Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-27
BILL T|LDEN GIVES
LESSON IN TENNIS
How MolIa Bjurstedt Mallory
Z Learned Fundamentals of
Footwork, Stroke, Swing
LEARN HOW IT'S DONE
BY WILLIAM II. TILDEN
Worlds Tennis Champion

and science. Few of the many hum
Areds of thousands who play tennis in
some degree Of it's true worth realize
this fact. The great majority of people
consider tennis nothing more than nit
ting small ball across n fish net by
means of piece Of wood followed out
And filled in with the Intervals of some
eprt of an animal. commonly referred
o. as cat. 1t is true, that to be a sue
ccssful tennis player of the ordinary
dub team class even, one must be abe
to put the ball into the opponent :
court. But to rise to any height in the
game one must know not only how to do
II but how it is done.
A very interested but rather ignorant
Young lady once asked William y.
Iarned. then champion of America.
what he considered the most important
thing in tennis. Mr.. Iarned answered
with the utmost gravity, Put the ba!l
over the net into your opponent :
COURT
Far be it from me to contradict NJ.
Earned on any matter pertaining to
the game. but | would like to amend
his remark by adding. And know how
you do 1t.
Teaching an Art
GIt is easy to know how to do lot OF
things. but to know how YOU do 1t anu
to explain it to others is an art OF the
highest kind. George Aguter. .proteS-
siOnal of the West Side Tennis Club
in New York. and in my opinion the
leading instructor in America. Is no
greater master of strokes than many
men. but he is gifted with the ability
10 impart his knowledge. y striking
example of this power of Mr.: Aguter, :
IL shown in the case of Mrs. MOIla
Bjurstcdt Mallory. national champion.
When Mrs. Mallory came to America
in the later winter of 1911, her tennis
was purely one stroke game-her
terrific forehand drive.
During the season Of 1910 she
realized that she must have a
backhand stroke and turned to
Aguter to receive instruction. In the
fall of 1915 and spring of 1916 she
worked steadily and with the opening OF
the season her game had improved
about 10, owing to her having ac-
Uuired beautifully developed back
hand. What did Aguter give her? Not
racquet technique. for Molla Bjurstedt
handled her racquet almost perfectly.
He merely gave her the fundamentals OF
the backhand stroke position, fQStwork
and swing. Every person WHO is will
ing to work hard enough at tennis. to
learn the four outstanding cardinal
points. can become good player. l do
not mean any one can become another
McI.oughlin. Williams or Johnston.
PLAYERS like these men are not only
students of the game. but they are en-
doweG with tennis instinct that enables
xhaua to do almost superhuman things
under th!s excitement of 4 big match,
What must every tennis player truly
understand to succeed:
First. FoOtwork.
Second. Position.
Third. Racquet technique.
Fourth. Keep your eye on the ball.
Fcotwork
Let us consider what is meant by
footwork. Footwork is nothing more
than balance" 1t is weight control.
Every game where speed is essential
depends on footwork The first base
man in baseball regulates his footwork
according to the direction of the throw
he is to receive. The back in football
must always have his feet going cor,
rectly when he receives the pass, II he
Is to gain The golfers ''stance" is II
matter OF great Importance. The tennis
player must be equally careful.
1t Is owing to William Johnston 5
perfect footwork that he is enabled to
play the ball on the rising bounce.
Every shot in tennis should be made
with the body at right angles to the
net and the weight coming into the
ball IA it is hit. For example. to drive
straight down the side line from the
No. 1 or right court off service.
conceive of the side line as one side Of
parallelogram, each foot at right
angle to it forming two other sides and
your body as the remaining side. The
ball should be hit about three and one
half feet from your body directly in the
center of your swing.
Your weight should shift from
your right Tor back foot to Your
left Tor 'front.' foot at the instant
Of hitting the ball. II you shift
your weight before hitting the ball you
tend to pull the ball TO the left or cross
court. II you keep your weight back
on the right foot YOU tend to slice the
hall off 10 the right out the side line.
For your straight backhand drive simply
reverse the position of your right and
left feet, thus hitting of your left foot
while you are facing off the other side
line. As you wish TO hit cross court
shift your weight shade sooner so it
tends to cross the center of your swing
before the ball is hit. while you ad-
vance your front foot closer to the side
line than your back foot and thus pull
the ball.
Mr.. TiIden's next article will take I'D
the other points in the "Fundamenta!s
OF Good Tennis Game
Copyright, 1012. tV Public Led0cr Compauy