TENNIS FOR WOMEN MISS MOLLA BJURSTEDT TENNIS FOR WOMEN BY MOLLA BJURSTEDT National, Indoor, Clay Court, Metropolitan, and Middle States Woman Champion, 1915 AND SAMUEL CROWTHER Illustrated from photographs Garden City New York DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1916 36 Copyright, igi6, by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian MAY 17 1915 CU 43*03 5 FOREWORD This little book does not pretend to be a scientific treatise on the game of tennis. It presents my ideas of the game particularly as it should be played by women. Many excellent players will undoubtedly agree with me and many other equally excellent play- ers will undoubtedly disagree with me. I do not con- ceitedly claim that I am always right nor will I con- cede for a moment that I am always wrong. I merely sketch the game as I know it. MOLLA BjURSTEDT. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Foreword v I. The Woman's Game 3 II. Taking Up Tennis 19 III. The Strokes That Win — The Drives 32 IV. Aces or Double Faults — The Ser- vice 49 V. The Volley and the Lob ... 65 VI . Putting a Twist on the Ball . . 80 VII. Playing the Game — Singles . . 92 VI 1 1 . Playing the Game — Mixed Doubles and Women's Doubles . . 112 IX. At the Top of One's Game . . 124 X. The Test of the Tournaments . 142 XI. What Not to Wear 151 XII. The Practice That Helps . . . 155 XIII. Mostly Personal 164 Vll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Miss Molla Bjurstedt . Frontispiece FACING PAGE The Beginning of the Forehand Drive The Grip for the Forehand Drive . The Finish of the Forehand Drive . Finish of the Forehand Drive . . . The Service of Mrs. George W. Wightman The Beginning of the Service . . . At the Finish of the Service . . . Driving a Short Lob A Low Backhand Volley in Mid Court A Forehand Volley Near the Net . Service of Miss Mary Browne . . The Beginning of the Backhand Drive The Follow Through on the Backhand Drive Finish of the Forehand Drive — on the Wrong Foot The Service of Miss Ann Sheafe . 8 22 34 42 52 58 64 78 88 100 114 130 138 ' 150 162 TENNIS FOR WOMEN TENNIS FOR WOMEN CHAPTER I THE WOMAN'S GAME TAKE the net as soon as you can — and don't let her pass you." I heard this instruction given to a young girl by a man ranking in the first ten. The girl took the advice eagerly — as though it were new and unusual. A few weeks later I saw her playing; she was faithfully following the principle in so far as reaching the net was con- cerned but she was being passed at will. Her op- ponent, who had not nearly so much tennis ability, was winning rather easily. The admonition to play the volley game is perfectly sound; the style is most effective — if you can play it. I have never known a girl or a woman who could play a net game in singles through three hard sets — [3] TENNIS FOR WOMEN who could reach the net, volley consistently, and keep the pace. And yet I do not know how many thousands are trying to progress in this style of game under the impression that first-class tennis is not to be achieved without imitating Mr. Maurice McLoughlin. Mr. McLoughlin, at his best, is a marvellous player; he can do things which an ordi- nary human is foolish to attempt. And he must be in the most splendid physical and mental condition to play his own peculiar game. No other man has ever yet been able to put over a railroad serve, follow up to the net, and play the ball almost continuously in the air; it demands more energy and endurance than even the trained man possesses. Mr. John- ston, the present champion, and Mr. Williams, the 19 14 champion, have flashes of the McLoughlin game, but they find hard driving more economical of effort and just as effective in point getting. If the men in the first flight cannot play the hard serving, smashing game, how foolish it is for the average girl to experiment with it ! [4] THE WOMANS GAME No woman has the strength, the reach, or the quick- ness of the skilful tennis man, and to play consist- ently at the net requires the ultimate in strength, reach, and quickness. It is silly to take the net and be passed by the first return, but only extraor- dinary speed and reach will avoid passing, while just as uncommon spryness is needed to go back to the base line for the lobs. I have never had much difficulty in passing an inveterate volleyer or in forc- ing her back by hard drives, and while she is ex- hausting herself, I am consuming comparatively little energy. The best volleyer that I have seen among women is Mrs. George W.Wightman (Miss Hazel Hotchkiss). She is deadly at the net; she is the best partner to be found among all the women for mixed doubles because there she can show her volley skill; but she cannot often keep up the pace of her game through three sets of singles. I have played against her many times and she always leads me until the effort of her game begins to wear her down. I am con- [5] TENNIS FOR WOMEN siderably stronger than most women, but I could not play the man's game. I think it best for a woman to realize that she is a woman and to adopt a style of tennis play which will call for all the generalship and strength which she can claim— but not for more. Any girl will find her best tennis by concentrating on the drives rather than on the service and by mak- ing use of the volley only when circumstances prom- ise an ace. Accuracy and speed from the base line make up the game of tennis for women. It is not a spectac- ular style, but it wins. I do not for a moment ad- vocate pat ball and I do not consider it enough merely to make a return. I have nothing of gentle- ness in my own game, but I do not attempt the im- possible — and I hold the net game for women ap- proaches the impossible. The base-line game is almost universal abroad, although English women volley much more than is generally supposed. The average of play abroad, [6] THE WOMAN S GAME taking the whole tournament season, is somewhat higher than in the United States. I think this is because the women in England, Germany, and France give vastly more attention to their form in driving. American women waste so much time in a vain attempt to learn to volley that they neglect the foundation of their game. I have yet to know a first-class volleyer among women who has consistently won from a hard-hitting base-line player. Mrs. Bundy (Miss May Sutton) is a hard and accurate driver; it was her driving that brought her the English championship, although she plays extremely well overhead when such play is needed. She drove so well that some of the English women thought they could break up her game if only they could dislodge her from the command of the drive. In the championship singles of 1905 Mrs. Larcombe (then Miss E. W. Thompson) planned to win from Miss Sutton with a volley game. She lured Miss Sutton to the net by a short, drop drive and then lobbed the return high to the base line; [7] TENNIS FOR WOMEN this gave her the chance to reach the net, where she caught Miss Sutton's return of the lob with a sharp cross-court volley for the ace. Miss Thompson won five out of the first seven games by these [tactics, but she ran herself off her feet in the winning; she became feebler and feebler, while Miss Sutton was as fresh and strong as at the beginning. Having worn herself out, Miss Thompson lost all control and Miss Sutton ran out that set and then took the second set and the match without the least trouble. Possibly Miss Thompson might have won had she been able to keep up her starting pace — but she went the way of all women volleyers. I am fairly certain that, some day, a girl will burst out with the ability to play the fast game through the course of two tournament sets; that girl will be, beyond ques- tion, a champion. But there is no sight of her as yet. Closely pressing the desire to play the net game is the yearning after a service which will always score aces. Many girls have the notion that tennis is a one- [8] Photograph by Paul Thompson THE BEGINNING OF THE FOREHAND DRIVE Miss Molla Bjurstedt TH E WOMAN S GAME stroke game. They act as though the game started and stopped with the delivery of a non-returnable service ball. Of course a non-returnable service would be a distinctly worth-while acquisition for any player — man or woman; the super-girl, of whom I have just spoken, might attain such a service and score aces as she pleased, but I have yet to meet the unreturnable service. The service is merely the stroke which puts the ball into play; it may be made with more speed and precision than the subsequent strokes of the game, because it is executed at leisure, but it is not the game itself, and undue attention to the service will not only exhaust a player but is also apt to result in a slacking of the play after the service. Rather than work for a non-returnable service, one had better cultivate an accurate service of fair speed that does not require too much strength. Save your strength for the drives, because no matter how hard you may serve, a first-class player will nearly always find a way to return; the service aces are not [9] TENNIS FOR WOMEN numerous enough to warrant the effort in trying for them, while the attempt to score on the service may easily gain as many double faults as aces. The ranking women players are not the players with the swiftest services. I have never been able to develop more than fair speed and accuracy on the service; Mrs. Bundy has almost as bad a service as I have; Mrs. Wightman has little speed but ex- cellent placement. A few girls try to learn the fast twisting services which some male players use — the reverse twist for instance — but when they do develop that service, they seldom have another stroke at command, and they will beat themselves if you give them half a chance; if they serve a very fast first ball, they will either have a slow and easily killed second ball or they will put over the second ball at the pace of the first and therefore make frequent double faults. Bothering with the complex services is not worth while, the effort of the delivery is too exhausting. The point which I wish to make is this : a woman [10] THE WOMAN'S GAME has physical limitations— she is not so strong or so enduring as a man and she must acknowledge these limitations when playing tennis. She can play a certain sort of game very well indeed while another sort of game is quite beyond her. By mixing the two extremes she will have a game which is neither one thing nor the other, but by developing along the right lines she will attain a technique that makes for good tennis. The woman's game emphasizes hard drives and accuracy and minimizes the plays, such as the volley and the twisting services, which make huge drafts on energy. I believe in accuracy and speed. Both are the results of style. Therefore a player needs style. Style represents that method of executing a stroke which has been found to produce the best re- sults with the least possible exertion. With proper form the hard drive does not represent mere brute strength but perfect timing and the concentration of the weight of the body on the ball. Without this co- ordination one may hit at the ball very hard indeed in] TENNIS FOR WOMEN without making a really fast drive. Every person will not find the same style comfortable, but it is very rare that a grotesque style gives results. Some players win in spite of their style, but it will usually be found that these players have picked up faults in the beginning which they have not been able to overcome and therefore their ultimate playing style is only the result of a bad start. When you have gross faults of style it is well to try out thoroughly with a good professional or a skilled player. If, after exhaustive experiment, you find that better style does not improve your game, then you may let well enough alone. But only one player in every thousand will do well to stay with a funda- mentally bad style. 