The fast, erratic, net-rushing tennis-player is a creature of impulse. There is no real strategy to his/her game, no comprehension of your game-plan. He will make brilliant rallies on the spur of the moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, no consistent thinking. It is an fascinating sort of character.

The really dangerous player is the one who mixes his/her style from back to fore court under the command of an ever-alert mind. This/her is the player to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite intention. A player who has an answer to every problem you present him in your game. He is the most subtle opponent in the world of tennis. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of dogged determination that sets his/her mind on one plan and sticks to it, bitterly, fiercely battling to the end, with never a thought of change.

This is the player whose psychology is fairly easy to understand, but whose mental viewpoint is difficult to derail, because he never permits himself to think about anything but the business at hand. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.

Pick out your type from your own mental processes, and then work out your game along the lines best suited to you. When two men are on the same level concerning stroke, strength and equipment, the deciding factor in any game is the mental standpoint. Luck, as it is called, is often no more than seizing the psychological value of a break in the game, and turning it to your own advantage. People talk a lot about the “shots we have made.” But few people understand the importance of the “shots we have missed.”

The science of missing shots is just as vital as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a return that is killed by your opponent. Let me explain. A player forces you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and getting there, drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and put off his stride, understanding that your shot could just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to try it again and he will not take the risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus stolen some of your opponent’s confidence, and increased his/her chance of error: all this by a miss.

However, if you had just tapped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt even more confident of your inability to put the ball out of his/her reach, while you would only have been winded to no avail.

Let’s just say that you had succeeded with that shot down the sideline. It was an apparently impossible achievement. First it amounts to TWO points, in that it stole one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one that you should never have had. Second it also upsets your opponent, as he feels that he has thrown away a big opportunity.

The psychology of a tennis match is fascinating, but readily understandable. Both men begin with equal chances. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence goes up, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental viewpoint becomes weaker. The sole aim of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thus maintaining his/her confidence.

If the second player draws even or pulls ahead, the inevitable reaction is an even more drastic contrast in psychology. There is the natural confidence of the leader, but boosted by the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a probable victory. The situation of the other player is the reverse. He is likely to lose confidence and play worse. The collapse of his game plan soon follows.

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I expect that this, my first dissertation on the fundamentals of tennis, will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am trying to arouse interest in the student of the game of tennis by a somewhat prolonged discussion of match play, which I hope will cast a new light on the sport of tennis.

I will address the beginner in my opening article and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the experienced tennis player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of use for the beginner even if he really is trying to succeed. Nevertheless, one has to purchase good quality; it is a saving eventually, as good quality goods far outlasts poor quality gear.

It is important to always dress in tennis clothes when engaging in tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advocate forcing a certain racquet upon any player. All the standard makes are excellent. It is on the weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is essential to obtain the best results.

After you have acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a “dead” ball is no use at all. If you really desire to succeed at the game and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.

It is surprising to many people that more tennis can be picked up off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the best players in play, than can ever be learned in one’s own actual play. I do not advise that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever possible, but try when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have watched.

Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The method of playing some stroke you have worked at over weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when least expected. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any town.

The fellowship of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is bound fast to his job until late afternoon.

The order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results is: a. Concentration on the game. b. Keep the eye on the ball. c. Foot-work and weight-control. d. Strokes. e. Court position. f. Court generalship or match play. g. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique invented will not be enough if the playing mind is erring. There are many causes of a distracted mind in a tennis match. The main one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any expectation of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the practice necessary to learn the game properly.

Give it up at once unless you are willing to work hard. Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the quicker the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.

The best way to keep a game in focus is to try for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, eventually, every shot in the point. A set is merely a collection of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate winner.

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