus
trated by study of the methods of
the Renshaws, who practically revO-
| lutiOniZed the game in lSS0-90.
Pace entails the high overland SER
vice-play common to all ranks of
players nowadays. Without the high
overland service and its attendant
lob variations tennis degenerates to
a mere game of shuttlecock. In this
respect British players excel, for the
American service is generally SLOW
err" but often il becomes more dead
~ by reason of the formidable cut
which causes the ball to actually
swerve in the air. and to drag" or
rebound slow from the ground. This
twin effect has a distinct advantage.
The play is earnestly cultivated in
high quarters even by players who
are opposed to the smashing volley
game, since it gives the server more
time in which to follow up his serve
by running into position approx
mately close to the net. from which
he can then develop the smashing"
game. -..s.. 49,.
Net Is Vantage Point
In both games 1.-THE singles and
doubles) all players aim, or should do
SO, to get within a yard or two of
the net as soon as possible. Thence
develops the smashing volley so fatal,
yet so seldom seen at other than clas-
steal events. The player should seek
to get comparatively close to the net,
whether serving or receiving the
serve, the object in all cases being to
yolley before the gravitational pull on
the ball becomes apparent That
this is the correct and only play can
be adjudged from the fact that if the
rest happens beyond a stroke or two,
most players, even inferior ones (they
are acting unconsciously) will be
found to have drawn into the net At
least this is mostly so. An examina-
ton of players positions in eight
games out of ten will clearly bear
out this point. 1t is one we'll worthy
of study. For some the service lines
possess fatal attraction.
Yet the. yolley, pure and simple. is!
only the prelude to still deadlier play
Rapid and low volleying, clearing the
net maybe by but an inch or two, can
always be met by players who take
the trouble to practice the art 1t is
when the volleying becomes varied by
the attempt on the part of one player
to place the ball out of reach of the
other that the science of it all be-
comes apparent. This 'flobbing," as
it is termed, calls for the greatest
skill and judgment. 1t is the high
overland play, combined with the
lift" or top" placing the ball be-
hind ones adversary and we'll at the
back Of the court, which is so discon-
certing to follow, and has given many
a pretty coup de grace to an other |
wise evenly divided bout of volleying. |
Racket Often Betrays a "LOb.
Good "lobbing" is difficult-at leask
1t would appear so from the attempts |
one often sees in the great majority |
of games. Unless judgment drawn to !
a fine art accompanies the swing of |
the racket, and the eye never re-
moved from the ball even for thei
thousandth part of a second the |
lob" will send the ball out of court, |
or else just drop it short enough to |
permit the opposing player to kill it'll
by playing a smashing volley. 1t is |
essential that the racket does not be-
tray the intention to play ga lob. =" |
This defeats the whole object. and !
permits the opponent to correct his
position-that is, should it prove or
be. thought necessary.
In all play the primal object should /
be to serve and return the serve so
as to permit of gaining favorable
position within yard or so of the
net and to so regulate pace as to
drive ones adversary into least
favorable one-that is away from the
net toward the base line; and from
that initial advantage the successful |
player can, given other things equal,
severely punish his opponent by sud-
denly reyerting to the smashing VOL
ley which so invariably wins.
Get Position, Then "Smash. /
The smash stroke is really essen
tial to win. The game thus resolves
itself into three parts: 1. The en-
deaVof on the part of one player to
secure the more favorable position.
2. The following uD with the smash
yolley. 3. The success of the smash
stroke or win by means of a we'll |
and judiciously placed lob"
A good player invariably stakes his
chance overhead. Yet few indeed can /
hope to win without resorting ut
times to good overhead play. The
hurting, clustering masterful smash
stroke is similarly played to the over
head, with the exception, however,
that the position from which it is
played has no definitely fixed dis
lance from the net 1t requires in-i
stinctiye Judgment and absolute
precision. and its play /
is always in direct relation to the side
ines and less preportionately to the
net. The eve must never be removed
from the balI-otherwise the player
oses that instantaneous perception Of
speed and the correlative quality ot
Judgment so essential for a return