1 1 is far better to begin tennis all over again and spend two or three years in thoroughly reforming your bad habits. Some few elements must be common to every style which is worthy the name; without these ele- ments the style is so bad that persistency is foolish. Among these elements are the (i) foot work and its [12] THE WOMAN S GAME close associate, (2) body momentum, and (3) the swing and the follow through. Unless the feet are well managed, a player will not reach the ball in proper position for the stroke, and, if she is not in proper po- sition, she will not add weight to the swing of the racquet; even the strongest arm will not put the pace on a ball that is given, almost without effort, by a slight concentration of the force of the body at ex- actly the right moment. I am not enough of a scien- tist to know why following through helps speed and control so much — because it starts after the ball has left the racquet. I am told that the follow through is valuable because it forces one to start the stroke well before the impact with the ball and thus insures a firm, even, forceful swing. Certainly speed and control are not possible without taking the stroke through at least half a circle. Every one knows how a golf ball pops off from a shakily swung club; a ten- nis ball acts in precisely the same way if the racquet be rudely poked at it. The full, true stroke is essen- tial. [13] TENNIS FOR WOMEN Although it may not be given to every one to play first-class tennis and many will not have ambitions in that direction, yet more fun is to be had from the game by playing well rather than poorly. And any girl, without a serious physical defect, may learn to play a passable game of tennis. Tennis seldom comes naturally; one may have the strength, the speed, and the eye by nature, but form is a question of hard, painstaking work. The best players practise tirelessly — they are playing every day through the open season and often play indoors a good part of the winter. They do not expect to play half a dozen times a year and also play well. I take a professional every little while to help me out on some part of the game where I feel especially weak. I know splendid players who apparently have not a single natural aptitude toward the game, but by in- telligent practice they have learned the game best suited to them — and they play it. Mrs Barger- Wallach is not strong, but she has acquired a tennis [14] THE WOMAN'S GAME game far above the average. Mr. Johnston is very slightly built. Tennis does not need brute strength as much as co- ordination; coordination is a matter of training; therefore tennis resolves itself into form and training. If one has strength and speed in addition to form and coordination, so much the better for the eventual game, but it is a mistake to imagine that only the natural athlete can profitably take up tennis. There is no tennis age; the limit is mental. I have partnered with the Crown Prince of Sweden against the King and my sister. Of the two men, the King is the better player. In Germany the Countess of Schulenberg enters tournaments at scratch; her daughter, in the twenties, has a handicap. I know a dozen women over fifty who will give any one a stiff game; and I also know girls of fifteen and sixteen who are masters of every stroke. I should hardly advise the very young girls or the women past fifty to enter the first-class tournaments, because the nervous strain of playing through is considerable; but tournament [15] TENNIS FOR WOM EN play engages only a small number of players and is not to be considered the end of tennis. The real ob- ject of tennis — the object of any sport — is to gain health and have a good time. I think any girl or woman will be helped by play- ing tennis. Strength, quickness, grace, agility, and general good health are the rewards. It is a mistake to imagine that a woman should have only gentle, lazy exercise. A normal woman needs an outdoor sport which will stir her blood and her brain. Droning through a set of motions is a mere waste of time. Tennis has every element of the perfect exercise for women. There is no bodily contact and hence no danger of injury, but there is the strongest kind of competition. The fighting spirit is developed, and I think a girl ought to have as much pluck and fight- ing spirit as a man. It helps in everything to be able to clench the teeth and say, " I am going to win." [16] THE WOMAN S GAME And then tennis keeps the player in the open air amid the most healthful surroundings; you have to move quickly, your hand and your foot must obey your mind, and you are forced to forget poses and all that unnatural sort of thing. A girl is the better for knowing she is alive. Tennis is not too violent. A weak woman may adapt her game to the limits of her physique; she will play a gentle game until more strength per- mits her to play harder and faster. I have played twelve hard sets in a single afternoon and then danced all the evening without finding myself harmed. Of course this would be too much for an unseasoned player — but then an unseasoned player could not keep on her feet so long. Tennis is not for the girl who wants a milk- white face covered with paint and powder; if that is the ideal of feminine beauty, tennis and every other outdoor game must be avoided. But I think a coat of tan and a freckle or two are normal. I have no patience with the languishing, made-up [17] TENNIS FOR WOMEN beauty; she is not much more human than a dress- maker's dummy. Play tennis if you wish a lithe, slim figure, a clear, healthy complexion, and a coordinated body and brain. The points in the woman's game are: i . Accuracy in placement. 2. The development of the driving, base-line game as opposed to the net game. 3. The accuracy and not the speed of the service. 4. The conservation of energy. 5. The grounding of the knowledge that a stroke is not well played unless the hall goes to the intended spot. 6. As much speed as is consistent with accuracy. [■si CHAPTER II TAKING UP TENNIS I HAVE heard that one may learn to swim by being tossed overboard in deep water; possibly this is true, but I doubt if the stroke, thus franti- cally found, is the best stroke. One may also learn to play tennis by being shoved on to a court with a racquet and told to play; most people start in some such way. I did — and it took me some years to get rid of the faults which I at once fell into. I dis- covered purely individual ways of hitting the ball; they had the merit of originality. One needs pre- cious little originality in tennis. It saves an infinite amount of time to start right; the tennis genius may evolve a creditable game on her own account, but I am sure she would play a better game if she had first mastered fundamental play and [19] TENNIS FOR WOMEN then put the genius play on the top of that. The be- ginner always executes a stroke in the least effective but most strength-absorbing way. When I began, my only idea was to hit the ball with all my might. I liked the game because it gave me a rare chance to hit something without being reprimanded. Sometimes the ball went into the net, more often it sailed yards away. I was tamed by my fellow players who in- sisted that I give some attention to the court lines. Finally — after perhaps three months — I had a professional teacher and started to learn to play tennis instead of the exhilarating game which I had founded. And it was ever so hard to give up the en- tirety of my own ideas. Have your own racquet from the very beginning; find one that exactly suits you in weight, balance, and grip. It pays to buy the best in racquets. I like the very tightly strung, fine gut — the fine gut gives more elasticity to the stroke, although it is not so economi- cal as the heavier stringing. I used thirteen new racquets during the 191 5 season and had five re- [20] TAKING UP TENNIS strung, but then I played all the time and often in soggy weather. I keep four racquets with me when I play. The shape of the head is a matter of individual taste, and any of the better makes have well-formed faces. When your racquet is not in use, keep it in a press. The frame must always be true, else the face of the racquet will have odd angles and the ball will fly off in all sorts of queer directions. I use a i3§-ounce racquet, which is heavy in the head and feels like a i4i-ounce one; I like the heavy head because it seems to give me greater power in my drives. I play a purely driving game; my arm is strong and I can handle the extra weight. Most players prefer an evenly balanced racquet, and prob- ably such is best for the beginner; one can afterward experiment a little on weights. Very few girls will do well to take a racquet heavier than 13J ounces; Mrs. Bundy, Mrs. Wightman, Miss Mary Browne, in fact all the best American women, use that weight; a few of [21] TENNIS FOR WOMEN the English women go in for 14 ounces, but I think that is too heavy. A heavy racquet will quickly tire the forearm and slow up the play. Unless one is really very weak and slight, 1 3 ounces is a minimum weight. The size of the grip is very important; you can never learn to play unless you have an entirely com- fortable handle. I use a rather small handle — 5J inches in circumference — because I want my whole hand about the grip, but 5i inches is the usual size. Most dealers will find you a racquet to suit if you are persistent. A firm grip cannot be had unless the handle is dry during play; if your hands perspire it is well to wind the handle with tape. I am luckily not bothered in that way. Several ways of holding the racquet are in vogue; I think the "American" way is the best. It is as follows : Grasp the racquet at the very end, resting the butt against the base of the palm; many girls simply "grab" the handle about halfway up; they wonder [22] THE GRIP FOR THE FOREHAND DRIVE Miss Molla Bjurstedt TAKING UP TENNIS why they cannot control the ball. To get the proper leverage and freedom it is necessary to take the racquet at the very end. This grip may seem in- secure at first, but you will soon become accustomed to it. I use two grips: the first for forehand strokes and the second for backhand strokes. In the first grip the hand is simply closed around the handle with the thumb across. This is the grip which is used for all strokes excepting those on the backhand. The back- hand stroke requires a firmer grip, and therefore the thumb is moved out parallel with and pressing against the handle. The shift is an easy one and is made, almost unconsciously, as the racquet swings over for the backhand play. This is, I think, the easiest and the most natural grip; one strikes almost as though with the palm of the hand on the forehand strokes, while the thumb up the handle gives a definite firmness, without undue strain on the wrist, in the backhand strokes. Some players shift their grip slightly for the backhand, but I think this is un- [23] TENNIS FOR WOM EN necessary. I believe in keeping one's game of tennis, in so far as style is concerned, to the elementary principles. * In the English grip, the head of the racquet is above the wrist; the thumb is not carried up the handle for the backhand strokes. I should not at- tempt to enter the argument pro and con on the two styles. I like my own style, and I am quite sure that any girl will have a firmer and more delicate back- hand with the thumb up than with it around the handle. A few players grasp their racquets an inch or two above the butt of the handle, notably Mrs. Bundy and Miss Clare Cassell. Norman Brookes also plays with this sort of a grip, so it undoubtedly has the sanction of good company. But