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Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tlie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029943374 
 
HANDBOOKS OF ATHLETIC SPORTS. 
 
 Edited by ERNEST BELL, M.A., trin. coll. camb. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 CRICKET. By the Hon, and Rev. E. Lyttelton, Cam. Um'v. 
 
 Eleven, 1875-8, Headmaster of Haileybury College. With 
 
 9 Illustrations, 
 LA WN TENNIS. By H. W. W, Wilberforce, Barrister-at-Law, 
 
 Secretary All England L.T.C., Four-handed Champion (with Hon. 
 
 P. B. Lyon), 1887, with a Chapter for Ladies by Mrs. 
 
 Hillyard (Miss Bingley), Lady Champion, 1889. 
 TENNIS. By Julian Marshall, author of "The Annals of 
 
 Tennis." With Plans. 
 RACKETS. By Major James Spens and Julian Marshall. 
 
 With 4 Illustrations. 
 FIVES. By Rev. J. A. Arnan Tait, of Charterhouse School. 
 GOLF. By W. T. Linskill, Hon. Sec. and late Capt. of the 
 
 Cambridge University Golf Club. With 5 Illustrations. 
 HOCKEY. By Frank S. Creswell, Hon. Sec to the Hockey 
 
 Association. 
 
 VOLUME II. 
 ROWING AND SCULLING. By W. B. WooDGATE, Barrister-at- 
 Law, Oxford University Eight, and Winner of the Diamond and 
 
 Wingfield Sculls. With 8 Illustrations. 
 SAILING. By E. F. Knight, Barrister-at-Law, Author of " The 
 
 Cruise of the Falcon," "The Falcon on the Baltic." With 54 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 SWIMMING, By Martin Cobbett and John Racster Cobbett. 
 With 60 Illustrations. 
 
 VOLUME III. 
 BOXING. By R. G. Allanson-Winn, Inns of Court School of 
 Arms, Winner of the Middle Weights, Cambridge, 1876-7 ; Heavy 
 Weights, 1877-8. With Prefatory Note by Bat MuUins. With 
 31 Illustrations. 
 
 WRESTLING. By Walter Armstrong (" Cross-buttocker") 
 
 late Hon. Sec. Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling Society 
 
 in London, With 26 Illustrations. 
 FENCING. By H. A. COLMORE Dunn, Barrister-at-Law, Inns of 
 
 Court School of Arms, Winner of the Medal at the German 
 
 Gymnasium. With 17 Illustrations. 
 SINGLE STICK AND SWORD EXERCISE. By R. G. Allan- 
 
 son-Winn and C. Phillipps Wolley, Inns of Court School of 
 
 Arms. With numerous Illustrations. 
 
VOLUMK IV. 
 
 FOOTBALL— RUGBV Game. By Harry Vassall, Treasurer of 
 the Rugby Football Union, late Captain of the Oxford University 
 Football Club. 
 
 football—Association game. By C. W. Alcock, Secre- 
 tary to the Football Association, and the Surrey Cricket Club ; 
 Editor of the " Football Annual. " 
 
 CYCLING. By H. Hewitt Griffin, London Athletic Club, 
 • N.C.U., C.T.C. ; author of " Bicycles and Tricycles of the Year." 
 With a Chapter for Ladies by Miss L. C. Davidson. With 
 45 Illustrations. 
 
 SKATING. By Douglas Adams, London Skating Club. With 
 a Chapter for Ladies by Miss L. Cheetham, and a Chapter 
 ON Speed Skating by a Fen Skater. With 125 Illustrations. 
 
 VOLUMK V. 
 GYMNASTICS. By A. F. Jenkin, Inns of Court School of Arms, 
 
 Winner of the German Gymnastic Society's Challenge Cup, 
 
 1887-8-9. With 19 Illustrations. 
 CLUBS AND DUMB-BELLS. 
 
 The different Sections of the above Volumes maybe had in 17 separate 
 Volumes ; price One Shilling each, with exceptions. 
 
 HANDBOOK OF GAMES, in. Two Volumes. 
 
 VOLUMK I. 
 
 BILLIARDS. With Chapters on POOL,Pyramids, AND SNOOKER, 
 By Major-General A. W. Drayson, F.R.A.S., author of "Practical 
 Whist." With a Preface by W. J. Peall. With 29 Illustrations. 
 
 CHESS. By Robert F. Green, editor of "The British Chess 
 Magazine." With 47 Illustrations. 
 
 BAGATELLE, DRAUGHTS, BACKGAMMON, DOMINOES, 
 SOLITAIRE, REVERSI, GO BANG, ROUGE ET NOIR, 
 ROULETTE, E.O., HAZARD, AND FARO. With numerous 
 Illustrations. By " Berkeley." 
 
 VOLUMK II. 
 
 WHIST. By Dr. William Pole, F.R.S., author of "The Philo- 
 sophy of Whist, " etc. 
 
 SOLO WHIST. By Robert F. Green. 
 
 PIQUET, ECARTi, AND EUCHRE. By "Berkeley." 
 
 ROUND GAMES, including NAPOLEON, POKER, LOO, ViNGT- 
 ET-UN, NEWMARKET, POPE JOAN, SPECULATION, etc., etc. 
 By Baxter- Wray. 
 
 The different Sections of the above may be had in 10 separate Volumes ; 
 price One Shilling-each. 
 
BONN'S LIBRARY OF SPORTS AND GAMES. 
 
 ATHLETIC SPORTS. 
 
 VOLUME L 
 
HANDBOOK 
 
 ATHLETIC SPORTS. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 ERNEST BELL, M.A., 
 
 TRIN. COLL. CAMB, 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 GRICKET — LAWN TENNIS — TENNIS- 
 RACKETS— FIVES— GOLF— HOCKEY. 
 
 LONDON : GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET, 
 
 COVENT GARDEN. 
 
 1890. 
 
LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, 
 
 STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In a sport-loving countiy like ours, it is needless to enlarge 
 on the advantages to be derived from the encouragement of 
 athletics. The love of enterprise and the restless physical 
 vigour of the race, demanding an outlet, have long since 
 made our love of athletic games a national characteristic. 
 Both physically, as an antidote to the unnatural and sedentary 
 lives which so many of us have to lead, and morally, as a 
 means of cultivating the more manly qualities of endurance, 
 pluck, and self-control, the ' pursuit of athletics must be 
 acknowledged to be worthy of our encouragement, and there 
 is probably no better safeguard for boys and young men 
 against indulgence in vicious amusement than a healthy 
 interest in outdoor games. 
 
 The appearance of a new series of handbooks on the 
 most important of our national sports does not therefore 
 seem to demand any apology. It is indeed a matter of no 
 small wonder, considering their recognized importance as a 
 means of education, that the literature on the subject has 
 hitherto been so scanty. Except for one notable series — 
 which, however, both from the treatment of the subjects and 
 the price, appeals mostly to the veteran athlete and the 
 moneyed class of readers — there has hitherto been no 
 systematic attempt to supply any handbooks at all worthy 
 of the subjects. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 The object of this series, the different sections of which 
 are appearing concurrently as separate volumes under the 
 title " All England Series,'' is to give in concise form, by- 
 writers whose eminence in their respective branches enables 
 them to speak with authority, a clear description of each 
 game, with practical instructions and hints, such as will be 
 helpful both to the beginner and the more advanced player. 
 In all cases where there is an authorized and accessible code 
 of laws they have been given. 
 
 It is sometimes urged that games must be learnt by 
 practice, and not from books ; but while it may be admitted 
 that theory without practice is of no use, it is equally true 
 that practice, without proper guidance, js often worse than 
 useless. Many a young player wastes countless hours in 
 vain efforts to surmount some difficulty or attain some 
 power, when a hint from one who has already gone through 
 the same experiences might have put him on the right path 
 at once, and averted the acquisition of a bad habit which it 
 is afterwards impbssible to overcome. 
 
 With regard to the scope of the series, it may be men- 
 tioned that the original idea was to issue one volume, treat- 
 ing of the chief of our outdoor sports, as a companion volume 
 to Bohn's well-known "Handbook of Games," which de- 
 scribes only indoor games. The promise of co-operation 
 from two or three well-known authorities soon, however, 
 suggested the idea of increasing the size of each section and 
 also the number of games to be included, and the one volume 
 has now grown into five, and it is hoped, before the series 
 is pronounced complete, to add a sixth one, dealing with 
 Riding and Driving. 
 
 The Editor. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 V 
 
 CRICKET. By the Hon. and Rev. E. Lytteltok, Cam. Univ. 
 Eleven, 1875-8, Headmaster of Haileybury College. With 9 
 Illustrations. 
 
 LAWN TENNIS. By H. W. W. Wilberforce, Barrister-at-Law, 
 Secretary All England L.T.C., Four-handed Champion (with Hon. 
 P. B. LyonJ, 1887, with a Chapter for Ladies by Mrs. 
 Hillyard (Miss Bingley), Lady Champion, 1889. 
 
 TENNIS. By Julian Marshall, author of "The Annals of 
 Tennis." IVith Flans." , 
 
 RACKETS. By Julian Marshall and Major James Spens, 
 Instructor, Sandhurst R^.C. With 4 Illustrations. 
 
 Sandhurst R;jkl.( 
 
 V. J. A.f'^RNA^ 
 
 FIVES. By Rev. J. AI^Arnan Tait, of Charterhouse School. 
 
 GOLF. By W," T.^LiNSKiLL, Hon. Sec. and late Capt. of the 
 Cambridge University Golf Club. With 5 Illustrations. 
 
 HOCKEY. By Frank S. Cresvi^ell, Hon. Sec. to the Hockey 
 Association. 
 
CRICKET. 
 
 E. LYTTELTON. 
 
I 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Cricket in Schools ... ... ... ... i 
 
 Bowling ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 
 
 Fielding ... ... ... ... ... ... 43 
 
 BArriNG ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 
 
 Appendix .., ,„ ... ... ... ... 95 
 
CRICKET, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CRICKET MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS. 
 
 The subject of this chapter is the problem of planting and 
 keeping alive cricket in schools. Since schools differ Mo 
 ccelo from each other in numb&rs and system, it will hardly 
 'be expected that any observations will be comprehensive 
 enough to embrace all. Still, it is hoped that, by keeping 
 in view such questions as most naturally arise wherever laoys 
 play together, some hints may be given not unworthy of 
 their attention. 
 
 The first essential in the fostering of cricket in schools, 
 it is generally thought, is to have some one on the spot 
 whose authority is considerable, and whose judgment in the 
 game is universally respected. In many schools this is a 
 master ; in others, an outsider interested in the place pays 
 frequent visits, and gives the boys the benefit of his experi- 
 ence and coaching. Another alternative is to maintain a 
 professional on the spot, who, invested with almost plenary 
 powers, manages the order and arrangement of games, 
 matches, and practice, as he thinks best. Of these different 
 plans, it is difficult to say which is the best, unless the 
 
CRICKET. 
 
 qualities of. the individuals are known beforehand; but, 
 cmteris paribus, a master seems on the whole to be m a 
 better position than any one else to handle the many 
 delicate questions that arise concerning the amount to be 
 left to the captain's own decision, the relation between play 
 and work, the managing of professionals and grounds, and 
 so forth. Certain it is that a professional bowler engaged 
 at a school, if he be a man of good manners, and willing 
 to speak dogmatically, will have a strange influence over 
 the young cricketers, which would be veiy absurd were it 
 not somewhat injurious. Not only cricket, but many 
 matters, some of them tinged with the associations of low 
 life, will the boys look at through the professional's eyes ; 
 and its seems undesirable that this functionary should be 
 invested with an even larger influence than the possession 
 of a peculiar gift, and of strong, though ill-balanced, opinions 
 will inevitably secure for him. 
 
 Supposing, then, that a satisfactory "coach" is secured, 
 it remains to inquire into the scope and limits of cricked 
 coaching. What is to be expected from it? Excessive^ 
 hopes are often entertained by young cricketers of the 
 good they will get from the advice of an experienced, 
 teacher ; and just as sick people often repose in a doctorj 
 whom they must know is very much in the dark as to the 
 nature of their complaint, the most unhesitating confidence, 
 which, though ill-grounded, is by itself beneficial, so it 
 would be unwise to seriously undermine the faith that boys 
 have in coaching, since it acts upon them as a useful 
 stimulus, and, like the doctor's advice, it ought to be 
 obeyed, because it is the best thing of the kind "o be gotj 
 Still it is well to point out that neither as to battino- nor 
 bowling can a great deal be done. Fielding is anotheJ 
 matter, But suppose a batsnian is being coached, and 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 
 
 gets bowled out, the best teacher in the world can very 
 often say nothing beyond that he put his bat on one side 
 of the ball; or that he played back instead of forward. 
 But an instant's reflection will show largely the correction 
 of these grave faults depends on the boy's eye, and how 
 little real help he gets from being told what he has done 
 wrong. Of course he ought to be told it; but the stress 
 of the struggle only then begins for him. But in the 
 department of fielding an immense deal might be done, 
 and it is to the consideration of that important fact that we 
 must now address ourselves. 
 
 It is, I beUeve, pretty generally admitted that a tradition 
 of good fielding may be established in a school, and tha.t 
 there are one or two schools, such as a Winchester, where 
 good fielding has for years been the rule rather than the 
 exception. It would be well to state clearly what this 
 9,dmission implies. It implies that fielding is more or less 
 an acquired art ; certainly more so than batting and bowl- 
 ing. No one has ever seriously spoken of a batting or 
 bowling tradition existing in any school or institution. 
 This clearly is because we know' too well that, even if a 
 school be blessed, as Uppingham once was, with the 
 simultaneous appearance of four first-rate batsmen, there 
 is absolutely no reason to suppose that the next generation 
 will be able to maintain their high standard, however eagerly 
 they may emulate their example. Again, we all know that 
 there is something in base-ball which imparts a remarkable 
 power of fielding, but no results at all comparable to this 
 have been observed in batting and bowling. It is true that 
 the Australians, when they first came over to England, 
 were much inferior in batting to what they subsequently 
 became, and their progress was ascribed to the influence 
 of the English example. This may be granted ; but ihe 
 
CRICKET. 
 
 fact is that the 1878 eleven was composed of men of 
 unusual batting capabilities, who were singularly ignorant 
 of the most important rules, and could not fail to profit 
 by watching and imitating the greatest English players. 
 But that soon came to an end, whereas a tradition of 
 iielding is to some extent a permanent phenomenon, and 
 acts upon boys at one school so that they manifest year by 
 year their superiority to other boys who presumably begin 
 their school-life in no way less fitted to run, stoop, and 
 throw. That is to say, a certain stimulus, which resides, 
 so to speak, in the atmosphere of one school, produces 
 this result on this one department of the game, and not 
 to any appreciable degree on any other. 
 
 This inference, moreover, is corroborated by other con- 
 siderations. Unless some special efforts are made, or some 
 special stimulus exists to maintain a good tradition of 
 fielding, it is pretty clear that the standard will be below 
 what it ought to be, simply because it is to a good many 
 players the dullest part of the game — that is to say, the 
 particular department of fielding where stimulus most tells, 
 viz. the ground-fielding, including running after the ball, is 
 to any but a really good fieldsman a tamer affair than 
 batting or bowling. Catching is another matter. At present 
 I am only treating of ground-fielding. In addition to this 
 patent fact, it is to be noted that at most schools very 
 little fielding practice, strictly speaking, is insisted on, 
 whereas a great deal of time and real energy is given both 
 to batting and bowling. Again, even if an hour or so is 
 now and again given to fielding, it should be remembered 
 that each individual boy gets far less to do than if he were 
 expending the same time on batting or bowline. A cricket 
 practice in most schools means hard-work in battint^ and 
 howling, and very easy work indeed in fielding. The'sarae 
 
m SCHOOLS. 
 
 thing exactly might be said of an ordinai;y game or match. 
 I hope that the reader will find no difficulty in granting 
 these propositions when he has read on a little further. 
 
 To sum up, then we find that though apparently a good 
 fieldsman is born, not made, yet, owing to certain influences, 
 a tradition of good fielding exists in certain schools, proving 
 that boys who are not above the average in cricket ability 
 can be got to field better than others ; that, moreover, in 
 other schools so little fielding training is carried on, as to 
 niake it easy to understand why the standard in this, the 
 least exciting department of the game, should be lower 
 than it ought to be. It remains now to investigate what 
 the nature of this fielding stimulus or tradition is, how it 
 may be brought into operation, and what its effect might 
 be expected to be. 
 
 In the first place, we may be quite sure that in teaching 
 boys to field, imitation must be an important agent. Hence 
 it comes that a fielding tradition is much more easy to 
 maintain than to set going. A good cricketing master can 
 show boys what good batting and good bowling is; but, 
 alas ! he can in fielding very seldom do more than tell 
 what it ought to be, or perhaps, in his own case, what it 
 used to be. Eheu 1 fugaces, and the subtle bodily change, 
 known as ossification of sinews, is enough to account for 
 a certain reserve of demeanour on the part of masters in 
 the field. Hence, if an example is to be set, it must be set 
 by the boys to each other. The most sensible thing to do 
 is to select the most promising field and train him. It is 
 worth remarking that, however supple his limbs are, unless 
 he has seen some first-class fielding (and if he has seen any 
 he is better off than most) he will have no idea what is 
 expected of him. The acrobatic movements of a fine 
 cover-point do not come by nature, though there may be a 
 
tklCRRT. 
 
 native aptitude for them. A boy will accordingly stand 
 at cover-point and watch a ball go past him which he 
 genuinely believes to be out of his reach; when all the 
 time, if he had really gone at it with a will, and lost no time 
 at the start, he might quite well have secured it 
 
 Again, unless strong measures are taken, the school-fields- 
 men will stand on their heels, while the ball is being hit ; and 
 this is generally the cause of that heart-sickening want of life 
 — that imperturbable middle-aged decorum which is so often 
 to be noticed among boy-cricketers of seventeen, eighteen, 
 nineteen years of age, and is enough, when seen, to make 
 old cricketers weep. But not to stand on the heels requires 
 effort and stimulus; and it is astonishing how often you 
 may make the effort, and reap no reward ; the ball doesn't 
 come. But when it does, what a change ! The leap, 
 the determination that the batsman shall not score, the 
 racing after the ball, are all part of the same dash which 
 must begin from the toes, not from the heel. Now some 
 of these early principles can be taught to a boy by taking 
 him singly, and throwing or hitting the ball, not too hard, 
 either at him or to one side just within his utmost reach ; 
 and, by constant encouragement and exhortation, the trainer 
 may induce him again and again to do violence to his 
 propriety, in the first place, and thea to stretch his sinews 
 and curve his backbone till he finds himself capable of a 
 brilliancy which he never before ^ suspected. The exercise 
 is terrific, and ten minutes per dian are ariiply sufficient 
 It is best to take only one at a time. No one can oiiess 
 the improvement that is sure to ensue if this regime is 
 faithfully observed. Why should it be supposed that dash 
 in fielding should be within the reach of only a few? 
 Consider the years of special effort required to make an 
 acrobat. Why, then, shouldn't a few minutes a day make 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 
 
 all the difference to a young fellow's joints in the cricket- 
 field ? 
 
 I assume, then, that with proper care one or two of the 
 most lissom youngsters can be made into really good 
 fields, and that the example will spread. But a great deal 
 more is required. Under the head of stimulus we must con- 
 sider the special influences required to induce a boy habitu- 
 ally to "field up," in other words, to really do his best. Now, 
 before this can be inculcated with success, the importance 
 of keenness in fielding must be fully realized. The reason 
 why this part of the game requires so much attention is 
 that a great deal of the successful fielding we hear of or see 
 is the result of determination and resolve. A deep field is 
 standing with his whole body ready to jump in any direction 
 that may be required. There comes a catch, but it is very 
 doubtful if he can get to it; only because he was ready to 
 start he does so, and perhaps the best bat on the side walks 
 home ; or, owing to Jhe same fact, he again and again saves 
 a ball from going to the boundary. Now, if this is the case 
 with a deep field, how much more with cover-point and other 
 " save one " fields ! Whenever cover-point or mid-off cover 
 an unexpected ball, it may be that they save three or four 
 runs at once, but it is certain that they prevent the batsmen 
 subsequently attempting a good many which they could 
 certainly run, were they not afraid. The aggregate of runs 
 thus saved is considerable ; and the covering of balls only 
 just within reach is largely dependent on the being ready to 
 start. 
 
 If any one doubts this let me ask him if he starts for 
 a hundred yards' race leaning forward, with his muscles 
 braced, or standing still like a sentry or a policeman. 
 Everybody knows that a really good start in a short race 
 means a yard or two to the good ; and in fielding it would 
 
• CRICKET. 
 
 mean a good deal, though not so much, as the direction m 
 which to move is not to be ascertained previous to the 
 moment of starting. Again, nothing is more common than 
 for mid-off, short-leg, third man, and cover-point to have to- 
 race after a tolerably strong stroke, which goes between the 
 fields and is worth two or three runs. In every long 
 innings there are very many of these. I will venture to say 
 that the difference between an active man's greatest speed 
 and average running would mean one run saved on each 
 of seven such hits out of ten. In other words, instead 
 of scoring thirty the batsman would score twenty-three; 
 and it will be found that most of those who jeer at this 
 assertion have a very insufficient idea of what running 
 means, and have never reflected that the spectacle of a 
 fieldsman running at top speed, as if a mad terrier were 
 yapping at his calves, is none too common ; and that the 
 above estimate assumes full speed, and no merely respect- 
 able trot over the sward. But full speed means determina- 
 tion, resolve, eagerness to save the run ; and these are just 
 the qualities which young fieldsmen by nature are without 
 
 How to maintain this eagerness is a tough problem. 
 Interest in the games or matches is of course essential ; and 
 to secure this, schools adopt the plan of varying pick-up 
 games with house or dormitory matches. A good deal 
 might be written on this subject, but we are hardly yet in a 
 position to give any decided opinion on the relation which 
 one sort of game ought to bear to the other. One thing 
 seems clear. In most schools to set house against house or 
 dormitory against dormitory, is a sure and certain way of 
 provoking interest. A glance at boys playing in these, and 
 at others playing in ordinary pick-up games, will detect the 
 difference in the zest and keenness of the combatants. But 
 the question cannot be settled off-hand by merely institutino' 
 
ii^-SCH60t$. 
 
 house-matches in perpetuo. The contests for first place 
 would be settled before the end of the season, and, even if 
 this difficulty were obviated by the expedient of a list in 
 order of merit — a not uncommon system, — a want of variety 
 would be felt if the same sort of matches were continually 
 being played. Added to which there must be games among 
 the first twenty-two in the school, to settle the first eleven ; 
 and this would destroy the house-matches. A kind of sham 
 house-match, with the chief representatives playing else- 
 where in the "swell" game, is not uncommon, and. seems to 
 work well. Anyhow the present custom is to have a con- 
 siderable number of pick-up games intercalated among 
 house contests. These games are arranged according to 
 ciubs which represent different portions of the school, so 
 that, roughly speaking, it may be said that games divide boys 
 by age, house-matches by houses or dormitories. 
 
 Now, as the chief difficulty is to maintain an interest in 
 ordinary games throughout one season, one recommendation 
 may be made with some assurance. The players should be 
 encouraged to compete for colours to wear, which need consist 
 of nothing further than a cap of well-marked hue. There is 
 no reason to underrate the power of this enticement. Human 
 beings have ever been addicted to ornament, and some have 
 thought that great wars have been fought for very little else 
 than the difference between one colour and another. It is 
 quite certain that the authorization of caps for proficiency 
 in cricket does wonders ; and it is a stimulus quite innocent 
 enough to be worth trying. Before experiment there will 
 be croaking and dark forebodings ; but afterwards it is very 
 doubtful if any one can prove mischief. Care must be 
 taken to avoid expense ; and much will be left to the 
 discretion of the cricketing master as to superintending in 
 any way the presentation of these colours. Boys will show 
 
16 CRlCKBr. _ 
 
 simply astounding want of judgment in their selection of 
 players, and the principle of popularity will be allowed 
 undue weight. Nevertheless, a rough justice is somehow 
 generally attained, and it is unquestionably a valuable piece 
 of responsibility for a young captain to be entrusted with. 
 When flagrant favouring seems to be going on, a judicious 
 hint to the captain of the school eleven — in whose hands 
 the correction power ought to be — will generally set 
 matters right. 
 
 By some such expedients as these it can be provided that 
 a certain proportion of the ordinary club games will not be 
 wanting in interest, nor furnish occasions for slipshod field- 
 ing and general lounging. Germane to this is the further 
 question whether cricket should be compulsory or not, in the 
 same sort of way as football is. This question need not, in 
 a work like the present, be treated from the point of view of 
 general education. It is here merely to be discussed as far 
 as it affects cricket. Now, there is one grand distinction 
 between cricket and football, which at once offers a practical 
 objection to the former being compulsorily played. One 
 game is played in cold weather, the other in hot Further, 
 it should be mentioned that compulsion in games exists in 
 order to compel the unwilling, and presumably the less 
 efficient players, to take part in the game; these being the 
 very ones who are not stimulated by any prospect of dis- 
 tinction. Now, what is the comparative effect of compulsion 
 in the two games on this class ? In summer you may force 
 them to the field, but you won't get them to play. You 
 may fit them out with pads, bats, and balls, but they will 
 none the less lie on the grass and eat biscuits when the sun 
 is high ; and, after all, England is a free country. But turn 
 a pack of lethargic boys loose in a paddock, over which the 
 March winds are gaily sweeping, and no sooner have they 
 
IR SCHOOLS. 
 
 taken off their coats than they must bestir themselves to 
 keep body and soul together, and, whatever else goes on, it 
 is unquestionable that they run here and there and generally 
 pursue the ball in default of any more exciting quest. The 
 upshot of which is that compulsory football attains its object 
 while compulsory cricket is generally a failure, at least as 
 far as the interests of the game are concerned. No other 
 objection to the system can be urged of equal cogency ; and 
 it appears tKat in some schools the compulsion, after all, 
 works fairly well, though it never can be thoroughly success- 
 ful. Disciplinaiy and other reasons will often explain its 
 continuance, but as far as the promotion of genuine interest 
 in the games is concerned, it cannot be thought fit to be 
 named in the same breath with the giving of colours, or 
 with the due intercalation of house-matches. 
 
 But fielding is not to be learnt only by individual training 
 combined with regular games. It ought to be possible to 
 devise a means of a social practice of fielding, which, with- 
 out involving the waste of time of ordinary match fielding, 
 would insure to each individual something to do, and some 
 stimulus to do it. Before making suggestions we may con- 
 sider some prevailing methods of trying to fulfil the idea of 
 social fielding practice. There are three. 
 
 The first is the combination of fielding practice with 
 batting, which consists in those boys who are unemployed 
 in either batting or bowling standing vaguely here and 
 there, and returning the ball to the bowler whenever it is 
 hit in their direction. This, however, is not really practice 
 at all, but more like a lounge, and may be dismissed with- 
 out further remark. 
 
 The second is the attempt to train each fieldsman in his 
 own place, by placing the eleven round a double-wicket pitch- 
 exactly as if a game were being played. Two batsmen then 
 
12 tRICKE't: 
 
 go in, and hit as far as they can to each in turn, running 
 tip-and-run fashion, so as to practice the quick return to the 
 wicket-keep. This is an honest but very ineffectual attempt 
 to meet the difficulty. The fields are being taught something 
 when the ball goes to them ; but in real life it is found that 
 this is just what it won't do. Since a skilled batsman cannot 
 command the ball sufficiently, each man gets far too little to 
 do, and often the strokes have something artificial about them, 
 and unlike the real thing. Still, for fields favourably placed, 
 such as cover-point, mid-off, and mid-on, the tip-and-run 
 plan is undoubtedly useful, and should be occasionally 
 practised. But the real objection is that only eleven boys 
 can be employed at once, and very likely there is not room 
 for another such costly expenditure of space as would be 
 required to provide for the next batch of players, the second 
 and third elevens. 
 
 The third method is for some one who can give the ball 
 a good larrup to stand a long way off from a semi-circle 
 of fields, and hit balls to them in succession. Here, 
 again, while they are receiving each ball they are learning 
 something, and good is done ; but (i) the hits off the 
 hand are not like hits off bowling; (2) all the fields 
 are reduced to an unnatural uniformity, cover-point and 
 short-slip being made to stop the sort of hits which only 
 the deep fields get ; (3) the objection again holds good 
 that each man gets too little to do; (4) there is no 
 practice for throwing-in ; (5) in most grounds, while this 
 is going on, the batting practice is seriously interfered 
 with. 
 
 In short, if combined fielding practice, i.e. that kind of 
 practice which exercises a whole eleven, at least, together, 
 is to be arranged at all successfully, certain conditions 
 must be fulfilled which the above-named methods violate. 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 13 
 
 In making the following suggestion I have kept these 
 conditions in view throughout. 
 
 It is quite possible for the first .two or even three elevens 
 of the school to practice together, so that either two boys 
 are batting side by side at two nets, or four, two back to 
 back with two. Probably the arrangements at most schools 
 would not require more than two wickets to be going at a 
 time. Now the ordinary usage is for each batsman to be 
 enclosed by an off-net and leg-net, or, at least, to play with 
 one net behind the stumps and one between him and the 
 next player; the only fielding that is done is by a few 
 casuals who pick up the ball when it comes their way. 
 .Supposing, then, that only the net between two wickets 
 were retained, the necessity would arise for fieldsmen 
 behind each wicket. One wicket, moreover, requires all 
 the off-fields, the other all the on-fields. On these simple 
 facts depends the whole arrangement. As early in. the 
 season as possible those players who will probably occupy 
 certain definite posts in the first eleven should accustom 
 themselves to occupying those posts during the time their 
 comrades are practising batting : the off-fields ranging 
 themselves with reference to the off-wicket, the on-fields 
 with reference to the on-wicket. Behind each wicket there 
 would be a long-stop as well as, if thought advisable, a 
 wicket-keep. 
 
 If the batting practice continued for a long time, to 
 prevent monotony the fieldsmen would, after an interval, 
 change to the place they would occupy in a match in 
 alternate overs, e.g. long-leg wodld move across to mid- 
 off, or the country and the country fields come over to 
 short-slip and third man. But in general it would be well 
 not to confine the boys too strictly to their allotted posts, 
 .since a well-trained cricketer ought. to be able to field well 
 
14 CRICKET. 
 
 anywhere. Eut there are one or two places where scarcely 
 any one can field really well, except by dint of constant 
 familiarity and practice— notably point, short-slip, and third 
 man. So, naturally, the school representatives chosen for 
 these places would be careful to occupy them in practice. 
 Others might interchange at more or less frequent intervals. 
 Eut the great desideratum must always be secured, that, 
 instead of loafing about in purposeless ennui, the onlookers 
 should be doing something, occupying a definite place in 
 the field; and it would be to their interest to keep their 
 attention fixed on the ball, to learn its motions, to antici- 
 pate its sinuosities, — in short, to show zeal, and field pro- 
 perly, since by doing so they would improve day by day. 
 
 Especially in regard to the three difficult places above 
 named would the advantage of this system appear. For 
 short-slip, for instance, familiarity is enormously important ; 
 and the benefit of turning any bad or timid field into a 
 long-stop pro tern, would be considerable. An hour at 
 that, with the .prospect, in case of carelessness, of either 
 being rapped on the tibia, or of running after a bye, would 
 turn many a poor sievelike mid-off into a good robust field ; 
 and, of course, whoever was managing the practice would 
 be careful to temper the wind to the shorn lamb. 
 
 Another advantage that might then be secured would be 
 the opportunity offered to various players to learn wicket-keep- 
 ing. The prevailing neglect of wicket-keeping is a gross folly. 
 First as regards those who are to be regular wicket-keepers, why 
 do they never practise ? Their art is every whit as difficult 
 as batting, and it is astonishing how its supreme importance 
 to the efficiency of an eleven is overlooked. There is 
 probably no hope of getting a really good man out on a 
 good wicket, which can be compared to the chance of his 
 sending a catch to the wicket-keeper before his eye is in. 
 
IN SCHOOLS. \% 
 
 Sometimes these chances are missed, and no one notices 
 anything ; but even of those noticed the number is enormous, 
 far greater than that which any other single field either 
 holds or drops, — indeed, on hard smooth wickets, almost as 
 great as that of all the other fields put together. And yet 
 an eleven will go smiling into the field without a wicket- 
 keep ! Everybody thinks it will come right somehow ; so 
 it does, but the match is lost first. 
 
 Of course the regular wicket-keeper's practice of his art must 
 be limited by consideration for his hands. Even allowing 
 for this, it is probable that he would gain if he devoted some 
 time every day merely to taking the slow balls, and watching 
 the fast ones. I repeat that familiarity with the motion of 
 the ball is enormously important. But every member of any 
 ■ team would gain if he were taught how to keep wicket in 
 early youth. In the first place it certainly helps the eye in 
 batting. The problem of judging pace, pitch, and break is 
 exactly the same in both cases. Next, it teaches sureness 
 of hand in fielding. A field who has learnt wicket-keeping 
 must find any catch, especially if it does not involve run- 
 ning, mere child's play compared with a chance behind the 
 sticks. It is impossible that any such continuous exercise 
 of hand and eye of the most subtle description could be 
 anything but valuable to the general quickness and sureness 
 both of fielding and batting. Lastly, even if all the eleven 
 do not learn how to keep wicket, there ought always to 
 be one or more ready to take the place of the regular man, 
 in case of injury or absence. 
 
 It remains to notice a possible objection or two. First, 
 there is no provision made for throwing-in. This is tnie, 
 though at times the fields could throw in as if in a match, 
 but certainly this could be only occasional. The truth is, 
 that throwing-in must be practised specially by two or 
 
i6 CRICKET. 
 
 three players together in a remote corner of the field, and 
 it must not be forgotten that the above proposal is not to 
 be regarded as supplementing such individual practice, but 
 only as a means of utilizing for fielding purposes the large 
 amount of time now devoted to batting practice by itself. 
 More serious by far is the difficulty that in many schools 
 the exact number who may be practising at any given time 
 cannot be fixed, and the symmetry of the system breaks 
 down unless the precise requirement of men is obtained. 
 But the system suggested is not only symmetrical j it is 
 elastic to any extent. Supposing there are eight boys present 
 (and short of this any social fielding becomes impossible), 
 one will be batting, two will be bowling. The remaining 
 five, instead of trying to cover all the ground, will be given, 
 say only the off-side places, the net covering the on-side. 
 Or two nets could be used, and there would be three or 
 four fields behind the wicket, and one overhead : and so on. 
 The elasticity consists in the use of more nets where 
 necessary to reduce the number of fields. On the other 
 hand, where more tlian seventeen or eighteen have to be 
 provided for, another practice-wicket would have to be set 
 up at a distance, with one, two, or three nets, accordins to 
 the number of the overflow. Of course, if it is quite impos- 
 sible to provide for this space, there is nothing to be done 
 but agitate for more playground. Cricket can neither be 
 played nor learnt without good large stretches of green 
 grass, and if such are not provided it is not the fault of this 
 suggestion. 
 
 A few words only will be necessary on the subject of 
 catching. The usual method of hitting big high catches to 
 a pack of fieldsmen a long way off is not bad fun, and is of 
 some use to those who are to be deep fields. It ouo-ht to 
 teach them how to judge high hits, and how best to hold 
 
m sdffodLs. ii 
 
 their hands, since it seems that each person must settle this 
 for himself. But as to ordinary catching, it is pretty plain 
 from the example of the American base-ball players that we 
 have a good deal to learn. It may be doubted whether 
 a real increase of agility, consequent on standing ready for 
 a leap in any direction, would not materially increase the 
 number of brilliant catches every year. If the difference 
 between the two classes of players is due to any other cause, 
 I would hazard the conjecture that the base-ball being very 
 different from the cricket-ball as to the distribution of its 
 weight and the nature of its flight, may partially account for 
 the certainty and brilliancy of the American catching. 
 
 English players of the present day are, moreover, under 
 special disadvantages in the matter of catching. Every- 
 body knows that a long innings means a frequent recur- 
 rence of this position of affairs — batsmen growing keener 
 and more confident, fieldsmen losing heart and vigour ; as 
 was pathetically put into words by one long since dead, 
 who had scouted out for some three hundred odd runs, and 
 towards the end observed, " I am very tired, and very 
 'ungry, and wish I was 'ome." Now, when things are like 
 this, the batsman is learning new strokes, gaining experience 
 and improving as a player every ten minutes : but all the 
 fieldsmen are learning how to field badly ; they are losing 
 spring, they can't keep up their pluck, and when a catch 
 comes they drop it. Beyond question, this is a frequent 
 cause of missing catches. The worst of it is that a player 
 who has missed one catch in an important match will very 
 likely miss another, since this art is largely dependent on 
 nerve. Hence it is not only when a fieldsman '' wishes 
 himself 'ome " that he is likely to drop catches, but at other 
 times also. 
 
 The captain of a side can do something to help this 
 
 c 
 
t§ CRICKET. ^^ 
 
 state of things by removing for a time a country field to 
 some place nearer in, where his unsettled nerves will be less 
 taxed. Again, something may be done by getting young 
 fieldsmen to see that, as long as they are playing in cold 
 weather, they are sure to miss catches. When a ball is 
 certain to sting, the hand is certain to flinch, and the very 
 least reluctance to endure the impact will cause a miss. 
 Therefore, young players should never be out of heart if 
 they miss catches when they are either cold or very tired ; 
 and if they can miss a ball now and then without losing 
 heart, they are useful men to the side. On the whole, how- 
 ever, there is little to be said and much to be done in this 
 matter. Constant practice, hardening the hands, keeping 
 •up pluck, these things do some good ; but still, when a high 
 spinning catch comes to some youngster in an important 
 match, no mortal voice can help him. He is alone with 
 his destiny, and the fleeting moments are big with great 
 and momentous issues for him. All the cricketer within 
 him is being put to a terrible test ; but it is part of the 
 grandeur of the game that each man must bear his own 
 burden, and fight his own way on through weal and woe, 
 and where the valiant fall only to rise again with new 
 experience, the chicken-hearted give up in despair. 
 
 This brings to a conclusion what we have to say on the 
 subject of fielding-training in schools and elsewhere. The 
 question has demanded a good deal of attention because of 
 the reason given above, that, whereas batting and bowling 
 are, comparatively speaking, arts independent of external 
 influences, fielding depends largely on such influences. In 
 schools, the sources of stimulus are mixed ; in the univer- 
 sities, however, the standard depends almost entirely on the 
 captain. No one knows without experience the extraor- 
 dinary power of answering to stimulus that exists in a team 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 19 
 
 of young men. In schools boys are nervous, and as to 
 fielding many of them have shambling legs and ill-set 
 sinews, which demand two or three years' growth to be fit 
 for real agility. But the university elevens consist of men 
 in the very pink and prime of youth ; fielding ought to be 
 to each member of each team a pleasure and a pride. 
 Again and again it has happened that the matches played 
 by them have been lost by bad fielding ; and as often we 
 have seen a loose slipshod fielding team braced up to 
 become first-rate, all because the captain really meant 
 business. It is, of course, impossible for all the fieldsmen to 
 go through a season without missing anything ; but there 
 ought unquestionably to be that unmistakable dash and 
 vigour which belongs to the magic years twenty to twenty- 
 five, and the absence of which at that time is a grievous 
 indication of half-heartedness or timidity in the captain. 
 The public have a right to demand brilliant fielding in the 
 Oxford and Cambridge match, and the elevens ought to 
 look upon themselves as the models to all other teams in 
 the country, of a beautiful and truly scientific art. It is 
 upon them that our hopes mainly rest of raising by degrees 
 the standard of English fielding. At present, taking every- 
 thing into account, we cannot deny the existence of many 
 and woeful deficiencies. 
 
 We now pass on to consider other important questions in 
 the training of young players. An obvious difficulty pre- 
 sents itself in the early stages. Small boys cannot possibly 
 use full-sized bats. The mischief that results if they do is 
 fatal. It is impossible for them to play straight, because 
 the end of the bat smites the ground and the stroke comes 
 to nought. Besides which, the excessive weight makes them 
 late for all the hits. The way out of the difficulty is 
 sensible and simple : a young player should use an under- 
 
so CRICKET. 
 
 sized bat ; and at the period when he begins to feel conscious 
 of growing power, and scents the battle from afar, care 
 should be taken to see that he doesn't order a full-sized bat 
 before his time, and get his father to pay for it. He wants 
 to-be a man, and he thinks the first step, after donning 
 stick-up collars, is to use a full-sized bat. With this exception 
 the difficulty may be said to be no longer troublesome. 
 
 The next question arises from the fact that boys of ten to 
 fourteen or fifteen cannot bowl a cricket-ball with ease or 
 for any length of time at twenty-two yards. Hence a move- 
 ment which is now being made for reducing the distances 
 in prepiratory-school matches to twenty yards. But this is 
 far from being so sensible or so simple as the modification 
 of the bat. The shortening of the distance alters the 
 character of the bowling. Everybody ought to know that 
 it makes the difficult balls easier to judge. This is a most 
 material fact, and generally ignored. Secondly, a full-sized 
 bat is meant to correspond to a full-sized ball, but an under- 
 sized bat ought to correspond with an under-sized ball. 
 Why in the world is it that little boys are made to play 
 cricket with the same sized ball as Dr. Grace and Mr. 
 Bonner use? What a ludicrous piece of mischievous 
 uniformity this is ! The only hope of making cricket as 
 really attractive and useful to young boys as it might be, is 
 to reduce the size of the ball as well as the size of the bat, 
 and keep the full distance. At present a diminutive brat 
 pummels the big ball with all his might, and it barely 
 reaches cover-point ; his best half-volley drive goes meekly 
 . into mid-on's hands— or, rather, it would, if the ball were not 
 too big to get there. Not only is his hitting spoilt, but tlie 
 catching is spoilt, tlie fielding is spoilt, the throwing 
 becomes painful, and the bowling in spite of the short 
 distance strains the shoulder. The game is out of propor- 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 
 
 tion because the fields never need occupy their proper 
 place, and the ball never travels to them as it will hereafter, 
 nor can they be expected to stop it clean when it does 
 reach them. The fact must be insisted on, that it is all 
 important to make cricket thoroughly attractive to young- 
 players, or they will probably give it up. 
 
 The great moment for a batsman is seeing his hit fly free 
 and far ; the climax of a fieldsman's day is making a good 
 catch ; the glory of a bowler is to be able to keep up on end 
 without fatigue, and give his whole attention to his pace and 
 pitch. Now all this is prevented by the indefensible anomaly 
 of making little boys play with full-sized balls. It is merely 
 a waste of time to consider the probable rejoinder to these 
 arguments, that good cricketers have grown up under the 
 present system, and that very few people ever seem to 
 think it necessary to do more than shorten the distance. 
 This is not the question. What is wanted is that every 
 possible discouragement to the game, which may, for all we 
 know, be quenching the early hope of many a gifted young 
 player, should be, as -far as is possible, removed. Among - 
 every ten boys who are led to think cricket a nuisance, 
 there may well be one who has some genius for bowling or 
 batting which only wants time and care to develop ; and the 
 total loss to the game that is due to making it unattractive 
 in early life must be considerable. We hear a great deal of 
 tall talk about the difficulty of keeping school-boy bowlers 
 from overworking themselves, and yet no one seems to think 
 of lightening their labour by lightening the ball. Nor are the 
 practical difficulties which stand in the way worth making a 
 fuss about. It would be necessary to provide balls two sizes 
 smaller than the full for quite young boys up to twelve years 
 of age, then a slightly larger size for the years twelve to 
 fourteen. If, however, the difficulty_of house-matches at z. 
 
22 CRICKET. 
 
 public school was thought fatal to this proposal, then let 
 the preparatory schools use a smaller ball, and the public 
 schools begin at once with the full-sized. This, without 
 being perfect, would be ever so much more rational than 
 the present method. 
 
 The chief trouble, of course, is that, however reasonable 
 a proposal may be, it often leads to nothing because a 
 certain unanimity of action is requisite to start itj and 
 unluckily English schools rather pride themselves on never 
 being unanimous or uniform in their various systems. If 
 the Minister of Education in Prussia were to see the 
 sense of any such proposal, two orders would be rapidly 
 draughted in his study, one to be sent round the schools, 
 the other to the shops to order the manufacture of the 
 balls. But alas ! though they are far enough from any 
 such consummation there, we are perhaps still further away 
 from it here. If it be a fact that truth is great and will 
 prevail, then we may rest content; but the proverb does 
 not go on to say whether it will take a long or a short time, 
 or whether many cricketers will be discouraged in the 
 process. 
 
 Among all young players a great deal can be done by 
 bringing the imitative faculty into play. We are told that 
 a child learns to speak not only by the ear, but by fixing 
 his eyes on the inside of the adult's mouth, so as to assist 
 his investigation of what is going forward. But a problem 
 soon has to be faced. It has been said of Carlyle, that 
 many writers may imitate his straining gestures without 
 imparting any of his genius to their own lucubrations. 
 Macaulay, too, chuckled with pleasure at the thought that 
 the merits of his style were exceedingly difficult to repro- 
 duce, though the mannerisms might easily be caught by 
 any hack publicist. Again, in another field of effort, Philip 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 23 
 
 Brooks records how he once went to hear a great preacher 
 in America in company with a clerical friend, and, after 
 listening to a noble and inspiring discourse, they were, 
 coming out, pondering on what they had heard, when 
 suddenly the friend exclaimed, " I have it ! Yes, that is 
 the secret of it all I Did you not observe how he used his 
 right hand? When he wished to excite our feelings he 
 raised it aloft, and when he wished to calm and subdue our 
 emotions he lowered it." Philip Brooks listened, inly fore- 
 casting his poor friend in the future unceasingly raising or 
 lowering his right hand as he preached, not without wonder 
 at finding his congregation's emotions were neither stirred 
 nor subdued. So in cricket Care should be taken to give 
 young players a pattern to watch in the shape of some good 
 batsman of chaste simple style. A school might be named 
 where the mannerism of some former champion was rapidly 
 developed into a flourish which has survived for nearly thirty 
 years, through succeeding generations, and has certainly 
 worked mischief. By a simple style, I mean one where the 
 batsman merely makes the required motion for .each stroke, 
 and eschews ornament. Some ornament is innocent enough 
 where it comes quite naturally, but it is nearly always ugly 
 and mischievous when it has been copied. 
 
 But such matters as these concerning the training of 
 batting are connected with the difficult and important, 
 question of providing good wickets fo* the boys. 
 
 In many schools, espedally in such as enjoy the advan- 
 tage of being near to a town, cricket is carried on under 
 the disadvantage of want of space. This is a grievous state 
 of things. A few years ago a German schoolmaster came 
 over to England to inspect the public-school system of 
 athletics, and determine, on behalf of the high educational 
 authorities of hi§ own country, how it wtis th»at "in England 
 
24 CRICKET. 
 
 •the boys play so many games, and do so much work." 
 Nothing struck him so forcibly as the beautiful stretches of 
 bright green grass which are the precious possession of our- 
 educational centres. The undisguised admiration which he 
 expressed was a reminder to his hearers of the immense 
 value of the green sward of our cricket-fields. If we 
 realized this fully, there would never be a school cramped 
 in its area of play-ground, any more than in the amount 
 of food and sleep allowed to the " students." But still it is- 
 a fact that as grim winter succeeds to summer, so football 
 takes the place of cricket, and in very many places has to 
 be played on the same pieces of ground. This is a bad 
 business. During the autumn the cricket pitch requires 
 attention and relaying and doctoring generally. If this 
 cannot be done at the right time it must be done in the 
 spring. But the golden opportunity has gone. Nothing 
 more than some poor tinkering is possible after December's 
 days are done. Moreover, it is not uncommon to find 
 football continuing memly into the Lent term, so that even 
 the time for putting in a few necessary patches is sadly 
 curtailed. Now the result of this is that, except for the 
 first eleven, the pitches throughout the summer are rough. 
 
 Time was when small boys used to accept a rough pitch as 
 one of the ills which flesh is heir to, or rather they played 
 on them without noticing whether they were rough or 
 not, merely evading a blow on the ribs by a timely and pru- 
 dent withdrawal towards short-leg. But nowadays these 
 young heroes come to the larger schools after having been 
 trained on superb wickets at the preparatory scliools, and 
 their critical instinct is fully developed. Hence grumblings 
 and disaffection. Tliese, however, would matter little if °it 
 were not that their previous teaching goes to the wall. 
 The forward play which was taught to them with such 
 
IN SCHOOLS. 25 
 
 laborious care, and had just become a source of pleasure 
 and profit, is now found to contain contusions on the 
 knuckles, sore ribs, and a general depression of spirit, 
 without at the same time securing runs. Hence it is 
 given up, not all at once, nemo repenfe fuit turpissimtts, but 
 tittle by little the confidence is undermined, the reach 
 forward is checked, and at last the old pull takes the place 
 of the smooth graceful drive, and the ruin is complete, — a 
 grievous instance of what scientific people ca,ll reversion to 
 the original type. 
 
 It cannot be too often insisted on that this state of 
 filings prevents a certain class of cricketer from ever 
 reaching his prime — those namely who are not gifted 
 with the best nerves, or the best padded ribs, and have 
 no unusual love for the game to start with. It is no 
 use our lamenting that there should be any young English- 
 men who can be so described ; but the fact is undeniable, 
 and the problem of giving them good wickets ought to be 
 solved, or these players will be lost to the game. Certain 
 it is that the more robust geniuses will contrive to struggle 
 on and finally emerge as good players. But they would 
 not lose, if this epoch of hazardous rough-and-tumble cricket 
 were obliterated from their lives. In after life they will be 
 called upon to habituate themselves to just the amount of 
 variation in the wickets which is produced by the climate, 
 and very little more, since good wickets are becoming the 
 rule everywhere. Why, then, during the most delicate time 
 of their cricket education, should their development of style 
 he seriously and inevitably interrupted? There is no 
 answer to this ; all that happens is, that while their progress 
 IS hindered, others are prevented from learning the game 
 .at all. 
 ^ gut it is nonf fhe lq.ss difficuU to suggest a remedy. A<j 
 
26 CRICKET. 
 
 regards practice, one precaution may be, and indeed is, 
 taken in some schools with good effect. A piece of ground 
 is carefully laid down with chalk mould, or gravel, accord- 
 ing to the nature of the soil, in the shape of a strip some 
 ten yards wide and a hundred long, in some outlying 
 quarter of the playground, which is untouched by the rout 
 of football players. This strip is jealously protected from 
 harm, and remains as good and smooth as possible through- 
 out the season. At the beginning the practice wickets are 
 pitched along a chalk line drawn a little outside the hind- 
 most edge of the strip, i.e. the one nearest the outside of 
 the field. The batsmen then stand with the whole breadth 
 of the smooth ground before them, so that the balls pitch 
 on it, bowled by bowlers from the rougher ground beyond. 
 After a time these pitches get cut up, and the wickets are 
 then advanced a foot or two forward, so that the balls then 
 pitch on a fresh piece of ground, always inside the strip. 
 This can be repeated at suitable intervals during the season, 
 and, if strict obedience in the matter of keeping the ranks 
 is enforced, there is no reason why the practice should not 
 be very respectable all the summer term through. But as 
 to the pitches on which the games are played, here, alas ! 
 there is bound to be trouble and vexation of spirit. 
 
 The only suggestion that seems possible to make is that 
 the boys should be encouraged to roll the ground themselves. 
 No light roller is any good for a hot season, and of course 
 a heavy one will not cure bumps on a dry ground ; but still 
 it will be of some use, and would probably prevent the 
 surface from getting desperately bad. In addition to which 
 it should be remembered that it is a distinct gain to get 
 young gentlemen to take trouble, and to acquire some idea 
 of the dignity of the labour involved in subduing nature to 
 man's use, Nor is it founcj that the- human boy is averse 
 
BOWLING. 27 
 
 to effort in the open air after some hours spent in cheerless 
 class-rooms. All this is encouraging, but at best it will 
 amount to nothing more than a palliation of the evil. 
 Given the conditions of somewhat curtailed space, and the 
 trouble will make itself felt. At present, like the phylloxera, 
 it awaits its remedy. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BOWLING. 
 
 The training of bowlers and bowling is indeed a subject 
 which might daunt a stout-hearted author. It would not be 
 very difficult todescribe good bowling ; to write pages on the 
 special subtlety of some one's twist or pace or pitch; or 
 to give soul-stirring narratives of great achievements in 
 days of yore. It is well that these things should be done. 
 But to attempt, in conformity with the design of this little 
 book, to give suggestions how a young aspirant is to follow 
 in the steps of bygone heroes, and how he is to give the ball 
 the same living stealthiness of flight which batsmen now and 
 then discern, — in short, to tell any one how to learn to bowl, 
 is well-nigh a hopeless task. There 'is something that 
 baffles the keenest observation, either of telescope or micro- 
 scope, in a really first-rate bowler's motions; or,. rather, it 
 would be truer to say that no amount of inspection reveals 
 the secret sufficiently clearly to enable any one else to acquire 
 it. Men of similar build have been known to copy each 
 other's actions till a strange similarity was noticeable ; but 
 there always remains a certain difference in the flight and 
 bound of the ball. Again,, when we first saw Alfred Shaw 
 
2S CRICKET. 
 
 bowl, who was there who did not think to himself that there, 
 at last, was the simplest thing in the world to go and do, — 
 simply to take three or four steps, move the arm at its most 
 natural angle without any fuss or swagger, and it was bound 
 to send the ball straight to the right spot : how could it go 
 anywhere else ? Yet of all the number who went home and 
 practised that action, not one ever attained to the same 
 degree of precision, or could combine it with the same 
 amount of break-back. Others have bowled as well, but 
 with their own action, not his. Indeed, it may safely be 
 said that those who tried the hardest to reproduce the 
 artist's delivery were wanting in the original gifl^ and ended 
 their cricket career as very poor bowlers. 
 ' The fact is, bowling is a special endowment of nature, 
 totally unlike anything else. It is easy to see that batting and 
 fielding largely depend on nature ; but some of the strangest 
 facts about bowling are not in the least true about other depart- 
 ments of the game, or indeed of any game. For instance, 
 who can explain the mysterious evanescence of some boys' 
 bowhng ? We know of cases where, for a few months it may 
 be, the ball was delivered with just that pecuhar spin and 
 facility which denotes the heaven sent gift. Winter comes 
 in the usual way, and lo ! at the return of spring the bowler 
 is a bowler no more. Some inspired person puts it down to 
 overwork. W't. all hear a great deal of boys being over- 
 bowled ; and it is sometimes insisted that, if proper care were 
 taken of young boys at public schools, we should see a large 
 supply of bowlers at the universities, and the lamentable 
 inferiority of the gentlemen as compared to the players 
 would soon be rectified. But who ever tended and nursed 
 the Freemans, the Shaws, Morleys, and Lohmans when 
 they were young ? Does any one come up and tell the lads 
 on the Nottingliamshjre greens that they have been bowling 
 
BOWLING 29 
 
 enough for the day, and must go home and have some 
 gruel ? 
 
 It seems reasonable to suppose that the numerous pro- 
 fessional bowlers have in their boyhood been exposed to 
 the dangers of a more thorough neglect than even the lower 
 boys in schools, though it is not pretended that these latter 
 are in all cases adequately fostered to their maturity. The 
 question demands investigation, but till the contrary is 
 proved, we are surely barred from attributing the skill of 
 the professionals to more careful precautions against over- 
 bowling. If there is anything in their boyhood which 
 stands out in contrast to the boyhood of the public-school 
 players, it is that they are not more, but less looked after. 
 And this fact seems to place this mysterious art on a 
 different footing at once from several others. The standard 
 of good professional billiard players is enormously above 
 that of good amateurs. This is plainly due to weeks, months, 
 and years having been given by the professionals to patient 
 and terribly monotonous practice, so monotonous that no 
 one who has not to live by it could endure it. In a less 
 degree the professional singer puts the amateur in the shade ; 
 this is because he has given much more time to practice, but 
 not so much more as the billiard-player. And so in other 
 arts, early training and constant coaching brings its reward. 
 And yet the best bowlers are those who have been trained 
 the least. 
 
 Now, there is a great deal that is very baffling in all this. 
 And it would be a poor confession of weakness merely to 
 say that bowling is like music or divination, something 
 inspired and inexplicable, which it would be almost profane 
 to scrutinize too closely. The story is told that Mr. Ruskin 
 in his young and most enthusiastic days was walking with 
 the great painter Turner, and descanting with his own 
 
30 CRICKET. 
 
 inimitable eloquence on the mysteries and principles of 
 painting ; and after some twenty minutes his companion, 
 whose genius was artistic, not dialectic, replied, "Yes, 
 painting is a rum job." It is incumbent on us to set forth 
 as far as we can, not indeed with Mr. Ruskin's eloquence, 
 but with something more than Turner's brevity, some 
 explanation of this phenomenon, the difference between 
 professionals and amateurs in bowling, with a view to draw- 
 ing a practical lesson. 
 
 The fitfulness of bowling, above alluded to, is chiefly 
 noticeable among boys. This must be for one of two 
 reasons. Either the muscles are weak, and the work there- 
 fore too hard for them, or else, owing to the rapid change in 
 their physical conformation, the arm moves in the right way 
 one year and wrongly the next. Whichever of these two 
 reasons be the true one, there appears to be a process of 
 sifting going on from early boyhood to about eighteen years 
 old, a survival of the fittest. Now, during this period the 
 same sifting must be continuing among young players on 
 the village green as among public-school boys. Some will 
 overdo the practice ; others, who were good bowlers at 
 thirteen, will be useless at nineteen. In spite of the care 
 taken at public schools, the career of a boy bowler in one 
 place is very similar to that of one in the other line of life. 
 There is anyhow less difference then than afterwards. 
 
 "What, then, happens after a bowler leaves the public school? 
 and is it the same as happens to a young professional of 
 eighteen or nineteen years of age? At the universities, it may 
 be confidently asserted, the bowlers are left very much to 
 themselves. An idea which, though wholly erroneous, prevails 
 widely, is that they are past the age when coaching and 
 careful practice will be of any use to them ; that they are, in 
 short, fully formed cricketers, and to be treated as such. 
 
BOWLING. 31 
 
 The result is that bov.'ling is not practised at all. If the 
 public-school boy does not go to a university, this is even 
 more certainly the case. Matches at irregular intervals, 
 careless living, constant batting, especially at nets, which 
 seems to have a deleterious influence on the bowler's 
 muscles, and antagonistic interests generally, cause in most 
 cases a deterioration in the power of the right arm. With 
 the professionals these difficulties need not, and generally 
 do not exist. At about eighteen a young bowler begins to 
 be talked about, and finds it worth his while to take pains, 
 and get engagements. If he is successful, he treats himself 
 as a bowler, and doesn't trouble his head about batting. 
 Day by day he is at it, and never bowls carelessly, and, if he 
 is fully grown, his muscles can stand it, and he steadily 
 advances. And this improvement is due, not to any par- 
 ticular supervision, but to the time-honoured fact that a man 
 to live must eat. The young man perceives his chance of 
 making a livelihood, takes the requisite pains, and succeeds. 
 
 This seems a more reasonable account of the fact than 
 that which is ordinarily advanced, viz. that school-boys 
 overbowl themselves, and professionals do not. The truth 
 seems to be that the professional bowls better, not because 
 he bowls less, but more ; and also at the right time of life. 
 It is surely an absurdity to talk of undergraduates as fully 
 formed cricketers, any more than complete scholars, or 
 models of common-sense and sobriety. All these things 
 are in process of growth. By eighteen or nineteen most 
 lads are strong enough to stand a great deal of bowling ; but 
 they are certainly young enough to improve enormously if 
 they take pains. And this gives us a practical suggestion 
 for the future. The one thing which has never yet been 
 tried at the universities and elsewhere is steady daily practice. 
 
 If some of those flashy persons who are to be seen fre- 
 
32 CRICKET. 
 
 quently disporting themselves at the nets, paying large sums 
 to the ground-men to bowl at them for an hour at a time, 
 were to devote their energies to working at bowling, instead 
 of making exhibitions of themselves for three shillings a day, 
 they might be of some service to the community. Ve'ry 
 moderate bowling at fifteen, might become really useful at 
 twenty-five. But it needs patience and work. Bowling is, 
 a''ter all, pretty much like other arts. It depends to some 
 extent on the capacity for taking pains. There is, perhaps, 
 no fact which causes a truly patriotic cricketer so much 
 dismay as the prospect which is now opening before us, of 
 a long vista of professional victories over the gentlemerl. 
 Many other things in modern cricket, e.g. the length of the 
 innings, inspire some anxiety as to the future ; but if the 
 professionals are to have it all their own way, we can hardly 
 expect to keep the game clear of the terrible dangers which 
 already beset football, and have done so much to ruin base- 
 ball in America. If their superiority to-day is due to the 
 fact that they have leamt to bat as well as bowl, the balance 
 must be restored by the gentlemen learning to bowl as well 
 as bat. It is therefore not without purpose that the causes 
 of the difference between the bowling of the two classes has 
 been thus discussed ; and it is satisfactory to find that the 
 remedy lies (since bowling is not magic) in something so 
 simple as that our young gentlemen should give themselves 
 some trouble between eighteen and twenty-three years of 
 age. Simple enough to say, it undoubtedly is. But we 
 can hardly expect that it will be carried out by any but the 
 small and perhaps dwindling minority who have the interests 
 of the game so much nearer their hearts than their own 
 pleasure, that they will endure a somewhat thankless labour 
 in order to promote them. It is now necessary to examine 
 the nature of this labour, the learning how to bowL 
 
BOWLING. 
 
 I 
 
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 hi 5 ^ 
 
 G 
 
 S 2 
 
 
 5 I i 
 
 8 S 
 
 
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 5 ^ 
 
 Pasition of the field for lob bowling. 
 
34 CRICKET. 
 
 Dividing bowling, then, roughly into two classes, slow and 
 fast, we may say at once that there is very little in the way 
 of well-established principle to which we can appeal in any 
 investigation of this question. Not only is bowling to a 
 great extent a gift of nature, but even those men who have 
 
 LONG L£6S 
 
 CONG STOP 
 9 
 -. SHORT SUP^ 
 mh'" MAN « 
 
 ^ ^ Short LCS 
 
 •wicket KE£P£R * (if nut muilzd- 
 
 COVER POWf 
 
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 POINTS % BATSMAN ^ ^"'J O^O 
 
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 BATSWM»\. 
 
 MID OfP 
 
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 Position of the field for fast bowling. 
 
 attained to excellence by dint of careful practice, have failed 
 to bequeath the miethod of their practice to posterity. 
 Indeed, it seems almost certain that the best fast bowlers 
 
BOWLING. 33 
 
 have developed &o one knows how, not even themselves. 
 But among slow bowlers there have been a few who have 
 trained themselves and others, and who could testify to the 
 good of patient work. So we will confine ourselves for the 
 present to slow bowling, especially to the humble, but not 
 to be despised art of bowling lobs. 
 
 Good lob-bowlers are and always have beea very few in 
 number. This is due less to the inherent difficulty of lob- 
 bowling, than to the proneness of young cricketers to dis- 
 couragement. A lad of fifteen thinks he can bowl lobs, and 
 tries ; of course, at first, with small success, for the simple 
 reasons that the batsman is not afraid of him, his field can- 
 not hold catches, and, if they could, he has no notion where 
 to put them. After one or two attempts at this, he retires 
 to fielding long slips, conscious that he has not yet found 
 his vocation. And yet it may well be that, though he starts 
 with nothing more than a certain power of twisting the ball, 
 he has the makings of an effective lob-bowler in him, which 
 some pertinacity could not fail to bring out. If he could be 
 induced to give a little time to practising at a stump every 
 day, and then resume his attack of some batsman in a game 
 or match, something might come of it. It is quite, certain 
 that most of the wickets which even a really good lob-bowler 
 gets are got by the folly of the batsman, more than by the 
 skill of the bowler. Very rarely is a decent player really 
 beaten by a lob. Far oftener than not, some fit of excessive 
 timidity, some fatalistic feeling, which certain players are 
 never without, that they cannot play so-and-so's lobs, or, on 
 the other hand, some silly bravado play to the gallery, is at 
 the bottom of a lob's success. Now, a young bowler who 
 perseveres is almost sure to get some wickets in this way 
 before long, and, after that, he makes his attempts under nev/ 
 conditions ; that is to say, any nervous batsman thinks there 
 
36 CRICKET. 
 
 is some strange " devil " in his bowling to which he must 
 succumb : and a bad lob-bowler has a very good chance of 
 doing something if the batsmen are nervous. There is a 
 deal of waste in nature. If other bowlers, who have promise 
 in them, come to nought in the hurly-burly of pubHc-school 
 cricket, or are for ever ruined by the sloggers on the village 
 green, how much more the gentle and sensitive " lobster," 
 whose success depends so largely on facts he is ignorant of 
 and conditioils he cannot control. A little discouragement 
 at the outset, and he tries no more. Nay, even in the case 
 of an older bowler, how often it happens that, after an honest 
 but ineffectual effort, he is only sneered at for his pains ! 
 Perhaps he does what is perfectly right, and tries an over 
 or two against a batsman who is thoroughly set in an impor- 
 tant match : and since lobs are but poor things at best, he 
 gets hit about rather freely on a good wicket. 
 
 He has done what any sciolist in cricket knows to be 
 strictly right and sensible, and yet some of those very clever 
 persons who spin out fancy anecdotes about the match in 
 some daily paper, will deride the bowler, and the captain 
 who put him on, and the whole side for not being able to do 
 better themselves. A cricketer who plays much in public 
 must expect quaint and scanty justice. Now belauded, now 
 decried, he must make up his mind to go on unheeding, or 
 he will never make a lob-bowler. Meantime, it can hardly 
 be denied that many and many a decent bowler might 
 become far more accurate and formidable, if only he would 
 constantly practice ordinary good plain lobs at a stump, 
 without a batsman, and with nothing but a friend behind the 
 wicket to return the ball, and a piece of paper whereon to 
 pitch it. It will require patience and perseverance, since 
 no trace of improvement will be visible for many days— a 
 characteristic which this art shares with golf, tennis, and one 
 or two other games. 
 
MoWLim. 37 
 
 Now, since soiiie lob-bowleirs acquire a fair control over 
 the ball but seem not to know what to do with it when they 
 liave got it, a hint or two as to some simple tricks may not 
 be out of place : though it must be repeated that dodginess 
 is no use till accuracy is learnt ,' and that for one accurate 
 plain 'bowler' who lacks ideas, there are twenty who are full 
 of them, but who in their most cunning moments bowl their 
 worst balls. 
 
 The following principles, however, are sound. Watch 
 the batsman. It may be that you have before you a dashing 
 driving bat, who will long to get your balls on the full pitch 
 or half-volley, Of course, the object is to get him to run 
 out to a ball that is too short. So you first bowl him some 
 steady low balls without much twist ; then a high, very slow 
 one, dropping short on the off-side and twisting away. If 
 he is a very nimble man he may get to the place and drive 
 the ball for three or four ; but if he lacks resolution he will 
 perhaps only get halfway, and be stumped, or very nearly there, 
 to be caught at cover-point ; and niind, if the field drops the 
 catch, go on exactly as if nothing had happened. 
 
 Or the' batsman may be fast-footed, and playing Icbs as if 
 they were fast balls forward and back. The best ball to puzzle 
 him with, is a fast one pitching straight and twisting away, 
 rendering a catch at point possible, or a very slow twister far 
 up, which may tempt the player from a mere sense of shame 
 to do something violent. This style of play, however, if 
 maintained for long is very wearing to the bowler, and on a ■ 
 good hard wicket will generally be difficult to overcome, 
 unless the lobs are bowled with an unusual twist. 
 
 Lastly, there is the over-cautious batsman, who thinks he 
 can play every ball back. For him you should have ready a 
 really fast ball on the leg-stump without any twist. This may 
 induce him to step back in the hope of gaining time, and so 
 
38 CRiCKkt. 
 
 hitting his wicket. If the previous balls have all been slow 
 and curly, and he has got to feel himself thoroughly secure 
 with them, the fast ball is very likely to be effective. But 
 you must learn how to increase the speed of the ball without 
 letting every one see what is going forward. 
 
 There are various ways of doing this. One is to increase 
 the speed or length of yovir run. It is a plain truth that the 
 pace of the ball depends on the run, as well as on the swing 
 of the arm : as can be verified by observing the impetus given 
 to projectiles thrown from a railway-carriage window. Now, 
 the pace of the run up to the crease before the ball leaves the 
 hand is of small importance; the difference depends on 
 the ball being propelled by a body in fast motion or by one 
 hardly moving at all. So you can run fast up to the crease, 
 and, just at the moment of bowling, stop dead. This will 
 give the ball a slow flight, even though your arm moves 
 through the air at its ordinary rate. Or you may take your 
 usual number of strides, but each a little longer than usual. 
 This gives extra speed to the run, and consequently to the 
 ball, but the batsman can hardly perceive the reason why. 
 His eyes are fixed on the bowler's arm, Lastly, there is a 
 trick of giving the ball a forward spin with the tips of the 
 fingers as it leaves the hand, which causes a fast bound from 
 the pitch. Combined with a fast run, this spin makes a 
 ball come along at a surprising pace, without the arm doing 
 anything out of the common. Certain it is that very few 
 lob-bowlers study the run up to the wicket sufficiently. It 
 ought not to be mechanically uniform. When thino-s are 
 going really badly, and two good men are in, and the wicket 
 quite smooth, and you feel that you are nearing your last 
 over, try a slow high full pitch at the batsman's person. It 
 is by no means every player who can prevent himself from 
 sending a plain catcli to square log. He will put the whole 
 
BOWLING. 
 
