Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28
CHAMPION JOFINSTON'S SUCCESS
DUE SOLELY TO ORTHODOX PLAY
New Tennis Title Holders Victories Show
That American Twist Service Can Be
Handled by Ordinary Ground Strokes.

Johnston's success this season in win
ming the national lawn tennis cham
pionship has brought into discussion
once more the probability of new meth
DDS of playing coming into general use
in the game, writes Parmly Paret In
the New York Sun. During the last few
seasons there has been a steadily grow
ing feeling among the more advanced
students of the game that the extreme
DEVELOPMENT of the American twist
service deliveries soon would force some
new play in answer or require legisla-
ton to limit their power.
Such services as McLoughlin's at its
best in the international matches of
1914 and of Lindley Murray were cal
culated to put the opponent under such
a heavy disadvantage that ordinary
methods of return often were useless.
Even then there has been feeling that
the limit had not yet been reached in
fast services, and that some new way
must soon be found to stop them. But
Johnston's victory at Forest Hills
should go long way toward offsetting
this feeling, for the new champion did
succeed in stopping the twist deliv-
cries effectively.
The best part of it, was that Johnston
did not require any new methouS 10
prevent Mclaughlin and Williams rom
sweeping him off the court by sheer
force of service on the contrary, his
success all hangs on the most orthodox,
the most old fashioned OF all strokes,
he depended entirely on clean, hafd
hitting and accurate placing 70 40 tne
trick. The champion uses little twist
himself, and his strokes were not at
f, cted materially by the twist that his
opponents put on the ball He seemed
to be able to bring off his terrlhc curves
as we'll from a spinning ball as from
straight hit one. Behr's victory over
NcL,oughlin at Seabright also scored a
point for old-fashioned methods.
Interesting Theory.
One of the most interesting theories
of future development has been that OF
Norris williams, who is a firm believer
in the efficiency of playing rising ball.
The 1914 champion believes that this Is
the correct answer to the American
twist service, and that in it lies the fu-
ture development of high-class Skin IN
the game Williams CONTENDS that lhe
danger in handing the American service
lies IN being driven too far back In the
court by the high bound 1T gives tne
ball before it is possible 10 make Ine
return. not in it's twist or is break. he
stands in close and hits the ball as IT
risas taking it before it has reached
the top of the bound, and so making
his return before the server can get
settled at the net to anticipate his re-
turn. .L+
Theoretically there is no doubt that
this method is a good answer TO the
twist service but l doubt its practlca-
hilitv in the hands of SO per cent OF the
Mo vers-eyen of the tournament play
avs of good skill. 1t is difficult task
10 gauge the exact length and height
of the bound from a fast service and to
this calculation must be added the
more difficult one of anticipating the
nlacing of the server and the curve and
break of the ball. M, wa,
In the hands of a master IKE VIII
liams it often is successful, although
both Brookes and Wilding made his
method look faulty, and in large ma
ior;ty of his matches against McLough-
lin he has come off second best; out
there is not more than one man IN
hundred who has the natural qulckness
of eve and sense of anticipation that
the Harvard player possesses: Ihen,
too. Williams was trained IN this
method of play from the beginning,
when he was young boy on the con-
tinental courts studying under English
nrofessionals When he first came to
his country in 1912 he showed a
marked tendency to half volley, and he
risked a great deal on his effort to play
the rising ball.
Play for Experts.
Now. Johnston practically never uses