Evening star., 1915-05-23
ABSENCE OF PROFESSIONAL
TEACHING TENNIS HANDICAP
Persons Who Play Racquet Game Must
Learn by Experience the Proper
Way to Do Things.

/ With the idea of helping those con-
| templating taking up lawn tennis.
those who have recently taken it up
and are consequently III the throes OF
| its discouraging and seemingly hope
less novitiate, and. in a measure. the
advanced player as well, l have pre-
pared a series Of articles which might
| be termed symposium of the leading
tennis experts both in America and
abroad, writes Paul Gibbons, in the
Philadelphia Ledger.
Tennis. more than any other game in
| the entire catalog of sports, suffers
J from the decided handicap of being un-
able to procure, in America at any
| rate, professional tutelage. In almost
every branch of athletics. from prep"
school on, professional coaches are en-
gagged to instruct beginners in the
rudiments and fundamentals of the de-
pa rtment Of sport which they happen to
! go in for.
! Every country club has its golf pro-
fessional, who may be hired by the
members. and no one who takes up the
| need founder around in hopeless
| mediocrity, which would become per
manent in many cases II no prSfes-
sional could be obtained to teach them
sand and one "don'ts' of the game
The same applies to cricket and SOC
Ger. and at those clubs where these
! sports are indulged in professionals
| velopment Of their followers along proper
lines. In lawn tennis alone. of all the
principal sports. is this impossible
In America cal, at the present time
strictly ir.t class George Agutter
who is at Palm Beach in the winter
and is engaged by the West Side Club
of New York city in the summer, is
1 the only lawn tennis professional in
the entire east capable of helping the
tennis players who have reached any
advanced degree of proficiency.
Tennis Professionals Scarce.
| It fs not for the want of effort on the
! part of the country clubs herea bouts
that this condition prevails, as many
| of the leading clubs throughout the
United States have combed Europe in
the hope of getting suitable tennis pro-
fessionals, but none could be obtained.
| Facing this handicap. the question has
been repeatedly asked: What can be
| done by one who is too keen on inn
! proving to await the endless process
of becoming expert via the experience
route? 1t is particularly discouraging
to those who have discovered the
I
! later.
The line is so sharply drawn between
| the amateur and the professional that
the several dozen amateur experts
| scattered over the world who would
| be qualified to import successfully their
| tennis knowledge may not do so for a
| remuneration, and are unable to af-
| ford the time. even had they the in
! clination. to do so gratis. The only
| alternative Is for these players to give
1 ~ r1@ -rrN
desire to improve their game the bene-
| At of their experience through books
! and magazine articles, and. by this
method. guide the student into the
| channels of proper stroke. tactics and
! the important psychological side OF
! tennis. OF course. the study of these
| various authors will not produce re-
| suits as rapidly as were the author
| himself to take the reader on the
! courts for a course of private tuition.
| This being impossible. the theoretical
| course obtainable by digesting the ex-
! perts' books. coupled with their advice
| being intelligently and diligently fol-
lowed by the student of tennis. Will
improve his or her game with greater
ra pidity than the much more practiced
one of plunging headlessly into the
game and trying a hundred ways OF
doing each requisite of tennis skill in
| a discourag ging attempt to hit upon the
f., correct way.
| In Order TO cover Ine ground lnoT
| oughly, it will be obviously necessary
| to touch upon many points that will
| be palpable to the advanced player. 1t
must be remembered, however. that for
| every player of this type there are
| hundreds who need the most seemingly
! simple point impressed in order to help
them along to permanent improve
/ ment.
Few of the laity realize the neces-
sary components in the makeup of a
~f cYrio fft- ArCt cl q q
Many of them who have never seen
tennis played. except on few occa :
| sions when park court happened to
be in the path of their strolls and who
glanced with indifference or disdain at
| the picnic players gently tapping the
ball back and forth. always directly at
| the opposing player, have. rather par
donably perhaps, formed the impression
that tennis is game that should ap-
| peal only to the feminine.