The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-01-24
HOW TO
PLAY TENNIS
BY WILLIAM T. TILDEN
Worlds Grass and Hard Court
Lawn Tennis Champion
Copyright 1921. by Public Ledger Co.
TiIden Tells How Service Should Be
Developed

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1t is the opening ""punch" of
every match and the thing which ev-
cry player tries to get first. When
ever a good player wins the toss" as
the slang. goes, he chooses service
and correctly so, for it should insure
him of the first game.
1t is a very bad thing to lose your
service in singles, but in doubles il is
considered very nearly an unpardon-
able sin. 1t is the worst fault in all
of tennis TO drop service often.
What does the service give a man?
First. II gives him the chance to
either outguess or outspeed his op-
ponent on the service itself.
Second. 1t gives his opponent a
chance to miss his shot in return.
Third. 1t gives him position at the
net and a very good chance to kill off
his return.
1t can be seer this is a tremendous
advantage and one which cannot be
over-emphasized. 1t depends on put
ting your service in court and where
you wish it. Thus the only thing
which can rob you of a great advan-
tage on service is to "double-fault.'
One of the greatest players America
ever knew, a many-times national
champion, once said, zone fault is a
mistake, but two faults is a crime
Never has the secret of good service
been better expressed. There is
never any excuse for a double-fault
unless you are trying for a Service
ace" Ga clean earned point off ser
vice. and you should never try for
a service ace on your second ball. I'm
less you have a really very severe
service do not try for clean aces, any
way, but try for placement of service
n a kill off the second shot.
Our most famous services are the
terrific American twist services Used
by the Pacific Coast stars and a few
Fasteners, notably R. N. Williams,
I'd.
Service Varies
This service varies from one of
great pace and small twist to one of
small pace and great twist. An eX-
ample of this style is Maurice Nc
Laughlin's while of the second is
Willis z. Davis.
MACS" service is so fast that it is
exceedingly hard to see, but if seen
at all is not particularly hard to re-
turn, as Williams is, for it has com
paratively little break, while Will
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speed but a far more severe twist,
which pulls off the face of your bat
on returning it. 1t is in many ways
a much harder service to handle over
a long period than Macs" Davis,
on the other hand, places his service
very wide and relies on a great break
with very little speed during the
flight of the ball. However, when the
ball hits the ground it comes off
with an exceedingly quick bounce
n increases its pace tremendously.
To hit either Williams or Davis
serve the only sure methods is to use
a perfectly fiat drive and let the
twist on the ball hold it in court. You
can, however, chop "Mac's" serve if
your eye is swift enough to over it.
The surest way to meet a twist serve
is to use the fiat drive, and remember
the harder they serve the harder your
return will be, so don't try to speed
in it yourself. Just meet it and let
it take care of itself.
In developing service, the first
thing to get fixed firmly on your mind
is that the higher in the air you meet
the ball on your serve, the more court
you have to hit into and the greater
speed you will get.
Well-PIaced Shots
Now remember, also, in developing
a serve, learn your ordinary straight,
fast, ~well-placed serve before you be-
gin to monkey with the American
twist.
1t is not speed or twist which is alb
solutely essential in serve; it is place
ment. A most striking example of
this is Wallace Johnson. To watch
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serve, one would think any one could
handle it, but he can put the ball so
exactly where he wishes it hat his
serve is as hard to handle as one with
twice the speed and twist. Stanley
Pearson, too, has an exceedingly meek
looking serve, but it, too, is so well
placed that he uses it consistently
against good men. Strive for place
ment. 1t is better to put a ball ex-
actly where you want it, and know
it is going there, no matter how slow,
than to have the most terrific nno
ball serve and not know whether it is
going or not. Make your serve sure.
An uncertain service loses many a
tennis match, lin the pinch"
If n once figures on service, try
to rely 40 per cent on placement, 80
per cent twist and 80 per cent speed
in service. Thus it can be seen that
n of these is not enough to make
a serve really good. 1t must have
all three. Get your direction first,
your speed second, and your twist
last.
To do this learn to get your arm
high owe your head and hit with a
free swing from your shoulder.
Offensive Stroke
Always use your service Extensively
eve simply let it be a matter of
form to put the ball in play. Every
time you serve expect to win your
point and gain.
Always run in on your service in
practice. Every boy should learn this
most essential attack. 1t is absolute
ly necessary to beat a good man.
Your weight should swing without
~foot-faulting, a matter which will be
taken up a latter a~rticle) from the
left Cor right foot on to the left Tor