one needs all the reach to be had, and shortening the hold on the rac- quet only shortens the reach. Some players grip their handles with the same firmness throughout the whole game. I find that this tires me; I prefer to relax my grip between [2 4 ] TAKING UP TENNIS strokes and then close firmly as I swing for the ball. It is all a matter of choice except that the grip must be very firm when the ball is taken; if your racquet turns ever so little in your stroke, the control of the ball is lost. Thoroughly understand the holding of the racquet before you attempt to hit the ball; it is all very simple, but an awkward grip is difficult to lose if persisted in through only a few months. Having learned the grip, you will be ready to take up the strokes of tennis. It will be tiresome to go along methodically when it seems so easy simply to plunge into a game, but you cannot hope ever to play an acceptable game — a game which will give you even a decent amount of fun — unless you learn to handle yourself and your racquet. No one thinks of going into golf without instruction, but people imagine that tennis is inherent in them; correct tennis is inherent in no one — the correct swing and follow through of tennis is every whit as hard to acquire as the correct swing and follow through in golf. If a good professional tennis instructor may be [25] TENNIS FOR WOMEN had, by all means engage him. But there are very few professionals in the United States, and only a limited number of players can avail themselves of their services. In the absence of a professional ask the best player you know to teach you. The teaching should not be in an actual game. You will not learn the strokes of tennis in a game. Get a supply of balls and have your instructor bounce them gently to you; hit the ball as it rises — just be- fore it reaches the top of the bound. Most players hit the ball as it descends; it is easier to hit it then, but you lose a deal of time in the return and give your opponent a chance to get into position. And if you do not learn to take the ball be- fore the top of the bounce when you first start to play you will never learn thereafter. I attribute much of my success in passing net players to the quickness of my returns; and the quickness is due solely to taking the ball before it has had time to descend. If two players were absolutely equal in skill and generalship, but the one hit the ball before the top of [26] TAKING UP TENNIS the bound and the other after, the player who hit the rising ball would surely win. She would be so much faster in her returns that she would be bound to win. Your practice should teach you how to swing your racquet and how to manage your body and feet. Once you have learned these elements you are ready to have balls tossed across the net to you to be hit back for direction. Take up one stroke at a time; first learn the fore- hand drive and then the backhand drive. Do not bother with the service until you have a very definite idea of the drives and can execute them with a fair degree of freedom and accuracy. A stroke in tennis is a blending of the whole weight and force of the body. The arm and the racquet are merely the means of communicating this force to the ball. You do not hit the ball with the strength of the arm : in a well-executed drive you will not use much of the arm. You will rather lean against the ball with your racquet. This stroke involves the right [27] TENNIS FOR WOMEN movement of the feet and of the body, as well as the true, firm swing and follow through of the racquet. It is the perfect coordination of these elements rather than brute strength which gives speed to a tennis ball. These elementary principles must be learned before you start to play a game. If you start into com- petition too soon, you will forget the elements in the desire to win points; for it will take time to make correct form second nature, and in the hurry of the game you will try some slipshod stroke that seems good for the moment. I cannot too strongly emphasize the grounding of the elements. Once you have the ideas of the stroke, you can gain much good practice hitting the ball against a smooth wall or fence. The late Anthony Wilding perfected all of his strokes alone; he would work for hours and days on the one stroke, striking the ball against a wall. He was not a natural player; he acquired his form and skill solely through the hardest sort of practice. [28] TAKING UP TENNIS Another excellent feature of the wall practice is that it teaches keeping the eye on the ball. Keep your eye on the ball ! It is quite as important in tennis as in golf. No stroke can be well or accu- rately made unless you have your eye glued to the ball from the very moment it leaves the opponent's racquet. Many players fail miserably simply because they do not obey this principle. Unless you have your eye on the ball, you will misjudge its flight and be caught off balance when you come to make the stroke. Do not say, "Oh, bother, I'll pick up all these things as I go along." You will not pick them up unless you start with them as principles. You can- not build a game without a foundation any more than you can build a house without a foundation. You must have something to work on. I have spoken of strokes and mentioned several kinds of strokes, but I have not yet described them. Strokes are divided broadly into ground strokes, in which the ball is hit after it has bounced, and volley strokes, where the ball is hit before it has touched the [29] TENNIS FOR WOMEN ground. These are again divided into forehand and backhand strokes. The forehand strokes are those hit on the right, while the backhand strokes are hit on the left of a right-handed player. A "drive" is a ground stroke hit low over the net; it should have speed. A "lob" is a ground stroke hit high into the air to bound in the back of the court; it may also be made on the volley, but it is rarely so made. The "service" is the stroke which starts the ball into play. The many kinds of service will be taken up in a later chapter. The "smash" is a very hard volley to "kill" the ball for an " ace," or unreturnable ball. The "half -volley" is a pick-up of the ball as it touches the ground and is more of a ground stroke than a volley. The "chop" is a ball hit with a back-spin that drops almost dead as it touches the ground. The "cut ball" is a ball with a twist which causes it to bounce off at an angle. [30] TAKING UP TENNIS /. Select your racquet carefully. 2. Have a professional teacher if you can possibly find a good one. 3. Learn the swing, body and foot movement of the drive before you play a game. 4. Start right — and you will have less to unlearn later. [31] CHAPTER III THE STROKES THAT WIN — THE DRIVES THE drives — forehand and backhand — are easily the most important strokes in tennis. You may learn any number of trick plays, you may have a splendid service, but if you cannot drive hard and accurately, you will never be a real tennis player. For every ace that you win with the spectacular smash or the lightning service, you will win a dozen aces with the homely drive. The drive is the foundation of the woman's game of tennis; you can be a first-class player knowing only the two drives. Neither Mrs. Bundy nor myself can really do anything but drive. It is different with the men; the first flight of players must know the whole game. It is enough for the woman to drive equally well on both hands. [32] THE STROKES THAT WIN Therefore learn to drive! Perhaps I place too much stress on the drives, but I think most players will agree with me that no adequate woman's game can ever be built up on a foundation other than the drive. Driving is my game; I am quite sure that at least twenty girls in this country could beat me if I tried to play a net game, while, on the other hand, if I were forbidden ever to volley, my game would not noticeably lose in strength. But driving is more than merely getting the ball back across the net: the true drive sends the ball swiftly and surely to an exactly predetermined place in the court. It is the easiest stroke to play and the hardest stroke to play well. Good driving demands the utmost in coordination, for it demands a precise combination of arm, foot, body, and eye. Hence it is that good drivers are scarce among both men and women. And, when you come to the backhand drive, you will find few women who are not weak. Any one may be a good driver if she takes the trouble to learn the stroke and then constantly to [33] TENNIS FOR WOMEN practise it. Most women are weak on their back- hands because they will not practise; they will run around a ball in order to take it on the forehand in- stead of steadily using the backhand, until they gain confidence. The principles of both drives are identical: they are both made by facing the line of the flight of the ball — that is, standing with one's side to the net — with the weight of the body resting on the foot farthest away from the oncoming ball. Then the ball is taken with a long sweep of the racquet, the body going forward with the racquet so that, at the time of impact with the ball, the weight of the body is added to the force of the racquet; the finish finds one on the foot opposite to that on which the stroke be- gan. In all drives the body should be going forward as the stroke is made; a flat-footed drive or a drive made when leaning backward will lack both force and direction. It is the coordination of the body and the arm which gives the speed. The ball should be taken in the centre of the face of [34] THE STROKES THAT WIN the racquet, where the elasticity is greatest. The racquet should be nearly horizontal and straight out in the line of the arm. Therefore you will bend over to drive low balls, rather than scoop them up with a vertical racquet. As you swing back your racquet, tighten your grip and firmly control the racquet with your wrist. The wrist will control direction, and a slight snap of the wrist as the ball is taken adds crispness to the stroke. Only practice will teach you just how much the wrist determines the direction of the ball. You should "feel" the ball. And, as in every stroke, keep your eye on the ball. It is not possible to hit cleanly unless you see the ball through every part of the stroke. When you see a ball, it loses all mystery; otherwise you will wonder why a perfectly planned shot went off quite contrary to the plans. Keeping the eye on the ball is not as easy as it sounds; you are tempted to look at your opponent, and you will probably look at her in spite of all your good intentions, but certainly in practice [35] TENNIS FOR WOMEN you can devote yourself exclusively to watching the ball. If you do not watch the ball in practice you will not watch it in a game. The drive comes down to getting the right position before the stroke and the right swing in its execution; you cannot attain the true swing unless you have the proper position. Here is the way that I play the forehand drive, which is the most useful stroke in tennis; it is the stroke with which you return practically all of the ground balls that come on your right hand; it is a stroke that you must master if you are to play even a passable game; and its mastery is purely a matter of care and practice. This drive is made with a free, hard swing carried all the way through. Take a position facing the plane of the oncoming ball; keep your eye on the ball; rest your weight on your right foot and, as the ball rises from the ground, swing back your racquet until it is well behind you; poise an instant on your balance and then swing the racquet around so that it [36] P^'-r--- i; Tf'il'.or. : s Post, Col. THE FINISH OF THE FOREHAND DRIVE Mrs Thomas M. Bundv THE STROKES THAT WIN will catch the ball just before it