 39 
 
 of his muscle into the blow; but if the ball be dropping 
 slower than usual, so that it is about the height of his waist 
 when he hits it, up it will go. The sensation of innocent 
 triumph in the bowler's breast, as he sees the catoh secured. 
 
 ^:LS?^Steyiv-»- 
 
 The bad catch. 
 
 and a really formidable scorer dismissed early, " was never 
 said in rhyme." It must be felt to be understood. 
 
 In a general way, then, it may be said that no eleven is 
 ever quite complete without a lob-bowler, for the simple 
 
40 CRICKET. 
 
 reason that no one ever knows what batsman may fall a 
 victim to a momentary carelessness, or want of nerve, nor 
 how bad a ball a successful lob may be. Let the bowler 
 remember that the worst possible lob, which very rarely gets 
 a wicket, is a long hop on the legs ; to be a respectable 
 bowler he must send very few of these. Next, that the 
 slower his ball is the more twist there ought to be ; and, as a 
 rule, the slowest balls should be on the off-stump, or outside, 
 the fast ones on the leg-stump. Audacity in the bowler, 
 and pluck in the fields are important. If a batsman is very 
 aggressive and seems perfectly at home, don't suppose that 
 he is so necessarily. Very often a running-out player has 
 secret misgivings which he tries to hide under a display of 
 daring. Lastly, the worst folly which a captain can well 
 commit is to possess such a bowler and not to put him on 
 when runs are coming fast. 
 
 Some of the above remarks apply to other kinds of bowl- 
 ing. There remains, anyhow, liitle that can be said in the 
 way of practical advice, excepting perhaps as to the in- 
 teresting trick that some bowlers have of changing their pace. 
 
 With a very few exceptions, it may be said tliat this art 
 was unknown among our fast and medium pace bowlers 
 previous to the first visit of the- Australians in 1878. It then 
 became manifest that in the colonies it was practised far 
 more generally than in the mother-country. Probably the 
 hot seasons and smooth wickets in Australia make it neces- 
 sary that ordinary bowling should be seasoned with some 
 spice of difficulty of this kind, for the game to prosper. 
 Anyhow it seems quite clear that the knack is not necessarily 
 confined to slow bowlers, though it is curious that in England 
 it is universal among- slow bowlers and almost non-existent 
 among fast On the other hand, we may infer that it is 
 more difficult of attainment in fast bowling, but not impos- 
 
BOWLING. 
 
 41 
 
 ■'sible, even for a large number. As to the benefits of it, they 
 are indubitable. However long a batsman may stay in, as 
 long as the balls come at different speed he cannot afford to 
 relax his vigilance. He never reaches the condition of that 
 
 The safe catch. 
 
 peaceful security, free from thought and anxiety, which 
 only requires an almost automatic mechanical style of play 
 to be maintained. If the player plays without unusual 
 vigilance, a perfectly simple ball may bowl him clean out 
 
•42 C&ICKET. 
 
 any moment, simply because he fails to note the change of 
 pace. To those who have played, or even watched Mr. 
 Spofforth in his later years, further disquisition on this 
 subject is needless. Now, how is this trick acquired ? 
 
 Many authorities would say that no sort of hint could be 
 given likely to be useful. But some years ago a statement 
 was reported to have been made by Mr. Spoiforth himself 
 to the effect that he habitually held the ball differently 
 according to the pace required — not loosely for the fast 
 and tightly gripped for the slow, as might be conjectured, 
 but vice versa. For a slow ball he would hold the ball 
 poised very loosely about the bottom of the fingers, so that 
 it would not be carried forward for the whole time that the 
 arm is swinging, but would be detached from the hand, at 
 the moment of maximum velocity, and begin its flight 
 deprived of the full impetus which it would gain if held 
 more tightly. That is to say, the hand swings just as 
 fast as usual, and the whole action is identically the same 
 with that used for a fast ball ; but, owing to the ball being 
 very loosely poised on the palm, the hand slips from under it 
 just before the ordinary moment, with the result that the full 
 violence of the swing is expended on the air, not on the ball. 
 
 The principle may be illustrated in this way. Supposing 
 a man takes a racquet and holds it out flat, and on the 
 strings places a racquet-ball; then, if he makes a swift 
 horizontal stroke through the air, the ball will fall off 
 behind the racquet. It slips off behind, because it rests 
 too loosely on the strings to stand the violence of their 
 motion. Now, in bowling this may be done, though it 
 requires time and practice before it can be combined 
 with precision of pitch. It is, anyhow, obvious that up to 
 a certain point the ball must be gripped fast if it is to be 
 thrown or bowled with great speed. Hence, if this grip 
 
FlELDiNG. 43 
 
 varies, we may suppose that the ball will in varying degrees 
 answer to the impetus given by the arm. In other words, 
 without a change of action, the pace will change. Whether 
 Mr. Spofforlh ever made this statement or not, it is pretty 
 clear that here is a possible way of acquiring a very scientific 
 refinement of the bowler's art. If bowled overhand, the 
 ball will also be affected by the fingers in succession sweep- 
 ing down one side as the hand quits it ; and this of course 
 results in a break from the off in the case of a right-hand 
 bowler. Whether difficult or not to all, and impossible to 
 some, this trick ought to be practiced by every fast bowler.. 
 Many would do no good with it, but a few would ; and 
 anything that improves bowling even a, little is to be looked 
 upon as an unmixed boon to the game. The number of 
 bowlers who have hitherto made an honest attempt to 
 acquire the knack is extremely small, so that we need not 
 forecast from the past what the future might be. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FIELDING. 
 
 Enough, perhaps, will have been urg.d in the chapter on 
 Cricket in Schools as to the general importance of the 
 beautiful art known as "fielding," and the possibilities which 
 exist of great improvement in it, if sufficient care is taken 
 liy young players. The subject of the present chapter will 
 therefore be simply some recom-mendations to be observed 
 by the different fieldsmen in their respective places in the 
 field. It might be supposed that directions as to such 
 matters as stopping a ball, or throwing in straight, would 
 be superfluous. A dialogue was overheard, in a brisk game 
 
44 CRICKET: 
 
 of football not long ago, between an energetic and out- 
 spoken captain and an unsuccessful half-back. Captain,, 
 repeatedly : " Now, then, take it on the volley, drop it just 
 over the forwards, kick it before they charge you," etc. 
 Halfback, pathetically : " It is easy to see what otight to 
 be done ; the difficulty is to do it." To' a large extent this 
 discriminating formula will be applicable to all fielding. 
 But yet there are places in the field where something more 
 than a supple back-bone and a capacious pair of hands is 
 wanted, namely, knowledge, particularly as regards the place 
 Jo stand, how to back-up, and to which wicket to throw. 
 On these points a few remarks may be found useful. 
 
 Short-Slip. 
 
 Of all the stations in the field which are rendered less 
 difficult by knowledge, the scientific and much-neglected 
 post of short-slip is the one that first claims attention. 
 The reason is, that nowhere is even a good field so lost if 
 he does not know where and how to stand. It is a fact not 
 easy to explain that, whenever a short-slip is placed wrong, 
 he is too square, and probably not far enough out. No 
 captain errs in the reverse sense. It is a mere matter of 
 experience that the commonest snick off fast bowling does 
 fly exceedingly fine, and very sharp from the bat. Now, if 
 short-slip is standing too wide and too near, he gets a catch 
 which not only comes faster than it need, but also is directed 
 to his left hand; in short, a catch such as is frequently 
 missed. It is supremely galling to a captain to see a 
 difficult chance missed, when he knows that, had the field 
 obeyed his directions, it would have been a very easy one. 
 For no matter how fast the bowling be, a short-slip catch 
 is % very easy one, provided the field be in his right place. 
 
FIELDING. 
 
 45 
 
 Even then, one more condition is necessary; he must be 
 keenly attentive, and really expecting the ball to come. 
 Now this sounds a trifle, but in a long innings it is not so. 
 It means that whenever a straight ball or one to. the off is 
 
 pf 
 
 f.-.n^kiissX''^'* —^ 
 
 .. i 
 
 „ '-•!!>"■ C 
 
 The bad short-slip. 
 
 on its way — and that with some bowlers means every ball — 
 short-slip has not only to have his hands out, but his knees 
 well bent, after the fashion of a wicket-keeper. If he does 
 this every time, it means that he is a keener cricketer than 
 
46 CRICKET. 
 
 -many who might be named. One alleviation may be 
 allowed. If the ball goes at or outside the batsman's legs, 
 he need not put himself out. The ball won't come to him, 
 or, if it does, it will come fairly high and slow. Further, he 
 must be on the look-out for the uncanny twist given by a 
 snick. If the ground is hard, that twist will not act unless 
 the ball comes very slowly ; if the ground is soft and sticky, 
 the twist will act : there remains, therefore, a condition of 
 ground when it sometimes will act, sometimes not. No 
 short-slip will find it easy to stop the snicks on days of this 
 sort. It is one of the tasks set to people towards the per- 
 formance of which no advice is of the least service, though 
 in case of failure there will be no lack of blame. 
 
 Cover-point, Mid-off, and Mid-on. 
 
 In these positions the fieldsman has a plain task, though 
 not always an easy one. That is to say, it consists in the 
 main of stopping balls and throwing them in. There is less 
 doubt about where he is to stand than is sometimes the case. 
 But still there are some refinements which a good field will 
 hasten to practice. In the first place, the question of where 
 to stand does not vary with the batsmen or the bowlers so much 
 as with the state of the ground, ^^'hen it is hard, stand well 
 out, because the ball will come easily to you; when it is 
 dead, come in closer. This is plain enough. But it might be 
 objected that if you stand far back the batsmen will steal 
 a short run. True, perhaps ; but better risk tliat than lose 
 all the hardish hits that are made in your direction, which 
 a yard or two further back you might cover. But there is 
 no reason why you should lose these short runs. A man who 
 is active on his legs, and endowed with that precious faculty 
 of being able to start at once, has a grand chance of running 
 
FIELDING. 
 
 47 
 
 a man out, especially at mid-off. Not long ago a rare fine 
 cover-point, after running out a venturesome batsman, re- 
 marked quietly, " When I see a man trying that on, I feel 
 like a spider with a fly." A noble sentiment, showing a real 
 
 The good short-slip. 
 
 cricketer! His method was imply this. When a new 
 player came in, he would retreat further off, and stand with 
 a gentle lack-lustre appearance, so as to lead the striker to 
 suppose that he had to deal with an ordinary hard-run 
 
48 CRICKET. 
 
 cover-point, who lacked interest in the game and didn't 
 know where to stand. There are shoals of such fieldsmen 
 to be met with, and any one may be excused for thinking 
 that one more of the genus is before him. Soon a gentle 
 hit is made towards cover. The field trots very slowly 
 towards it, but on his toes, and eyeing the batsman mean- 
 time, till he hears the welcome words " Come on " uttered 
 after a short but fatal hesitation. Then, with a startling 
 change of motion, he pounces on the ball and lodges it in 
 the wicket-keeper's hands before the men have crossed 
 between the wickets, or while a hasty but fervid protest 
 is being muttered by the further batsman in the middle of 
 the pitch. Mid-off is even more favourably placed. Very 
 often the ball is hit quietly towards him, and as he stands 
 full in view of the striker, he can easily tempt him by 
 assuming an otiose demeanour and by standing far out, to 
 risk a short run. Moreover, when he picks up the ball 
 everything is in his favour for tlu-owing in straight, as the 
 wicket stands broad and inviting before him. There are 
 few more perfectly satisfactory moments in our chequered 
 lives than when one of these innocent frauds is quietly 
 conceived and fairly accomplished. 
 
 ' As regards the question closely connected with this, of 
 " backing up," some remarks will be made later» 
 
 Third Man. 
 
 This is a very scientific place, which gives opportuni- 
 ties of running out similar to those of cover-point and 
 mid-off, but is complicated with some difficulties connected 
 with the wicket to be thrown to, and witli the peculiar spin 
 of the ball. The puzzle about the latter is that on a hard 
 ground it doesn't act at all; and a young fieldsman who 
 
FIELDING. 49 
 
 first takes to the place, full of warnings about the twist, will 
 find that though the ball is cut with great severity and' 
 glances off the bat, yet it comes hissing along the grass in 
 a straight line. This is embarrassing, and particularly so 
 to boys who come up to Lord's to play a school match in 
 dry weather, after playing through a season on a softer 
 ground at home. No advice can be given. The native 
 genius for the game is nobly tested, since the ball will 
 sometimes twist and sometimes not, as explained above. 
 
 Now, when a short run is attempted, third man has 
 a choice of wickets to throw at. If he selects the nearer, he 
 runs less chance of an overthrow, and can better trust the 
 wicket-keeper to be in his place than if he threw to the 
 bowler. On the other hand, the batsman is more likely to 
 be in his ground. 
 
 It is common for the striker to be called to, not to call, 
 when a cut is made, and be this right or wrong, third 
 man must take account of the fact. The caller knows 
 his danger, and hastens accordingly, but the striker has 
 to start after hitting, without backing-up, and cannot 
 •exactly estimate his danger, unless Parthian-wise he turns 
 his head while running, which diminishes his speed. So if 
 third man is a strong thrower, he certainly ought to throw 
 to the bowler's wicket, a long hop, and, if the bowler is in 
 his place behind the sticks, he will make it very dangerous 
 for the batsman. In short, third man, the bowler, and the 
 backer-up have it in their power to accomplish ■ a really 
 valuable service to the side. They can, by one brilliant 
 and conscientious piece of combined fielding, deter all the 
 following batsmen on the side from attempting to run these 
 common strokes, and the ultimate difiference in the aggre- 
 gate of runs is very considerable indeed. Hereon rests the 
 foundation of the statement that such-and-such a match was 
 
so CklClCET. 
 
 lost by fielding. It is often true, but seldom in the exact 
 sense meant by the newspapers. A brilliant field will stop 
 so many runs from being attempted, that he may well save 
 the match. Whereas he may or may not secure a difficult 
 catch. Such things are not in man's power ; but this kind 
 of ground fielding is. Therefore it is exceedingly important 
 that the near fields, mid-ofF, cover, and third man, should be 
 not only safe fields, but brilliant fields with quick returns : 
 and even if they lose a run or two now and then by an 
 excess of dash, the side can afford it. V/hat no side can 
 possibly afford is to have these scientific positions assigned 
 to heavy, safe, lumbering fieldsmen, who never save a run, 
 and never lose one. Such men allow the batsmen to see 
 exactly what they can do, and they do it without the slightest 
 risk of molestation; and the worst of it is, that very few 
 captains will have an idea that there is anything wrong. It 
 is not only that brilliancy is beautiful, but it is useful as 
 well, and something of it is within the reach of very many 
 more players than ever attempt to learn it. 
 
 Third man and cover-point should work till they become 
 quick, not in order to win the undiscriminating applause of 
 the mob, but to save runs — a far more important matter. And 
 if it be objected to this that safety in fielding is a very im- 
 portant quality, and that the tendency of these remarks is 
 to put a premium on brilliancy even though combined with 
 uncertainty, it may truthfully be answered that for many 
 a young cricketer the working to secure brilliancy is the 
 only hope of his ever becoming safe in the field. It is 
 exceedingly common for wiseacres to speak of some slow 
 bad field as if he were necessarily safe, whereas his un- 
 certainty is nearly as bad as his sluggishness ; in tlie same 
 sort of way as people often think a hard hitter has a bad 
 defence, for no other reason than that he can punish a loose 
 
PIELDING. 51 
 
 ball. If a field teaches himself brilliancy, he need never 
 lose his safeness, and though many cannot ever become 
 brilliant, all can try, and in trying they will grow to be safer. 
 
 Long-leg. 
 
 When a hard leg-hitter is in, and one of those old- 
 fashioned good bowlers on, who gives a reasonable pro- 
 portion of leg-balls, there is scarcely anything in any game 
 that can surpass the delight of fielding long-leg. Of course, 
 the field ought to be a very strong thrower, and a fast 
 runner ; but quickness of throwing is almost as important as 
 strength, and even an average runner, if he really runs his 
 hardest, will anyhow begin to be a good field. An ex- 
 perienced long-leg will never be bored, so long as the 
 batsman will only hit. now and then to him. He has the 
 great interest of watching the swing of the striker's bat, and 
 judging, from his attempt to hit, where the ball is likely to 
 go; and again, if he is a strong enough thrower, he can 
 indulge himself in innocent frauds, such as are described 
 above, by pouncing oil the ball, and hurling it to the 
 bowler's wicket a swift skimming long hop, after enticing the 
 two players to a second run. To take the first point, he 
 ought to notice whether the batsman swings his bat vertically 
 or horizontally, because in the one case the ball will be hit 
 square, in the other sharp. 
 
 Then, again, the field must be ready for the miss-hits , 
 which slide off the side of the bat and go sharp, and 
 according to. these different considerations he will take 
 up his position. In spite of all precautions it is certain 
 that such balls will go wide of him, and give him a weary 
 trot before the day is over. But he can always remember 
 that if he stirs his legs with real zest throughout a long 
 innings, he will certainly save a great many runs; and 
 
Si CRICKET. 
 
 no man ought to require more stimulus than this. Againi 
 should it be necessary for him to go sharper, he ought 
 to move nearer to the wicket as well ; that is to say, 
 in a line at right angles to that between the two wickets 
 produced. The reason of this is that the snicks and hits 
 which go. sharp, are not so hard as the square hits ; and the 
 fieldsman ought to save two by standing near in. Then, 
 again, he should naturally observe where the clean hits of each 
 batsman go ; especially if they are in the air. Some players 
 hit ball after ball in the same place, and yet a vacuous- 
 minded long-leg will return cheerfully to his original position, 
 twenty-five yards away from the right spot, and wonder to 
 find himself tired by the evening, and the match lost. 
 
 As to running the men out, the best chances consist or 
 the gentle strokes played towards him by a batsman who 
 is sharp enough to know that if he runs fast he may score 
 two, and irritate the field. Long-leg's business, then, is to 
 swoop down on to the ball as fast as he possibly can run, 
 and send it either a smart catch to the wicket-keeper or 
 a long -hop to the bowler, who of course ought to be ready 
 behind the stumps, with mid-ofF backing up behind him. 
 Even if the effort fails, long-leg will probably fluster the 
 batsmen sufficiently to prevent their trying such a run again. 
 And then, supposing his side win the match by a few runs, 
 how great and serene his satisfaction at the end of the long 
 day ! What pleasure, should he lie awake at night, to recall 
 his unnoticed vigilance and persevering zeal in the hum- 
 drum part of the day's work ! These are the memories 
 which gladden a cricketer's heart for many a year to come. 
 
 In short, taking one thing with another, it is impossible to 
 ponder on the beauties of long-leg fielding as it used to be, 
 without heaving a sigh over the change which the prevalence 
 of smooth wickets has introduced into the game. Time 
 
FIELDING. S3 
 
 was when, at Lord's, a goodish fast bowler, not absolutely 
 straight, would give even a first-class batsman plenty to 
 think; of, simply because the turf helped his well-pitched 
 balls and ma:de them really difificult to play. Here was a 
 fine incentive to defence. And then the loose balls I Prob- 
 ably once every two overs came a rich half-volley to, leg, 
 and unless a batsman could hit it properly he could hardly 
 be reckoned first-rate. But if he. could, there the spectators 
 were regaled with the rewarding sight of a combination of 
 crashing hits and stubborn defence such as never can be 
 shown in the same degree of perfection on modern- tvrckets. 
 The defence is, as a rule, a comparatively simple affair, and, 
 as for the leg-hitting, alas and alas ! it is well-nigh a dead, 
 art in first-class rtiatches, simply because leg-balls are no 
 longer bowled. 
 
 The chance for a batsman to display his powers to the 
 full is no longer allowed him; and no matter whether 
 good scores are made, or whether boundary rules are 
 altered, or extra time allowed, or what reforms are made, 
 there is the gravest reason to fear that the great game has 
 received a deadly blow from the levelling and taming of 
 many grounds. The evil of long scoring is a serious one : 
 that of boundaries is also serious, but in a less degree ; but 
 the truth is, a spurious excellence in batting is encouraged, 
 grievously unlike the real greatness that used to be shown, 
 simply because it is not complete but very partial. To be 
 a first-class batsman now, a man need have no idea how to 
 play a shooter. This is a misfortune. Nor need he have 
 any power of on-hitting or leg-hitting. He must have a 
 straight bat, good off-strokes, and great patience ; but let 
 him exercise these gifts as he will, he will never display the 
 same combination of strength and science as did the great 
 players, of twenty years ago. This is the . centre of the 
 
54 CRICKET. 
 
 mischief— neither the player himself nor the spectators can 
 fully imagine what has been lost. The innings were short 
 and full of brilliancy, like the ancient Athenian history ; and 
 while they lasted, every cricketing gift in the batsman was 
 taxed to the uttermost, and the bowler was never without 
 hope. 
 
 The time has passed apparently for ever when a player 
 could know the exquisite satisfaction of playing a dead 
 shooter, and hitting the next ball out of the ground, and 
 show what enormous variety and ceaseless interest is con- 
 tained in the noble game. It has now become a partial 
 revelation only of a man's physical gifts, and this alone, 
 apart from the evils enumerated above, would justify the 
 opinion that the change in the character of the turf at Lord's, 
 from 1875 to 1876, whereby shooters were for ever banished, 
 was a deadly injury to the game. It is a grievous and 
 somewhat allegorical history of the dangers to a country of 
 an advanced and increasingly luxurious civilization. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 BATTING. 
 
 It is not because batting is a less important branch of the 
 game than fielding and bowling, that we come to consider 
 it last of the three. Indeed it might plausibly be argued 
 that the batsman makes runs, and that without some runs 
 no match can be won. The reason is that the interest of 
 batting has always secured it more than its fair share of 
 attention, and the position of the subject in this handbook 
 is only a mild protest against this want of proportion, And 
 
BATTING. 55 
 
 yet it is not surprising that it should monopolize public 
 observation and private effort It requires a skilled 
 cricketer to appreciate good bowling, which, on a good 
 wicket, apparently does little but spoil the spectators' 
 fun; but an ignoramus can take pleasure in watching 
 batting. Again, a brilliant fieldsman is only one of a party, 
 and perhaps gets few opportunities of display : but a bats- 
 man is the cynosure of all eyes ; the game is arranged with 
 a view to him, and as long as he is at the wickets, he is the 
 prominent figure. Moreover, while the fieldsmen may be 
 regarded as representing defence, and the bowler as the 
 type of attack, the batsman combines both. And in fulfil- 
 ling his task, he manifests perhaps the most subtle and 
 perfect working of hand and eye together, that can possibly 
 be seen anywhere on the surface of the globe. It is 
 impossible to make twenty runs in decent style without 
 giving evidence of bodily pluck, readiness of resource, 
 patience, health, strength, and training. But the finished 
 artist who can master first-class bowling, shows the possession 
 of greater endowments than these. Not only physical 
 qualities of the highest order, but moral ones as well are 
 among the ingredients of first-rate batting. We hope to 
 make good this assertion in the following pages. 
 
 It will be useful to consider first what is the ideal set 
 before a young batsman. What is it that in buoyant 
 moments he faintly hopes to be able some day to achieve ? 
 We may answer this by saying that it is the finished 
 cultivation of certain natural gifts, and that the cultivation 
 of those gifts means simply the gradual formation of certain 
 habits which do not at first come naturally. To take one 
 instance. The natural motion of two arms holding an 
 object like a bat, is a kind of pull to the on. A pull is the 
 primitive hit of the natural man ; but to bat well a man 
 
S6 CRICKET. 
 
 must play straight This is a most artificial, laboriously 
 acquired motion ; but learning to bat involves the gradual 
 exercise of this motion, till it becomes a second nature. 
 This is for art to triumph over nature, till art becomes 
 natural. And be it remembered that to play with a straight 
 bat, is only one among many things which a good batsman 
 has to do. But however numerous they be, they must be 
 done with lightning quickness. To stop a good ball, or to 
 hit a bad one well, is to put the body into a certain posture 
 — by no means a natural one — before the real crisis has 
 begun. After the posture is adopted, comes the stroke, and 
 the stroke takes all a batsman's powers to make well. But 
 if there is anything wrong with the posture, the stroke is 
 spoilt. The grammar of the science is unsound. The 
 posture must be correct, but it must be adopted un- 
 consciously. 
 
 Now, from these principles, which some might call 
 truisms, a very important practical maxim proceeds. All 
 sound rules of batting should be practised by a young cricketer 
 without the ball as well as with it. The grammar of the 
 science can be partly learnt in the bed room ; the application 
 of the rules must be made on the green sward. Many a 
 finished batsman has tried this plan. Five minutes devoted 
 every night by an aspiring cricketer to a leg hit or cut, or 
 forward play at a phantom ball, will gradually discipline his 
 sinews to the required posture, besides sending him to bed 
 in a right frame of mind. 
 
 I think it was Harry Jupp who used to ascribe his 
 astonishingly good defence to a habit of this kind. He 
 used to place a large-sized mirror on the floor— not for 
 purposes of personal vanity— but to show if the bat moved 
 in a straight line. To make the test better, a line was 
 dra\yn jvlong the floor from the centre of the mjrror. along 
 
BATTING. 57 
 
 which line the bat was to move. The. least deviation was 
 then manifested, not only at the end of the stroke, but 
 while it was being made. What he owed to this careful 
 toil, Testis Metaurus flumen, etc., and even though a 
 choleric fellow lodger may now and then have wished him 
 further, the training was sound and the result admirable. 
 The truth must be insisted on ; many a cricket match has 
 been won in the bedroom. And even with the ball a good 
 deal can be done. I could name two eminent batsmen 
 who used, as boys, to wait after the day's play was over, and 
 the careless crowd had departed, and in the pavilion give 
 ten minutes or a quarter of an hour to practising a par- 
 ticular style of defence, about which more anon ; the one 
 bowled fast' sneaks along the floor to the other, at about 
 ten paces ■distance. This, too, yielded fruit in its time. 
 Like all other great achievements, the getting a score against 
 good bowling is the result of drudgery, patiently, faithfully 
 borne. But the drudgery of cricket is itself a pleasure, and 
 let no young cricketer suppose that he can dispense with it, 
 though some few gifted performers have done great things 
 with apparently little eifort. 
 
 Again, drudgery should be supplemented by the imitative 
 faculty. Here, as before, we recommend a certain amount 
 of effort, which in itself is pleasurable. It is a great satisfac- 
 tion to watch good play ; but it ought to be an instruction 
 as well. 
 
 So, if drudgery and imitation are fairly employed, and 
 combined with a fair natural gift, the result will be a good 
 Style. What is a good style? If a young cricketer is 
 aiming at such a thing he ought to know what it is. A 
 good style then may be defined ■ as the' easy exercise of 
 those motions which experience has shown to be effective. 
 By motions I mean posture adopted as well as movement 
 
S8 CRICKET. 
 
 oi arms. There is no such thing as beauty of style which 
 involves faulty play, though it is true that there may be 
 faultless play which is not beautiful. The reason is that it 
 may manifest effort or uneasiness, and spectators like to 
 behold a batsman at peace with himself and his surround- 
 ings. But the first of these axioms is sometimes forgotten. 
 A young player may aim at a showy style by neglecting the 
 fundamental maxims of batting. If he is a well-made young 
 man, he may attain to a graceful motion of his arms and 
 shoulders, but, before the ladies have had time to admire 
 him, he will be out. He will only swell the already large 
 class of batsmen, who would bat very well if there were 
 no ball. 
 
 Effective play is the only really good style. But here 
 a question arises. We all know thai some players have 
 freely adopted what is known as the pull, against which 
 young cricketers are sternly cautioned, and they continue 
 to pull with such success that a hundred runs are some- 
 times registered to their names. And yet this is said to 
 be bad style. The reason is that a pull is an excessively 
 difficult stroke, which can never be made with safety, except 
 by a finished batsman, and then only on a very good wicket. 
 We call it bad style, because if it were generally adopted 
 it would spoil the effectiveness of batting as well as its 
 appearance. The partial adoption of it nowadays is the 
 result of the prevalence of absurdly easy wickets. . Perhaps 
 if all wickets were perfect, and remained so for a hundred 
 years, the ideas about style would undergo a change, just as 
 some things are frequently done now by very good players 
 which raise the choler of a veteran critic, unless he is 
 unusually young in mind. So that this is no more than an 
 apparent objection to our assertion that a really good stylej 
 means effective batting. 
 
BATTING. S9 
 
 The object, then, of a serious^minded young cricketer 
 being to achieve a finished or effective and graceful style, 
 we find that his principal task may be described as karning 
 certain motions till they become habits. But before 
 enumerating these motions in detail, we are brought face to 
 face with a widely prevailing objection to the idea that 
 young cricketers ought to be taught rules. The objection 
 runs something as follows : — 
 
 It is thought that just as great players of yore reached 
 eminence without being subject to coaching in early youth, 
 or indeed in some cases after being completely self-taught, 
 so boys of the present day would stand a better chance if 
 they were less drilled than they sometimes are, and were 
 left to find the use of their limbs by a vigorous, if unkempt, 
 style of hitting. The Englishman's instinct, said a, French- 
 man, is to go out of doors, and hit or kick something as 
 hard as he can. This being so, why not let boys learn to 
 hit as they please till they are sixteen or seventeen, and 
 then perhaps a few rules might be taught them? But if 
 taught beforehand, they only cramp the style, and take 
 away the enjoyment of the game. Nature must be the best 
 teacher; etc, etc. 
 
 Now, without denying the plausibility of this view, we 
 may remark that if cricket rules are not to be taught till 
 sixteen, the game differs essentially from every other 
 scientific game. It is a truism to say that tennis ought to 
 be taught young, and racquets and golf and billiards ; or, at 
 least, taking the greatest, exponents of these games, both 
 amateur and professional, we should find that a large 
 majority had been trained almost from the cradle, certainly 
 from the nursery. Is there any reason to suppose that 
 cricket is an exception? The truth is, that in this vexed 
 question we must remember that the days of rough pitches 
 
6o CRICKET. 
 
 are apparently numbered. As long as boys are taught on 
 bad wickets, only the most naturally gifted come to the fore : 
 rules are at a discount ; the young player depends almost 
 entirely on nature. But the more the plantain is expelled, 
 the more exact a science batting will become. Without 
 debating the respective shares of nature and teaching in 
 producing a Grace, this we may certainly expect. 
 
 In the next place, no one proposes that teaching should 
 take the place of nature, or that a youngster should be 
 cramped in his style. The hope is that he may learn to 
 make runs, and. if certain motions are to be learnt, why not 
 begin them very young ? It is pretty clear that nature will 
 be left plenty to do. Nor, on the other hand, should we 
 venture to propose that all the refinements of the game 
 should be taught to a boy hardly in his teens. It is not 
 difficult to see what is really necessary to quite a .beginner. 
 He ought to be taught how to play forward, how to stand 
 up to the bowUng, how to put his left leg across. Let it be 
 remembered that till he does these things he will not make 
 runs, and, though cricket is a grand game, it is unfortunately 
 true that many a devotee has been lured into less noble 
 pursuits simply because he cannot score. There are a few 
 notable exceptions, but patience does not sit on the monu- 
 ment for ever, nor does grief permanently endure being 
 smiled at. Therefore it seems reasonable to infer that these 
 primary principles ought to be taught very early, especially 
 if there is a prospect of the boy continuing his training on 
 respectable wickets. 
 
 This leads us to the consideration of the primary rules. 
 
BATTING. 6t 
 
 Position. 
 
 It would appear at first sight as if every one were, as 
 regards position, his own master. A spectator arriving on 
 the ground can generally identify a batsman by his position. 
 How can it be maintained, then, that there is one correct 
 position, and one only? For instance. Dr. Grace adopts 
 a position such as no one except a feeble imitator 
 would naturally adopt, and which is totally different from 
 that of other great players. The answer to this is simple 
 enough. It matters little in what posture you put your 
 body while the bowler is beginning to deliver the ball : the 
 question is, what are you doing as it comes at you ? The 
 Spartans combed their hair before the battle, but during 
 the onslaught behaved unlike dandies. So, as the ball 
 is coming you will notice good batsmen behave very much 
 alike, (a) They make the best of their height. The reason 
 is that the taller a man is the easier it is to judge ,the pitch 
 of a ball; hence we all prefer to see a stumpy bowler 
 advancing to the attack rather than a tall man like Mr, 
 Spofforth. (b) They stand with their weight equally balanced 
 on both legs. This is eminently a wise thing to do, because 
 you cannot tell beforehand where the ball will pitch, and 
 the use of both legs is required to enable you to play 
 forward or back properly. There are other precautions 
 taken by some first-rate batsmen which would be ante- 
 cedent to the above. They draw a line carefully from the 
 leg-stump out towards the crease, in order to keep their 
 right toe either clear or nearly clear of the leg-stump. The 
 necessity of this is, however, open to question. If you take 
 your usual guard you ought to know accurately where your 
 big toe is. Moreover, there is an objection, perhaps of a 
 
62 CRICKET. 
 
 somewhat sentimental kind. If you occupy the time of the 
 umpire, the spectators, the bowler, etc., while drawing your 
 lines of fortification, and then get bowled first ball, the effect 
 is that of a bathos. You seem to have made that long 
 pilgrimage from the pavilion only to show how great is your 
 science before the ball arrives on the scene ; and this fact 
 makes the return journey still longer, whereas every decent 
 cricketer thinks it too long already. Still we should be 
 loth to throw ridicule on the practice, if any one gains 
 comfort from it in a trying moment. 
 
 Among other preliminaries, most players would advise 
 that the block be taken just inside the crease, and the two 
 feet turned slightly outwards, a line drawn between the 
 heels being at right angles with the crease. 
 
 So much for the measures to be adopted before and 
 while the bowler delivers the ball. There is one caution 
 to be given to young players to be observed while the ball 
 is in the air. Raise your bat ready for action, but don't 
 brandish, twirl, or flourish it in any way. You would do 
 well if from time to time you besought some candid friend 
 — and everybody has one somewhere — to tell you in truthful 
 and unvarnished language if you are beginning this habit. 
 It has been said that the flourish which Charles Dickens 
 used to make after his signature was a sign of physical 
 vigour. So perhaps is a flourish in batting, but it produces 
 more disastrous effects ; and if you are checked in it, and 
 transfer it to your autograph, you will be the gainer. A 
 flourish in batting is not simply a silly motion of the bat 
 before the ball comes ; it is a certain formula of motion 
 which, having been begun, must be finished, no matter what 
 is going on. Now, when you come to play Lohmann and 
 others, you will find that one of the many diflSculties that 
 beset you is to gauge the pace of the ball. No two balls 
 
BATTING. 63 
 
 are quite alike. So picture yourself with a ball coining at 
 you a good deal faster than you at first supposed ; instead 
 of being ready to bring your bat out at once to meet the 
 ball, you are obliged to hurry over your regular two or 
 three motions in the air, and then try to play. Result : 
 ignobly bowled while apparently scaring flies with your bat 
 from the wicket-keeper's nose. But fortunately this inane 
 piece of show, .though easily learnt, is easily unlearnt too, 
 and no cricketer ought to reach maturity without having 
 been told of it. Some good styles, it is true, are slightly 
 ornamented; but if the ornament interferes, however 
 slightly, with the straightness or promptitude of the play, 
 it becomes a 'bit of cricket foppery, and, as such, to be 
 generally abhorred. 
 
 The ball is now at you. Your impulse is to jump back- 
 wards towards short-leg, so as to diminish the chance of the 
 ball impinging on your person. M. Taine, in his book on 
 England, remarks that the ball at cricket s'elance avec une 
 vtlocit'e terrible. How is this innate tendency to be over- 
 come under such circumstances? Any teacher of young 
 batsmen ought to see carefully that the bowling is not too 
 swift, or delivered from some disproportionate height, and 
 that the wicket is respectable. If after these precautions 
 have been taken the player still shifts, a drastic remedy 
 may be employed, by fastening the right leg firmly to a 
 peg, and bowling at it. The great object is to get the boy 
 to see that by standing quite firm on the right leg, and 
 using his bat as a protection, he is quite as likely to escape 
 bruises as by running away. And except on very bad 
 wickets this is the truth. But it certainly is a difficult 
 power to acquire in early youth, that of standing quite still, 
 when a hard sphere is hurtling on its direct road to the 
 kneecap. Resolution and good wickets are the best 
 
64 CRICKET. 
 
 remedy. Till you have attained to a firm right leg you 
 have hardly begun to bat at all. 
 
 It may be remarked, parenthetically, that this natural 
 instinct of self-preservation is the reason of the extreme 
 difficulty of planting cricket among adults, who begin by 
 knowing nothing of the game. An energetic curate, 
 perhaps, finds himself in a very rural parish, and tries to 
 teach the yokels the game. Unless he is very careful, 
 what happens ? Hodge, furnished with the new ball, bowls 
 at Nick, who wields the new bat. After a few minutes it 
 becomes apparent that Hodge has less to learn in his art 
 than Nick has in his. It is easy to bowl straight enough 
 to hit the batsman now and again, but for the batsman 
 to repel the danger is an affair of years. So Nick, after a 
 few ugly knocks, announces his preference for skittles, and 
 the progress of the village cricket is seriously checked; 
 Precisely the same trouble dogs the steps of some well- 
 meaning pioneers of the game in France and Germany, and 
 unless steps are taken to get English players to teach it in 
 schools among quite little boys, it is hard to see how the 
 difficulty will ever be surmounted, since the game has to 
 contend further with a native inaptitude in the people. 
 But to proceed. 
 
 Forward and Back Play. 
 
 Vou have now learnt to stand up to the ball, and give 
 your undivided attention to playing it properly. Sup- 
 posing it is straight, fairly fast, and just a little over- 
 pitched ; you must play forward to it. Indeed, in your 
 young days, even if the ball be not over-pitched, but 
 just the right length, you had better play forward. Now, 
 how is this done ? Advance the left leg, without losing 
 
BATTING. 
 
 6S 
 
 balance; keep head and shoulders well over the bat, but 
 erect ; keep the left shoulder turned almost towards mid-off, 
 and move the bat firmly forward till it meets the ball close 
 to your left foot. Above all things, be quite sure that you 
 
 Bad forward play. 
 
 do all this in the same motion. If you move the leg 
 before the arm, or vice versa, you lose the weight of your 
 body, which, of course, is wanted for the stroke ; and this 
 loss partly.. explains the extraordinary difference of power 
 
66 CRICKET. 
 
 in some men's forward play compared to that of others. 
 You will see from these directions that it is a very complex 
 action, far from easy to do all at once, or by the light of 
 -nature. You must first learn to do it properly without tfie 
 ball, then with it. Establish the motion as a habit before 
 the stress of the crisis begins. The chief faults to be 
 avoided are, first, the crooked movement of the bat ; that 
 is to say, instead of bringing it down like a pendulum, you 
 will easily get into the way of playing from the on- to the 
 off-side, across the line of the ball, or, more rarely, in the 
 other direction. If you do this, the least miscalculation as 
 to the pace of the ball will be fatal to you. Take warning 
 about this, as it is an exceedingly common fault. Ask your 
 candid friend again, and if he reports mischief, have 
 recourse to Jupp's tactics in the bed-room. 
 
 While on the subject we may notice a common delusion. 
 Some of those clever fellows who are to be met with 
 everywhere, criticize the play of an eleven of boys who have 
 been taught to play forward, and finding them fall victims 
 to some good bowling, go about the country, saying, " I 
 don't believe in that forward play." Perhaps not; but 
 this piece of information would be more valuable if the 
 speaker went on to say what the boys had better do instead. 
 The question is, which method a young cricketer had better 
 begin with— too much back play or too much forward play, 
 since he is almost sure to err on one side or the other. 
 Now, it has been found that too much forward play on 
 modern wickets is, though a bad thing, less fatal to scoring 
 than too much back play ; and it ought to be the aim of 
 all advice in batting to help a young .player to get runs, 
 quomnque modo runs, otherwise he will not learn the game. 
 Therefore, if you learn to play forward correctly, you have 
 made a great step forwai'd in the new science. You will. 
 
BATTING. 67 
 
 however, not be able just yet to distinguish accurately when 
 to do one thing and when another. Practice and patience 
 must teach you that. A few recommendations may, in the 
 meantime, be made as to dealing with that awkward 
 
 . problem, a good-length straight ball. 
 
 Give your mind to making the bat meet the ball. It is 
 useless to try and stop a fast ball by hanging before it a 
 
 tloose dangling bit of wood. Grip the handle of your bat 
 firmly with the right hand — the left is not nearly so impor- 
 tant, — and then never play back behind the right foot. 
 This rule is frequently transgressed because a batsman is 
 naturally desirous of gaining time before he acts, and he 
 thinks he will see more of the ball if he steps back or plays 
 
 • near the stumps, — ^a great mistake ; the faster the ball is, 
 the more in front of your right foot the bat should be. In 
 
 .fact, notice a player defending his wickets against very fast 
 bowling indeed. You will find that he plays quite a short 
 ball by advancing his left foot, and meeting the ball 
 
 . between his two feet, about a foot in front of the crease. 
 In your young days you will probably not have to face any 
 bowling so fast as this. The first time you do, your know- 
 ledge of life will be materially extended ; but you will best 
 
 ■ prepare yourself against that day by playing back, as it is 
 
 .called, close to the right foot, but never behind it. 
 
 So much for the ordinary tactics to be pursued in playing 
 straight balls. Remember that these rules apply to bowling 
 which is not slow. As to playing lobs, you will find rules of 
 very little use indeed. In a general way, notice if the lob- 
 bowler makes the ball twist, not only in the air but on the 
 ground; It is remarkable how some^ob-bowlers make the 
 ball spin as it is coming towards you, till you might almost 
 
 : hear it hum ; and when it pitches, lo ! it deviates not an 
 
 -inch from its course. So watch the bowler before you ^0 in. 
 
68 CRICKET. 
 
 if possible. If the balls are twisting there are certain things 
 to avoid. Don't play forward to slow balls, but either run 
 out and hit them, or play quite gently back. Don't put 
 your shoulders into playing hard back on to any lob that is 
 not a monstrous long hop. It often happens that the bats- 
 man thinks he can score by so doing, and all he does is to 
 misjudge the blow, and lift the ball peacefully to mid-on or 
 mid-off. The fields are so placed as to make scoring in this 
 way very difficult, and the attempt is risky for young players. 
 Again, when balls are twisting, beware of running 
 out to the off-balls, especially if they are slow. As to run- 
 ning out generally, there is little to be said but this : when 
 you run out at all, do so with a hearty good-will, and an 
 utter forgetfulness of the wicket behind you. How many 
 scores of wickets have been lost by a half-hearted sort of 
 lurching out of the ground just far enough for the victim to 
 be stumped, and not far enough to get near the pitch of the 
 ball ! It is a good plan to run out as if hoping to hit the 
 ball full-pitch, and then you will be far enough for the half- 
 volley. But though this mode of scoring is most effective 
 when adopted by a bold hitter with some nerve, it is most 
 disastrous for a batsman to attempt who is not by nature 
 fitted for the task. There are many good bats who play 
 lobs tight-footed, and a great nuisance they are to the 
 bowler. So make clear to yourself what you are born to do, 
 and do it. Meanwhile there are so-called lobs which are 
 plain fast under-hand balls, and as such ought to be played 
 forward. Be on the look-out for these, as well as for the 
 slower ones, which give great promise of twist, and then 
 bound straight on. In short, lobs_ test the native gift of a 
 young player very well, as he caliuot play them by rule. 
 Perhaps the best piece of advice you could get would be 
 .simply this ; as long as you are an unfinished batsnian, play 
 
sArfiM. 69 
 
 very steadily at all. decent balls, and wait quietly for some of 
 the rascally bad ones which every lob-bowler has in his 
 repertoire, and which, if you are patient, he is certain sooner 
 or later to produce. The above remarks apply also to play- 
 ing some very slow round-hand bowling, such as is seldom 
 seen in good matches, but is effective against boys, and is 
 known by the contumelious designation of " donkey-drops. " 
 
 Off-Hitting. 
 
 It is now time to treat of the punishing of crooked fast 
 bowling. We will deal first with off-hitting. If you look 
 attentively at some good batsmen, you will see that they 
 adopt different motions according as the off-ball is short or 
 well picked-up. In the latter case they advance the left 
 foot ; in the former the right. Now, if you wish to adopt 
 the former course, you will abandon all idea of cutting with 
 the right foot, miless you have quite naturally fallen into the 
 way of doing so, and are advised not to change it. If this 
 is however the case, you will find some advice on the 
 subject below. At present we will suppose that you have 
 an open mind on the question, and are ready to do what 
 is generally thought to be safest. Advance the left leg, 
 then, well out, and across the wicket till it is in front of the 
 off-stump. Further than this is very seldom necessary, dn 
 the other hand it is often right not to step so much across. 
 The object is to command the ball, and if it be coming only 
 a little wide of the off-stump, you will do enough if you 
 merely advance the leg towards the bowler. The left 
 shoulder meantime must be pointing towards mid-off, and 
 the left foot also. Avoid pointing the left foot at point, as 
 the manner of some is. It destroys your balance. Of course 
 your eye has been coldly fixed on the ball all this while, so 
 that the final position of the left leg ought to be determined 
 
73 
 
 CRICKET. 
 
 by the exact distance the ball is from you. And mind that, 
 as in forward play, your step forward and across should be 
 made exactly as you deliver your blow from the shoulders 
 with the bat. This brings the weight of your body into the 
 
 -.,jV<=»'T-\/ 
 
 The off-h!t, showing the common mistake of bending the right knee. 
 
 Stroke, as is explained below. The stroke is from above, 
 slightly downwards. Now, with all these directions, you 
 ought to get on pretty well, but yet the off-balls are often 
 to young batsmen a source of lamentation, mournitig, and 
 
'^ATTlNd. >i 
 
 tv'oe. It very often happens that some lengthy assailant is 
 put on to bowl steadily overhand outside the oflf-stump, foi- 
 no purpose whatever except to get catches sent to short 
 slip, point, and wicket-keep, and if there is the slightest 
 unevenness in the ground, a great number of bad scratchy 
 hits are made before each batsman has got his eye in. Of 
 course if the balls are kicking, and the batsmen are not very 
 tall, there will be trouble. Something may be done by a 
 policy of masterly inactivity, and letting some of the balls 
 go by ; but this is a miserable device unless the ground is 
 playing very difficult You may, however, do it with advan- 
 tage before your eye is in, for a few minutes, because the 
 danger is one oif hitting late for the ball, and so snicking it. 
 Again, when the ground is uncertain, you may play for 
 safety by stepping well across and meeting' the ball with a 
 full face of the vertical bat, instead of hitting horizontally. 
 But this only applies to balls a little way outside the stump. 
 There is, besides, a danger to which you are exposed in 
 changeable weather. Suppose the wicket has been true and 
 dry, and then comes a slight shower. The players retire, 
 and, on resuming, the batsman forgets that the surface of the 
 ground is faster than it was. Many a good player has been 
 dismissed owing to mistiming the ball because of this, and 
 he returns, and every one says, " Poor fellow ; just got his 
 eye out by coming in for the rain." The truth is that his 
 eye was too well in, and that's the reason why he came out. 
 It is best with off-balls to watch a couple before you hit at 
 them, and then all will go well. 
 
 The Cut with the Right Foot. 
 
 This is without any exception the most fascinating stroke 
 in the game. At no moment does the motion of the bats- 
 man seem so easy, or his force so mysterious. But it 
 
.^2 CRICKEt. 
 
 cannot be denied that the delicacy of the stroke means 
 danger to the striker. It is made as follows : — when the 
 batsman sees the ball coming to the off, and not far pitched, 
 he moves the left leg a little forward to get leverage for his 
 stroke. Be it remembered that he would do exactly this if 
 he were going to make the ordinary left-foot cut, or off-hit 
 with the left foot out. But the difference is that in the 
 latter case he ought not to bring the left foot on to the 
 ground till he can do so simultaneously with the bat hitting 
 the ball, on the principle of the body moving with the 
 arms. But in the case of a right-foot cut, this motion of 
 the left leg is made before the stroke proper begins. As 
 soon, then, as the batsman has made this preparation, he 
 raises the right foot an inch or two from the ground, holds 
 it poised for a brief moment, then brings it down with 
 a peculiar smart stamp close behind the block hole, or 
 somewhere hard by, according to the exact line the ball 
 is taking ; and exactly simultaneously with this stamp, the 
 indescribable swirl of the bat is made which sends the ball 
 skimming between point and third man, or sometimes, 
 off very fast bowling, to the left hand of third man. 
 
 This stroke is capable of variation. For instance. Dr. 
 Grace, though sometimes spoken of as no cutter, delivers- 
 a very similar blow to balls just outside the off-stump, with 
 the result of crashing it in the direction of point, or just 
 square of cover-point. One such is in our recollection 
 made off Emmett, which appeared to strike Barlow's horny 
 left hand at point, full in the centre, but somehow passed on 
 to the ropes for four, with only a slight deviation from its 
 original course. But though made exactly on these 
 principles, it was not called a cut, because Dr. Grace's 
 strokes to the off are made apparently more with the 
 shoulders than with the wrists. When seen in full perfec- 
 
■BATTING. _ ?3 
 
 tjon the cut is made evidently with the wrist, off a low 
 bowler, so that the bat is nearly vertical. When the ball is' 
 going low and close by the off-stump, especially delivered 
 by a left-hand bowler on a fast wicket, is the best oppor- 
 tunity. If well timed, the stroke gives a kind of soft 
 creamy touch to the bat, and the whiz of the ball past the 
 admiring third man signalizes one of those moments when 
 a cricketer can justly say he has not lived in vain : it is a 
 superb moment, and the memory of it is with him through 
 life; it lives through any gloom that may brood on his' 
 declining years, long after his powers have begun to fail, as' 
 he settles with his increasing family at Eastbourne, "darkly 
 dreaming '' of gout and butchers' bills. But, reader, it has: ■ 
 its dangers. In the first place, it is a more difficult stroke 
 to time than even the left-foot cut, which is hard enough. 
 And if it be made in the least too late, wicket-keep or 
 short-slip get a most engaging catch. So it comes about 
 that when a player is accustomed to make this stroke, 
 and gets a little out of practice, he will succumb to the 
 off balls more readily than to any other : especially when, 
 having passed the first bloom of youth, he finds his wrists 
 weak at the beginning of the season. Again, when the 
 ground is poppy, he is in danger, but perhaps not more 
 so than if he used the left foot. But, more serious 
 perhaps than any, should he play a fast bowler who 
 now and then breaks a few inches, he is liable to get 
 ready for his late cut, and find his off-stump shot out 
 of the ground or ever he can bring his bat near the ball. 
 Here his rival unquestionably has the advantage of him. 
 Lastly, there, is the danger, peculiar to young cricketers, of 
 moving the right foot, not only to off-balls, but to others 
 also, with fatal results to defence. It is such a job to get 
 a youthful batsman to keep the right leg firm, that it is best' 
 
?4 CRiCKE'T. 
 
 to bar him from a stroke which involves its movement. 
 Still, if a boy shows an early prepossession for this stroke, 
 and has evidently. a good turn for batting, it is best to leave 
 him, and purge the stroke from mischievous tendencies. 
 If he is checked, the loss to the country might be serious. 
 
 Leg-Hitting. 
 
 Really good leg-hitters are rare, but where they exist they 
 often win a match for their side. The moment a bowler 
 begins to lose his freshness, and sends down a few to leg, it 
 is a terrible thing for him to see them mercilessly whacked for 
 four or five runs. It instantly lowers his value as a bowler, 
 and the field begin to think it is costly work waiting for that 
 good ball to come which every bowler think? he 'has in 
 prospect. So learn to hit to leg as you have learnt the 
 otlier strokes, by practising the following motion without 
 the ball. Imagine a ball bowled outside your legs, either of 
 a good length or further up (short of a tice), and you then 
 advance the left leg right out, but not so that you straddle 
 or lose balance, turning the left foot towards mid-on, and 
 keeping both eyes sternly fixed on the ball. Then all in 
 one motion bring the right shoulder well round, and deal a 
 mighty blow, the bat being swung slantwise or nearly hori- 
 zontally according to the pitch of the ball. There is no 
 doubt that pointing the left foot to mid-on is an important 
 manoeuvre in "leg-hitting. It gives ease to the bringing 
 round of the right shoulder, and prevents that uneasy 
 stumbling which is often noticeable after a hit has been 
 made, and occasionally prevents the batsman from starting 
 fairly on his run. But it is not at all easy to secure this 
 habit, and therefore you should remember it carefully in 
 your bed-room. All leg-hitting depends upon your not 
 being afraid of the ball ; it is terribly common to see some 
 
iATrmd. 
 
 It 
 
 well-made lusty lad feebly stroking outwards with his bat, 
 his eyes being averted as from a horrid sight, and his whole 
 body lurching uneasily towards point, plainly showing that 
 his main idea is to save his precious person from a knock, 
 
 , The beginning of the leg hit, spoilt by theleft foot being too straight and the 
 right knee bent. 
 
 rather than score runs for his side and honour for himself. 
 There are countless leg-balls missed by good players simply 
 from ignorance of these directions, and also many bad high 
 
?6 eRtCKET. 
 
 hits are made because the stroke is attempted with a nearly 
 vertical bat, swung across the line of the ball close to the 
 legs, instead of well out towards the pitch. 
 
 When balls are pitched short outside the legs, it is best 
 to quickly snick them away for two or three past long-stop. 
 It is a difficult stroke to make, but safe and effective. Many 
 batsmen find it best to do this also to left-handed bowlers, 
 whenever the ball is outside the legs. But if you have a 
 good eye, you can often hit them with lucrative results. If 
 the ball is coming at your legs it must obviously be checked 
 somehow. If a short ball, draw the left leg back close to 
 the right, keeping the left side towards the bowler, and give 
 the ball either a little push away from you, so as to snick it, 
 or a smart tap in front of short leg. If the ball be pitched 
 far up, deal with it either by the hit or by forward play, as 
 if it were straight. The latter stroke is one of the most 
 beautiful in the game, but very rarely made, as it demands 
 a perfect judgment of the pitch, besides utter fearlessness 
 as to a possible contusion, and a good wicket ; which three 
 conditions are not always fulfilled at the same time. 
 
 We have now considered the chief strokes which present 
 any difficulty, and have to be learnt. There are others 
 which, if your batting progresses, you will come to learn, but 
 which are best not pressed upon the attention of a beginner. 
 They can be treated of under the head of refinements. But 
 before entering on this part of the subject, it seems advisable 
 to explain the reason of a direction that has more than once 
 been given, viz. to make the different motions that belong 
 to any particular stroke simultaneously. It is in reality a 
 matter of style : that is to say, if fairly carried out it pro- 
 duces the maximum of force with the minimum of effort.. 
 Now, the force of the stroke depends on two things : first, 
 the power that is given to the bat ; secondly, the exact point 
 
BATTING. 77 
 
 of time at which it comes in contact with the ball : the 
 momentum and the moment of the stroke. The share 
 taken by the legs and shoulders in the stroke affect the 
 momentum in this way. The bat strikes the ball, not only 
 because the arms move it, but because the striker "walks 
 towards the ball as well. Indeed the particular motion of 
 the left leg in the forward stroke and leg hit, is much more 
 like a leap out at the ball, and the force brought to bear on 
 the ball is therefore enormously increased, since it is the 
 result of a double motion. And if it be supposed that the 
 body motion is inconsiderable, I would ask the reader to 
 recall the nature of the impact made by his person upon 
 an inanimate object in the dark, when he has been walking 
 quietly and unsuspectingly along a passage or a shaded 
 lane. Most people have experienced something of the 
 kind, and unanimously testify that the shock is surprisingly 
 violent. And that is only consequent upon a quiet walking 
 motion, but the stamping forward of the left leg at cricket 
 is a motion far more pronounced than that of a quiet walk. 
 So much for the momentum. Important though it is, I 
 cannot but feel certain that the moment is more important 
 still. The following anecdote will illustrate my meaning. 
 Some few years ago a brawny young Englishman was watch- 
 ing the merry-making of a number of French country folk 
 in what is called a forest-fair, close to St. Germains, and his 
 eye was attracted by a small navvy wielding a big wooden 
 hammer with much effect on a small peg sticking out of the 
 ground. This peg was connected with a tall grooved post, 
 standing a few feet off, in such a way that at each blow of 
 the hanmier a piece of wood like a squail shot up the 
 grooved channel of the post, and knocked open a door at 
 the top, from which a sort of jack-in-the-box protruded his 
 .head, and a bell tinkled joyouslyj amid gejieral applause. 
 
78 CRICKET. 
 
 Now the Gallic navvy was about half the size of the Teuton, 
 and as he accomplished the feat of ringing the bell at each 
 stroke with the utmost ease, the Englishman thought he 
 would do the same, and more also, with a mighty blow. 
 So seizing the hammer, he smote lustily. The bit of wood 
 mounted about three feet and a half instead of twelve. He 
 walked away pondering sadly on this strange phenomenon. 
 There was no doubt he had swung the hammer with greater 
 force than the navvy ; still less doubt that the impact was of 
 inferior power. The only explanation possible is that he had 
 brought it into contact with the peg before or after (prob- 
 ably after) the moment of the maximum velocity of the swing. 
 
 This is unquestionably the meaning of what is called timing 
 the ball in batting. An apparently gentle stroke with the bat 
 swings it so that at one tiny moment of time it is moving 
 very fast. If even a lanky youth utilizes this moment in his 
 stroke the results are surprising. The bowler marvels, and 
 point steps a yard further back. If a big man does so, and 
 adds the momentum of his body, the speed with which the 
 ball travels is more surprising still. If a giant like Mr. 
 Bonner, the Australian, uses his huge limbs together at 
 exactly the right moment the result is Titanic and well-nigh 
 incredible. Hence any cricketer of some standing can look 
 back upon wonderful experiences in his batting history 
 when with almost no effort he has made the ball travel so 
 as to wake the brazen throats of the spectators, and fill his 
 own breast with a strange glee. But how rarely those are 
 granted even to the best ! It is clear that the very least 
 conceivable miscalculation of time will affect the force of 
 the blow till nothing is left in it but a sort of sloppy tired 
 hit which seems to exhaust the strength of the batsman far 
 more than any clean stroke possibly can. 
 
 Now this explanation has more than a theoreticalinterest j 
 
BATTING. 79 
 
 it will give you some clue to your trouble when you find things 
 going wrong. It will render superfluous much abuse of the 
 bat you may be using, since no stroke can drive that is not 
 well-timed ; and it will show you why it is that some days 
 jour hitting is clean, and other days weak and uncertain. 
 If it varies in this way it must be because something affects 
 your eye from time to time, and it is your business to dis- 
 cover what that may be. If, on the other hand, it appears 
 that your strokes habitually fail to tell as they should, it 
 will probably be owing to your body not being properly 
 utilized, and a spell of bed-room practice should at once be 
 inaugurated. 
 
 On Certain Refinements. 
 
 We proceed now to the consideration of certain strokes 
 and refinements of batting which are only for the advanced 
 student of this science to aim at. The age at which any 
 given player should attempt such things must of course vary 
 with his proficiency ; and it is difficult to say that any one 
 is too young to begin the finesse of cricket, when we remem- 
 ber what Dr. Grace was at seventeen. It may also be that 
 some young players are fully advanced enough to take their 
 own education in hand with a view to becoming first-rate, who 
 jet have not the nerve and experience to adopt some of the 
 recommendations that could safely be made to hardened 
 public characters. With this proviso, we begin with some 
 discussion of the important question of running out to slow 
 bowling. 
 
 It is an undeniable fact that many newspaper critics, as 
 well as some of the noble array who lay down the law from 
 the pavilion benches at Lord's, have decided completely to 
 their own satisfaction that a batsman who runs out of his 
 ground is doing a rash and venturesome thing, such as 
 
go CRICKET. 
 
 merits only a very faint approval even if successful, and if 
 not, may with safety be reprobated. On the other hand, 
 men have been known to run out frequently in an innings 
 to slows, and drive them along the ground, scoring one each 
 time. These are praised, and quite justly, even by the 
 reporters. But in the attempt to do this it will happen 
 that the striker will get stumped, and then, for some un- 
 known reason, he is censured more than if he gets bowled. 
 
 The reason perhaps is that tradition is in favour of this 
 view. Nearly thirty years ago an elderly lady was quietly 
 -sitting in her drawing-room in London, when her son, the 
 father of a celebrated cricketer, came into the room with a 
 look of unutterable shame and disappointment in his face. 
 He flung himself into an arm-chair and groaned aloud, " 1 
 never should have thought it possible that he could have 
 done it — he of all men in the world." " What do you 
 mean ? " asks the old lady, seriously alarmed. " Who ? 
 What?" "Charles," was the answer, in the same grief- 
 choked voice. " Quick, what has he done ? " " Why, he 
 ran out to a slow and got stumped." The batsman's grand- 
 mother, it must be confessed, was somewhat relieved to find 
 it was no worse, and that she need not expect the family 
 name to be dragged through the mire in the next day's 
 Police News. But the dialogue sufficiently indicates the 
 opinion of a real old-fashioned critic on the subject. 
 
 In addition to which it is to be remembered that the 
 popular respect is always on the side of the safe and cautious, 
 though their surface-affection may be given to the dashing 
 player. Compare the tone in which two innings are spoken 
 of: the one amounted to twenty runs obtained slowly, pain- 
 fully, and at the cost of letting off a large number of loose 
 balls ; the other a brilliantly hit innings of forty, with per- 
 haps one. chance. The latter is commended, but in s. 
 
BAtTIJsrG. 8i 
 
 slightly patronizing tone ; the slow innings is spoken of with 
 genuine respect. Now, looked at in the cold light of reason, 
 the one has done twice as much as the other to win the 
 match which, as is often forgotten, is ultimately won by the 
 side that obtains most runs. We should deduct from this 
 the chance, and possibly something for the extra time during 
 which the slow batsman may have baffled the bowling. But 
 even as regards this latter argument, it is very doubtful whether 
 a player who lets off loose balls does not steady the bowling 
 rather than discourage it. Certain is it that a rapidly hit 
 innings forces a change and disturbs calculations, and slow- 
 ness qua slowness is no recommendation. It is only gradu- 
 ally dawning on the intelligence of the paper critics that to 
 let off loose balls is a fault. They still think it a venial 
 fault, whereas it is a very serious one indeed, and constantly 
 loses a match. 
 
 Now all this would be superfluous, were it not that many 
 players are injuriously influenced in their style by the over 
 partiality of the critics for steadiness, with the result that in 
 their play they lose sight of the main object, to win the 
 game for their side. We will suppose a common set of 
 circumstances. A good slow bowler is trundling on a 
 sticky difficult wicket, making the ball break dangerously. 
 He has secured three good wickets, and there is every 
 chance of the small score of sixty or so not being obtained 
 by the in-side. There still remain three goodish bats, all 
 of whom can play a fairly free game. One of them resolves 
 on a bold game, and determines, in spite of appearances, to 
 "give her the rush," as it is sometimes called; in other 
 words, to run out to the slow bowling. He knows that he 
 is attempting a forlorn hope : that the best he can expect 
 is to knock up twenty-five or thirty runs, giving at least 
 three chances. He tries it, and is missed ; gets his runs 
 
 G 
 
CRICKET. 
 
 and wins the match. Now, if he had tried the alternative, 
 what would have happened? At best he would have 
 scored fifteen runs, in an hour perhaps, and his comrades 
 might have followed suit, won endless credit for what really 
 was very scientific play, and lost the match. There is no 
 question whatever that some such choice as this is often 
 set before a batsman. What is unreasonable is that, whereas 
 the bold course is the only one that can win the match, it 
 is habitually denounced as bad play ; the truth being that, 
 granted the above conditions, it is the only good play. 
 
 Here I will admit at once that there are many batsmen 
 who ought never to attempt running out under any cir- 
 cumstances, simply because nature has intended them for 
 other and less perilous ways of serving their country. 
 But it is certain that in every eleven there are one or two 
 batsmen who, under these or similar conditions, could 
 adopt these tactics with the utmost advantage to their side ; 
 and if by chance there are no such batsmen in the team, 
 there ought to be — the side is not fully equipped for 
 probable emergencies. No one will ever overrate the 
 immense strength that lay in the famous Australian eleven 
 of 1882, owing to the fact that they had at least four bats- 
 men who could play a resolute aggressive game against slow 
 bowling on slow difficult wickets, making it impossible to 
 calculate how many runs they might hit up before they were 
 caught. It must not be forgotten that, for any but a first- 
 class defensive bat, it is impossible to make twenty, runs on 
 a really difficult wicket against first-rate slow bowling, by 
 so-called scientific cricket. Therefore, if a batsman is 
 quite sure that he will be bowled if he stands still, it is his 
 business to run out and risk appearances. He may do this 
 with the best motives, simply for the good of his side ; and 
 yet he will only get sneered at by the press. He will be 
 
BATTING. 83- 
 
 accused of playing for the gallery, whereas he is really 
 showing a healthy contempt for public opinion. 
 
 But to avoid all chance of misunderstanding, I say again 
 that such tactics are not to be safely attempted by any but a 
 skilled batsman of resolute nerve, and fitted by nature for 
 such play. After a careful consideration of the question, I 
 have come to the conclusion that it is a style of play which 
 should not be attempted by school cricketers, but only 
 begim cautiously by some older players — say at twenty-one 
 or twenty-two. Very rarely indeed, by a properly qualified 
 batsman, it might be attempted on a harder wicket, provided 
 that the bowling be breaking, so as to render defence very 
 difficult. Under these circumstances, and when the state 
 of the match demands it, the safest course is now and then 
 to dash out as the ball is leaving the bowler's hand, before 
 you can see where it is going to pitch, but too late to allow 
 of him altering the delivery. Supposing it is against a very 
 steady good-length slow bowler, the chances of your getting 
 to the pitch are very good. But you must run with the 
 greatest resolution, utterly committing yourself to the ball, 
 and oblivious of the wicket-keeper, and above all hit 
 straight. There is no doubt that the risk you run is very 
 great ; moreover you may, after a few well-planned strokes, 
 become intoxicated with success, and find yourself becoming 
 more and more like Prince Rupert till you abruptly fall. 
 
 But this need not be : I only counsel it on occasions and 
 for some batsmen; and though it sounds heterodox and 
 dangerous matter to put in print, I could name some very 
 eminent batsmen who have at a pinch done great things in 
 this way, notably Lord Harris, Mr. Hornby, and Mr. A. G. 
 Steele; and history records the bewilderment of such 
 ■•bowlers as Peate the Yorkshireman, and Mr. Boyle the 
 Australian, when exposed to such treatment. There are, 
 
84 CRICKET. 
 
 in short, occasions when the only sensible prudence consists 
 in the most startling audacity ' 
 
 Staleness, 
 
 This is no new stroke in batting, nor can it be called a 
 refinement, as it is thought to be common enough among 
 all classes of players. Staleness is of the nature of a dis- 
 ease ; and yet no doctor, as far as I am aware, has rightly 
 diagnosed it, or invented anything like an infalhble cure for 
 it. No Holloway or Mrs. Allen has drawn a fortune from 
 the public by professing to stem its ravages, though there 
 are few complaints which leave their victims in such depres- 
 sion of spirits, or general bewilderment of mind. The fact 
 is, the word has been often profaned, as Shelley might have 
 sung. It has been widely and thoughtlessly used ; and a 
 good many cricketers have been accustomed to attribute 
 any ill luck they may have had to this mysterious staleness. 
 Now, in such a very complicated subject as cricket, it is 
 exceedingly difficult to say if one man or many men or few 
 men are affected with the same thing when they fail to score 
 time after time. And this means that any discussion of the 
 subject must necessarily be tentative, and at present incom- 
 plete. It is more with a view of promoting inquiry than of 
 satisfying it, that I venture to give some ideas on this 
 difficult question. Some investigation of the nature of 
 staleness will lead us into a kindred and interesting topic, 
 of the chief causes of bad scoring among batsmen, and 
 how far they are preventable. 
 
 Staleness, then, so far as may be gathered from the use of 
 the word among cricketers, is a certain indisposition towards 
 cricket which is supposed to be the result of an excessive 
 amount of play. It is not the same as fatigue, though one 
 
BATTING. 8s 
 
 of its symptoms is often a kind of lassitude ; but it might be 
 described generally as the very reverse of keenness, and, 
 when its sensations coincide with low scoring, a cricketer is 
 apt to tell his friends that he is stale, as if that were enough 
 to explain everything. Moreover it is exceedingly common 
 to hear a University or public-school eleven spoken of as 
 stale, when they are apparently playing below their form. 
 And if questioned as to what it means, the speaker would 
 say that they have been playing too much, they want a rest ; 
 and that just as a crew miay be over-rowed, so cricketers 
 may be over-played. Let us consider what there is to be 
 said for this point of view. 
 
 It seems to be allowed that a crew may be over-trained, 
 or a runner, or a racquet-player. In comparatively simple 
 exercises, such as these, the exact meaning of over-training 
 or staleness is not very difficult to seize. Certain muscles 
 are brought into very violent motion day after day. As 
 long as this continues, and there is no tax upon the rest of 
 the system, the muscles of a healthy man grow stronger. 
 But there comes a climax to this, when, consistently with his 
 general health, he cannot give more to those muscles than 
 he has given. He is at his best ; a further training will not 
 improve him. Nay, it will almost certainly cause his power 
 to deteriorate. It is well known that a judicious trainer of 
 a boat's crew or of a race-horse will insure that the climax 
 of strength shall just have been reached at the time of the 
 race ; otherwise it might be argued that the more training 
 the better. 
 
