Evening star., 1938-12-10
Tennis Queen Starts
With Sound Theory
Of Building Game
Learns Fundamentals
Thoroughly Before
Trying to Score
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent OF Tho Star.
Westward Ho-Ellsworth Vines
isn't the only crack tennis player
who has fallen for the lure Of golf.
So has Mrs. Helen Wills Moody, the
star woman tennis player from the
Golden Gate.
I was interested to get Mrs.
Moody's slant on golf as opposed to
tennis. Mrs. Moody being about as
careful a student of things that in
terest her as any one you might
happen to meet.
II have only taken six lessons in
golf" she told me, 80 Of course I
hardly have begun"
This is true Of golf. As Walter j..
Travis, the sage, once said, "You
play golf and study it for five years,
then it takes you five more years to
unlearn what you have learned-or
rather to forget what you have
learned"
From the short time you have
been at golf,' I asked Mrs. Moody,
what is the main difference between
the two games, golf and tennis, as
you see them both?"
Mrs. Moody had a smart answer.
"The tennis ball is always moving
and holds your attention and, there
fore, your eye. You almost have to
look at it. The golf ball isn't NOV
ing-is waiting there for you-so
your attention begins to wander
away from it to other things.
A Keen Observer.
What would you suggest that I
give most attention to at the start?"
Mrs Moody asked.
"At the start and all the way
through" I said, "the important
thing is this-to concentrate on cor
rect execution and not upon the
result. To think in terms of the
swing. and not beyond the swing.
The ball has to stop somewhere, and
II you swing correctly it will stop
in the right place"
THAT is the idea I have started
on" she said. Il have begun to
train myself along the lines of
concentration, Just as I always did
in tennis. I always have thought
the mental side more important
than the physical side in almost
every sport. I also want to think in
terms of the right way to swing, not
IN the correction of faults.
I'm a tennis match" Mrs. Moody
continued, II always try not to let
anything interrupt my concentra-
ton on what have to do. I know
that continued concentration isn't
any too easy. I believe it is easier
IN tennis than it is in golf. There
is so much more motion in tennis.
This means there is much less ten
sion"
This is completely true. AS Alex
Morrison always has said, Motion
is the greatest enemy tension has"
Mrs. Moody caught this point quick
ly. 1t is even easier to catch when
you watch the average golfer freeze
over the ball in his address-feet,
legs, body and hands all locked and
tne key thrown away.
Should Be Good Golfer,
Mrs, Helen Wills Moody should
soon make frst-class golfer. Why?
The answers are simple.
l. She still is in her early 3Os
and is unusually strong.
2. She knows how to use her
hands and wrists.
3. She has the ability to con-
centrate on what should be done,
well above the average.
4. She is ambitious to excel in
anything she starts and doesn't
mind hard work in this direction.
S. She is a natural athlete and a
fine competitor.
6. She is starting the correct way
learning the fundamentals before
attempting to score
Z. She understands the matter
of coordination among feet, body
and hands. She has natural sense
of balance.
8. She already has taken a keen
liking to golf and is immensely
interested in seeing what she can
do with it.
What About Tennis?
I asked her just what her tennis
future would be, whether she was
through with big-time competition.
Il don't know" she said. IF I
happen to feel like playing next
spring or summer I will come back
again. If I don't, I won't. I like
to play tennis only when it is fun.
When I feel that 1t isn't fun any
longer I just quit for while. Why
play a game when you are tired of
it for the time being, when you
are stale, or when you don't want
to play?
II know that get criticized badly
for staying out at times, but I can't
help that. I don't feel that it is
amateur sport any longer when you
feel that you are forced to play
when you don't care to play, or
don't feel like playing"
1t will be interesting to see how
Mrs. Moody, looking years younger
than she has looked for some time,
will make out in golf. With few
more lessons and more hard practice
she has promised to let me see
how she is getting along on some
San Francisco course.
(Copyrigtt 1891