Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-29
GRIP IS
EBEST, SAYS T|LDEN
champion Prefers II to Califor-
Lb
Il, MIA Style Of Holding Ten
NJ mis- Racquet
KEEP YOUR EYE ON BALL
BY WILLIAM 7. TILDEN. I'd
Worlds Tennis Champion


NoClosely allied to the question of foot
work In racquet technique or the cor
rect method Of using the racquet.
strongly advocate the Eastern grip as
IMPOSED TO the Californian or Western
trfp.
ITO acquire the Eastern g.'p put on,
fcur hands as If YOU we're about To
shake hands with some one. Then slip
the handle of your racquet into yonr
hahd with the head at right angles 70
the ground. the cross Slrnging perpen-
dicularly to the court. THE W"~ter1
krip makes the racquet face parallel 70
the ground under the same conditions.
Then fit the racquet TO your natural
grip as closely following the above in
Tructions as possible.
Ground Strokes
lgOn all ground strokes "a shot from
the back court played off the bounce OF
the ball) the racquet face should travel
Along the line of the flight Of the ball
meet 1t Hat and pass over il slightly AZ
the moment of impact. thus imparting
'Ttop spin or drop" to the shot. Do
not 90 under the ball. as thar will lift Il
and carry out. DO nor 'ch0p" the ball
suHIi YOU nave acquired your ~ITbh".
Hit service fiat. with only enough spin
70 keep ii in court until YOU can put It
In with certainty. Then learn twist.
. Nolley with perfect fat racquet face. Do
mi stroke your v"lley. The great vol
layers of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Murray.
3Ohnston and Alexander never stroke
their volleys. Any man can learn 4
Stroke If he is willing to keep hitting
HAT and over the ball even at the ex =
nense of many defeats and more long
chases after the ball. The only thing
lie will lose is his temper or q few balls
oyer the backstop and he may gain a
great game.
l,Court position is merely knowing how
10 use the strokes you have. for there
are certain places on a tennis cuur,
where you cannot play strokes. by
ehminatlng the incorrect YOU have only Y
the correct left. Whenever possible
play your stroke off the bounce if you
are more than ten feet from the net
and the ball is below your waist. Never
get caught inside tn" baseline :" within
twelve feet of the net This spa .
Sabout two thirds Of the court j. "th,
blank or mo mans land. and should
always be avoided. Ii drawn in. either
at once retreat to the baseline or ad.
vance TO the net position. A baseiner
should play about three feet behind the
line and come in and meet the ball. al
once retreating to his former position
After his shot. The net man ShOulC
play from six to ten feet from the net
ascording to his size and INCLINATION
always covering the straight shot
These few simple points in court posi-
tion could turn many losing gaines int,
winners.
Watch the Ball
The last point is by all odds the mos
Important. Lack Of this will set
ftiil knowledge of the three preredinI
ones and ruin an otherwise perfec
game. Every tennis player must keel
lis eye on the ball until it hits his rae
duet. He should not look away from
his stroke at any time. There ar
many reasons why this is so. To bit
moving object one should-in fact mus
y see it clearly. The eye must hay
d sharp focus on it. The eye is like al
ordinary camera, and if you take
snapshot of moving object with
small camera, either the object is cleH
and background blurred or the object
blurred and the background clear. Jus
40 with the eye. Both object and back
ground cannot be clear and in focu
dc the same moment. So since yuu ar
TRYING TO hit the object, not the back
around. concentrate on the objec'
There is no use TO look AT the opposlt
court. for the court. N"t and fixture
are stationary and cannot move. :
YOU need not watch them. You are No
TRYING TO hit your opponent loniy ms
him and put the ball somewhere wher
he is mott. So do not watch him.
he is a good tennis player you know b
il either in position behind the baSelin
81 else about eight feet from the nt
covering the straight shot, his positio
being determined BY his shot and str
Of game. SO you do not need 20 look 9
Z him to see where hr a. The IogIc'
answer 70 all these rsas"ns ::
Keep your eye on tn" naIl al. The tin
il is in play.