 Now, why does the set of muscles deteriorate after 
 this point has been reached? Simply because muscular 
 power depends on nerve-power, and nerve-power depends 
 on change and recreation. Monotony is the secret of the 
 failure of nerve-power, and it is- far easier for a man tg reach 
 
86 CRICKET. 
 
 and overtop his prime in a simple monotonous use of certain 
 muscles than it is in a complex exercise. This will, I 
 think, be admitted, if we assume that any one is labouring to 
 perfect himself in lifting heavy weights. For a time he 
 would improve, but finding then that he ceased to improve, 
 his instinct would persuade him to stop for fear of a decline. 
 But the difference in respect of monotony between rowing 
 or running and cricket is enormous. Cricket is the least 
 monotonous game conceivable. It is really a trinity of 
 games. Batting is a science in itself which contains more 
 variety (if we consider differences of wickets, etc.) than almost 
 any other game ; for instance, as compared with a game like 
 tennis, it has the advantage of using both arms — that is, a 
 double set of muscles, — and not a single set of muscles in one 
 arm. Therefore I hazard the opinion, not without some con- 
 fidence, that there is less chance of over-training in cricket 
 than in any other game, especially if due and even attention 
 is given to its three great departments, bowling, batting, and 
 fielding. Indeed, I would go further, and express a grave 
 doubt whether any batsman is ever affected by simple 
 staleness, as long as he is playing matches. The only way 
 in which the muscles can be overworked in batting is by 
 incessant playing at a net to two or more bowlers at a time. 
 Here the conditions are materially changed, and all in 
 favour of monotony. The muscular eflfort is incessant, and 
 there is a lack of the special stimulus given by the presence 
 of a set of fieldsmen, and a crowd of onlookers ; and it 
 must never be forgotten that anything which directly raises 
 the spirits and cheerfulness of the player, indirectly lightens 
 the strain on the muscles : similarly, dulness means fatigue. 
 These considerations have now paved the way for an 
 investigation of the place really due to staleness among the 
 causes of failure in batting. My conviction is, that itg 
 
BATTING. 87 
 
 influence is much overrated. It seems very doubtful indeed 
 if, as defined above, it can ever be proved to exist at all ; 
 and if any one feels sure that he has at times been stale, he 
 will probably find, on careful recollection of the circum- 
 stances, that he is using the word in a wider sense than it is 
 used here, and that he is attributing to staleness various 
 Jesuits of ill health, bad luck, etc. It frequently happens 
 that members of a school eleven, when things have been 
 going bad, talk as if they had been over-exerted in batting, 
 when they have got no runs to speak of for a fortnight, and 
 bad weather has interfered with their practice. What then 
 is the hidden cause of their failure to score? Probably 
 dumps : simple unadulterated sadness. Cricketers use the 
 expressive phrase, "going in with the tail down," to indi- 
 cate that the batsman's morale is at fault. It is roughly 
 recognized that, to bat well, the spirits as well as the 
 muscles must be in good trim ; and a man who goes in 
 sadly, generally comes out sadly. 
 
 Now the word staleness should not be used to express 
 this. Gloom of spirit ensues on too little batting in the 
 form of small scores, not on too much batting ; since it is 
 very difficult to believe that any one ever yet got either 
 downcast or over-tired from a succession of matches in 
 which he made runs. For though the bodily exertion is 
 enormous, the nerve-stimulus is enormous too, and he enjoys 
 himself too much to talk of staleness. It is ridiculous, 
 therefore, to use the same word to denote, first, a state of 
 thmgs which is supposed to be the result of too much 
 batting ; and, again, a state of mind which is the result of 
 getting no runs. Of the two influences it may reasonably be 
 supposed that depression of spirits is a more potently malign 
 influence than over-exertion. But be that as it may, it is at 
 schools that the danger is greatest, because^ owing to con- 
 
88 CRICKET. 
 
 tinuous practice alternating with games and matcheSj there 
 is room for both evils at once. 
 
 Hence, in case of sudden failure in batting, a cricketer 
 should consider if he has any reason to suppose that it is 
 due to staleness, properly so called, i.e. over-exertion of 
 a monotonous kind. He should beware of a tendency 
 to ascribe it to this. There is something respectable 
 about the sound of the word, and it seems to throw a 
 certain decent veil over the fact that he has simply been 
 playing badly. There may be reasons of various kinds 
 to account for disasters, and any one would do well to 
 think if they are preventable. His method of life may 
 easily be injurious; he may be over-taxing himself in 
 other ways : he may have developed a trick in his play ; 
 or simply his bad strokes may have come to hand, and out 
 he has had to go. Analysis will often yield an explanation 
 which each man may for himself find it useful to consider. 
 But after all said and done, he had better not trouble his 
 friends with all this, and he too will gain if he spares him- 
 self the delusive comfort given by the use of a word which 
 he does not understand. The late celebrated bowler 
 Morley, I think it was, was once (as often) coming out, 
 after his middle stump had been uprooted, for a very paltry 
 score. "Why, Morley," asks some sympathizing friend, 
 " what did that ball do ? " Morley, in provincial accent, 
 "It bowled me out." Volumes could not have said more, 
 and many of us would do well to imitate the plain speech 
 of this natural philosopher. 
 
 Nevertheless there are causes of failure, some of which we 
 have touched upon, which are to some extent preventable. 
 In the first place it is clear that as the state of a man's 
 spirits and pluck has a good deal to do with it, he may as 
 well do his utmost to keep them as toU as his muscles in 
 
BATTING. 89 
 
 good condition. If he has made some bad scores, and can 
 find no reason, he should remember that the chances which 
 attend on each ball are infinite in number, and very often 
 no explanation is needed except that a bad stroke has 
 gone to a field and has been caught, whereas at other 
 times just as bad strokes have escaped. It is quite un- 
 deniable that, as a test of character and temper, a good 
 long spell of bad luck is unrivalled ; especially for a young 
 fellow trying for high distinction, who knows that he has 
 virtue in him. But it will be some help to him to bear in 
 mind that his best chance is to continue constant and eager, 
 and not to bore his friends in the street, or to fume over it 
 in bed. And then, even if the runs do not come, he is 
 laying up for himself a toughness of fibre for other spheres of 
 life, which some more successful cricketers might well envy. 
 
 In the next place, he may be dieting himself foolishly. 
 Considering the delicacy of the human eye, and its intimate 
 connection with the digestion, it is foolish for a batsman to 
 rave at fortune when he eats a huge dinner every night, and 
 either goes to bed in a loaded condition, or sits up fooling 
 till two or three in the morning. People differ about diet, 
 but I should advise any disappointed cricketer, in default of 
 other precautions, to begin by cutting down his dinner and 
 try going to bed a little earlier. Next let him try getting up 
 a little earlier, and a certain increase of abstemiousness all 
 round, though of course a young cricketer's appetite de- 
 mands generous treatment. But nowadays the rules of 
 simple training are so accessible and so thoroughly sensitive, 
 that it would be useless for me to insist further on any such 
 recommendations as these. 
 
 Lastly, he may be taking it out of himself by headwork. 
 The disorders which arise from this imprudence need not 
 be pictured as very -rampant among cricketers. Indeed 
 
50 CRICKET. 
 
 I am convinced that some headwork which is not too 
 exciting, which is also moderate and regular, is very 
 advantageous to cricket, as a counter-interest. But if it 
 is allowed to interfere with sleep, or necessitates an early 
 breakfast so that the batsman goes in hungry between 
 twelve and two in the day, mischief will come of it. 
 
 Ox A Certain Delusion. 
 
 It may not be out of place in a little book like this, to 
 point out the strange notions which are prevalent on a very 
 common phenomenon. When a good eleven, or one which 
 is thought good, is got rid of for a small score, one cricketer 
 after another who has not been present is apt to bombard 
 those who were with the question, "I say, how do you 
 explain that collapse the other day ? " Now, a good judge 
 of the game who has been following it carefully can often 
 throw some light on what has happened, by describing how 
 the wickets changed in character, or how a sudden gloom 
 overspread the evening sky, and so forth. But in the 
 majority of cases these collapses are not to be explained by 
 any such reason at all. Let us consider the plain law of 
 averages. Take any batsman and watch him through five 
 or six matches when he is in full practice ; once at least he 
 will get out for a very small score in that time, in a way that 
 he can't explain. He was bowled by a good ball, or caught 
 o£f a bad hit, and there's an end of it. Excepting under 
 very exceptional circumstances the above would hold good 
 of any cricketer. Now, an eleven pla}s together throughout 
 the year. Suppose there are six batsmen on whom they 
 mainly depend ; is it not clear that in all probability once or 
 twice at least in the course of the season the bad days of 
 those six batsmen will coincide? It would anyhow be 
 
BATTING. 51 
 
 Strange if they did not. The sort of eleven to whom it is 
 least likely to happen is one like the AustralianSj if they 
 chance to hit upon a really fine season, and play con- 
 tinuously on hard wickets. Then, of course, each individual 
 continues for a longer time together without succumbing to 
 any mysterious visitation in the early part of his innings ; 
 and the chance of collapses is diminished. Added to which, 
 their best elevens, like some that are made up in England, 
 consist of men all of whom are capable of knocking up fifty 
 at a pinch, and they often do so when the front rank has 
 been mowed down. This, of course, renders a collapse very 
 unlikely. But it is bound to happen in the most natural 
 possible way to any ordinary team, especially of young 
 players who are given to having bad days ; and often the 
 best answer that could be given to the question alluded to 
 above, would be in Morlesque language, " Some were soon 
 bowled, some were soon caught, and so they did not make 
 a large score.'' 
 
 These considerations also set the facts of so-called " rots " 
 in a different light. It seems to be commonly held that any 
 batting collapse, faihng another explanation, must be due to 
 fright, or nervousness, or despair, whith may be thought of 
 as seizing hold of those batsmen who go in just after the 
 fall of one or two good wickets, and incapacitating them 
 from playing their usual game. There is a deal of wild talk 
 on this f ubject. If the records are candidly examined, it is 
 seen in a few minutes that a so-called " rot " is just as often 
 stopped as allowed to continue. In other words, the infec- 
 tion of failure after two or three good men have fallen is 
 potent in a few cases, but quite as often fails to produce 
 any effect at all. In short, if any one were to examine the 
 scores of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh men of a 
 large number of sides, of which the first t>Y0 wickets had 
 
92 CRICKET. 
 
 failed to score, he would find that those scores were every 
 bit as large on the average, as those of a corresponding 
 number of batsmen going in after the first two wickets had 
 been successful. Indeed, without having made the analysis, 
 I should be inclined to think that these scores would be 
 larger: since there certainly are many good-plucked cricketers 
 who are directly stimulated by the facts of their predecessors' 
 failure. Should this test hold good, the power of this kind 
 of nervousness, which is supposed to exist, is at once shown 
 to be non-existent, or at any rate greatly exaggerated. It is 
 to be added, that even if the figures told in a contrary 
 sense, no proof of such a thing as a collapse of a side from 
 nervousness could be deduced. When the first two or 
 three good bats of a side go out for small scores, it is most 
 likely that the bowling is good or the wicket bad : and 
 either or both of these facts will amply account, in most 
 cases, for the failure of the remainder. 
 
 This discussion of the reasons of failure will, I hope, not 
 be considered useless. It is distinctly deleterious to young 
 cricketers to be blinded to facts ; and nothing is so potent 
 to do so as the use of an ill-understood expression, such as a 
 " rot " or " staleness." For though we may reasonably doubt 
 the prevalence of such causes as are commonly designated 
 by these names, it would be ridiculous to deny that it is of 
 importance, even for batting alone, that an eleven should be 
 in good spirits about itself, and able to resist despondency 
 after defeat. The effect on individuals, also, of such de- 
 spondency is that they not unfrequently are tempted to give 
 up the game in disgust. 
 
 ' Now, if the above arguments are felt to be sound, a 
 young cricketer may gradually learn to recognize what is 
 beyond any question the true state of the case. It is this. 
 He must expect that, according to the proficiency at 
 
BATTING. 93 
 
 which he has arrived, he will make a certain number of 
 bad strokes for every quarter of an hour that he bats : 
 that this number will vary according to the state of the 
 wicket, and the condition of his eyesight. Also that in 
 that time he will receive a certain number of balls which to 
 him are difficult; which number, again, varies with the 
 quality of the bowling. When his scoring is bad, it 
 means simply that the difficult balls have come early in his 
 innings, or that the bad strokes have been caught. More- 
 over he must be prepared, during his cricketing career, not 
 only for times when such things will occur, but for spells of 
 time during which they go on occurring ; and then it can 
 hardly fail to be of some use to him to know that it is 
 simply the alternations of fortune, or the law of averages, 
 which are being exhibited in his case, because he may 
 then be able to continue in robust hopefulness till a brighter 
 day dawns. Beyond this he need not analyze, or hunt for 
 causes, lest he gradually fall into the very despondency 
 which he wishes to avoid. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 On the subject of staleness among batsmen, the opinion of 
 three eminent cricketers may be of interest. 
 
 Mr. A. W. Ridley is sure that he himself has at times been 
 stale, and that he has noticed others in a similar condition. 
 He considers that it can be traced to too much consecutive 
 play, and that rest is a certain remedy. 
 
 Mr. A. G. Steel writes : — " I have often considered the very 
 same subject, ' staleness,' you are writing on, and though I have 
 seen it, or something very like it, in others, I must say (with 
 humility, be it understood, and with no boastfulness) that I 
 never recollect having become stale at cricket. The cause of 
 staleness is, I think, loss of confidence, probably brought about 
 by several disastrous innings. If I am correct, this condition 
 of a batsman is incorrectly called ' staleness,' as ' staleness ' 
 would imply some physical incapacity, whereas I think it is 
 always a mental disease." 
 
 Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell writes :—"' Staleness ' is perhaps 
 differently understood by different people, but I am certainly 
 of opinion that, both at cricket and other games, men play 
 worse at times from having had too much of it. 
 
 " As long as a man can keep in first-rate condition, with his 
 muscles fresh, and his liver doing its duty well, he will possibly 
 not become stale. But many men are riot strong enough to. 
 play every day and keep fresh, and directly they begin to get 
 over-tired the muscular power, the digestion, and the eye 
 deteriorate, duck's eggs ensue, and loss of confidence. Under 
 such circumstances, rest is required to recover bodily condition 
 and nerve. 
 
gS APPEtTDlX. 
 
 " The amount a man can play is in proportion, then, to his 
 bodily strength and constitution. W. G. Grace beat other men 
 in this ; he was never tired after the longest day's cricket, but 
 seemed as fresh after 1 50 as he was before he went in. 
 
 " In first-class cricket now, things are made very easy for the 
 batsmen and the field ; they have nothing like the work to do 
 they had twenty-five years ago, owing to the universal system 
 of boundaries. The men who now play in first-class matches, 
 six days a week, would soon be reduced to a pitiable state of 
 'staleness' if they had to play every day on Chatham Lines, run 
 out their hits, and ' step and fetch ' the hits of their adversaries, 
 
 " I hope this explains with sufficient clearness my view." 
 
 It will be seen that these authorities differ materially from 
 each other, the opinion of Mr. Steel approximating most nearly 
 to that given in the chapter on "Batting." It is dear that the 
 subject is at present very imperfectly understood. ' 
 
LAWS OF CRICKET. 
 
 As Revised by the Committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club, 
 1884, and 1889. 
 
 The Game. 
 
 1. A match is played between two sides of eleven players 
 each, unless otherwise agreed to ; each side has two innings, 
 taken alternately, except in the case provided for in Law 53. 
 The choice of innings shall be decided by tossing 
 
 Runs. 
 
 2. The score shall be reckoned by runs. A run is scored : — 
 1st. So often as the Batsmen after a hit, or at any time 
 
 while the ball is in play, shall have crossed, and made 
 good their ground from end to end. 
 2nd. For penalties under Laws 16, 34, 41, and allowances 
 under 44. 
 Any run or runs so scored shall be duly recorded by scorers 
 appointed for the purpose. 
 
 The side which scores the greatest number of runs wins the 
 match. No match is won unless played out or given up, except 
 in the case provided in Law 45. 
 
 Appointment of Umpires. 
 
 3. Before the commencement of the match two Umpires shall 
 be appointed ; one for each end. 
 
 The Ball. 
 
 4. The Ball shall weigh not less than live ounces and a half, 
 nor more than five ounces and three-quarters. It shall measure 
 not less than nine inches, nor more than nine inches and one- 
 quarter in circumference. At the beginning of each innings 
 either side may demand a new ball. 
 
 The Bat. 
 
 5. The Bat shall not exceed four inches and one-quarter in 
 the widest part ; it shall not be more than thirty-eight inches in 
 length. 
 
 H 
 
98 CRICKET. 
 
 The Wickets. 
 6. The wickets shall be pitched opposite and parallel to each 
 other at a distance of twenty-two yards. Each wicket shall be 
 eight inches in width and consist of three stumps, with two bails 
 upon the top. The stumps shall be of equal and sufficient size 
 to prevent the ball from passing through, twenty-seven inches out 
 of the ground. The bails shall be each four inches in length, 
 and when in position, on the top of the stumps, shall not project 
 more than half-an-inch above them. The wickets shall not be 
 changed during a match, unless the ground between them 
 become unfit for play, and then only by consent of both sides. 
 
 The Bowling Crease. 
 
 •J. The Bowling Crease shall be in a hne with the stumps ; six 
 feet eight inches in length ; the stumps in the centre ; with a 
 Return Crease at each end, at right angles behind the wicket. 
 
 The Popping Crease. 
 
 8. The Popping Crease shall be marked four feet from the 
 wicket, parallel to it, and be deemed unlimited in length. 
 
 TJie Ground. 
 
 9. The Ground shall not be rolled, watered, covered, mown, 
 or beaten during a match, except before the commencement of 
 each innings and of each day's play, when, unless the In-side 
 object, the ground shall be swept and rolled for not more than 
 ten minutes. This shall not prevent the Batsman from beating 
 the ground with his bat, nor the Batsman nor Bowler from using 
 sawdust in order to obtain a proper foothold. 
 
 The Bowler. No Ball. 
 
 10. The Ball must be bowled ; if thrown or jerked, the Umpire 
 shall call, "No Ball." 
 
 11. The Bowler shall deliver the ball with one foot on the 
 ground behind the bowling crease, and within the return 
 crease, otherwise the Umpire shall call, " No Ball." 
 
 Wide Ball. 
 
 12. If the Bowler shall bowl the ball so high over or so wide 
 of the wicket that in the opinion of the Umpire it is not within 
 reach of the Striker, the Umpire shall call, " Wide Ball." 
 
LAWS OF CRICKET. 99 
 
 The Over. 
 
 13. The Ball shall be bowled in Overs of five balls from each 
 wicket alternately. When five balls have been bowled, and the 
 ball is finally settled in the Bowler's or Wicket-keeper's hands, 
 the Umpire shall call, " Over." Neither a " No Ball " nor a 
 " Wide Ball " shall be reckoned as one of the " Over." 
 
 14. The Bowler shall be allowed to change ends as often as 
 he pleases, provided only that he does not bowl two Overs con- 
 secutively in one innings. 
 
 15. The Bowler may require the Batsman at the wicket from 
 which he is bowling to stand on that side of it which he may 
 direct. 
 
 Scoring off No Balls and Wide Balls. 
 
 16. The Striker may hit a "No Ball," and whatever runs 
 result shall be added to his score ; but he shall not be out from 
 a " No Ball," imless he be run out or break Laws 26, 27, 29, 30. 
 All runs made from a " No Ball," otherwise than from the bat, 
 shall be scored " No Balls," and if no run be made, one run 
 shall be added to that score. From a " Wide Ball," as many 
 runs as are run shall be added to the score as " Wide Balls," 
 and if no run be otherwise obtained, one run shall be so added. 
 
 Bye. 
 
 17. If the ball, not having been called " Wide " or " No Ball," 
 pass the Striker without touching his bat, or person, and any 
 runs be obtained, the Umpire shall call, " Bye ; " but if the ball 
 touch any part of the Striker's pef son (hand excepted) and any 
 run be obtained, the Umpire shall call, " Leg Bye," such runs 
 to be scored "Byes," and "Leg Byes," respectively. 
 
 Play, 
 
 18. At the beginning of the match, and of each innings, the 
 Umpire at the Bowler's wicket shall call, " Play ; " from that 
 time no trial ball shall be allowed to any Bowler on the ground 
 between the wickets, and when one of the Batsmen is out, the 
 use of the bat shall not be allowed to any person until the next 
 Batsman shall come in. 
 
 Definitions. 
 
 19. A Batsman shall be held to be " out of his ground," un- 
 less his bat in hand or some part of his person be grounded 
 within the line of the Popping Crease. 
 
CRICKET. 
 
 20. TKe wicket shall be held to be " down " when either of 
 the bails is struck off, or if both bails be off, when a stump -is 
 struck out of the ground. 
 
 The Striker, 
 
 The Striker is out— 
 
 21. If the wicket be bowled down, even if the ball first touch 
 the Striker's bat or person ; — " Bowled." 
 
 22. Or, if the ball, from a stroke of the bat or hand, but not 
 the wrist, be held before it touch the ground, although it be 
 hugged to the body of the catcher ; — " Caught." 
 
 23. Or, if in playing at the ball, provided it be not touched by 
 the bat or hand, the Striker be out of his ground, and the wicket 
 be put down by the wicket-keeper with the ball or with hand 
 or arm, with ball in hand ; — " Stumped." 
 
 24. Or, if with any part of his person he stop the ball which, 
 in the opinion of the Umpire at the Bowler's wicket, shall have 
 been pitched in a straight line from it to the Striker's wicket 
 and would have hit it ; — " Leg before Wicket." 
 
 25. Or, if in playing at the ball he hit down his wicket with 
 his bat or any part of his person or' dress ; — " Hit Wicket." 
 
 26. Or, if under pretence of running, or otherwise, either of 
 the Batsmen wilfully prevent a ball from being caught ; — " Ob- 
 structing the field." 
 
 27. Or, if the ball be struck, or be stopped by any part of his 
 person, and he wilfully strike it again, except it be done for the 
 purpose of guarding his wicket, which he may do with his bat, 
 or any part of his person, except his hands j — " Hit the ball 
 twice." 
 
 The Batsman. 
 
 Either Batsman is out— 
 
 28. If in running, or at any other time, while the ball is in 
 play, he be out of his ground, and his wicket be struck down by 
 the ball after touching any Fieldsman, or by the hand or arm, 
 with ball in hand, of any Fieldsman ; — "Run out." 
 
 29. Or, if he touch with his hands or take up the ball while 
 in play, unless at the request of the opposite side ; — " Handled 
 the ball." 
 
 30. Or, if he wilfully obstruct any Fieldsman : — " Obstructing 
 the field." 
 
 31. If the Batsmen have crossed each other, he that runs for 
 the wicket which is put down is out ; if they have not crossed 
 he that has left the wicket which is put down is out. 
 
ZAWS OF CRICKET. 
 
 ^2. The Striker being caught, no run shall be scored. A 
 Batsman being run out, that run which was being attempted 
 shall not be scored. 
 
 33. A Batsman being out from any cause, the ball shall be 
 "dead." 
 
 Lost Ball. 
 
 34. If a ball in play cannot be found or recovered, any 
 Fieldsman may call, " Lost Ball," when the ball shall be " dead ; " 
 six runs shall be added to the score ; but if more than six runs 
 have been run before "Lost Ball" has been called, as many 
 runs as have been run shall be scored. 
 
 35. After the ball shall have been finally settled in the 
 Wicket-keeper's or Bowler's hand, it shall be " dead ; " but when 
 the Bowler is about to deliver the ball, if the Batsman at his 
 wicket be out of his ground before actual delivery, the said 
 Bowler may run him out; but if the Bowler throw at that 
 wicket and any run result, it shall be scored " No Ball." 
 
 36. A Batsman shall not retire from his wicket and return to 
 it to complete his innings after another has been in, without the 
 consent of the opposite side. 
 
 Substitute. 
 
 37. A substitute shall be allowed to field or run betweett 
 wickets for any player who may during the match be incapaci- 
 tated from illness or injury, but for no other reason, except 
 with the consent of the opposite side. 
 
 38. In all cases where a substitute shall be allowed, the con- 
 sent of the opposite side shall be obtained as to the person to 
 act as substitute, and the place in the field which he shall take. 
 
 39. In case any substitute shall be allowed to run between 
 wickets, the Striker may be run out if either he or his substitute 
 be out of his ground. If the Striker be out of his ground while 
 the ball is in play, that wicket which he has left may be put 
 down and the Striker given out, although the other Batsman 
 may have made good the ground at that end, and the Striker 
 and his substitute at the other end. 
 
 40. A Batsman is liable to be out for any infringement of the 
 Laws by his substitute. 
 
 The Fieldsman. 
 
 41. The Fieldsman may stop the ball with any part of his 
 person, but if he wilfully stop it otherwise, the ball shall be 
 
102 CRICKET. 
 
 " dead," and five runs added to the score ; whatever runs niay 
 have been made, five only shall be added. 
 
 Wicket- Keeper. 
 
 i,i. The Wicket-keeper shall stand behind the wicket. If he 
 shall take the ball for the purpose of stumping before it has 
 passed the wicket, or, if he shall incommode the Striker by any 
 noise, or motion, or if any part of his person be over or before 
 the wicket, the Striker shaU not be out, excepting under Laws 
 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. 
 
 Duties of Umpires. 
 
 43. The Umpires are the sole judges of fair or unfair play, of 
 the fitness of the ground, the weather, and the light for play ; 
 all disputes shall be determined by them, and if they disagree, 
 the actual state of things shall continue. 
 
 44. They shall pitch fair wickets, arrange boundaries where 
 necessary, and the allowances to be made for them, and change 
 ends after each side has had one innings. 
 
 45. They shall allow two minutes for each Striker to come in, 
 and ten minutes between each innings. When they shall call, 
 " Play," the side refusing to play shall lose the match. 
 
 46. They shall not order a Batsman out unless appealed to 
 by the other side. 
 
 47. The Umpire at the Bowler's wicket shall be appealed to 
 before the other Umpire in all cases except in those of stump- 
 ing, hit wicket, run out at the Striker's wicket, or arising out of 
 Law 42, but in any case in which an Umpire is unable to give 
 a decision, he shall appeal to the other Umpire, whose decision 
 shall be final. 
 
 48. If the Umpire at the Bowler's end be not satisfied of the 
 absolute fairness of the delivery of any ball, he shall call, " No 
 Ball." 
 
 48(1. The Umpire shall take especial care to call, " No Ball " 
 instantly upon delivery ; " Wide Ball " as soon as it shall have 
 passed the Striker. 
 
 49. If either Batsman run a short run, the Umpire shall call, 
 *' One Short," and the run shall not be scored. 
 
 50. After the Umpire has called, " Over," the ball is " dead," 
 but an appeal may be made as to whetlier either Batsman is out ; 
 such appeal, however, shall not be made after the delivery of the 
 next ball, nor after any cessation of play. 
 
 51. No Umpire shall be allowed to bet. 
 
ZAPVS OF CRICKET. 103 
 
 52. No Umpire shall be changed during a match, unless with 
 the consent of both sides, except in case of violation of Law 5 1 ; 
 then either side may dismiss him. 
 
 Following Innings. 
 
 53. The side which goes in second shall follow their innings, 
 if they have scared eighty runs lees than the opposite side. 
 
 54. On the last day of a match, and in a one-day match at any 
 time, the in-side may declare their innings at an end. 
 
 ONE-DAY MATCHES. 
 
 1. The side which goes in second shall follow their innings if 
 they have scored sixty rans less than the opposite side. 
 
 2. The match, unless played out, shall be decided by the First 
 Innings. Prior to the commencement of a match it may be 
 agreed : — that the Over consist of five or six balls. 
 
 SINGLE WICKET. 
 
 The Laws are, where they apjily, the same as the above, with 
 the following alterations and additions. 
 
 1. One Wicket shall be pitched, as in Law 6; with a Bowling 
 Stump opposite to it, at a distance of twenty-two yards. The 
 bowling crease shall be in a line with the bowling stump ; and 
 drawn according to Law 7. 
 
 2. When there shall be less than five Players on a side. 
 Bounds shall be placed twenty-two yards each in a Une from 
 the oflf and leg stump. 
 
 3. The ball must be hit before the Bounds to entitle the 
 Striker to a run, which run cannot be obtained unless he touch 
 the bowUng stump or crease in a line with his bat, or some part 
 of his person, or go beyond them, and return to the popping 
 crease. 
 
 4. When the Striker shall hit the ball, one of his feet must be 
 on the ground behind the popping crease, otherwise the Umpire 
 shall call, " No Hit," and no run shall be scored. 
 
 5. When there shall be less than five Players on a side, neither 
 Byes, Leg Byes, nor Overthrows shall be allowed, nor shall the 
 Striker be caught out behind the wicket, nor stumped. 
 
104 CRICKET. 
 
 6. The Fieldsman must return the ball so that it shall cross 
 the ground between the wicket and the bowling stump, or 
 between the bowling stump and the bounds ; the Striker may 
 run till the ball be so returned. 
 
 7. After the Striker shall have made one run, if he start 
 again he must touch the bowling stump or crease, and turn 
 before the ball cross the ground to entitle him to another. 
 
 S. The Striker shall be entitled to three runs for lost ball, and 
 tne saffie number for ball wilfully stopped by a Fieldsman other- 
 wise than with any part of his person. 
 
 9. When there shall be more than four Players on a side, 
 there shall be no bounds. All Hits, Byes, Leg Byes, and Over- 
 throws shall then be allowed. 
 
 10. There shall be no restriction as to the ball being bowled 
 in Overs, but no more than one minute shall be allowed 'vetwees 
 tach ball. 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 H. W: W. WILBERFORCE. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. Introductory ... ... ... ... ... i 
 
 II. The History of the Game ... ... ... 4 
 
 III. The Development of the Play ... ... 9 
 
 IV. The Court ... ... ... ... ... 12 
 
 V. The Implements of the Game ... ... ... 15 
 
 VI. The Stroke ... ... ... ... 19 
 
 VII. The Volley ... ... ... ... ... 24 
 
 VIII. The Half- Volley ... ... ... ... 27 
 
 IX. The Lob ... ... ... ... ... 28 
 
 X. The Service ... ... ... ... 29 
 
 XI. The Single Game ... ... ... ... 33 
 
 XII. The Four-Handed or Double Game ... 41 
 
 XIII. Ladies' and Gentlemen's Doubles ... ... 47 
 
 XIV. Ladies' Chapter. By Mrs. Hillyard, ... 50 
 XV. Prize Meetings... ... ... ... ... 53 
 
 XVL Handicaps ... ... ... ... ... 57 
 
 Appendix : — 
 
 The Laws of Lawn Tennis ... ... ... 61 
 
 Regulations for the Management of Prize 
 
 Meetings ... ... ... ... ••• 66 
 
LAWN TENNIS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 ■ To that anomalous individual, the thoughtful observer, the 
 success of lawn tennis, unprecedented alike in . extent and 
 rapidity, cannot have been a matter of surprise. A priori 
 it is just the game to fill a want in human nature, or at any 
 rate in the nature of English men and women. 
 
 Croquet was all very well in its way, but it gave no exercise ; 
 its social advantages are equally shared by lawn tennis ; and 
 it fostered (and for this reason principally it fell) the ascen- 
 dency of the curate. 
 
 Cricket, on the other hand, requires more time than 
 many people can give to a pastime, it takes a larger number 
 of players, and even the best man can never be sure whether 
 it will be his lot to spend the day in the most violent exer- 
 tion or in lounging in the pavilion. To my mind this 
 element of uncertainty is most unpleasant : there are times 
 when one is possessed with a frantic desire for running 
 about, and then it is very trying to have to sit still and 
 watch the activity of others ; equally annoying is it to be 
 called on to go out and field in the hot sun just when one 
 wants to " sport with Amaryllis in the shade." 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 However, whether these feelings are shared by others or 
 not, the result has been that not only are England, Ireland, 
 and in a less degree Scotland^ white with lines of lawn- 
 tennis courts, but in all the colonies, in America, in the 
 south of France — everywhere, in short, where two or three 
 Englishmen are gathered together, the game flourishes and 
 tournaments abound. 
 
 Some places, in truth, seem to have been designed for 
 the delectation of the lawn-tennis player. Let him go, for 
 instance, to the Beau Site Hotel at Cannes. There he 
 will find the most perfect courts of sand, where the ball 
 bounds as true and as straight as the heart can desire. He 
 can leave the fogs of a London Christmas behind him, and 
 find himself in brilliant sunshine. He plays in a lovely 
 garden, surrounded by a semi-tropical vegetation ; the blue of 
 the Mediterranean is beneath him, and a few miles to the 
 West rise the heights of the Esterells. People say that good 
 Americans when they die go to Paris ; of a verity the 
 Paradise of lawn-tennis players is Cannes. 
 
 Or if he pants for the struggle of a tournament, where 
 can he spend a more pleasant week than at Dublin, in May ? 
 Let him stay at Kingstown, in a room looking over the quiet 
 waters of the bay, with Howth lifting itself gently out of 
 them in the distance. Twenty minutes by train and five 
 on a car will bring him to Fitz-William Square, where the 
 courts are a sight to see. He will be received with truly 
 Irish hospitality, and Master Courtenay will anticipate every 
 possible wish, whether it be for refreshment for a thirsty 
 soul or a partner in the mazy whirl at one of club's delight- 
 ful dances. The only danger he will encounter will be that 
 of impairing his " form " by a surfeit of kindness. He will 
 play surrounded by hundreds of Ireland's fairest daughters ; 
 and, when he leaves, it Nvill be with the regret that a week 
 
INTROD UCTOR Y. 
 
 is so short and that it is so long to next year. And so it is 
 that lawn tennis in Ireland is even more popular than in 
 England : there is very little cricket, the rivers are unsuited 
 to boating, and the roads generally too bad for bicycling; 
 but, above all, there is the great advantage of a club like the 
 Fitz-William, which occupies a position and enjoys a repu- 
 tation in Ireland superior even to that which the All England 
 Club has held in this country ; and, in fact, most of the best 
 English players are found willing, year by year, to attend 
 the Dublin tournament despite the waves of St. George's 
 Channel. 
 
 Not that there is any lack of tournaments on this side : 
 far from it Why, from the beginning of June to the end of 
 September there is a series of these contests at all the more 
 important towns and watering-places ; at the seaside the 
 season is incomplete without one ; and they are becoming as 
 potent in the cause of charity as bazaars and black bishops. 
 Nay, there are to be found people who deplore the fact that 
 so many tournaments are held, as being likely to lead to 
 professionahsm — a taint from which the game has hitherto 
 happily remained free — and betting, which only exists to a 
 very limited extent. 
 
 All I can say is that I see nothing which warrants such 
 a conclusion ; undoubtedly the increase in the number of 
 tournaments has very much raised, and is still raising the 
 standard of play, and it would in my view be unwise to 
 sacrifice so substantial an advantage for what I believe 
 will prove a merely visionary danger. 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 Lawn tennis, though in its present form a very modern 
 creation, has had its prototypes in comparatively distant 
 ages. In France, in particular, there existed hundreds of 
 years ago, a very similar game called la longue paume. It 
 was played over a bank of earth, 2 ft. high, with a cork ball 
 struck by the hand. Subsequently, some ingenious person 
 devised an instrument of wood and gut, which received the 
 name of a racket, and in this shape the game penetrated 
 to England. The scoring was by fifteens, for some obscure 
 reason which no one, as far as I know, has been able to 
 discover. So played, the game became very popular in this 
 country, but died out completely some considerable time 
 ago, and practically did not reappear till the year 1874, 
 when a pastime closely resembling it was introduced by 
 Major Wingfield, under the name of " sphairistikfe." 
 
 The game, as the major played it, took place in an hour- 
 glass court, 60ft. by soft., narrowing to 21 ft. at the net, 
 which was 7 ft. high at the posts and 4 ft 8 in. in the 
 middle. The service was from a service-box in the middle 
 of the court, and the scoring was the same as in the game 
 of rackets. The disadvantages of the service-box were so 
 obvious, that it was shortly abolished, and then the game 
 daily became more and more widely played. But this curious 
 state of things arose, that every player made laws for him- 
 self, and I have before me now a set of laws issued by 
 George Lambert, which, among other oddities, contains a 
 suggestion that in handicaps "a cord may be stretched 
 between the posts at a height of 7 ft. or any other height 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 agreed upon " (the normal height of the net being 5 ft.), 
 "and the giver of odds shall play every ball over. the cord, 
 or lose a stroke." 
 
 It was not, in fact, until the year 1877, when the first 
 championship was held under the auspices of the All 
 England Club, that a code of laws in any respect satisfactory 
 was issued ; and it was owing to the energy and foresight of 
 one man alone, Mr. Henry Jones, that the championships 
 ever came into being: to him lawn tennis-players owe a 
 debt which can never adequately be repaid. 
 
 The laws of 1877 were drawn up by Mr. Henry Jones, 
 Mr. C. G. Heathcote, and Mr. Julian Marshall (who, for so 
 long and with such success, managed the affairs of the All 
 England Lawn Tennis Club), and established the following 
 important cTianges : — 
 
 1. The court was made rectangular. 
 
 2. The service-line was brought in to 24 ft. from the net 
 (it is now 21 ft). 
 
 3. The net was lowered to 4 ft. 9 in. at the posts and 3 ft. 
 3 in. in the middle. 
 
 4. Tennis scoring was adopted. 
 
 These laws, with some few alterations (several of which 
 failed to stand the test of use) were republished in 1878, 
 by the Marylebone and All England Clubs jointly, and 
 endure almost unchanged to this day. The only amend- 
 ment which demands any notice is the lowering of the net 
 at the posts, in 1883, to 3 ft. 6 in.— a thing which greatly 
 changed and, I beheve it is generally admitted, improved 
 the style of play. For this we have mainly to thank Mr- 
 H. F. Lawford. 
 
 In addition, the All England Club drew up "Regulations, 
 for the Management of Prize Meetings," which were uni- 
 versally adopted ; and until almost the other day that club 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 was, in right of its services, the sole arbiter of the game. 
 It is not so now, and I am indebted to Mr. Chipp, the able 
 and energetic -honorary secretary of the new Lawn Tennis 
 Association, for the following account of the genesis and 
 constitution of that body, which it is to be hoped will 
 preserve unimpaired those traditions which have been 
 handed down to it by its predecessor. 
 
 The Lawn Tennis Association. 
 
 Towards the close of the year 1887, the desire to see a 
 Lawn Tennis Association instituted begun to assume definite 
 shape. The idea was not a new one. Some years pre- 
 viously an attempt to form an association had been made, 
 but the times were not then ripe, and it came to nothing. 
 Now, however, it was felt that the game had become so 
 popular — one might, indeed, without exaggeration say, so 
 national — that a more truly representative governing body 
 than yet existed was needed. The All England L.T.C., 
 to whom the game owes much, had, up to the time referred 
 to, been tacitly recognized as the leaders in lawn-tennis 
 matters ; but the cry now arose for a new king, who should 
 be invested with more ample authority and power. Accord- 
 ingly, the first steps towards a new order of things were 
 taken in November, 1887, by Messrs. H. S. Scrivener 
 (then President of the O.U.L.T.C.) and G. W. HiUyard. 
 These gentlemen issued a circular inviting support for the 
 scheme, the result being, that on January 26, 1888, a very 
 large and representative gathering of players and supporters 
 of the game assembled at the Freemasons' Tavern, with 
 the avowed object of forming a Lawn Tennis Association. 
 The proposition to carry out this design met with almost 
 unanimous support, and, in spite of a few dissentient voices, 
 it was evident that the object of the meeting was attained. 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 A provisional committee was then and there formed, and, 
 before the next meeting was held, those who had in the 
 first instance opposed the idea were found to have allowed 
 better counsels to prevail, and to have joined the ranks 
 of the Associationists, the complete success of whose under- 
 taking was thus assured. 
 
 For this result the lawn-tennis world is mainly indebted 
 to the President of the Hyde Park L.T.C., Mr. Daniel 
 Jones, who is also a prominent member of the All England 
 L.T.C. This gentleman, whose name, in connection with 
 the game, is " familiar in our mouths as household words," 
 by his influenqe and tact was enabled to bring to a success- 
 ful issue that which, in the hands of any one else, would 
 probably have proved a well-nigh hopeless task. Much as 
 Mr. Jones has done for the game in years past, it may well 
 be doubted whether any service he has yet rendered it 
 can be looked upon as so entirely beneficial to all parties 
 concerned as this, his successful reconciliation of what at 
 one time appeared to be divergent interests ; for that which 
 would almost inevitably have ensued — a division of the 
 lawn-tennis world into two hostile factions — was thereby 
 happily averted. All lawn-tennis players are under a 
 deep debt of gratitude to him for having preserved them 
 from such a state of things, and by none is the debt more 
 freely and fully acknowledged than by the writer of these 
 lines. Further, be it here recorded, in simple justice to the 
 members of the premier club, that they, having once made 
 common cause with the association, lost no time in pro- 
 moting the success of the movement by making over to the 
 governing body any claim they possessed to the copyright of 
 the laws and regulations of the game — a not inconsiderable 
 concession. 
 
 The first work of the council was to issue a set of rules, and 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 this body has also recently drawn up a very careful and com- 
 prehensive code of regulations for prize and other meetings. 
 
 The council, which is elected annually, consists of the 
 officers (a president ; six nominative and six elective vice- 
 presidents ; honorary secretary ; and honorary treasurer), and 
 of 36 members who are representative of the six divisions 
 into which the United Kingdom has been divided. These 
 divisions are : (i) North of England; (2) South of England ; 
 (3) Midlands ; (4) Wales and Monmouthshire ; (5) Scodand ; 
 (6) Ireland; and they return respectively 8, 10, 6, 2, 4, and 
 6 representatives to the council. 
 
 All the leading English clubs have joined the associa- 
 tion, which numbers on its council nearly all the prominent 
 players of the day. 
 
 , Besides the single championship, a four-handed or double 
 championship was started in 1879 by the Oxford University 
 Club, who, however, handed it over in a most disinterested 
 way, in 1884, to the All England Club, who thereupon 
 established in addition a ladies' single championship, which 
 however has not commanded that favour which might have 
 been expected. An All-England ladies' and gentlemen's 
 double championship was last year started by the Northern 
 Lawn Tennis Association. The only other championship 
 it seems at all necessary to mention is that of the covered 
 courts, instituted by the Hyde Park Club in 1884. Origin- 
 ally a success, the entries have dwindled year by year until 
 this year they only numbered three — a result no doubt owing 
 to the peculiar characteristics of the court, to achieve 
 familiarity with which requires long and patient practice. 
 Whether any remedy for this unfortunate state of things can 
 be found in the magnificent new courts recently erected at 
 the Queen's Club it would be improper for me to conjecture. 
 
C 9 ) 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAY. 
 
 For the first few years that lawn tennis was played, and 
 before it had time to originate a style of its own, those 
 people who excelled at the kindred game of rackets 
 naturally found the new game came comparatively easy to 
 them, and had things more or less their own way. Mr. 
 Gore, champion in 1877, Mr. Hadow, champion in 1878, 
 Mr. Hartley, champion in 1879 and 1880, Mr. Lawford 
 and Mr. Gould were all accomplished racket-players. 
 
 At that time the only object of a player was to return the 
 ball over the net, and he necessarily remained nearly entirely 
 indifferent to considerations of pace or placing. Volley- 
 ing was a thing well-nigh unknown; in fact some people 
 considered it an ungentlemanly thing to do ; and I well 
 remember playing in a club match in the country where one 
 of the players threw down his racket and refused to go on 
 playing against a low fellow who insisted on volleying his 
 best stroke, a heavily cut tennis stroke, which had up to 
 then been regarded by his fellow club-men as unreturnable. 
 The result of this was that a match resolved itself into a 
 trial of patience and endurance ; the rests were of enormous 
 length : in particular I recall a match at Prince's between 
 Mr. Lawford and Mr. Lubbock in which there occurred a 
 rest of no less than eighty-three strokes. With the net 4 ft. 
 9 in. at the posts, there was, of course, not much opportunity 
 for severe strokes off the ground, but when, in 1880, the 
 height was reduced to 4 ft. the play became much faster. 
 
 That year was a memorable one in the annals of lawn 
 tennis. It marks the adoption of the volley as a winning 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 Stroke — first, I think by Mr. Woodhouse, and then by 'the 
 Messrs. Renshaw, with whose name that stroke has been 
 chiefly and deservedly associated : and it also marks the 
 beginning of that rivalry between the style of the Messrs. 
 Renshaw on the one hand and that of Mr. Lawford on the 
 other, the result of which can hardly yet be estimated. 
 
 The essential difference between these styles may be 
 summed up in this way : there is always a spot in the court 
 where a player is most at easej a point from which he 
 thinks he can best attack and also defend ; a sort of strong- 
 hold to which he invariably returns as soon as possible after 
 having for the moment been compelled to leave it. The 
 spot selected by Mr. Renshaw was about a foot behind the 
 service-line, that chosen by Mr. Lawford about the base line. 
 
 It follows that one style was formed principally on volley- 
 ing and the other on back play, and from that time lawn- 
 tennis players were divided, broadly speaking, into two 
 classes, one adopting one style and the other the other ; and 
 it became a matter of controversy as to which style was the 
 winning one. 
 
 For some little time it seemed as if volleying from the 
 service-line would be the game of the future. The height 
 of the net at the posts (4 ft.) prevented the base-line player 
 from making anything like a certainty of passing the voUeyer 
 along the side lines : he was obliged to hit so gently that the 
 chances were greatly in favour of the volleyer reaching and 
 returning the stroke. If no change had been made in the 
 laws of the game, it appears probable 'that hard back play 
 would have gone out entirely ; and I, for one, think that 
 the game would have lost immensely in interest and variety. 
 
 Fortunately, however, as I have already stated, in 1883 
 the net was lowered at the posts to 3 ft. 6 in. The effect 
 of this alteration became manifest in a very brief space, and 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAY. II 
 
 it shortly was patent to every one that volleying from the 
 service-line could not by itself stand against good back 
 play. The proof was supplied by the succession of victories 
 obtained by Mr. Lawford over Mr. Ernest Renshaw in the 
 first rank of players, and by the supremacy of Mr. Grinstead 
 in the second class. 
 
 That Mr. William Renshaw maintained as he did his 
 position is owing to his appreciation of the changed con- 
 ditions ; he succeeded in acquiring a stroke off the ground, 
 hardly, if at all, surpassed by any one, which in combination 
 with his, at that time, unrivalled powers of volleying made 
 him the finest all-round player we are likely to see for some 
 time to come. His unfortunate accident the year before 
 last was a loss to the game, and it is to be hoped that the 
 effects of it which were still traceable in his play last year 
 may now have vanished. 
 
 It is a curious circumstance that for some years there was 
 a group of players — Messrs. W. and E. Renshaw, Lawford, 
 Richardson, and Browne — ^who could concede the odds of 
 fifteen to any other player. There is much less difference 
 between, say, the best twenty players now, and matches are 
 much more open things than they used to be. The entries 
 for the championship, at one time, I think in 1880, as 
 numerous as sixty-four, shrank to about twenty a couple of 
 years ago, but are again increasing in number; and there 
 are several players, notably Mr. Lewis and Mr. Hamilton, 
 who have risen to the first class. 
 
 The game is, in fact, it seems to me, in rather a transi- 
 tional state at the present time. There is the present 
 champion, Mr. Ernest Renshaw, who really, I think, at- 
 tained his place by his wonderful skill in tossing. There 
 is Mr. Lewis, now, in the opinion of many, the finest 
 volleyer of the day ; his game is volleying from quite close 
 
12 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 to the net, a position from which that stroke is most 
 deadly. 
 
 Again, there is Mr. Hamilton, who relies on his great 
 activity and certainty to return nearly every ball. 
 
 Now, whether any of these styles, and, if so, which, is to 
 be the style of the future, no one can venture to say. For 
 my own part I shall be very sorry if it turns out that tossing 
 is to become a predominant feature, as the game must in 
 that event prove much less attractive both to players and 
 spectators. 
 
 Further on I propose to examine more in detail what I 
 conceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of the 
 various styles here alluded to. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE COURT. 
 
 One thing is absolutely necessary for a good court, and that 
 is sufficient space. 
 
 Not only do the players actually run very far beyond the 
 limits of the court, and require plenty of elbow-room for 
 that purpose, but the imagination must also be taken into 
 account. When a man is running towards, say, a wall 
 with his head turned partly away from it, he is very apt to 
 fancy he is much nearer than he really is. One often sees 
 in a covered court a player putting out his left hand to save 
 himself, as he thinks, from dashing against the back wall, 
 when, in fact, he is perfectly safe; and this feeling of in- 
 security is responsible for the loss of many strokes. 
 
 The larger margin there is round the court the better; 
 but at least there should be 12 ft. clear on each side, and 
 2 1 ft. at each end. 
 
THE COURT. 
 
 13 
 
 Open-air courts should run north and south, so that the 
 sun may be as much as possible across the court. 
 
 The back-ground is a thing not to be neglected. The 
 best thing to have is a wall of some colour not lighter than 
 the grass, or else a dense mass of shrubs. High trees are 
 very objectionable ; they cast shadows over the court, and 
 the light comes through the leaves and'branches in patches, 
 which is most trying to the eyes. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to say that the court should be 
 perfectly level, with no suspicion of slope ; hard open-air 
 courts — that is, of asphalte or other similar material — are 
 generally made, with a crown to allow for drainage, and 
 this I presume is unavoidable ; but with grass it is not so. 
 For purposes of draining, a foundation of about a foot of 
 cinders, gravel, or chalk answers very well; above this, 
 about six inches of soil and then the turf. 
 
 It is well to remember that it is far better to have turf too 
 dry than too wet ; there is no difficulty about w.atering a dry 
 ground, but if it is insufficiently drained there is nothing to 
 do but to take it up. 
 
 It would be beyond my province to enter into details 
 about laying down courts, but a few words about keeping 
 the ground in order may not be out of place. 
 
 Playing on a court is far better for it than mere rolling, but 
 there should be no hesitation about resting it if it begins to 
 get worn ; trifling inequalities may be redressed by rolling 
 when the ground is damp. Plantains and other weeds 
 should be cut out with a knife. In the early spring the 
 grass will be much strengthened by spreading some kind of 
 manure over the ground ; if stable manure is used it should 
 be thoroughly rotten. 
 
 If worm-casts appear they should be bush-harrowed, which 
 is much preferable to rolling. 
 
14 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 Bare patches should be sown with a little grass seed. 
 
 When marking a court, it is useful to remember that in a 
 single court the diagonal from the net to the comer of the 
 court is about 47 ft. s| in. ; in a double court it is about 
 
 S3 ft- fin- 
 
 The worst form of hard court is the ash or cinder court. 
 It is very difficult to keep in order ; a frost upsets it for days ; 
 and, besides, it is dirty to play on, it ruins both balls and 
 rackets, and fine particles of cinder, getting into the player's 
 shoes, drive him to distraction. 
 
 A gravel court is good as a cheap court, and has the 
 merit of drying very quickly after rain ; but if expense is no 
 object, black asphalte is far the pleasantest court to play on. 
 
 I am told that tar-pavement forms a very good surface, 
 being about the same pace as grass and not getting slippery 
 with wet ; but of this I have no personal experience. 
 
 Brick-dust courts are generally too slow. 
 
 Round every court there should be a stop-net, 7ft. high 
 if possible. 
 
 So much for open-air courts. 
 
 There are three well-known covered courts in or near 
 London. 
 
 The Wimbledon court has a perfect floor of black 
 asphalte, and, except on very dark days, the light is very 
 good. Unfortunately there are serious drawbacks. There 
 is not enough room either at the back or sides, nor is the 
 court high enough to admit of tossing ; and, lastly, in damp 
 warm weather the floor " sweats," and renders play 
 impossible. 
 
 The Hyde Park Court is loftier and lighter. There is 
 also a little more room, though not nearly enough. But as 
 against these advantages must be reckoned the floor, whicli 
 is far from satisfactory. It is composed of boards laid on 
 
IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 15 
 
 joists ; the result being that the bound of the ball is. untrue, 
 and cannot be relied on. On the other hand, however, 
 wood does hot " sweat." 
 
 The new Queen's Club Courts are everything that could 
 be wished for in the way of space and light. The only 
 doubt with regard to them is whether the floor can be made 
 quite true. At present the wooden blocks of which it is 
 composed stick up in places — slightly, it is true, but enough 
 to make a difference in the bound of a ball hitting one of 
 these projecting edges. If this difficulty can be surmounted, 
 there will, I think, be no fault at all to find. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 
 
 The ingenuity of man has been exercised to an alarming 
 extent in devising various kinds of posts. I have no wish 
 to say anything against any of them except this : I would 
 advise every one to steer clear of posts which require guy- 
 ropes : they are, it is true, cheaper than others, but the differ- 
 ence in price is dearly purchased at the expense of constantly 
 having to adjust the net. Another point that should be 
 attended to is that the posts must stand upright in any 
 soil. One often sees in wet weather the posts leaning over, 
 owing to the pegs, or whatever else they are secured by, not 
 having a firm enough hold on the ground. Lastly, the 
 posts should not be more than the regulation height, viz. 
 3 ft. 6 in. One does see occasionally little ornamental 
 erections on the top of the posts, which, though perhaps 
 pleasing to the eye, may cause a stroke to be lost by inter- 
 cepting the ball. 
 
 There are two sorts of posts of which I have had a good 
 
1 6 ZAW2V TENNIS. 
 
 deal of experience, and both of them have satisfied every 
 reasonable expectation. They both have the most con- 
 venient contrivance for adjusting the net, namely, the 
 handle and ratchet, the cord of the net passing over a 
 groove or pulley at the top of the post. 
 
 One is called the Cavendish post (made by Ayres), and 
 has a long foot on the inside of the post : it is kept fast by 
 either T-shaped pins, or, what is better for a light soil, a big 
 screw with a very thick worm. 
 
 The other, Gardiner's club post, has a socket, like a 
 piece of gas-piping rather over a foot long, in the ground, 
 and the bottom of the post fits into this. One advantage 
 is that the post may be lifted out and the ground mown 
 without moving the socket. 
 
 The net should be tarred to keep it from rotting, and it 
 is most essential that there should be along the top a bind- 
 ing of white canvas about two inches broad. 
 
 There should be a stay in the middle to keep the net 
 at the right height (3 ft.) ; the best kind, I think, is a band 
 passing over the top. Iron rods were formerly used, but 
 not only did they tear the net, but a ball hitting the top 
 would go in all sorts of directions. 
 
 It is most important to have the very best balls : to play 
 with a bad ball is no practice at all, except for the temper, 
 and certainly no pleasure : and yet it is the commonest 
 thing in the world for people at lawn-tennis parties to 
 produce without a blush articles which can only by 
 courtesy be called balls at all. I confess, I feel some- 
 what strongly on this subject, and I pen these lines with 
 the hope that they may meet the eyes of some of these, from 
 whose malpractices so many lawn-tennis players have 
 suffered, and may stir up resolutions to sin in this way 
 at any rate no more. 
 
THE IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 17 
 
 Balls must be treated with some consideration ; they 
 must not be kept in cold damp cupboards, and if they 
 are once touched by the frost, they are useless. As a rule, 
 balls of a previous season are no good. The only balls 
 now used are undersewn, and it is only just to say here 
 that the credit of effecting this improvement is due to 
 Ayres. There has lately been a controversy as to the 
 comparative merits of the balls of various makers, into 
 which I do not propose to enter ; I merely record my own 
 experience, which is that I have never tried any balls which 
 I liked so well as Ayres'. 
 
 Uncovered balls are an abomination. 
 
 As regards rackets there are many snares cunningly 
 baited for the unwary purchaser. There are rackets with 
 doubly or even trebly twisted gut ; with square heads and 
 oblong heads; with fluted handles, cork handles, and 
 leather handles; with grips for the hand, and with little 
 machines for marking the score. Let him eschew all such. 
 
 It is essential that the gut should be good, the handle 
 plain wood either round or octagonal, the splice well fitting, 
 and the hoop free from knots, with the grain going all 
 round. Just above the splice is where a racket generally 
 goes first, and it is wise to see that that part is not too thin. 
 Then sometimes one sees, instead of the splice fitting exactly, 
 there is an interval between it and the body of the racket, 
 filled up with something which looks like putty. Such a 
 racket will be nearly certain to spring after the first few 
 hard strokes. A- racket should not be strung too tightly; 
 one can generally tell at once whether the stringing is too 
 loose, but it is necessary to play with a racket half a dozen 
 times or so before one can feel whether there is suflScient 
 " give " in the strands to make it a good driver. There is 
 one maker in particular I have in my mind— it would be 
 
 c 
 
1 8 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 hardly fair to mention his name — whose rackets are and 
 remain like boards, so tight are they, and not an ounce of 
 drive can one get out of them. 
 
 As far as weight goes, I think myself 1/^% oz. to 14)^ oz. 
 is heavy enough for any one ; very few good players play 
 with a racket heavier than 14 J^ oz. Of course it is less exer- 
 tion to hit a ball hard with a heavier racket, but the extra 
 strain on the wrist in wielding it, and the difficulty in manipu- 
 lating it quickly turn the scale the other way. A racket lighter 
 than 14^ oz. would not stand the test of severe play. 
 
 The balance is an important factor; a badly balanced 
 racket has the disadvantages of a much heavier or lighter 
 racket without its advantages. Some players like their 
 rackets to balance at the screw, but as different makers 
 (and sometimes even the same makers) put the screw in 
 different places, this is not an infallible test. The way 
 I have always found to work well, is to hold the racket 
 loosely by the but, and jerk or swing it up and down ; if 
 it comes up with difficulty, the head is too heavy ; if too 
 easily, it is too light. 
 
 This may be considered rather a rule-of-thumb method, 
 but I am really unaware of any better plan. 
 
 A racket ought to be kept in a press in a dry place, if 
 preserving it is any object ; for my own part, although it 
 may be fancy, a racket of the previous season never seems 
 to me to be quite what it should be. 
 
 In shape, rackets have changed wonderfully in the past 
 few years ; and nowadays rackets are generally straight or 
 very nearly so. A curve on the inner or lower side of the 
 racket may perhaps assist the swing and keep it steady, but 
 it must be very slight, so as not to materially change the 
 position of the middle, which is always the part that should 
 meet the ball. 
 
THE STROKE. 19' 
 
 ■ For the last nine years the best players, almost without 
 exception, have got their rackets from Tate ; and I am 
 bound to say that, having tried rackets from many other 
 makers, I have never found any as good. At the same time, 
 there are makers, whose "rackets are sound, serviceable 
 articles, who do not charge so much for them. 
 
 Most people on a- dry ground or a " hard " court use 
 brown leather or buck-skin shoes with thick, smooth, red 
 rubber soles. They last an immense time, give a sure 
 foothold, besides being not uncomfortable. I must own a 
 preference for the ordinary canvas shoe with a ribbed sole, 
 on account of its extreme lightness. It is, however, not 
 ornamental, and some people find it too thin. 
 
 If the grass is at all wet or even damp, steel points should 
 be used. They are short nails driven in so that only the 
 square heads protrude. With steel points some find it 
 preferable to wear boots, as being less tiring to the ankle 
 and not really very much heavier than shoes. 
 
 The remaining articles of attire may be left to the 
 discretion and taste of the individual player. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE STROKE. 
 
 The importance of possessing a good stroke cannot easily 
 be overrated; a man may have great agility, powers of 
 endurance, and a good eye, and yet if he has a bad stroke 
 he may never become anything more than a moderate player. 
 The first thing, of course, is to know how to hold the 
 racket. Dr. Dwight, in his work on lawn tennis, has 
 expressed the opinion that it is very necessary so to hold 
 the racket that the grip may be the same for forehand and 
 
20 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 backhand strokes. In this I am bound to say I do not 
 agree with him. The time taken up by changing the grip 
 is infinitesimal, and with practice becomes purely mechanical. 
 There is, I think, only one well-known player who does not 
 change his grip ; and I am firmly persuaded that with an 
 unchanged grip there is less power of hitting, and moreover 
 the racket is prevented from meeting the ball full, that is to 
 say, without causing a twist. To put twist on a stroke 
 is to sacrifice power without obtaining any corresponding 
 advantage, those strokes only excepted where it is desired 
 that the ball should drop close to the net. 
 
 For these reasons I strongly recommend that when the 
 
 racket strikes the ball it should do so without any horizontal 
 
 movement from side to side ; and, with this view, the way 
 
 I would suggest that the racket be held is as follows : — 
 
 Take the racket in the left hand by the splice, the blade 
 
 being vertical smA the handle 
 horizontal ; then, for the 
 forehand stroke (the figure 
 being a vertical section of 
 the handle), the b&se of the 
 right hand will just overlap 
 the but ; the knuckle of the 
 thumb will be at A, the 
 knuckle of the forefinger at 
 
 B, the bend of the first 
 joint of the forefinger at 
 
 C, and of the second joint 
 at D ; the first joint will 
 
 slope towards the blade, the other joints away from the 
 blade ; the thumb will slope very slightly towards the blade, 
 its last joint jutting out from the handle ; the first joints of 
 the other fingers will lie across the handle at right angles. 
 
THE STROKE. 
 
 For the backhand stroke, the knuckle of the thumb will 
 be at a ; the knuckle of the 
 forefinger at b ; and the bend 
 of the first joint at c: the 
 slope of the fingers will be 
 exactly the same as in the fore 
 hand stroke : in fact the change 
 from the forehand to the back- 
 hand stroke is simply turning 
 the hand back in the direction 
 of the body, through rather 
 more than a right angle. 
 
 The racket should be grasped 
 as firmly as possible if it is 
 intended to rnake a severe stroke : it may be held more 
 loosely for a gentle one. 
 
 When about to make a forehand stroke, the feet should 
 be apart, the left foot being slightly in front ; the racket is 
 swung back behind the shoulder to an extent varying with 
 the strength of the stroke intended to be made, the weight 
 of the body being on the right foot ; in the act of striking 
 the weight is transferred to the left foot, the body is bent 
 forward, and the left knee is bent. Sometimes a step 
 forward is taken with the left foot, but I am inclined to 
 think that the stroke is more accurate without it. 
 
 For the backhand stroke the right foot is in front ; the 
 body is turned sideways to allow a clear swing for the arm ; 
 the weight is first on the left foot, and then transferred to 
 the right. 
 
 The left arm should be kept quiet, and not waved about 
 in the air. 
 
 The ball may be, and sometimes must be taken at all 
 sorts of different heights, but the one which lends itself 
 
LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 best to a good stroke is from about two feet to a foot and 
 a half from the ground, when the ball is falling. The 
 position of the arm and racket will, of course, vary with 
 the height at which the ball is taken. 
 
 I think it was Mr. Lawford who invented the form of stroke 
 now most in vogue and which gives the happiest results for the 
 striker. The ball is struck at such a height that the head of 
 the racket is not above the shoulder ; and instead of a plain 
 blow being given to the ball, the racket, as it were, takes 
 hold of the ball by moving along its surface in a vertical 
 direction. This is done by a slight turn of the wrist 
 
 The result is two-fold. The ball revolves forward on a 
 horizontal axis, thus leaving the ground at a greater velocity 
 and an acuter angle than if it had received an ordinary blow. 
 Also it is possible to strike the ball with much more force, 
 and to drive it much nearer the top of the net. 
 
 In making this stroke, the arm must be rather stiff. 
 
 After knowing how to strike the ball, the next point is to 
 acquire what is known as a good length — that is to say, the 
 power of propelling the ball to a point as near the opposite 
 base-line as possible. 
 
 The advantages of this are enormous. 
 
 If a ball struck with a certain force drops, say, within a 
 foot of the base-line, it. is almost impossible for a man to 
 make a stroke off it which his opponent will be unable 
 to return : not only is there the difficult task of making the' 
 ball travel a long distance, but the time which must elapse 
 gives the opponent a very good chance of reaching his 
 return. One may often see a player who goes plodding on, 
 returning every ball into the back of the opposite court, 
 defeat another whose style is far more brilliant and taking 
 to the eye, but whose strokes fall comparatively short. 
 
 Good length is the most important branch of the art of 
 
THE STROKE. 23 
 
 placing ; which consists of putting the ball in that part of 
 the court which is most inconvenient for the opponent to 
 reach, and which he least expects. 
 
 And now arises the question, What is the best way to learn 
 the stroke ? 
 
 Fortunately or unfortunately there are no professionals at 
 lawn tennis, or at any rate they are so few in number that 
 they may be left out of account, so that there is no chance 
 of regular teaching of the game ; and in a general way it is 
 picked up at haphazard. The inevitable result is that habits 
 are formed which it will take much trouble and more time 
 to get rid of. 
 
 The truth is, that if any one wants to do a thing well, he 
 must make up his mind to undergo a certain amount of 
 drudgery and discomfort ; and lawn tennis is no exception 
 to this rule. 
 
 Some people, when they begin the game, find it difficult 
 to hit the ball with the racket at all. In such extreme 
 cases I agree with the advice that has been given before by 
 writers on the game, namely, to play against a wall until 
 there is no more mere beating of the air. I do not, how- 
 ever, think that, beyond this, much advantage can be got 
 from this recipe, and I attach much importance to the 
 familiarity with the length of the court and the height of 
 the net, which can only be obtained by actual play or 
 attempts to play. The wholesome feeling of emulation, too, 
 which is caused by playing some one better is a considerable 
 stimulus ; but it is well to bear in mind that it does not 
 follow that, because the other player is better, his style is 
 perfect or one which can safely be copied. Watching really 
 good play is a great assistance, and also inviting criticism, 
 (which will be freely given) from people who understand the 
 game. 
 
24 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 Of course a beginner must not be too ambitious ; he must 
 at first confine his efforts to merely getting the ball over the 
 net: afterwards he may awake to considerations of pace 
 and placing. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE VOLLEY. 
 
 It is so much more attractive to most people both to volley 
 and to watch volleying than to play a stroke off the ground 
 or to look on at back-play, that it is here necessary to 
 emphasize the fact that a man must learn back-play 
 thoroughly before he attempts to volley at all, otherwise he 
 will be led to restrict himself entirely to the latter. The 
 temptation is the greater because bad volleying is at once 
 easier and more effective than bad back-play. 
 
 The volley has infinite varieties, but one rule applies 
 equally to all — a step forward should always be taken, if the 
 volley is forehand, with the left foot ; if backhand, with the 
 right. It should also be stated that it may be necessary to 
 slightly alter the grip by sloping the thumb and forefinger 
 more towards the blade. 
 
 Roughly speaking, volleys may be divided into two classes 
 — pushes and hits. An example of the former is the volley 
 of a ball coming down the backhand line just above the 
 net where it is desired to return it down the same line. 
 The racket is held horizontally across the body, and is 
 moved out in that position and in the same plane to meet 
 the ball, the elbow being well out from the body, the fore- 
 arm horizontal, and the wrist stiff. There is a similar stroke 
 on the forehand side. On the other hand, if the ball is a 
 little higher the racket is swung back, tlie blade moving 
 
THE VOLLEY. 25 
 
 faster than the hand, and a stroke like an overhand off-the- 
 ground stroke is made. This I should call a hit-volley. 
 
 With these push-volleys a great accuracy of placing can 
 be obtained both along the lines and across the court, but 
 occasion for them arises comparatively seldom. All volleys 
 which are made with the blade of the racket below the 
 shoulder are much easier backhand than forehand, except 
 those which are very low down in front of the body, and 
 there is no time to step aside. Generally speaking, there is 
 a longer reach backhand than forehand. When taking a 
 low volley backhanded it is necessary to stoop considerably, 
 otherwise it is impossible to lift the ball over the net. 
 
 Perhaps the most useful volleys at the present day are 
 those short across the court from close to the net, either 
 fore- or back-handed. The blade of the racket is a little 
 higher than the hand, and by a sharp turn of the wrist meets 
 the ball at an angle. They are very difficult strokes to keep 
 in court, but when successful are most deadly. Any one 
 who wishes to see them done to a nicety should watch the 
 play of Mr. Lewis. 
 
 A form of volley which is peculiarly associated with the 
 name of Renshaw is the smash. It consists of volleying a 
 high ball with a very free arm and a considerable swing; 
 the whole motion of the arm is very Uke that which takes 
 place ih throwing a cricket-balLrlt is a very showy stroke, 
 but can only be used with any safety quite close to the net. 
 Sometimes it is necessary to leap into the air with both feet 
 off the ground, and strangely enough when this is done the 
 stroke is nearly always successful, though I hope it will not 
 be inferred from this that I mean to suggest leaping into the 
 air as a policy to be vaguely adopted in genei-al.y But 
 commonly, indeed, an equally good stroke can be made 
 with much less expenditure of strength and far less risk 
 
26 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 by volleying the ball to one side-line or the other fairly 
 hard and within the service-line if the opponent is at the 
 back of the court, or far back if he is close up. These 
 hard overhand strokes are very difficult to make backhanded 
 with any degree of certainty. 
 