reaches the top of the bounce. As the racquet comes in contact with the ball, incline its face slightly downward; carry the stroke through until your racquet is straight across your body. At the moment of impact of racquet and ball, your body should be going forward; at the finish you will be leaning forward with your weight on your left foot. The distance at which you should stand from the ball depends upon your reach; you should be far enough away to meet the ball comfortably with out- stretched arm. The inclination of the racquet gives a top spin which brings a hard-hit ball down near the base line. Without the spin the ball would fly out of the court. You will notice that the body assists the arm at the point of contact : in fact, the stroke is a kind of swing- ing into the ball with the whole force of your arm and body, and this whole force will not be effective unless the ball is taken when it is opposite or even a little [37] TENNIS FOR WOMEN past you. If you hit the ball too soon, you must go far forward and thus lose the momentum of your body. A hard forehand drive requires a certain amount of strength, but no more strength than the average girl possesses if she so times her stroke as to utilize every ounce of power. Long driving in golf is not a matter of strength and neither is hard driving in tennis; it is all in the timing. I strongly recommend the slight top spin, because it enables one to keep the hard-hit ball in the court. The top spin is in the direction of the ball and there- fore does not work against speed. If you can keep the ball in court without the top spin, so much the better, but I cannot do so. The backhand does not admit of quite so free a motion as the forehand and it brings into play muscles which one is not accustomed to use. There- fore it seems very difficult at the beginning. It baffles many players because it seems hard to hit the ball effectively with the arm across the body; as a [38] THE STROKES THAT WIN matter of fact it is a simple enough stroke — no harder to learn than the forehand drive. Of how many girls do you hear the remark, " She is weak on her backhand!" In fact, most girls are vulnerable on the returns sent on their left or back- hand, but they would be nearly as strong backhand as forehand if only they would study the stroke — and practise. It is hard to attain the same force with the backhand as with the forehand drive, for the position of body and arm is not advantageous, but a very strong ball can be delivered. The movements of the backhand drive are the re- verse of the forehand, but the stroke is governed by precisely the same principles. You face the plane of the ball with your right shoulder instead of your left toward the net; your weight is balanced on the left instead of the right foot. As the ball comes up, swing your racquet back across your body, shifting your thumb to support the grip. Poise a moment and then come through with the racquet and body, the inclined racquet face meeting the ball before it [39] TENNIS FOR WOMEN has reached the top of the bound. Follow your stroke through until your arm is at least straight out; you will then be resting on your right foot. A good player will play upon your left or backhand in the hope that you will make a weak return. Many girls attempt to run around the ball in order to use their stronger forehand drive; if they do get around it is almost certain that they will be out of position and make their return hurriedly and ineffectively. There- fore it is very important to gain strength with the backhand strokes so that you can take the necessary time to make sure of the return. I have seen girls desperately clutch the racquet with both hands in an effort to steady it for a shot which they had con- vinced themselves was very difficult. Slightly more strength is needed for the backhand strokes than for the forehand, because the motions bring in little-used muscles, but proper timing is again the real essential. Use your weight and strength at just the right moment and you will get more pace than an awkward giantess. [40] THE STROKES THAT WIN The footwork and the swing of the drives will not be learned in actual play; they must be tediously acquired by long practice in which only the two strokes are used. Here it is that playing the ball against a wall or fence will be useful if you cannot find a partner who is willing to give up the time to tap balls to you. It often helps much in the develop- ment of one's game to find a girl who also wants practice in driving; then you can take opposite sides of the net and drive to each other by the hour. The best drives are made with some deliberation; it is always well to pause in the back swing for a fraction of a second to sort of " get together." Then you can come through with a splendid sweep. "But I have all that I can do to reach the ball; I am glad enough to hit it without bothering to take a position/' says a player. Deliberation and position are comparative mat- ters, but if you play carefully you will find that you can reach most balls in time to return them in form. Getting to the ball is often a matter of strategy, but [41] TENNIS FOR WOMEN reaching the ball in a position to drive carefully is due to clever footwork; you can discover by careful practice just the foot to start on to bring you to the forehand drive with the left foot out and to the back- hand drive with the right foot out. When dancing you manage your feet with at least a casual regard to formality; certainly you will not let them care for themselves, although after a time they do care for themselves without conscious attention. It is quite the same in the footwork of tennis; you will go to- ward a ball remembering just how your feet must be placed when you reach it; and if you diligently pay attention to these positions they will soon become second nature to you. The drive cannot be executed without the aid of the body, and the body will not do its work unless the feet are so placed as to permit it to go forward with the swing of the racquet. And you must be equally careful not to run into the ball so that you will not have the room properly to swing. The body swing can be overdone to such a degree that one leaps at the ball; I have seen many pictures [42] Photograph by Paul Thompson FINISH OF THE FOREHAND DRIVE Miss Molla Bjurstedt THE STROKES THAT WIN of myself and I have also seen pictures of Mrs. Bundy with both feet off the ground at the crest of a drive. This is due to over-eagerness and is a rather bad fault, for it leaves one out of position for a quick re- turn; it is hard not to pounce at a fairly bouncing ball, but one loses rather than gains pace by taking it in mid-air. Of course it is spectacular, but aerial tennis is not good tennis and should not be imi- tated. The starting of the swing well before the point of impact and the following through with the racquet long after the ball has been sent away are essentially involved in every well-hit drive. You cannot con- trol the pace and direction of the ball with a mere poke of the racquet : the drive will only go away clean and sweet after the long and sustained swing. Opin- ions differ on just how long this swing should be. I go through nearly three-quarters of a circle on a hard drive, but a half -circle is quite enough, the ball being hit in the middle of the arc. It is far better to swing too much than too little; the longer swing does no [43] TENNIS FOR WOMEN harm, and you may find that you have better control with the very full follow through. The swing and footwork having been passably attained, practise for length and direction. A drive should bounce very near to the base line to be effective; that keeps your opponent in back court and gives you a far better chance for a sizzling return to a corner. What is accuracy? If you can come within a foot of any given point at the back of the court, either on the side lines or the base line, you are accurate. Mrs. Lambert Chambers, who is one of the hardest drivers I have ever seen, can consistently cut the side lines toward the back of the court; she continuously makes shots which, with the average player, would be merely luck. And she never drives herself off her feet. After accuracy, go in for speed; the harder you can drive, the more points you will win. Hit every ball with all your might. For a time you will lose some- thing of accuracy. Accuracy must not be sacrificed to [44] THE STROKES THAT WIN speed, but you will get the accuracy back if you count every shot a bad one that does not go to the place that you intended. Speed is essential if you are going to place a return where an active opponent will not reach it; that is the purpose of speed. It is no harder to return a fast ball than a slow one, but the fast ball is harder to reach, because you do not have the time. There- fore you will not only need speed, but you should try to send the ball just over the net so that it will travel the shortest distance to the point at which you aim. If the net is only half an inch too high, it throws me off my drive. The whole idea of tennis is to send the ball quickly to a given point; obviously you will select the shortest route to that point and propel the ball with all possible speed. I have no patience with the gentle drives which majestically describe tall parabolas. Under no circumstances favor your backhand; it is just as important to have a good backhand as to have a good forehand. If you start running around [45] TENNIS FOR WOMEN balls to take them on the forehand, you are in a fair way never to learn the game. When I began to play, my backhand was considerably stronger than my forehand; I do not know whether it is weaker or stronger now. When I first played in the United States I was said to have a very weak backhand, al- though I found little trouble in winning from those who played to my backhand. In my last match with Mrs. Bundy she played my forehand in pref- erence to my backhand. Mrs. Wightman's back- hand is stronger than her forehand, while Mrs. Bundy' s backhand is considerably slower than her forehand. Mrs. Bundy is the hardest driver among American girls, but I think Miss Mary Browne has the best driving form; she drives equally well from either hand and she never goes into the air. Both Mrs. Bundy and Miss Browne are very accurate drivers: they can place the ball within a few inches of where they want it. Miss Marie Wagner drives extremely well in practice, but is not so severe in her matches. [46] THE STROKES THAT WIN Mrs. Cole (Miss Ann Sheafe) drives a splendid ball when at the top of her game, but she goes off easily and becomes very erratic. The drives which I have described in this chapter are plain, straight drives with a slight top spin. Once mastered, the player will have all the driving game she can possibly require. Other ways of driv- ing are in vogue, and these I shall take up in a later chapter, but I feel that any one who conquers the straight drive is a good tennis player — without more. /. Face the plane of the hall with your side turned toward the net. 2. Swing your racquet well hack before hitting, and follow through after the ball is hit with a steady, firm swing that goes through at least half a circle. 3. Start your stroke on the foot farthest away from the ball and finish on the other foot, going forward as the hit is made. 4. Coordinate the full weight of your body and the power of your arm at the moment of impact of racquet and ball. [47] TENNIS FOR WOMEN 5. Train your feet so that they will always he in proper position when you reach the point where you intend to make the stroke. 6. Do not smother your stroke by getting too close to the ball. j. Make your backhand strokes as confidently as your forehand; never avoid the use of the backhand. 