Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-09
INCORRECT POSITION ON TENNIS
COURT CONTRASTED WITH CORRECT
Tilden Tells Why Successful Game Cannot Be Played
From Point Just Inside the Base Line-Comment
on Court Affairs
BY WILLIAM T. TILDEN, I'd
PHILADELPHIA 1915 CHAMPION


back, which is so disconcerninr to cor
rect forwards.
The worst form OF bad position found
in young players Is Il tendency to try
to cover up tho weak point of their
game, the baCkhnnd. by running around
the shot and playing forehand. The re-
suit OF this Is easily seen. The evils are
thrsefold
1. II will never build up or strengthen
the backhand, as it tends TO rob one OF
confidence and gives one no practice on
the shot,
>. II means that the player Is going out
of court toward the backhand side line
and cannot recover often to get back In
position to cover the next shot. II gives
the opponent u big opening on either
side.
3. 1t ruins good footwork and often
makes a player run into the ball itself
and have no chance to make his serving
at IT,
Thus we find that good footwork de-
pends on correct position to a great ex-
tent.
In playing a back-court game always
be able to run in on Il ball. never back
from it.
In playing net the question OF position
is twofold:
/. How close to the net?
2. In which part OF the court parallel
to the net shall man play?
The first is determined by the height OF
the player and varies from to 10 feet
from the net. The taller the player the
closer he can afford 10 20. Still. do not
let the shorter men and boys get in
the habit of staying back or Of their com
ing in and playing deep and getting
caught on their feet, Always be close
enough TO the net to volley a drive on
the fun and not have to trap it.
AS regards the question of position
across the court, in playing net 1t can
be summed up as follows:
l. Cover the straight return down the
line.
2. Look for the cross-court court.
In other words, when you follow your
short in follow the general line of the
ball and stay closer 10 the side line the
ball Is near than the centre. The wider
you shot to the side line the closer to
that side line you so, always closing the
shot down that line. Remember that the
deeper the shot the harder 1t is to pass
you, so follow in on your deep shots
and stay back ON the shol' ones. Re-
mem Der, too, that the faster shot is the
straight shot and n fast, sharp, cross
court shot will often go out. so in sum-
ming up net play we can say;
l. Cover the straight shot. which will
be fast and keep an eye open for tho
cross shot.
2. Go in on the deep shot. stay back
on the short.
3. Play about to 70 feet from tho
net. according TO your height and the
drop on your opponents shot,
My next article will be on tennis
psychology.
The University of Pennsylvania tennis
team should be strengt' med next season
bv the ACQUISITION OF - Thayer in
single. and partnered wiz. Kenneth
Kennedy in doubles. The ThU" Ken
nedy double combination Is one Of tho
best kid teams seen around Philadel-
pima for n long while They should
give the other colleges quite lot OF
trouble,
After what has happened out In
California, where Mary Brown beat Mrs
Bundy after Mrs. Bundy had defeated
Miss Bjurstadt and then in turn is
given a severe trimming by the great
what will result next year
at the National?