 Another very useful form of volley, but which one very 
 seldom sees, is an underhand volley from the back of the 
 court of a falling ball. The ball is struck very hard, the 
 arm being stiff, just as in the underhand drive. The wrist 
 must be kept very stiff, otherwise the force of the blow will 
 force the blade of the racket down. It can, I think, only 
 be attempted forehand with any hope of success. 
 
 There is another somewhat unusual volley, but one very 
 useful on an emergency or to save time, which may be 
 called lob-volley. The ball is volleyed gently up into the 
 air either when the opponent is close up to the net or when 
 time is required to get back into position. 
 
 Lastly must be mentioned a volley which was extensively 
 used by that very fine player, Mr. Chatterton, now un- 
 fortunately lost to the ranks of lawn tennis. It may be 
 called the drop-volley. It is made within three yards of the 
 net, and, if successful, the ball drops dead just on the other 
 side. The blade of the racket is vertically upwards, and 
 immediately before contact with the ball it is drawn back, 
 the wrist being perfectly stiff. I have never seen it done 
 except on the forehand, but there is no reason that I can 
 see why it should not be done on the backhand also. 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE HALF-VOLLEY. 
 
 To half-volley a ball is to take it just as it is leaving the 
 ground. It is a somewhat uncertain not to say fluky stroke, 
 and therefore great care must be taken in using it. As a 
 rule it is better either to go forward and volley the ball or 
 to step back and take it off the ground ; sometimes, how- 
 ever, there is either no time for either of these courses or 
 the advantage to be obtained by a successful half-volley is 
 so great that it is wiser to run the risk. If it is desired to 
 send the ball up high — for instance, if the opponent is at the 
 net — the blade of the racket should be in front of the hand ; 
 that is, the racket should lean from the ground away from 
 the net : but if it is wished to keep the ball down, there 
 should be a very slight slope the other way. 
 
 If a ball has passed the player on the forehand side, he 
 may return it with a half-volley by stooping down low, 
 balancing himself on his left foot with arm outstretched and 
 racket horizontal ; if on the backhand side, he should step 
 across with his right foot, turning his back to the net. The 
 position of the racket will vary with the place where the 
 ball strikes the ground {i.e. either some distance from, or 
 close to the body) from horizontal to vertical, the latter being 
 an exceedingly difficult stroke. 
 
 The half-volley, too, is very useful occasionally in a rest 
 of volleys where one drops short ; a quick low half-volley to 
 one line or the other will often win the stroke. 
 
 Akin to the half-volley is the rising ball— also a stroke not ■ 
 entirely to be relied upon. The ball must almost be allowed 
 to meet the racket if it is going hard, as if more than a 
 
28 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 slight impulse be given the ball will infallibly fly out of 
 court. This is a useful stroke sometimes, as it takes the 
 opponent by surprise. It is not quite so uncertain as the 
 half-volley, for, the ball having completed part of its bound, 
 its direction may be more accurately conjectured. No 
 rule can safely be laid down as to how to hold the racket 
 for either of these strokes : the position of the fingers and 
 the tightness or looseness of the grip must be left to the 
 inspiration of the moment, and will be governed by the 
 attitude which the player will find himself obliged to assume. 
 At times, indeed, to gain an extra inch of reach in a half- 
 volley, the little finger will be outside the but, and the 
 handle will only be grasped by three fingers and the thumb. 
 In such circumstances, however, the stroke is evidently a 
 sort of forlorn hope. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE LOB. 
 
 The lob is strictly speaking a slow stroke, and it follows 
 that to travel any distance it must rise higher in the air 
 than a fast stroke. 
 
 Till within the last two years it was only used for two 
 purposes — either to pass over the head of the man at the net, 
 in which case it was not necessary that it should go very 
 high into the air, or, secondly, to gain time when in a dif- 
 ficulty; in the latter case the higher the ball is sent, of course, 
 the more time is gained, and, besides, the more difficult is it 
 to volley. 
 
 High lobbing in a wind requires exceptional judgment. 
 
 If the sun is in the opponent's eyes, he will generally be 
 obliged to take the ball off the ground. As it is much more 
 
THE SERVICE. 29 
 
 difficult to volley a high lob backhanded than forehanded, 
 where there is a possibility of choosing, it is better to 
 volley into the backhand corner. Some people find it 
 easier to lob forehand, and some backhand. 
 
 As I have mentioned before, however, there is now a 
 distinct lobbing game. If the opponent is a man who plays 
 back very well, if he has a severe stroke off the ground, the 
 tactics the lobber follows are simply to keep on returning 
 the ball gently to the back of the court. The opponent 
 may, perhaps, be making very fine strokes, but if the lobber 
 has agility and certainty he will be able generally to return 
 them, and the result, too often, as I think, is that the hard 
 hitter kills himself, so to speak, by hitting the ball into the 
 net or out of court. 
 
 This form of game was rampant during the season of 
 1888. It has been said, and it may be so, that this arose 
 from the very wet and dead state of the courts throughout 
 the summer, and that this game would not succeed on a 
 fast dry ground. Time alone can tell. Possibly, too, 
 another remedy could be found in volleying the lob hard 
 underhand — a stroke which, I believe, will some day be 
 considerably developed. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE SERVICE. 
 
 It is a curious thing that the service generally is so very bad. 
 The number of players who have a good service can be 
 counted on one's fingers, and even to them it is very often 
 a disadvantage to serve : their service varies far more than 
 the rest of their game. One day a player may really make 
 many strokes by his service, and the next day he will hardly 
 
'so LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 have one first service which is not a fault. And, in spite 
 of this admitted fact, one hears of some people who want 
 to abolish the first fault. They forget that, nominally even, 
 there is only about a quarter of the court to serve into, and 
 that in fact the space where a fast service can drop is limited 
 to a strip of certainly- not more than two feet broad along 
 the service-line. Fortunately, however, there does not seem 
 the least chance of such a change being made in the laws of 
 the game. 
 
 No doubt the feeling that if one fails with one's first 
 service one has another to fall back on, tends to make one 
 somewhat careless, and to lead one to attempt a much 
 harder service than there is much probabiUty of succeeding 
 with : and also the present system causes a certain expendi- 
 ture of time ; but then there is no occasion for playing the 
 game at railroad speed, and every one who has played a 
 severe, match remembers how, at some period of the 
 game, he snatched at every excuse for a short pause. I 
 confess that I do not myself think that there is the smallest 
 ground for discontent with the present state of things, nor 
 have I heard any single player of any experience express a 
 different view. 
 
 The form of service almost universally used is the over- 
 hand service ; but, like most other strokes, it may be played 
 in a variety of different ways. Some players serve with a 
 twist, others without ; some with rackets raised to the full 
 stretch of the arm, others with the arm half bent ; some 
 swing their rackets up and down before striking, after the 
 manner of a pump-handle. In fact so much does taste in 
 service vary that doubtless a philosopher could tell from 
 a particular service what manner of man he was who de- 
 livered it. 
 
 In all of them alike, the first thing to be done is to j)ut 
 
THE SERVICE. 31 
 
 the toe of the left foot on the line ; and there it must be 
 kept until the ball has been struck. 
 
 Some little preliminary swing is generally necessary before 
 the racket is brought back to strike. The ball is then 
 thrown up to the height at which it is desired to strike it, 
 rather to the right of the body and on a level with it — 
 that is to say, not in front of it. If one analyzes one's 
 motions while serving, it appears that the weight of the 
 body passes from one foot to the other several times, 
 swaying as if in a balance until just before the moment of 
 striking, when it is finally thrown over to the left foot to give 
 impetus to the blow ; the right foot is then generally lifted 
 up, there being now no rule to prevent this. 
 
 It is a moot point whether a player will find it worth 
 his while to serve with all his strength or not. My own 
 idea is, that the vast majority of players never get a sufficient 
 number of very fast services over the net all right, that is 
 without being faults, to repay them for the trouble and 
 exertion ; besides which they, having to recur to the second 
 service, start the rest at a disadvantage in most instances. 
 What I would therefore suggest is, that any player who 
 honestly feels that his chance of serving a very fast service 
 right is slender, should try and cultivate a moderate service 
 with a good length, a quality which is as important in 
 service as in other strokes. The result will be that although 
 his service will never be such that a good player ought not 
 to return it, yet it will be comparatively difficult to make a 
 stroke off, and he will find his second service immeasurably 
 improved, owing to the greater similarity there will be 
 between them. It will be found advisable to strike 
 the ball firom as high a point as possible, so that it may 
 bound far back into the court. Also it is better to serve, 
 as a rule, to the opponent's back hand, especially from the 
 
32 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 backhand court; from the other court a fast service in 
 the forehand line drives the opponent some way out of the 
 court, and gives a chance of placing the ball out of his 
 reach down the other line at the next stroke. A service 
 down the middle of the court sometimes may take the 
 opponent unawares, and thus win a stroke. 
 
 A form of overhand service which is recommended by 
 Dr. Dwight, and which I have heard favourably mentioned 
 by some players, is called the reverse service. The ball is 
 not thrown up to an appreciable extent, but held at the 
 height of the face, slightly to the left and in front : the 
 racket strikes it with a twist from left to right The 
 advantages claimed for it are that it does not bound so high 
 as other services, and that it is easier to serve against the 
 sun. This service is hardly ever seen, and, although it may 
 show a great lack of enterprise, I must confess to never 
 having tried it ; but I cannot say I am fully alive to the 
 alleged difficulties of returning it. 
 
 The underhand service, which may be either fore- or back- 
 hand, is very little used nowadays, but it is sometimes a 
 good thing as a change. On the forehand, the racket is 
 held with the head downwards, and swung obliquely from 
 right to left, meeting the ball — which is dropped to the right 
 and in front of the body— so as to impart a twist from right 
 to left. At the moment of striking, the racket is inclined 
 to the vertical at an angle of about forty-five degrees- 
 The backhand service is similar. The forehand service 
 should be from the backhand court to the opposite corner, 
 and the backhand service from the forehand court. The 
 advantage these services possess is that the twist carries 
 the ball on the bound outside the opponent's court, and, 
 to a certain extent, disturbs his position. But, as I have 
 already said, they must only be used as a change, as a con- 
 tinuance they are too feeble for words. 
 
THE SINGLE GAME. 
 
 33 
 
 As to the second service, little more need be said than 
 that it should on no account be a fault. The care with 
 which it must be delivered prevents in most cases any 
 refinement of placing ; but, as far as possible, it is well to 
 send it to the opponent's backhand, and as near the service- 
 line as it is safe to try for. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE SINGLE GAME. 
 
 I. Styles of Play. 
 
 It is very much a matter of chance with most players 
 what style of play they take up. In part, no doubt, it is 
 determined by natural inclination and capacity, but, except 
 with people of sufficient originality and independence to 
 strike out a line for themselves, the persons a man habit- 
 ually plays with in practice to all intents and purposes 
 form his game. Of course the best way is to play with 
 people of as many different styles as possible, if the object 
 is to become a good all-round player ; but as many of us 
 play, partly at any rate, for pleasure, we naturally play 
 more with our friends than with people we only know 
 slightly, and in consequence faults and peculiarities become 
 stereotyped. A great remedy for stagnation of this des- 
 cription is to play as much as possible in tournaments; 
 one measures one's self against players of every hue and 
 shade, and one always has the satisfaction of knowing, what 
 very often is not the case in practice games, that both sides 
 are playing their level best. 
 
 I have already adverted, briefly, to the different styles of 
 play in vogue just now, aftd I here repeat that it is no use 
 for a man to rely solely on volleying, or solely on back-play 
 
 D 
 
34 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 — he must be able to do both ; but whether his back-play is 
 to be hard or lobbing, and whether his volleying is to be 
 from the net or the service-line, are questions which cannot 
 be disposed of in an equally summary manner. The advan- 
 tages of lobbing are that it is less risky, and, being slower, gives 
 more time to run up to volley when the opportunity occurs. 
 Again, the player, not being obliged to stand so firmly on 
 the ground (what has been called "fix" himself), he is 
 better able to start in one direction or the other. This 
 game, however, requires an exceptional amount of activity. 
 Hard back-play, no doubt, ventures more ; but, then, there 
 is more chance of a positive win, not merely by the oppo- 
 nent's mistake, but by the excellence of the stroke itself; 
 even if the stroke is returned, it will be comparatively 
 gently, and may give an easy chance for a winning stroke. 
 Further, it is a more interesting game to play ; but, then, 
 it is impossible to play it with any success unless the 
 ground is in almost perfect condition — on a wet court, for 
 instance, it is hopeless, or nearly so. 
 
 My own view, for what it is worth, is that the latter game 
 ought to be the winning one ; that is to say, a man who 
 played it as well as it could be played would beat a man 
 who was as 'good a game as possible in the other style. It 
 occurs to me that I should here say that when, in a previous 
 chapter, I stated that Mr. Ernest Renshaw had attained to 
 the position of champion mainly by the lobbing game, I 
 did not mean to suggest— as it would be contrary to the 
 fact — that he had not a very fast ofT-the-ground stroke ; all 
 I mean is that, in the closest matches he has played in the 
 last two years, he has found the lobbing game pay best to 
 adopt. 
 
 As between the two forms of volleying, the case stands 
 thus : it is easier to get to the service-line than to the net, 
 
THE SINGLE GAME. 35 
 
 but, when there, there is not so good a chance of kiUing the 
 ball ; at the service-line it is less likely that a ball should be 
 tossed over the player's head, and he is not so likely to take 
 a ball which is going out of court : on the other hand, 
 the man at the net covers far more of the court, and is not 
 so likely to be passed, but the latter game is a more exhaust- 
 ing one. On the balance of probabilities my own impression 
 is that the service-line volleyer does not stand such a good 
 chance as a volleyer some way nearer the net. I cannot 
 flatter myself that my views on these questions are likely to 
 have much weight, but it seemed to me that it would be 
 timorous to shrink from expressing them. 
 
 The conclusion I come to, then, is this — that the best 
 game is that which combines hard back-play with volleying 
 at the net To put the matter in a more concrete form — 
 combine Mr. Lawford's back-play with Mr. Lewis's volley- 
 ing and you will hQ facile princeps. 
 
 2. The server's game. 
 
 It is very difficult to dogmatize about the best place to 
 serve from, but, generally speaking, I should be inclined to 
 say about a yard from the middle of the base line. Some of 
 the finest players, however, serve with great effect from nearer 
 the middle ; others seem to like the forehand corner. If a 
 player is serving with the wind, it is a good thing to serve 
 from the corner, otherwise he will be apt to serve faults : 
 on the other hand, if the wind is against him, serving from 
 the middle will be better, as the ball will not have to travel 
 so far. 
 
 If the first service is a severe one and comes off, he may 
 perhaps be able to volley the return; but he should not 
 start rurming to the net, as a rule, until he has some idea 
 where the ball is coming to. Having delivered a hard 
 service, it takes him a moment or two to recover his balance, 
 
36 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 SO that he will be unable to get established in a favourable 
 position to volley before the ball is struck by his opponent, 
 and he will probably either be passed outright or make a 
 poor stroke and lose the next. If, on the other hand, he 
 waits, then, if the return is in the nature of a lob, he may 
 volley it either into the backhand corner or sharply across 
 the court whichever side of him it comes. Either of these 
 strokes would be difficult for the opponent to make much 
 of. But if the return is too low to volley, supposing it comes 
 to the player's forehand, he may either return it in the 
 direction it came but at an acuter angle (which is a very 
 effective stroke, especially if short though fast), or else down 
 the opponent's backhand line, following it up to the net. 
 Supposing the ball has come to the player's backhand, he 
 may, if the opponent has come up to volley, pass him down 
 his forehand line. This stroke, however, is a very difficult 
 one, and generally it will be easier to pass him across the 
 court. If the player can strike the ball so as to drop within 
 the service-line and close to the side line, so much the better, 
 only he must remember that if his return is not cross enough 
 he is certain to lose the stroke ; and, for my own part, I would 
 always rather send the ball out of court than give my oppo- 
 nent a certain winning stroke, Of course, if the player feels 
 doubtful about doing either of these strokes, he may always 
 lob. I have here assumed that the opponent has come up 
 to volley : if he has not, the return, though of the same nature, 
 would not be so difficult. 
 
 If the first service is a fault, after serving again the best 
 place to go is about a yard outside the middle of the back 
 line, there to await events. On a fast court with a hard 
 back-player against one it is safer to go even further back, 
 as it is much easier to run forward than back, besides which 
 
Lli" THE SINGLE GAME. 37 
 
 a player running forward is meeting the ball, the natural 
 way of the stroke ; whereas running back he has to outrun 
 the ball to get into position to strike. 
 
 To run up after the second service is generally to court 
 defeat ; I speak from bitter experience. 
 
 3. The striker-outs game. 
 
 The return of the service is the most important stroke in 
 the game, and it is impossible to devote too much attention 
 to it ; on it very often immediately depends the result of the 
 rest 
 
 To return the first service (from the forehand court), the 
 player should stand with his right foot on the side line 
 produced about a yard beyond the base line. If the service 
 comes from the opposite corner, the position should be a 
 little further to the right, in the backhand court more to the 
 left. He should hold his racket with the backhand grip, as 
 most services will have to be taken that way. The feet 
 should be about two feet apart, and the knees bent. 
 
 He may only just be able to get the service over anyhow, 
 if it be very fast, when he should at once go to the back 
 position — a yard behind the middle of the base line. If the 
 pace be more moderate the two best strokes are down the 
 line and across the court.; these will be considered below. 
 ■ To return the second service, the player may come in as 
 far as two yards from the base line, and may stand almost 
 midway between the middle line and the side line in the 
 forehand court ; in the other court he may even have his 
 right foot on the side line, though generally it will not be 
 quite safe to be so far on the left. 
 
 The racket should be held with the forehand grip, and 
 the feet firmly planted. 
 
 From the forehand court the return will be either — 
 
 {a) Down the line. Here the player may, and in most 
 
38 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 cases should, follow up his stroke to the net to volley the 
 return; if it takes the form of an attempt to pass him 
 on his forehand, he should volley it across the court so as 
 to drop as near the net as possible, unless he can see the 
 opponent running that way, in which case it is sometimes 
 wise to volley back down the same line ; always, however, 
 remembering that if the cross volley is made at a sufficiently 
 acute angle to the net, it is practically unretumable. 
 Similarly, if the return of his first stroke is across the court 
 to his back hand. If, however, this return is a good one — 
 that is, quite close to the corner of the net — the volley down 
 the backhand line should have the preference, and if it has 
 to be lifted over the net, it must either be hard enough to 
 reach the back of the court or soft enough only just to drop 
 over the net. Lastly, if he has to deal with a lob, he 
 should volley it as hard as he can into the opposite corner, 
 however far back he may be when he hits it. I believe to 
 hit a lob hard, whatever its heigbt has been, is merely a 
 question of practice and determination. Of course, if the 
 lob is a bad one, it is wiser to economize one's strength, 
 provided there is a reasonable certainty of placing the ball 
 out of the opponent's reach. 
 
 I have assumed that the player will be able to take the 
 service on the forehand, but the same remarks will apply 
 to the backhand stroke down the line, with this addition, 
 that, with a high-bounding service near the net, it is 
 possible just to drop the ball over close to the line. This 
 stroke is more easily effected with a twist, and the player 
 must bear in mind that an attempted short stroke which 
 goes too far is practically making the opponent a present of 
 a stroke, 
 
 {b) Across the court. A very difficult but exceedingly 
 deadly mode of doing this stroke used to be displayed by 
 
THE SINGLE GAME. 39 
 
 Mr. William Renshaw. The service was returned hard 
 to the opposite side line, if anything rather nearer to the 
 net than the service-line. For this, it is necessary to put a 
 great deal of what is sometimes called "stuff" on the ball, 
 otherwise it will fly out of court. The more usual stroke 
 is to drive the ball to the opposite sideline between the 
 base and service-lines. It may be made with the full 
 strength as it passes over the lowest part of the net. The 
 opponent will often be driven too far out of the court to 
 return down the side-line, and he must either attempt the 
 very difficult stroke across the court or else lob. There 
 only remains the cross drop stroke, to which additional 
 effect may be given by a preliminary flourish, which often 
 leads the opponent to imagine that a hard stroke is about 
 to be made. A former champion, Mr. Hartley, still possesses 
 this stroke to perfection, and I have myself time and again 
 been the victim of his subtle artifice. 
 
 From the backhand court the return will be of the same 
 nature, and only two remarks need be made, which are these. 
 The forehand stroke down the backhand line is an exceed- 
 ingly useful one, and very deceptive, as it is frequently 
 impossible for the opponent to tell until the ball is struck 
 whether it is going down the line or across the court. Also 
 the cross-drop stroke is considerably easier to make back- 
 hand from the backhand court, and a very delicate accuracy 
 can be attained in placing this stroke. 
 
 4. Generally. 
 
 When not actually engaged in a stroke, the racket may be 
 held loosely to relax the muscles, the left hand holding it 
 round the sphce. I must here repeat that the position of 
 the player in the court is most important : the net is the 
 place to volley from, the base line to play off the ground. 
 
40 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 the space between the service-line and the base line is only 
 the place to lose from. It is well to play on the offensive 
 as much as possible ; it gives confidence to the player, and 
 flurries the opponent, as he will probably not be able to play 
 his own game. 
 
 Occasionally one must play a waiting game ; for instance, 
 against a very severe back-player it may be necessary just to 
 keep on returning the ball, waiting for his mistake. 
 
 Certainty is an indispensable quality. In fact, I think 
 what especially distinguishes first-class play from inferior 
 performances is that easy strokes are so seldom missed ; of 
 course there is, besides, great brilliancy, but certainty is the 
 foundation on which it is built. The opponent's movements 
 should be carefully watched, and from them it is often 
 possible to tell where he intends to place a ball before ever 
 it is struck. 
 
 It is generally easier to pass a service-line voUeyer across 
 the court than down the side lines, and on his forehand 
 than his backhand. Strokes should be started for, as soon 
 as the direction of the ball is ascertained. If the opponent 
 starts before one has struck the ball, the return may profit- 
 ably be to the place from which he started ; as he is running 
 the other way it will be difficult for him to stop and run 
 back again. Stick to a sore place is sound advice ; by this 
 I mean, suppose the player has sent a fairly hard stroke to 
 some point which the opponent has shown difficulty in 
 reaching, a good plan is to return the next ball back there 
 again ; not only will the second stroke be probably even 
 better than the first, but the surprise will also aid, as the 
 usual and expected stroke would be into the other corner. 
 
 Any weakness which the opponent shows should be taken 
 advantage of; for instance, if he has not a strong backhand, 
 opportunities should be given to him for practising the stroke. 
 
THE FOUR-HANDED OR DOUBLE GAME. 41 
 
 ' One should never allow one's self to be, as it were, caught 
 on the run : if the player is running up, and finds he cannot 
 get into position before the ball is struck by the opponent, 
 let him stand still, otherwise he is in peril of having the 
 ball put in the opposite direction to Avhich he is running. 
 
 A good-lengthed ball should be followed up, unless the 
 player is very far back, when he may not be able to get up 
 in time. 
 
 If the opponent is at the net, it is generally wiser to lob, 
 unless the player is as far up, say, as the service-line, when 
 there will be a good chance of passing the volleyer; it 
 sometimes pays to hit straight at him, hard and low, when 
 he is in this position. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE FOUR-HANDED OR DOUBLE GAME. 
 
 The standard of play in the double game is much lower 
 than in the single game. There is nothing like the difference 
 between well-known combinations that there is between 
 the players singly ; and, unless this is a defect in the game 
 itself, which I do not believe, there is great room for 
 improvement. 
 
 Lawn tennis is, perhaps, rather selfish — everybody fights for 
 his own hand ; and as the laurels are equally divided between 
 a successful pair, that may partly account for people not 
 playing the double game with so much energy, or studying 
 it so carefully as they do the single ; and, of course, it is 
 more trouble to get four players together than two. Again, 
 to find a man whom you can play with is not the easiest thing 
 in the world. Still, if two really good players could be in- 
 duced to practise persistently together- for a length of time, I 
 
42 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 believe we should see an exhibition of double play which 
 would astonish us. Not that there is much to improve in 
 the theory of how the game should be played, at least in 
 its broad outlines. It is now admitted that one man up 
 and the other back cannot win against both men up, and 
 for this we have to thank the Messrs. Renshaw ; but even 
 in their game one cannot help seeing there is a great waste 
 somewhere. It is not sufficiently . recognized, it seems to 
 me, that each partner must play not for himself alone but 
 for the partnership, and that it is often far better policy to 
 force one of the opponents to send a ball to one's partner 
 which he can kill than to try to kill the ball one's self if the 
 latter stroke is a more risky one. 
 
 A circumstance which has had a prejudicial influence is 
 that an undiscriminating pubUc is lavish of its applause of 
 a brilliant " smash " or a fluky half-volley, while a useful 
 but unassuming stroke, perhaps requiring far more skill and 
 knowledge of the game, is too often received in chilling 
 silence. Lawn-tennis players are only too human, and they 
 are consequently led to adopt a " gallery " style of play. 
 
 In many respects the four game differs from the single 
 game : it requires less endurance, but even more equability, 
 and the volley plays a much more important part ; in truth, 
 as it is at present played, it is practically all volleying. 
 
 The service is a distinct advantage. 
 
 The server will probably find it convenient to stand 
 midway between the corner and the centre of the base line, 
 or even nearer the corner. His best service will be into the 
 opposite corner, as that will leave a very small portion of 
 the court into which the opponent can return the ball 
 without the risk of the server's partner being able to volley it. 
 
 The server should follow up his service, and especially 
 the second service, to the service-line or a little beyond it j 
 
THE FOUR-HANDED OR DOUBLE GAME. 43 
 
 if he runs up too far he may provoke the opponent to lob 
 over his head, which with an easy second service will not 
 be a difificult task. 
 
 If the first service is a very severe one, the server may 
 find it difficult to recover in time to get up, in which case 
 he had better stay where he is until he sees where the 
 return is coming to : his partner may very likely be able to 
 volley it, in which case- running up would only baulk him ; 
 or it may be a lob for which either he or his partner would 
 have to run back, in which case he saves trouble ; or it 
 may be a difficult cross shot which he would very likely 
 have missed had he run up. If the return is an easy one 
 he may still be able to go in and volley it, or make a good 
 stroke off the ground. While he is serving, his partner 
 should stand on the service-line or a little behind it, and 
 about a foot from the inner side line, which will enable 
 him to cover his own line — a most important requisite, 
 as, if the ball passes him on the other side, he has his partner 
 to look to, but if he is passed down his own line the stroke 
 is lost past redemption, and moreover it gives his partner 
 legitimate cause for complaint, because such a miscarriage 
 will probably liave arisen from mere carelessness. 
 
 In a double game, want of care is the worst form of bad 
 play. 
 
 The server's partner will find it a good thing to turn 
 round to see where the service is going to, so that he may 
 prepare himself accordingly. If the service is all right he 
 may move up a yard or so, with the hope of volleying the 
 return. If his partner is not running up, he may prudently 
 attempt a volley further on the right side than he might 
 otherwise do, always supposing he feels pretty confident 
 about it. 
 
 Should the return be a lob over his head, either he or 
 
44 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 the server should run for it, but not both ; there should be 
 no hesitation in calling " yours " or " mine " in case of doubt, 
 as long as the call is soon enough. 
 
 The great thing is to make up one's mind ; few things are 
 more aggravating to one's partner than to go for a stroke, 
 change one's mind, and call " yours " when he is, naturally 
 enough, quite unprepared. 
 
 If either man sends a short lob, both should run right 
 back, the further the better, to try and take the hard stroke 
 which will follow. 
 
 The striker-out takes the service in the ordinary position ; 
 in returning it, however, he cannot afford to "go for the 
 stroke " as much as he would do in a single game : in the 
 latter case he has only himself to consider, and may reckon 
 to make up for a miss later on ; but in the double game 
 the chance may be indefinitely postponed. From the right- 
 hand court he may either (if the service be fairly easy) place 
 the ball in the angle between the server and the net close to 
 the far side line, even if the server is running up, or he may 
 put it between the two players if there is a gap — and this 
 may tempt both opponents to try for it, especially if the ball 
 is cunningly placed just within the reach of the server's 
 partner ; or, again, they may both leave the stroke alone ; — 
 or he may take the chance of disconcerting the server's 
 partner and hit straight at him, if there is not (as there 
 probably will not be) room to pass him ; he may lob ; or, 
 lastly, he may try the drop-stroke across the court. 
 
 The stroke at the server's partner is particularly effective 
 from the backhand court forehand : on which side, too, there 
 is a very fair chance of passing the opponent by the forehand 
 stroke down his forehand line, for which he may very likely 
 be unprepared. This should only be tried as a change after 
 returning the balls habitually some other way. 
 
THE FOUR-HANDE£> OR DOUBLE GAME. 45 
 
 The striker-out's partner should be a foot or so behind 
 the service-line, and not more than two yards from the 
 middle line. 
 
 He should watch the first return very carefully, as if the 
 server's partner manages to cut in he will most likely send 
 the ball either at him or down the middle where his partner 
 cannot get it. 
 
 The following observations are of general application : — 
 
 If possible it is better to play down the middle of the 
 court. 
 
 One stroke which should be specially avoided is a cross 
 stroke which reaches one of the opponents at the inner line 
 higher than the net ; he is almost certain to pass the player's 
 partner down the side line. 
 
 This leads up to another remark : if a man is in a hole 
 and must make a stroke which will very likely be scored off, 
 it is much better to play so that the difficult return will 
 come to him and not to his partner; no man likes to 
 have an impossible shot given to him through his partner's 
 mistake. 
 
 Not only is it prudent not to give one's partner cause for 
 offence, but it is well to encourage him as much as possible : 
 I don't mean by saying " Well played " in an inane manner 
 whenever he gets a ball over the net ; but by showing appre- 
 ciation of his good strokes, and, above all, no disgust at his 
 bad ones. Swearing at one's partner, whatever else it may 
 do, certainly won't make him play any better. 
 
 Another thing that may put one's partner off his ' game is 
 running across and taking his balls. There are times, it is 
 true, when no one would hesitate to take a ball in his part- 
 ner's court ; for instance, an easy volley when the other 
 man was at the back of the court : but these times are few 
 and far between. If, however, a player does run across let 
 
46 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 him take good care to get back to his own place again 
 before the return. 
 
 If a ball is doubtful, it is a hard thing to say very often 
 which man should take it Dr. Dwight quotes the authority 
 of Mr. William Renshaw for saying that in the middle of 
 a rest the man who played the last stroke should play the 
 next. This, I may say, I heartily agree with. If, however, 
 it is the beginning of a rest, my own feeling is that the 
 partner to whom the ball comes forehand should take it if 
 it is high ; the other if it comes low : because it is easier to 
 volley a high ball forehand and a low ball backhand. 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that the weaker of -the opposing 
 pair should be made to bear the brunt ofthe battle ; but to 
 this may be added that, even if both players are about level, 
 it is very disconcerting to one to have most of the balls 
 played at him ; nor is it agreeable to his partner, especially 
 if a ball is suddenly launched at him when he least expects it. 
 
 If one partner is not taking the ball, he is not therefore 
 to remain stock-still : he should be always prepared to take 
 the next ball; neither his eye nor his attention should 
 wander; he should always be on the alert and ready to 
 spring. 
 
 I should mention one stroke which is really not diffi- 
 cult and "yet very effective. If the server, having run up, 
 finds the service returned to him across the court, let him 
 return it at an acuter angle with the net either fore- or back- 
 handed. It is astonishing how often this stroke will win 
 a rest. And although I mentioned the server particularly, 
 because he has more opportunities of making the stroke, 
 yet there are other chances at other times which should not 
 be passed over. 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ladies' and gentlemen's doubles. 
 
 Ladies' and gentlemen's doubles, or mixed pairs as they 
 are sometimes called, are no doubt very pleasant and 
 charming from a social point of view, but looking at the 
 game scientifically they are not of much value. A four 
 game in which two good players are linked to two bad 
 ones is at best a poor performance, resolving itself as it 
 must do into a series of assaults upon the weaker players. 
 Fortunately, however, science is not everything even nowa- 
 days, and there are few nicer ways of whiling away an 
 afternoon than playing mixed pairs. So much I may 
 perhaps be allowed to say, although a disquisition upon 
 the moral advantages to be obtained from female society 
 would be rather outside the scope of this work. 
 
 As mere exercise most men will find playing with a 
 feeble partner against a strong pair perfectly satisfying, even 
 if it does not improve their game to any appreciable extent. 
 
 In the system to be pursued, this game bears no particular 
 resemblance to either the single or double games. 
 
 It is better to take the service, the lady's return of a good 
 service being generally not quite what it should be. Thci 
 sort of calculation a man goes through in one of these games 
 is rather of this nature : his own service and the lady 
 opponent's service he reckons on winning : he is resigned 
 to the probability of losing his male opponent's service : his 
 partner's service the chances are even about : any stroke he 
 sends to the lady on the other side he is disappointed if he 
 does not win. 
 
 Of course this is not strictly logical, but I believe repre- 
 
48 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 sents very fairly what passes through the minds of many 
 men. 
 
 I should ask the lady to take the right-hand court ; she 
 is probably not very strong on the backhand, and the right- 
 hand court is distinctly easier to play out of. The drawback 
 is that one is generally one stroke behind, but I do not 
 think this is so very important, and, besides, it makes one 
 play more carefully. Add to which the fact that the only 
 stroke most ladies have is across the court from the right- 
 hand court. 
 
 It is no use running up after the service if it is to the 
 man, as in a double court there is so much room to place a 
 stroke, except in the rare cases where one's partner can 
 volley. If she can, of course her best place will be at the 
 net, and only about two yards off. If she cannot volley, 
 the extreme corner of the court will be the best place for 
 her. 
 
 If the service is to the lady, it will nearly always be safe 
 for the server to run up and volley. While he must take 
 care not to allow himself to be passed on his own side, it is 
 sometimes a good thing to go rather far over, that is to the 
 middle of the court, keeping himself prepared to spring 
 back : in this way the lady may think she sees a chance of 
 passing him, and may be diverted from returning the ball to 
 his partner. If the server does not get the chance of volley- 
 ing, and the ball goes to his partner, he had better, unless it 
 is a very easy stroke, or his partner a very good one, run 
 back to the base line out of his dangerous position. 
 
 When the lady is serving to the man, unless she has an 
 unusually good service, her partner should stand near the 
 middle of the base line, say from a yard to two yards from 
 it. He cannot safely get nearer the middle, as he would 
 then leave too much of his own court exposed. If the 
 
ladies' and gentlemen's doubles. 49 
 
 service is to the lady the man may be up about a 5'ard 
 behind the service-line. 
 
 As for the strikers-out : if the lady is returning the ser- 
 vice, her partner should be at the back of the court; if he is 
 returning it, she should be at the extreme corner : and this 
 even if she is a good player, because, unless her partner is 
 extraordinarily bad, he is bound to be better than she is, 
 and therefore ought to have the large majority of the 
 strokes. 
 
 In returning the lady's service the gentle cross-drop 
 will be found exceedingly useful, as well as in the event of a 
 poor second service of the man's. 
 
 As it should be the object of the man to keep the ball to 
 the opposite lady, so it should be the object of the lady to 
 keep the ball away from the man. 
 
 Sometimes, when the man is having a sort of duel with 
 the lady, he will notice the other man edging nearer and 
 nearer, preparing to cut in to his partner's relief; he may 
 then suddenly place the ball across the man or down his 
 line as the case may be, and take him completely by 
 surprise. 
 
 Many ladies will be entirely nonplussed by a high under- 
 hand twisted service, and few can take them with much 
 effect. 
 
 Let me say for their benefit that a forehand twist makes a 
 ball bound to the left of the person who has to take it, 
 instead of coming on; a backhand twist makes it bound 
 backwards and to the right The way to treat them is, 
 instead of waiting for the ball to come to one, to go up 
 quite close to where the ball will bound, and then no 
 difficulty will be experienced. 
 
go LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ladies' chapter. 
 
 I HAVE been asked to give a few hints on lawn tennis to 
 lady beginners ; but, before doing so, I should like to point 
 out that more may be gained by watching good players than 
 by anything that can be written on the subject At the same 
 time, every one is not so circumstanced as to be able to 
 see first-class play, and it is hoped that the following sugges- 
 tions may pro.ve useful to such persons. I am well aware 
 - that my own style of play is in most respects not such as 
 I should hold up as a model, notably the manner in which I 
 play the backhanded stroke, which probably arises from not 
 having been taught in the first instance the proper way of 
 making this stroke. And here I would particularly wish to 
 call attention to the immense importance of acquiring a 
 good style at the outset. 
 
 The first important point is the holding of the racket at 
 the extreme end, and not halfway up the handle, as novices 
 invariably do. Greater pace and freedom of stroke are 
 gained by observing this rule. The racket should be 
 firmly but not tightly grasped, and the weight should not 
 exceed 13^ oz. Do not move your arm stiffly from the 
 shoulder, but learn to use the elbow and wrist joints. This' 
 is a matter of considerable importance, and by paying atten- 
 tion to it your play will gain in grace no less than in efficiency. 
 
 Then, again, the tendency in the play of a beginner is to 
 get too close to the ball. It is always easier to run forward 
 than backward ; therefore my advice is, keep a good distance 
 off the ball. There being at present very little volleying in 
 ladies' play, as compared with that of men, it is of the greatest 
 
LADIES' CHAPTER. 51 
 
 importance to stand well back in the court ; indeed, I stand 
 well outside the base line, and have always found this position 
 in court the best 
 
 The first object of the player is to hit the ball well in the 
 centre of the racket, with such elevation as will carry it over 
 the net and well into the back of the court. This is called 
 a good length return. The nearer the ball is played to the 
 top of the net, the more difficult will it be to return, but 
 such strokes can be made with certainty only after much 
 practice. The great matter for beginners (and these remarks 
 are only addressed to such) is, in any case, to get the ball 
 over the net. Severity of stroke and placing will follow in 
 due course, and should not be attempted until the player 
 has acquired some command of the ball. Another fault a 
 beginner ought to guard against is, when a ball drops 
 short, never to run forward and hit it very Ijard, or with 
 exactly the same strength as if it had fallen on the base line, 
 but to think of the position in court and to regulate the 
 strength of the stroke accordingly. 
 
 There are two ways in which a ground-stroke may be 
 taken, namely, at the top of the bound, and again quite 
 late, when the ball is near the ground. Each way Has its 
 advantages ; and while the present lady champion, in the 
 majority of her returns, takes the ball very close to the 
 ground, getting a good deal of "lift" on the stroke, I 
 myself take it as high as I can. 
 
 With regard to the backhanded stroke, I am somewhat 
 diffident in giving advice ; but, in my opinion, a player could 
 not do better than take Miss May Langrishe as a pattern ; 
 her backhand is generally acknowledged to be perfect. 
 
 Now, as to service, never have less than two balls in your 
 hand, as you are more likely to serve a double-fault if you 
 wait to pick up a second ball. Miss Martin is generally 
 
52 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 considered to have the best service (hard, overhand) among 
 lady players. 
 
 It is generally better to serve from near the middle of the 
 back line rather than from the extreme corner, as is frequently 
 done, and this for two reasons : first, because from the 
 former position there is a larger portion of the opposite 
 court into which it is possible to serve, and consequently 
 there is less liability to make a fault ; and, second, because 
 in the middle of the court you will be in a much better 
 position to take the return, which otherwise your opponent 
 can easily place where you will find it impossible to get up 
 to it in time. 
 
 Your position in the court is of much importance. I have 
 already said that you should stand well back in the court, 
 near the base line, and for similar reasons you will find it 
 well to keep rather to the left than the right of the court ; 
 and in a double game, if you are in the left court, you had 
 better stand quite near the outside line, otherwise your 
 opponent will easily place the ball to your left, where it will 
 not be possible for you to get to it in time. After making 
 a stroke that takes you away from your ground, do not stand 
 to watch the effect, but always get home again directly, to be 
 ready for the return, or you will find, when too late, that 
 it has gone past you. 
 
 It occurs to me that a few words on the subject of dress 
 may not be out of place here. Nothing is more uncomfort- 
 able than a heavy narrow skirt ; and I find that one made of 
 the lightest possible material, not less than 2^ yards in 
 width, gives the greatest freedom in getting about the court. 
 
 I assume that the usual shoes with indiarubber soles will 
 be worn, as it would, of course, be impossible to play in 
 ordinary walking boots. ' The hat, too, should be one which, 
 while shading your face, will not be inconveniently large. 
 
PRIZE MEETINGS. 53 
 
 In conclusion, there can be no doubt that lawn tennis is a 
 most healthy and invigorating exercise for ladies, and is at 
 present the one game in which a girl can to some extent 
 hold her own with men ; and I am sure, if only more ladies 
 would take it up and play regularly, they would be far more 
 healthy and strong. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 PRIZE MEETINGS. 
 
 I. Management. 
 
 I only propose to enter very briefly upon this subject, 
 treating it principally from the point of view of the player. 
 About the preliminaries it is unnecessary to add anything to 
 what is prescribed by the " Regulations " issued by the Lawn 
 Tennis Association, except this — that in the present day for 
 anything (or anybody) to at all succeed, extensive advertise- 
 ment is absolutely indispensable. 
 
 I have already alluded to the courts, nets, and balls. 
 The latter -should be Uberally if not profusely supplied, and 
 should be easily accessible to all the players ; it is a great 
 nuisance to have to hunt about all over the ground for 
 the particular person in whose charge they may happen 
 to be. 
 
 Two ball-boys to each court add much to the comfort of 
 a match, especially if they have been trained beforehand. 
 
 Many players dislike playing a single game on a court 
 marked out for a double. 
 
 The time at which, and the number of the court in 
 which, each match is to be played should always be fixed 
 the night before. These fixtures should be rigidly adhered 
 to. And in all cases every appearance of favouritism cannot 
 
54 LAW^r TENNIS. 
 
 be too strongly deprecated. The player with a world-wide 
 reputation and the novice of a first match should be treated 
 exactly alike, and with evenhanded justice. 
 
 If the same player has to play both a single match and a 
 double match on the same day, he ought to be allowed to 
 play his single first, for two reasons — the single game requires 
 more endurance, and therefore he should start fresh ; and, 
 secondly, it is disturbing to the eye to play in a smaller 
 court after playing in a larger one. 
 
 Sawdust must not be forgotten. 
 
 Audible betting at any rate should be discouraged. For 
 my own part, I should like to see no betting at all in the 
 game. That, however, I fear is a counsel of perfection. 
 
 It is very essential to have good umpires. Few things are 
 so distressing to a player as to have an incompetent or per- 
 verse umpire ; and though they are a much-abused body, my 
 experience is that they fully deserve all they get 
 
 An umpire should know the " Laws " and " Regulations," 
 and have copies in his pocket. He should also be familiar 
 with the conditions of the particular match. 
 
 He ought to attend closely to the game, and give his 
 decisions quickly and loudly. If he has not seen the stroke 
 he should own it, and have it played again. Some umpires 
 are shockingly dishonest in this respect. 
 
 He should not argue with the players, but be firm, and 
 altogether disregard the remarks of outsiders, who are 
 generally wrong and always prejudiced. 
 
 In the position in which the umpire is placed it is really 
 impossible for him to see any line accm-ately. There on"\\t 
 to be as many line umpires as possible, and they should be 
 put opposite the lines they are to umpire ; nowhere else can 
 they see properly. 
 
 It is very unfair to ask a player for his opinion on a stroke, 
 
PRIZE MEETINGS. 5J 
 
 and neither the umpire nor the opponent should do so. Of 
 course, if he volunteers it against himself, or the players 
 voluntarily agree, it is quite a different thing, and the 
 umpire, I think, would be right to accept the decision. 
 
 2. Competitors. 
 
 Few people ever go in for actual training for a match, still 
 It is advisable to live moderately for a week or so before : 
 for example, to go to bed not later than twelve; not to 
 smoke more than, say, five cigarettes a day (as an eminent 
 physician once expressed it to me — one after each meal and 
 one to close and crown the night), and to be abstemious in 
 the matter of drink. 
 
 It is bad to play too much. Five sets three times a week 
 is plenty for a man in fair practice j otherwise one is apt to 
 get stale. 
 
 It is a great thing in practice to leave off playing as soon 
 as one begins to feel tired. I do not mean simply blown, 
 but physically weary. It can only make one over-tired to 
 play any longer. 
 
 Every player should make a point of being on the ground 
 ready to play punctually at the time fixed ; the motto of the 
 better players should be noblesse oblige, and they should set a 
 good example to others. 
 
 The anomaly which formerly existed under Law 4, by 
 which the loser of the toss for choice of courts or service 
 could make the service come from whichever end he liked, 
 if the players were changing ever^ game, has now been 
 removed, and the winner of the toss may, if he prefer it, 
 require the other player to make the first choice. This 
 amendment has, no doubt, made the laws of the game more 
 logical, but any other effect it might have had has been 
 minimized by one of the changes in Law 23. 
 
56 ZAWN TENNIS. 
 
 Fonnerly, the players might change ends every game 
 throughout the match on appeal by one player before the 
 toss, or throughout the odd and concluding set, if the appeal 
 were made subsequently. This system has, on the whole, 
 proved unsatisfactory. Obviously, if of two players one has 
 considerably the better service, he may lose a great part of 
 that advantage by having always to serve with the sun in 
 his eyes ; similarly with a player who has a very good first 
 stroke off the service; and many other like instances suggest 
 themselves. Now it was felt undesirable in the extreme 
 that the fate of a match should depend further than was 
 absolutely necessary upon the turn of a coin, and to 
 eliminate the element of chance as much as possible, a 
 new system has been adopted which has been in vogue in 
 America for some little time. Shortly stated, the new rule 
 provides that where players would formerly have changed 
 every game, they shall now only change at the end of the 
 first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of a set, 
 and also at the end of the set if, and only if, the number 
 of games in the set be uneven. The result is that the 
 service never comes for more than two games running from 
 the same end, and neither player occupies the same side 
 for more than two games running. The reason for the 
 proviso that sides are not to be changed at the end of a set 
 if the number of games be even is that otherwise the 
 service would come from the same end for three games in 
 succession. 
 
 Another change in Law 23 is that either player may 
 obtain, as a matter of right, from the umpire the direction 
 to change sides in the way indicated above ; whereas under 
 the old law the umpire had a discretion to be exercised 
 when, in his opinion, either side had a distinct advantage, 
 owing to the sun, wind, or other accidental cause. I 
 
HANDICAPS. 57 
 
 should add that if either player wishes to change through- 
 out the match, he must still appeal before the toss for 
 choice. 
 
 The better player will now, of course, always insist on 
 changing throughout, as the advantage to be obtained 
 by the toss under the new rule is infinitesimal ; and equally, 
 of course, a worse player would not dream of suggesting 
 to change, as, if there were any substantial difference 
 between the two sides, he might win the alternate sets. 
 This latter would more especially be the case if the worse 
 player could last better than his opponent, as changing 
 throughout has the tendency of shortening a match, except 
 between even players, where it acts exactly the other 
 way. 
 
 In a match moral qualities are of almost equal importance 
 to physical ones. 
 
 A player should not become dispirited if he is behind, 
 nor unduly elated if ahead. Above all, he should never lose 
 his temper ; if he does, he will play worse, lose the pleasure 
 he might otherwise have had of feeling that he has made a 
 good fight, and will become a laughing-stock to the specta- 
 tors. Doubtless a wrong decision at a critical moment is 
 very irritating, but the player must remember that it is part 
 of the game that he should not only win the stroke in fact, 
 but convince the umpire he has won it. 
 
 The player should always win while he can. I thoroughly 
 disbelieve in the wisdom of saving one's self for the final set. 
 It too often happens that in this way a man lets his game 
 down, and then, when he wants to play up again, his stroke 
 is gone. Several matches I have seen lost in this way ; in 
 particular I may instance the championship of 1885, which 
 I am convinced Mr. Lawford would have won had he not 
 relaxed his play at one time, fearful of Mr. W. Renshaw's 
 
58 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 being fresher than himself in the fifth set. The result was 
 that Mr. Lawford, after being a long way ahead in the 
 fourth set, and allowing his adversary to creep up too near, 
 found, when he wanted to play up again, that he was off his 
 stroke, and there never was a fifth set at all. 
 
 It is just as well to see something of one's opponent's 
 game beforehand, so that one may know what to expect 
 
 Sawdust is a very useful thing for keeping one's hands 
 dry, so that the racket should not slip, and it is well to see 
 that there is a little heap at each end of the court. I do not 
 know whether it is quite permissible, but it is a common 
 practice for players to have recourse to the sawdust when 
 they are very blown, and in this way get a little extra time 
 to recover their breath. If a player can hold three balls in 
 his hand while he is serving, it may save him trouble in the 
 event of his serving a let 
 
 It is far better not to drink at all during a match, but 
 simply to rinse out the mouth with strong brandy and water. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HANDICAPS. 
 
 Handicaps are most useful institutions, which every player, 
 whatever his degree or standing, should patronize, or, rather, 
 take advantage of. 
 
 Inferior players get the chance of meeting their superiors 
 upon level terms, and enjoy the opportunity of feeling what 
 it is like to have a good player on the other side of the net. 
 I have already descanted upon the benefit to be derived 
 from watching good play, but playing one match is better 
 than merely watching a dozen. It is almost impossible 
 really to appreciate the difficulties of making a particular 
 
HANDICAPS. 59 
 
 stroke unless one is actually taking part in the game, espe- 
 cially if it is played in good style. People often go away 
 with the idea that lawn tennis is a very easy game, simply 
 because they have seen a match between two first-class 
 players in which both appear to play with consummate 
 ease. For instance, when Mr. Ernest Renshaw is playing, 
 any one might imagine from the way he handles the ball 
 that the merest novice could cope with him ; but when one 
 comes to try, one finds that the ball, struck without any 
 apparent effort, travels with a most unpleasant speed into 
 the one place which it is most inconvenient to get to. 
 
 Good players, too, by playing in handicaps acquire that 
 certainty which is indispensable to a fine game. When one 
 is owing forty, and giving away long odds beside, one care- 
 less stroke may imperil a whole set. 
 
 I am, however, bound to confess that the system of handi- 
 capping, although greatly improved by the changes which 
 have recently been introduced, to which I will presently 
 allude in detail, is unsound, and, it is to be feared, un- 
 avoidably unsound, in principle. The large number of 
 players who enter for handicaps renders it absolutely im- 
 possible to assign the odds to them separately in pairs 
 before each round, and recourse is compelled to an ar- 
 rangement in classes which is permanent and unchanged 
 throughout the competition. This system depends for its 
 accuracy on the hypothesis that if A, say, can give B the 
 odds of fifteen, and C and A are equal players, it necessarily 
 follows that C can give B fifteen. Now, I have no wish to 
 exaggerate, and will therefore only say that in very many 
 cases this assumption is entirely incorrect. It ignores com- 
 pletely the difference between styles of play, the familiarity 
 with the opponent's game, and other similar circumstances 
 which exercise great influence in determining the odds 
 
6o LAWN' TENNIS. 
 
 which lie between two individual players ; in short, it looks 
 upon men as machines. This, in my judgment, is a defect 
 which is inherent in the system, and no plan is practicable 
 by which it can be removed. In other respects, however, 
 great improvements have been made by the amendments to 
 Law 25. The aboUtion of the bisque — almost the last of 
 the shackles to remain of those which had been imposed 
 on the game by its fancied resemblance to tennis — it will 
 not be disputed, is an unmixed good. The old method 
 selected for its constant the bisque, than which there were 
 few things more variable ; attributed to it a fractional value 
 of fifteen, which was notoriously inaccurate when odds were 
 given, and still more so when they were owed ; and .finally 
 created a number of classes, one-third of which were utterly 
 meaningless and unnecessary. 
 
 For this is now substituted a division of fifteen into 
 quarters — one-quarter, two-quarters, and three-quarters of 
 fifteen, both given and owed : one-quarter of fifteen given 
 being one stroke at the beginning of the second, sixth, and 
 every subsequent fourth game of a set ; two-quarters, one 
 stroke at the beginning of the second, fourth, and every 
 subsequent alternate game ; and three-quarters, a stroke at 
 the beginning of the second, third, and fourth games, and 
 so on : while when odds are owed, quarter fifteen is a stroke 
 at the beginning of the first and fifth games, and so on ; 
 two-quarters, a stroke at the beginning of the first and third 
 games, and so on ; and three-quarters, a stroke at the be- 
 ginning of the first, third, and fourth games, and so on. 
 
 The differential odds between players with different 
 handicaps are, of course, ascertained by a table as before. 
 Perhaps at first some little diflSculty may be experienced 
 in mastering the new law, especially by umpires, who, as a 
 rule, are not the most intelligent of beings ; but I am con- 
 
HANDICAPS. 6l 
 
 vinced that this will be merely temporary, and that the 
 change will cause great relief to players at large, and 
 immensely increase the accuracy of handicaps. Another 
 result is that there is now very little to be said by way of 
 advice as to how a handicap game should be played, as 
 distinguished from a level game. As all the odds now 
 work automatically, so to speak, there is, fortunately, no 
 occasion for an elaborate investigation, such as used to be 
 necessary to ascertain the period in the game at which a 
 bisque could be taken with the most advantage. 
 
 I have already pointed out that a man giving odds will 
 find it advisable to play more cautiously than he would 
 otherwise do; it follows that a man receiving odds can 
 prudently play in a more dashing manner than he is wont, 
 and ought to go for strokes which it would be rash for him 
 to attempt, had he not his points to give him confidence. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 THE LAWS OF LAWN TENNIS, 
 Sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis Association. 
 
 THE SINGLE-HANDED GAME. 
 
 I. For the single-handed game, the court is 27 ft. in width, 
 and 78 ft. in length. It is divided across the middle by a net, 
 the ends of which are attached to the tops of two posts, A and 
 A, which stand 3 ft. outside the court on each side. The height 
 of the net is 3 ft. 6 in. at the posts, and 3 ft. at the centre. At 
 each end of the court, parallel with the net, and at a distance of 
 39 ft. from it, are drawn the base-lines, CD and EF, the ex- 
 
 X _j Y 
 
 X '■■ y" 
 
 PLAN OF COURT. 
 
 tremities of which are connected by the side-lines, CE and DF. 
 Half-way between the side-lines, and parallel with them, is 
 drawn the half-court-line, GH, dividing the space on each side 
 of the net into two equal parts, called the right and left courts. 
 On each side of the net, at a distance of 21 ft. from it, and 
 parallel with it, are drawn the service-lines, XX and YY. 
 
64 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 2. The balls shall be not less than -2.\ in., nor more than 
 2^ in. in diameter; and not less than ij oz., nor more than 
 2 oz. in weight. .... 
 
 3- In matches, where umpires are appointed, their decision 
 shall be final ; but, where a referee is appointed, an appeal shall 
 lie to him from the decision of an umpire on a question of law. 
 
 4. The choice of sides and the right of serving during the 
 first game shall be decided by toss ; provided that, if the winner 
 of the toss choose the right to serve, the other player shall have 
 the choice of sides, and vice versd ; and provided that-the winner 
 of the toss may, if he prefer it, require the other player to make 
 the first choice. 
 
 5. The players shall stand on opposite sides of the net : the 
 player who first delivers the ball shall be called the server, the 
 other the striker-out. 
 
 6. At the end of the first game, the striker-out shall become 
 server, and the server shall become striker-out ; and so on 
 alternately in the subsequent games of the set. 
 
 7. The server shall stand with one foot beyond (z.«. further 
 from the net than) the base-line, and with the other foot upon 
 the base-line, and shall deliver the service from the right and 
 left courts alternately, beginning from the right. 
 
 8. The ball served must drop within the service-line, half- 
 court-line, and side-line of the court, which is diagonally opposite 
 to that from which it was served, or upon any such line. 
 
 9. It is a fault if the service be delivered from the wrong 
 court, or if the server do not stand as directed in Law 7, or if the 
 ball served drop in the net or beyond the service-line, or if it 
 drop out of court or in the wrong court : it is not a fault if 
 the server's foot, which is beyond the base-line, do not touch 
 the ground at the moment at which the service is delivered. 
 
 10. A fault may not be taken. 
 
 11. After a fault, the server shall serve again from the same 
 court from which he served that fault, unless it was a fault 
 because served from the wrong court. 
 
 12. A fault may not be claimed after the next service has been 
 delivered. 
 
 13. The service may not be volleyed, i.e. taken before it 
 touches the ground. 
 
 14. The server shall not serve until the striker-out is ready. 
 If the latter attempt to return the service, he shall be deemed to 
 be ready. 
 
 15. A ball is in-play from the moment at which it is delivered 
 
APPENDIX. 6S 
 
 in service (unless a fault) until it has been volleyed by the 
 striker-out in his first stroke, or has dropped in the net or out 
 of court, or has touched either of the players or anything that 
 he wea-rs or carries, except his racket in the act of striking, or 
 has been struck by either of the players with his racket more 
 than -once consecutively, or has been volleyed before it has 
 passed over the net, or has failed to pass over the net before its 
 first bound (except as provided in Law 17), or has touched the 
 ground twice consecutively on either side of the net, though the 
 second time may have been out of court. 
 
 16. It is a let if the ball served touch the net, provided the 
 service be otherwise good ; or if a service or fault be delivered 
 when the striker-out is not ready ; or if either player be pre- 
 vented by an accident beyond his control from serving or 
 returning the ball in-play. In case of a let, the service or stroke 
 counts for nothing, and the server shall serve again. 
 
 17. It is a good return although the ball touch the net, or, 
 having passed outside either post, drop on or within any of the 
 lines which bound the court into which it is returned. 
 
 18. The server wins a stroke, if the striker-out volley the 
 service, or fail to return the service or the ball in-play (except 
 in the case of a let), or return the service or ball in-play so that 
 it drop outside any of the lines which bound his opponent's 
 court, or otherwise lose a.stroke, as provided by Law 20. 
 
 19. The striker-out wins a stroke, if the server serve two 
 consecutive faults, or fail to return the ball in-play (except in 
 the case of a let), or return the ball in-play so that it drop out- 
 side any of the lines which bound his opponent's court, or 
 otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20. 
 
 20. Either player loses a stroke, if the ball in-play touch him 
 or anything that he "wears or carries, except his racket in the 
 act of striking ; or if he touch or strike the ball in-play with his 
 racket more than once consecutively ; or if he touch the net or 
 any of its supports, while the ball is in-play ; or if he volley the 
 ball before it has passed the net. 
 
 21. On either player winning his first stroke, the score is 
 called 15 for that player; on either player winning his second 
 stroke, the score is called 30 for that player ; on either player 
 winning his third stroke, the score is called 40 for that player ; 
 and the fourth stroke won by either player is scored game for 
 that player ; except as below : — 
 
 If both players have won three strokes, the score is called 
 deuce ; and the next stroke won by either player is scored 
 
 F 
 
66 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 advantage for that player. If the same player win the next 
 stroke, he wins the game ; if he lose the next stroke, the 
 score is again called deuce ; and so on until either player 
 win the two strokes immediately following the score of 
 deuce, when the game is scored for that player. 
 
 22. The player who first wins six games wins a set ; except 
 as below : — 
 
 If both players win five games, the score is called games- 
 all ; and the next game won by either player is scored 
 advantage-game for that player. If the same player win 
 the next game, he wins the set ; if he lose the next game, 
 the score is again called games-all ; and so on until 
 either player win the two games immediately following 
 the score of games-all, when he wins the set. 
 
 Note.— Players may agree not to play advantage-sets, but to decide the 
 set by one game after arriving at the score of games-all. 
 
 23. The players shall change sides at the end of every set ; 
 but the umpire, on appeal from either party before the toss for 
 choice, shall direct the players to change sides at the end of the 
 first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of each set, 
 provided that in such event the players shall not change sides 
 at the end of a set if the number of games in. such set be even ; 
 but, if the appeal be made after a match has been begun, the 
 umpire shall only direct the players to change sides at the end 
 of the first, third, and every subsequent alternate game of the . 
 odd and concluding set. 
 
 24. When a series of sets is played, the player who was 
 server in the last game of one set shall be striker-out in the first 
 game of the next. 
 
 ODDS. 
 
 25. In the case of received odds : 
 
 a. One-quarter of fifteen is one stroke given at the beginning 
 of the second and every subsequent fourth game of a set. 
 
 b. Two-quarters of fifteen is one stroke given at the beginning 
 of the second and every subsequent alternate game of a set. 
 
 c. Three-quarters of fifteen is one stroke given at the be- 
 ginning of the second, third, fourth, and the three last of 
 every subsequent four games of a set. 
 
 d. One, two, or three-quarters of fifteen may be given in 
 augmentation of other odds. 
 
 e. Fifteen is one stroke given at the beginning of every 
 game of a set. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 6r 
 
 / Thirty is two strokes given at the beginning of every 
 
 game of a set. 
 g. Forty is three strokes given at the beginning of every 
 
 game of a set. 
 26. In the case of owed odds : 
 
 a. One-quarter of fifteen is one stroke owed at the beginning 
 of the first and every subsequent fourth game of a set. 
 
 b. Two-quarters of fifteen is one stroke owed at the beginning 
 of the first and every subsequent alternate game of a set. 
 
 c. Three-quarters of fifteen is one stroke owed at the be- 
 ginning of the first, third, and fourth of the first four and 
 .every subsequent four games of a set. 
 
 d. Fifteen is one stroke owed at the beginning of every 
 game of a set. 
 
 e. Thirty is two strokes owed at the beginning of every 
 game of a set. 
 
 f. Forty is three strokes owed at the beginning of every 
 game of a set. 
 
 THE 
 
 THREE-HANDED AND 
 GAMES. 
 
 FOUR-HANDED 
 
 27. The above laws shall apply to the three-handed and four- 
 handed games, except as below. 
 
 28. For the three-handed and 'four-handed games, the court 
 
 PLAN OF COURT. 
 
68 LAWN' TENNIS. 
 
 is 36 ft. in width. Within the side-lines, at a distance of 4I ft. 
 from them, and parallel with them, are drawn the service-side- 
 lines, IK and LM. The service-lines are not drawn beyond 
 the points I, L, K, and M, towards the side-lines. In other 
 respects, the court is similar to that which is described in Law i. 
 
 29. In the three-handed game the single player shall serve in 
 every alternate game. 
 
 30. In the four-handed game, the pair who have the right to 
 serve in the first game may decide which partner shall do so, 
 and the opposing pair may decide similarly for the second 
 game. The partner of the player who served in the first game 
 shall serve in the third ; and the partner of the player who 
 served in the second game shall serve in the fourth, and so 
 on in the same order in all the subsequent games of a set. 
 
 31. The players shall take the service alternately throughout 
 each game ; no player shall receive or return a service delivered 
 to his partner ; and the order of service and of striking-out once 
 arranged shall not be altered, nor shall the strikers-out change 
 courts to receive the service, before the end of the set. 
 
 32. The ball served must drop within the service-line, half- 
 court-line, and service-side-line of the court which is diagonally 
 opposite to that from which it was served, or upon any such line. 
 
 33. It is a fault if the ball served do not drop as provided in 
 Law 39, or if it touch the server's partner or anything that he 
 wears or carries. 
 
 34- If a player serve out of his turn, the umpire, as soon as 
 the mistake is discovered^ by himself or by one of the players, 
 shall direct the player to serve who ought to have served ; but 
 all strokes scored, and any fault served, before such discovery, 
 shall be reckoned. If a game shall have been completed before 
 such discovery, then the service in the next alternate game 
 shall be delivered by the partner of the player who sei"ved out 
 of his turn ; and so on in regular rotation. 
 
 REGULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LAWN 
 TENNIS PRIZE-MEETINGS, AND INTER-COUNTY 
 AND INTER-CLUB MEETINGS. 
 
 I. At prize-meetings promoted by associations or clubs 
 affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association, the laws of lawn 
 tennis for the time being sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis 
 Association, and the regulations hereinafter contained shall be 
 observed. 
 
AFPENDIX. 69 
 
 2. All details connected with any prize-meeting shall be 
 settled by the committee of the elub promoting the meeting or 
 by a committee constituted for the purpose, of whom two, or 
 such larger number as the committee may determine, shall 
 form a quorum. 
 
 3. A circular shall be issued by the committee specifying the 
 conditions of the competitions (see Recommendation 5). 
 
 4. No cheques, orders for money, or cash payments in any 
 form shall be given as prizes, and the amount actually paid for 
 each prize shall in no case be below the advertised value of the 
 same. 
 
 5. The committee shall elect a referee with power to appoint 
 a substitute to be approved by them. 
 
 6. The referee, or such other member or members of the 
 committee as may be selected for the purpose, shall have power 
 to appoint umpires, and the referee shall decide any point, of 
 law which an umpire may profess himself unable to decide, or 
 which may be referred to him on appeal from the decision of 
 an umpire. 
 
 7. The referee shall, during the meeting, be ex officio a 
 member of the committee. 
 
 8. The courts shall be allotted to the competitors, and the 
 competitors shall be called upon to play, by a member or 
 members of the committee, to be selected for the -purpose, and 
 in case of disagreement the committee shall decide. 
 
 9. The committee shall help to keep order on the ground, 
 and shall consult and decide upon any question arising out of 
 the competition, if summoned for that purpose by the referee or 
 by any two of their number ; and they shall have power, when 
 so convened, the misconduct of a competitor having been re- 
 ported to them by a member of the committee or an urhpire, 
 to disqualify the offender, and further to order him ■ off the 
 ground, 'should his misconduct appear to them to justify such 
 action, but before such action shall be taken an opportunity of 
 offering an explanation shall be afforded to the competitor 
 whose misconduct has been reported to them. 
 
 10. It is the duty of an umpire, — 
 
 (a.) To ascertain that the net is at the right height before the 
 commencement of play, and to measure and adjust the 
 net during play, if asked to do so, or if, in his opinion, its 
 height has altered ; 
 
 {b) To call the faults (subject to Regulation 1 1) ; 
 
 \c.) To call the strokes when won, or when he is asked to 
 
70 
 
 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 call them, and to record them on the umpire's scorinj 
 sheet;* 
 
 * Example: — , . ^ 
 
 The strokes are scored by means of pencil-marks in the spaces beneatn the word 
 " Strokes," thus : — 
 
 Game. 
 
 Initials 
 
 of 
 Players. 
 
 STKOKKS. „Gam^. 
 
 l{ 
 
 A. B. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A. B. 
 
 CD. 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^1 
 
 CD. 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ' 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CD. 
 
 A. B. 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The scoring-sheet shows that in the first game the score ran and would have been 
 called, thus: "15 — love, 30 — love, 30—15, 40 — 15, 40 — 30, game (A. B.);" in the 
 second game, "Love — 15, 15 all, 15 — 30, 30 all, 40 — 30, deuce, advantage (C. D.), 
 deuce, advantage (A. B.), deuce, advantage (C. D.), game (C. D.)." 
 
 The score of the server should be called first. 
 
 In scoring handicap 'matches, the odds received should be marked by crosses on 
 the right of the first perpendicular thick line before the commencement of each game, 
 thus: — 
 
 Game. 
 
 Initials of 
 Players. 
 
 Strokes. 
 
 Game 
 won by- 
 
 1 
 
 A. B. 
 CD. 
 
 + 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 j 
 
 ,CD. 
 
 + 
 
 + 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A. B. 
 
 3 
 
 A. B. 
 CD. 
 
 + 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 1 
 
 CD. 
 A. B. 
 
 + 
 
 + 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Here A. B. is receiving fifteen and two-quarters of 15- 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 71 
 
 When odds are owed, they should be marked on the left of the first perpendicular 
 thick hne before the commencement of each game, thus : — 
 
 Game. 
 
 Initials of 
 Players. 
 
 Strokes. 
 
 Game 
 won by. 
 
 [ A. B. 
 
 1 
 
 ( CD., 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 CD. 
 
 3 
 
 ( A. B. 
 
 ... 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( A.B. 
 
 3 
 
 ( CD. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( CD. 
 
 4 
 
 ( A.B. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 and crossed off one by one when the player owing wins a stroke, thus : — 
 
 Game. 
 
 Initials of 
 Players. 
 
 Strokiss. 
 
 .Game 
 won by. 
 
 i A. B. 
 
 1 
 
 ( CD. 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 
 
 
 I CD. 
 
 3 
 
 ( A. B. 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I A. B. 
 
 3 
 
 ( CD. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / CD. 
 
 4 
 
 ( A. B. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Here A. B. owes fifteen and three-quarters of 15. 
 
72 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 (d.) To call the games and the sets at the end of each, or 
 when asked to call them, and to record them on the 
 umpire's scoring sheet ; * 
 
 (e.) To direct the competitors to change sides, in accordance 
 with Law 23 ; 
 
 (/) When appealed to, during a rest, whether a doubtful ball 
 is " in play '' or not, to call " Play it out," and' at the con- 
 clusion of the rest, to give his decision (subject to Regula- 
 tion 11) or direct the competitors to play the stroke 
 again ; 
 
 (g.) To decide all doubtful or disputed strokes, and all points, 
 of law (subject to Regulations ii and 12) ; 
 
 (>4.) In handicap matches to call the odds at the commence- 
 ment of each set ; 
 
 {i.) To sign the umpire's scoring sheets, and to deliver them 
 at the conclusion of the match to such person as the 
 committee may authorize to receive them ; 
 
 Provided, that no omission of any of the foregoing duties on 
 the part of an umpire shall of itself invalidate a game or match. 
 
 11. It is the duty of a line-umpire to call faults and to decide 
 strokes relating to the line for which he is appointed umpire, 
 and to such line only. 
 