8. Hard drives are the result of perfect coordination, not brute strength. p. Watch the ball. [48] CHAPTER IV ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS — THE SERVICE THE service is the stroke which puts the ball into play. One has the advantage of mak- ing the stroke at leisure from the most con- venient position, but, on the other hand, the ball must be placed within the boundaries of the service court, and, when you take the net into consideration, the area into which the ball can practically be placed is quite small. I think the advantage of a deliberate delivery is offset by the restricted striking area and the con- sequent readiness of the opponent for the return. Many players think of the service only as a wide- open chance to score; they forget that the limitations on the striking place of the ball go far toward negativ- ing the opportunity. They bend their whole effort toward putting a speedy, jumping ball over in the hope of scoring a service ace. [49] TENNIS FOR WOMEN Service aces are not to be sneered at. I know no more delicious feeling than that which comes after scoring a clean service ace; one's conceit is then un- bounded. And I do not wonder that the mental balance is disturbed. I have known many girls who sacrifice their whole game for the pleasure of an occasional service ace; I have seen them practise the service day after day when they were entirely without adequate drives. This does not pay. If you develop a very fine serv- ice, you will undoubtedly score many aces against the poorer players, but you will not terrify the better players; and probably your whole game will be upset when you find that your finest services are being re- turned to you with a little interest added to the pace. The "service" player usually so throws herself out of position with the hard service that she is unable to meet a swift return of one of her best deliveries; she is apt to be lost in wonder while the return slips by her for the point. If you will examine the point scores of the women's [50] ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS matches, you will find very few service aces. And, going farther into the scores, you will discover that the women who do score on the first service also give away about as many points through double faults. Too much luck enters into their games; each service resolves itself into a toss-up for the point — they may gain it or they may give it away. I have yet to find a service that really bothered me on account of its pace; no matter how hard the women try, they cannot serve a ball which compares in pace with the service of the first ten among the men, and even the service of these men is very far from being unplayable. You will not find the men scoring heavily on service aces against the women in the mixed doubles; and, of course, you always receive just as hard a ball as the server knows how to deliver. It is so extremely annoying to be favored on the service that few men will attempt to do so. I have played against many of the best services; they are hard to handle at first, but once one has dis- [51] TENNIS FOR WOMEN covered where to stand the return is not extraordina- rily difficult. If such services can be returned, what chance has the woman to put over an unreturnable ball? The undue concentration on the service robs the player not only of strength but of the real backbone of her game — the play after the service in which the drives make so large a part. If you play a net game, you will follow in on your service, and there- fore the dash to the net may well begin from the for- ward position in which the strenuous service leaves the server; but very few of the girls who play net go in on their service. Hence they are simply left off balance for the first return. But the strongest objections to the very swift service for women is that it is both inaccurate and fatiguing. If you put your entire strength into the service you must lose something of control, unless you are a most exceptional person; it is not possible to make a hard slam with the same delicacy as a stroke well within your strength. At least half of the [52] Photograph by Edzvin Levick, N. Y THE SERVICE OF MRS. GEORGE W. W1GHTMAN ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS first balls of the hard servers go into the net or out of the court; then they must decide between another slam with the chance of a double fault or make an entire change of style to deliver a slow ball which may be easily killed. The slow ball is hard to control after the vigorous attempt of the first service. Fast service and double faults always go together. If the fast service were effective — and it is not — the tension of it draws too heavily on the strength of a woman. It is useless to start off like a whirlwind and collapse toward the end of the second set. A woman's tournament match goes to the winner of two out of three sets, and you must adopt a game that will admit of playing through three sets, for you will seldom win the stiff matches in straight sets. A hard service takes more out of one than a hard drive, for you are not only hitting against a dead ball but you are climbing up into the air to do so. I think that every player will find that it pays to serve well within strength and to give more attention to place than to speed. It also helps wonderfully to [53] TENNIS FOR WOMEN change pace, especially if you can do it with ap- parently the same motions that send off the faster ball. By playing to your opponent's weakness with an occasional quick variation to her strength you will gain more service aces than by mere undirected speed. Very few aces result only from pace. I cannot see any advantage in the reverse twist or other complex services unless they are played super- latively well. By exercising patience, the complex service is nearly as easy to return as any other service. There are many variations of the service; by hitting the ball a glancing blow, spins and twists are imparted which result in curves and breaks. These curves and unexpected directions in the bounce are most discon- certing when first met. But the spin of the ball which produces such results is against speed, and, if the service is very slow, the striker has but to await the end of the gyrations. The complex service must be fast to be effective; great speed requires great strength. I use only the straight service, and I do not [54] ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS recommend taking the time to master the more diffi- cult styles. The ability to mix up several varieties and keep the opponent uncomfortably guessing is valuable, and the best men players have this ability, but I know no woman with the needed strength and endurance. In the ordinary straight service a deceptive "shoot' ' may be had on certain courts by getting high over the ball and hitting down, but this is not a special service. The ordinary complex services are the "reverse twist" and what is known abroad as the "American service." On the "reverse twist" the ball spins away to the left and curves in to the right, continuing the curve as the ball hits the ground. The server practically draws his racquet across the ball from left to right; the ball is not thrown high and there is no downward hit to the racquet ; the arm is bent and the racquet is more or less perpendicular at the moment of impact. It is almost impossible to put much pace into the ball, and the delivery is very tiring. [55] TENNIS FOR WOMEN In the "American service" the ball first curves out to the right of the server, and then in to his left, but breaks again to the right when it strikes the ground. The " reverse American service" curls first left, then right, and breaks left. The curls and breaks run the striker outside the court in the attempt to make the return. The American service requires much practice to per- form at all, and an almost infinite amount of work to acquire control and speed. The ball is thrown well up to the left of the head and the racquet is brought across from the left hand under side of the ball to the right-hand upperside. The " reverse" goes in the op- posite direction. I do not go more fully into these services because they are practically impossible to attain without the best of instruction. Many players act as though tennis were mostly service. I notice Americans highly value an unre- turnable service. A man may develop a service which will win many [56] ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS aces; a strong man is able to put great speed into a single stroke and maintain that speed throughout a match. I have never known a woman who could serve so hard that a good player could not return the ball. The hard service unduly exhausts. To my mind, it does not pay. I would rather devote my- self to the strokes after the service. I put a reasonable amount of speed into my serv- ice, but I do not make a supreme effort. I hit the ball hard to a definite point in the court. If my first ball is a fault, I serve the second ball more easily. I think it more important to take my chance of win- ning the point in the rally rather than to risk it in another hard service which probably will not score an ace anyway. I think my service is the best service for most girls. I stand back of the middle point of the base line. There is no advantage in standing far at one side in an effort to send the service at an inconvenient angle. I rest my weight on the right foot, the balls are in my left hand, and the racquet is swinging at my side. [57] TENNIS FOR WOMEN I notice the position of my opponent and locate the best spot to send the ball. Then I toss the ball into the air well above my head, although not so high as many players, and, swinging my racquet back over my head, hit down hard on the ball, at the same time going forward with my body so that I end the stroke resting on my left foot, thus adding the weight of the body to the strength of the arm. When the racquet comes in contact with the ball, the face is inclined downward; I continue my stroke entirely through, and my racquet finishes in almost the same position that it started. This is the " follow through" which is so important for pace and direction. I never serve until I am entirely ready and properly balanced. At the finish I am balanced, although on the left foot; it is a mistake to hit so hard that one is taken off balance at the finish. This service is very simple and it answers all my needs. I find no use for an elaborate "cut" or other fancy service. I depend on reasonable speed and good direction. [58] Photograph by Brown Bros. THE BEGINNING OF THE SERVICE Miss Molla Bjurstedt ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS Every player, as she progresses, will discover in- dividual points at which she can improve her service, and it is well to try out with various professional coaches or men players of experience. For instance, the height to throw the ball varies; some like to throw it very high indeed — six or eight feet — while others can serve best with a tiny toss. The physical make- up and disposition of the player determines the tossing height; I should become nervous if I tossed the ball very high and waited expectantly for its fall. At the same time it is not well to take the ball only shoulder high, for then the chance of a net or an out is much increased by the small angle which the flight of the ball makes to the ground. The strength of the second service is also a point much in dispute; many players insist that the second service should go over at the same pace as the first, but I do not agree with such theories in the woman's game. I do not know a single woman player, here or abroad, who attempts the second service with the same speed as the first. A man would likely kill