Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
NET TEAM PLAY SIGHTED
INU. S., HELEN WILLS SAYS
Finer Points of This Interesting Form of Tennis
Carefully Studied by Europeans Needed for
Development of American Pastime.

is very clever in mixed doubles. does
this, and Henri Cocl1et, the French
player, is unusually skillful in poach-
ing on the cross-court shot when he Is
at the net.
This brings us to an important
question in mixed doubIes-shclIld
the man of a mixed doubles team
poach. that is, take his partners
plays, and. If so. when? I have had
poaching and non-poaching partners.
and have also watched them n
matches with other partners. Poach-
ing can be highly successful or II csi1
be utterly miserable in it's results.
A good rule for the would.be poacher
is this-never take your partners
play unless you are sure of the chance
of making direct kill. This applies,
believe. equally to both members Of
mixed doubles team, although the op-
pOrtunities offered TO the man of the
team for point outright at the net
are usually greater because of the fact
that the woman on the opposite side
will have difficulty in handling his fast
shots Miss Elizabeth Ryan is con.
sistent poacher and does it very sue.
cessfully.
However, indiscriminate poachine
should he avoided. for it is quite likely
to upset the teamwork Of pair play
ing mixed doubles. 1t should be un-
dertaken with thought and discretion.
Meeting the lob is another problem
of the net-playing mixed doubles team
In the play of the best mixed doubles
teams which | have watched / have
noticed that the woman tries to take
all the lobs which come on her side Of
the court. In other words, she covers
her own court to the best of her
ability. However. there are bound u
be some lobs which are too deep for
her to handle.
Plan Play at Start.
Usually partners come to an under.
standing before the game about plays
of this sort, since il is usually easy for
the man to run back and get the iobs
which go over his partners head he.
yond her reach. When this case
comes up the woman of the team
usually goes into the back court with
her partner, if the opponents are both
net players, for it is dangerous for her
to remain at the net alone. This is an
other situation in which the "both ilp
or both back" rule holds good,
Besides agreeing before the game
as to what tactics you are going to
follow. 1t is much easier to play mixed
or, for that matter, any kind of dosl-
bles IL you let your partner know what
'you are doing. Calling yours" and
mine" on doubtful plays prevents
confusion.
The service is also an important
point in mixed doubles. If the woman
Of the team Is serving. and can vol
ley. it is far better that she follow her
service into the net at once, because
this gives her team the advantage bf
making the first yolley a most val
liable asset.
There may be cases when this Is
too difficult. say, for example, where
the man on the opposing side has a
cannon ball return off the service. For
a serve to come in on one, one placed ,
down the center of the court Offers
fewer angles for the return, and there.
fore gives your partner at the net a
better chance for decisive volley.
Must follow Return.
When receiving. all effort should be
made to follow the return of service
into the net, but frequently one must
be satisfied with going In on the sec.
ond shot, if the opponents serve is
very fast, or else, because of bound
or spin, prevents you from making an
suspicious return.
Mixed doubles is an interesting
game. and delightful one. If It, is
understood-and deadly dull IL it is,
not. / feel that we, i'm this county
are missing great deal of Measure in
our tennis by not playing more mixed
doubles. 1t can bring out the best
that there is in the game-fne think.
ing and subtle strategy-and can
polish off the play of the most clever
tactician.
One of the most striking ex-
amples of beautiful teamwork I'm
mixed doubles play that have ever
seen was in the finals at Wimbledon
last June when Mr.. and Mrs Cod
frey won the title.