 12. The decision of an umpire shall be final upon every 
 question of fact, and no competitor may appeal from it ; but, if 
 an umpire be in doubt as to a point of law, or if a competitor 
 appeal against his decision on such a point, the umpire shall 
 submit it to the referee, whose decision shall be final. 
 
 13. The referee shall not bet on a match, nor shall an 
 umpire on a match in which he is acting, and if an objection 
 for this or any other reason be made to a referee or umpire, 
 either before or during a match, by a member of the com- 
 mittee or a competitor, the match, if begun, shall, if necessary, 
 be at once stopped by the referee or two members of the 
 committee, who shall take the opinion of the committee on 
 the objection, and the committee shall have power to remove 
 or suspend the referee or umpire so objected to ; provided 
 that the decision of the majority of the committee present 
 shall be final, and that the referee or umpire so objected to 
 (if a member of the committee) shall not be at liberty to vote 
 on the question. 
 
 * At the end of each game the games should be called with the name of the player 
 who is in advance, thus, "2 games to i, B. wins," or " B. leads." If the games are 
 level the score should be called thus, " 5 games all," or as the case may be. At the 
 end of each set the sets should be called in like maimer. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 13 
 
 14. No competitor may transfer his entry to another player. 
 
 15. Competitors shall have a right, by themselves or deputies, 
 to be present at the draw. 
 
 16. The draw shall be conducted in the following manner : 
 each competitor's name shall be written on a separate card or 
 paper, and these shall be placed in a bowl or hat, drawn out one 
 by one at random, and copied on a list in the order in which 
 they have been drawn. 
 
 17. When the number of competitors is 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or any 
 • higher power of 2, they shall meet in pairs, in accordance with 
 
 the system shown by the following diagram : — 
 
 1ST Round. 2ND Round. 3RD Round. 
 
 G ^ _ ~ 
 
 1 8. When the number of competitors is not a power of 2f, 
 there shall be byes in the first round. The number of byes 
 shall be equal to the difference between the number of com- 
 petitois and the next higher power of 2 ; and the number of 
 pairs that shall meet in the first round shall be equal to the 
 difference between the number of competitors and the next 
 lower power of 2. The byes, if even in number, shall be divided, 
 as the names are drawn, in equal proportions at the top and 
 bottom of the list, above and below the pairs ; if uneven in 
 number, there shall be one more bye at the bottom than at the 
 top. Thus, in 
 
 Series i. — From 5 to 8 Competitors. 
 
 With s. there will be i bye at the top, and 2 byes at the bottom of the 
 list, thus: — 
 1ST Round. 2ND Round.. 3RD Round.. 
 
 A (a Bye) A — 
 
 Q B . ;^- 
 
 DCaBye) D . E- ' 
 
 E (a Bye) E 
 
 With 6, there will be i bye at the top, and i bye at the bottom. 
 With 7, I bye at the bottom. 
 With 8, no byes.. 
 
74 
 
 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 Series z.— From 9 to 16 CoMPETiTcas. 
 With g, 3 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the bottom, thus : — 
 1ST Round, 2nd Round. 3RD Round. 4TH Round* 
 
 A(aBye') A r 
 
 B(aBye) B- ~°~ _^ P 
 
 C(aBye) O -__ p —==^t.- 
 
 FCaByeJ F — -— __ Q . 
 
 G(aBye) G --» G - 
 
 H(aBye) H ,, — ^* ^ 
 
 I (aBye5 I — ^^ " 
 
 With 10, 3 byes at tlie top, and 3 byes at the bottom. 
 
 With II, 2 byes at the top, and 3 byes at the bottom. 
 
 With 12, 2 byes at the top, and 2 byes at the bottom. 
 
 With 13, I bye at the top, and 2 byes at the bottom. 
 
 With 14, I bye at the top, and i bye at the bottom. 
 
 With 15, I bye at the bottom. 
 
 With i6„ no byes. 
 
 Series 3. — From 17 to 32 Competitors. 
 
 With 17, 7 byes at the top, and 8 byes at the bottom, thus : — 
 1ST Round. 2nd Round. 3RD Round. 4TH Round, sth Round. 
 
 A (a Bye) A A . 
 
 B(aBye) B— '" ^==-0- 
 
 CCaBjre) C — r= n - 
 
 D aByeJ D ° -> D 
 
 E(aBy=5 E _p ^"- 
 
 FUByel F ^ -_ H - 
 
 GCaBye) G — ___ H " 
 
 J (a Bye) J -—=, K 
 
 K(aBye) K " „ 
 
 L fa Bye) L — -___ M "^ ~ 
 
 M (a Bye) M 
 
 N (a Bye) N ^_ O ^ O' 
 
 0(aBye1 O "^ "~~~— — _ „ 
 
 P(aBye) P- — ___ q °- 
 
 Q (aBye) Q .^-==- « - 
 
 With 18, 7 byes at the top, and 7 byes at the bottom. 
 With 19, 6 byes at the top, aild 7 byes at the bottom. 
 With 20, 6 byes at the top, and 6 byes at the bottom. 
 With 21, 5 byes at the top, and 6 byes at the bottom. 
 With 22, s byes at the top, and 5 byes at the bottom. 
 With 23, 4 byes at the top, and 5 byes at the bottom. 
 With 24, 4 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the bottom. 
 With 25, 3 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the bottom. 
 With 26, 3 byes at the top, and 3 byes at the bottom. 
 With 27, 2 byes at the top, and 3 byes at the bottom. 
 With 28, 2 byes at the top, and 2 byes at the bottom. 
 With 29, I bye at the top, and 2 byes at the bottom. 
 With 30, I bye at the top, and i bye at the bottom. 
 With 31, I bye at the bottom. 
 With 32, no byes. 
 And so on, with larger numbers, in like manner. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 75 
 
 19. If a competitor be absent when called on to play, or shall 
 refuse to play, or shall have given previous notice to the referee 
 or a member of the committee that he cannot play in his next 
 round, his adversary shall win in that round. 
 
 20. In handicap matches, the competitors shall be handi- 
 capped by the committee, or a handicapper appointed by the 
 committee. 
 
 21. Unless any other principle of handicapping be adopted, 
 the handicap shall be by classes, as below 4 — 
 
 Class 
 1 receives one-quarter 15. 
 
 CLASS O (scratch). 
 
 2 
 3 
 
 4 
 5 
 6 
 
 two-qiiarters 15. 
 three-quarters 15. 
 
 IS- 
 IS and one-quarter 15. 
 IS and two-quarters IS- 
 
 Class 
 7 receives 15 and three-quarters 15 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 so- 
 so and one-quarter 15. 
 30 and two-quarters ij. 
 30 and three-quarters 15. 
 40. 
 
 When two players in different classes below scratch meet, the 
 superior player shall start from scratch, and the odds received 
 by the inferior player are as shown by the annexed table. No. I. 
 To use the table, find in the diagonal line of figures the number 
 representing the class of the superior player, then travel along 
 the corresponding horizontal column until the vertical column 
 is reached which bears at the top the number of the class of the 
 inferior player. The odds specified at the intersection of the two 
 columns are thp odds required. 
 
 Example. — If class 3 has to meet class 9, start from the figure 
 3 in the diagonal line of figures, and look horizontally until the 
 vertical column is reached headed by the figure 9. The odds 
 given at the point of intersection of the two columns (viz. 15 and 
 three-quarters 15) are the odds required. 
 
 When the difference between the best and worst players 
 entered is great (say more than 30), it is desirable to handicap 
 the best players at owed odds. The players above scratch (z>. 
 owing odds) should be classified as follo^ws : — 
 
 7 owes IS and three-quarters 15. 
 30 
 
 Class 
 
 Class 
 
 1 owes one-quarter 15. 
 
 7 ow 
 
 2 „ two-quarters 13. 
 
 8 , 
 
 3 ,, three-quarters 15. 
 
 9 , 
 
 4 „ IS- 
 
 10 , 
 
 5 ,> IS and one-quarter 15. 
 
 11 , 
 
 6 ,, IS and two-quarters 15. 
 
 12 , 
 
 30 and one-quarter 15. 
 30 and two-quarters 15. 
 30 and three-quarters 15. 
 40. 
 
 When two players in different classes above scratch meet, 
 
76 LAWN TENmS. 
 
 the inferior player shall start from scratch, and the odds owed 
 by the superior player are as shown by the annexed tables 
 No. II. 
 
 This table is to be used in the same way as the former, the 
 class of the superior player being looked for in the horizontal 
 line of figures at the top, and the class of the inferior player in 
 the diagonal line of figures. 
 
 Example. — If class 12 (owe 40) meet class 6 (owe 15 and 
 two-quarters 15), the former must give the latter the odds of owe 
 15 and one-quarter 15. 
 
 22. In championship-matches and handicaps by classes, as 
 above, advantage-sets shall be played throughout the ties. 
 
 23. The committee may, whether appealed to by any com- 
 petitor or not, postpone the meeting or any match or part of a 
 match if, in their opinion, the state- of the weather, or of the 
 light, or the condition of the ground renders it advisable to do so. 
 
 RECOMMENDATl ONS. 
 
 1. There should be, if possible, a clear margm of at least 
 12ft. on each side and 21ft. at each end of the court; or, 
 between adjacent courts, 18 ft. on each side; but, should the 
 courts be placed end to end, or end to side, there should be 
 spaces of 42 ft. or 33 ft. respectively, and a stop net at least 8 ft. 
 high between. 
 
 2. Should the referee be a competitor, a substitute should be 
 appointed to act for him while he is playing. 
 
 3. If two or more prizes be given, the loser in the final tie 
 should receive the second prize, and where more than two prizes 
 are given, the losers in the last tie but one should receive prizes 
 of equal value. 
 
 4. In important matches it is desirable to- have seven line- 
 umpires in addition to the scoring umpire, namely, one for each 
 base-line, one for each service-line, one for the half-court-line, 
 and one for each side-line. 
 
 5. The circular issued by the committee should include the 
 following particulars : — 
 
 (i) The date, hour, and place of meeting ; 
 
 (2) The events, entrance fees, and value of the prizes ; 
 
 (3) The date, hour, and place of receiving and closing the 
 
 entries ; 
 
 (4) The time and place of the draw ; 
 
 (j) The maker's name of the balls to be used at the meeting; 
 
APPENDIX. 11 
 
 (6) The shoes to be worn, if there be any restriction in this 
 
 respect ; 
 
 (7) The number of sets to be played in the various matches, 
 
 and whether advantage-sets or not. 
 6. In handicap competitions the handicap should, if possible, 
 be framed before the draw takes place. 
 
 REGULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF 
 INTER-CLUB AND INTER-COUNTY MEETINGS. 
 
 I. The Laws of Lawn Tennis for the time being sanctioned 
 by the Lawn Tennis Association, and Nos. id, ii, and 12 of the 
 foregoing Regulations so far as applicable, shall be observed at 
 all inter-club and inter-county meetings. 
 
 ■ 2. A referee shall be appointed by mutual agreement. 
 
 3. The balls used at all inter-club and inter-county meetings 
 shall be selected by mutual agreement between the competing 
 sides. 
 
 4. Provision for payment for the balls used at all inter-club 
 and inter-county meetings shall be made by mutual agreement 
 between the competing sides. 
 
 5. The hour for the cessation of play shall be fixed by mutual 
 agreement before the commencement of play. 
 
 6. The number of single-handed or four-handed matches, 
 or of both, to be played at each inter-club or inter-county 
 meeting, .shall be settled by mutual agreement between the 
 competing sides. 
 
 7. All matches shall be the best of three advantage-sets. 
 
 8. The club or county which wins the greater number of 
 -matches shall be the winner at that meeting. 
 
 g. In case all the matches have not been playfed out by the 
 time fixed for the cessation -of play, or if play has been stopped 
 by weather, the side having won the majority of matches shall 
 be considered the winner ; should the matches be equal, the 
 majority of sets shall decide, and if matches and sets be equal, 
 the majority of games. 
 
 ■ 10. The quahfication to play for a county shall be birth in 
 the county, or residence therein for at least two years im- 
 mediately preceding, but no one shall be entitled to play for 
 more than one county during the same year. 
 
 II. For the purposes of lawn tennis, the boundaries of 
 counties shall be deemed to be unaffected by the Local Govern- 
 ment Act, 1888. 
 
78 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 12. During the two years that a player may be qualifying to 
 play for a county under a residential qualification, he may play 
 for the county for which he has last previously been playing 
 under a like qualification. 
 
 13. The qualification to play for a district shall be birth, 
 residence, or business occupation within the district 
 
 14. The qualification to play for a club shall be bond-Jide 
 membership of that Club. 
 
 15. These Regulations shall be binding at all inter-club and 
 mter-county meetings, and shall only be altered by mutual 
 agreement between the competing sides. 
 

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TENNIS. 
 
 JULIAN MARSHALL. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Historical Sketch ... ... ... ... ... 3 
 
 The Court and the Game ... ... ... 15 
 
 Definitions ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 
 
 The Laws ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 
 
 Hints to Beginners ... ... ... ... ... 36 
 
TENNIS. 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Among the games which serve to exercise and amuse both 
 mind and body, there are a few which have come down to 
 us through a period which may be measured by centuries. 
 In these few there must be some element of vitality, dis- 
 tinguishing them from the pastimes of the day, invented, 
 fashionable, and soon forgotten. Cards, chess, dice, haxe 
 all had a long existence, and a strong influence on the lives 
 and fortunes of men; but these have only employed the 
 mind, more or less, for good or for evil. The games which, 
 on the other hand, exercise the body, whether within doors 
 or in the open air, belong to a different category, and have 
 other claims for commendation; and of these none sur- 
 passes in antiquity, in interest, or in health-promoting excel- 
 lence, the games which are played with a ball. These, in 
 one form or another, have absorbed the attention, excited 
 the emulation, and developed the lungs and muscles of 
 children of all ages, since the earliest times of which we 
 know anything, by record or tradition. 
 
 Hand-ball and foot-ball, the sports in which the players 
 were dependent on the implements provided by Nature, 
 
4 TENNIS. 
 
 have probably existed almost as long as boys and men 
 have trod the earth. Primasval boy must have very soon 
 felt the need of employing his ample leisure in vigorous 
 diversions, other than that of the chase ; and some rude 
 kind of ball would naturally soon suggest itself to him. 
 No long process of development would be necessary before 
 the idea of an implement of wood, or other substance, 
 would occur to his imagination ; and he would fashion for 
 himself a weapon with which he could strike the ball with 
 greater force than could be imparted by the hand alone. 
 Hence, perhaps, in earlier ages than we are aware, sprang 
 rough forms of golf, hockey, and tennis. 
 
 We can thus fancy primitive sports, evolved in some 
 such way, and foreshadowing the games which would one 
 day be called cricket, rounders, and base-ball. The main 
 principles would be there, though the details of those 
 games, as we know them now, have been, of course, 
 gradually invented and developed in succeeding centuries. 
 " The ancients," as we call them — ;that is, the writers of the 
 classic times — knew some of these games, and ascribed their 
 origin to far earlier times than their own. An English 
 author, John Cotgrave, writing in the year 1655, says, 
 "Dice, Tables, Tennis, and Cards, were found of the 
 Lydians, a people of Asia ; and began neither for gain, nor 
 pleasure, but for the good of the Commonwealth ; for, there 
 being a very great dearth and want of provision in the 
 Country, so that people, having not enough to supply their 
 necessities, were forc'd one day to take their meat mode- 
 rately, and another day by course they apply'd themselves to 
 such sports, to drive away the tediousnesse of the famine." 
 Master Cotgrave's authority for this quaint and surprising 
 anecdote is Herodotus, who, with his usual love of accuracy, 
 places the invention of these pastimes in the reign of a 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 certain very ancient king, named Atys. The honour of the 
 discovery has been also attributed to Nausicaa, the daughter 
 of Alcinoiis, who played at ball with her attendant maidens, 
 by Agalla (or Agallis), a lady of Corcyra, who wrote a book 
 on grammar j and Nausicaa has been immortalized by 
 Homer in a well-known passage, and by Sophocles in a 
 Satyric drama, which had a great success in his day, but is 
 now unfortunately lost. 
 
 Pliny, as accurate as Herodotus, calls Pythus, or Picus, 
 the inventor of ball-play, but omits to say when or where he 
 lived. At all events, it appears certain that the Greeks had 
 ball-games of various kinds in very early times. Some of 
 these are found stamped on coins of Gordian III., and 
 of M. Aurelius Antoninus, the latter struck at Byzantium. 
 
 But the Greeks had no monopoly of such sports ; for 
 travellers have brought us accounts of similar games, still 
 prevailing among uncivilized nations, which are always the 
 most conservative, and which had no communication with 
 the ancient Greeks. Thus, the Indian game, baggatiway, 
 played by the Chippeways, and now called Lacrosse, a name 
 given to it by the Jesuit missionaries, is undoubtedly of early 
 origin ; and the Miamis, the Choctaws, and other American 
 aborigines, as well as, and before, the Basque settlers at 
 Montevideo and in Venezuela, had similar pastimes, which 
 they had probably practised in prehistoric days. 
 
 Early in the last century, a kind of tennis was still played 
 by mounted men in Mingrelia ; and, long before that, in the 
 twelfth century, we find record of a game of the same sort, 
 which was then played, and no one knows how much earlier, 
 by horsemen at Byzantium. There it was called T^v/caviov, 
 and the area in which it was played Tfi;KavtcrT7;ptov, from 
 which the French word chicane took its origin. 
 
 Everything points to the conclusion that these games 
 
V6^ ) TENNIS. 
 
 sprang into existence and were developed naturally, sepa- 
 rately, in many lands, from Mexico to Mingrelia and Byzan- 
 tium, and were not transplanted from any common centre. 
 
 The Byzantine horsemen, who played a sort of hockey, or 
 tennis, were armed with long-handled implements, according 
 to Joannes Cinnamus, who describes them as "staves pro- 
 portionably long, and ending abruptly in a broad curvature, 
 the middle of which was divided out with gut-strings dried 
 gradually and crossed with each other, like nets." He says 
 that this sport was confined to men of high rank ; and this 
 is confirmed by the account given by Constantine Porphyro- 
 genitus, in the history of his grandfather, the Emperor Basil. 
 
 Du Cange, who edited in 1668 the "Life of St Louis," 
 by the Sire de Joinville, appends an interesting chapter, in 
 which he draws up from contemporary Greek authors an 
 account of the game, as it was played by the emperors at 
 Constantinople ; and he tells us that, on foot, it was still 
 commonly played among the peasantry of Languedoc under 
 the same=iiajnie^.^^ȣjjt3ti elsewhere in France under that 
 "et^/fz^ jiejmail^n his own day. And chicane is still nj^ed 
 in our time, under the same name, in some part^of BrittaSyT; 
 and it is not unlike our game of hockey. WitliilSTTirEiig- 
 land, the horsemen's game has again sprung into life lately 
 under the name of Polo ; but the racket has disappeared, 
 and its place has been taken by an instrument which rather 
 resembles a lighter kind of mallet than was used at the_/e'« 
 de Mail, or Pail-Mall, but with a longer handle. De Joinville 
 went with Louis IX., commonly called St. Louis, on his 
 crusade in 1249, and wrote his book in 1300. He described 
 the game at some length, and thought that its name was 
 French. It is true that Menage derived chicane from the 
 Spanish chico (small), and Diez completed the etymology by 
 suggesting that the game came to have this name because 
 
HISTORICAL SXETCH. 
 
 the object with which it was played was a little ball. Littre, 
 however, summarily destroys this theory by citing the Persian 
 word tchaugan, for the racket used in the game ; and that, 
 as he points out, accounts for the termination in ane. Littrd 
 is, of course, right ; and the word aad the game both un- 
 doubtedly came from the East. As played there it required 
 great skill on the part of the players, and some courage too, 
 for there was considerable risk of life and limb involved in 
 its practice. 
 
 In Europe, meanwhile, rude forms of the game soon 
 took root and flourished, especially in Italy, whence they 
 seem to have spread into France, Germany, and Spain. 
 From these crude beginnings came tennis at last, gradually 
 developed and refined, both as an out-door game and as 
 one played within the four walls of a court ; while other 
 forms survived in various districts, und«r the names of 
 jiallone, chicane, pehte au rebot, au tamis, etc. Tennis, 
 called la palla in Italy, and in France la paume, was, as 
 the latter name suggests, originally played with the palm of 
 the hand. To this tender instrument a glove was first 
 added, both as a protection and as affording a better surface 
 for striking. Then the glove was lined and hardened ; 
 next it was increased in size, and tendons were stretched 
 across and across, so as to present a strong and elastic web 
 with which greater impetus could be communicated to the 
 ball than with the simple hand or glove. From this it was 
 but a step to add a handle, and the old tchaugan, or 
 ■ Byzantine racket, was re-invented, but in a shape in which 
 it was now well adapted to its new purpose. Palm-play 
 was not, however, abolished all at once ; for we find a story, 
 often told since its first appearance, of "a woman called 
 Margot, rather young, from twenty-eight to thirty years old, 
 who was of the country of Hainault," and who came to Paris 
 
TENNIS. 
 
 in 1427, or a little earlier, and "played better at hand- 
 ball than any man had seen ; and with that she played 
 both fore-handed and back-handed very powerfully, very 
 cleverly, and very skilfully, as any man could; and there 
 were but few men whom she did not beat, except the very 
 best players ; and it was the Court in Paris where the best 
 play was, in the Rue Grenier Saint-Lazare, which was 
 called the Petit-Temple." A curious representation of 
 tennis, played in a regular court, but with the bare hand, 
 is preserved in the " Book of Hours," printed at Paris in 
 1496, of which a copy is in the British Museum (C. 41. 
 a. . lo). Another instance occurs as late as 1505, in 
 England, when Philip, Archduke of Austria, afterwards 
 Philip I. of Spain, was entertained at Windsor, as a captive, 
 by Henry VH., his host, or captor. "The King of 
 Casteele [Philip] played with the Lord Marques of Dorset, 
 . . . but the king . . . played with the Rackete and gave 
 the Lord Marques xv ; " from which it appears that the 
 " Lord Marques " played not " with the Rackete," but 
 writh his hand, and (probably) therefore received odds. 
 But no later examples of hand-play, at least in regular 
 ;ourts, are recorded ; and, no doubt, it soon became obso- 
 lete, except among players of humbler station and means. 
 
 Tennis, once established, grew fast in favour, especially 
 with the princely and wealthy classes, though it was after- 
 vards very diligently pursued by men of middle condition, as 
 ippears from independent accounts of society and its pastimes 
 mder Elizabeth in this country, and under contemporary 
 ulers abroad. But it began as a royal game, practised by 
 :ings and their courtiers, and by the- nobles who built or 
 idapted courts in their castles, and very frequently in the 
 Iry-ditches which surrounded those buildings. It has been 
 aid that the origin of the tennis-court is to be found in 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 monastic enclosures, girt with cloisters ; that the roofs of the 
 cloisters were the first pent-houses ; that a buttress fore- 
 shadowed the tambour ; and that the grit/e originated in the 
 opening at which strangers appeared who wished to speak 
 with the monks within the enclosure. This statement is 
 entirely unsupported by any evidence. No view, document, 
 or plan is known to exist by which it can be shown that 
 such an enclosure was ever so used. It is said to be 
 supported by tradition. If so, where is that tradition 
 recorded? No one, possessed of the smallest knowledge 
 of monastic institutions, will for a moment believe the 
 statement. That a game should be played, openly, within 
 the walls or cloisters of an abbey or monastery, would be 
 entirely opposed to every rule of such a fraternity. Grave 
 infractions of their strict rules were sometimes committed 
 by monks of lax manners or morals, it may be said ; but 
 these were committed in secrecy and, when discovered, 
 were severely punished. It would show a ludicrous 
 ignorance of monastic institutions to place the smallest 
 confidence in this alleged origin of the game. Moreover, 
 the tambour does not resemble a buttress ; nor was the grille 
 ever placed in the cloisters. The tambour, perhaps, owed 
 its origin to an accident : there is no evidence to show that 
 it did, or did not. Many varieties of it existed in the 
 sixteenth century, and others were suggested in books, but 
 were, perhaps, never carried into execution. Grille was 
 the name given in France to any opening defended 
 by crossed bars. It described the barred window of a 
 prison, the grated division of the par loir of a convent ; and, 
 according to Littr^.it had thirteen other meanings, one 
 of which was the square opening'^in a tennis-court which we 
 still call by that name, but not because it originated in a 
 monastery, any more than in a prison. 
 
TENyiS. 
 
 The first book in which we find any attempt at an exact 
 account of tennis was written by Antonio Scaino da Salb, 
 and was published at Venice in 1555. That writer 
 describes the French king's (Fran9ois I.) court at Paris, 
 and gives us a great variety of interesting information. 
 Among others things, he tells us that it was in his day 
 customary to score fifteen for each stroke won on either 
 side. This he explains in no very satisfactory fashion ; but 
 he describes that manner of scoring as common to all the 
 ball-games of the time at which he wi-ote. Others have, in 
 recent days, endeavoured to show that, because in French 
 courts there are now fourteen chases, the first stroke won 
 was therefore scored fifteen to the winner. But this is 
 absurd, because the fourteen chases were of comparatively 
 late invention, towards the end of the eighteenth century ; 
 whereas the scoring by fifteen, thirty, etc., was common in 
 the sixteenth century, and earlier, when the chases were 
 marked, but not numbered, on the floor. A mark was set up 
 where the ball stopped rolling, not, as now, where it touched 
 the floor the second time ; and at that point was the chase. 
 
 When the game became popular among the humbler 
 :lasses of society, edicts soon began to be issued by which 
 t was forbidden, both in France and in England. Here 
 he reason for the prohibition was usually that the people 
 were expected to devote their spare time to practice with 
 the bow, and not to idle amusements like tennis, skittles, 
 etc. But, in spite of the edicts, the people continued to 
 play tennis merrily both in England and abroad. Number- 
 less anecdotes of kings, nobles, and commoners, all devotees 
 of the game, are to be found in larger works,* but would soon 
 exceed our limits of space, if introduced here. The game 
 
 * See " The Annals of Tennis," by the present writer. H. Cox, 346, 
 Strand. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 was a favourite with most of the French kings, down to 
 Louis XIV., whose health did not allow him to play ; Henri 
 II. was the greatest player of them all. In our own 
 country, the Tudor and Stewart kings were ardent amateurs 
 of tennis. Henry VIII. played and gambled, as he did 
 at all the games known to him, with much vigour. Charles 
 II. was equally keen, and stories of his play are told by 
 Pepys, who saw him carefully weigh himself after playing, 
 with the result that he had lost four pounds and a half. 
 This monarch brought a good deal of luxury into the 
 practice of tennis, such as the use of perfumes, soft couches, 
 etc. A Httle earlier (in 1610) in a manuscript set of 
 " orders, made by Henry, Prince of Wales, respecting his 
 Household," we find particular instructions given as to the 
 forms to be observed, and the guards set, when he went 
 to the " tennys play ; for it hath been noated," the Prince 
 remarks, " that sometymes when I have byn at the tennys 
 play there hath scarcely byn six p'sons about the tennys 
 court, and most of them but lackeys or pages, which is 
 neither safe nor fitt for the state of a prince." 
 
 In those days courts were very numerous. In London, 
 in the year 1615, there were at least fifteen courts, some 
 open to the sky, some roofed in; but in Paris, in 1657, on 
 the authority of the Chevalier Boreel, the Dutch ambassador, 
 we have it stated that there were only {sic) 114 tennis-courts, 
 while the inhabitants numbered about 600,000, living in 
 30,000 houses. We may be sure that many of these courts 
 were very rudimentary. One of the strangest, however, 
 was undoubtedly that which was built at Hivre in 1538, 
 on board a ship of 2000 tons, then considered a monster. 
 She was called La Grande Franfoise, and contained also 
 a wind-mill, beside the tennis-court, and was intended for 
 the East Indies ; but alas ! she could not be launched, and 
 
TENNIS. 
 
 :o was broken up, and her materials were devoted to the 
 )aser purpose of building houses on shore. 
 
 There were courts all over France. Now there are only 
 wo in Paris ; one at Fontainebleau ; one at Versailles also, 
 —but that is now a national monument, and no play is 
 llowed in it; one at Deauville; one at Pau; one at Bordeaux; 
 nd there was another, recently demolished, at Cannes. 
 
 There is no such thing as a court known in modem Italy, 
 pain, or Germany. At Vienna there is one, a private 
 ourt, belonging to the Princess Auersperg, which, after 
 eing closed for some years, was re-opened in 1881. 
 
 In England there are more courts than many people sup- 
 ose ; in fact, we have no fewer than thirty-one, viz. : in 
 .ondon five, — one at Lord's, two at the Queen's Club, and 
 vo at Prince's Club ; at Hampton Court, one, the oldest 
 xtant in this country ; at Oxford, one ; at Cambridge, two ; 
 ; Brighton, one ; at Leamington, one ; at Manchester, one. 
 he above-named (twelve) are all public or belonging to 
 ubs. There are also nineteen private courts, as follows : — 
 he Duke of Fife's, at East Sheen ; the Duke of Richmond's, 
 
 Goodwood; the Duke of Bedford's, at Woburn; the 
 uke of Wellington's, at Strathfieldsaye ; the Marquis of 
 ilisbury's, at Hatfield ; the Earl of Craven's, at Coombe 
 bbey, in Warwickshire ; Lord Windsor's, at Hewell Grange, 
 romsgrove ; Lord Brougham's, at Brougham Hall, Penrith ; 
 3rd Leconfield's, at Petworth; Lord Wimborne's, at 
 inford Manor, Wimborne; Sir T. Hesketh's, at Easton- 
 eston, Towcester; Sir E. G. Loder's, at Whittlebury, 
 Dwcester; Sir Henry B. Meux's, at Theobald's Park; Mr. 
 
 Brassey's, at Heythrop ; Mr. Cazalet's, at Fairlawn, Ton- 
 idge ; Mr. A. Kennard's, at Crawley Court, Winchester ; 
 r. J. P. F. Gundry's, at The Hyde, Bridport ; Mr. Heil- 
 t's, near Maidenhead ; and Mr. W. Q. Orchardson's, R. A. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 13 
 
 (an open court), at Westgate, Thanet. In a few of these 
 there is now little or no play; but many of- them are of 
 recent construction, and are in constant use. 
 
 Sir Edward Guinness also has a court in Dublin. 
 
 In 1867, two prizes, one called the "gold" and the other 
 the " silver " prize, were instituted by the Marylebone Club, 
 to be played for at Lord's. This competition has been 
 generally considered as conferring the Amateur Champion- 
 ship on the winner of the "Gold Prize," but this is not 
 strictly correct, for it is unfortunately limited_to members of 
 the club. 
 
 The following is a list of the winners of these prizes, from 
 the date of their first institution : — 
 
 1867 
 1868 
 1869 
 1870, 
 1871 
 1872. 
 
 1873 
 1874 
 1875 
 1876. 
 1877, 
 1878, 
 1879. 
 1880. 
 1881 
 1882, 
 1883 
 1884 
 1885 
 1886 
 1887 
 1888 
 1889 
 
 Mr. J. 
 
 GOLD. SILVER. 
 
 M. Heathcote Mr. Julian Marshall. 
 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 Ditto. 
 
 Mr. G. E. Crawley. 
 Hon. C. G. Lyttelton. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Ditto. 
 Mr. G. B. Crawley. 
 
 Ditto. 
 Mr. R. D. Walker. 
 
 Ditto. 
 Mr. C. E. Boyle. 
 
 Ditto. 
 Hon. Alfred Lyttelton. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Hon. Alfred Lyttelton Mr. J. M. Heathcote. 
 
 Mr. J. M. Heathcote Hon. Alfred Lyttelton. 
 
 Hon. Alfred Lyttelton Mr. J. M. Heathcote. 
 
 Ditto. Ditto. 
 
 Mr. J. M. Heathcote Mr. B. N. Akroyd. 
 
 Hon. Alfred Lyttelton Mr. J. M. Heathcote. 
 
 Ditto. Mr. A. J. Webbe. 
 
 Ditto. Sir E. Grey. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Queen's Club, recently established at 
 West Kensington, has opened a similar competition, but 
 
+ TENNIS. 
 
 as imposed no limit; it is open to the whole world of 
 mateurs. It constitutes, therefore, a true amateur cham- 
 ionship, and the competitor who is beaten in the final match 
 ets the second prize. The winners have been as follows : — 
 
 FIRST PRIZE. SECOND PRIZE. 
 
 1888. Mr. J. M. Heathcote Sir E. Grey. 
 
 1889. Sir E. Grey Mr. E. B. Curtis. 
 
 1890. Mr. E. B. Curtis Sir E. Grey. < 
 
 Between the two great Universities of Oxford and Cam- 
 ridge there have been, every year with one exception, 
 nee 1859, two matches, one single-handed, the other four- 
 anded. 
 
 Of the single-handed matches Cambridge has won twenty, 
 nd Oxford ten ; and of the four-handed matches Cam- 
 ridge has won nineteen, and Oxford eleven. 
 
 For many years, among professional players, Edmond 
 iarre stood pre-eminent, and his title to the professional 
 liampionship was unchallenged. He was born September 
 , i8o2j at Grenoble, and died at Paris, January 20, 1873. 
 [e was the greatest player of whom we have any trust- 
 orthy record. Nearly contemporary with him, but junior 
 5? twenty-thfee years, was Charles Delahaye, commonly 
 lUed "Biboche," second only to Barre as a player, and 
 ell-known as the best living teacher of the game, and as 
 le able and courteous manager of the French courts. In 
 -ngland we have had the families of Tompkins and 
 ambert, which gave us one champion, Edmund Tompkins, 
 ever quite equal to Biboche, but a player of excellent style 
 id finish, who beat Barre only when that veteran was in his 
 xtieth year, in May, 1862. Our next champion was a 
 layer of great power and resource, George Lambert, born 
 lay 31, 1842. He achieved this position de facto, but 
 ithout any set match, in 1870, by passing Mr. J. M, 
 
THE COURT AND THE GAME. 15 
 
 Heathcote, who was then our best player, Edmund Tomp- 
 kins being unable to defend the title of champion ; and that 
 position G. Lambert continued to hold until 1885, in which 
 year he was beaten, at Hampton Court, in a three-days' 
 match, by Thomas Pettitt, a British-born subject, but 
 domiciled at Boston, U.S. America. This brilliant but 
 eccentric player, who is said to deride the advantages of 
 good style, has since then held the title ; he was recently 
 challenged by our best living player, Charles Saunders, and 
 the match, played in the court attached to the residence 
 in Dublin of Sir Edward Guinness, was one of the greatest 
 possible interest Saunders, the more "correct" player of 
 the two, possesses great powers of service and return, arid 
 a good cut; Pettitt,. endowed with exceptional eye and 
 activity, has a marvellous power of return. The match 
 showed a rare contrast of styles, especially at first. Pettitt, 
 however, soon modified his manner, and won by seven sets 
 to five,, thus retaining the championship.' 
 
 THE COURT AND THE GAME. 
 
 As now played, tennis in France' is virtually the same 
 game as that which we play in England, with a few unim- 
 portant differences of detail. The court is rectangular, as 
 shown in the annexed plan. An inner wall, seven feet high, 
 runs round three sides, and from this a sloping wooden roof, 
 called the pent-house, reaches to the outer wall, not shown 
 on the plan. The surrounding passage, thus enclosed, is 
 seven feet wide (see Longitudinal Section). The main wall, 
 opposite the longest pent-house, has at one point, e, a 
 sloped projection, called ihs.- tambour, which deflects the 
 ball across the court, and from which begins a thickening 
 
i6 
 
 TENNIS. 
 
 ■" 
 
 
 uoamnoo 
 
 
 % 
 
 q 
 S 
 0: 
 o 
 o 
 
 Q 
 
 .■■■■.', 
 
 1) 
 
 
 !>, 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 s- 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 1 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 il>- 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 1-g 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I, 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 »r^ 
 
 li 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 b 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
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 - 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 E- 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 ! 
 
 \ - 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 -^ 
 
 _ '^--. 
 
 
 
 ■A 
 
 'i. 
 
 of that wall which 
 is continued to the 
 grille-wall, h. In 
 the inner wall, be- 
 low the pent-house, 
 there are openings, 
 of which one is 
 called the dedans, 
 B, the others being 
 called t\\t galleries, 
 opposite to the 
 main wall, and the 
 grille, a square 
 opening, adjacent 
 to the main wall. 
 Across the court, 
 half way from the 
 end walls and pa- 
 rallel to them, is 
 stretched a net, n, 
 '*'' five feet high at 
 each side and three 
 feet at the middle. 
 The lower edge of 
 this net rests rather 
 fully on the floor, 
 so as to prevent 
 the balls from pass- 
 ing under it. 
 
 Tennis may be 
 played by two, by 
 three, or by four 
 players : by one, 
 
THE COURT AND THE GAME. 
 
 17 
 
 that is, on each side; 
 or by two on one side, 
 and one on the other; 
 or by two on each side. 
 On beginning a set, the 
 players toss, or spin a 
 racket, to decide the 
 choice of sides, calling 
 rough for the side of 
 the racket which shows 
 the knots or turns of 
 the strings, or smooth 
 for the other side. The 
 party which wins the 
 spin may take the ser- 
 vice-side and serve first, 
 or may take the other, 
 or hazard-side : those 
 who trust much to 
 their service choose the 
 former, others the lat- 
 ter; but most players 
 prefer the service-side. 
 The server then begins, 
 pitches the ball, or 
 drops it, in the air, and 
 strikes it with his racket 
 so that it shall drop on 
 the side pent-house or 
 on the wall above it, 
 and then from the pent- 
 house upon the floor, 
 on the other side of 
 the net, and within the 
 service - court, bounded 
 
1 8 TENNIS. 
 
 by the service-line, x, and t\\e pass-line, p. If he fail to do this, 
 a fault is called, or a pass if the ball has gone beyond the 
 pass-line. If he serve a second fault, his opponent scores 
 a point, called a stroke, at this game. A pass counts for 
 nothing, but annuls a previous fault.* The opponent, or 
 striker-out, as he is called, has now to return the ball served 
 to him by striking it with his racket in such a way that it 
 shall pass back over the net to the service-side again. It 
 may touch the net in passing, both in this and all succeed- 
 ing strokes. The server must then return the ball again to 
 the hazard-side ; and so on, alternately, until one or the 
 other player returns the ball into the net or out-of-court (see 
 Definition). Whichever does this loses a stroke, which is 
 scored to the other player. But if a player fails to strike, or 
 refrains from striking, the ball either while in the air (a 
 volley), or at the first bound and before it touches the floor 
 a second time, then, except on the hazard-side beyond the 
 service-line, a chase is made (or reckoned as made) on the 
 floor, according to the line, or lines, on or between which 
 the ball has dropped the second time. This chase is a stroke 
 in abeyance. When one has been made, it is called by the 
 marker ; but it does not aflfect the score until either of the 
 players has scored forty, or until two chases have been 
 made, when they change sides, and the player who has 
 allowed a chase to be made must then endeavour to win it, 
 that is, to play the ball in his return so that the spot at 
 which it touches the floor the second time shall be better 
 that is, nearer to the end wall, than the point at which the 
 chase was made, and called by the marker. For instance, 
 if the chase was made by a ball which fell (that is, dropped 
 the second time) on the line numbered 3, or half-way 
 
 * In the Manchester Club this law (8) has been wisely abolished. It 
 should be abolished generally. 
 
DEFINITIONS. 19 
 
 between the lines marked 3 and 4, then a ball, to win the 
 chase, must fall better (at least) than 3, or better (at least) 
 than the half-line between the lines 3 and 4. But as often 
 as his opponent returns the ball so often must he again play 
 it, still with the same object, until he succeeds or fails. If he 
 succeed, he scores the stroke, which had been all that time 
 in abeyance ; if he fail, it is scored to the other player, who 
 is said to have been defending the chase. If, at any stage 
 of the score, two chases have been made, the players 
 change sides immediately, and play for the chases, in the 
 order in which they were made, as described above. A 
 player who succeeds in sending the ball in-play into the 
 grille, the dedans, or the last gallery (called the winning- 
 gallery) on the hazard-side, scores at all times a stroke, or 
 wins a chase, if there be one, or prevents his opponent 
 from winning one, and therefore equally scores the stroke 
 himself. The remaining minutiae of the game and the 
 method of scoring may be best understood by studying the 
 Definitions and Laws which follow here. 
 
 DEFINITIONS, 
 
 All-the-walls. — See Touch-no-walls. 
 
 Bar-the-qpenings. — A point of cramped-odds, by which the 
 giver of the odds loses a stroke whenever a ball, returned 
 by him, enters any opening, or touches the post of any 
 opening. 
 
 Bar-t he-winning-openings. — A point of cramped-odds, by 
 which the giver of the odds loses a stroke whenever a ball, 
 returned by him, enters a winning-opening. 
 
 Better. — With reference to chases, describes 
 
 {a) that part of the court which lies between a chase-line 
 
TENNIS. 
 
 and the half-line which is next to it in the direction 
 
 of the nearest end- wall ; as, e.g., better than 2, by which 
 
 is defined that part of the floor which lies between 
 
 the chase-lines 2 and i & 2 ; or 
 
 (b) generally, that part of the court which lies between a 
 
 chase-line, or gallery, and the nearest end-wall. 
 
 Note. — This term used to be, but is now no longer, applied to the 
 half-yard chase-lines, as, e.g., better than i & 2, which is now marked 
 and called, worse than a yard ; but of these there are two, viz. better 
 than half-a-yard, and hazard-side better than half-a-yard, both of which 
 are still so marked and called. 
 
 Beyond. — Further from the net, in the direction of the 
 nearest end-wall. 
 
 Bisque. — A point of odds, which is equivalent to a stroke 
 claimed at pleasure by the recipient, subject to the provisions 
 of Laws 29 and 30. It wins a chase. A bisque, or bisques, 
 may be given in augmentation or diminution of other odds ; 
 as, e.g., 15 and a bisque, 15 for a bisque, etc. 
 
 Boast, to. — To return the ball in-play by striking it against 
 either of the side-walls, or against the end-wall on that side 
 on which the striker is : this stroke is called a boast, or 
 boasted stroke. 
 
 Chase. — A stroke in abeyance, which has been made by 
 one player, and must be played for by the other, according 
 to the provisions of Laws 17-24. 
 
 Cramped-odds. — Odds, in giving which a player agrees to 
 renounce the liberty of playing info some usual part of the 
 court ; or plays with some unusual dress or implement ; or 
 cramps his game in some other way, by agreement These 
 odds may be combined with bisques or other odds, either in 
 augmentation or diminution. 
 
 Dedans. — ■ 
 
 (a) The opening at the end of the service-side of the 
 court : also 
 
DEFINITIONS. 21 
 
 Ip) the spectators present behind that opening. 
 Dedans-post. — The post which stands nearly in the middle 
 of the dedans, and continues the half-court-line up to the 
 edge of the pent-house. 
 
 Defend. — The player, who has made a chase, and who 
 (having changed sides) plays to prevent his antagonist from 
 winning it, is said to defend the chase : in three-handed or 
 four-handed games, both partners are said to defend the 
 chase which either of them has made, when they (having 
 changed sides) play to prevent their antagonist, or antagonists, 
 from winning it 
 
 Double. — When a ball is struck after it has fallen, it is 
 said to be doubled, or a double. 
 
 • Drop. — A ball in play is said to drop, when it touches the 
 floor, or the post of an opening, or enters an opening, with- 
 out having previously touched any part of the court except 
 a wall, or a pent-house, or the net. 
 
 Enter. — ^A ball in-play is said to enter an opening, when, 
 having been struck into that opening, it remains in it, or 
 touches the net, boards, or other internal fittings of that 
 opening, or the dedans-post, or any person being, or any- 
 thing lying, in that opening ; notwithstanding that the ball 
 (in entering a gallery) may have touched the adjacent 
 gallery-post, without having touched the floor in the interim. 
 Fall. — A ball in-play is said to fall, when, after having 
 dropped, it touches the floor again, or touches the net, or 
 enters an opening. 
 Fault. — It is & fault, 
 {a) if the server, in delivery, fail to strike the ball with 
 
 his racket ; or 
 {b) if he strike it more than once ; or 
 {c) if the ball served go out-of-court ; or 
 \d) if, before touching the service-pent-house and dropping 
 
TENNIS. 
 
 in the service-court, or on one of the lines which 
 bound it, the ball served touch any part of the court 
 except the rest of the side-pent-house and the service- 
 wall (see Laws 4-6). 
 First-stroke. — The return of the service. 
 Galleries. — The openings beneath the side-pent-house, 
 including the first, second, and last galleries, the door, and 
 the line-opening, on each side of the net. 
 
 Gallery-post. — The post which separates a gallery from 
 the gallery next beyond it. 
 
 Good. — A service or return, played in accordance with the 
 provisions of the laws, is said to be good. 
 
 Grille-pent-house. — The pent-house above the wall which 
 contains the grille. 
 
 Grille-wall. — The inner end-wall which contains the grille. 
 Half-bisque. — An unusual point of odds, equivalent either 
 {a) to a bisque in every alternate set ; or 
 {b) to the annulling of a fault served by the recipient ; or 
 {c) to the addition of a second fault to one already served 
 
 by the giver of the odds ; or 
 (d) to the privilege of claiming chase-off for a chase ; 
 at the pleasure of the recipient, subject, to the provisions 
 of Laws 29 and 30. 
 
 Note. — Since authorities differ as to the true value of a half-bisque, it 
 is best to settle by agreement the value to be given to it in a match, 
 before beginning to play. 
 
 Half-court. — One half of the service-side, or hazard-side, 
 as divided by the half-court-line ; the openings contained in 
 the half-court, as bounded by that line and the dedans-post, 
 are counted in it. When a player gives the odds of half- 
 court {see Law 32), that half-court, on each side of the net, 
 into which it is agreed that he shall play, is called his half- 
 court. 
 
DEFINITIONS. 23 
 
 Half-volley, to. — To strike the ball in-play, as it rises from 
 the floor, immediately after it has dropped : this stroke is 
 called a half-volley. 
 
 Hazard-side. — The part of the court which lies between 
 the net and the end-wall beyond the grille-pent-house. 
 
 In-play. — A ball served or returned is said to be in-play 
 until it has fallen, or has entered an opening, or has gone 
 out-of-court, or has touched a gallery-post or a player ; or 
 unless it be a fault. 
 
 Lojie-game. — A game in which one player wins four con- 
 secutive strokes ; or, in case of deuce and advantage, five 
 consecutive strokes. 
 
 Love-set. — ^A set in which one player wins six consecutive 
 games ; or, in case of an advantage-set, seven consecutive 
 games. 
 
 Net-line. — The line of the net, continued across the pent- 
 house. 
 
 Nick, the. — The line of junction of the wall with the floor. 
 Nick, to. — To drop or fall on the line of junction of a 
 wall with the floor ; or, rather, to touch both wall and floor 
 simultaneously : a ball which does this is said to nick, or to 
 be a nick. 
 Odds.— 
 Half-Fifteen. — A point of odds, by which one stroke is 
 given at the beginning of the second and every 
 subsequent alternate game of a set. 
 Fifteen.— hs, a point of odds, one stroke given at the 
 
 beginning of every game of a set. 
 Half-Thirty. — A point of odds, by which one stroke is 
 given at the beginning of the first game, two strokes 
 are given at the beginning of the second game, 
 and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of 
 a set. 
 
24 TENNIS. 
 
 Thirty. — As a point of odds, two strokes given at the 
 beginning of every game of a set. 
 
 Half-Forty. — A point of odds, by which two strokes 
 are given at the beginning of the first game, three 
 strokes at the beginning of the second game, and 
 so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of 
 a set. 
 
 Forty. — As a point of odds, three strokes given at the 
 beginning of every game of a set. 
 
 Note. — See also Bar-the-openings, Bar-the-winning-openings, Cramped- 
 odds, Bisque, Balf-bisque, Half-court^ Touch-no-side-walls, and Touch- 
 no-walls.* 
 
 Openings. — The dedans, galleries, and grille (see Bar-the- 
 openings, Bar-the-winning-openings, Galleries, and Winning- 
 openings) . 
 
 Out-of-Court. — 
 
 (a) That part of the court which includes the play-line, 
 
 the walls above it, the windows, and the roof ; also 
 (f) a ball in-play, which touches any of these, or goes 
 behind the wing-net above the tambour (even though 
 it touch either of the rods to which the wing-net is 
 fixed), or goes over a beam or rafter (in courts which 
 have the roof open), is said to have gone out-of-court 
 (see Play-line). 
 
 Note. — In courts which are lighted by side-windows, the last, or 
 (sometimes only) the lower half of the last, side-windows at each end 
 of the court (as also the wing-net above the tambour, with the rods to 
 which it is fixed), are not counted out-of-court. 
 
 Pass. — It is a pass, 
 
 * The value of the ordinary cramped-odds, though varying with 
 different players, is usually estimated as follows : Round services =15, 
 or nearly half-30 ; Half-court = half-30 ; Touch-no-side-walls = half- 30 
 and, perhaps, a bisque ; Touch-no-walls = about 40 ; Bar-the-hazard 
 {i.e. the winning-openings) = about_lS ; Bar-the-openings = 15 and a 
 bisque, or nearly half-30. 
 
DEFINITIONS. 25 
 
 (a) if the ball served, not being a fault, drop in the pass- 
 court ; or, 
 
 (p) if the ball served, not being a fault, go across the 
 pass-line on the pent-house. 
 
 Pass-court. — That part of the floor which is contained 
 between the service-line, the pass-line, the grille-wall, and 
 the main wall. 
 
 Play-line. — A painted line, or board, at a certain height 
 on the end-walls, and also on the side-walls except above 
 the tambourJ(see Out-of- Court). 
 
 Pest, a.— The repeated return of the ball in-play. 
 
 Return, to. — To receive the ball in-play and play it 
 (before it has fallen) back over the net : this stroke is 
 called a return. 
 
 Rough. — The back of the racket, which shows the knots. 
 
 Serve, to. — To deliver the service. 
 
 Server. — The player who delivers the service. 
 
 Service. — 
 
 (a) The starting of the ball in-play, in accordance with 
 the provisions of Laws 3-10; or 
 
 (b) the ball served. 
 
 Service-court. — That part of the floor which is contained 
 between the service-line, the pass-line, the grille-wall, and 
 the gallery-wall and battery. 
 
 Service-line. — That line on the floor which is parallel and 
 nearest to the grille-wall. 
 
 Service-pent-house. — That portion of the side-pent-house 
 which lies between the net-line and grille-pent-house. 
 
 Service-side. — That part of the court which lies betweeri the 
 net and the end-wall beyond the dedans-pent-house. 
 
 Service-wall. — The wall above the side-pent-house. 
 
 Sides. — The two portions into which the net divides the 
 court. 
 
26 TENNIS. 
 
 Side-walls. — See Touch-no-side-walls. 
 
 Smooth. — The front of the racket, which shows no knots. 
 
 Spin. — The decision by a racket, thrown spinning up 
 into the air by one player, while the other calls " rough " 
 or "smooth;" if the racket falls with that side uppermost 
 which the caller named, the latter wins ; if not, he loses. 
 
 Strike-out, to. — To receive the service, and so to play the 
 first-stroke. 
 
 Striker. — The player who last struck the ball in-play. 
 
 Striker-out. — The player who receives the service, and so 
 plays the first-stroke. 
 
 Stroke, a. — 
 
 {a) The return of a ball ; or 
 
 (b) a return which decides a rest ; and so 
 
 (c) (in scoring) the fourth part of a game, except as 
 provided by Law 25 (exception). 
 
 Touch-no-side-walls, or Side-walls. — A point of cramped- 
 odds, by which the giver of the odds loses a stroke when- 
 ever a ball, returned by him, touches a side-wall or a gallery- 
 post, or enters a gallery ; but, if the ball, returned by him, 
 touch the pent-house only, before dropping on the floor, 
 and do not afterwards touch a side-wall or a gallery-post, 
 or enter a gallery, it is not counted against the giver of the 
 odds. 
 
 Touch-no-walls, or All-the-walls. — A point of cramped- 
 odds, by which the giver of the odds loses a stroke when- 
 ever a ball, returned by him, touches a wall or a gallery- 
 post, or enters an opening, before falling on the floor ; but, 
 if the ball, returned by him, touch the pent-house only, 
 before falling on the floor, it is not counted against the giver 
 of the odds. 
 
 Volley, to. — To strike the ball in-play before it drops ; 
 this stroke is called a volley. 
 
THE LAWS. 27 
 
 Winning-gallery. — The hazard-side last gallery. 
 
 Winning-openings. — The dedans, winning-gallery, and 
 grille (see Bar-the-winning-openings). 
 
 Worse. — With reference to chases, describes 
 
 (a) that part of the court which lies between a chase-line 
 and the chase-line which is next to it in the direction 
 of the net, as, e.g., worse than 2, by which is defined 
 that part of the floor which lies between the chase- 
 lines 2 and 2 & 3 : or 
 
 {b) generally, that part of the court which lies between a 
 
 gallery, or a chase-line, and the net. 
 
 Note. — This term used to be, but is now no longer, applied to the 
 half-yard chase-lines, as, e.g., worse than I & 2, which is now marked 
 and called, better than 2. 
 
 THE LAWS. 
 
 IMPLEMENTS, AND CHOICE OF SIDES. 
 
 Balls and Rackets. 
 
 1. The balls shall be not less than ajin., and not more than 
 2fin. in dianiet-er ; and shall be not less than 2J0Z., and not 
 more than 2|oz. in weight. 
 
 Note. — There is no restriction as to the shape or size of the rackets. 
 
 Choice of Sides. 
 
 2. {a) The choice of sides at the beginning of the first set is 
 
 determined by spin. 
 {V) In subsequent sets of a series, the players shall begin 
 each set on the sides on which they finished the set 
 before it. 
 
 SERVICE. 
 Delivery. 
 
 3. The ball served must be struck with the racket, and may 
 be delivered from any part of the service-side. 
 
28 TENNIS. 
 
 Service. 
 
 4. The ball served must touch the service-pent-house before 
 touching any other part of the court, except the rest of the side- 
 pent-house and the service-wall ; and it must drop in the 
 service-court, or on one of the lines which bound it. 
 
 Service, "when good. 
 
 5. The service is good, 
 
 (a) if the ball served touch (in its descent) any part of the 
 service-pent-house, so as to rise again from it ; or 
 
 {b) if the ball served strilie the service-wall, and afterwards 
 touch (in its descent) any part of the service-pent-house, 
 even though it do not rise again from it ; or 
 
 {c) if the ball served drop in the winning-gallery. 
 
 Faults, not returnable. 
 
 6. A fault may not be returned. 
 
 Passes, not returnable. 
 
 7. A pass may not be returned ; but a ball served, which has 
 not gone across the pass-line on the pent-house, may be volleyed, 
 although, if untouched, it might have dropped in the pass-court. 
 If a pass touch the striker-out, or if a service (before it has 
 dropped) touch him, when standing with both feet in the pass- 
 court and not having attempted to strike the ball, it is still 
 counted as a pass. 
 
 Faults annulled. 
 
 8. A pass annuls a previous fault 
 
 Service and Faults annulled. 
 
 9. If the striker-out declare himself not ready for a service, 
 and have made no attempt to return it, that service is counted 
 for nothing, though it be a fault. It annuls a previous fault. 
 The striker-out, having been asked if he be ready, and having 
 declared himself ready, may not . similarly refuse a second 
 service. 
 
 Continuation of Service. 
 
 10. The server continues to serve until two chases be made, 
 or one chase when the score of either player is at forty or 
 
THE LAWS. 29 
 
 advantage (see Law 25) : the players then change sides, the 
 server becomes striker-out, and the strilcer-out becomes server. 
 
 RETURN. 
 
 Return, when good. 
 
 11. The return is good, if the ball in-play be struck with the 
 racket so that it passes the net without touching a gallery-post 
 or anything fixed or lying in an opening on the side from which 
 it is struck, and without going out-of-court. 
 
 Return, when not good. 
 
 12. The return is not good, 
 
 (a) if not in accordance with the terms of Law 1 1 ; or 
 
 ifi) if the ball be struck more than once, or be not definitely 
 
 struck ; or 
 [c] if the ball in-play, having passed the net, come back and 
 drop on the side from which it was struck, unless it should 
 have touched a gallery-post or anything fixed or lying in 
 an opening on that side of the court which is opposed to 
 the striker. 
 
 Ball, when not returnable. 
 
 13. A ball which is no longer in-play may not be returned. 
 
 SCORING. 
 
 The Server, when he wins a stroke. 
 
 14. The server wins a stroke (except as provided in Law 9), 
 
 {a) if a good service enter the winning-gallery or tlie 
 grille ; or 
 
 {b) if the striker-out fail to return a good service (except when 
 it makes a chase: see Laws 17-19) ; or 
 
 (c) if the striker-out fail to return the ball in-play (except 
 when it makes a chase : see Laws 17-19) ; or 
 
 id) if he himself return the ball in-play so that it enters the 
 winning-gallery or grille, or falls on or beyond the service- 
 line ; or 
 
 {e) if he serve or return the ball in-play so that it drops or falls 
 
30 TENNIS. 
 
 upon a ball, or other object, which is on or beyond the 
 
 service-line ; or 
 (/) if he win a chase {see Law 20) ; or 
 Xg) if the striker-out lose a stroke {see Law 16). 
 
 The Striker-out, when he wins a stroke. 
 
 15. The striker-out wins a stroke (except as provided in 
 Law 9), 
 
 (a) if the server serve two consecutive faults [except as pro- 
 vided in Law 31 (5)] ; or 
 
 {b) if the server fail to return the ball in-play (except when it 
 makes a chase : see Laws 17-19) ; or 
 
 {f) if he himself return the ball in-play so that it enters the 
 dedans ; or 
 
 [d) if he win a chase ; or 
 
 {e) if the server lose a stroke {see Law 16). 
 
 Either flayer, when he loses a stroke. 
 
 16. Either player loses a stroke, 
 
 {a) if he lose a chase {see Law 21) ; or 
 
 \b) if the ball in-play (except as provided in Law 7), touch 
 him or anything which he wears or carries (except his 
 racket in the act of returning the ball) ; or 
 
 {£) if he touch or strike the ball in-play with his racket more 
 than once, or do not definitely strike it. 
 
 Chases, how made and marked. 
 
 17. When a ball in-play (on either side of the net, not being 
 that on which the striker is standing) 
 
 {a) falls on any part of the floor, except on or beyond the 
 service-line ; or 
 
 (i5) enters any gallery, except the winning-galler\- ; or 
 
 {c) touches a gallery-post ; 
 it is marked a chase 
 
 (o) at that line on the floor on which it fell ; or 
 
 (/3) better or worse than that line on the floor which is nearest 
 to the point at which it fell ; or 
 
 (7) at that gallery the post of which it touched : 
 except, as provided in Laws 18 and 19. 
 
 Note [a). — A ball in-play, which touches the net-post and drops on the 
 side opposed to the striker, is marked a chase at the Une on the side on 
 which it drops. 
 
THE LAWS. 31 
 
 Note {b). — A ball in-play, which enters a gallery, is marked a chase at 
 that gallery which it enters, notwithstanding that it may have touched an 
 adjacent gallery-post without touching the floor in the interim. 
 
 Note [c). — The gallery-lines on the floor correspond, and are equivalent, 
 to the galleries of which they bear the names. 
 
 A Ball dropping or falling in net, or bounding over net after 
 dropping, how marked, 
 
 1 8. When a ball in-play 
 
 [a) drops or falls in the net, on the side opposed to the 
 
 striker ; or 
 (i5) drops on the floor, on the side opposed to the striker, and, 
 bounding over the net, falls on that side of it from which 
 it was struck, whether it touches the net in its bound 
 or not ; 
 it is marked a chase at the line on the side opposed to the 
 striker. 
 
 A ball dropping or falling upon another ball, how marked. 
 
 19. When a ball in-play drops or falls upon a ball, or other 
 object, which is on the floor [except when it is on or beyond the 
 service-line : see Law 14 (if)], it is marked a chase at the point 
 at which that ball, or other object, was when the ball in-play 
 dropped or fell upon it. 
 
 Chases, how won. 
 
 ia. Either player wins a chase 
 
 {a) if he serve or return the ball so that it enters a winning- 
 opening ; or 
 
 ib) if he serve or return the ball so that it falls better than the 
 chase for which he played ; or enters a gallery, or touches 
 a gallery-post, better than the gallery, or the gallery-line, 
 at which the chase was, for which he played ; or 
 
 (c) if he serve or return the ball so that it drops or falls upon 
 a ball, or other object, which is at a point on the floor 
 better than that at which, or at the gallery corresponding 
 to which, the chase was, for which he played ; or 
 
 {d) if his antagonist fail to return the ball in-play, except 
 when it falls worse than the chase in question. 
 
32 TENNIS. 
 
 Chases, how lost. 
 
 21. Either player loses a chase 
 
 {a) if he fail to return the ball in-play, except when it falls 
 worse than the chase in question ; or 
 
 {b) if he return the ball in-play so that it falls worse than the 
 chase, or enters a gallery, or touches a gallery-post, worse 
 than the gallery, or the gallery-line, at which the chase 
 was, for which he played ; or 
 
 (c) if he return the ball in-play so that it drops or falls upon a 
 ball, or other object, which is at a point on the floor worse 
 than that at which the chase was, for which he played. 
 
 Chase-off. 
 
 22. When a ball in-play 
 
 {a) falls at a point on the floor neither better nor worse than 
 that at which, or at the gallery corresponding to which, 
 the chase was, for which the striker played ; or 
 {b) enters that gallery, or the gallery corresponding to that 
 gallery-line, or touches the post of that gallery, or falls on 
 the gallery-line corresponding to that gallery, at which 
 the chase was, for which the striker played ; or 
 {c) drops or falls upon a ball, or other object, which is at a 
 point on the floor, neither better nor worse than that at 
 which, or at the gallery corresponding to which, the chase 
 was, for which the striker played ; 
 it is marked chase-off; it is not scored as a stroke won by 
 either player ; the chase is annulled, and the striker has not to 
 play for it again. 
 
 Chases, when played for. 
 
 23. As soon as two chases are marked, or one chase when the 
 score of either player is at forty or advantage {see Law 25), the 
 players change sides ; the player who made the first chase now 
 defends it, while the other plays to win it ; and so with the 
 second chase, except when only one has been marked. 
 
 Chases marked in error, annulled. 
 
 24. If by an error three chases hav'e been marked, or two 
 chases when the score of either player is at forty or advantage 
 (see Law 25), the last chase in each case is annulled. 
 
THE LAWS. 
 
 Strokes, how scored. 
 
 25. On either player winning his first stroke, the score is 
 called fifteen for that player ; on either player winning his 
 second stroke, the score is called thirty for that player ; on 
 either player winning his third stroke, the score is called forty 
 for that player ; and the fourth stroke won by either player is 
 scored game for that player ; except, as below : 
 
 if both players have won three strokes, the score is called 
 deuce, and the next stroke won by either player is 
 scored advantage for that player ; if the same player win 
 the following stroke, he wins the game ; if he lose the 
 following stroke, the score is again called deuce ; and so 
 on, until either player win the two strokes immediately 
 following the score of deuce, when the game is scored for 
 that player. 
 
 Games, how scored. 
 
 26. The player who first wins six games wins a set ; except, 
 as below : 
 
 if both players win five games, the score is called games- 
 all, and the next game won by either player is scored 
 advantage-game for that player ; if the same player win 
 the following game, he wins the set ; if he lose the 
 following game, the score is again called games-all ; and 
 so on, until either player win the two games immediately 
 following the score of games-all, when he wins the set. 
 
 Note. — Players often agree not to play advantage-sets, but to decide 
 the set by one game after arriving at the score of games-all. 
 
 Doubtful and disputed cases, how decided. 
 
 27. Every chase is marked, and every stroke scored, by the 
 marker, who is entitled to consult the dedans, when he is in 
 doubt. A player, who is dissatisfied with the marker's decision, 
 is entitled to appeal to the dedans. A majority of the dedans 
 confirms or reverses the marker's decision. An appeal must be 
 made before a recommencement of play. 
 
 Note. — The dedans should not give a decision, unasked, on a question 
 of marking a chase or stroke ; but may, and should, correct inaccurate 
 scoring of chases, strokes, games, or sets. 
 
 D 
 
34 TENNIS. 
 
 THREE-HANDED, or FOUR-HANDED GAMES {sometimes 
 called DOUBLE GAMES). 
 
 Order of play. 
 
 28. The partners serve and strike-out in alternate games ; 
 unless it shall have been previously agreed to the contrary. 
 
 Note. — It is usually, but not always, agreed that the striker-out may 
 leave to his partner such services as pass him. 
 
 The former Laws apply to these, as well as to Single, Games ; 
 the advantages and disadvantages attaching to a single player 
 under the former Laws here attaching to a pair of players. 
 
 ODDS. 
 Bisques and half-bisques when taken, generally. 
 
 29. (rt) A bisque, or a half-bisque, may not be taken after the 
 
 service has been delivered. 
 {b) The server may not take a bisque after a fault ; but 
 the striker-out may do so. 
 
 Bisques and half-bisques when taken, in changing sides. 
 
 30. A player, who wishes to take a bisque, or a half-bisque, 
 there being a chase, or two chases marked, may take it either 
 before or after changing sides ; but he may not, after changing 
 sides, go back to take it. 
 
 Round Seniices. 
 
 31. («) When the odds of round services are given, the ball 
 
 served by the giver of the odds must touch the grille- 
 pent-house after touching the service-pent-house, and 
 before dropping in the service-court, or on one of the 
 lines which bound it. 
 {J)) Neither faults, nor failure in complying with the above 
 condition, are counted against the giver of the odds ; 
 but the recipient of the odds may decline to return 
 such services as do not touch both the pent-houses : 
 if, however, he attempt and fail to return any such 
 service, it is counted against hirn. 
 
THE LAWS. 3S 
 
 Half-court. 
 
 32. The players having agreed, into which half-court, on each 
 side of the net, the giver of the odds shall play, the latter loses 
 a stroke if the ball, returned by him, drop in either of the other 
 half-courts : 
 
 but a ball, returned by the giver of the odds, which 
 {a) drops on the half-court-line ; or 
 {b) drops in his half-court and touches the dedans-post before 
 
 falling I or 
 (c) drops in his half-court and falls in the dedans, even 
 
 though on the other side of the dedans-post ; or 
 {d) touches the dedans-post before dropping ; 
 is counted for the giver of the odds : 
 
 and a return, boasted against any wall by the giver of the odds, 
 which 
 
 (e) drops in his half-court ; or 
 (/) drops on the half-court-line ; or 
 (^) touches the dedans-post before dropping ; or 
 Qi) touches any pent-house, battery, or wall, before dropping 
 in his half-court, dropping on the half-court-line, or 
 touching the dedans-post ; 
 is also counted for the giver of the odds. 
 
 Note. — It is, of course, evident that the giver of these odds may make 
 a chase, or win a chase or a stroke, with a ball which drops in his half- 
 court, or on the half-court-line, but falls in the other half-court. 
 
 Nicks, when All-the-walls or Side-walls are given. 
 
 33. When the odds of touch-no-walls, or touch-no-side-walls, 
 are given, a ball returned by the giver of the odds, which make? 
 a nick in falling, is counted for the striker. 
 
 DIRECTIONS TO THE MARKER. 
 
 It is the duty of the marker 
 to call the faults, and the passes ; 
 to call the strokes, when won, or when he is asked to 
 
 do so ; 
 to call the games, and sets, at the end of each, or when 
 
 asked to do so ; 
 to mark the chases, when made ; 
 to call the chases, when there are two, in the order in 
 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 37 
 
 ing the racket. He must not hold it as a racket-player holds 
 his racket, nor as a man grasps an axe or a cricket-bat. 
 The face of the racket must not be held flat, or at right 
 angles to the direction in which he means to strike and 
 propel the ball ; but the upper edge of the head, or bow, 
 must be allowed to fall back and the lower edge forward, 
 without the wrist being turned upwards, so that the face of 
 the racket shall be held at an angle of about forty-five 
 degrees, more or less, with the plane of the floor. The 
 object of this is to enable the player to cut the ball, and so 
 to reduce its bound on touching the floor, and help him to 
 make and win short chases. The cut is efiected partly by 
 striking the ball with the racket held at this angle, and some- 
 times by chopping it downwards at the moment of striking. 
 
 In all strokes, the player must face the side-wall, the 
 main-wall for the fore hand stroke, when on the service-side, 
 and the galleries for the back-hand stroke ; and vice vers'd, 
 when on the hazard-side. The head of the racket should 
 always be kept well up, above the wrist, when possible. 
 
 In serving, he should first learn to deliver the side-wall 
 service by pitching the ball, well cut, on the side-wall above 
 the pent-house, so that in its descent it shall touch the pent- 
 house, and drop on the floor near the end-wall but short of 
 the pass-line. This he may do by pure cut imparted to the 
 ball, or (better still) by putting on some over-hand spin, 
 commonly called over-hand cut. This last is done by hitting 
 the ball on its upper, instead of its lower, half. Another 
 good service is that in which the ball is made to drop on the 
 pent -house, with plenty of spin on it, and thence upon the 
 floor, near the wall which supports the pent-house and short 
 of the end wall. By a third, the ball is pitched, well cut, 
 over or under-hand, upon the pent-house, after which it 
 bounds up to the wall above it and thence upon the floor. 
 