an [59] TENNIS FOR WOMEN easy second service, but the average woman will not, and therefore the chances of losing the point through the fast return are less than the chances of making a double fault. One has at least a fight for the ace on the easier second serve, while a double fault is throw- ing the point away. But, in any event, the second service should have good length; a short, high-bounc- ing ball invites a smash while the easy long ball will not bring more than a hard drive in return. It makes for accuracy to deliver the second ball with just the same motion as the first; the change should be in the pace. There are few really good servers among women. Miss Florence Ballin serves one of the hardest balls, and Mrs. Bundy one of the easiest; Mrs. Frederick Schmitz has a very swift and well-controlled service; Miss Marie Wagner and Miss Alberta Weber both have excellent speed and control. Mrs. Wightman lacks pace, but she is wonderfully accurate; she probably scores more service aces than any other first-class player. When playing against her it is [60] ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS never safe to take a position simply because two or three services have struck in a certain place; she is very apt to draw you to one side and then shoot the ball down the middle line. Mrs. Marshall McLean is also an accurate server who perfectly commands pace. Very few women can change pace without so advertising the fact by their motions that all effect of the change is lost, but Mrs. McLean will send two or three fairly hard balls and then with the same motion deliver one that just struggles over the net. Her service, because of this change of pace, is most deceptive. Probably it would be a good thing to have several ways of serving the ball. Mrs. Lambert Chambers, now and again, uses the underhand service, which is as decidedly disconcerting as a shift from the over- head. But there are so many things to learn in ten- nis — one is never through learning the simple drives — that I doubt if any girl can frankly claim to have so mastered the elements that she can afford to learn more than a single style of service. [61] TENNIS FOR WOM EN Mrs. Barger-Wallach is the only woman here who uses the underhand service; she manages it well be- cause she is very accurate, but it is not a service to commend. More power and control can be had from the overhead, and it takes very little more strength. No service is good unless it is controlled. You must master the ball; speed is desirable, but, above all, cultivate accuracy. A wild, smashing service will have no terrors if it is in a nice convenient spot for the best stroke of your opponent. When serving, stand in the middle of the court back of the base line; be careful not to cross the line on delivery or you will have a foot-fault called on you. Many officials do not pay much attention to foot-faulting, but if you cultivate a style in which foot-faulting is frequent, a strict official will entirely unsettle your game. If you have never before played your opponent, try her until you find what she likes least. Give her that ball continuously until she can handle it; then try something new. [62] ACES OR DOUBLE FAULTS It is usually well to start serving on the backhand, for most girls have weak backhands. If you are serving into the left-hand court, make your ball cut the outside line. Your opponent will have to run outside the court for the return; possibly she will take a position far over in order to get in her forehand stroke. If she does so or starts to run over when the ball leaves your racquet, shoot the next service down the centre line. Keep mixing and be careful that your position before delivery does not betray the destination of the ball. Some girls tell you by their movements exactly where the next service is coming. Control your service; you may not score an ace on service, but the return may come over so feebly and the striker be so far off balance that you can easily score with a hard side-line or cross-court drive. An occasional variation of speed and length is de- sirable, but be wary of the slow ball against a good opponent; she will do as she likes with it and probably score. I have never had much success with change of pace excepting against players of slight ability. I [6 3 ] TENNIS FOR WOMEN prefer always to hit the ball hard and trust to posi- tion. Once you have served, do not let your impetus take you into the court unless you are playing the net game. Stand behind the base line to await the re- turn, with your eye always on the ball. Then return as the play warrants. / . Do not make the service your whole game. 2. Practise the slow service until you can put the hall anywhere you like, then add speed. 3. Play well within yourself; do not put every ounce you have into the service or you will tire before the match ends. 4. Stand at the centre of the base line and far enough behind not to go over it until you have hit the ball. Do not cultivate afoot-faulting style. 5. Toss the ball at least several feet above your head. 6. Get well over the ball for your stroke and hit down. 7. // you decide to go in for the complex services or the services of great speed, keep careful tabs to discover whether or not they pay you. [64] AT THE FINISH OF THE SERVICE Miss Molla Bjurstedt CHAPTER V THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB IN THE volley and the smash — which is only a very hard, killing volley — the ball is hit before the bounce. Because the ball is hit in the air, time is saved; every stroke which saves time is a good stroke, for it gives that much less opportunity for an opponent to recover position. But, insofar as the woman's game is concerned, the volley should be considered as a stroke and not as a style of play; it is a most valuable adjunct to the drive in singles and is indispensable in doubles. The force of the volley and much of the placement is lost unless the ball is hit while it is above the top line of the net. Therefore the successful volleys are made close to net: I think ten feet is nearly a maximum distance. You must reach a point very close to [6 5 ] TENNIS FOR WOMEN the net if you expect to have luck with the vol- ley. Covering the width of the court at the net is a very different matter from covering the court at the base line. At the base line you have a chance to watch the flight of the ball, move to position, and then make the return, more or less leisurely, from the bounce. At the net you flash from point to point or you are passed for an ace. A splendid eye that can take the ball the second it leaves the opponent's racquet, lightning speed in getting into position, and a good reach, are among the requisites for the net game. Instead of crossing the court at the base line, the net player must travel from the base line to the net with all speed, circulate to and fro across the net, and make occasional sprints back to the base line to re- cover high lobs. Three sets from the base line take quite enough out of a girl without doubling the work by trying to play net. One very seldom finds a girl who can last through three sets of net play against a strong back- [66] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB court player. It is not the woman's game; it asks more activity and more stamina than any woman that I have yet discovered possesses. The best exponents of net players in this country are Mrs. Wightman, Miss Eleanora Sears, and Miss Mary Browne. Mrs. Wightman can take almost any sort of a ball at the net — it is fatal to try to drive her back by a swift ball directly at her — but she cannot go three hard sets of such play. She wears herself out if her opponent is clever enough to make her run through the first set. Many, many girls ruin perfectly good games by attempting to volley when they should stay back and drive. They watch the men fighting for the net and they think tennis begins and ends with the mastery of the net. If you can cover the whole court from the net position, by all means play net; but getting three out of five balls is not mastery; a temporary mastery — say through a dozen games — until fatigue wins, is also not a satisfactory style to depend upon. [6 7 ] TENNIS FOR WOMEN The women abroad do not go in much for the volley; they seldom volley in doubles — where the volley is absolutely necessary. Many of the best players will not even take a fair chance to kill a slow, high ball. This is going too far. The best use of the volley will be found somewhere between the two extremes. I think the volley should be reserved for the periods when one has an opponent in trouble. If you have her very much tangled up so that she barely makes a return, I favor going to the net and making sure of the point with a quick, well-placed volley. I consider the volley as a most important adjunct to the ground game, but I do not rate it with the drives. I depend on the ground strokes and only come in to volley when a good opportunity offers. The volley is a time-saving stroke, because the ball is taken in full flight, but it is not of much use unless you can place it as you would any other return. And it takes quick thinking and quick muscles to volley to position. [68] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB The principles of the volley are comparatively simple. Take the ball as close to the net as possible, hit down and deep into the court. It is manifestly easier to send the ball to a definite place in the op- ponent's court if you meet it when high in the air and near to the net; such a position practically eliminates the net from consideration and your only problem is to strike down to any point you fancy. The volley must be deep or you lose the advantage of the quick return and give your opponent ample time to get it on the bounce. The treatment of a volley depends upon the amount of time you have and the height of the ball. In the case of a high ball — anything shoulder-high which you can see in flight — hit with a sharp stroke. The lower arriving balls are not hit but are sort of pushed, the force of the push depending upon the speed of the ball ; a very swift ball will go back of its own force. In the case of a low volley, do not be afraid to bend over; take the ball with a horizontal racquet; it is [69] TENNIS FOR WOMEN very hard to make such a low ball clear the net if the racquet is vertical; it is best to have the head of the racquet above the wrist. The tendency of the ball when volleyed is to strike down into the net, and this danger increases with the distance from the net. Unless you are absolutely caught and cannot get back for the bounce, do not take a full ball behind the service line unless it be high overhead. Very few players are able to volley ac- curately from such a position; and you should never be in such a position, anyway, from choice. Inclining the face of the racquet slightly back — " bevelling," it is called — helps to keep the ball out of the net; the ball will likely come toward you with a slight top spin because most strokes impart, con- sciously or unconsciously, a top spin in greater or less degree. The inclined racquet checks the spin and hangs the ball in the air until the net is crossed. The volley is not a stroke in the sense of having a swing and follow through; it is rather a flick of the forearm and wrist, and hence it is as easy to make [70] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB backhand as forehand. Sometimes, when hurried, very near to the net, it is only necessary to get the face of the racquet before the ball ; then the speed of the ball will take it back. In every case the racquet should be held very firmly, for the slightest quiver will destroy the stroke. And always run into a volley — do not back away from the ball. Firmness