The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-23

Norris williams, national tennis
singles champ. recently explained to
a number of friends at Plattsburg
just how he acquired his skill at ten
mis- and how any ambitious youngster
with the right spirit can develop and
perfect his game.
Plenty. Of practice against the side
Of a house or board fence or similar
object is the way to get perfection of
stroke and the effectiveness of shots,
according to Williams. The national
champion advocates the club practice
board, which he has given a skyhigh
boost, as the proper Kindergarten for
all players seeking to lift their game
above the rut of the ordinary wielder
of the racquet.
AS the story is repeated by admir-
ers of Williams, he is credited with
saying that 1t is all a mistake to sup
pose that he was tutored for the lawn
tennis championship at g. tender age,
and that he was. reared with 81 rae
ouet instead Of rattle. Williams
says he actually started ON golf.
which he confesses to like mighty
well, and that his yielding to the
charms of lawn tennis, at which he
has won the highest Donors. was
Rainy Days Prove Helpful,
Several consecutive rainy days
were responsible for Williams fnd-
ing out the value of practice against
q wall. Suffering from ennui, caused
by his being kept in the house be-
cause of the stormy weather, Will
liams found an old lawn tennis rae
quet and. going out beside the club
house at which he was staying, the
future national champion amused
himself by batting the ball against
fha afna ~ fhn hnHaA
According to his account, he soon
found that it was no easy matter to
land second time on the muddy spot
which the original bound of the ball
had made. Using that spot at q tar
get. he soon demonstrated that great
~ varied results might be accom-
plished by imparting the varied cut
and chop strokes to the ball Will
liams has never fully recovered from
the destinations OF that first solitary
practice against the side OF the club
house in Switzerland. To II he attrib-
utes the beginning of his career on
the courts, and he is unstinting in his
praises and his belief as to what may
be accomplished in the way of getting
strokes in smooth order by means OF
side wall practice.
The most surprising thing about the
revelations of Williams as to the
source of his accuracy for his long
drives and his amazing game from
deep court is that he told his friends
that the late Anthony f. Wilding, of
the successful Australasian Davis cup
team Of 1914, and Ollie Campbell, the
American champion Of 1890, 1891 and
had found that diligent practice
against the dead wall Afforded them
better results than anything else they
knew of. Campbell is reported to have
said that he gave. full credit to the
hours he spent in batting . ball
against the side OF old Adelphi acad-
envy in Brooklyn, to his final victory
in the national championship singles.
williams Theories Held Sound.
Those who have learned OF the
amazing arguments advanced by Viii
liams as to the advantages OF dead
wall practice are inclined to give con-
siderable weight to his theories. ALI
OF the leading men declare that for
ing game there is no better schooling
than may be had by proper use of the
practice board, too often a desplsed
part ofjthe equipment Of many OF the
clubs. Studious players have ably
demonstrated that the playing OF GER
an opponent TO make the return IN q
definite and certain manner. With
this knowledge the return may be
anticipated so as 70. pave the way for
the acing shot to follow.
Williams advocacy Of solitary
practice has resulted In recalling the
work OF such great players Of other
years as John A. Allen, one Of the
greatest Of Yale stars; Holcombe
Ward and William A. Larned. This
trio stood as masters OF service. They
spent hours at q time. aiming at hat
placed in the opposite service court
Ward invented the famous American
twist service while engaged In prac-
tice OF this description.
Anyway, Williams has added great
~ to the renown of lessons n1nstered
through study OF strokes against q
dead wall It IL another illustration
Of practice makes perfect.