38 TENNIS. 
 
 as in the first-described service, sometimes touching, some- 
 times not touching the pent-house in its descent. This is 
 not a fatiguing service, and is very useful. Another service 
 is given from under the galleries, or from a point nearer to 
 the dedans, by driving the ball, with a good deal of under- 
 hand spin upon it, along the edge of the pent-house, towards 
 the further end-wall. When well twisted, this will fall in or 
 near the nick, and return to the gallery-wall, and sometimes 
 even into the winning-gallery, giving the other player a most 
 difficult, if not an impossible, stroke to return. There are 
 other varieties of service ; but these will be amply sufficient 
 for a long time. 
 
 In receiving the service, the striker-out, as he is called, 
 should carefully watch the action of the server. He will 
 soon learn that, according as the latter has struck the ball, 
 so will it bound ; if cut over-hand, it will bound away on 
 the floor, but rapidly towards him from the end-wall. If 
 twisted under-hand, it will do exactly the reverse. He must 
 follow the ball with his eye and play it always, when possible," 
 near the end of its first bound, when it is near the floor. As 
 the ball rises from its first impact on the floor it is very 
 difficult to strike with any accuracy or power of directing it 
 in its further course, back over the net. It should never be 
 struck at such a moment, except in cases of exceptional 
 difficulty. 
 
 In standing to receive and to return the ball, the player 
 should place himself with his left foot foremost, for the fore- 
 hand stroke ; and with his feet about twenty-four inches 
 apart, more or less ; and with his knees slightly bent. He 
 should balance his weight rather on the balls of his feet, 
 always ready for a start in any direction, than on the heels. 
 He should watch the flight of the ball, judging as nearly as 
 he can where it will drop on the floor, and how far it will 
 
HINTS. TO BEGINNERS. 
 
 bound, before placing himself in that position. In most 
 cases, he will have to run or walk a few paces, and some- 
 times at highest speed, to reach the proper point at which 
 he should strike the ball. Constant practice, combined 
 with good teaching, can alone enable him to attain to the 
 successful accomplishment of these complicated movements. 
 He should hold his racket not too long nor yet too short, 
 but with his hand halfway up the handle, or rather lower. 
 Some players hold their rackets very long, but this requires 
 very fine judgment of the ball, and causes extra strain on 
 the wrist at every stroke. 
 
 The player must next master the volley, by meeting and 
 returning the ball, still in the air, before it drops on the floor. 
 In doing this, he will generally find it hardly so necessary to 
 strike the ball as to meet it firmly, when it will return from 
 his racket with sufficient force : when practicable, he should 
 cut this return, so as to restrain the bound when it next 
 touches the floor. This will take him some time to learn. 
 
 In turning to the other side-wall, in order to make the 
 back-hand stroke, he must allow the upper edge of his 
 racket to fall over in his hand so that the reverse of the 
 racket assumes the same sloped position as the front (or 
 smooth) side showed for the fore-hand stroke. For this 
 stroke, of course, the right foot must be advanced. He 
 should always, in both kinds of stroke, endeavour to strike 
 the ball when at an easy distance from his body, neither too 
 near, or he will be cramped, nor too far, or he will have 
 neither power nor accuracy. In all returns of the ball, he 
 should try to put his weight into the stroke, that is, he 
 should advance upon the ball at the moment of striking it. 
 He should spend many hours at first, either alone, or 
 (better) with his teacher, "tossing" the balls, as it is 
 called,— that is, playing them over the net, in all the ways 
 
40 TENNIS. 
 
 indicated above, but not playing regular games. After a 
 while, he may begin to play a quiet set with his instructor, 
 when he will soon master the manner of scoring, the laws, 
 etc. But for a long time he should think more of how he 
 ought to play each ball than of how he is to win the game ; 
 and he should very patiently listen to the criticisms of his 
 master. When he begins to feel more at home with the 
 court, the racket, and the ball, he may begin to play with 
 other amateurs. But he should still avoid thinking too 
 much of winning and too little of timing and striking the 
 ball properly. Many vices of style come from the habit 
 of playing to win, anyhow, without any regard to the 
 manner in which the result is to be effected. Another 
 fault that should be particularly avoided is that of playing 
 very hard. Only an accomplished player can dare to do 
 this. With a gentler stroke the beginner will make better 
 chases, and will attain much greater accuracy than with 
 swift and violent forces and drives. 
 
 Above all things, it is important to keep the temper in 
 this exciting game. Nothing places a player at a greater 
 disadvantage than the loss of his equanimity. 
 
R A C K E T S. 
 
 J. SPENS AND JULIAN MARSHALL. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Historical Sketch ... ... ... ... ... 43 
 
 Definitions ,,, ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Laws ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 
 
 Hints to Beginners ... ... ... ... 56 
 
 Hints on Match Playing ... ... ... ... 64 
 
RACKETS. 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
 
 There would not be much to say about the history of 
 this game if any trustworthy word had ever been written on 
 the subject before. That, we beheve, has never yet been 
 done. We shall, however, keep these remarks within the 
 strictest limits. 
 
 The game of rackets * originated in the tennis-court. 
 Fortunately this can be proved. The Crace collection, now 
 ia the British Museum, contained an oval print with the 
 following inscription, " Fives Played at the Tennis Court, 
 Leicester Fields. Printed by Carrington Bowles, 1788." 
 In this print the players are represented as using tennis- 
 rackets and playing the balls against one wall of the tennis- 
 court, on which is chalked-out a certain area, within which 
 the balls presumably had to be driven, after the manner of 
 the game ' of fives, from which the idea had clearly been 
 borrowed. First came fives, played with the hand against 
 any available wall. Then came bat-fives, in which a wooden 
 instrument, roughly imitated from the tennis-racket, was 
 
 * Too often spelt erroneously " racquets." This is due probably to 
 a modern affectation of " fine " spelling.- 
 
44 kAClCETS. 
 
 employed. That was a good game ; and it is still played 
 in many places, and notably at some of our great schools, 
 Rugby, Westminster, Cheltenham, and others. Not con- 
 tent with the wooden bat, players acquainted with the 
 tennis-racket seem to have adopted that instrument about 
 1749, or a little earlier. There is a book called "The 
 Humours of the Fleet," in the frontispiece to which, bear- 
 ing that date, men are represented playing this sort of game 
 in the prison of that name, with very flat-headed rackets, 
 evidently borrowed from a tennis-court. But the game 
 was not called rackets. So it continued to be played until 
 1788, the date of the print mentioned above, while the 
 players still called their gameyfpia'. With the introduction 
 of the racket, a change in the name of the game probably 
 followed soon ; but it is not, we believe, recorded in print 
 for many years after that. It was popular in the prisons 
 of the Fleet and King's Bench, and later in the gardens 
 of some of the great London taverns, such as the Belvidere, 
 in Pentonville, the Eagle, White Conduit House, and tlae 
 Bear, at Kennington ; but, as a WTiter in Baily justly 
 remarks, "it was very much a public-house game, and 
 savoured of drinking-boxes, long pipes, and beer; but in 
 itself it really was a fine manly game." In all these places 
 the game was played in open, — that is, unroofed, — courts, 
 which doubtless replaced or imitated former fives-courts. 
 In the " History of Clerkenwell," * there is a view of " The 
 Belvidere Gardens, early in the present century," in which 
 the racket-court duly appears ; but this is not very clear 
 evidence, nor does it fix any date even approximately. 
 
 In Hazlitt's " Table Talk " some of the earliest players 
 are mentioned, whose names are not to be found elsewhere ; 
 he says of " John Cavanagh : his death was celebrated at 
 * London, 1881, 8vo, p. 532. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 45 
 
 the time in an article in the Examiner newspaper, Feb. 7, 
 1819': (p. 94). 'Died at his house in Burbage-street, St. 
 Giles's, John Cavanagh, the famous hand-fives player.' . . . 
 The only person who seems to have excelled as much in 
 another way as Cavanagh did in his, was the late John 
 Davies, the racket-player. . . . The four best racket- 
 players of that day were Jack Spines, Jem Harding, 
 Armitage, and Church. Davies . . . was also a first-rate 
 tennis-player, and an excellent fives-player." 
 
 The first name of a regular professional champion of 
 which any record exists is that of Robert Mackay, 1820, 
 who appears to have resigned before 1823, without being 
 defeated. 
 
 In the great public schools, the new game speedily made 
 its way. At Harrow, where it was, perhaps, first naturalized 
 as a school-game, it was certainly not played before 1822 
 or 1823, when the new wing was added to the old building. 
 Before that there was no court of any kind about the place. 
 The old school-yard was as rough as a ploughed field, and 
 foot-ball was commonly played there, behind the school. 
 When the new wing was completed, the yard was levelled, 
 and covered with gravel; this was then kept rolled and 
 smooth, and any misguided boys who were caught running 
 across it, wearing heeled shoes, were fined a shilling each. 
 These fines helped to pay for rolling the ground. The balls 
 were large, called " best fives," and covered with buff 
 leather ; the rackets then used were old tennis-rackets, cut 
 down and made hghter. This information is contributed by 
 one who was an eye-witness in 1826. At that time, the 
 balls and rackets were sold by an old woman named Arnold, 
 commonly known as " Old Polly." After her day, they 
 were suppUed by the Custos, Sam Hoare, well remembered 
 by all old Harrovians. In 1834 he found that rackets were 
 
46 RACKETS. 
 
 specially made by Pittman, either the champion or another 
 of the same family. These, however, were but little lighter 
 than the old tennis-rackets. Jefferies, of Woolwich, was for 
 some time the only other maker ; and then came a certain P. 
 Wilson, who was the first to make any marked improvement 
 in the manufacture. He was followed by E. Bluck, an 
 admirable maker; but his rackets were very different in 
 shape from such as are now used. They still followed the 
 lines of the tennis-racket, though they were much less 
 heavy. T. H. Prosser came next, with a workshop in the 
 Pentonville Road, near the scene of some of the first racket- 
 matches. Then came others in recent days, such as Ayres, 
 Buchanan, Mahngs, the successor of Jefferies, and many 
 more, well-known to racket-players. 
 
 The balls were at first made by old Pittman, but after his 
 death they were supplied by the father, of John Mitchell, 
 once Lord Eglinton's marker, who often visited Harrow, 
 and who was champion in 1846. The first court at Harrow 
 was merely a gravelled floor, at the foot of a high wall, 
 which was perforated with many windows. These were 
 protected by wire-netting, and the rebound of the ball was 
 frequently deflected in most unexpected directions by the 
 carved mouldings and other ornamental excrescences, with 
 which the surface of the wall was varied. Yet this was 
 the best court at Harrow for many years, and immensely 
 prized by the boys. It was sacred to the sixth form, and to 
 those who might be invited to play there as a special favour. 
 New courts were built in 185 1, on the slope below the 
 school-yard and "milling-ground," but still without roofs, 
 though walled in. They were too broad and not very 
 satisfactory in other respects. About twelve or thirteen 
 years later, the present covered court was built. 
 
 Such was, briefly, the history of rackets at Harrow ; some 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 47 
 
 similar stages, perhaps, marked the development of the 
 game at other schools. To this early establishment and 
 vogue of rackets on its hill Harrow probably owed the 
 great and continued success of its representatives in the 
 public-school matches, and the fact that it produced the only 
 amateur who ever won the championship of the game, Mr., 
 now Sir, William Hart Dyke. 
 
 After the game had become popular af the schools, it was 
 taken up at the Military Colleges, at Woolwich, at Oxford 
 and Cambridge, and in India, where it was soon a great 
 favourite with officers, among whom there have been many 
 fine players. 
 
 The following is a list of all the champions of whose 
 names any record now exists : — ■ 
 
 *i820 Robeit Mackay, London. 
 
 *l825 June 12 Thomas Pittman, London. 
 
 1834 Nov. 16 John Pittman, London. 
 
 1 1838 June 19 John Lamb, London. 
 
 1846 Oct. 20 John Charles Mitchell, London. 
 
 i860 April I Francis Erwood, London. 
 
 *l862 June 8 W. H. Dyke, Esq., London. 
 
 *l863 March 15 Henry John Gray, Cambridge. 
 
 ti856 March 24 William Gray, Cambridge. 
 
 ti876 Jan. 19 Henry Fairs, London. 
 
 1878 May 25 Joseph Gray, Cambridge. 
 
 1887. Peter Latham (Manchester) beat Joseph Gray (Rugby School) 
 by seven games to four, or 139 aces to 113. Played in the Rugby 
 School court and at Manchester. In his own court Gray won by four 
 games to three, securing a majority of eight aces ; at Manchester 
 Latham won by four games to love. 
 
 1888. Peter Latham (Manchester) beat W. Gray (Charterhouse School) 
 by six games to three, or 1 13 aces to 97. Won very easily ; played 
 at Queen's Club and Godalming (Charterhouse School). 
 
 William Gray also played the Great International match against 
 Frederick Foulkes, of New York, and defeated him in that city ; and 
 at the Ulster Racket Club, Belfast, for the stake of ;^iooo. 
 
 Notices of the earlier champions are extremely scarce and 
 * Resigned, f Died. 
 
48 RACKETS. 
 
 meagre. The match in which Lamb beat J. Pittman is 
 recorded in BelFs Life. It was played at the Belvidere, 
 The reporter mentions a match played about two years 
 before " by Pittman and Soudan against Lamb and ' Blackey ' 
 in the Bench, when the former were victorious. This, 
 we believe," he continues, "gave rise to a match between 
 Lamb and Pittman, which also came off in the Bench, and 
 which ended in the defeat of the latter." This led to the 
 match at the Belvidere, already mentioned, 
 
 A writer in The Field, December 4, 1858, tells us that 
 "the greatest match at rackets played for some years at 
 Cork came off on Tuesday [Nov. 30]. Mr. Mitchell, 
 the champion of England, of Bath and Bristol, and Mr. 
 Derritt, the marker to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant 
 [Lord Eglinton], against Mr. Burns and Tom Hill, the 
 marker at the Cork Court, the Cork players being victorious, 
 winning six games out of eight. A great deal of money 
 changed hands." 
 
 John Charles Mitchell, victualler, was landlord of the 
 Sea-horse, Maudlin Street, Bristol, in 1852. In the fol- 
 lowing year the name of the house was changed to the 
 Eglinton Arms. He had been Lord Eglinton's marker. 
 In 1 86 1 his name had disappeared from the Bristol Direc- 
 tory. He had a court at the Eglinton Arms, and was 
 often seen playing there, and at the Griffin, and the 
 Porter Butt, at Bath, about 1846, and also at the Three 
 Blackbirds in Ellbroad Street, Bristol. Mitchell's own 
 house, in Maudlin Street, had been previously (1829) a 
 tennis-court. Thus we continually find confirmatory evidence 
 in the early rackets, balls, and courts, of the evolution of 
 rackets from fives played in a tennis-court. 
 
 Up to this time the game was entirely an open-court game, 
 which some old players still think was one which required 
 
tilSTOklCAL SKETCff. 49 
 
 more skill, if less endurance, than the modern game, played 
 in the close-court. In the open-court, however, matches 
 were often prevented by rain, and this was very inconvenient. 
 Close-courts began to be built about 1840. The court at 
 Lord's was built in 1839-40. In 1854, Prince's Club was 
 founded in Hans Place, Chelsea. It contained one, and 
 afterwards a second, tennis-court, in addition to several 
 racket-courts, with dressing-rooms, bath-rooms, billiard-room, 
 etc. One of the racket-courts became well-known as a 
 match-court. It was very fast. None of the other courts 
 was so successful, it is difficult to say why, except that some 
 were too wide, and others too slow. The club was started 
 by the brothers George and James Prince, who became after- 
 wards the managers (or mis-managers) under a committee, 
 or board, the venture being afterwards taken up by a com- 
 pany. Here were played the university matches, and after- 
 wards the public-schools matches. 
 
 The most remarkable event in the history of the game was 
 the defeat of the professional champion, Frank Erwood, in 
 1862, by Mr. W. H. Dyke, an old Harrovian, who had played 
 successfully for Oxford in 1858, 1859, and i860. The first 
 match was played May 27, in the court which Erwood 
 managed at Woolwich, with the result that Mr. Dyke won 
 by 4 games to 2 (5—15, 15—7. iS— "> ^SS, 15—18, 
 115 — 2). In the fifth game, at 13, the game was set to 5, 
 and Erwood won by 2. Mr. Dyke was young, active, strong, 
 and a remarkably hard hitter and good player all round ; 
 but, with some generosity as well, perhaps, as truth, he 
 always attributed his victory to his superiority over Erwood 
 in condition. The return-match was played on Saturday, 
 June 7, at Prince's, where Mr. Dyke won still more easily 
 than at Woolwich, by 4 games to i, though, in that which 
 he lost, the game was set at 14, and Erwood played up 
 
 E 
 
so RACKETS. 
 
 pluckily in the other games; but- youth would not be 
 denied. 
 
 In 1886 the courts at Prince's Club had ceased to exist. 
 In 1887 the university matches were played at Manchester, 
 and the public-school matches at Lord's. Since then they 
 have been played at the Queen's Club, West Kensington. 
 A new club, continuing the old name of Prince's has arisen 
 in Knightsbridge, opposite the barracks. It contains two 
 tennis-courts, two racket-courts, with billiard-room, dining- 
 room, bath, and dressing-rooms, etc. There are many other 
 courts now in existence both in England, in India, and else- 
 where ; but the game has lost some of its devotees owing to 
 the introduction of lawn-tennis. 
 
 We give on the opposite page the ground-plan of a court 
 of ordinary size. The best courts which are known to us 
 at present are at Charterhouse, Queen's Club, and Prince's, 
 the first-named being especially good and very well lighted. 
 
 It is rather strange that the laws of rackets have never yet 
 been authoritatively laid down. We have here, therefore, 
 endeavoured to supply the want by the suggestion of the 
 following code, which has already received the sanction of 
 the committees of the leading English clubs. 
 
 DEFINITIONS AND LAWS, 
 
 As approved and adopted by the \\\, Qiueii's Club, Priiuis Club, 
 Manchester Tennis and Racket Club, etc., 1890. 
 
 DEFINITIONS. 
 
 Ace. — A stroke won and scored. 
 
 Board. — The wooden planks which cover the lower part 
 6f the front wall to the height of 2 ft, 2 in. from the floor. 
 J3ox. — See Service-box. 
 
Ground Plan of court. 
 
 SI 
 
 Front Wall. 
 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 si/ 
 
 Sarvice-Box. 
 8 ft. square. 
 
 
 Service-Box. 
 8 ft. square. 
 
 
 t 
 
 Back Wall (31 feet). 
 GROUND PLAN OF COURT. 
 
52 RACKETS. 
 
 Court. — The whole building in which the game is played : 
 or one half of the floor, between the short-line and the back 
 wall, as divided by the half-court-line, and called the right 
 (ox fore-hand) court, or the left (or back-hand) court. 
 
 Cut. — A ball served so that it strikes upon or below the 
 cut-line is called a cut. 
 
 Cut-line (sometimes called the Service-line). — A line 
 painted on the front wall, about the height of 8 ft. from the 
 floor. 
 
 Double. — A ball struck after it has touched the floor a 
 second time is called a double. 
 
 Fault, — It is 2. fault, 
 
 {a) if the server, in serving, fail to stand as provided in 
 Law 2 ; or 
 
 (b) if he strike the ball, in serving, more than once ; or 
 
 {c) if the ball served by him strike upon or below the 
 cut-line ; or 
 
 {d) if it fail to drop in the proper court (see Law 4). 
 
 Good. — A service delivered, or a return made, in conformity 
 with the Laws, is called good. 
 
 Half-court-line. —The line on the floor, drawn from the 
 short-line to the back wall, and dividing that portion of the 
 floor into two equal spaces. 
 
 Hand-in. — The player who has the right of serving die ball. 
 
 Hand-out. — The player who has to receive the service. 
 
 In-play. — The ball, after being served, is said to be in- 
 play until it has touched the floor twice, or a player, or the 
 board, or has gone out-of-court. 
 
 Out-of-court. — A ball served, or in-play, is said to go out- 
 of-court when it touches the roof, posts, or cushions, or is 
 driven into the gallery. 
 
 Rally. — The repeated return of the ball in^play; it is 
 sometimes called a bully. 
 
DEFINITIONS AND LAWS. 53 
 
 Rubber. — A set of 3, 5, 7, or any other uneven number 
 of games. The winner of the majority of the games wins 
 the rubber. 
 
 Note. — The usual number is five for a single, and seven for a double, 
 match. 
 
 Serve, to. — To start the ball in-play by striking it with the 
 racket. 
 
 Service. — The ball served. 
 
 Service-box. — The square (marked out on each side of the 
 floor) from which the service must be delivered. 
 
 Service-line. — See Cut-line. 
 
 Short-line, — The line on the floor at the distance of 
 about 39 ft. from the front wall and parallel to it. 
 Note. — The distance is different in some courts. 
 
 Volley. — A ball which is struck before it has touched the 
 floor, is said to be struck at, or on, the volley : the stroke is 
 called a volley. 
 
 LAWS. 
 THE SINGLE GAME. 
 
 1. The right to serve first shall be determined by the spin of 
 a racket. The player who wins the spin shall have the right to 
 serve first. 
 
 2. The server, in serving, must stand with at least one foot 
 within the service-box, and not touching any of the lines which 
 bound it. 
 
 3. The server may begin serving from the right or from the 
 left service-box, as he pleases ; but, after serving from the right, 
 he must next serve from the left, or vice versa j and so on, 
 alternately, as long as he remains hand-in. 
 
 4. The ball served must strike the front wall before touching 
 any other part of the court, and must strike it above the cut- 
 line, and must drop within the lines * which bound the court 
 
 * That is, the short-line and the half-court-line. 
 
S4 RACKETS. 
 
 on the side opposite to the box from which the ball was served, 
 and must not touch either of such lines. 
 
 5. Hand-out may declare that he was not ready for the 
 service ; and, if the marker decide in favour of his claim, the 
 service shall count for nothing, and the server shall serve again 
 from the same box ; but, if he decide otherwise, the server shall 
 score an ace. If hand-out make any attempt to take the 
 service, he cannot claim that he was not ready. 
 
 6. Hand-out may take a fault ; but, if he' do so, the rally 
 must be played as if the service had been good. 
 
 7. Aces are scored by hand-in only. 
 
 8. Hand-in. wins and scores an ace, 
 
 (a) if hand-out fail to return the ball served or in-play to the 
 front wall, above the board, before the ball has touched 
 the floor twice, except in case of a let (see Law 10) ; or 
 
 IJi) if hand-out return the ball served or in-play so that it 
 goes out-of-court ; or 
 
 (c) if the ball in-play touch hand-out, or anything that he 
 wears or carries, except his racket in the act of striking. 
 
 9. Hand-in becomes hand-out, 
 
 (a) if he serve the ball so that it touches him before dropping 
 
 in the proper court, as provided in Law 4 ; or 
 (3) if he serve the ball on the board or out-of-court ; or 
 (f) if the ball served touch any part of the court before 
 
 striking the front wall ; or 
 id) if he serve two consecutive faults ; or 
 if) if he fail to return the ball in-play to the front wall, above 
 
 the board, except in case of a let (see Law 10) ; or 
 (/) if he return the ball in-play so that it goes out-of-court ; or 
 {£) if the ball in-play touch him, or anything that he wears or 
 
 carries, except his racket in the act of striking. 
 Then, in any of these cases, hand-out becomes hand-in, and 
 serves in his turn. 
 
 10. It shall be a let, and the service or rally shall count for 
 nothing, and the server shall serve again from the same box, 
 
 (a) if the ball in-play touch the strikei-'s opponent on, or above, 
 the knee, and (in the marker's opinion) is thereby pre- 
 vented from reaching the front wall, above the board ; or 
 
 (/;) if either player (in the marker's opinion) undesignedly 
 prevent his opponent from returning the ball served or 
 in-play. 
 
 11. The ball served or in-play may be returned by the 
 striker's opponent at the volley, or after it has touched the floor 
 once, but not after it has touched the floor a second time. 
 
DEFINITIONS AND LAWS. 55 
 
 12. Each player must get out of his opponent's way as much 
 as possible ; if either player claim that his opponent prevented 
 him from returning the ball served or in-play, the marker shall 
 decide whether it shall be a let, or not (subject to provisions of 
 Law 14). 
 
 13. The game is 15-up ; that is, the player who first scores 
 15 aces wins the game, provided that, 
 
 {a) at the score of 13-all, hand-out may ''set" the game to 
 
 5, or to 3 ; and, 
 {b) at the score of 14-all, hand-out may "set "the game to 
 
 3 ; that is, in the first case, 
 (a) the player who first scores 5 (or 3) aces, according as the 
 
 game was " set," wins the game ; and, in the second case, 
 ()3) the player who first scores 3 aces wins the game. 
 
 Note. — In either case, the claim to "set" the game must be made by 
 liand-out before the next service shall have been delivered. 
 
 14. In all cases the marker's decision shall be final ; but, if 
 he doubt which way to decide, he shall direct that the ace be 
 played over again. In matches, when there are Umpires and a 
 Referee appointed, the marker's decision shall be final on all 
 questions relating to the service ; but (when in doubt) he shall 
 refer all other questions to the Umpires and Referee ; and 
 either player may appeal to them from any decision of the 
 marker, except as to any service ; and they shall decide each 
 case by a majority of votes. All appeals must be made before 
 another service shall have been deUvered. 
 
 THE DOUBLE, OR FOUR-HANDED, GAME, 
 
 1. The Laws of the Single Game (as above) shall apply to 
 the Double, or Four-handed, Game, except as set forth in the 
 following Laws. 
 
 2. Only one of the side which has won the spin shall serve at 
 the first time of being hand-in, in any game : at all subsequent 
 times, the players on each side shall serve in the same order in 
 which they began serving. 
 
 3. One player on the hand-out side may stand where he 
 pleases, to receive the service ; but his partner and the server's 
 partner must stand behind the server until the service has been 
 delivered. 
 
 4. If the ball served touch the server's partner before touching 
 the floor twice, whether it was, or would have been, a fault or 
 
56 RACKETS. 
 
 not, the server shall lose his right of service, and the next hand- 
 in shall serve. 
 
 S- The players on the hand-out side may choose the order in 
 which they shall receive the service, and they shall adhere to 
 that order, and shall only change it once in any game, or at the 
 end of any game, of a rubber. 
 
 6. If the ball in-play touch the striker's partner, it shall count 
 against them ; that is, if the striker was hand-out, the other side 
 shall score an ace ; if he was hand-in, his side shall lose one 
 hand-in : — 
 
 Except, in case the ball in-play touch the striker's partner 
 after it has been hit at and missed by one of their opponents, 
 when it shall count against such opponents ; that is, if they 
 were hand-out, the other side shall score an ace ; if they were 
 hand-in, they shall lose one hand-in. 
 
 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 
 
 It is to be hoped that the following hints may be of use, 
 not only to the young racket-player at any of our public 
 schools, but also to those who have a certain knowledge of 
 the game, and whose perseverance and keenness will find 
 points in these remarks which may not hitherto have struck 
 them. It appears strange that, notwithstanding the oppor- 
 tunities our public schools now offer to learn rackets, both 
 in providing them with first-rate racket-courts, and by 
 having professional players in attendance to teach the 
 young idea, we find really very few boy-players (beyond 
 those who have a chance of representing their schools in 
 the public-school contest) who are keen enough about the 
 game to make even tolerable players. No doubt, the 
 expense of the game to the youthful pocket, and also the 
 fact of rackets being played in a closed court, while they 
 can have cricket, football, and other amusements in the 
 open air, lessen the number of players considerably. Still, 
 we do not think that this properly accounts for the scarcity 
 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 57 
 
 of racket-players at schools, but have a shrewd suspicion 
 that the money which might be spent in this and other 
 games is sometimes frittered away in " tuck-shops." 
 
 It would, perhaps, be well to inform the younger genera- 
 tion, that rackets is played, not in England only, but, in the 
 event of their being called by their profession abroad to 
 any of our colonies, more especially India, they will find 
 that this game is a staple amusement there, and is played 
 at seasons of the year when cricket and football are 
 impracticable. After these preliminary remarks, we will at 
 once enter upon the elementary points to be remembered 
 by beginners at the game. 
 
 To commence, in choosing a racket, we would advise 
 that, for a beginner, the racket should be a light one, say 
 gl oz. The balance of weight should be in the head, and 
 the handle not larger than the fingers can grip firmly. At 
 the same time, the point of the third finger should nearly 
 touch the ball of the thumb. Our reasons for having the 
 weight in the head of the racket will be given when dis- 
 cussing the stroke. 
 
 It is indispensable that the young player should learn the 
 proper stroke, from the very commencement. This, of 
 course, is a very important point, as the "racket stroke" 
 proper is quite distinct from either the " tennis stroke " or 
 the " lawn-tennis stroke." 
 
 We maintain that the racket-stroke, either fore-hand 
 or back-hand, is a much freer movement than either* of 
 the above-mentioned, and should be made with the body 
 erect, directly facing the side-wall ; the arm should be 
 extended to its utmost, so that the ball may be struck at 
 the extreme limit of the swing of the arm and racket, as 
 
 * It must be remembered that this is the opinion of a racket-player. 
 Tennis-players will not readily admit its accuracy. — Ed. 
 
S8 
 
 RACKETS. 
 
 close to the ground and the legs as possible. The swing of 
 the racket should be even, and the grip of the fingers on 
 the very end of the handle should 
 never be relaxed. This last point is 
 directed against the habit, common 
 among young players, of shifting 
 their grip up and down the handle, 
 thereby losing that uniformity of 
 stroke which is essential (see Figs. 
 I and 2). 
 
 Here we would point out the ad-- 
 vantages of such a stroke as is above 
 described : — 
 
 1. The longer the swing of the 
 arm and racket the greater the force 
 put into the stroke. 
 
 2. It will be found that hitting 
 the ball as near the ground as pos- 
 sible will be conducive to straight 
 hitting, and also to commanding 
 the direction of the ball ; and 
 
 3. that the nearer the ground the 
 ball is struck, the closer to the 
 board will be the average number 
 
 of strokes made. 
 
 The weight of the racket being in the head, and not in 
 the handle, also conduces to this. 
 
 In order thoroughly to master the stroke, the young 
 player should, each time he enters the court, and before 
 playing a game, practise by himself for a few minutes. It 
 would be as well to commence this practice at, say, from 
 five to seven yards from the front wall, and, when able to 
 return the ball half a dozen times straight to himself with 
 
 Fig. t. — Fore-hand stroke. 
 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 
 
 59 
 
 certainty, then to retire to, say, halfway down the court, 
 and so on, to continue the practice until he can hit the 
 ball, standing a couple of yards 
 from the back wall, pretty accu- 
 rately straight back to himself, 
 either to be taken before touching 
 the back wall, or as a back-wall 
 stroke. By this means, we think, 
 the beginner will acquire a com- 
 mand over hitting and placing the 
 ball, and furthermore will learn the 
 practice of striking the ball when 
 standing in a stationary position. 
 
 And here, perhaps, it would be 
 well to call attention to the fact 
 that it is of the first importance to 
 take a ball, whether off the ground, 
 on the volley, or off the walls, 
 standing in a stationary position 
 one's-self, and not when in motion, 
 as thereby the player will strike 
 the ball more accurately and also 
 have greater command of its di- 
 rection. 
 
 We say, then, to the beginner that, in order to excel, he 
 should be able to cover the ground and get to the ball as 
 quickly as possible, so that his stroke should be deliberate, 
 and made when he is standing quite still. " Get to the ball 
 as quickly as possible, in order to strike it when you are 
 yourself stationary," should be one of the maxims for the 
 young player to take to heart. 
 
 We suppose, then, that the player has learnt to make the 
 ordinary stroke, whether back-handed or fore-handed, 
 
 Fig. 2. — Back-hand stroke. 
 
6o 
 
 RACKETS. 
 
 Straight up and down the court, fairly accurately ; and we 
 next come to the service-stroke, which we think cannot 
 be brought to any perfection without a knowledge of the 
 easiest way of striking the ball effectively, as shown in the 
 preceding paragraph. 
 
 Now, 'the service ordinarily practised by players is of two 
 
 kinds, the under-cut ser- 
 
 Fig. 3. — Under-cut service. 
 
 vice and the over-att 
 service, the position of 
 the racket, whether 
 under or above the 
 shoulder at the instant 
 of striking the ball, de- 
 termining under which 
 head the service should 
 be classified (see Figs. 
 
 3 and 4)- 
 
 We would recom- 
 mend the player, in be- 
 ginning to learn to serve, 
 to remember what has 
 been already said about 
 the grip of the racket, 
 viz. that the handle 
 should be grasped firmly 
 at the extreme end, as 
 in the stroke; and, as 
 
 we here, for the first time, deal with the word "cut," per- 
 haps it would be as well to give some idea of what we mean 
 by that word. 
 
 Putting cut on the ball is effected by bringing the 
 surface of the racket smartly against it in a downward direc- 
 tion, the face of the racket, at the moment of impact, being 
 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 
 
 6i 
 
 in a transverse position as regards the part of the ball 
 struck; the wrist should be rigid, the stroke itself being 
 finished with a jerk at the instant the ball is struck, the 
 weight of the body being brought forward on the foremost 
 foot. It will be seen, when practising putting cut on the 
 ball, that it is much more a wrist-stroke than the- ordinary 
 stroke in the rally ; and the amount of cut put on 
 depends on the strength and 
 rigidity of wrist at the instant 
 of striking the ball. 
 
 The young player will find 
 that it will be very difficult at 
 first to combine cutting the 
 ball with accuracy of direction, 
 and only constant practice will 
 overcome this difficulty. Per- 
 haps, the best practice in this 
 direction is for the server to 
 fix his eye on the front wall, 
 somewhere near its middle, 
 and not far above the cut-line, 
 and then to try first to strike 
 as near to that spot as possible 
 without putting any cut on 
 the ball at all. He may 
 choose striking the ball with 
 the racket either below or 
 above the shoulder; and, 
 when he can go within even 
 
 a few feet of his mark with fair certainty, then let him try 
 ever so little cut, as above described, and he will find, 
 however precise has been his plain straight stroke, that the 
 first attempts at cut will be attended by a loss of accuracy 
 
 Fig. 4.— Over-cut service. 
 
62 RACKETS. 
 
 of direction as to the spot aimed at. By degrees, however, 
 the hand, eye, and arm will work together j and greater 
 exactness in placing his service will follow, even with an 
 increased amount of cut. 
 
 We will now suppose that the player has learnt to serve 
 with a certain amount of cut; and we would then urge 
 that he should not be satisfied with only learning the 
 under-cut, or the over-cut service. He should practise both, 
 and should also be able to serve without any cut at all. 
 
 It is well known that cut is put on the ball in order to 
 make it shoot, or drop down sha,rply off the side or back 
 wall, as well as to accelerate its pace off the floor. The 
 under-cut service is especially likely to bring about this 
 result. 
 
 The over-cut service has the great advantage, on the 
 other hand, of being made with more power, and is 
 consequently quicker in its pace, is also likely to take an 
 upward and outward direction, after striking the side and 
 back walls. 
 
 In these remar]?s, so far, we have dealt only with the 
 simplest and most rudimentary strokes in the game, and 
 have not touched upon the half-volley (including what is 
 termed the " blind-stroke " *) and the volley. 
 
 For any, or all, of these, the principle of stiiking the ball 
 as close as possible to the ground, at full swing of the arm, 
 with body facing the side-wall, should be observed. 
 
 The power to command straight-hitting, — i.e. without 
 touching the side-wall, though keeping the direction of the 
 ball as close to it as possible, — should be the aim of the 
 player ; and he should remember that the reason for straight- 
 hitting is, that the opponent has less time to get to the ball 
 when it is not struck on the side-wall, and consequently 
 * Called at tennis a coup de temp. — Ed, 
 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 63 
 
 less time to become stationary before hitting the ball ; 
 he is, therefore, less likely to place it, in his return, out of 
 reach. 
 
 We would say that the development of half-volley and 
 volley play comes with practice ; and with them comes 
 the still more useful stroke of taking the ball after it has 
 once first touched the ground, but before it is in a position 
 for the simple stroke. This is called the blind-stroke. 
 We would recommend the young player, however, to take 
 nothing, either on the volley or half-volley, when playing 
 in a game, if he can take it in the simple way. Of course, 
 occasions will often occur when this is impossible; and 
 then we say, where practicable, he should volley the ball in 
 preference to half-volleying it. Our reason for this is, that 
 we consider the majority of players find it much more diffi- 
 cult to half-volley than to volley, while maintaining accuracy 
 and lowness of hitting. 
 
 The general strength and length of the stroke should 
 also be kept in view. With this object, the player should 
 remember that the hardest hitter is not always the most 
 effective one. He should, therefore, practise all kinds and 
 degrees of power in his hitting ; and, as a general rule, he 
 should not put his full power into every stroke, but prefer 
 to keep the ball at such a length that, if not taken before it 
 reaches the back-wall, it will offer a difficult return off it. 
 
 The above remarks deal with the actual playing of the 
 game; but perhaps the following hints will be useful to 
 the player, who has the inclination and the leisure time to 
 play every day. 
 
 As in all other games, so in rackets, it is possible to get 
 tired; and, when the young player /"«/^ that he has had 
 enough for one day, and is ever so little fatigued, it is far 
 
64 RACKETS. 
 
 better to stop playing at once than to go on, and so 
 thoroughly to tire himself out. From experience, we know 
 that a player thoroughly exhausted, especially if he is a 
 young and growing boy, will not play nearly so well if 
 called upon to play again the very next day. As an example 
 of this, we would draw attention to the public-schools' 
 racket-matches, where, in several recent years, the presum- 
 ably best pair have failed to win, owing to their having 
 had a severe contest in the middle of the competition, 
 and then, from sheer fatigue, have lost on the following 
 day to some other pair, who, more lucky in their ties and, 
 perhaps, also of stronger physique, would, however, never 
 have beaten them, had both been equally fresh. 
 
 Another important consideration, and an absolute essen- 
 tial to a pleasant game, is that the players should keep their 
 tempers. We may safely say, in this, as in all games, a loss 
 of temper is followed by the loss of the game. A player may 
 have his run of bad luck, and everything may go against 
 him for a time ; but the game is not over at once, and his 
 turn of good fortune may come, even at the eleventh hour. 
 So, we would counsel him never to lose heart, or his temper, 
 with either himself or his partner, as such a contingency 
 almost invariably ends in defeat, not to mention the awk- 
 ward feeling of having marred one's partner's and one's own 
 pleasure for that game. 
 
 HINTS ON MATCH-PLAYING. 
 
 Preliminary Training. 
 
 The" first consideration which strikes one when getting 
 
 ready for a match is, how to get one's-self as fit as possible. 
 
 \\^e take it that, in playing a match at rackets, especially 
 
HIMTS ON MATCH-PLAYING. 6$ 
 
 in a single, the question of endurance is at once brought 
 into play. Now, we do not hold that any especial course of 
 dieting, or training by running, is required by any man or 
 boy who has no spare flesh to get rid of; and, in their case, 
 the training should only consist of a judicious amount of 
 practice in the racket-court, together with regular hours for 
 meals, and early hours both for going to bed and rising in 
 the morning. 
 
 On the other hand, if superfluous flesh has to be taken 
 off, then the best way to get rid of it is to take a run, or 
 other hard exercise, before breakfast and during the day, in 
 preference to a promiscuous cutting-down of articles of food 
 to which one is ordinarily accustomed. 
 
 In any case, we consider a margin on the side of " under- 
 training " to be preferable to that of " over-training ; " as, if 
 ever-trained, the player has much less chance of lasting 
 through such a severe game as rackets than the one who is 
 not quite enough trained. 
 
 Practice tn the Court. 
 
 In the matter of actual training in the court for a match, 
 we think that a steady course of practice-rubbers should be 
 played, but the number of them should certainly not exceed 
 three in a week. 
 
 These games should be played, if possible, against a player 
 superior to the competitor, who should take odds which will 
 allow him to win on some days, alternating them with odds 
 which will just give his opponent the rubber on others. 
 By this means one learns to play a winning as well as a 
 losing game ; and it will also give the match-player some 
 gratification, and will increase his confidence, if he can im- 
 prove his game to the extent of knocking an ace or two off 
 the handicap aces first given. 
 
 F 
 
66 RACKETS. 
 
 These practice-rubbers should, however, never exceed the 
 length of the rubber by which the actual match is to be 
 decided; and the competitor should play the rubber out 
 from start to finish as if it were a match, never slackening 
 his efforts while in the court. 
 
 The last hard practice-rubber should take place so as to 
 give the player two complete days' rest before the match 
 itself. 
 
 With regard to rackets, the player should be careful to 
 see that he has two or three of these ready, and absolutely 
 sound, with which he has already played, and which suit 
 him in weight, size of handle, etc. 
 
 This is a most important consideration, as, no matter how 
 well strung and sound a racket appears to be, it is liable to 
 break at any time ; and, if not certain that there is another, 
 equally good, in reserve, the player will enter the court on 
 the match-day with a feeling of anxiety and doubt as to his 
 single racket carrying him through the match without mishap, 
 which may seriously affect his play. 
 
 The Match. 
 
 In the match itself, when once started, it is of the greatest 
 importance to establish a lead in the first game of the 
 rubber. No matter what the length of the rubber, winning 
 the first game leads far oftener than not to winning the 
 match. 
 
 Every effort, then, should be made to settle down into 
 one's best form at once, and so to establish a useful lead. 
 
 More especially this should be the aim of a player of 
 doubtful staying-power, as, if he wins the first game by a 
 large margin, he may take the heart out of his physically 
 stronger opponent for the rest of the match. On the other 
 
THE MATCH. 67 
 
 hand, the winning of the first game by some players is 
 attended by evil results. They begin to underrate their 
 adversary, and take things too easily in consequence ; in 
 fact, they slacken off in their play, begin to make fancy 
 strokes, and relax the severity of the service, imagining they 
 can make up for any deficiency in this respect by their 
 superiority in the rallies, as proved in the first game. 
 
 Now, we take it, the adversary in this case is a resolute 
 player, though slow at starting; and, when he finds the 
 slightest relaxation in the play of his opponent, he sets his 
 teeth and plays up harder than ever. He may be favoured 
 with luck or not, but still he manages to win the next 
 game. 
 
 Now comes the tug of war. Both players are fairly on 
 their mettle ; but, while the winner of the second game has 
 been gradually working himself up to his best form, the 
 other player has been seen at his best in the first game, and 
 then has become careless ; and, from experience, we say it 
 is a most difficult thing to recover one's best form in such a 
 case. The consequence is that the player who has been 
 playing hard all the time generally wins the match. 
 
 We consider the first game to be the most important for 
 another reason also; namely, that it displays the peculiarities 
 in the play of the opposing players to each other. For 
 instance, the excellence of the service of one player may 
 be more than counterbalanced by the volleying powers of 
 his adversary ; and, whereas one player may be especially 
 strong in his hard low hitting, the other may excel in soft 
 slow drops. 
 
 In the first of these cases, the " server " must use his head, 
 and either drop the ball short on the side-wall, so as to defeat 
 the volleyer, or cl^ange the style of his service altogether 
 we mean, from under-cut to over-cut service, or vice versa. 
 
68 RACKETS. 
 
 In the case of the hard low hitter against the slow-drop 
 game, we have no hesitation in saying that the first is the 
 more generally used in match-playing, and is the more 
 successful, on account of its greater certainty of execution. 
 By this we do not commit ourselves to advocating hard 
 hitting and nothing else ; but we do say that, given an easy 
 chance in a rally, an ace is more frequently won by the hard 
 hit than by the soft one, since the former is much more 
 difficult to return, if reached at all. 
 
 The soft slow drop is, we think, a most dangerous stroke 
 to play in a match, though it may be very prettily and 
 effectively executed at times. In the first place, it is very 
 difficult to regulate as to its elevation and strength, the 
 slightest error in either of these losing the player an ace ; 
 in the former by offering an easy return to the adversary, in 
 the latter by striking the board (or play-line). 
 
 Beside these difficulties of execution, no matter how well 
 carried out, the disadvantage still remains, that the slow 
 drop, if reached at all, is a much easier return to deal with 
 than the hard hit, and can be more easily killed. 
 
 We think, however, that the moderately hard hit is the 
 stroke which should most frequently be used in the rall\'. 
 It takes very little out of the striker, and, if made even a 
 moderate height above the board, it offers very often a 
 difficult return to the adversary through being a dropping 
 ball when it reaches the back-wall. Lastly, it leaves suf- 
 ficient strength to the player, when opportunity offers, to 
 make a killingly hard stroke, and so finish off the rally. 
 
 We say, then, to the match-player, that, no matter what 
 length the rubber is, he should establish a lead at once, and 
 stick to it all through, never slackening his efforts till the 
 series of games is finished. He must remember that a 
 racket-match is never won till the last stroke is played. | 
 
TUB Lie SCHOOLS RACKET CHALLENGE CUP. 69 
 
 Often and often, one of the players has won the first games 
 of the rubber, and the result has seemed to be beyond 
 doubt, when the other player suddenly has a turn of luck, 
 everything helps him, and, aided by his perseverance and 
 pluck, he pulls the match " out of the fire." 
 
 Finally, from first to last, the player should keep his mind 
 fixed on the game and the movements of his opponent 
 He should not let himself be tempted by the applause in 
 the gallery to take his mind from the task he has set himself, 
 and he should allow no run of ill-luck to himself, or of good 
 luck to his adversary, to disturb his temper. He must 
 remember that the luck will, perhaps, if late in coming, be- 
 friend him at the most critical stage of the match ; and that 
 any prolonged loss of temper will inevitably end in defeat. 
 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS RACKET CHALLENGE CUP. 
 
 The final matches in the contests of each year were won 
 as follows : — 
 
 1868. C. J. Ottaway and W. F. Tritton (Eton) beat J. J. Reid and 
 
 A. T. Myers (Cheltenham) by four games to three. 
 
 1869. C. J. Ottaway and J. P. Rodger (Eton) beat S. K. Gwyer and 
 
 H. W. Gardner (Rugby) by four games to love. 
 
 1870. H. W. Gardner and T. S. Pearson (Rugby) beat J. P. Rodger 
 
 and F.. C. Ricarco (Eton) by four games to two. 
 
 1871. A. A. Hadow and G. A. Webbe (Harrow) beat F. C. Ricardo 
 
 and A. W. Ridley (Eton) by four games to three. 
 
 1872. A. A. Hadow and G. A. Webbe (Harrow) beat E. O. Wilkinson 
 
 and W. W. Whitmore (Eton) by four games to one. 
 
 1873. P. F. Hadow and G. D. Leyland (Harrow) beat J. Barrow and 
 
 J. J. Harding (Rugby) by lour games to love. 
 
 1874. J. D. Leyland and C. W. Kemp (Harrow) beat H. HoUings and 
 
 H. R. Webbe (Winchester) by four games to love. 
 
 1875. J- Oswald and D. Lane (Eton) beat H. R. Webbe and A. L. 
 
 Ellis (Winchester) by four games to one. 
 
 1876. H. E. Meek and L. K. Jarvis (Harrow) beat Hon. Ivo Bligh 
 
 and V. Butler (Eton) by four games to one. 
 
 1877. Hon. Ivo Bligh and C. A. C. Ponsonby (Eton) beat G. M. Butter- 
 
 worth and F. M. Lucas (Marlborough) by four games to one. 
 
7" RACKETS. 
 
 1878. C. A. C. Ponsonby and J. D. Cobbold (Eton) beat H. F.. de 
 
 Paravacini and M. C. Kemp (Harrow) by four games to love. 
 
 1879. M. C. Kemp and Hon. F. de Moleyns (Harrow) beat C. F. H. 
 
 Leslie and W. G. Stutfield (Rugby) by four games to love. 
 
 1880. M. C. Kemp and E. M. Hadow (Harrow) beat P.St. L.Grenfell 
 
 and J. C. B. Eastwood (Eton) by four games to two. 
 
 1881. E. M. Hadow and A. F. Kemp (Harrow) beat A. W. Martyn 
 
 and H. M. Leaf (Marlborough) by four games to one. 
 
 1882. R. H. Pemberton and A. C. Richards (Eton) beat H. E. Crawley 
 
 and C. D. Buxton (Harrow) by four games to two. 
 
 1883. H. E. Crawley and C. D. Buxton (Harrow) beat R. H. 
 
 Pemberton and H. Philipson (Eton) by four games to two. 
 
 1884. C. D. Buxton and E. M. Butler (Harrow) beat H. Philipson and 
 
 J. H. B. Noble (Eton) by four games to three. 
 
 1885. E. M. Butler and E. Crawley (Harrow) beat H. Philipson and 
 
 H. W. Forster (Eton). 
 
 1886. E. Crawley and N. Holmes (Harrow) beat J. D. Campbell and 
 
 H. M. Walters (Haileybury) by four games to two. 
 
 1887. P. Ashworth and R. P. Cheales (Harrow) beat H. R. Meyer and 
 
 R. Nicholson (Charterhonse) by four games to one. 
 
 1888. E. C. Streatfield and W. Shelmerdine (Charterhouse) beat R. 
 
 D. Cheales and E. W. F. Castleman (Harrow) by four games 
 to two. 
 
 1889. E. J. Neve and T. B. Case (Winchester) beat W. Shelmerdine 
 
 and F. S. Cockayne (Charterhouse) by four games to two. 
 
 1890. A. H. M. Butler and W. F. G. Wyndham (Harrow) beat G. T. 
 
 Mordaunt and W. H. Raphael (Wellington) by four games 
 to two. 
 
 Harrow have won the competition no fewer than fourteen times, 
 Eton six, and Rugby, Charterhouse, and Winchester once each. Harrow 
 are absolute possessors of three cups — the first they won by successive 
 victories in 1871, '72, and 73 ; three consecutive wins in 1879, '8o,!and 
 '8i gave them the second; and their successes in 1883, '84, and '85 
 secured to them the third. 
 
FIVES. 
 
 J. A. ARNAN TAIT. 
 
 J 
 / 
 
 v.- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introductory ... ... ... ... \ ' ... ... 75 
 
 Implements of the Game ... ... ..'. ... 77 
 
 Laws of the Eton Game ... ... ... ... 80 
 
 Hints for Beginners ... ... ... ... 84 
 
 The Rugby Game ... ... ... ... ... 96 
 
 Laws of the Rugby Game 
 Hints for Begijjners ... 
 
 97 
 
THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 To a notice necessarily so brief as the present any prefatory 
 remarks may seem superfluous, and yet there are certain 
 points which must be disposed of summarily, and can 
 nowliere be more conveniently treated than in a short 
 introduction. i 
 
 To begin with, if will save both time and misunderstand- 
 ing if I state precii ely my position and aim in the following 
 notes, which are ir^ reality mere jottings, from an experience 
 tolerably long and Varied (I have played the Rugby game 
 eight years and th^ Eton game twelve pretty constantly), 
 and pretend to no iliterary excellence either of matter or 
 form. This treatise, if it deserve so scientific a name, is 
 not intended as a manual for architects ; lack of space 
 precludes my giving measurements of any kind, except so 
 iar as they are necessary to illustrate the game. Most 
 courts have their own peculiar measurements, and few are 
 precisely similar i^ length, width, or slope of ledges. 
 Certain measurements, of course, such as the height of 
 "line" on the front wall, oug/i^ to be invariable, and are 
 given accordingly in their proper place. Still less is it 
 
74 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 intended for the information of antiquarians. The Eton 
 court, as most players know, was originally formed by two 
 buttresses of the chapel, the " pepper-box " being the end 
 of the bannister belonging to the chapel steps, and the 
 " hole " merely an accident. The successive steps by which 
 this court, or rather its facsimile, was modified, I have no 
 means of tracing, while the origin of the court and rules, 
 commonly known as the Rugby game, is still wrapped in 
 obscurity so far as I have been able to ascertain. Such 
 considerations are, however, foreign to my present purpose. 
 The problem I have proposed to myself for solution in the 
 following pages is briefly this : Given a fives court, whether 
 of the Eton or Rugby pattern, what are the necessary rules 
 to be observed, the best materials to be used, and the most 
 elementary habits to be acquired in order to play the game 
 well? The results of my experience will not be without 
 some value, I trust, to advanced players ; but I have tried 
 throughout to consult mainly the interests of the beginner, 
 and the more so because I am firmly persuaded, while fully 
 alive to the relative value of practice and theory, that much 
 may be learned of virtues to be aimed at and more espe- 
 cially of vices to be avoided from any manual on a game 
 which is sufficiently elementary and clear, which presupposes 
 as little knowledge as possible and takes nothing for granted 
 which is susceptible of explanation oi- proof. How far I 
 have attained to or fallen short of my ideal, I must leave to 
 the verdict of the beginner, whose ^requirements I have 
 tried steadily to keep in view, even at the risk of prolixity 
 and tautology. | 
 
 The Eton and Rugby games are so iiifFerentiated by the 
 shape of their respective courts and the height of their 
 " lines,'' that a separate treatment is for the most part 
 unavoidable. But at both games, balls, gloves, and shoes 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 75 
 
 are required, and may conveniently be discussed jointly at 
 the beginning, on the same principle that certain observa- 
 tions on "lets " and general behaviour appear at the end as 
 applying with equal force to any form of the game. 
 
 Of course, many qualities which are valuable in playing 
 one game are of equal value in the other, e.g. judgment, 
 activity, endurance, etc. I am not concerned to strike a 
 balance between the merits of these two different forms of 
 the same game ; for hard and simultaneous exercise of all 
 muscles of the body alike I do not believe it has its equal, 
 whichever form be adopted. 
 
 Of the game called " bat fives " I have taken no notice ; 
 it has little or nothing in common with hand fives, and 
 belongs rather to the province of rackets. 
 
 As these suggestions are intended for beginners, I have 
 purposely chosen to be as dogmatic as possible, and to lay 
 down the law absolutely ; not because I believe my judg- 
 ment to be infallible, far from it, but because I hold that it 
 is the only successful method of teaching in the early stages 
 of any science or art. So far as the Eton game is con- 
 cerned, I have relied upon my own judgment almost 
 exclusively, and I know some, I trust but few, of my 
 statements will run counter to the opinion of many good 
 players. That I cannot help. With regard to the Rugby 
 game, which, though I was brought up on it and played it 
 exclusively at Oxford, I have had no opportunity of playing 
 lately myself, I am deeply indebted to the President of St. 
 Mary Magdalen College, Oxford ; to Mr. A. J. Toye, of 
 Winchester; to the Rev. J. C. C. Pipon, of Llanddulas, 
 N, Wales ; and to Mr. G. C. Harrison, of Fettes, who have 
 assisted me not a Uttle with notes and criticisms ; also to 
 certain excellent hints on the game printed privately by 
 W. F., of Clifton, from which I have borrowed without 
 
76 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 scruple, and in certain places verbatim. At the same time, 
 it must not be supposed that these gentlemen are respon- 
 sible for all or any of the practices herein advocated. The 
 material they so generously placed at my disposal I have 
 dealt with quite independently, and am prepared to give 
 them the credit of all that is right, while I accept the blame 
 for all that is mistaken and wrong. 
 
 For the rules of the Eton game I am debtor to the 
 courtesy of Mr. R. Ingalton Drake, Eton College, Windsor, 
 by whom they are published, and to whom the copyright 
 belongs. The last edition may be obtained for the trifling 
 sum of fourpence, and everyone who plays the game ought 
 to possess a copy and keep it handy for reference. 
 
 Permission to print the rules of the Rugby game I owe 
 to the kindness of Mr. A. J. Toye, in whom the copyright is 
 vested. At most schools, where this form of the game obtains, 
 the rules are merely an " unwritten law," adapted from 
 those of the racket court and handed down by tradition ; 
 but these, with certain unimportant alterations, have the 
 imprimatur both of Winchester and Oxford, and the receipt 
 of them relieved me from the troublesome and thankless 
 task of drawing up a code for the first time on my own 
 responsibility; wherefore my debt to Mr. Toye is all the 
 greater. 
 
 I would suggest that all schools ought to have a printed 
 form of rules for the game, modelled on one of these two 
 codes and adapted to special requirements, in order to 
 eradicate as far as possible the gross ignorance which I 
 know often prevails among novices upon the most elemen- 
 tary points. 
 
 I have to thank the Rev. J. K. Tancock, of Cheam, for 
 very kindly revising those pages which treat of the Eton 
 game, and for several valuable suggestions. The same good 
 
IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 77 
 
 office for the Rugby game has been performed by Mr. A. 
 J. Toye, of whom it was always said, though unfortunately 
 I have never been able to verify popular rumour by personal 
 experience, that he could give points to any man in 
 England, and whose knowledge of the game is beyond all 
 question unrivalled. 
 
 Before setting out on my practical journey in accordance 
 with precedent, I ought to deprecate unfavourable criticism 
 on the plea that this is the iirst attempt, so far as I know 
 and can learn, to reduce the art of fives to writing ; this 
 fact will naturally account for many mistakes in the arrange- 
 ment, and a pioneer may perhaps be forgiven more slips 
 than a traveller along a well-beaten track. Such a plea, 
 however, I shall not put in ; I am only anxious for the 
 popularity and good of the game, and the more criticism, 
 by those who know, brought to bear on the subject, the 
 better chance of its being more adequately treated here- 
 after ; a result which I, in common with all true fives 
 players, shall hail with unfeigned delight. 
 
 While sending these sheets to the press, I hear that 
 an article on " Fives " has just appeared in the "Badminton 
 Library." Unfortunately I have had no opportunity of 
 comparing Mr. Ainger's views with my own, doubtless to my 
 disadvantage, but it may be interesting to compare two 
 perfectly independent accounts of the same game. I look 
 forward with pleasure to the perusal of the article in 
 question. 
 
 IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 
 
 The importance of materials is not small. Beginners are 
 too apt to imagine that any kind of materials will do. True, 
 they will after a sort, and therein consists the excellence of 
 
?8 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 the game partly ; but if the game is not only to be played, 
 but played well, attention must be given to these elementary 
 points ; and good materials are as cheap as bad, in the long 
 run perhaps cheaper. 
 
 Balls. — The balls used at Eton are invariably by 
 Gradidge, of Woolwich, weight, i^ oz. To my mind, how- 
 ever, none are equal to Prosser's best Eton Fives balls, 
 price thirty-six shillings the gross (the cheaper quality are 
 not to be relied on), for weight, durability and liveliness. 
 For the Rugby game, the small-sized ball is the one always 
 used : weight, t.\ oz. ; price, about twenty-eight shillings 
 the gross. It is not so difficult to obtain satisfactory ones 
 in this size, and there is little choice of makers. Prosser, 
 Jefferies, Malings, Gray, and Ayres are all reliable, and 
 doubtless many others j but for the Eton game it is ex- 
 ceedingly difficult to get good balls — at least that is my 
 experience, after trying many makers. The great point is 
 to see that they are new balls, not second-hand ones re- 
 covered; keep them in a warm, dry place, for cold and 
 damp are fatal ; sprinkle a little flour, powdered chalk, or 
 white lead, over them, that they may be clean and white 
 when wanted for use. 
 
 Gloves. — Personally, as a boy, I never used gloves at 
 either game after my hands were fail ly warm. Up to that 
 time a pair of ordinary lined gloves I found useful, but only 
 to be discarded as soon as possible. I believe in that way 
 a beginner learns to get a better "feel" of the ball. This 
 practice, however, must depend very much on the hardness 
 of particular hands. If the hands are soft or the bones 
 prominent, use gloves by all means ; for the heavier make of 
 ball and a hard, fast game they are, generally speaking, 
 indispensable. Let them be well padded at the tips of the 
 fingers, across the inside of the knuckles and first joints of 
 
IMPLEMENTS OF THE GAME. 79 
 
 the fingers, and especially over the ball of the thumb. 
 They should fit as closely as will permit the hand to be 
 clenched easily ; the fingers must not be too long, or many 
 a stroke will be lost by an unintentional touch. A pair of 
 dog-skin driving gloves, a couple of sizes too large, padded 
 with cotton wool for the purpose, I find answer best, and 
 last longer than those sold as fives gloves. For the Rugby 
 game, as the ball is lighter and the hitting not so severe, 
 less padding is necessary ; in fact, the less you can comfort- 
 ably do with the better. If the hands get bruised, never 
 pad with india-rubber or anything hard, for it bruises almost 
 as badly as the ball itself, and spoils all sense of "feel," 
 besides cramping the action of the fingers. Keep some 
 cotton wool loose in your pockets, and on the first suspicion 
 of a bruise stuff a little down the glove to cover the weak 
 spot. Players who are liable to bruised hands should 
 remember not to hit too hard till they are fairly warm ; 
 cold hands bruise readily, and a bruised hand is fatal to all 
 good play. 
 
 Shoes. — For both courts the soles should be thick ; the 
 gain in lightness does not compensate for sore feet in a 
 hard game, even in the Rugby court; while the "step" and 
 " pepper-box " in the Eton court make it worse than rash 
 to use very light shoes, such as the ordinary canvas ones. 
 Comfort is a sine qud. non of course. Let the uppers be of 
 leather and the soles of thick red rubber. I once saw a 
 pair which seemed to me absolutely perfection, made out 
 of a life-guardsman's regulation gloves, the sole being 
 formed out of the thick buckskin of the gauntlet ; but these 
 would be nearly impossible to obtain, and very expensive in 
 the first instance, though practically everlasting. 
 
8o THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 DEFINITIONS AND LAWS OF THE ETON 
 GAME. 
 
 The court is enclosed on three sides and open at the back. 
 
 The/roni wall is the one facing the player, while the ri^il- 
 hand and left-hand walls are those on his right hand and left 
 hand respectively. 
 
 The step is a shallow step dividing the court into two portions, 
 an inner and an outer-court. 
 
 The vertical face of the step is not reckoned as part of the 
 floor of the court. 
 
 The pepper-box is a buttress projecting from the left-hand 
 wall. With the step it encloses a small square or oblong 
 portion of the floor called the hole. 
 
 The liiie is the ledge running across the front wall at the 
 height of 4 feet 6 inches. 
 
 A vertical line is marked on the front wall, at a distance of 
 3 feet 8 inches from the right-hand wall, and this line is usually 
 called the blackguard line. 
 
 1. The ball must in every case be hit up, i.e. it must be 
 returned against the front wall on or above the lower angle of 
 the line. Any ball, except the service, which drops on the top of 
 any of the walls, or which, after going up, touches the ground 
 first outside the court, or touches any object or person outside 
 the court, counts against the striker. 
 
 2. The ball must be fairly hit with a single blow of the hand 
 or wrist, and must not touch any other part of the striker's 
 person, under the penalty of losing the stroke. It must not be 
 caught, carried, or held in any way, except to serve, to stop a 
 blackguard {see Rule 6), or to prevent \h^ first-cut from dropping 
 outside the court {see Rule 13). 
 
 3. The game is usually played by four persons, two against 
 two. Thus if A and B (with first innings) played C and D, k, 
 who goes in first, stands on the left-hand side of the inner-court, 
 near the: pepper-box ; B, his partner, on the right-hand side of 
 the outer-court ; C stands about the middle of the outer-court, 
 ready to return the service ; and D, his partner, on the left-hand 
 side of the outer-court, 
 
 4. In the first innings of a game : A, who goes in first, when 
 both he and B have been put out, has to return the service. 
 
DEFINITIONS AND LAWS OF THE ETON GAME. Si 
 
 This rule only applies to the side which goes in first at the 
 beginning of a game ; afterwards partners take it in turn to 
 return the service, the ptrtner last put out being the one to 
 return the service when the opponents go in. 
 
 5. Service. — The ball when served must hit first the front 
 wall above the line and then the right-hand wall and must drop 
 in the outer-court, otherwise it may not be returned. The player 
 who has to return the service, need not do so until he gets one 
 exactly to his mind, and if he fails to return any service above 
 the line no stroke is counted. To serve a ball out of court does 
 not put the server out. 
 
 6. The service must be returned on the first bound ; it cannot 
 be volleyed. This return is called the first-cut. It must be 
 returned so as to hit either (a) first the right-hand wall and 
 then the front wall above the line, or (J) the front wall above 
 the line between the right-hand wall and the vertical line 
 marked on the front wall. In both these cases the ball may 
 subsequently hit any wall or walls at any height and may drop 
 anywhere in the whole court. Only the player whose turn it is 
 may return the service. A first-cut which is up, i.e. above the 
 line, but which does not fulfil these conditions, is called a 
 blackguard. The striker of a blackguard or his partner may 
 touch or catch the ball before the first bound, and, if this -is 
 done, no stroke is counted. If the blackguard is not touched 
 or caught it may be returned or not by either of the opposite 
 side at their option, and if it is not returned above the line no 
 stroke is counted. 
 
 ■ 7. After service and first-cut, the ball is returned alternately 
 by either side. It may be returned by either of the partners 
 before the first or second bound, and need not hit any but the 
 front wall. If the ball fails to hit the front wall above the line, 
 or after doing so drops out of court, a stroke is lost to the side 
 so striking it. 
 
 8. A let may be claimed when a player is in any way 
 prevented from returning or impeded in his attempt to return 
 the ball, by one of the opposite side. A stroke which would 
 have hit the front wall above the line, but is prevented from 
 doing so by one of the opposite side, counts as a let. No let 
 can be claimed if {a) the ball actually goes up, or {b) is hit out 
 of court after going up, or {c) if the striker is- impeded by 
 bystanders. 
 
 9. If a ball while being returned first strikes one of the 
 opposite side and then the front wall above the line it counts as 
 
 G 
 
82 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 up ; if it first strikes one of the same side it counts against the 
 strilcer, whether it goes up or riot. 
 
 lo. If a ball returned by A or B strike A or B after going up 
 before the second bound, it may be returned or not by C or D 
 at their option, and vice versa. If not returned it counts as a 
 let. If returned above the line no let can be claimed. 
 
 n. The game consists of fifteen points. Only the z'w-side 
 can score points. When A i& put out B takes his place ; when 
 B is put out, the side is out and their opponents go in, the one 
 who was originally returning the service {see next rule) having 
 first innings. The result of each rally (except in the case of a 
 let) is either to add one to the score of the in-side, or to put 
 ore of them out, as the case may be. ^i.-, 
 
 12. If C, returning the service, loses one point to the opposite 
 side, he is said to be one-out : if he loses a second point, he is 
 said to be two-out, and D takes his place ; if D in turn loses 
 two points, he gives way to C again, and so on till A and B are 
 both out ; C, provided that he was two-out first is then the first 
 to go in ; but if, through inadvertence or otherwise, he does not 
 do.so, the error cannot be corrected after the service has been 
 returned. 
 
 Note. — For the purposes, of this. Rule, all balls which drop in 
 the inner-court belong to the player who is returning the service, 
 as also all balls dropping in the outer-court which he touches 
 in the attempt to return. Failure to return a ball which drops in 
 the hole does not count one-out. 
 
 13. If the player who is returning the service hit the first-cut 
 in such a way that it will probably fall out of court, he or his 
 partner may, if they can, prevent it from doing sOj by touching or 
 catching the ball before it drops, provided that the player so 
 touching it have one foot at least on the floor of the court, or, if 
 he jumps for the purpose, alights on the floor of the court with 
 the foot which first touches the ground. If the ball is caught 
 no stroke is counted : if only touched, the opposite side may, at 
 their option, return the ball as in Rule 10 ; if they fail to do this 
 no stroke is counted. This rule only applies to first-cut. 
 
 14. When the in-side reaches fourteen points, the following 
 rules must be observed: — ■ 
 
 a. The player serving must stand quite close to the pepper- 
 box, with one foot on the inner-court and the other on the 
 outer-court, nor may he place both feet on the inner-court until 
 the ball has been struck for first-cut. If he forgets to stand 
 thus and serves the ball with both feet on the inner-court, either 
 
DEFINITIONS AND LAWS OF THE ETON GAME. 83 
 
 of the opposite side may try to be the first to touch. the ball 
 before it drops : if. they succeed in this, the player serving is 
 out. If the player serving, or his partner, touch the ball first, 
 or if it hits the ground without being touched, it counts neither 
 way. A player may remind his partner of this rule. 
 
 b. When the ball is properly served, the first-cut may be 
 returned against any part of the front wall above the line, vifith 
 or without hitting the side walls, and is therefore called the 
 blackguard- cut ; a blackguard-cut at this point of the game 
 may not be touched or caught by either the striker or his 
 partner {see Rule 6), unless in accordance with the provisions 
 of Rule 13, i.e. to prevent it dropping out of court. 
 
 15. If the players are 13 all, the game, as in rackets, may at 
 the option of the outside be set to 5 or 3 ; if 14 all, to 3. Rule 
 14 must then be observed at 4 or 2 respectively. 
 
 16. When the game is played by two players only, no ball 
 counts unless it drop on the inner-court, but a player may return 
 a ball which drops on the outer-court, except the service, at his 
 option. Of the two players, he who is in stands on the right- 
 hand side of the court, and he who is out on the left-hand side. 
 The service must hit first the right-hand wall and then the front 
 wall above the line. The first-cut must hit either (a) first the 
 left-hand wall and then the front wall above the line, or ip) first 
 the front wall above the hne and then the right-hand wall. 
 Only so much of Rule 14 need be observed as applies to the 
 out player. 
 