is requisite, and firmness will not be had when leaning backward. A smash is a powerfully executed volley which you expect to be non-returnable because of its speed and placement. Every hard-hit ball is not a smash and every smash is not point winning. But you al- ways expect your smash to win or to be returned so feebly as to give another smashing chance for score. It must be remembered that a smash is a stroke and not a style of play; it is such a delightful sen- sation to hit a ball with all one's might that the temptation is to smash everything. Many points are thrown away by smashes which go sailing beyond [71] TENNIS FOR WOMEN the court. The safe rule in smashing is not to at- tempt more than you can put through. When to smash depends upon the player and the circumstances; a few men players can smash any ball, but a girl will do well to smash only the balls that seem piteously to invite a killing stroke to put them out of misery. Such balls are the "pops" and the short lobs by a player out of balance and position. As you progress in the game, you will find more and more chances to smash in matches against weaker players, but the better players do not give so many openings, and smashing is largely confined to lobs and flukes. It is essential in order to smash that you follow the flight of the ball and thus get a full, straight down- ward swing into which goes the full weight of your body; the short lobs make ideal smashing subjects. There is little difficulty in the smash excepting with the deep lobs. The smashing of high, deep lobs re- quires practice, and the stroke is seldom very ef- fective, because the long carry takes away a deal of [72] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB the force of the ball and makes it comparatively easy to return. A smash should be placed; it is not just a crash at the ball. Aim to send the ball, with terrific speed, either straight at your opponent, or, better, down a side line or cross court. In general it should strike deep into the court, and, being hit straight from above, it bounces very high and at a sharp angle. Put all your strength into a smash; you are after the point on one stroke, and it takes strength to "kill." The half-volley is a ground stroke, because the ball actually hits the ground, but the racquet is put to the ball so quickly that the result is something of a cross between a ground stroke and a volley. A very few players, notably Mrs. Lambert Chambers and Mr. R. Norris Williams, actually use the stroke as a part of their play. With most players it is a stroke of desperation and more often fails than succeeds. One need never use the half-volley unless caught near the service line, off balance, so that neither a [73] TENNIS FOR WOMEN run in for a volley nor a run back for a drive is pos- sible; then the ball is hit at almost the same moment that it touches the ground; in other words, it is a pick-up; the racquet is struck sharply down with the wrist and forearm. I am not ashamed to say that I regard my return of a ball on the half-volley as pure luck; I do not believe the stroke is ever worth development as an integral part of the game and it should be used only when you have been forced out of position. Of course the advice always to hit a rising ball finds its logical out- come in taking the ball the moment that it leaves the ground, but this is, I think, carrying the principle to an absurdity. The half-volley is a useful stroke to know, but it is one of those strokes that come by instinct rather than by practice. Keeping the eye on the ball is two-thirds of the volley, the smash, and the half-volley. The actual strokes are very easy, but the judgment of the ball is not easy and will not be attained unless the eye is trained to be ever with the ball. [74] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB The defence to the volley is the lob, which goes well over the head of the player at the net and drops far in the back of the court. The lob may also be an offensive stroke when it just clears the net player and bounds so swiftly into the back court that the player cannot run back to reach it. The lob, like the volley, is a part of the game, but is not a satisfactory style of play excepting in doubles. Nothing is more pathetic than to see a player in singles returning high lob after high lob in the hope that, in time, the opponent will smash one into the net. No more irritating style of play exists, and, if this sort of game has any excuse, it is as a test of temper. If you can preserve a decent disposition through a couple of sets against a player who only lobs, nothing in this world is apt thereafter to bother you much. The lob so used is not tennis. A lob may often be very helpful in doubles, but I have little or no use for it in singles. A badly exe- cuted lob gives the opponent a splendid chance for a smash, while a good lob will only gain a little time. [75] TENNIS FOR WOMEN A lobber seldom wins unless her opponent succumbs to irritable fatigue. Therefore I unreservedly say that one should lob only when no other play seems possible. I abhor ex- cessive lobbing. A lob must be definitely placed, just high enough to avoid the player at the net and land at or very near the base line. There are advocates of the very high lob, but I can see no merit in a high lob; the object of the play is to put the ball out of reach, and a height beyond that point only gives the opponent ample time to travel into the back court for the return. Naturally the lower the lob, the more quickly it will reach its destination. The height is also controlled by the fact that every effective lob must be deep. A short lob gives a splendid opportunity for a killing smash and amounts to tossing away a point. Therefore my advice is: lob only when you are in a hole, lob deep and just high enough to clear the net player and still reach somewhere close to the base line. [76] THE VOLLEY AND THE LOB The defence against the lob is mainly a matter of activity; you should recognize where the ball is coming as it leaves the racquet. If the lob will be short, run backward, with your racquet poised in the air. If the lob is deep, turn and make a dash for the base line, turning again to take the ball. I find that I can usually pass a girl at the net with a drive, and prefer this method to lobbing. However, if you must lob, place as carefully as any other stroke. Then you may transform the dangerous position that forced you to lob into a position of advantage for killing a weak return. The backhand corner is often the best place to direct the ball. Most girls will run around a high lob thus placed to take it on their forehand, and they will seldom have time to make an adequate return. The handling of lobs is an open question; some players smash all lobs, short or deep; there can be no question but that all short lobs should be smashed. But I think it is dangerous for most players to smash deep lobs; the ball must be hit at just the right point [77] TENNIS FOR WOMEN or it will either slam into the net or go wildly out of the court. I find that it pays me to let the lob bounce and drive it hard; this is not an approved style of play. Those who do not advocate the smash- ing of all lobs say they should at least be volleyed. I would suggest that the player experiment with the several styles until she finds which gives the best result. Remember that a couple of successful smashes do not counterbalance a dozen nets or outs. Skilful lobbing is scarce among women players; a few players do nothing but lob, while the others lob in singles when they can find no other safe stroke or to gain a breathing space. Very seldom is the lob well placed. Miss Mary Browne and Mrs. Marshall McLean place their lobs well in singles, and Mrs. Wightman is very accurate with the stroke in doubles, but she seldom uses it in the singles matches. The stroke for the high lob is made by getting under the ball and hitting up; only constant practice will give the direction and the force needed to find the back of the court. [78] / 1 ^^ 1 5i] TENNIS FOR WOMEN same time look well. There is nothing incompatible between looking trim and being free and comfortable. Therefore, I think a shirtwaist of some light material and a linen skirt make the best and neatest costume. Of course, the only permissible color is white — white waist, white skirt, white stockings, and white shoes. Personally, I do not play with a hat, because the sun does not bother me, but the sun seriously affects many girls. In such cases a fair-sized panama with a turned-down brim is the only sensible headgear. An ordinary hat will not stay on and it is also too heavy. The shoes are a matter of personal taste, except that they should be very light indeed. The buck- skin shoes with the heavy rubber soles are entirely unsuitable for the tennis court, and if one likes a rubber sole, as I do, for all kinds of courts, a sneaker or other very light half shoe is much to be preferred. The sporting houses make a shoe for girls in very light leather with short spikes for use on the grass court. A heavy girl will hardly manage on a grass [152] WHAT NOT TO WEAR court without spikes, because the rubber will not hold her. On a clay or asphalt court only a rubber sole can be used. Lighter girls may use a rubber sole on any kind of a court. You will select your whole costume with the idea of freedom of movement, and therefore your skirt should be short enough and wide enough not to hamper any jump or stride which you may happen to make. You should forsake the prevailing style and choose the skirt with the idea of the greatest freedom with the least weight. It should be at least six inches from the ground. A very voluminous skirt means extra weight. For freedom's sake the shirt- waist should be open at the throat and should be full enough to admit of an unrestricted arm movement in any direction. I suggest washable materials, because, especially on clay or dirt courts, one becomes very soiled through an afternoon's play. And then most of the washable fabrics are lighter in weight than the unwashable. An afternoon of hard tennis will take quite enough [ 153] TENNIS FOR WOMEN out of you without dragging around any more clothing than is absolutely necessary. A sweater coat or polo coat should always be at hand to put on immediately after practice or a match to avoid the possible chill following over- heating. I am very careless about this, but other girls may not be so hardy. Remember that you will play matches on wet courts and that you will frequently leave a match in a shocking condition as far as your clothing is con- cerned. Therefore never wear anything the spoiling of which will in the least bother you. /. Dress lightly and with perfect freedom of move" merit. 2. Wear washable fabrics. 