The Alaska citizen., 1915-09-27
HOW TO WIN AT TENNIS


 her adversary. and, no matter what happens. she is always smiling and in good temper.
 Miss Bjurstedt plays in splendid form, she is firm advocate of all girls first going under instruc- tions from a profes ssional before ac- tually playing game; she did not herself start with a paid instructor. but she soon found that she was not taking advantage of all her strength and agility simply because she did not quite know how to avail herself Of them. Therefore she took lessons. she unlearned much that she had picked up and at once proceeded to develop along the right lines. until today her style is one that any player might study with profit She still practices with professionals at every opportunity.
 i She plays no fancy strokes; she says that every attempt to cut the ball or otherwise put spin on it only results in loss of speed and direction, and speed and direr tion are the iuain points of the game. Therefore. she plays the straight ] strokes which any man or woman can easily learn and plays them 1 perfectly.
 i The strongest single stroke in Miss Bjurstedt's repertoire is not the service, but the forehand drive. She executes the forehand drive il. this manner: She rests her weight on her right foot and faces the plane in which the ball is travelling: for moment she hesitates and then she swings her racket back and takes the ball with full swing just before it reaches the top of the bounce: as the racket touches the ball it is slightly inclined downward and the stroke is carried all the way through, so that at the finish the racket has made almost con- plete circle. The long swing gives speed. the inclinins of the racket makes the ball just skim the top of the net and the follow through" maintains direction.
 This is the stroke with which Miss Bjurstedt wins most of her points and all of he opponents dread giving her chance to get hand drive in the same manner as the forehand, except that the mo- tions are reversed and she starts with her weight on tho left fcot and ends on the righ! foot In every stroke she puts her weight as well as her strength.
 Miss Bjurstedt does no. much de- pend upon a fast service. She serves hard but she does not try to win points on the service by terrific drive She says: No girl can serve hard enough to win point from a good player and there is no use in exhausting ones self in a foolish attempt to knock the cover eff the ball it is better to place the ser vice ball and be ready to win after the next stroke or two, when you have got your opponent out of po- sition
 "I think it Is best to stick to the hard placing game and not to try plays that girl cannot play. For instance, I do not know a single girl who can play the net game. There are many girls who try to rush to the net like the best men players. but { have always found that can pass them almost at will. only go to the net when l see a chance to win point with one stroke. find the best position for girl is back of the baseline. when she can cover the whole court. [ play at or behind the baseline near ly all the time. and always try to return there so can command the whole court No girl is quick and fast enough to play net
 Really, 1t is senseless for girl to think that she can play the mans game; she can play as hard as she likes. and still she will never b. strong enough to do what the best men do. I think that style of game only keeps back development and wastes strength-like chasing after ball which it is certain you cannot get. believe in bettering the plays I can make and not at tempting the plays or the style= which l can never master.
 My game Is to play the ball hard and to study my opponent: if her backhand strokes are weak. play on her backhand. and SO on througl. the game. trying always to draw her out of position. that a may shoo. the ball down the sideline or across the court where she cannot get it. If I make her run for every ball she Is not going to return very strongly. and she Is also going to tire before the match is done. Ten his is not just hitting the ball; IL