 In transcribing the above I have omitted such terms 
 only as experience leads me to believe are peculiar to Eton, 
 and not used elsewhere except among Eton men. I have 
 moreover confined my remarks entirely to the game as 
 played by four players ; for though it can be played by two, 
 and the rules for such a game are given {see Rule 16), it 
 can scarcely be called, under these circumstances, anything 
 but practice; useful indeed to train the eye and hand to 
 work quickly together on the inner-court, and one which 
 may be judiciously extended to the outer-court for practice 
 in hard hitting and placing, but one which may safely be 
 left to the light of nature, and hardly requires any special 
 
THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 comments or suggestions. A'gbod game for active players 
 (it is very hard work) is to arrange that the first-cut must 
 drop (if not touched) on fhe inner-court, and afterwards 
 the ball shall be allowed to drop anywhere as in the double 
 game. 
 
 HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 The Service. — Always try to send a good service, it saves 
 much time and temper, for no wary player will attempt to 
 make the first-cut off a bad service, and nothing is more 
 annoying to the other three players than to be obliged to 
 wait until the service is satisfactory. Ask your opponent 
 where he wishes the ball to pitch, and do your best to 
 humour him. Most people like a high service, dropping 
 about one or two yards from the step, and about two feet or 
 a yard from the right-hand wall ; to do this you must allow 
 the ball to rest on your fingers lightly, your hand must be 
 as near the middle of the court as possible and the move- 
 ment must be strictly under-hand. Any attempt to hold 
 the ball with the fingers, or to send it up with a round-hand 
 or over-hand motion, generally results in a twist being 
 imparted to the ball, which either brings it too far out into 
 the middle of the court or makes it break away when it falls. 
 I know the round-hand service was (and perhaps is) the 
 practice at Eton ; but I cannot recommend it. 
 
 The service being satisfactory, it is possible to adopt three 
 positions in which to await the first-cut : (A) You may leave 
 the pepper-box and move into the right-hand corner of the 
 inner-court, with your face toward the pepper-box, and if 
 you have not a good eye for volleying, this is perhaps the 
 btst position you can take up, though it has its manifest dis- 
 advantages : (i) you must assume a very stooping attitude 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 to keep your head well out of the way of the first-cut ; (2) 
 you will have great difficulty to reach a fast one, which strikes 
 the pepper-box immediately after the front wall and runs 
 back along the left-hand wall ; and (3) it is almost impossible 
 to make a killing stroke from this position. On the other 
 hand, a fast strong first-cut, which is often very difficult to 
 volley, after hitting the left-hand wall becomes a fairly easy 
 stroke to take off the pepper-box, and all danger of getting 
 in the way of balls which would miss the pepper-box 
 altogether and afford an easy stroke to your partner in the 
 outer-court is thus avoided. (B) You may move about half- 
 way up the left-hand wall and prepare to volley with your 
 right hand. This with a weak first-cut is a very strong 
 position, and moving into it unexpectedly is often successful, 
 but it is a position which, if adopted habitually, not only 
 deprives the left hand of much needed practice, but can 
 with a little skill and " head-work " be rendered quite 
 ineffectual, if not absolutely harmful, as will be presently 
 shown. (C) You may stand within arm's length of the left- 
 hand wall, your face turned to the right-hand top corner and 
 your body full to the front wall, leaving a space of about a 
 foot between your back and the projecting angle of the 
 pepper-box. This I hold to be the best and strongest position 
 for many reasons : (i) you can volley any ball which admits 
 of it on either side of you; (2) you can always face the ball 
 full — a great point ; (3) you make it imperative on the left 
 hand to take its due share of the game and put it on an 
 equality with the right, — these three points are the triple 
 key to playing the Eton game well ; (4) to avoid a difficult 
 ball which would pass out an easy stroke to your partner in 
 the outer-court you can move forwards or backwards, to the 
 right hand or the left, or stoop without any difficulty, 
 advantages nearly all of which you lose if you cramp your- 
 
86 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 self up in the inner angle of the pepper-box ; (5) you are in 
 a much better position to go for a gentle first-cut dropped 
 straight along the right-hand wall, or one which after hitting 
 tlie top of the pepper-box strikes the right-hand wall exactly 
 opposite and very often drops against the face of the step. 
 I may add that personally I always keep my eye on the ball 
 all the time after serving, and it is a good rule for the whole 
 game, but some practised players prefer to sight the first- 
 cut on the front wall. 
 
 First-cut. — This is about the most important stroke in the 
 game, and it is hardly possible to devote too much care and 
 pains to acquiring a really difficult first-cut. It answers to 
 service at rackets : for though by it you cannot score aces, 
 you can put the opposite side out, " a consummation devoutly 
 to be wished." Perhaps the nearest analogy may be found 
 in bowling at cricket : pace and direction, though very good 
 things in themselves, must be tempered with judgment. 
 Learn to hit hard by all means, but study the weak points of 
 your adversary, and when you have found them test Aem 
 unmercifully. If your adversary be strong all round, a useful 
 rule is " never send him the same ball twice running." 
 
 See then that you get a service to your liking, and never 
 take one till you do. Many players are so unscrupulous, or 
 perhaps I should say rather careless, that they gain many 
 points practically by a bad service. If you play to win — and 
 you always should — throw good-nature to the winds and 
 insist upon having the service as you want it. If the 
 walls are dry and the floor true there can be no difficulty 
 in the matter, and you ought not to suffer because your 
 opponent is careless or clumsy ; at the same time, be careful 
 not to exasperate him by being over particular, or spoiling 
 really good services by not being ready or hitting too often 
 below the line. 
 
■ HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 87 
 
 Begin then by hitting as hard as you can about two or 
 three inches above the line (not lower, or you will hit the 
 ledge, most likely, and either send the ball out of court or 
 make a present of a very easy volley to the other side) 
 so as to strike the right-hand wall about a foot from the 
 corner. This will bring the ball to the left-hand wall just in 
 front of the pepper-box, and will test your adversary's left- 
 hand in position (C) pretty severely.: if he stand right in 
 the pepper-box it will generally be fatal. Should he next 
 time move up to position (B) and you notice that he is 
 doing so, as you usually can uoless] he is very quick, make 
 the ball strike the right-hand wall about two yards from the 
 corner at the same pace only about six inches higher; that 
 will bring the ball nearly into his face, and most probably 
 hit him ; at any rate it will prevent his volleying. Should 
 he move into position (A), which he cannot do without 
 your perceiving in time, revert to the first stroke again, send- 
 ing the ball as close to the comer as you can and consider- 
 ably slower : this will bring it on to the pepper-box straight 
 from the front wall, and it will travel back along the left- 
 hand side wall, where he will have some difficulty in reaching 
 it even if it bounds well, and cannot possibly return it so as 
 to be anything but an easy stroke next time. Otherwise try 
 the first stroke again, only a foot higher : the ball will then in 
 all likelihood run down the roof of the pepper-box on to the 
 right-hand wall,- and come straight back towards the pepper- 
 box or on to the face of the step. This will be well-nigh 
 impossible for the player in the inner-court to take, and even 
 if his partner succeed in getting it, it will put him at a great 
 disadvantage for his next stroke. 
 
 One caution must be observed in making this stroke : if 
 it hit the front wall too near the corner and is going at any 
 pace, it will probably glance oif the pepper-box roof, and 
 
88 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 go out of court unless stopped by your partner. This 
 cannot happen if you ensure it hitting the left-hand wall 
 before it gets to the pepper-box, unless by chance it strikes 
 the ledge of the left-hand wall, which is a chance that must 
 be risked. 
 
 The variations of this round-the-walls first-cut can be 
 infinitely varied in the matter of pace and angle, especially 
 if a slight cut be put on, which brings the ball down from 
 the front wall very awkwardly right at the feet. To do this 
 with any success the service must be very high and drop 
 closeto the step ; then if the ball be struck sharply across 
 with the fingers, or with the centre of the hand so as to 
 catch against the baU of the thumb and hit the corner as 
 nearly as possible, it will drop just at the foot of the pepper- 
 box or even in the hole. It is a somewhat difficult stroke 
 to acquire, but was used, and I trust is still, with no little 
 success by Mr. S. Haslam, of Uppingham, from whom I' 
 learnt it. 
 
 There is yet one more variation of the first-cut of a 
 totally different character, and which in my opinion is by 
 no means sufficiently practised, viz. one straight down the 
 right-hand wall. The conditions of success are three : it 
 must be fast ; it must keep close to the wall ; it must if 
 possible be unexpected. The difficulty of fulfilling these 
 conditions deters many, players from making use of this 
 stroke, but it is unquestionably of great value, especially 
 after a series of all-round-the-walls first-cuts. Hit the ball 
 too high or too hard, and it goes out of court : hit too low 
 or too gently, and it is an easy long-hop : send it too near 
 the wall at first, and it drops on a ledge and goes out that 
 way : let it fail to reach the wall soon enough, and with 
 a hard hitter in the outer-court "life is not worth living" 
 for the players in the inner-court. Before trying it wait for 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 a service that drops rather more to the left than is usually 
 desirable, and then aim just inside the blackguard line, 
 putting on if possible a little side. The height must be 
 regulated by the pace you hit, and it is impossible even to 
 hazard a suggestion : experience will decide that ; but it 
 is always worth trying. 
 
 Position and duties of the server's partner. — The time 
 when your partner is serving is perhaps the most anxious in 
 the whole game, and calls for no little judgment ; for you 
 have not only to watch for first-cuts which may be sent to 
 you, but also to return them in such a manner as may 
 give him an opportunity of making a killing stroke. 
 Generally speaking, you should stand about a yard from the 
 back of the court, and rather nearer to the right-hand wall. 
 Do not move forward until you are quite certain the ball is 
 not going to be sent straight down the right-hand wall : if it 
 is sent that way and is not very near the wall, you may either 
 return it into the pepper-box low and hard, or aim for the 
 left-hand corner of the outer-court, or bring it back again 
 down the same side, which will give your adversary a run, 
 remembering always that the duty of a player in the outer- 
 court is to prevent his adversary in the inner-court getting a 
 volley and where possible to play into his partner's hand. 
 
 Should the ball come straight down the right-hand wall 
 and near the wall, if possible take it before it reaches the 
 projecting end. This is best done not by clean hitting but 
 by putting the hand against the wall, drawing it back a little 
 with the ball, and making a kind of push stroke. Do not 
 hit at balls which are dose to the wall; you will only damage 
 your fingers and probably fail to return them. If you decide 
 to wait, you must also decide in your own mind whether the 
 ball will hit the projection or not, and accordingly either 
 remain at the end of the court or step back off it altogether. 
 
go THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 When your judgment is faulty you will miss the stroke for a 
 certainty, and this will perhaps be the case once in every 
 three times if the first-cut is a good one, but if you hesitate 
 and take a middle course you will miss nineteen times out 
 of every twenty, or even oftener. 
 
 If the first-cut is hit round the walls, back up at once : 
 all balls which miss the pepper-box will then be yours, and 
 most of those which after hitting it drop in the outer-court ; 
 in fact all except those which your partner claims by calling. 
 If the ball bounds well and you can get at it before it 
 reaches the right-hand wall, the best return is one hard and 
 low into the pepper-box, unless your opponent is in a good 
 position for taking this, or your partner happens to be 
 standing there (as he should not be) ; if that be the case, 
 or the ball keep low, try and lift it so as to drop on or 
 behind the pepper-box, taking care always to send it high 
 enough to be safe from an inner-court volley and just 
 so hard that the pepper-box may always be in the way of 
 whoever tries to take it. Do not attempt to make a winning 
 stroke off such a first-cut ; it is almost impossible ; aim rather 
 at safety, and play for your partner's next stroke. 
 
 If the court be wet or the walls sweating, remember the 
 first-cut will come off the front wall at a much sharper angle, 
 and is not at all likely to go round the three walls, unless 
 hit against the right-hand wall so far from the corner that 
 it is pretty sure to drop on the inner-court, and may safely 
 be left to your partner. The majority of balls which hit 
 the right-hand wall first will travel at a tremendous pace 
 straight from the front wall to the left-hand comer of the 
 outer-court. Many of these your partner, by keeping a little 
 to the right, can and ought to volley, but some will come off 
 at too fine an angle, others again will travel too fast for hira, 
 and these you must look out for : therefore on such a day 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. gi 
 
 Stand at the end of the court about the centre and gird up 
 your loins for plenty of exercise. 
 
 Position and duties of the fourth player. — When your 
 partner is taking first-cut, you have only one duty, and 
 that is to prevent any ball from going out of court before it 
 has been touched by one of your adversaries. Stand then 
 right at the extreme end of the court, with one foot on and 
 one off, prepared to run either way ; you will thus be less 
 liable to get in your opponent's way, you can judge the 
 length and direction of any stroke better, you can cover 
 more ground, and lastly, if the ball is being returned from 
 the outer-court, you can tell exactly, by watching your 
 opponent's hand, where he intends to send it. If you have 
 to jump to save a stroke, remember Rule 13, and jump 
 forward. Keep your eye on every movement of your 
 opponent in the outer-court, and when he backs up, do not 
 follow too far till you see if he is trying to lift the first- 
 cut on to or over the pepper-box, and then dash in 
 and volley unhesitatingly. Bear in mind that on a damp 
 day your duty will lie mostly in the left-hand corner, and 
 place yourself accordingly. Learn to measure accurately 
 the length of a stroke, and do not stop winning strokes ; at 
 the same time when in doubt stop the ball. If the first- 
 cut comes fast into the left-hand corner, give your oppo- 
 nent plenty of room ; it must always be a difBcult stroke 
 for him, and he may not be sorry for a legitimate excuse to 
 claim a let. 
 
 When the rally has fairly begun, all suggestions as to 
 play must, for the most part, be divided so as to suit the 
 pair in the inner and the pair in the outer court ; but we 
 may safely lay down this general axiom : " Given four 
 players of tolerably equal calibre, the winning strokes are 
 made by volleys on or near the step." Therefore, whenever 
 
92 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 you can volley, do so, and when you yourself cannot, try 
 and play such a stroke as will give you (or your partner if 
 you are in the outer-court) a volley next time. On the 
 other hand, of course, avoid, where you can, allowing your 
 opponents to get a volley. Whichever side gets the first 
 volley, ought, barring accidents, to win that rally. Keep 
 your eye upon your opponents almost as carefully as on 
 your partner. 
 
 Advice to players in the inner-court. — The key to the 
 situation is the pepper-box. Always try to get the left- 
 hand side, whether serving or not; at the same time do 
 not allow yourself to be hemmed in there, or you will get 
 "potted," but keep about an arm's length from the wall. 
 When the ball is in the outer-court always keep your head 
 below the line, otherwise you hamper your partner, and 
 have only yourself to thank for a nasty blow occasionally. 
 Let your body face the front wall full and square, but by 
 turning your head watch the movements of the players in 
 the outer-court, especially their hands : you ought to know 
 where to expect the ball. When you do get an easy volley, 
 hit hard; let the swing of your arm be down towards the 
 ball, i.e. get on the top of it, and let the fingers be slightly 
 bent towards the palm of the hand. Before striking, try to 
 get a fairly accurate notion of where your two opponents 
 are by a quick back glance, and aim accordingly. The 
 best stroke is straight at your opponent in the inner-court, 
 the second best a shot for the hole, and the third to give 
 your opponent in the outer-court a run for it. 
 
 The most perfect in-court player I have ever come across 
 is Mr, John K. Tancock. Without much running about, 
 he always seems to be in the right place, and to know 
 intuitively almost where and how the ball is coming, and 
 his placing is quite marvellous. For quick volleying, which 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 93 
 
 seldom lets a ball escape into the outer-court, Mr. W. N. 
 Cobbold, of Wratting Park and Cambridge fame, has no 
 equal in my judgment, while as an all-round player the 
 present Lord Kinnaird had very few rivals. 
 
 Remember, then, to be always looking out for a chance 
 to volley ; it saves time and hustles your opponents ; and 
 secondly, always keep awake to what is going on in the 
 outer-court by turning the head, not the body. If you 
 cannot take a ball, or are not going to try, call to your 
 partner at once, and then leave it to him ; but call soon 
 and abide by your call — ^hesitation only results in the loss 
 of a stroke or a violent collision. 
 
 N. B. — Most of the calling should be done by the in-court 
 players. 
 
 Advice to players in the outer-court. — First and foremost, 
 always back up. Make up your mind as soon as possible 
 which of your two opponents is the weaker, and keep the 
 ball with him. Your opportunities of volleying will be few ; 
 make the most of them, and learn to kill a long-hop in the 
 outer-court, which is almost as useful as volleying. There 
 are three ways of treating a long-hop. If it is near the 
 step, you ought, with a medium stroke, to be able to hit the 
 hole. Practise this stroke till you can do it with a fair 
 amount of certainty. If it is nearer the end of the court, 
 hit hard and low, aiming either at the pepper-box or the 
 left-hand corner of the outer-court. Always bear in mind 
 that to return another long-hop in the open is almost worse 
 than useless, however fast it comes, and not as good as the 
 feeblest stroke into the pepper-box, which chance may 
 convert into a nasty one ; that to hit round three or even 
 two walls takes the pace off the ball and gives your oppo- 
 nents time to see and move. Play as a rule straight to and 
 from the front wall, and only experiment occasionally with 
 
94 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 all-round strokes as a variation, and then always send the 
 ball the opposite way to that in which one would naturally 
 expect it to come; e.g. from the left-hand corner of the 
 outer-court hit the right-hand wall first. 
 
 Use your left hand as much as possible, going out of 
 your way to practise it, until you have no choice of hands. 
 Never screw yourself up against the left-hand wall to take 
 a ball with your right; if it breaks towards you ever so 
 little, you are done. Remember that to hit hard and high 
 means sending the ball out of court ; soft and high, unless 
 the ball drops on or just behind the pepper-box, means an 
 easy long-hop to the outer-court man ; soft and low means 
 generally a volley to the inner-court player, and should 
 mean the loss of a stroke. Therefore hit hard and low, 
 and aim for corners. Never hit under the ball when 
 hitting hard, but stoop down till your elbow is at least on 
 a level with the ball. Keep as far from the ball as you 
 conveniently can, and swing with your whole weight, making 
 your arm part of a rigid system. Do not try jerking strokes 
 or wrist-cuts; they do not pay at the Eton game. Aim 
 always at least four inches above the lower angle of the 
 line. 
 
 Call as little as possible, but always back up every stroke. 
 You are not likely by calling to do much good, and may 
 very likely baulk your partner in the middle of his stroke. 
 In fine, the outer-court player should consider that he is 
 there just to take any stroke which the inner-court player, 
 for various reasons, may choose to let alone or may miss 
 altogether, the inner-court player being ever on the look 
 out for volleying. If a ball hits the top of the pepper-box 
 behind your partner and goes back into the inner-court, 
 call out at once and give him as good a notion as you can 
 of its whereabouts, and how much time he has to get it. 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 95 
 
 e.g. "behind you to the left — lots of time," but do not 
 bother him by constantly calling out "mine," " let it come," 
 and the like. 
 
 Game-ball.— Ont or two hints at this point of the game 
 may be expedient. Note, the server must stand close to 
 the pepper-box, with one foot in the inner-court and one in 
 the outer, and may not alter his position until the ball has 
 been hit. In any case he is at a disadvantage, and de- 
 signedly so. The best thing he can do is to try to volley 
 the ball with his left hand out of the pepper-box. If it is 
 hit very hard it is sometimes easy by dashing forward to 
 take it off the front wall after it has hit the pepper-box. 
 To move after serving, as some players do, into the middle 
 of the court before the ball has been hit, is open to three 
 objections: (i) the rule (14) apparently contemplates the 
 server standing close to the pepper-box until the ball is hit ; 
 and so I have always played. (2) No position could be 
 more easy to score off as far as the return is concerned, for 
 it is impossible to take a fairly slow one into the pepper-box 
 from that position ; but (3) the only chance of scoring is 
 that it baulks the player who is making first-cut, or at least 
 may dOj which is manifestly unfair, and should the latter 
 decline to take first-cut with the server in his way, any 
 umpire would be bound to support his objection. The 
 most difBcult first-cut under these circumstances is a hard 
 low one on the front wall, about two yards from the left- 
 side wall, coming off at such an angle that it just hits the 
 left-side wall before striking the pepper-box ; with a down- 
 dropping cut on, one straight for the hole is a very nasty 
 one to return, and it sometimes pays to aim hard and 
 straight for the left-hand corner of the outer-court, avoiding 
 the pepper-box altogether. Always insist on having the 
 game-ball served high and dropping about the centre of the 
 
THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 court, rather near the step ; it is then much more difficult 
 to see what is coming than if the ball drops near the right- 
 hand wall. 
 
 Lastly, wherever you are, in-court or out, never give a 
 ball up because it looks impossible — run for everything; 
 you can never tell what will happen, and there is hardly 
 any stroke in the whole court which is absolutely impossible, 
 or which may not by some lucky chance become perfectly 
 easy, if only the player is on the spot. 
 
 THE RUGBY GAME. 
 
 This game on the whole is much simpler to acquire than 
 the Eton one, though I am not at all sure it is easier to play 
 well. The only difficulty in dealing with it arises from the fact 
 that some courts have a small buttress and some are quite 
 plain. The origin of it no one knows. This much is, I 
 think, certain : it was introduced first at Rugby, and dis- 
 carded on the ground that, so far from improving the game, 
 it spoilt it. To this day neither Rugby nor Clifton use any 
 but the plain court, while at Winchester (except in the 
 Junior Courts) and Oxford the buttress appears in all the 
 courts. I cannot speak from experience of Cambridge or 
 the other schools at which the Rugby game is played; 
 probably they are divided. 
 
 There can be no question that the buttress improves the 
 double game ; such is the unanimous opinion of all players 
 I know. It puts an end to interminable rounds which in the 
 plain court are apt to become merely a question of endur- 
 ance ; it offers a definite mark at which to aim for a good 
 stroke ; it divides the four players into up and back pairs 
 instead of right and left ; and, in a word, makes the game 
 far more lively and gives variety. 
 
')EFINITIONS AND LAWS OF TtlE RVGBY GAME. 9? 
 
 A^hether it also improves the single game is a more open 
 ;stion. Mr. Toye says " it undoubtedly improves the 
 gle game ; " but he adds, " for mere beginners, a court 
 hout a buttress is best in which to learn the game, but 
 y should get into a buttressed court as soon as possible." 
 the other hand, many good players object to it in the 
 gle game for the following reasons — it gives too much 
 )minence to the first return, and rather discounts pure 
 11 in placing; for a stroke anywhere in the neighbour- 
 Dd of the buttress may accidentally prove unplayable, 
 i that without very much skill on the part of the striker. 
 For myself I prefer the buttress in a double game and 
 ' plain court for a single, or a very small buttress, which 
 [uires more than ordinary skill to hit. 
 
 DEFINITIONS AND LAWS OF THE RUGBY 
 GAME AS PLAYED AT WINCHESTER. 
 
 rhe court is enclosed on four sides. 
 
 rhe buttress (if there be one) projects from the left-hand 
 II from 9^ to 10 inches, at an angle of about 135°, and at a 
 tance of 9 ft. 9 in. from the front wall. In height it is co- 
 ensive with the wall, which is flush with it at both angles, 
 that it is impossible to hit over or behind the buttress as it 
 > but one face. 
 
 rhe line, either simply painted on the wall, or better still set 
 in wood, runs across the front wall at a distance of 34 inches 
 m the ground. 
 
 . Each game shall consist of 14 points, or aces, and a game 
 1 ; if both sides are at 13, the game may be set at 5, or at 3 if 
 h have reached 14, at the option of the out-side ; provided 
 t the in-side at the time of setting shall only take one hand 
 first innings after the setting, and also that no false return 
 he game-ball shall be allowed. 
 
 . The first innings of the first game shall be by lot ; but, 
 :rwards the winner of the preceding game shall go in first. 
 
TBE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 3. The side going in first can only take one hand the firs 
 innings. 
 
 4. In serving, the server must stand by or near the buttress 
 the player who returns the service standing in a line with him 
 the out-playing partner of the server stands behind the returner 
 and the out-playing partner of the returner stands behind thi 
 server. 
 
 5. The ball must be served to the front and right walls in tha 
 order, and returned on one of the side walls, and then on th( 
 front wall above the line ; but if a ball be falsely served, it is a 
 the option of the adversary to return it. 
 
 6. The player who has to return the service may not, unde 
 any circumstances, change places with his partner. 
 
 7. If a ball, after being struck by a player, touch his partne 
 or himself, before one of his adversaries have touched it am 
 before it has bounded the second time, it counts as an ace 
 hand-out against him, as the case may be. 
 
 8. If a player strike at and miss a ball, his partner may pla; 
 it, but he cannot claim a let if his adversary is in the way. 
 
 9. If a ball strike the roof or gallery of a covered court it is 
 hand-out. 
 
 10. Under no circumstances may kicking the ball be allowec 
 
 11. In returning the game-ball, the third successive fals 
 return counts against the striker. Only on the first occasion 
 game-ball being served need game-ball be called. 
 
 12. Any service returned below the line counts against th 
 striker. 
 
 13. The above rules apply to single as well as double fives. 
 Note to Rule 7. — The players shall be at liberty, befor 
 
 beginning to play, to agree that if the ball in returning from th 
 weJl hit the player or his partner it shall be a let instead of a 
 ace or hand-out, but this shall only be allowed if the players ar 
 unanimous and the marker is informed of it before the begir 
 ning of the game. 
 
 HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 The Senicc. — Always humour your adversary and sen 
 him the sort he wants j it saves time. You ought to b 
 able to serve with the left hand if necessary, it saves you 
 having to move too close to the left-'hand wall for certai 
 
HINTS FOR iEGINlfERS. §9 
 
 kinds of service. Where you should stand to return the 
 first-cut must depend on (a) whether it is a double or single 
 game, and {p) whether there is a buttress or not; which 
 gives four possible combinations. If there is a buttress, 
 your business in a double game is to take such balls as 
 strike it, leaving the others mostly to your partner ; in this 
 case, yoii may stand pretty well out from the side wall, and 
 rather in froiit of the buttress ; in the single game, you have 
 only yourself, of course, to rely upon, and must be prepa;red 
 for either contingency ; you cannot then aflford to move too 
 far from the wall nor in front of the buttress, and must keep 
 pretty well behind, ready to riish forward if you think the 
 ball will strike the buttress. If there is no buttress, whether 
 the game be single or double your business is to return the 
 first-cut wherever it comes, and throughout the double game 
 to take charge of all balls down the left side, leaving those 
 on the right to your partner. 
 
 First-cut. — There are three main forms of this stroke : (a) 
 The gentle drop-stroke in the right-hand top corner, which 
 may also be made by hitting a little harder and higher on to 
 the left-hand wall first ; this is more a stroke for the single 
 game, and does not often pay in the double, though it may 
 be tried advantageously, by way of variation, occasionally. 
 {b) The nick-stroke, played by hitting the ball against the side 
 wall some considerable distance from the front wall, not too 
 hard, but sharply, so that it nicks the bottom of the left-hand 
 wall quite close to the front wall. It must of course hit the 
 front wall quite close to the- line, and is the most effective 
 of all services, and not nearly popular enough, because it is 
 so hard to do. The same stroke made harder and rather 
 nearer the front wall on the riglit goes straight for the 
 buttress, to hit which is essential in the single game ; in 
 the double game, it does not signify so much, for unless it 
 
l6o TIIE GAME of PIVUS. 
 
 nicks exactly the bottom of the buttress it presents no 
 difficulty to the up-player. (c) The slog, taken from close 
 to the right wall, hitting the corner as exactly as is con- 
 sistent with Rule 5, and travelling towards the back left- 
 hand corner. With a new hard ball or a damp front wall, 
 this stroke is quite deadly, if sent fast and low enough. 
 
 After the first-cut has been returned, if there is a buttress, 
 the up-players confine themselves to alL balls in front of or 
 in a line with the buttress, leaving the rest to their partners ; 
 if there is no buttress, it is usual to play down sides, one 
 player taking the left-hand side and his partner the right. 
 
 The essential difference between the Eton and Rugby 
 forms of the game is roughly this : In the Eton game, to 
 make a difficult stroke is comparatively an easy thing, owing 
 to the presence of the ledges and pepper-box and the 
 absence of a back wall, and the main effort is to return them 
 when so made ; in the Rugby game, the difficulty is to make 
 a killing stroke, and the successful player is the one who 
 sends his opponent such difficult strokes that he is forced to 
 return easy ones. To this end three things are necessary : 
 (i) the stroke must be quick ; (2) it must be low ; (3) it must 
 be placed at an awkward spot. 
 
 The stroke must be quick. — This does not necessarily mean 
 that it must be struck hard. Get as close to the ball and in 
 as firm a position as possible, without much bending of the 
 knees or stooping, and then hit it as soon as you can after it 
 rises. Use your wrists, and do not make the stroke by mere 
 brute force, though it is necessary to get the weight of your 
 body into it. It is really something like a jerk, accurately 
 timed. Upon the smartness of your stroke your rank as a 
 player will largely depend. The smartest hitters I know are 
 the President of St. Mary Magdalen College, Oxford, and 
 Mr. T. Case, of C.C.C, Oxford, who combines fives and 
 
HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. lor 
 
 finance, philosophy and good fellowship in marv'ellous 
 harmony; long may he continue to do so. Of course, 
 the quickest of all strokes is the volley, which should un- 
 doubtedly be cultivated, though used with judgment; for 
 it is no use to volley high owing to the back wall, which 
 ■makes.a high volley one of the easiest of all strokes, and to 
 volley low down to the line requires a very quick eye and 
 long practice. Trying to volley the service seldom pays. 
 The cut, again, is a very quick stroke, and was brought to 
 absolute perfection by Mr. J. C. C. Pipon, late of Lincoln 
 College, Oxford, than whom I have never met a better all- 
 round fives player, but jt can only be attained by very 
 practised players and only used in very few cases, and there- 
 fore by beginners is to be avoided. 
 
 The stroke must be low.-^Ks, the line is not a ledge, you 
 can aim much nearer to it than at the Eton game. I do not 
 think it is possible to give any hints for hitting low ; it is a 
 question of eye, practice, and the jerk-stroke. Any ball hit 
 too high (with certain exceptions, to be mentioned under 
 the third head of placing), gives a stroke to your opponent 
 which is easier fealty than a plain long-hop in the middle of 
 the court. 
 
 TJie ball must be placed in the most inconvenient spot for 
 your adversary. — Herein lies the gist of Rugby fives, where 
 to place the ball. A stroke in the middle of the court can 
 only be difficult because of its pace, or because it is out of 
 reach ; but the finest placing is when the side walls or back 
 wall increase the difficulty. Remember then that a ball 
 coming off a wall is generally easy, but one which is 
 gradually approaching the wall may be difficult. To hit 
 round the walls always takes the pace out of the ball, and 
 must be justified by adding some difficulty. If a ball is hit 
 against two walls so that it can easily be taken off the 
 
THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 second, the stroke has been wasted, and it would have been 
 better, simply as a matter of pace, to have hit to the same 
 spot straight off the front wall. 
 
 But the walls may be utilized in different ways, (i) You 
 may send the ball straight off the front wall, down the side 
 wall near which you. are striking, and make it continuallv-^ 
 approach that wall ; this is best done by keeping the oppo^^ 
 site shoulder more forward than that with which you are 
 making the stroke, and has the advantage of being more 
 or less unexpected, because it is the reverse of the natural 
 direction to hit, which is always across the body, and is 
 moreover somewhat less easy tQ anticipate by watching \ 
 the hand; a half-stroke made like this, hugging the side ; 
 wall, is often useful, and may lead to something next round, 
 for it is difficult to do anything with it beyond sending it 
 up. To make a half-stroke, the hand should not follow the 
 ball, but be drawn sharply back immediately after hitting it. 
 (2) You may hit either of the top comers hard and not too ,. 
 low, taking the front wall first, and bring the ball off the ^^ 
 back wall into the opposite back comer. This, if properly 
 placed, can scarcely be reached before the back wall, off 
 which it takes a great spin and becomes very nasty to 
 return. (3) When all the players are at the back (and this \ 
 only applies to the plain court), and there is a vacant space , 
 in the front, a half-stroke into either of the top corners, side 
 wall first and close to the line, will give no time for the 
 opponent to make more than a poor stroke, and if well 
 played and followed up is generally successful. (4) When 
 flurried by any of the above strokes, and out of position or 
 breath, it is often useful to hit high, especially to the left 
 hand, with which few people can volley well, as it gives you 
 time to recover your position, if not your wind. 
 
 Among the masters of this art of placing (and their name 
 
fflNTS FOR BEGINNERS. 103 
 
 may -be legion) I call distinctly to mind Mr. Madan, of 
 B.N.C., Oxford, and Mr. A. J. Cripps, of Malvern School 
 and Lincoln College, Oxford ; while, of course, Mr, Toye, 
 of Winchester, stands facile princeps at this as at every other 
 turn of the game, and Mr. W. Grundy, now Head Master of 
 Malvern School, had such a reputation at Oxford, especially 
 in conjunction with Mr. Warren, that any account of the 
 Rugby game would be incomplete without some mention, 
 however scanty, of his name. 
 
 The great secret of playing fives is to remember the law 
 of mechanics, that the angle of deflection is equal to the 
 angle of incidence. A good player should be able to vary 
 the place of his ball to six inches merely by the angle at 
 which he makes it hit either the back or the side walls. 
 
 Among the most paying strokes on the court are those 
 in which balls are sent so as to return exactly parallel and 
 close to either of the side walls. A ball which hugs either 
 side wall the whole way, and is fairly low, is always difficult, 
 and even if high, one cannot do much with it. These 
 strokes should be practised most carefully. 
 
 Do not volley "unless you are certain, and do not try to 
 volley too hard. The easiest and most certain chances are 
 often thrown away by an attempt to win with a sensationally 
 hard volley. It is very good practice to play right hand 
 against left by yourself, or to play a game in which you 
 force yourself to take every ball on the half-volley. Very few 
 players can half-volley with the left hand, though really it is 
 not very difficult. Practically, the half-volley is a very rare 
 stroke ; yet it is very effective when well done, and there is 
 no better practice for the eye and judgment than it gives. 
 
 (1) In a round when you are getting the best of it, go on 
 attacking the same opponent in the same place ; otherwise 
 take the first opportunity of placing the ball in the other 
 
104 THE GAME OF FIVES. 
 
 court. (2) Very seldom hit the ball against a side wall 
 first ; certain cases have been put when it is advisabte to do 
 so, but they are not many. (3) Keep the ball as. a rule to 
 your opponent's left hand until you find that he is stronger, 
 or at least as strong on that side. (4) Do not stand too 
 near side walls or corners, especially the buttress : you will 
 often spoil your partner's best strokes. (5) Watch goo(i 
 players; learn to see what they do and how they do it. 
 (6) Always play up hard ; a slack game will do you more 
 harm than a week's hard practice will remedy. 
 
 Lets. — Just one word on this difficult subject. One feels 
 now and then that opponents claim lets where Ihey ought 
 not. If there is an umpire, his decision is final ; if riot, 
 any Jet claimed must be allowed without a murmur, except 
 where the rules forbid it. But it is not fair, either by moving 
 into the way, or declining to move out of it' to obstruct an 
 opponent from getting at an easy stroke and then generously 
 to offer him a let as an equivalent; such conduct cannot 
 be too . strongly condemned ; but it is not uncommon. 
 Make it a rule for yourself to claim as few lets as possible. 
 
 Reserve all remarks till the end of the round, and do not 
 raise doubtful points in the middle of one. If you are 
 certain a ball is not up, say so, but go on playing ; if the 
 other side do not, by their action, accept your judgment, do 
 not argue, finish the round, and then discuss the disputed 
 point. The only plan is to go by a majority of the players, 
 and if they are equally divided to count a let, provided the 
 rally ended in favour of those who would otherwise have 
 lost it by the ball not being up. Nothing is more distasteful 
 to. good players than a talkative or argumentative player, be 
 he friend or foe. Let the golden rule for fives be silence. 
 
GOLF. 
 
 W. T. LINSKILI,, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER rACK 
 
 I. The History of the Game ... .., ... i 
 
 II, The Golf-Course ... ... ... ... 8 
 
 III. How TO PLAY THE GAME ... ... ... ... 12 
 
 IV. Advice for Beginners ... ... ... 25 
 
 Rules of Golf as played by the Royal and Ancient 
 
 Golf Club of St. Andrews ... ... •••39 
 
 Special Rules for Medal Play ... ... 47 
 
 Local Rules ... ... ... ... ... 48 
 
 Table of Strokes ... ... ... ... 51 
 
 Rules of the Cambridge University Golf Club ... 52 
 
GOLF 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 Of the origin and history of this game little need be said. 
 The term "golf," pronounced goff, is evidently derived 
 from the German word kolbe, signifying a club, or the 
 Dutch word kolf, of similar meaning, and implying a game 
 which is played with club and ball. Games with club and 
 ball are numerous, and their origin is doubtless coeval with 
 man. i 
 
 From time to time throughout the history of the world, 
 the game of club and ball has assumed various forms. 
 For example, cricket is none other than such a game, as 
 also croquet, billiards, polo, and hockey, which, by the way, 
 is sometimes called " bandy " by the rustics in some parts 
 of the country, especially in the eastern counties. 
 
 But so far as Britain is concerned, the origin of golf 
 must be conceded to Scotland, where, as early as March, 
 1457, the game was being played with such zeal as greatly 
 to interfere with what was deemed a more popular necessity, 
 viz. that of training in archery. Although decrees were 
 passed that golf "be cryit doun and nocht usit," and that 
 "no place be used for futeball, golfe, or other sik un- 
 profitabill spories," the people gave no heed. Somehow 
 
 B 
 
2 GOLF. 
 
 they had become possessed of so fascinating a sport, that 
 it further became necessary " to prohibit such pastymes as 
 golf upon the Sabbath day." It may be the people were 
 more amenable to this last decree, but nothing could 
 dislodge the love and delight which the people of Scotland 
 have always entertained for this their favourite game. In 
 the end, however, it was recognized as the national game 
 of Scotland, and monarchs became not only its patrons, but 
 they also distinguished themselves in the practice of the 
 noble science. 
 
 Golf is now becoming one of the most popular games 
 of the present day. This is , proved by the numerous 
 notices which have lately appeared on the subject, as also 
 by the rapid spread of the game south of the Tweed during 
 the last fourteen years. 
 
 In 1875, when the writer, assisted by a few friends, 
 started the Cambridge University Golf Club, there were 
 very feiy English greens opened for golf. But one can 
 hardly take up a daily paper now without meeting some 
 record of the establishment of a new green, not in Britain 
 only, but in all parts of Europe, the colonies, and in America. 
 As a lover of golf, I am constrained to say I think no man 
 is more to be pitied than he w^ho has not yet learned to 
 play the game ; and I can truthfully assert that few, if any, 
 who have once learned the game, give it up unless physi- 
 cally compelled to do so. No saying is more true than, 
 "once a golfer, always a golfer." 
 
 My object, however, is not merely to incite a love for the 
 game. I desire at the outset to notice some of its many 
 advantages. To play the game successfully requires a 
 vast amount of most prompt and careful judgment It 
 entails also the most invigorating and healthy action of 
 arms and legs. Indeed, I might say, although in regard to 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 it there may be exceptions, a good golfer should possess 
 the cool head of a professional whist or chess player. He 
 should possess, moreover, the arms of a navvy or black- 
 smith, and the untiring energy of a devoted September 
 sportsman. 
 
 In golfing there is no stationary work for either legs, 
 arras, or brain. Like the face of nature, the game is a 
 series of perpetual changes. Problem after problem, or, 
 if you like it better, difficulty after difficulty arises, which 
 you are called upon to surmount by cool judgment and 
 prompt action. And as those difficulties, subject as they 
 are to the rules of chance, may never occur twice under 
 similar circumstances, the exercise of judgment has there- 
 fore the wider scope. In golfing there is no call, as in the 
 game of cricket, for any sudden and violent exercise to be 
 followed by a chilling inactivity, 
 
 Another great advantage which golf possesses, and which 
 is uncommon to most outdoor games, is this : it can be 
 played, and indeed is played, all the year round. It is 
 possible with red balls to play it in snow, which, I may 
 say, from personal experience, adds considerably to the 
 already invigorating exercise of walking, thinking, and 
 striking. I say thinking, but of what ? Here I must needs 
 add a caution. A man will never excel in the art if, while 
 playing golf, either in sunshine, rain, or snow, he allows his 
 mind to wander from the work in hand. From beginning to 
 finish, whenever playing, his mind must be closed to all else. 
 
 But not only can golf be played all the year round; it 
 may also, in a sense, be played from the cradle to the 
 tomb. A child cannot begin too early. Although children 
 and old men are physically unable to play a good game, or 
 a game in full, still they may enjoy themselves almost 
 equally as much as the stronger athlete. Anyhow, to 
 
4 GOLF. 
 
 either young or old, the game supplies them with every 
 opportunity for getting plenty of fresh air and exercise 
 suitable to their feeble strength. It is a most common 
 observation that a tiny child, as also an old man, enjoy 
 their feeble blows, or foozling along the greensward, quite 
 as much as the terrific driver or even the crack professional. 
 
 There are some men to whom the term "duffer" is 
 applied. Many of such men are blessed with great 
 muscular power, and nothing seems to give them so much 
 pleasure as driving a ball single-handed, and in that way 
 fumbling, topping, and bunkering over a golf-course. But 
 even an indifferent player, or an elderly man who cannot 
 stand too much hard work, can indulge in a modified form 
 of the game. He may play in what is called a " foursome " 
 by securing a partner better qualified than himself, or by 
 special arrangement he may hire a first-class professional to 
 pull him through. As a rule, a bad driver is a good hand 
 at the short game. A foursome is by no means such hard 
 work as a "single." In the former case, the partners playing 
 every alternate stroke, it amounts to just one half of arms' 
 work, unless one's ally is continually landing himself in the 
 jaws of some terrific sand-bunker. Some men prefer the 
 milder work of a foursome to the harder work of a single. 
 Others, again, will play a single in the morning and a 
 foursome in the afternoon. To wit, a gallant colonel said 
 to me last summer, " I never play ' singles ' both morning 
 and afternoon. It's far too hard work." The sequel to 
 the old adage, " All work and no play," crossed my mind, 
 and it occurred to me that the gallant colonel had invented 
 a new application of the old proverb. 
 
 Golf, then, is a game admirably adapted for almost all 
 conditions of men. It results in the formation of friendly 
 societies, such as gentlemen's clubs, artisans' clubs, caddies' 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. 
 
 clubs, and in seaside places there are also fishermen's 
 clubs. All these, as a rule, meet and play on the same 
 green without any collision whatever. This arises from the 
 fact that all submit to the strict discipline of the game. 
 Indeed, a golf rule commands, I fear, more respect and 
 prompt obedience than do many in the Decalogue. 
 
 Another great advantage connected with golf is this, viz. 
 that as a rule you can always choose your own partner. 
 But sometimes in match play you may become paired with 
 a stranger ; still, however, in that stranger you may discover 
 one whose further acquaintance would not be disagreeable 
 to you. In this sense golf is a means of making friends by 
 a more agreeable method than most games possess. At the 
 risk of being condemned for an error of judgment, I am 
 inclined to regard golf as the most sociable of all outdoor 
 games. The companion of a day sometimes becomes the 
 friend of a lifetime. And it is no uncommon thing for 
 golfers thus allied in friendship to indulge in what is called 
 a golfing tour, than which nothing more delightful can be 
 conceived. Would you start with the old and venerable 
 city, St. Andrews, in Fifeshire. There you will find the 
 best links in all Britain, open and available to all comers, 
 so long as the prescribed rules of the game are observed. 
 And such are your privileges wherever you can find an open 
 golf-course, of which there are now many. 
 
 Golf need not be a ruinously expensive game. In 
 photography, when a man has secured to himself a good 
 camera, the great expense is over. So is it in golf : when a 
 man has provided himself with a complete set of clubs, he 
 may keep his expenses, so far as the game is concerned, 
 within a small compass. But, in addition to the clubs, I 
 must not omit to mention the necessity of providing a 
 convenient and suitable dress for golfing. A golfing rig- 
 
6 GOLF. 
 
 out is neither extensive nor expensive. It is easily- 
 obtained, and few gentlemen's wardrobes are ever destitute 
 of what is required, under any emergency. The chief 
 features of a golfer's dress are — a loose coat ; a loose shirt, 
 with no stiffened abominations such as front, collars, and 
 cuffs j no braces, but in place thereof a waistbelt, so that 
 there may be no impediment to s. perfect freedom of 
 action. In addition to these, well-nailed boots are re- 
 quired in order to obtain a firm foothold of the turf while 
 walking, but more particularly when striking a ball. Spiked 
 boots must never be used, as they would seriously damage 
 the precious putting-greens around each hole. 
 
 But besides these not very expensive externals, something 
 more is needed to play the game of golf. A man must 
 needs have a good eye, and above all, a good temper. He 
 must be content to recognize with equanimity an error of 
 judgment, as well as to receive graciously any defeat, which 
 he may sustain at the hand of the adversary with whom he 
 may be contending. In case of defeat, let the cause be what 
 it may, a man would do wisely if he contented himself to 
 abide by the following motto : " Beaten, but not conquered." 
 Cool players always score at golf in the long run, but a 
 hasty temper leads to "pressing," "topping," "breaking 
 clubs,'' and ' otherwise going to pieces in all parts of the 
 game. Apart from these issues of a hasty temper, it very 
 often happens that the coolest player is what is called " off 
 his game." In that case there is no let or hindrance to his 
 going out and practising by himself. It may be he is out 
 of form in the use of one or more particular clubs ; for each 
 club, as I shall set forth hereafter, is for a special purpose. 
 But anyhow, he can by sucli quiet practice soon bring his 
 hand round so as to resume its wonted cunning in the use 
 of eiflier this or that club. 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE CAME. 
 
 By some persons, not players of course, golf has been 
 regarded as a dangerous game. The nature of the danger 
 may be gathered from the following remark once made to 
 me by a looker-on, standing about midway on St. Andrews 
 Links : — " I feel," he said, " as if I were in a rifle-range, and 
 in close proximity to the target." Undoubtedly golf- balls, in 
 long drives, are sent through the air with almost the terrific 
 velocity of a rifle-bullet. All golfers are aware of that fact ; 
 but in proportion to the danger so are the precautions which 
 are takea and recognized by all to avert the danger from 
 themselves. Accidents, therefore, in playing golf seldom 
 or never occur. No game is played where more careful and 
 greater discipline is observed. By the rules of the game, 
 no one may drive off the " tee " until the party in advance 
 have played their second shot ; nor can the party following 
 play on, or use the putting-green while the party in advance 
 are themselves engaged in putting. I have played the 
 game almost daily for the last eighteen years, and mostly 
 on overcrowded links ; but in the whole course of my ex- 
 perience I have been struck only three times — twice by 
 spent balls, and once through the carelessness of a stupid 
 and inexperienced caddie on the Cambridge Links. Mis- 
 haps are more likely to happen to strangers than to those 
 who are versed in the game and the rules of the game. 
 The golf-course is a place for players, but not for star- 
 gazers. If a man wishes to see the game played with safety 
 to himself, let him walk with any party going out from 
 beginning to end. But should he leave the party when 
 about mid-course, it' will most likely happen that he will 
 find himself between the firing of the outgoing and incoming 
 players. The danger of golf, therefore, is simply nothing 
 to the golfer, though it may exist for the foolishly unw^ary. 
 
8 GOLF. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE GOLF-COURSE. 
 
 While setting forth some of the advantages to be derived . 
 from the game of golf, it occurred to me, Are there no dis- 
 advantages ? I have come to the conclusion there are none, 
 and I am able to suggest only one difEcuIty. The difficulty 
 to which I allude, and which is more generally felt than any 
 other, is that of obtaining the required amount of space to 
 play the game according to its true and primitive character. 
 A cricket-field, a tennis-ground, or space for football 
 matches can easily be found anywhere. But a golf-course, 
 like a race-course, is not so easily to be met with, For the 
 former, as well as for the latter, a vast expanse of grassy 
 turf is absolutely indispensable. - The ground should be of 
 an undulating character, and, moreover, it should abound 
 in hazards of every description. Golf links of that character 
 are to be met with chiefly by the seaside, especially on the 
 east coast of Scotland. Similar places are to be met with 
 on the east and south coasts of England, where many of 
 them are now being appropriated to golf in consequence 
 of the growing popularity of this most fascinating game. 
 Inland greens are also becoming more numerous ; but few, 
 if any, can compete with those near the sea, by whose action 
 in former times the surface of the country has been reduced 
 to that undulating and irregular character, which is so 
 essential for the necessary qualifications of a first-rate golf- 
 course. 
 
 A golf-course should not be less than three miles in extent, 
 and certainly not more than five miles. By this is meant 
 the walk from beginning to finish ; and the course, as much 
 
THE GOLF-COURSE. 
 
 as possible, should partake of the character of a circular 
 tour, so as to avoid collision between outgoing and incoming 
 players. In the course, and at distances varying from one 
 hundred or one hundred and fifty to five hundred yards, 
 according to the length of round, there should be, for the 
 ordinary game, eighteen holes. But if the course be so 
 limited as not to admit of that number, do not be tempted 
 to cram in as many as possible. It would be better and 
 wiser to have nine holes, and therewith be content to go the 
 round twice and so complete the ordinary game. In the 
 choice of position for the holes too much care and judgment 
 cannot be exercised. They are the nucleus of every golfer's 
 interest, and the first question which arises on selecting and 
 laying out a golf-course is, Where shall the holes be placed ? 
 In most cases it happens their more favourable position 
 regulates the distance between them. But let me suppose 
 you to have it in your mind to lay out a golf-course. First, 
 fix upon the starting-point. From that point, having decided 
 upon' the direction of going out and coming in, walk out 
 some five hundred yards and look around you for a piece 
 of clear and level greensward of some twenty yards square. 
 The centre of this piece of ground may be taken for the 
 first hole, and so on for every hole in the round. Having 
 fixed their position, you may now embark upon preparing 
 these holes. With a cutter, specially constructed for the 
 purpose, a disc of turf, about four and a half inches in 
 diameter and depth, is removed. The hole is now lined with 
 an iron tube or circlet in order to maintain its proper size 
 and shape. The turf around each hole, if it be not already 
 as smooth as a bilHard table, must be so dealt with until it 
 assumes that character. Such pieces of turf, about twenty 
 yards square, are called the putting-greens, which will require 
 much attention to keep them in proper order. The ground 
 
GOLF. 
 
 must be kept well rolled, and . the grass closely cropped. 
 On inland greens, if the soil be heavy and not sandy, such 
 greens, while play lasts, must be rolled and attended to 
 daily. An occasional dose of sand and soot will be found 
 very beneficial, as the former will tend to make the ground 
 firmer, while the soot will check the action of worms. No 
 course can be deemed perfect unless it possesses smooth 
 and true putting-greens. In each of the holes is placed a 
 rod of iron, or wood, bearing a flag as a guide, indicating 
 from a distance the place where the hole exists. Whether 
 the course be undulating or flat, the necessity for such 
 an indication is apparent. But sometimes the surface of 
 the country may be so uneven that it is impossible to see 
 from flag to flag so placed. In that case it is necessary to 
 employ besides what are called guiding flags. These are 
 mounted on' staves to whatever height may be required, and 
 are placed at certain convenient places to show in what 
 direction the hole lies. On arriving at the putting-green, 
 and while playing thereon, the small flag is removed from 
 the hole, until the hole be scored, when the flag is again 
 replaced for the guidance of the oncoming players. These 
 flags, too, vary in colour, but only to the following extent. 
 As far as the ninth hole going out, the flags should be white, 
 and for all holes coming in, the flags should be red. On 
 some ■ greens, however, this order of things is reversed. 
 This is a small matter, but I would advocate a uniformity 
 of rule, as the want of it often causes confusion. 
 
 Near to each putting-green another important spot must 
 be chosen as a starting-point from hole to hole. This is 
 called the teeing-ground, which should be tolerably level, 
 or inclined in the slightest degree. This ground is indicated 
 by paint-marks on the turf. The starting-point at the 
 beginning of the game is called the tee. Within the limits 
 
THE GOLF-COURSE. 
 
 of the paint-marks the ball must be placed, or what is 
 called " teed." To tee a ball for driving, it is usual to place 
 it on some small eminence on the surface of the turf; but 
 many good players content themselves by simply placing the 
 ball on the turf. A ball is sometimes teed on a few short 
 blades of stiff grass. But as they are not always to be met 
 with on a teeing-ground, other means are adopted in order 
 to ensure the necessary slight elevation. By the side of each 
 teeing-ground there should be placed a small box containing 
 very fine wet sand, such as one meets with by the sea. From 
 such a box take a small quantity of sand, and, after deposit- 
 ing it upon the turf, mould or pinch it to a small eminence 
 by. means of the thumb and first two fingers. On this 
 eminence place the ball lightly, and it is ready for what is 
 called the long drive. Remember that when the ball is 
 driven from the teeing-ground, it must not be handled again, 
 except according to special rules providing for certain mis- 
 haps, until the hole before you has been either scored or 
 given up. 
 
 Next we have to consider what should be the nature of 
 a golf-course from hole to hole. I may say at once that 
 if there were no hazards or impediments, the game itself 
 would be stripped of all interest and fascination. I have 
 already said that for first-class links the ground, apart 
 from the putting-greens, should be of an undulating nature. 
 Ground of that character affords an excellent hazard to 
 a ball hit too low, but better known as a " skimming ball." 
 The little valleys, too, may often prove a grassy grave 
 for many a well-struck ball. But besides the hazards of 
 hill and dale, there should also exist between every hole 
 other impediments, such as sand-pits, known in golfing 
 parlance by the term "bunkers." When a ball becomes 
 engulfed in a sand-bunker it requires no small amount of 
 
12 GOLF. 
 
 skill to release and place it agaia upon terra firma. A 
 special club, called the iron niblick, is required for the 
 purpose ; but of this, as also of other clubs and their special 
 uses, I shall speak later on. 
 
 In addition .to bunkers between the holes, there may be 
 dotted here and there small patches of whins or gorse. 
 These may form an excellent boundary for a golf-course, to 
 catch wild drives ; but whins and bushes about the centre 
 of the course are an abomination, and they should be swept 
 away with a ruthless and unsparing hand. Still, however, 
 the nature of hazards will vary on every course. In fact, 
 any obstacle might be termed a hazard. But the com- 
 monest hazards are sand-bunkers, whins, rushes, and burns 
 or streamlets. On some greens, however, trees, hedges, 
 cops, walls, railways, ravines, roads, footpaths, gravel-pits, 
 and even rivulets are the diflficulties to be surmounted. 
 Unplayable traps should never be deemed a fair hazard. 
 I therefore think that a rabbit-hole should not be regarded 
 as a fair playable hazard. But still too great a number of 
 well-selected hazards there cannot be, as so much of the 
 interest of the game consists in avoiding or overcoming 
 them. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. 
 
 Every beginner will necessarily require to know the mode 
 and order of playing the game of golf. Most of that 
 information is conveyed by the rules of the game, but I will 
 now endeavour to give it in as concise a form as possible. 
 The most common modes of playing the game are termed 
 "singles" and "foursomes." In a single match two 
 
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. 
 
 persons play one against the other, and in a foursome 
 two persons play against other two, the partners playing 
 alternate strokes. The great object of the play is to hole 
 the ball by means of a fewer number of strokes than 
 your opponent Thus, in the case of A and B playing a 
 single, if A employs four strokes to hole the ball, and 
 B requires five strokes, the hole is counted to A. But if 
 A and B hole the ball by an equal number of strokes the 
 hole is what is termed halved, or divided. And so on, 
 it is the same throughout the whole course of the usual 
 number, eighteen holes. But besides singles and four- 
 some, there are played sometimes what are called three, 
 four, five, and even six ball matches. For example, a 
 crack player will sometimes undertake to play his ball 
 against the best of the balls of two or three medium players. 
 Such games occupy a long time in going the whole round 
 of the links, and it is impossible to play them on crowded 
 greens. Matches of that kind are doubtless often invested 
 with much interest ; but as they require a vast amount of 
 experience and cool judgment, I must strongly advise the 
 beginner to keep to the more common forms of singles and 
 foursomes, until he has made himself most familiar with all 
 the details of the game. 
 
 Besides " hole play," which involves playing a succession 
 of small matches from hole to hole round the links, there is 
 also what is called " score play,'' which mode is adopted 
 on such occasions as when a medal is played for. In this 
 case a number of persons enter themselves . for the com- 
 petition. They are told off in pairs, and each pair is 
 numbered consecutively, showing the order in which they 
 are to start on the day of competition. The object of the 
 play is to show which of all the competitors takes the 
 fewest number of strokes to hole the ball in whatsoever 
 
14 GOLF. 
 
 number of holes may constitute the whole course. Each 
 person is supplied with a card on which to register the 
 strokes of his opponent. A marker, who is supplied with 
 a card on which to register the number of strokes, accom- 
 panies each player ; but it often happens that a sufficient 
 number of markers cannot be found. In that case it is 
 customary for each player to register the strokes of his 
 companion. Again, it sometimes happens, while A and 
 B are thus playing together, that the strokes of A become 
 so considerable in number as to afford him no chance 
 whatever of winning the medal, or prize of competition. 
 Under these circumstances it- is not unusual for A to tear 
 up his card and retire from the competition. It is more 
 gentlemanly, however, to accompany your companion and 
 to continue playing to the best of your ability in order to 
 keep up his game. 
 
 Now, in " match play " it is easier to retrieve one's self 
 than in this so-called score play. For example, in match 
 play, taking seven or eight strokes for the first hole against 
 four of your adversary means only one lost hole, whereas 
 seven or eight on the scoring card at the commencement 
 of a long five-mile round in score play has a bad moral 
 effect. It is a veritable sword of Damocles. It burdens 
 the mind of the player, and puts, metaphorically, the drag 
 on his play the whole round. 
 
 Odds. 
 
 In ordinary play it sometimes happens, as in all other 
 games, that necessity may arise for the giving of strokes or 
 odds, so as to equalize matters between the stronger and 
 the weaker players. This is accomplished as follows : — 
 
 Odd No. I. " Stroke a hole," This means that at every 
 hole, if your opponent holes his ball in four strokes, you 
 
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. IS 
 
 have the privilege of making it in five, if possible, in which case 
 the hole is divided, or halved. It counts to neither party. 
 
 Odd No. 2. " Half." By this is meant simply the appli- 
 cation of Odd No. I at every alternate hole. 
 
 Sometimes a " third " is given, which means the applica- 
 tion of what is stated under Odd No. i at every third hole. 
 
 Another form of odds is " so many holes up." This is 
 handicapping by holes and not by strokes ; but I strongly 
 advise the weaker player, if possible, to take strokes in 
 preference to holes. Five or six holes offered when starting 
 sound very tempting; but they mean very little when 
 playing against a " crack," who will very probably win eight 
 or nine holes straight off the reel. In taking strokes accept 
 them always, if possible, at the shortest holes. 
 
 " Bisque " is another form of odds. It consists ofa stroke 
 or strokes given, which are taken, according to the discretion 
 of the possessor, in any part of the course. Very often 
 these strokes are sprung as a surprise on the giver. 
 
 In playing from hole to hole, it is of all things most 
 probable that the two persons playing will not drive their 
 balls equal distances. We will suppose A to make the 
 first stroke from the teeing-ground, and to drive his ball, 
 say, two hundred yards distant. B follows and drives his 
 ball fifty yards. B must therefore follow with another 
 stroke ; but should his ball not go beyond that of A, then 
 B must continue his strokes until he has placed it in a 
 position nearer to the hole than his opponent's ball. That 
 is the rule — a ball must continue to be played until it 
 be in advance of that which is nearest to the hole aimed 
 at, no matter how many strokes may be required for the 
 purpose. Each player takes an account of strokes made on 
 either side until the hole in question be scored, and the 
 manner of counting is almost too simple to be explained. But 
 
1 6 GOLF. 
 
 still certain terms in golfing parlance are used in expressing 
 results as the game progresses. For example, so long as 
 the players make stroke for stroke alternately, the strokes 
 are even, and to that condition of affairs the term " equal," 
 or "like," is applied. But if A takes five strokes to hole a 
 ball, while B, through some mishap, should require six 
 strokes, the one stroke more is called " the odd." And if 
 B should require seven strokes, it is termed " two more," 
 and so on. Besides this method of counting, there is also 
 the other, which is as follows : " one off three,'' " one off 
 two," and so on, which may be explained thus. Suppose A 
 to have played six strokes and B three strokes. When B 
 plays his fourth stroke, it is termed " one off three." And 
 if B has to continue his strokes, his fifth stroke would be 
 expressed "one off two." These are small matters, but 
 every beginner must be prepared for them. 
 
 Clubs. 
 
 It is necessary now to say something about the clubs and 
 their uses. The following is a complete list of clubs which 
 have been employed in playing the game, but some of them 
 are by no means necessary or commendable : — 
 
 The Driver, or Play Club. 
 Grassed Driver. 
 Long Spoon. 
 Middle Spoon. 
 Short Spoon. 
 Wooden Clubs. ( Baifing Spoon. 
 Niblick. 
 Brassey. 
 Bulger. 
 Putter. 
 \ Driving Putter. 
 
ffOW TO PLAY THE GAME. 17 
 
 Iron Putter. 
 Cleek. 
 
 Driving Iron. 
 Iron Clubs. J Medium, or ordinary Iron. 
 Lofting Iron. 
 Niblick. 
 President. 
 Mashy. 
 
 A complete set of clubs, as commonly used, is not at 
 all necessary for the beginner. I therefore advise him 
 to provide himself with a driver slightly spooned in the 
 face and a cleek. And having acquired in true style 
 the swing for driving, he may next invest in the following 
 clubs; but in doing so, the novice would act wisely by 
 allowing his teacher to choose them. They are — the long 
 spoon, the brassey, the moderately lofted iron, the wooden 
 putter, and the iron niblick — ^the latter being most essential 
 on a course where bunkers abound. Each of these clubs 
 has a special use, but after a few rounds the player will 
 soon be able to pick out for himself the necessary club to 
 be used. In a short time also the beginner will get accus- 
 tomed to the weight and lie of each club. And having 
 once acquired this familiarity, should the club fail by acci- 
 dent, or through age, he should spare no pains in procuring 
 another exactly similar in all respects. 
 
 We will now take the clubs, in the order which I have 
 given them, and as briefly as possible explain their special 
 uses. 
 
 The Driver. 
 
 This may be said to be the principal club among the 
 numerous set. It is used for long distances, and always 
 when driving off from the tee. I need hardly say of this, 
 
 c 
 
I8 
 
 GOLF. 
 
 as of all other clubs, that it consists of a wooden handle 
 or shaft, terminating in a club or head of peculiar shape. 
 The driver, by its peculiarly shaped head, is supposed to 
 keep the ball, after being struck, lower than any other club. 
 In choosing this club much regard must be paid to its 
 length, weight, and springiness of shaft. A perfectly rigid 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 ''™-- s^°oi. BS tpS-. 
 
 Putter. Cleet 
 
 Niblick 
 
 shaft is useless. But its length and weight must depend 
 upon the height and swing of the player. 
 
 Grassed Driver. 
 
 This is regarded as an ordinary play club, having the face 
 filed away, or, as it is termed, "spooned," in order to give 
 
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. 19 
 
 elevation to the ball when struck. It can be used in places 
 where the ordinary driver would not raise the ball quickly 
 enough to surmount an obstacle before it. 
 
 Long Spoon. 
 
 This club is not quite so long in the shaft as the former 
 clubs. Its face is well spooned or sloped backwards, by 
 which means it gives a still greater elevation to the ball 
 than does the grassed driver. It is a most useful club, 
 especially when the wind is behind the player, or when the 
 ball is lodged in long grass, from which the driver would 
 not raise the ball. 
 
 Middle Spoon. 
 
 The middle spoon is a shorter club than the long spoon, 
 but the shaft is somewhat stiifer. It is a very straight 
 driving club, and an excellent weapon throughout the 
 green. 
 
 Short Spoon. 
 
 This, again, is shorter in the shaft than the middle spoon, 
 and is used for short drives, especially when the player is 
 standing below his ball. 
 
 Baffing Spoon. 
 
 This club is now almost obsolete. It is the shortest of 
 the spoon family, having its face very much laid back. 
 The shaft is stiff and upright. It gives great elevation, and 
 the ball lies very dead off it ; that is to say, the ball does not 
 roll any great distance from the spot where it falls. In 
 using this club care must be taken to baff, or strike the 
 ground immediately behind the ball. Hence arises the 
 name of this club. But irons do most of the work now 
 that a baffy formerly did. Still, to my mind, it is a club not 
 
20 GOLF. 
 
 to be despised, as it is much to be preferred when a man 
 uses the iron badly. 
 
 Wooden Niblick. 
 
 The wooden niblick has a shaft similar to the driver. It 
 is well spooned, and very short from heel to toe, but the 
 head is broad. A ball may be lying in a small hollow, or 
 in a rut, into which none of the other clubs, by reason of 
 their length of head, could possibly descend so as to 
 dislodge the ball. The wooden niblick is the weapon for 
 the purpose. 
 
 Brassey. 
 
 A brassey is very similar to a wooden niblick, but with 
 the following difference. The sole of the head is shod with 
 a plate of brass as a protection to the wood and bone. 
 Some players go so far as to have all their clubs shod in 
 this manner, but I think it an error of judgment. A 
 brassey, however, is a most useful club, and no golfer should 
 exclude it from his set. 
 
 Bulger. 
 
 This, comparatively speaking, is a newly invented club. 
 It has a bulging or convex face, which can be applied to 
 any of the wooden clubs. Its merits are said to consist in 
 keeping balls low, and making them travel straight ; and it 
 is said that the fault of "heeUng" or "toeing" is rendered 
 almost impossible when using this club. For my own part, 
 I can say that I have tried the club, but not with very 
 satisfactory results. 
 
 The Putter. 
 
 The putter is a club used only on the level putting-greens 
 round each hole. It is indeed the club which is used for 
 
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. 
 
 " putting " the ball into the hole. It has a stiff shaft and 
 is very upright. To use this club accurately much practice 
 is absolutely necessary, for having arrived on the putting- 
 green it may cost you more strokes to get your ball into the 
 hole than you have taken to arrive at it. A player who is 
 a really good putter is often more than a match for the 
 longest driver. In fact, a good putter will hold his own on 
 any green, and score with the strongest players. There are 
 such things as fancy putters. Indeed, I have seen some 
 made with double faces, and others as swans with curled 
 necks. Some are made in the shape of a mallet, etc. 
 But, to my mind, nothing is so suitable as the ordinary 
 putter, and no amount of eccentric implements will make a 
 bad " putter " " put " better. If he cannot succeed with 
 the common or garden putter, I feel sure that he will be 
 no better off by using what I must call a monstrosity. 
 
 Driving Putter. 
 
 This club is not very much used. Its pecuUar advantage 
 is that it is well adapted to drive a very low ball against 
 a heavy wind. It really is a putter head with an upright 
 springy shaft. 
 
 Iron Putter. 
 
 This is simply a club used for putting, and is preferred 
 by some to the wooden putter, which it resembles in stiff- 
 ness and uprightness. 
 
 The Cleek. 
 
 The cleek is an important weapon, and is regarded as 
 the longest driver among the iron family. It is a safe club 
 for long approaches over hazardous ground, as also when 
 playing a ball out of long grass and sandy soil. A ball goes 
 
22 GOLF. 
 
 very straight off thfs club. In holing out on the putting- 
 green a ball sometimes becomes what is called " cupped," 
 or lodged in a slight cavity. The cleek is a very useful 
 club for a ball in that position, as by using the wooden 
 putter the ball would answer by a spring instead of a gentle 
 roll. By the shape of its face, the cleek is also admirably 
 suited for use on putting-greens which come under the 
 terms too fast or too quick. It has the effect of keeping 
 the ball back so as to prevent too much overrunning. 
 Many beginners use this club too exclusively, and are often 
 tempted to use it when driving off from the tee. This I 
 consider to be a very grave error. In the hands of a small 
 boy or beginner, the cleek is a most destructive weapon to 
 the turf, as indeed are all the iron clubs in the hands of 
 a non-expert. Divets of turf are freely dislodged which are 
 seldom or never replaced by the reckless player. Sometimes, 
 when a ball is lying against a wall or on the edge of a 
 bunker, it is impossible to use a right-handed club. To be 
 prepared for such an event, every player should be pro- 
 vided with a left-handed cleek ; and, for the same reason, 
 a left-handed player should include among his set a right- 
 handed cleek. 
 
 Driving Iron. 
 
 This club is used for long distances and when consider- 
 able elevation is required to be given to the ball. 
 
 Medium, or Ordinary Iron. 
 
 This club is used for shorter distances than the former. 
 It is an excellent club for such distances as require what 
 are called " half" and "wrist shots." It " lofts," or elevates, 
 a ball more than the driving iron. 
 
HOW TO FLAY THE GAME. 23 
 
 Lofting Iron. 
 
