| TO improve your tennis game do not play against the | | | | Learn your strokes well first; you have a life-time in |
| same player too often unless he is the better player. | | | | front of you to play. You cannot learn your strokes |
| Vary your opponents. By playing against the same | | | | and play at the same time, for the reason that your |
| man too much you soon learn each other's | | | | adversary is out to beat you and is forcing you |
| weaknesses and do not improve. | | | | on all of your strokes. |
| The strokes are the same all the time and each one | | | | Some faults and habits that a beginner acquires |
| knows where and when the ball is coming. If you play | | | | through playing before he has learned his strokes are: |
| with different players, you will meet new strokes, fresh | | | | 1. Covers his weak strokes instead of playing them. |
| tactics, and varying temperaments. | | | | 2. Does not learn to anticipate where the ball is going |
| Play as much as possible against men who can beat | | | | to drop and hence cannot judge it correctly to hit at |
| you. Beating will do you good from the start, as you will | | | | the right time. |
| know you are getting good practice. | | | | 3. Hurrying his shots, which makes him overrun the ball. |
| When you know that you can beat a man, you will not | | | | 4. Not taking proper swing. |
| be forced to your best, which makes you careless in | | | | If a beginner would only have the patience to practice |
| stroke. | | | | more from the start, he would learn to make his |
| If one could remember to practice his weak strokes | | | | strokes correctly, to judge the ball, and to meet it at |
| when playing against a poor player it would do a world | | | | the right time and distance from him. His stroke is also |
| of good. Do not be content to give him a bad beating. | | | | corrected, as he is not being hurried. He soon gets so |
| For example, if you have a weak backhand, | | | | he can put the ball in any part of the court he wishes. |
| leave openings in your backhand court for your | | | | He also learns the angles of the court and has better |
| adversary to put the ball. He being out to beat you will | | | | control over his ball. When one gets so he can put the |
| keep on putting ball after ball there. Thus you can get | | | | ball into any part of the court, that's time enough to |
| good practice. | | | | begin to play. |
| The opponent, being a poorer player, gives you more | | | | In playing one has to anticipate where the ball is going |
| time, and is not forcing you on your strokes. You thus | | | | to drop. Judge it so you are in good position to return it. |
| get time to correct your form and improve your game. | | | | Take it on one side of you so you have a free swing. |
| If one's net game is weak he can get good practice | | | | For volley practice have some one drive balls to you. |
| by going up on practically every ball. | | | | Have a boy throw balls up for you to smash. Serving |
| Against a good player he would not dare go up so | | | | you can do all by yourself. |
| often. | | | | The reason I recommend dropping the ball and putting |
| The easiest way to learn strokes is to take a dozen | | | | it over the net instead of practicing against a wall or in |
| balls on the court. Stand a foot behind the base line. | | | | a squash court is that one learns to get the right height |
| Drop the ball so it will bound about knee or waist high | | | | on each shot and to put it over the net instead of |
| and to one side of you. Judge it so you have a free | | | | against a wall at any old height. He learns the angles of |
| swing and drive it over the net. | | | | the court better. He learns to place his ball. He can see |
| Start well back with the swing and finish out your | | | | if his return is good or bad. |
| stroke. Keep this up until you send all the balls into the | | | | It is very good practice, however, for |
| other court. Then go in the other court and return them. | | | | experienced players to try strokes against a wall |
| Do this for a half hour or so a day. In this way you are | | | | or in a squash court. I would not advise this for |
| not hurried on the stroke. | | | | beginners, as they would acquire a squash stroke, |
| The trouble with beginners is that they like to play | | | | more or less, instead of a tennis stroke. From my |
| instead of practice at the start. Then when they play | | | | experience of squash and tennis the strokes are not |
| they return the ball "any old way," so long as they get | | | | alike. |
| it back. Thus one acquires faults and bad habits. | | | | |