The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-19
BACKHAND STROKE NEEDS
NO REVIVAL OF OLD GRIP
Modern Method of Keeping Thumb Along Handle
Should Not Be Abandoned-Return to Discarded
English Style Would Be Folly.

Gated publicly the other style, which
has since become the prevailing one the
world over. Some English players etlii
use the thumb around method. and a rev
scattering players In other sections OF
the world but the majority of the Aus
trallans are against Il, and In America
not more than 10 or 10 per cent. OF the
players adopt that grip.
But Douglas offers an Ingenious ar
gument against the prevailing method
that bears study. lie sla'irs that
large percentage OF the errors made In
baokhand play come from this defec-
tive grip that IL so prevalent. ana says
that the reason for this weakness 10
the inability to prevent the rack from
turning in the grasp when held with
the thumb up the handle 1t is true that
the thumb wrapped around gives much
f'rmer grip on the handle and does pre-
vent the racket from turning. but this
affects only such strokes as are made
whom tht ball Is not hit off the centre
OF the strings, for when the blow "a
directly in the centre there is no twist
ing strain. When the players eye Is
Inaccurate he often hits the ball a
little off the central longitudinal axis"
as the scientists call the straight play
Ing strip down the centre OF the strtngs-
the racket In the hand OF the player
which can be offset only by the tight
ness OF the grasp.
With the thumb up the handle there
is a gap between tho tips Of the fingers
and the base of the thumb that weak
ems the ability to resist this turning
strain As Douglas claims. this is COW
cred by the overlapping fingers IN the
older way Of holding the racket, but
that il only one OF several considera
tons that affect the question. Against
the frmer hold offered by the thumb
around method we have much greater
forward resisting power TO the impact
OF the stroke when the thumb Is used
ae a brace up the handle. The blow
Of tennis bail when hit by tho
racket making n fast stroke carries q
great deal OF concentrated force. and
IL must he met with power or the stroke
will be ruined.
with the thumb upon the handle this
support makes the resistance twice as
strong 70 the impact 80 tho older STYLE
ard increases the power OF the stroke
ON the other hand. II tho thumb b.
wrapped around. as Douglas would have
n. tho only way to prevent deadly
weakness n this resisting power is &c
turn the wr'st at an unnatural angle
and brace the racket Pcross tho Joint
OF the wrist. This is practically wha'
the English players do. and II results
in the awksrd bend in their elbows
making the striking arm and the handle
I OF the racket look like bent scyths
while the stroke is being made.
This grip does not require a shiftinr
I OF tho hand IN is position on tho nan
die % the racke. between the foreha nd
and the ha-i;hand stroke. many Of the
English players using the same GriI
FOR both strokes. while the American;
almost invariably shift their grips be.
tween the strokes THE unchanged
: grasp also brings another drawback
/ with y IN the tendency to unde-cut the
bail IN nearly all tho strokes, which I,
So noticeable IN tho English play. OF
that part OF Il which is shown with the