 The name of this club well suggests its use. It is used 
 for what are called " short approach shots," especially when 
 a burn, bunker, or other hazard has to be ' played over 
 when in the neighbourhood of one of the holes on the 
 putting-green. This club, when properly used, gives great 
 elevation to the ball, which seldom moves far away from 
 the spot where it falls. I see by the Field that Willie Park, 
 jun., the ex-champion, has just brought out what will in 
 future be called "Parks' Patent Lofter." It professes to 
 have considerable advantages over the lofting iron and 
 mashy for the approach stroke. Its shape brings the upper 
 part of the blade nearer the ball, , so that while taking less 
 turf it gives more "loft" and is easier to use. The blade 
 being concave, a back spin is given to the ball, which pro- 
 duces the effect which I have described above, viz. it stops 
 the ball dead when it falls. It also raises a half-topped 
 ball with more effect, as is confirmed by eminent golfers 
 who have tried it. Among those who might be mentioned . 
 is Mr. A. M. Ross, who says, "It is a most decided 
 improvement on the old form of 'pitcher.' " 
 
 Iron Niblick. 
 
 This is a very heavy club, and has a stout shaft with a 
 small rounded head. It is absolutely necessary to use this 
 club for extricating a ball from bunkers, whins, cart-ruts, 
 or any other such-like hazard. 
 
 The President. 
 
 The president is a niblick with a hole through its head. 
 This club is now not much used. A celebrated professional 
 
24 GOLF. 
 
 once maintained that in using this club it was next to 
 impossible to avoid striking the ball twice, the penalty for 
 which is losing the hole. 
 
 The Mashy. 
 
 This is what may be called a cross between a niblick 
 and a lofting iron. Some players have great belief in its 
 efficiency. 
 
 Both wooden and iron clubs have been improved in shape 
 and elegance. This may be seen by comparing them with 
 what one sees in old pictures, but better still with the dis- 
 play of antiquated clubs as exhibited in a glass case at the 
 Royal and Ancient Golf Club-house on St. Andrews Links. 
 But still those old-fashioned clubs were wielded with much 
 skill, as is testified by the splendid scores made in former 
 days, especially by the renowned Allan Robertson. 
 
 When clubs are not in use, or have to be laid by for any 
 length of time, it is a good plan to slightly oil the shafts, in 
 order to prevent them from splitting. 
 
 Balls. 
 
 Let me now give you a few words of advice in regard to 
 this matter. But first let me tell you that balls as well as 
 clubs have undergone transformation. In early days they 
 consis'ted of circular leather cases stuffed with feathers, and 
 were therefore called "feather balls." They cost five 
 shillings each, which is a great contrast to the price of the 
 present "gutta" ball. Balls vary in size and weight, 
 according to the Nos. 26, 27, 274, 28, and 29. A good 
 " gutta " ball, if well moulded and well seasoned, cahnot be 
 excelled. X recommend for all-round good play the sizes 
 27 or 2 7 J. Silvertown "gutta" balls are excellent. The 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 25 
 
 Eclipse balls are also very good. They do not hack, but 
 keep their proper shape, and in putting they run very true. 
 On a still day use a light ball, but if there be much wind 
 a heavier ball is the best to use. Balls should not be 
 used when too new and soft. Keep them from frost, which 
 causes them to crack or split. It is best to keep them in a 
 moderately warm room when not in use during winter. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ADVICK FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 In commencing this important subject, I cannot too strongly 
 impress upon the mind of a beginner the necessity of 
 acquiring at the outset the true and perfect style of playing 
 the game. A bad beginning, as a rule, makes a bad ending, 
 and a badly acquired style, whether it be in golf or in any 
 other game, clings to a man like a limpet to a rock ; for, 
 when once indulged in, it is extremely difficult to unlearn. 
 A beginner should, if possible, engage the services of some 
 experienced professional, who in a short time would conduct 
 his pupil through all the intricacies of the game in a manner 
 not to be conveyed by books. A professional, as a matter 
 of course, takes great delight in playing the game, and, 
 according to my own experience, he has equal delight in 
 teaching an apt pupil. Besides receiving the benefit of 
 oral instruction from a professional, the pupil would also 
 have the immense advantage of watching a pattern stroke 
 made by his teacher. 
 
 But as a professional teacher is not always ready at hand, 
 I will do my best in this manner to convey the useful hints 
 which I have received from many eminent professionals 
 during my eighteen years' experience. 
 
26 GOLF. 
 
 JIandling the Flay Club or Driver. 
 
 In playing the game of golf, it is absolutely necessary at 
 the outset to be told a few essential facts. 
 
 First, then, I must say a few words as to the manner of 
 holding or grasping the play club. The main idea is to 
 grasp the handle tightly with the upper hand, while the 
 lower hand must be held loosely. The lower hand will act 
 simply as a guide to the club. The V's formed by the 
 thumbs and first fingers in each grasp should be parallel 
 down the shaft of the club, and the knuckles should also 
 be invisible to the player. But take special notice of this 
 — the club should be gripped with the fingers, and not with 
 the palms of the hands. In preparing to make a stroke 
 the feet should be planted well apart, in order to give steadi- 
 ness to the body, as well as to provide for its future move- 
 ments in the full delivery of a stroke. For similar reasons 
 also the knees should be slightly bent and the body leaning 
 forwards. In the position thus taken the ball should be as 
 nearly as possible in a line wit1i the front or left foot. 
 Remember also in gripping to keep the thumbs over the 
 first and second fingers — the wrists down, and the arms well 
 and freely extended from the body. Stand at such a 
 distance that the ball can be reached with ease in the 
 down-coming swing of the club. Do not stand too near, 
 or over the ball, nor commit the opposite fault by standing 
 too far away, thereby causing a loss of force by over- 
 reaching. If these simple directions be followed, the learner 
 will avoid those frightful errors, which, in golfing terms, are 
 known as "topping," "heeling," "toeing," etc By "top- 
 ping " a ball is meant stiiking it above the centre, instead 
 of getting a good hold on the ball. By '•' heeling " a ball 
 is meant striking it with the heel of tlie club. The effect 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 87 
 
 of such a stroke would certainly not be to send the ball in 
 a straight line, but to drive it widely to the right, whereas a 
 " toed " ball would be driven away to the left. 
 
 To ensure a successful stroke, especially when making the 
 long drive, there is a needful preparation called " addressing 
 
 one's self to the ball." It is not always easy to judge, without 
 experiment, at what distance to stand from the ball. But 
 this position is arrived at by the player reaching out with 
 the club to the ball, and standing as already described, 
 when by a few temporizing movements of his club above 
 and behind the ball (which action is called " addressing one's 
 self to the ball ") a proper judgment of distance and direction 
 may be arrived at. Some persons occupy much time over 
 
28 GOLF. 
 
 this business, and are apt to be credited with " overmuch 
 flourish." A moderate amount of this preparation is not 
 only excusable, but is also absolutely necessary, for reasons 
 already stated. By thus waving the club a few times to and 
 fro a greater freedom of wrists and arms are acquired. In 
 swinging, that is to say, in delivering a stroke with the play 
 club or with the spoon, it should be swung back slowly 
 and with a circular swing over the right shoulder, until it 
 arrives at the back of the player's neck. The club should 
 then be brought down with sweeping force to the object 
 aimed at, and the greatest impetus should be given when 
 the club arrives within a few feet of the ball. The sweep, 
 for sweep it is, must be perfectly true and s)Tnmetrical to 
 the end. By this is meant, the club, if properly wielded, 
 will in its course from the beginning to the end of the 
 swing describe about three-fourths of a perfect circle. Any 
 other style than this comes under the head of either high 
 swinging or low swinging, which for long driving are deemed 
 glaring errors. Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken by 
 beginners to avoid these errors, for, as I have before stated, 
 a badly acquired habit is a most difficult thing to be rid of. 
 
 Another important point connected with the swinging 
 of a club is the enforced action on the body. To appre- 
 ciate this fact let the beginner try the following experiment. 
 Take the club and use it as directed above, but do not, if 
 possible, remove either foot from its original position. The 
 result will be, if you wield the club with fuU force while 
 maintaining that position, a severe strain upon both arms 
 and body. To avoid this, as also to reap the benefit of 
 your full force, the body must participate in your action. 
 For this purpose, in first swinging up let the body follow 
 the action by the help of the left foot, and in swinging down 
 let the arms and body follow the direction of the ball. The 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 29 
 
 latter movement is accomplished by rising on the right 
 toe. Be careful not to check arms or body at the ball, 
 but follow the stroke through. By these means the striker 
 will be enabled to send the ball with swiftness and unerring 
 accuracy. 
 Still, however, to acquire that accuracy one thing more is 
 
 needful, which I have reserved for special notice. Having 
 looked ahead, and having decided upon the direction of 
 play, you next direct your attention to the ball. Remember 
 this — while in the act of making a stroke, do not on any 
 account allow your eyes to wander from the ball ; no, not 
 for an instant. Aim at striking the ball with the centre 
 of the face of the club, and strike well at the root of the 
 
30 GOLF. 
 
 ball so as to avoid topping or missing the ball altogether. 
 It would be better to schlaff the turf a little, and give the 
 ball a chance of going, rather than to continue the habit of 
 hitting the ball' on the top. A topped ball makes no pro- 
 gress, and the action presents a most unseemly operation 
 on the part of the player. 
 
 In driving long distances a ball is best hit when it receives 
 the blow as the club rises from the downward swing, for at 
 that moment the swing has acquired its greatest speed and 
 force. 
 
 All driving clubs should be handled and used as I have 
 described. 
 
 If a low skimming drive from the teeing-ground be 
 required, as is necessary sometimes against the wind, use 
 no sand for teeing the ball, but lay it on the turf, and, if 
 possible, on a slightly downward slope. 
 
 Having acquired a knowledge of the correct style, position, 
 and swing for driving, then by all means go out alone and 
 practise all day, from day to day, until proficiency therein is 
 attained. You might, if possible, choose as your companion 
 an experienced caddie, who would take no small interest in 
 your efforts ; and you would do well to invite his criticism, 
 lest any fault be unconsciously developed in your exercise. 
 
 Do not as a beginner be over-anxious to play in matches, 
 but spend much time in quiet practice alone. No one, 
 with any experience, cares to play with an erratic beginner, 
 because it tends to make even a good player careless. 
 Faults are infectious. 
 
 In taking out a professional, do so that he may teach 
 you, but not that he may play with you, as in the latter case 
 he would probably be more bent upon trying to break the 
 record in score, than upon giving any heed to your feeble 
 efforts as a beginner. 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 31 
 
 In learning, a most complete concentration of the mind 
 on the game is required, and there must be no such thing as 
 stopping to admire surrounding scenery. I am thinking 
 of a beginner taking his first lessons on such greens as those 
 at St. Andrews and North Berwick, where the surrounding 
 scenery offers many attractions. The sea may be intensely 
 
 blue and calm, or it may be lashed into wildest fury ; the 
 distant hills, possibly capped with snow, stand out majesti- 
 cally against the clear azure blue of the northern sky ; but 
 to a true golfer these things for the time being must claim 
 no part of his attention. To some, this may seem a piece 
 of superfluous advice. But having witnessed again and 
 
32 GOLF. 
 
 again the disastrous effect which such a habit of observation 
 has produced on the play of really good golfers, I am led 
 to think the advice is particularly needful to the beginner. 
 Stopping in the midst of play to admire distant objects (and 
 the more enchanting they are the worse are the effects pro- 
 duced) is about one of the worst forms of golfing. 
 
 Iron Play. 
 
 In driving with the iron club, the same position should 
 be adopted as in the case of the ordinary driving club ; but 
 the player must stand a trifle nearer the ball. The club 
 must be gripped firmly by both hands, and the eye kept 
 fixed on the ball. 
 
 " Half shots " with the iron should be played off the right 
 leg, the left foot being placed not evenly with the right, but 
 slightly behind it, as though taking half a step backwards. 
 In swinging for this shot, the iron should be drawn straight 
 and slowly back, but not into a position behind the player. 
 Do not lift the iron upright or chop at the ball, but, as if 
 in the act of sweeping, bring the iron down with a steady 
 sharp jerk. Make sure of getting down to the bottom of 
 the ball, and follow well through with the arms. This will 
 give the necessary elevation or loft. 
 
 For "wrist shots" with the iron, stand in a similar 
 manner as for " half shots," and use the wrists but not the 
 arms. 
 
 In "running" the ball with the iron (which by way of 
 choice should be done with the driving iron), keep the 
 hands forward in advance of the club head and let the club 
 follow the ball. This suggestion is meant to imply that the 
 stroke must not be of the character of a sudden rap. 
 
 Again, in using the iron niblick — which must be classed 
 among the iron clubs, and is a most useful and powerful 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 
 
 33 
 
 weapon in a bunker — do not aim at hitting the ball, but 
 strike the sand about a couple of inches behind the ball. 
 Let the swinging of this club be effected in a straighter 
 manner than in the use of any other club. Use it more as 
 you would a pickaxe. 
 
 Putting. 
 
 I will now proceed to give you some few hints on putting. 
 Many of the best players vary in their standing position 
 
 while putting. Some stand in front of the ball, while others 
 take up a position behind it. Some, again, will stand near, 
 and others as far as possible from the ball ; while some will 
 grip the club short, and others give it its full length. But the 
 
 D 
 
34 GOLF. 
 
 following is, I think, the best course to adopt. Stand square 
 to the ball, having the feet about eighteen inches apart, and 
 so arrange yourself that the ball may lie a little nearer to 
 the right foot than to the left. Aim at the back of the 
 hole — which means the further side of the hole from where 
 you stand — and allow the putter, in its motion, to follow the 
 ball. But in doing so be careful to avoid shoving or push- 
 ing. The ball must be played fairly and honestly for the 
 hole. I have said, aim at the back of the hole. At first 
 sight, possibly the reason for this may not be apparent. 
 The simple reason is that the ball, if it fall short of the hole, 
 has no chance of going in. I therefore say, give the ball a 
 chance. The common advice of a professional teacher to 
 a beginner is, " Remember, the hole will not come to you." 
 
 The above advice holds good whether you use wooden or 
 iron putters. For my part I prefer the former. Still, if a 
 ball lies cupped on the green, then by all means use a 
 cleek, which is a most useful club when holing out. 
 
 In using the " cleek " let the club lie naturally, and do 
 not place it so as to make its face square to the ball. In 
 that case you would necessarily be obliged to stand very 
 much in front of the ball, and the hands being thus brought 
 too much in advance of the club head, a truly following 
 stroke under such circumstances could hardly be made. 
 
 Balls. 
 
 As it is most essential, when making a stroke, to keep 
 the eyes well fixed on the ball, be particular in always using 
 clean ones. A clean ball is a more sightly object than one 
 whose colour is that of terra firma. Besides, a clean object 
 may be struck with much greater precision than a dirty onej 
 and, again, dirt makes a ball so much heavier. You would 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 3S 
 
 do well in changing your balls after finishing out at each 
 hole. 
 
 Never, if you can avoid it, play with hacked balls, for it 
 must be self-evident that, just as a chipped ball will not run 
 true on a billiard-table, neither will a hacked ball run true 
 on the putting-green. If in playing you are obliged to lift 
 your ball out of water, be careful to wipe it until it be per^ 
 fectly dry. Wet balls will not travel so well as dry ones. 
 Choose a deeply moulded ball rather than one which is too 
 smooth, as the farmer travels better than the latter. 
 
 Teeing. 
 I have already explained the teeing-ground, and now, 
 on the subject of teeing, I offer you the following hints. 
 Whether the teeing be done by yourself, or whether it .be 
 done, as is usual, by the caddie whom you engage to carry 
 your clubs while at play, see that only a small pinch of 
 sand be used for the purpose. A ball placed upon a posi- 
 tive mound of sand is as unsightly as it is unnecessary, and 
 the practice is most absurd. Note well, the sand should 
 be so pinched up as to touch only the centre of the ball. 
 Some caddies and inexperienced persons will sometimes 
 put down a big pat of sand, into the centre of which they 
 positively press the ball. That ball I consider to be 
 bunkered rather than teed. 
 
 General Advice. 
 
 Lastly I come to more general advice, which I trust may 
 be also useful to a beginner. It not unfrequently happens 
 that the first day's play of a beginner is better than the 
 second. At this be not disheartened; it simply suggests 
 the necessity of more steady and quiet practice. If in 
 
36 GOLF. 
 
 playing you lose a hole, especially at the commencement of 
 the game, do not begin to fume and fret over it like a child 
 over spilt milk. Remember that other holes are before 
 you, and by steadying down you may possibly do better 
 with them. This holds good both^in score and hole play. 
 Many a good player may start with a record of two or three 
 holes to the bad, but in the end he may have so retrieved 
 himself as to come in with a good score, and possibly, after 
 all, he may be announced the winner. Never talk of bad 
 luck. If you make a bad shot, do not on the next occasion 
 dash at the ball in a rage and hit wildly, in which case the 
 last stroke will, in all probability, be worse than the former. 
 Do not in a fit of passion throw your clubs about. Such 
 an effort could certainly do you no good, and it might be 
 destructive to your clubs. Always remember that a bad 
 stroke is not the fault of the club, but of the man at the 
 end of it. 
 
 On the Rules of the Game. 
 
 In regard to this subject, I cannot urge too strongly the 
 necessity of preserving uniformity of rules wherever the 
 game of golf may be played. As the game is now rapidly 
 spreading in all parts of the globe, it requires no second 
 consideration that uniformity of rules for aU greens is really 
 an absolute necessity. Little diversity of practice is found 
 north of the Tweed, where for ages the game has been 
 played, and from whence the impetus has arisen for the 
 propagation of the game. The excellent rules devolved 
 and practised by our forefathers are worthy of our most 
 strict adherence, and any infringement of those rules would 
 certainly tend to demoralize the game. There has been 
 of late much correspondence in the columns of the Field 
 about this subject of uniformity of rules. For on this side 
 
ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS. 37 
 
 of the Tweed, where new greens have been opened, there 
 has cropped up much diversity of opinion in regard to the 
 rules of the game, and it seems that the further south you 
 travel the more this feeling prevails. I regard this as a 
 great misfortune. It is nothing short of an endeavour to 
 create a schism which deserves the severest censure. 
 According to my own experience, there is no end to the 
 whims and fancies of some beginners. As one instance 
 how the game might be deprived of one of its main features, 
 not long ago I was actually told by a promising beginner 
 that he really thought it most unfair to count misses as 
 strokes. 
 
 I therefore unhesitatingly recommend all beginners, and 
 all persons concerned in laying out new greens, to adopt at 
 once the rules of golf as it is played over the links at St. 
 Andrews, and to insist on their being strictly regarded by 
 all players as " the law of the Medes and Persians which 
 altereth not." I have played over many greens, but have 
 never yet met with any green to which the St. Andrews 
 rules could not strictly be applied. Indeed, I do not 
 believe that such a green could possibly be found. 
 
 But still, apart from the rules of the game proper, it may 
 be found necessary to frame bye-laws to meet certain pecu- 
 liarities attending every green, since no two greens will be 
 alike in their surroundings. Such bye-laws must be kept 
 separate and apart ' from the rules of the game, and they 
 should never be so framed as to make void any established 
 and definite rule of the game. 
 
 The rules of golf as played by the Royal and Ancient 
 Club at St. Andrews are clear and concise, and they are 
 admirably adapted, according to my own experience, for 
 either inland or seaside links. 
 
 Let a beginner study those rules most assiduously, and 
 
38 GOLF. 
 
 acquire them by heart. The more study he gives them, 
 combined with practice, the more will he feel that neither 
 one jot should be added thereto nor one tittle taken there- 
 from. 
 
 I now append those rules by which the game is played 
 at St. Andrews, as also a list of bye-laws or local rules 
 applicable to that green. Beyond this I also submit, as a 
 further guide, the bye-laws of the Cambridge University 
 Golf Club as being peculiar to Coldham Links, Cambridge. 
 
RULES OF GOLF 
 
 AS PLAYED BY 
 
 THE ROYAL AND ANCIENT GOLF CLUB 
 OF ST. ANDREWS, 1888. 
 
 I. — Mode and Order of Playing the Game. 
 
 1. The game of Golf is generally played by two Mode. 
 sides. Each side may consist either of one person or 
 
 of two, who play alternately. It may also be played 
 by three or more sides, ea,ch playing its own ball. 
 
 2. The game commences by each side playing off order, 
 a ball from a place called the " ieeing-ground," for the 
 first hole. In a match with two on a side, the partners 
 shall strike off alternately from the tee; and the 
 players opposed to each other shall be named at 
 starting, and shall continue in the same order during 
 
 the match. The player entitled to play off first shall 
 be named by the parties themselves, and his side shall 
 continue to lead off, till they lose a hole ; and although 
 the courtesy of starting is generally granted to captains 
 of the Club and old members, it may be settled by lot 
 or toss of a coin. 
 
 3. The hole is won by the side holing at fewest Score, 
 strokes ; and the reckoning of the strokes is made by 
 
 the terms odds and like, two-more, three-more, one off 
 two, etc. 
 
40 GOLF. 
 
 Striking off. 4. The side gaining a hole shall lead at the next, 
 except at the commencement of a new match, in 
 which case the winner of the previous match is to 
 lead, and is entitled to claim his privilege and recall 
 his opponenf s stroke should he play out of order. 
 
 ".Honour." This privilege is called the " honour." 
 
 Match. 5. One round of the Links is reckoned a match, 
 
 unless otherwise stipulated. The match is won by 
 the side which wins one, or more holes, in excess of 
 the number of holes remaining to be played. 
 
 Playing out 6. If, in a double match, a player shall play when 
 his partner should have done so, his side loses the 
 hole. 
 
 II.— Place of Teeing and Playing through the 
 Green. 
 
 Place of 7. The ball must be teed within the marks laid 
 
 down by the conservator of the Links, which shall 
 be considered the " teeing-ground." The balls shall 
 not be teed in advance of such marks, nor more than 
 two club lengths behind them. 
 
 Ball recalled. 8. A ball played in contravention of this rule may 
 be recalled by the opposite side. 
 
 Playing 9. After the balls are struck off, the ball furthest 
 
 through the - 111 1*11 ■ ■, . 
 
 green. irom the hole to which the parties are playing must 
 be played first. No player shall play his teed "ball 
 till the party in front have played their second strokes ; 
 nor play on to the putting-green till the party in front 
 of him has holed out. 
 
 Note to Bole 11. 
 
 Practising 9 (")■ It is requested that when a party is waiting to approach 
 putts. the hole, the party that has "holed out" will not cause delay 
 
 by trying their putts over again. 
 
RULES OF GOLF. 41 
 
 III.— Changing the Balls. 
 
 10. The balls struck off from the tee must not be changtng 
 changed, touched, or moved, before the hole is played ' ' * "• 
 out (except in striking, and the cases provided for by 
 Rules IV., v., VII., VIII., IX., XIII,, and XVI.) ; 
 and if the sides are at a loss to know one ball from 
 the other, neither shall be touched without the consent 
 of both. 
 
 IV.— Lifting of Break Clubs. 
 
 11. All loose impediments within a club length of Lifting of 
 the ball may be removed, unless the ball lies within 
 
 a bunker ; on sand ; on a molehill ; on a road ; or 
 other hazard ; or touching a growing whin. (Rules 
 VI., IX., and XII.) 
 
 12. When a ball lies in a bunker, sand, or any impression 
 other hazard, there shall be no impression made by °" '^"^' 
 the club whilst addressing the ball, nor sand nor other 
 obstacle removed " before striking at the ball." 
 
 13. A ball lying on sand, sprinkled on grass on the Sandon 
 course for the preservation of the Links, shall be '^°"'^'' 
 treated as if it lay on grass. 
 
 14. On no occasion is it allowable to press down Pressing 
 any irregularities of surface, to improve the lie of the faSr^^"' 
 ball. 
 
 15. When a ball lies near a washing-tub or imple- wasWng- 
 ments used in the up-keep of the Links, they may be '"''• 
 removed, and when on clothes, the ball may be lifted Clothes. 
 and dropped behind them, without a penalty. 
 
42 GOLF. 
 
 V. — Entitled to see the Ball. 
 
 Entitled to i6. When a ball is completely covered with fog, 
 see the ball. }^^^^^ whins, etc., only so much thereof shall be set aside 
 
 as that the player shall have a view of his ball before 
 
 he plays, whether in a line with the hole or otherwise. 
 Growing 1 7. Nothing that is growing may be bent, broken, 
 
 o stac es. ^^^ removed, except in the act of striking at the ball, 
 
 or in the special occasion provided for in par. 1 6. 
 Ball struck. 1 8. A ball stuck fast in wet ground or sand may 
 
 be taken out and replaced loosely in the hole it has 
 
 made. 
 
 VI.— Clearing the Putting-Green. 
 
 Clearing the ig. All loose impediments, except the opponent's 
 
 green. ball, may be lifted on the putting-green 
 
 Putting- 20. The term " putting-green " shall be considered 
 
 to mean those portions of the links devoid of hazards 
 
 within 20 yards of a hole. 
 
 Note to Bule VI. 
 
 Ice or snow. 20 {a). When ice or snow lies on the putting-greens, parties 
 are recommended to make their own arrangements as to its 
 removal or not, before commencing their match. 
 
 VII.— Lifting Balls. 
 
 Lifting balls. 21. When the balls lie within six inches of each 
 six inches.'" Other, in any situation, the ball nearer the hole to 
 which the parties are playing must be lifted till the 
 other is played, and then placed as nearly as possible 
 in its original position. Should the ball furthest from 
 the hole be accidentally moved in so doing, it must 
 be replaced without a penalty. The six inches to be 
 measured from the nearest surfaces of the balls. 
 
RULES OF GOLF. 43 
 
 22. In a three or more ball match a ball in any Bail in 
 degree lying between the player and the hole must be match^"" 
 lifted as above, or, if on the putting-green, holed 
 
 out. 
 
 VIII.— Ball in Water. 
 
 23. If the ball lie in water, the player may take it Bail in 
 out, change it if he pleases, drop it, and play from 
 behind the hazard, losing a stroke. 
 
 IX. — Rubs of the Green and Penalties. 
 
 24. Whatever happens to a ball by accident, such Rubs of the 
 as being moved or stopped by any person not engaged Baiuouch- 
 in the match, or by the fore caddie, must be reckoned p"fye?orfoie 
 a "rub on the green," and submitted to. ''^^''^' . 
 
 25. If, however, the player's ball strike his opponent Penalties. 
 or his opponent's caddie or club, or is moved by °ru °k by' 
 them, the opponent loses the hole. •=^"- 
 
 26. If the ball strike himself or his partner, or Bail striking 
 either of their caddies or clubs, or is stopped by them, hittTng'bafi- 
 or if, while in the act of playing, he strikes the ball '"'"^^' 
 twice, the player loses the hole. 
 
 27. If the player, or his partner, touch their ball Touching 
 with the foot or any part of the body (except as pro- ^ ' 
 vided for in Rules IV., V., VII., and VIII. ), or with 
 anything except the club, his side loses a stroke. 
 
 28. If the player, whilst addressing himself to the Bail moving 
 ball on any occasion, except at the tee, touch it so as dressing. 
 to cause it to move, or if his hand, foot, or club 
 
 touch a bent, stick, or anything which causes the ball 
 
 to move, or if the player's caddie move the ball, he caddie 
 
 loses ^ stroke. moving bail. 
 
 29. A ball is considered to have been moved if it what con- 
 
44 
 
 GOLF. 
 
 stitutes a 
 moved ball. 
 
 Striking 
 opponent's 
 ball, and 
 changing 
 balls. 
 
 Ball played 
 away by 
 third party 
 or lifted. 
 
 leaves its original position in the least degree, and 
 stops in another; but if a player touches his ball so 
 as to make it merely oscillate and not leave its original 
 position, it is not considered to have been moved. 
 
 30. If a player or his caddie strike the opponent's 
 ball in any manner, that side loses the hole ; but if he 
 plays it inadvertently, thinking it is his own, and the 
 opponent also plays the wrong ball, it is then too late 
 to claim the penalty, and the hole must be played out 
 with the balls thus changed. If, however, the mistake, 
 occurs from wrong information given by one party 
 to the other, the penalty cannot be claimed, and 
 the mistake, if discovered before the other party has 
 played, must be rectified by replacing the ball as 
 nearly as possible where it lay. 
 
 31. If a player's ball be played away by mistake, or 
 be lifted by any agency outside the match, then the 
 player must drop it, or another ball, as near the spot 
 as possible without any penalty. Should this occur 
 on the putting-green the ball may be replaced by 
 hand. 
 
 X.— Ball lost. 
 
 Ball lost. 32. In match-playing, a ball lost entails the loss of 
 
 the hole. Should the ball not be found within ten 
 minutes, the opposite side can claim the hole. 
 
 Club break- 
 ing. 
 
 XI.— Club breaking. 
 
 33. If, in striking, the club breaks, it is neverthe- 
 less to be counted a stroke, if the part of the club 
 remaining in the player's hand either strike the 
 ground or pass the ball. 
 
RULES OF GOLF. 45 
 
 XII.— Holing out the Ball. 
 
 34. In holing, no mark shall be placed, or line Holing out 
 drawn, to indicate the line to the hole ; the ball must 
 
 be played fairly and honestly for the hole, and not on 
 the opponent's ball, not being in the way to the hole ; 
 nor, although lying in the way to the hole, is the 
 player entitled to play with any strength upon it, that 
 might injure his opponent's position, or greater than 
 is necessary honestly to send his own ball the dis- 
 tance of the hole. 
 
 35. Either player, when it is his turn to play, may Removal of 
 
 . 111 sand or 
 
 remove, but not press down, sand, or worm-heaps, worm-heaps. 
 lying around the hole, or on the line of his "put;" 
 but this must be done lightly by the player or his 
 caddie, with the hand only. Except as above men- 
 tioned, or when the player is in the act of addressing 
 himself to his ball, the putting-line must not be 
 touched by club, hand, nor foot. If the player desires 
 the "line to the hole," it may be pointed out by a 
 club shaft only. 
 
 36. If, in holing out, the -ball rest upon the flag- Flag-stick. 
 stick in the hole, the player shall be entitled to have 
 
 the stick removed, and if the ball fall in, it shall be 
 considered as holed out ; but either party is entitled 
 to have the flag-stick removed when approaching the 
 hole. When a player's ball rests on the lip of the Bail on Up- 
 hole, his opponent, after holing in the "odd" or ° 
 the "like," shall be entitled to strike away the ball 
 which is at the lip of the hole, claiming the hole if he 
 shall have holed in the "like," and the "half" if he 
 shall have holed in the " odd." BuJ: no player shall 
 
46 
 
 GOLF. 
 
 be entitled to play until his opponent's ball shall have 
 ceased rolling. 
 
 XIII.— Unplayable Balls. 
 
 Unplayable 37- In maU/i-]Aa.y'mg every ball must be played, 
 balls. wherever it lies, or the hole be given up, excepting 
 
 where otherwise provided for (Rules IV. and VIII.). 
 In golfing 38. If a ball lies in any of the holes made for 
 g?(iundunder golfiug, or OH ground under repair by the conservator 
 repair. q£ ^j^g Liuks, it may be lifted, dropped behind the 
 
 hazard, and played without losing a stroke. 
 
 39. In all cases where a ball is to be dropped, the 
 
 party doing so shall front the hole to which he is 
 
 playing, standing behind the hazard, and dropping 
 
 the ball behind him from his head. 
 
 Dropping a 
 ball. 
 
 Asking 
 advice. 
 
 XIV.— Asking Advice. 
 
 40. A player must not ask advice about the game, 
 by word, look, or gesture, from any one except his 
 own caddie, his partner's caddie, or his partner. 
 
 Parties pass- 
 ing each 
 other. 
 
 Two-balls 
 
 passing 
 three-ball 
 match. 
 Parties not 
 soing whole 
 round. 
 
 XV. — Parties passing each other. 
 
 41. Any party having lost a ball, and incurring 
 delay by seeking for it, may be passed by any other 
 party coming up. 
 
 42. On all occasions a two-ball match may pass a 
 party playing three or more balls. 
 
 43. Parties turning before going the whole round 
 must let any two-ball match that has done so, pass 
 them. 
 
SPECIAL RULES FOR MEDAL PLAY. 47 
 
 XVI.— Balls splitting. 
 
 44. If a ball splits into two or more pieces, a fresh Bails split- 
 ball shall be put down where the largest portion of '"^' 
 
 the ball lies ; and if a ball is cracked, the player may 
 change it on intimating his intention of doing so to 
 his opponent. 
 
 XVII.— Breach of Rules. 
 
 45. Where no penalty for the infringement of a Breach of 
 rule is specially mentioned, the loss of the hole shall ™ '^' 
 be understood to be the penalty. 
 
 SPECIAL RULES FOR MEDAL PLAY. 
 
 1. If the lowest score should be made by two or Medal com- 
 more, the ties will be decided by the parties playing p"^""™' 
 another round, either that day or the following, as the 
 captain, or, in his absence, the secretary, may direct. 
 
 2. On the morning of the medal day new holes New holes. 
 will be made, and any member playing at them before 
 
 he competes will be disqualified, 
 
 3. Before starting each competitor must obtain Scoring. 
 from the secretary a scoring card, and in the absence 
 
 of a special marker the players will note each other's 
 score. They must satisfy themselves, at the finish of medal 
 each hole, that their strokes have been accurately ^^^''' 
 marked; and on completion of the round hand the 
 card to the secretary or his deputy. 
 
 4. All balls must be holed out, and when on the Holing out. 
 putting-green, the flag must be removed, and the 
 
 player whose ball is nearest the hole has the option 
 
48 
 
 GOLF. 
 
 Ball inter- 
 fering with 
 stroke. 
 
 Lost ball. 
 
 Striking 
 himself etc. 
 
 Lifting un- 
 playable 
 balls. 
 
 Profes- 
 sionals. 
 General. 
 
 of holing out first. Either player can have another 
 player's ball lifted if he finds that it interferes with his 
 stroke. The ball that has been lifted must be care- 
 fully replaced. 
 
 5. If a ball be lost, the player returns to the spot, 
 as near as possible where the ball was struck, tees 
 another ball, and loses a stroke. If the lost ball be 
 found before he has struck the other ball, the first 
 shall continue the one to be played. 
 
 6. A player striking his caddie, or himself, or his 
 clubs, with his ball, or who, in the act of playing, 
 strikes the ball twice, shall lose one stroke only as the 
 penalty. 
 
 7. A ball may, under a penalty of two strokes, be 
 lifted out of a difficulty of any description, and teed 
 behind the same. 
 
 8. No competitor may play with a professional. 
 
 9. The ordinary rules of Golf, so far as they are 
 not at variance with these special rules, shall also be 
 applicable on medal days. 
 
 LOCAL RULES FOR ST. ANDREWS 
 LINKS. 
 
 Telegraph 
 bonrd. 
 
 Swilcan 
 Burn. 
 
 Starting — Telegraph Board. 
 
 1. When the telegraph board is placed at the first 
 teeing-ground, a person will be in charge of it, to note 
 the order of starting. 
 
 Ball in Water. 
 
 2. If the ball lie in any position in the Swilcan 
 Burn, whether in water or not, the player may take 
 
LOCAL RULES. 49 
 
 it out, drop it on the line where it entered the burn, 
 on the opposite side to the hole to which he is play- 
 ing, and lose a stroke, or he may play it where it lies 
 without a penalty. 
 
 3. Should a ball be driven into the water of the The Eden 
 Eden at the high hole, or into the [sea at the first °' ^'*" 
 hole, the ball shall be teed a club length in front of 
 either river or sea, the player or side losing a stroke. 
 
 Ball Lost. 
 
 4. A ball getting into the enclosure (between the statbn- 
 Road and Dyke holes) called the " Station-Master's Sn? 
 Garden," shall be treated as a lost ball. 
 
 5. Parties having caddies may pass those carrying Parties 
 their own clubs. cadSfspass 
 
 those with- 
 out. 
 
 Medal Play. 
 
 6. All competitions for the medals of the Club will Medal com- 
 be decided by playing one round of the Links of 18 p^""°"' 
 holes* — the competitor doing it in fewest strokes 
 
 shall be the winner. 
 
 7. The order of starting will be balloted for the starting, 
 previous evening. Any couple not at the teeing- 
 ground when their number is called must go to the 
 bottom of the list. A party starting from the first tee 
 
 must allow the party in front of them to cross the 
 burn before striking off. 
 
 ♦ Excepting the "Glennie Medal," which is awarded to the 
 player whose combined scores, at the spring and autumn com- 
 petitions of the Club, are the lowest. The medal to be pre- 
 sented at the autumn meetings. 
 
 t Intending competitors must give in their names to the 
 secretary not later than five dclock p. m. 
 
 E 
 
50 GOLF. 
 
 Medal days. 8. A ball driven into the water of the Eden, or sea, 
 
 may be treated as a lost ball. 
 Private 9. AH private matches must be delayed till the last 
 
 "^ "^ '^' competitors have finished the first hole. 
 
 Disputes. 
 
 Disputes. 10. Any dispute respecting the play shall be deter- 
 mined by the Green Committee, with power to add to 
 their number. 
 
 BYE-LAW. 
 
 Seats. If a ball lies within two yards of a seat at the high 
 
 hole, it may be lifted and dropped two yards to the 
 side of the seat farthest from the hole. 
 
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CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY GOLF CLUB. 
 
 SCORE PLAY. 
 
 Special Bve-Laws to suit Coldham Links. 
 
 All ground beyond the ditches (and mill-dam) bounding 
 the Golf course is unplayable. 
 
 Rules. 
 
 1. If a ball be lost the player returns to the spot, as near 
 as possible, where the ball was struck, tees another ball and 
 loses a stroke. 
 
 2. If a ball be driven into any ditch (not out of bounds) 
 the player may take it out, drop and lose one, or tee it and 
 lose two strokes, or play the ball where it lies. When taken 
 out the ball must be dropped or teed within a club's length 
 from and at right angles to the ditch at the place where it 
 entered. 
 
 3. In playing Score Play a ball may, under a penalty of 
 two strokes, be lifted out of a difficulty of any description 
 and teed behind the same. 
 
 4. The ditch at the isth and 17th holes must be treated 
 as the Swilcan Burn, St. Andrews. See Rule VIII. Sec. 24. 
 
 5. All balls 7nust be holed out, and when on the putting- 
 green the flag must be removed from the hole. 
 
RULES OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY GOLF CLUB. 53 
 
 6. Any loose obstacle may be removed unless the ball lies 
 in a hazard, but this must be done by the player or his 
 caddie lightly with the hand only. 
 
 MATCH PLAY. 
 Rules. 
 
 1. All ground beyond the ditches bounding the Golf course 
 is unplayable ; a ball driven there shall be treated as a lost 
 ball, the penalty being the loss of the hole. See Rule X. 
 (N.B. — A lost ball is always a lost hole.) 
 
 2. If a ball lies in any position in the ditches (not out of 
 bounds), whether in water or not, the player may take it out 
 and drop it over his head (the penalty for so doing being 
 the loss of one stroke), or he may play it where it lies. The 
 ball must be dropped within a club's length from and at 
 right angles to the ditch at the place where it entered. 
 (N.B. —This rule covers the mill-stream at the isth, i6th, 
 and 17th holes, and the built conduit bounding the Links at 
 the 1 6th and 17th holes.) 
 
 3. The ditch at the isth and 17th holes must be treated 
 as the Swilcan Burn, St. Andrews. If the ball lie in any 
 position in the ditch at the isth and 17th holes, the player, 
 may take it out and drop it on the line where it entered the 
 ditch on the opposite, side to the hole to which he is playing, 
 and lose a stroke, or he may play it where it lies. 
 
 4. In Match. Play every ball must be played wherever it 
 lies or the hole given up, excepting where otherwise pro- 
 vided for. See Rules IV. and VIII. 
 
 5. If a ball lie in a footpath, ditch, mole-heap, or any other 
 hazard, the club must not, as usual, be placed on the ground 
 in addressing the ball so as to make any impression, nor 
 
54 GOLF. 
 
 earth, stones, sticks, or any other obstacle removed before 
 striking the ball. A ball lying on any bare patch of ground 
 not being a regular hazard may be treated as on grass. 
 
 6. A ball lying on or among roller scrapings can be treated 
 as if it lay on grass and the scrapiings removed lightly with 
 the hand only. 
 
 N.B. — The rules of Golf as they may from time to time be 
 fixed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, 
 and which may be seen in the Pavilion, will be strictly 
 adhered to. 
 
 By Order, W. T. Linskill, Hon. Sec. 
 
 London: printed by william clowes and sons, limited, 
 stamford street and charing cross. 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 FRANK S. CRESWELL. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 
 
 The Ground ... . ... ... .. 6 
 
 The Rules ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 
 
 The Umpires ... ., ... ... ... 9 
 
 The Play ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 
 
 The Goal-Keeper ... ... ... ... ... 12 
 
 The Backs ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 
 
 Playing without a Goal-Keeper ... ... ... .16 
 
 The Forwards ... ... ... ... 17 
 
 Combined Play ... ... ... ... ... 18 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 Among the many popular games which have come into 
 fashion of late years, hockey can claim a foremost place. 
 It is not a new game, as probably every one who has been 
 to school during the past thirty years can testify. But the 
 schoolboy hockey of yore, although the forerunner of the 
 present game, was very different from it as now played 
 according to the Association rules. Had players the un- 
 qualified option of striking their opponents across the shins 
 with their sticks, whenever these said opponents happened 
 to get on the wrong side (a practise long known as " shin- 
 ning," we believe), it would become such a terrible means 
 of chastisement that few men would care to face it and its 
 consequences. As a rule you find that hockey-players are 
 busy men — I mean men who have some daily occupation, 
 and to such men accidents are all the more serious, as it 
 means that their business must suffer should they be laid 
 up, be it only for two or three days. Therefore it stands to 
 reason that the safer the game can be made the more 
 popular it must become, provided you do not rob it of 
 some of its best points. It is easy to make a game safe, 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 no doubt, but the question is whether, after having secured 
 the safety, you have not entirely spoiled the original game. 
 For instance, in the case of hockey, let us substitute a soft 
 hollow indiarubber ball, and a light cane in place of the 
 proper hockey-stick. Security is probably attained, but how 
 about the game ? 
 
 This question of safety is, however, a very important 
 one, and has occupied the minds of the committee of the 
 Hockey Association for the past two or three seasons very 
 seriously, in trying to correct existing elements of danger 
 as well as to combat growing ones. As we all know, it is 
 the case with most new games, that as experience is gained, 
 new developments occur. These new developments are 
 often far from desirable, and it is, or should be, the care of 
 the recognized authority to check them when they are so. 
 Hockey is no exception, and what with existing elements of 
 danger and elements of danger still to be developed, we 
 may reckon on the fact that the Hockey Association will 
 have plenty of work in the few next succeeding years, both 
 in checking undesirable developments and in correcting 
 existing defects. 
 
 While admitting, as no doubt it is universally admitted 
 with regard to our English outdoor sports and games, that 
 you " cannot have a really good game without a spice of 
 danger," yet, nevertheless, when danger can be avoided 
 without spoiling a game, it is equally ridiculous and senseless 
 not to do so. Therefore I maintain that, as hockey is still, 
 so to speak, in its infancy, it behoves every one who is 
 interested in the game to do his individual best to forward 
 the interests of the game by a careful consideration of the 
 rules as they stand, and if he has any sound suggestions to 
 make, to lay them before the Association, who no doubt 
 will be only too pleased to listen, 
 
inthoductio.v. 
 
 Whilst on the subject of danger, I must mention one 
 of the worst and most fertile sources of accidents. This 
 is the reckless lifting or wielding of the stick above the 
 shoulder when in the act of striking the ball. This is 
 provided against in the rules ; but, nevertheless, the rule is 
 only too often broken, though for the most part uninten- 
 tionally. This I will touch upon later, but take this 
 opportunity of making a few remarks, not on the subject 
 exactly of "lifting the stick above the shoulder," but as 
 regards the long mowing or scythe sweeping stroke, adopted 
 to enable the striker to obtain as hard a hit as it is possible 
 to do, without running the risk of being pulled up by the 
 umpire when appealed to for " sticks." This mowing stroke 
 is an inpovation to be strongly deprecated, notwithstanding 
 that some players now make a practice of cultivating it. 
 The stroke has little to recommend it, and there is much 
 in it to condemn. There is a decided tendency, when 
 striking the ball in this manner, to " scoop " it into the air, 
 thus causing additional risk of accidents. For we will 
 imagine a forward player is closely following the ball, when 
 it is met by a half-back of the opposing side, who strikes 
 it in the manner just described, causing J:he ball to rise. 
 If the ball happens to come straight at the forward player's 
 face or head, nothing can save him from an ugly accident, 
 for from the speed with which the ball is returned it is 
 impossible to dodge or evade it, especially as the chances 
 are that the said player will be blown at the end of a 
 vigorous rush. 
 
 I have dwelt somewhat at length on the dangers of the 
 game, rather unnecessarily some may think, but I consider 
 that in putting some of the most risky features first, 
 I shall be absolved from any intention of throwing a 
 gentle glamour over it. I must ask the beginner to 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 follow me to the end of my remarks, and if hockey does 
 not then find favour in his eyes, let me recommend him to 
 play a few games — three is enough to develop a liking for 
 it — and if after that there is not sufficient keenness in the 
 young player, let him give it up and turn his hand to a 
 gentler pursuit, for he will not make a hockey-player. As 
 regards the more elderly beginner, if he has any doubts about 
 the game, I feel a certain reluctance in pressing him ; he may 
 be a married man, and have many and cogent reasons why 
 he should not play any violent games. Then if he be a 
 physically sound man, I should just advise him to try a 
 game or two to judge for himself. 
 
 Anybody can take up hockey who has been accustomed to 
 cricket, football, lawn-tennis, or any game requiring activity 
 and accuracy. It combines the accuracy of eye required 
 in cricket with the endurance and pluck necessary in 
 football. As in cricket, a good eye carries with it many 
 advantages, and as in cricket, I may also add, can the 
 possessor of a good eye be over-confident, and land himself 
 in disaster. But of this I will say more later. 
 
 As in football, coolness and decision in the back players 
 is as much wanted as endurance, pluck, and a dogged per- 
 severance is in the forward players. 
 
 The Ground. 
 
 A hockey-ground cannot be too level and smooth. The 
 more even it is the better. A good cricket-ground, if it 
 can be obtained, suits the purpose admirably. Unfor- 
 tunately, it is not always to be had, and when it is to be 
 had, objection may be raised against allowing hockey upon 
 it, on the score that it cuts up the ground too much, and 
 spoils it for cricket the ensuing season. As a rule, how- 
 
THE GROUND. 
 
 Y 
 
 
 D 
 
 
 
 ? 12 feet 
 
 G 
 1 
 
 
 D 
 
 1 
 
 t 
 
 V 
 
 \ 
 
 - 
 
 
 I 
 
 y 
 
 ^ 
 
 B- 
 
 E 
 
 t 
 
 
 ■a 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 + 
 
 
 
 
 
 <- 
 
 
 so 
 
 yard 
 
 s ^ 
 
 
 " 
 
 ■ -> 
 
 B- 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 
 E 
 
 E 
 
 
 
 
 12 feet 
 
 , 
 
 
 '^ 
 
 C, 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 IS 3 
 
 \c 
 
 ards 1 
 
 G 12 feet G 
 
 F F F F, Comer flag-posts. E B B B, Side boundary flag-posts. F D F, Goal-line. 
 D C E, Striking-circle. A, Mark in the centre of the ground, midway between 
 the-gtal-lines, at which the ball must be started by a "bully" at the commence- 
 ment of the game, and after a goal has been scored. 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 ever, I am inclined to think that few cricket-grounds would 
 be materially the worse for a season's hockey played upon 
 them, provided play is not carried on too far into the 
 spring, thus preventing its being got into proper order 
 while the turf is still soft and spongy. 
 
 The dimensions of the ground must be as follows : — 
 
 100 yards long. 
 Not more than 60 nor less than 50 „ wide. 
 
 It is marked out by posts in the same way as for foot- 
 ball. The goal-posts are twelve feet apart, and seven feet 
 high, a bar being carried across the top of the posts. A 
 line twelve feet long is marked out in white in front of 
 each goal G G, and parallel to the goal-line, at a distance 
 of fifteen yards from it. From each end of this line E E 
 quarter-circles are drawn to meet the goal-line at D, each 
 quarter-circle having the goal-post G for its centre. This 
 curved line is called the striking-circle. 
 
 The Rules. 
 
 As all particulars of the rules can be found in the Book 
 of Rules, published, by authority of the Hockey Association, 
 at the Field Office, 346, Strand, and as the said rules arc 
 copyright, it is not my intention to encroach on this subject. 
 The little books are published at the commencement of every 
 season — about the beginning of October — and have all the 
 latest new rules and alterations to old ones as passed by the 
 Association at the close of the past season. The secretary 
 of every club should provide himself with one or more 
 copies, which may be had for the moderate sum of sixpence 
 post free. 
 
THE UMPIRES. 
 
 The Umpires. 
 
 In all matches there should be two umpires if possible, 
 one nominated by each side. It often happens that by 
 accident there is only one umpire, but as the office is no 
 sinecure it is much better that it should be divided. Both 
 umpires should have a thorough knowledge of the game 
 and of the rules, should follow the game closely throughout, 
 and be ready when appealed to to give a prompt and ready 
 decision. By an addition to Rule 19, passed at the last 
 special committee meeting of the Hockey Association, held 
 in April, i8go, it is now decreed that each umpire shall take 
 half the ground and give decisions in that half only ; the 
 ground being divided by a line drawn at right angles to 
 the side lines through the centre of the ground. The 
 umpires must not cross over at half time, but continue to 
 judge for the same half throughout the game. This in a 
 great measure does away with the necessity for a referee, 
 but when a referee is appointed, as may happen when an 
 important match is to be played, his decision should be 
 final. Some useful " Hints to Umpires and Referees," as 
 approved by the Hockey Association, will appear in the 
 new edition of the Book of Rules in October. 
 
 The Play. 
 
 There is much to be said on the subject of playing the 
 game of hockey, and although views of eminent players 
 have altered considerably since the game first came into 
 notice, and, for that matter, are still undergoing change, I 
 think a few remarks may not be out of place as regards the 
 positions and duties of each different player. 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 Each side consists of eleven players. 
 
 They are placed as follows : — 
 
 The goal-keeper. 
 
 The three-quarter-backs, generally two in number, who 
 may be termed the second line of defence. 
 
 The half-backs, or first line of defence, are three in 
 number, one in the centre and one on either wing. 
 
 The forwards, five in nutnber, are disposed across the 
 ground in front of the half-backs, one in the centre and 
 two on either wing. 
 
 The captains of the respective sides having tossed for 
 choice of goals, the game is commenced by a "bully." 
 The ball is placed on the centre mark A. The centre 
 forward of each side stands between it and his own goal- 
 line, and strikes the ground and his opponent's stick 
 alternately three times, after which the ball is in play, 
 and may be hit at once by either of them. 
 
 The ball being once started, the forwards of each side 
 endeavour, by dribbling and passing, to carry it into the 
 opponents' striking-circle, and then if possible to score a goal. 
 
 When a "bully" occurs, every player must be between 
 his own goal-line and the ball. 
 
 If the ball be hit behind the goal-line by one of the 
 attacking side, it is dead, and must be brought out and 
 placed twenty-five yards from the goal-line, at a spot in 
 front of where it crossed the goal-line, and there restarted 
 by a "bully." 
 
 If the ball be hit behind the goal-line by one of the 
 defending side, or if it be hit by one of the attacking side 
 and cross the goal-line after striking or glancing off a 
 player of the defending side or his stick, a corner hit is 
 claimed. When a " corner " is allowed, all the defending 
 side must retire behind their own goal-line, the attacking 
 
THE PLAY. 
 
 side taking up their position on the outer edge of the 
 striking-circle. When all are in their places, the ball is 
 liit by one of the attacking side from a spot within a yard 
 of the corner flag-post, on whichever side the ball went ^ 
 behind, towards his own side on the edge of the striking-circle, 
 so that one or other of them may endeavour, by a sharp 
 and quick stroke, to drive the ball between the goal-posts. 
 As soon as the ball is hit, the defending side may rush 
 forward and try to prevent the attacking side from having 
 a cool and steady shot at goal. 
 
 Neither side may rush in before the ball has been hit 
 No goal can be scored unless the ball be hit by one of the 
 attacking side from within the striking-circle. Nor can a 
 goal be scored if one of the attacking side hit the ball from 
 outside the circle, even though it may have struck or 
 glanced off the stick or person of one of the defending 
 side. 
 
 Corners do not count as points scored. 
 Back-handed play. No player may strike or stop the 
 ball with the back or round side of his stick. A player so 
 offending is liable to have a " back-hander " claimed 
 against him, the penalty for which is a free hit for the 
 opponents. 
 
 When a "free hit" is allowed, none of the offending side 
 must be within five yards of the spot where the hit is 
 made. A free hit must be made at the spot where the 
 offence occurred, for which the penalty is claimed (see 
 Rules). 
 
 The ball is dead when it crosses the side boundary line 
 B B. It must be rolled in along the ground by one of the 
 opposite side to that which hit it out, in any direction 
 except forwards, and no player may hit it till it is five yards 
 within the. boundary line. 
 
tidckEY. 
 
 Offside. A player is offside if he is in advance of the 
 ball wlien it is hit to him by one of his own side, and when 
 there are not three of his opponents between him and the 
 opponents' goal at the moment of his hitting the ball. He 
 may not touch it till it has been hit by another player. 
 The penalty is a free hit. 
 
 The usual duration of the game is an hour and ten 
 minutes. The sides change goals at half-time. 
 
 The Goal-Keepee. 
 
 I will take the goal-keeper first, as all must admit his 
 responsibility is almost, if not quite, the greatest of any 
 player in the field. 
 
 AVho has not looked with shivering at the sturdy custo- 
 dian on a bleak wintry afternoon, as he stands quietly at 
 his post, or " between his posts," awaiting the moment 
 Avhen he may interpose to stop a rattling shot at goal? 
 Lucky man he that successfully stops the shot, and with 
 cool and unerring precision hits the ball well away out 
 beyond the striking-circle and far down one side of the 
 ground, where some wing of his own side is ready to 
 take it up and pass it to another of his side, who in his 
 turn may threaten the adversary's goal ! Supposing the 
 goal-keeper to have successfully met and countered the 
 attack, he can return to his old position with the inner 
 consciousness of having done his duty. Perhaps he is 
 called upon immediately after to parry another attack, 
 and, glowing still with his previous success, he confidently 
 awaits it. Alas ! the ball is struck this time quite as hard 
 as before, but the fates are against him ; it passes just out- 
 side his reach, just touches the tips of his fingers, and shoots 
 between him and the goal-post. " Why didn't I stand 
 
THE GOAL-KEEPER. 
 
 more this way ? " he mutters to himself in disgust. Never 
 mind, my good fellow ; you could not save it. You stood 
 well in the centre of the goal, properly enough, and luck, 
 or very excellent shooting, has gone against you. No man 
 on earth could have stopped that shot, unless he were 
 standing right in the course of the ball. 
 
 And so it is. Chance has much to be thanked or abused 
 for. Haven't we seen shot after shot, well directed and 
 sent straight between the goal-posts, strike full on the goal- 
 keeper's legs, as he stands with them pressed together like 
 a soldier at " attention " ? The goal-keeper flatters himself 
 he has done well, and far be it from me to decry him ; but 
 if he had not been standing ywj-/ there, what then ? 
 
 No doubt there is much judgment in knowing where to 
 stand, and an experienced goal-keeper will often be found 
 on the spot, while a novice would not. For this reason 
 therefore, it is unwise to say too much about " luck " and 
 '' chance." We have this element in most things in life, 
 some think; and the best way is to counteract Dame 
 Fortune when we can, and be beforehand with her. 
 
 To wind up my remarks on the goal-keeper. He should 
 be a cool, steady hand, not easily disturbed by trifles. 
 Keen and prompt when the terrible moment arrives, and 
 he sees an opponent just inside the circle free from ob- 
 struction, deliberately taking a shot at goal. 
 
 And withal he must be patient, and use his judgment 
 with great nicety to know whether to "stay in" or "go 
 out" to an advancing adversary. To attempt to describe 
 on paper when and how he is to act under these circum- 
 stances, would be waste of time. Let the would-be goal- 
 keeper practise ; this will teach him more than all the books 
 in the world. 
 
14 HOCKEY. 
 
 The Backs. 
 
 There has been, perhaps, more change in the disposition 
 of the " backs " in the game of hockey than in any other 
 place in the field. 
 
 Originally, when the game was in its infancy, one, or at 
 most two, backs were considered sufficient for defensive 
 purposes. Now, after various changes, we find most of the 
 leading clubs playing with the following formation. Two 
 three-quarter-backs are quartered just on or about the limit 
 of the striking-circle, one for each side. Or it is often 
 advisable to place one in advance of the other, so as to be 
 able to put a " lurking " opponent offside if occasion offers. 
 
 The three-quarter-backs have, next to the goal-keeper, the 
 greatest responsibility resting on them. I say "next to the 
 goal-keeper," but it is a question whether the post of three- 
 quarter-back is not a more nervous place to be in. For 
 this reason — he has no time, as a rule, to retrieve a mis- 
 take ; and, further, he seldom can plead one of the many 
 excuses which might be justified in a goal-keeper. When 
 one three-quarter-back is playing in advance of the other, the 
 one nearest his own goal should never be further forward 
 than the striking-circle. This should be a fixed axiom in 
 his mind. He must remember that he is the last line of 
 defence, and that without his near presence in front the 
 goal-keeper is practically helpless. 
 
 Occasions happen, of course, when a three-quarter-back 
 is obliged to use his discretion, and advance to meet an 
 attack, but let him beware if he misuses his discretion. 
 
 In front of the three-quarter-backs, and well pushed for- 
 ward, hanging on their forwards, so to speak, are placed 
 the three half-backs, one on either wing, and one in the 
 
THE BACKS. 15 
 
 centre. The centre is generally kept a little in advance 
 of the other two, and practically acts as a support to the 
 centre forward player. It has been but a recent experi- 
 ment, thus playing the centre half-back so far forward, and 
 I think, on the whole, it may be said to have worked suc- 
 cessfully. The two other half-backs need not be quite so 
 far forward as the centre half-back, but, nevertheless, should 
 keep well up, and follow their own forwards sufficiently near 
 to be able to a certain extent to act in support. 
 
 The advantage of playing the half-backs well to the front 
 is twofold. It enables them to stop and return a ball 
 promptly when it rolls towards them, either through its 
 having been missed by one of their own forwards, or some 
 other cause, and before one or two of the enemy's forwards 
 have a chance of getting clear away with the ball, and, by 
 dint of judicious combination, to make a successful run 
 down the ground and threaten the goal. And, secondly, 
 in the event of the ball being cleverly passed across and 
 behind one or other of the half-backs, there is ample time 
 to retrieve the misfortune by running back at once, and 
 either endeavouring to intercept the aggressors before they 
 reach the last line of defence in front of the goal-keeper, 
 namely, the three-quarter-backs, or else act in support of 
 these last-named. Many a goal has been thus saved when 
 the attacking side have appeared certain of scoring. 
 
 In a word, the first duty of a half-back is to "feed " the 
 forwards. If this were less often disregarded, we should 
 hear fewer complaints about hard hitting. 
 
 In repelling an attack, both half-backs and three-quarter- 
 backs should invariably stop the ball with their feet and legs 
 or hands, if it be travelling swiftly, and return it into the 
 enemy's quarters, or, better still, to one of the forwards of 
 their own side, promptly and smartly. Many a player " with 
 
1 6 HOCKEY. 
 
 a good eye " is tempted to hit a swiftly travelling ball as it 
 comes towards him, but it is an uncertain practice, and 
 strongly to be deprecated. 
 
 A half-back may sometimes do it, but at his own risk ; a 
 three-quarter-back — never. 
 
 A word as to the manner of hitting the ball, as applicable 
 alike to both sections of back players, may here be inserted. 
 I allude to the vicious practice of " scooping " the ball 
 mentioned above. Such players seem to have overlooked 
 or forgotten the fact that they are required to return the 
 ball to the forward players, and are not required to drive the 
 ball with the utmost power they are capable of into the 
 enemy's quarter. AMien this is done, it is generally hit 
 equally hard back again by one of the backs on the opposite 
 side, with the plain result that for a short time the whole 
 field are mere spectators of a trial of hitting power between 
 the respective backs. Anything more absurd it is impos- 
 sible to imagine, to say nothing of the danger attending the 
 practice both to the players and the spectators. Let backs 
 remember, then, that a strong, sharp stroke is all that is 
 necessary ; and the sooner we see an end to the faults just 
 mentioned, the better and more popular will the game of 
 hockey become. 
 
 Playing without a Goal-Keeper. 
 
 The practice of playing without a goal-keeper has been 
 successfully tried by the Molesey and one or two other 
 leading clubs this past season (1889-1890). Instead of 
 the regular goal-keeper the two three-quarter-backs take 
 the responsibility of defending the goal. When hard 
 pressed by their opponents it is usual for one of them to 
 fall back into goal, while the other advances and endeavours 
 to prevent his opponents having a shot, 
 
THE FORWARDS. i^ 
 
 This system has its advantages, principally, in that it is 
 difficult for an opponent to be much in advance of the 
 ball without being "offside." On the other hand, it has its 
 disadvantages. Without venturing a decided opinion as to 
 which system is best as a general rule, I think it can fairly 
 be said that whenever this new formation has been tried in 
 important matches during the past season it has been 
 successful. But it must not be forgotten that in each 
 instance the two three-quarter-backs were of the best. 
 Therefore it may be said that it is an advantage when the 
 two three-quarter-backs can be completely relied upon, but 
 not so otherwise. 
 
 The Forwards. 
 
 What I have to say with regard to the forward players, 
 is in the inverse ratio to the amount of work that falls to 
 their lot. : 
 
 To put it briefly, they are the life of the game. The 
 qualifications necessary are condition, pluck, and stay, with 
 coolness and precision when the happy moment comes for 
 " a shot." 
 
 The forwards' duties are simple, so are they the hardest, 
 and gameness best describes the necessary qualifications. 
 
 They are divided into three sections — centre and right 
 and left wings. According to the formation lately adopted, 
 there is one centre and two on each wing. All the for- 
 wards must be fast, and should be prompt and accurate in 
 taking up a ball when passed to them without " boggling " 
 or delay. At all times they should remain in their respective 
 places, and always be ready to pass the ball to one of their 
 own side. The failure to observe this does more, perhaps, 
 towards the losing of a match than any other defect. There 
 
 B 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 is nothing more aggravating to witness than to see one 
 player pass the ball smartly on to where another of his side 
 should be, to find the said player is not in his proper place, 
 and therefore unable to take the ball intended for him. It 
 disorganizes the side, and cannot fail to worry the captain. 
 
 Combined Play. 
 
 Hockey up to two seasons ago was exclusively a dribbling 
 game. The player who happened to have the. ball kept it 
 pretty much to himself as long as he could do so, without 
 any thought of combination . in passing the ball to another 
 player on his own side, very much in the same way as some 
 of us remember football was played in our school-days, 
 before the Football Association adopted the more scientific 
 method of playing by combination. For the past two 
 seasons, however, a desired change has been made in 
 hockey. The combination game is becoming more and 
 more known, and recognized as a decided improvement by 
 experienced players. 
 
 Many clubs, or I should say nearly all clubs, attempt to 
 play it, but only a very few can as yet play it as it should 
 be played. But the tendency is in the right direction. It 
 is a comparatively new method, and we cannot expect men 
 to jump at once into a new method and excel in it. It takes 
 time, but as long as the will is there the result is certain. 
 
 The captain's responsibilities and duties are decidedly 
 increased by the combination game. It creates more 
 scope for generalship. The captain must have his eyes 
 constantly on the watch, to keep the men of his side in 
 their places. There should be no compromise. The 
 temptation may be strong in a " wing " player to rush to 
 the opposite wing, because there seems a chance of doing 
 
COMBINED PLAY. .19 
 
 useful work, but it must be checked. Laxness in this 
 respect is the source of many defeats, and every offence of 
 the kind should be at once noticed, and the offender 
 rebuked. If a player continues to offend, the best plan is 
 to leave him out of the team till he learns to obey. He 
 may urge many grounds in defence of his excess of zeal, 
 but the principle is wrong, and although I am far from 
 saying that circumstances never occur when a man may 
 leave his appointed place in the field, such circumstances 
 are not very frequent; and when an experienced player 
 does so offend, and he succeeds in obtaining a decided 
 advantage for his side, why, then it ^■ests with the captain to 
 pardon him the breach of discipline on the strength of the 
 success of the manoeuvre. " Nothing succeeds like success " 
 is very true, but the doctrine is not a very safe one. 
 
 Before concluding these notes on hockey, it may not 
 be out of place to touch on a suggestion made at the end 
 of the past season, viz. that the ball should not be hit 
 at any time more than five feet from the ground, the decision 
 to rest with the umpire. Other players have gone further, 
 and suggested two feet from the ground as the limit. Whilst 
 agreeing thoroughly with the motive which urged these 
 suggestions, namely, that the game may be made as little 
 dangerous as possible, I hesitate to form a decided opinion 
 till the question has been more generally discussed, and 
 even tried in actual play. I am far from condemning the 
 suggestion, and think that, if it can be satisfactorily put in 
 practice, it would be a decided improvement in the game. 
 At the same time, the greatest caution is necessary, when 
 dealing with alterations in rules or with new rules, not to 
 be too precipitate, as much may be done which it is very 
 soon found must be undone. 
 
 The principal arguments against the suggestions above 
 
HOCKEY. 
 
 named are the inadvisability of putting so much power in 
 the umpire's hand, nay, even the impossibility of the umpire 
 giving a correct decision in the many instances wlien the 
 height of the ball's course might be brought into question. 
 
 But these arguments, I think it will be shown, can be 
 reasonably combated. 
 
 Finally, I would say this, that all the rules in the world 
 will not keep a game what it should be, and what it is 
 intended to be, unless the players themselves obey the rules 
 implicitly, and, further, obey those unwritten rules which 
 common sense cannot but tell them are necessary to make 
 the game of hockey as healthy and enjoyable as it is a 
 thoroughly good English game. 
 
THE ALL-ENGLAND SERIES. 
 
 GOLF. 
 
 BV 
 
 W. T. LINSKILL, 
 
 HON. SEC. AND LATE CAPTAIN OF THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY GOLF CLUB. 
 
 Illustrated. Price is. 
 
 "Mr. Linskill keeps to his game and gives the tyro much useful 
 information." — Scots Magazine. 
 
 "The book is one of the best of its kind which has come our 
 way, and we can recommend it as being practical in all details, and 
 thoroughly reliable." — Scottish Sport. 
 
 " His directions for playing the game are so clearly given that 
 misunderstanding seems impossible." — Manchester Examiner. 
 
 "A well- written manual." — Scotsman. 
 
 ' ' Altogether the history, scope, and rules of the game are stated 
 with a conciseness and plainness that leave nothing to be desired," — 
 Glasgow Herald, 
 
 LAWN TENNIS. 
 
 BY 
 
 H. W. W. WILBERFORCE. 
 
 Price IS. 
 
 ' ' We can cordially recommend tliis book to our readers." — Field. 
 
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 many new and useful hints." — Pastime. 
 
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 COVENT GARDEN. 
 
THE ALL-ENGLAND SERIES. 
 
 CRICKET. 
 
 BY 
 
 HON. REV. E. LYTTELTON, 
 
 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY ELEVEN, 1875-8 ; HEAD MASTER OF [hAILEYBURY COLLEGE, 
 
 Illustrated, Price is. 
 
 Jtist published. 
 
 CYCLES AND CYCLING. 
 
 BV 
 
 H. H. GRIFFIN, 
 
 LONDON ATHLETIC CLUB, N.C.Lr., C.T.C. ; 
 AUTHOR OF "BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES OF THE YEAR." 
 
 WITH A CHAPTER FOR LADIES, 
 
 BY 
 
 MISS L. C. DAVIDSON. 
 
 Illustrated. Price is. 
 
 fust published. 
 
 TENNIS, RACKETS, AND FIVES. 
 
 BV 
 
 JULIAN MARSHALL, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE ANNALS OF TF.NNIS ; " 
 
 AND 
 
 REV. J. ARNAN TAIT, 
 
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 Illustrated. Price is. 
 
 Immediately. 
 
 LONDON : GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET, 
 COVENT GARDEN. 
 
THE ALL-ENGLAND SERIES . 
 
 BOXING. 
 
 BY 
 
 R. G. ALLANSON-WINN, 
 
 TNNS OF COURT SCHOOL OF ARMS, WINNER OF THE MIDDLE WEIGHTS, 
 CAMBRIDGE, 187&-7; HEAVY AVEIGHTS, 1877-8. 
 
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 novice to see what he should do with the gloves and what he should 
 not do with them, the brochure is well worth the modest price charged 
 for it." — Pendragon in the Referee. 
 
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 the numerous and admirably executed illustrations." — St. yames's 
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 FOOTBALL (Rugby Game). 
 
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 TREASURFR OF THE RUGBV FOOTBALL UNION, LATE CAPTAIN OF THE OXFORD 
 UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL CLUR. 
 
 Price IS. 
 
 " Treats of the sport in a practical manner, giving valuable hints 
 to the several types of players, setting forth the duties of a referee, and 
 containing interesting chapters on the reform of the laws and the effect 
 of pi-ofessionalism; the last named being contributed by Mr, Budd." — 
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 required by the players to fit them for the various positions in the field 
 duly described, while each section is freely intei-spersed with hints." — 
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THE ALL-ENGLAND SERIES. 
 
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 EXERCISE. 
 
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 Jn the press. . 
 
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 AT THE GERMAN GYMNASIUM. 
 
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