文档介绍:THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
THE ART OF LAWN
TENNIS
by WILLIAM T. TILDEN, 2D
1
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
To R. D. K. AND M. W. J. MY "BUDDIES" W. T. T. 2D
2
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
INTRODUCTION
Tennis is at once an art and a science. The game as played by such
men as Norman E. Brookes, the late Anthony Wilding, William M.
Johnston, and R. N. Williams is art. Yet like all true art, it has its basis in
scientific methods that must be learned and learned thoroughly for a
foundation before the artistic structure of a great tennis game can be
constructed.
Every player who helps to attain a high degree of efficiency should
have a clearly defined method of development and adhere to it. He should
be certain that it is based on sound principles and, once assured of that,
follow it, even though his progress seems slow and discouraging.
I began tennis wrong. My strokes were wrong and my viewpoint
clouded. I had no early training such as many of our American boys have
at the present time. No one told me the importance of the fundamentals of
the game, such as keeping the eye on the ball or correct body position and
footwork. I was given a racquet and allowed to hit the ball. Naturally, like
all beginners, I acquired many very serious faults. I worried along with
moderate ess until I had been graduated from school, beating some
fairly good players, but losing some matches to men below my class. The
year following my graduation the new Captain of my Alma Mater's team
asked me if I would aid him in developing the squad for next year. Well,
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," so I said Yes.
At that point my tennis education began.
The prising our tennis squad all knew me well and felt
at perfect liberty to ask me as many questions as they could think up. I was
besieged with requests to explain why Jones missed a forehand drive
down the side-line, or Smith couldn't serve well, or Brown failed to hit the
ball at all. Frankly, I did not know,