Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-21
TENNIS TEACHERS needed
PRESENT METHOD SPOILS
MANY BRIGHT PROSPECTS
only Sport ru-Dn! Where Youngsters
linNc No One to Tell Them Right.
system All Wrong.

uatcd out OF the lis; Of mere pas
tunes and exercises into sport. a
contest and "a game where the high
Ilayer mus, be developed. the most
accurate theories followed GU, and the
Individual trained and groorncd in
stroke and technique like any other
highly specialized athlete.
The tennis player or the last dec
AIDE has more or less made himself
Using his own natural aptitude for the
"ame. aud picking up hints from
others now and then. No definite cam
paiSn Of teaching has been granted
him. lie began hitting the bail as 1t
came easiest to him, and IL by chance
he took up style more or legs cor
rect. il was lucky TO say the least
Much more often he began wrong.
and though he managed to arrive at
fair degree OF excellence. II was ONLY
By getting results in the most difficult
or technically faulty way Good form
or good style. whichever we call it,
VIII be found on the last analysis toj
amount 10 the production OF the best
with the leaa. expenditure OF eTor,
Il means getting results in the
most simple wa" the playing OF :.
strokes. good in themselves. IN the
manner in which there is the least
chance OF missing them TIE manu-
facturc OF Il solid foundation Of
game on which 30 build other strokes
aud plays which ere themselves quite
impossible unless this foundation is
in existence hrst.
The golfer does not expec, TO be-
come a good player without a steady
course o! lessons In the various
strokes from his professional The
ss,-i ri -..'. ~
ny dag. the footballcrs are taught
every NOV" in the game by cornpe.
tent authorities; only ~ tennis does
the player get himself a racket and
go out 20 teach himself the game BY
playing against men as ignorant Of
what is right as himself
Could anything lie NOR. haphazard
than our present method. or lack OF
method, in tcach!ng tho game or in
training tho young aSpirants for fameoI
For game that has made such re
inarkable strides IN the last few years.
lawn tennis is singularly deficient In
these all-inporiant matters.
NATURAL APTITUDE NICE.
nut RrDICULOrS THEORY
Our happy-go lucky methods are all
wrong "a this da.e OF specialized ef-
Fort. The IDEAL of the born PLAYER
with the natura! aptitude for taking
him 10 the highes, position is all very
nice. bat ii IS ridiculously out of date
ana /! We are 10 train up many young
PLAYERS instead OF the born" few. they
must he taken in hand young and
started right
II the youngst+r starts wrong-and
he does this nine times out of ten
hc Is laying foundation OF faulty
methods which Will take him years OF
stehdy practice along correct lines TO
overcome. His development VIII he
also slower. for surely IL must be
harder TO attain success along fault,
lines than along he lines OF thu mos;
recognized correct way.
Correct play gets the best results
with the least expenditure OF effort
ana incorrect pla% as n logical coral
iary gets results not so good with
much create: amount OF effort
The swing OF the racket. the change
Or grip for the backhand. the position
OF the feet and the footworls itself, the
relation OF the player to the ball, the
method sof impartinr overspin or cut
the service tho volley and the smash,
and drive. all these are the technical
points that good professional could
ground the young PLAYER in before he
was allowed 10 Try himself out on the
courts
When he became imhued with the
details OF the technical end OF the
game his mind could then he diverted
10 the tactical emil and he could have
explained 10 him the theory OF placing.
TolieytnE. the use OF the lob. the diff
ference between the volley and the
mixed game and the hest base-line de-
Tense.
Then could come center theory. the
theory Of angles, anticipation and con-
cealmcn' Of stroke. and latest OF ALL
the psychology OF the game the siz-
ing up o. the other PLAYERS. the oppos-
ing OF personality 20 personality and
the triumph of In" one who was the
best at every point
How many OF :he more simple divi-
Sions does the average player OF three
or four years know under the present
conditions" And yet. how can he be
expected TO make good without them?
With good professional coaching in
the early stages much larger per-
centage % good youngsters would be
found each wear. and these with good
tuition. would surely do themselves
justice as far as their natural aptitude
would take them. With the ground
work OF the game easily and quickly
learned. they have much more time
Z" devote 10 the finer points Of tao
Ties and strategy