Evening star., 1923-11-25

poor he should run around every
forehand drive and take IL backhand
until he no longer fears it.
! This is the whole secret of sue
cessful practicing in tennis-playing
the shot at which you are poor until
1t has become perfected
Six years ago Tilden depended en-
tirely upon a chop. He was, however.
a keen student Of technique and
realized well that no player ever
reaches the very top who does not
possess a sound and dependa BILE fore
hand drive, SO he began to master
seen him change from a beautifully
I; executed chop, with which he was
| winning. to far from perfect drive.
sometimes losing the match in con-
! him say cheerfully, Wasn't that 60
ling better today?" He now possesses
! a drive that is fawless and uses il
as his principal point winner. Both
Tilden and Johnston were originally
! weak in the backhard. now they
| sition.
| Morton Is an Example.
In 1919 B. l. C. Norton was mem
| Der of the South African Davis cup
team, but was not considered q good
enough player TO compete even
aaigainst aiso the e... Dutch; t;h Tilden and !
Of his game and Tilden frankly told
/ him that he never would get any
where unless he seriously began to
! change. his service and backhand. 7
| remember Tilden said 10 him: IF you
| are content to play only with men
/ who possess but one or two good
! strokes, why keep right on, but If
! you really want to get UP out Of
that class and amount to something
| internationally, then get to work.
Norton at once started on his two
weak strokes. At first he suffered
! unexpected defeats and me puulic
said he was finished, but he kept on
working and pluckily took his beat
! ings. In just year he had de-
veloped his game remarka bly,. It is
now well rounded with an increas-
ingly perfect technique. He has even
1 strengthened his backhand until ii
| is his strongest stroke.
Fail 10 Bolster Game.
| On the other hand, we all can
name many men who have failed to
win first rank or who have lost their
/ titles because of their neglect of
some weak stroke. Mclaughlin and
! his poor backhand is a part of ten
| mis- history. l often wonder how far
! he would have gone had his early
/ forts directed toward developing
| perfect technique. Richards has been
| beaten again and again because he
| lacked an aggressive forehand drive
| anu II - citAS ILLS past season IQ&I~
! he has seemed determined to perfe&t
! this stroke. What could Walla&s
! Johnson have done if he had poA
! sessed and used a drive as well al
| his perfect chop? There is no doubt
l about il, modern tennis demands
! full list of perfectly executed strokes
! and no weakness that can be played
| TO.
Tennis is such difficult game that
/ II is no wonder that the beginner or
DOorlV Sl1
want to use those strokes that come
! easiest to him. But that is not the
way to succeed. He must keep his
| mind constantly on the idea OF ac-
curing faultless technique. remem-
bering that if i!e has single weak
Ieas his opponent will surely find it
Trouble With Backhand.
In nine cases out OF ten il is the
baokhand drive that is a players s
weak spot. This is especially true OF
american players, who are prone to
the volley and far too often they de-
velop this stroke before they are
properly trained in sound ground
strokes.
| Whenever I help any young player
Ia backhand at once and using it ag-
gressively. He, himself, will prob
ably practice his forehand drive, but
VII slur over the backhand be-
has mastered both drives I initiate
him into the mysteries of top spin
and undercut drives and then begin
on his volleying.
The main thing is to get the right
mental attitude toward your game,
to cut yourself a standard Of per-
| lection and try Consistent to
achieve it. That is why I so strongly
advise the immediate start in learn
ing correct form from books, Then
| when you commence play in the early
spring you will be that much ahead.
| and will have grown interested in
/ your new strokes and their develop
ment before the tournaments begin.
AS soon as you have learned one
new stroke begin on another. That
is the way TiIden did. It will mean
hard work, but you will be amply re-
paid, and at the seasons end you will
find yourself long way on the road
to real championship form.