Tennis

Short book (88 pages) describing everything you need to know about tennis. Under “Values:”

Tennis can truly be called the sport of a lifetime, since youngsters can begin at about six years of age and their grandparents may still be playing even past age sixty!

This was written in 1967 when rackets were still wooden and were 27″ long and 9″ wide.

The wonder of it all is that, with no official requirement, tennis rackets are so uniform in dimension (27″ long and 9″ wide across the face) that two rackets can be used to measure the height of the net at its center (36″)…

Of course, some companies have experimented with racket variations. One manufacturer currently produces a racket that is 28″ long and advertises the advantages of “the big inch.”…

The most recent innovation in tennis equipment is the new metal racket.

Under “Skills Essential for Everyone,” they cover the ready position, the forehand, backhand, footwork, serve, and volley.

Under “Better Players Master These Strokes,” they cover ball spin, advanced serves (slice and twist), the lob, the overhead or smash, drop shots and drop volleys, half-volley, and footwork and timing.

Under “Progress Can Be Speeded Up,” they talk about conditioning and say “Running is one of the best conditioners for tennis, and a running schedule based on wind-sprints (a run-jog-sprint series) will develop cardio-respiratory endurance as well as speed and leg strength. Forward and backward running, including sudden starts and stops and quick changes in direction, skipping and sliding sideways, running up and down the stairs of the bleachers, and running in place at varied tempos are all good. Use these to warm up at the beginning of your practice period, and, to increase strength and endurance, repeat them at the termination of practice when you are tired. Work done when tired produces an overload which is essential in increasing strength and endurance…” They also recommend rope-skipping; “lunging forward, sideward, and diagonally forward to both the forehand and backhand sides, and using the cross-over step,” squeezing a tennis ball, push-ups and sit-ups, and stroking practice with the racket.

Under “Patterns of Play,” they write, “Skill in stroking is not the only requirement for a winning game; players must utilize brain power and must possess a will to win.” Tips are:

1. Play through your strengths to your opponent’s weaknesses.
2. Anticipate.
3. Keep your opponent moving.
4. Change the pace.
5. Remember that more points are “lost” on errors than “won” on placements…Let your opponent make the errors. Do not try to make your shots too good.
6. Bisect the angle of your opponent’s possible returns. This is a basic theory of position play which says that as soon as you hit the ball, you immediately place yourself in the best possible position to defend your court. DON’T WAIT to see whether your shot will be in; if you do, you won’t be ready for the next shot…
7. Do not change a winning game; always change a losing game.

There is a chapter on the rules of the game and another on “The Unwritten Rules” of the game.

Player concentration is essential to top performance; thus no one should do anything to distract either player. As a player, you wear white clothing to prevent other colors from being a distraction, you make no loud noises while the ball is in play, and you avoid mannerisms or movements which may be a distraction to your opponent; as a spectator, you refrain from applause, from talking, from moving around until after a point or game is finished. Quiet, please, is a basic tennis tradition that applies to everyone…

men always wear their shirts – swimming suits and trunks are for the beach or pool – and men who play without shirts and women who dress conspicuously are regarded as crude…

If you make a date to play, be there, and be on time…

In situations in which there are no officials, you are responsible for officiating on your side of the net. This means that you call your own illegal shots-double hits, touching the net, reaching over the net, double bounces, and the like. You trust your opponent to do likewise…You, not the spectators nor your opponent, are also responsible for calling the balls on your side of the net loudly and clearly. Tennis tradition demands that you give your opponent the benefit of any doubt; a ball hitting any part of the line bounding the proper court is good; thus, if the ball is so close that a call is questionable, play the ball as good…

Although it is probably impossible to play without some signs of emotion, temperamental outbursts are not considered good etiquette; learn to control yourself, and you will be in a much better position to control the ball, your opponent, and the outcome of the match…

When others are waiting, do not monopolize the courts…

Occasionally, you should offer to play or practice with players of lesser skill; this is particularly helpful to them, and you will be returning a favor that was done for you when you were not as skillful as you are now…

When playing in a tournament, play your best; it is insulting to your opponent to offer him anything less than your best effort…If you are playing in a tournament match and linesmen are present, make no line calls at all; your responsibility is to play, and you return everything until you hear the call “out.”…

At the conclusion of a match, shake hands with your opponent and thank him for the match. If you lost congratulate him on his victory and wish him good luck in the next round; make no excuses for your play, and recognize that your opponent was the better player. If you won, be a gracious winner, console him about his loss and wish him better luck in the next tournament. When an umpire and linesmen have officiated a match for you, thank them for calling the match immediately after its conclusion. When you have concluded your performance in a tournament, you should find and thank the tournament chairman for his and his committee’s efforts…

Rules for spectators include:

Applaud the good shots and keep quiet on the errors….Spectators should not act in the capacity of linesmen or umpires…If you wish to improve what you consider to be a poor situation, learn how to call lines – it’s not hard – and volunteer your services; then, the lines will be called to your satisfaction!

Chapter 8 is “The Language and Lore of Tennis” and gives definitions of tennis terms. Chapter 9 is “Facts for Enthusiasts” and covers “Selecting and Caring for Equipment” and “Tennis Organizations,” which are both outdated; balls are $2.25 a can approximately, rackets vary in price from $5 to $40 and are wood, strings are gut or nylon, gut is more expensive ($10 to $15). Under Tennis Organizations, instead of the USTA, it is the USLTA, the United States Lawn Tennis Association, and players pay $4 registration fee per year. The last chapter is “Playing the Game” and covers where you can play and types of competition available. The last sentence of the book is:

You, too, can belong, serve, and enjoy the world-wide game that is tennis today.