The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-07

nearly II not quite impossible to keep his
eyes on the ball until 1t 81 actually
struck.
Mos good tennis players who take up
golf-and lots OF them have done So
find the greatest difficulty 20 overcome
Is the use OF the eyes. Every one wants
to look ur to see the ball hy off toward
the green before he has actually com
pleted the stroke. The habit acquired
on the tennis cour; has grown so strong
with him that IL 10 very difficult TO over
come Il in golf.
Personally. I md many OF my short
approach shots ruined because l cannot
help looking at the cup Just before the
ball is hit. ! cannot remember ever
having seen a ennis bail actually touch
my own racket. and I a asked scores
OF good players the same question. only
20 find that very few OF them can say
positively that they ever have seen the
ball actually touch the strings.
We all know that you must watch the
ball until after Il has struck the ground
and started 10 rise, and inexperienced
players certainly do watch & right M
TO the racket. But for an expert TO do
this would limit his skill materially. SO
long as It is only necessary TO return
the bali In the general direction OF -hc
other court. until II becomes part OF his
skill 10 place It accurately into n small
section. II Is not necessary to look up
from the stroke az all. II makes no
difference II the ball flies two or three
feet above the net and we'll toward the
centre OF the court. But when It comes
down 10 a question of inches instead 81
feet In the accurate control OF the ball.
then you must look at the spot you are
aiming for or ease up on the stroke.
A bad court. with uneven playing
surface that gives the bail an erratic
bound, hand.caps a good player more
severely than a poor one, yet Few under
stand the reason for this. II comes
right back TO the use of the eyes again.
for the poor player watches the ball
right up 70 his racket and shifts It's
position to meet the unexpected angle
Of tho bound without hurting his play.
But when the same thing occurs to the
expert player he has to change his fixed
habits. and keeping his eyes closely on
the ball makes him case up on his stroke,
so the ball sails high and not 40 near
the boundaries OF tho court as Il would
II his eyes were free 10 direct the stroke
more accurately.
The good player II moving around the
court pretty fast In match play and II IL
no easy task to keep clearly IN hts mind
the exact direction of the side lines and
the height of the net under such conds-
tions. When II comes TO a calculation
as close as he must make in order 10
pass the opponent at the net. for In
stance. II Is necessary TO be looking at
the mark he shoots for as the stroke is
delivered.
The novice follows literally the advice
he has received at the start and looks
at the ball all the time and his strokes
are poorly directed IN consequence, The
next stage finds the fair player taking
q last Anal glance at the other player.
th> nat arA ina nnat.top ~ Tho co,ir,
lines that must confine his stroke, and
then ne looks down at tho ball and
watches Il till the stroke In safely away.
But as tho tournament player becomes
moro expert ne learns 10 change this
| routine. and with a look AZ the other
side a little earlier ne watches the ball
TIL II touches the ground or perhaps
till Il has started 70 bound. and then
he looks up in the direction he is play
ing 20 guide his stroke with n farewell
turn OF the wrist as he hits the ball
that makes II ny close to the net and
so near the side lines as 10 result in a
passing shot or a clean ace that would
be otherwise impossible.
In many ways the correctness OF this
theory has been proved. Crack PLAYERS.
for instance. hnd that the best and surest
advance Information as TO the direction
OF the next shot from the opponent Is 10
watch his eyes rather than his racket
or the ball. and before the stroke 's com-
pleted the telltale eyes will indicate
the direction OF the next attack, Antici-
patton OF the other mans intentions Il
one OF the fine points OF INSIDE tennis,
as the baseball fans would call Il. II
seems 10 be only intuition that teaches
some clever players 20 start In the right
direction before the ball has begun It's
flight, and many people have been myst!-
fed by this ability, but the secret OF II
lies generally In reading the antagonists
eyes.
Another proof that the eyes are the