Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
MENTAL ATTITUDE
CHANGE IS NEEDED
Coen and Sarah PaIfrey Are
Among Those to Slide
Back Temporarily.
BY WILLIAM T. TILDEN, I'd.

ROOKLINE, Mass, August 80.
* Every year produces not
only the new SenSarioual
stars like Ellsworth Wires,
Sidney Wood and Clifford Suffer,
but also the exploded phenomena.
Each year the first 10 sees a
group of players pass from the
charmed circle and usually the
ones to go are the sensations of
last year. In many cases they
return the following season, but
for the moment their star is
dimmed.
Last year two outstanding figures in
the tennis world we're the remarkable
youngsters, Wilbur F. Coen, jr., of Kan
sas City and Sarah Palfrey of Boston,
while close behind them came Fritz
Mercur and Mary Greet. These four
we're the players who in 1929 held the
same position in the tennis spotlight
that today is held by Vines, Suffer,
Wood and Marjorie Morrell and Dor
othy Weisel. What happened to the
1929 stars? have always had a theory
that to make the first 10 for the first
time is a dangerous experience.
Too CONSCIOUS of Ranking.
Ii ID dpb W d VOO COIL
scious of their ranking, particularly a
young player. What is the insidious
thing that affects the player? It is
that subconscious memory saying, 81
am ranked eighth or fourth" or what
ever it may be, so that the player is
always feeling the strain of each match
in upholding that ranking
1t is apt to make a player stroke
conscious. These young players be-
come aware of their shots, they begin
to think, do hit this correctly for q
first 10 player?" or Il should have a
different backhand to be in the first
TO-" instead of realizing that matches
are won by concentration on the pres
ent match and its correct tactics, not
by the ranking position one holds.
The press and public are apt to ex-
pect too much of young player who
is in the first 10. Actually there is lit
tie or no difference between the first
10 and the first 20. The gap between
a top flight and good second-string
player is so small it can be bridged by
lapse of concentration on the part of
the hrst-f1ight player who comes down
at once to the other level.
! do not mean that Sarah Palfrey,
Junior Coen and others I have
mentioned are necessarily out of the
| 1880 first ten, but they have definitely
| slipped from their position of a year
! ago. Is 1t a permanent decline? No,
most probably not.
Misses Teachers Aid.
| Coupled with the effect on a plaver,s
/ mind of their first ten ranking come
| other factors, which, in each case, vary
widely. In Sarah Palfrey's case I be-
lieve she has greatly missed the wise
| guidance and advice of Mrs. George
| Wightman, her partner and teacher of
tennis tactics. Previously Sarah has been
able to turn to Mrs. Wightman for advice
at any crisis but this year Mrs. Wight
man was in California while Sarah was
In Europe or in the East after her
return.
Abroad Sarah fell victim to the fatal
center court at Wimbledon where she
| played one bad match in the Wightman
| Cup that shook her confidence so deeply
she has been unable to regain it by her
self. am certain that few weeks I'M
der the watchful eye and wise advice of
| MRS. Wightman, who will find profit in
Saraf's experience, will once more put
the girl on her tennis fet and that 1881
| VIII md her once more on the road to
| the championship. Sarah must not al
low this year to discourage her.
Junior Coen'S retrogression Is due
partially to MS ranking but in q far
| greater measure to lack of incentjye.
Coen felt the injustice of being over
| looked in the Davis Cup selection so
keenly that he lost interest in the
game. He has played all season with
no spark of competitive spirit / can
understand his feeling the situation, but
1t seems a pity he has allowed it to
affect his competitive spirit. In stroke
equipment Coen is far ahead of either
Vines or Suffer and almost the equal
of Wood.
Has Tennis knowledge.
The Ransan has tennis knowledge,
background and intelligence surpass-
ing that of any boy of his age in the
game. He has courage and in the past
has had great competitive spirit. Junior
Coen faces crisis in his tennis career.
Unless he rises above his present mental
attitude toward the game he may be-
come just another player in the game
while he has actually the game and
the resources to be great champion.
1t is my opinion that Sarah Palfrey
and Junior Coen. without doubt the
two big disappointments of the 1880
tennis year, can and will come back
with renewed confidence and will to
win in 1881 and once more place them
selves we'll up in the first 10, march,
ing on in future years to their right
full places as champions. These TWO
kids are too valuable to lose. The game
needs them and all tennis fans should
give them boost along the road back
to progress,
Tho those newcomers into the first
10 this year, let me urge that they do
not allow their position to become too
important in their ewes but that they
remember that only by consistent per-
fornsnce can they hold that position
in future years.
(Copyrieht, 1900