3. Do not put your clothes above your game. 4. Wear the lightest shoes that are comfortable. [•54] CHAPTER XII THE PRACTICE THAT HELPS PRACTISE, practise, practise — always prac- tise if you would play first-class tennis. The best players — the men and women in the first string — play nearly every day throughout the whole open season, and many play several times a week in- doors in winter. Every well-executed play in tennis is the result of practice; no matter what the natural aptitude, it is practice that makes the real tennis player. There is no royal road. Merely playing every day will not develop a game. The prac- tice must be gone about intelligently in the desire to improve the weak spots, and no amount of match playing will take the place of painstaking training. The natural desire in playing a friendly game is to [■55] TENNIS FOR WOMEN use the strokes that you know best and to avoid the plays in which you have commonly failed; it stands to reason that it is not the best strokes but the poor strokes which need attention. Therefore match play does not cure your ills. Match play will give valuable confidence, but it will not teach tennis. The best way to improve your game is to spend hours hammering at a weak stroke. Sometimes you can find a player searching for strength who is willing to spend many afternoons playing but one stroke against you. Such a practice has something of the atmosphere of the match. Take plenty of balls — a dozen or two — and play only one stroke until you have mastered it. A captured small boy tossing balls to you will answer nearly as well as a player; amenable small boys may be had for a consideration. If your back- hand is weak, instruct the youngster to throw the balls always to your backhand, or, if you need train- ing in the smash, let him throw the balls into the air. It is possible to gain much skill batting the ball [i 5 6] THE PRACTICE THAT HELPS against a wall or a fence. Some clubs now have practice fences marked with a line at the height of a tennis net; it is surprising how much stroke action you can learn in this way. If you play practice matches, subordinate your im- mediate desire to win to an effort to strengthen your weaker points. And always keep your mind on what you are about ; if the practice grows tedious and you begin to hit listlessly, stop! Listless practice is worse than none. In selecting an opponent for practice, try to find a more skilful player than yourself — at least find some one who will extend you. It is poor practice, almost worse than none, to play against weaker players con- tinuously. And watch your desire to win at the ex- pense of strokes that need attention. It is an excel- lent scheme not to score at all in practice games; that will help rid them of the competitive idea and aid you to concentrate upon the parts of the game which you are working to improve. Many girls are so ashamed of being beaten in [157] TENNIS FOR WOMEN practice that they will play as in a match and lose the chance to improve. Such girls never do improve; the more they practice, the more they confirm their bad habits. Do not be afraid to ask advice on ways of execut- ing strokes and on points of strategy. Almost every first-class player is glad to help a weaker player. If you have a good professional, he will be able to help out your game, but if you have no professional, take the advice of older players who know the game. The girl who will not give suggestions when asked by a younger player is a disgrace to the game. The natural tendency is to develop tennis along the lines of least resistance; every player likes certain strokes and becomes very strong in these strokes. All of your strokes cannot be of equal strength and you will certainly have favorites, but do not let your favorites compose your game of tennis. One player in England reached the first class because of an ex- ceptionally powerful forehand drive; he was a fast runner and he managed to bring of? strong forehand [158] THE PRACTICE THAT HELPS drives where most players would use a backhand, but he never became a champion, because he was essen- tially a one-stroke player. The champions are not always strong in every section of the game, but they never have pronounced weak spots. Specialization is a tennis fault; girls convince themselves that a stroke is difficult and they will avoid it instead of concentrating on it until they have a mastery. Again, a girl finds herself wild at the net, she does not care to make an exhibition of herself and therefore she never goes to the net; or it may be the other way about and she plays only net. One of the practical disadvantages of being a one- stroke or one-style player is that, once an opponent has discovered your strength, she will give you few chances to use it. She knows what to avoid and will never consciously give you a chance to practise your strength. I like nothing better than to find an op- ponent with only one style of play; it is but the mat- ter of a few games until you learn all the sure places to send the ball. Then the match is over. [ 159] TENNIS FOR WOMEN The adage to the effect that it is best to do only one thing but to do that well does not apply to tennis. You will play a far better game if you perform in- differently well in all departments than if you have a few brilliant specialties and many patent weak spots. I advise the sternest drilling in every weak stroke so that your game will be built into a symmetrical whole; you will still have your pet strokes, but you will also have a fair average of strength in all the strokes. In the same manner, I advise against a for- mal commitment to any style of game; it is not al- ways well to play from the base line nor is it always well to play net. Let your whole style be adaptable to circumstance. I think the chief danger in training for a tennis match is in the direction of too much work. When a girl starts the season, she will find herself wofully out of practice; many of the points of her game will need a decided brushing up. She has plenty of re- serve energy from her winter's rest and a wild desire I 1 60 ] THE PRACTICE THAT HELPS "to be up and at it." Before she knows it, she will be in an over-tennis condition. Of course, the amount of training depends on the individual, but it is well to remember that a tourna- ment requires a great amount of endurance, and that if you are down very fine you will probably have ex- hausted your reserve strength and possibly "crack" in the deciding set. I train somewhat differently from most girls because I am always in condition. But my own difficulty is avoiding too much work. I am not particularly an advocate of " early to bed and early to rise" training, nor do I think any particular diet should be followed. I simply get as much sleep as I think I need, eat what I like — although I do not eat much before a hard match — and generally I try to forget that I am preparing for anything in particular. I firmly believe that most training wears, because a girl gets an entirely exaggerated idea of the impor- tance of the training and of the match ; she gives way to nerves. [161] TENNIS FOR WOMEN I think that a set or two in the morning, with pos- sibly some practice of individual strokes, and two or three hard sets in the late afternoon, will put any one into proper condition, and that the off time had best be spent in doing something entirely unconnected with tennis which takes one's mind entirely off the game and the coming match. The normal girl needs none of the ordeals of the prize fighter; of course a case might be imagined in which the player had abused herself during the win- ter season, but that sort of a girl is hardly likely to take to tennis anyway. The general average needs only the development of endurance and the minimi- zation of " nerves," and this result is best to be gained by a perfectly natural life with a fair amount of tennis. I thoroughly believe in the European system of training, and I think the girl who "trains hard" may hurt both her game and herself. /. Practise to improve, and practise always. 2. In practice, play your weaker strokes in pref- erence to your stronger. [162] Photograph by Edzcin Levick, N. } THE SERVICE OF MISS ANN SHEAFE THE PRACTICE THAT HELPS 3. If you have one very weak stroke, play only that stroke until it is strong. 4. Play against the best opponents you can find. 5. Do not make matches out of practice games; do not keep a score. [•6 3 j CHAPTER XIII MOSTLY PERSONAL THIRTEEN years ago some one asked me to fill out a game of doubles on the indoor tennis courts in Christiania; I took a rac- quet and hit the ball. I think the ball went through a skylight — but the point is that I hit the ball un- commonly hard. That is why I liked tennis at once, and why I have played whenever I have had the chance, for I have always had a desire to run about and hit something. At school we had plenty of exercise. In the summer there was rowing and swimming, and frequent battles with my brothers, but, until I discovered tennis, I never had a real chance to fling myself about and hit. Finding that I had a "tennis eye" and could hit [i6 4 ] MOSTLY PERSONAL the ball gave me unlimited confidence in my ability to play and beat others. In a month after starting I played in my first tournament. I have never passed a tournament since, for it is only by competitive play that one can improve. Of course I was beaten in my first match; I found that the other girls did not hit the ball so hard, but they did know more or less where it was going to land. I made up my mind right there that I would learn how to place. The indoor courts in Christiania were poorly lighted; no one knew much about tennis, and when I secured a professional teacher in the spring I had to unlearn many bad habits. The professional taught me that tennis does not consist in a wild "swat" at the ball; he grounded me in the elements of stroke. It is a great mistake not to take lessons from a pro- fessional before playing tennis; lessons are unin- teresting, but they pay in the end. I went on fast enough because of my strength and my eye. I was runner-up in the Norwegian cham- pionships that fall. I should have gone on faster [165] TENNIS FOR WOM EN had I known better players with whom to practise, or had I had the chance to enter more tournaments. We have little tennis in Norway, and very few good players. There were no girls, excepting my younger sister, to give me a game, and soon I became too fast for the men. We had a few players attached to the British Legation, and I also played frequently with the present Crown Prince of Sweden, Gustav Adolf. We entered the mixed doubles in the World's Indoor Championship at Stockholm in 1904, but were quickly beaten; I was also beaten in the first round of the singles. My game was improving, however, and in 1904 I won the woman's outdoor tennis championship of Norway. I have since won it every time that I have entered — eight times. Having finished school at home, I went to a board- ing-school in Wiesbaden, principally to learn German, but I did not like the girls at all. I cried for six months, until I finally managed to have my parents take me home. Then I went to Paris for a year to [ 166] MOSTLY PERSONAL perfect my French. Of course I did not get much tennis in either place. That was six years ago; most of the girls that I knew were taking up massage — we in Norway think that every girl ought to have a profession of some kind — and I took a course at the Orthopedic Institute in Christiania. I am glad that I did, for otherwise I should probably never have come to America to live, and therefore I should never have won the champion- ship. In 1908 I thought I should try my luck in London as a masseuse; I joined the Queen's Club for tennis, and had plenty of fine practice with the professionals. I also found that there was a great deal more for me to learn about tennis. I had not been playing my strokes quite right, and my play was much below that of the English girls. I entered one or two tourna- ments, but was easily beaten; I had very little practice against women, and I did not quite know how to take their game. Although the tennis was so good in England, the [167] TENNIS FOR WOMEN practice of my profession was not, and I came back to Christiania to my parents. I had learned tennis, and had had a good time learning it. I had been anxious to play in some tournaments outside of Norway or Sweden; I wanted to try my- self against better players. I can never really play hard unless my opponent is pressing me; when I have easy matches, my game goes down. My sister and I were asked to play in a tournament at Hamburg and we accepted, promising our parents that we would not be gone over a week. I was beaten in the finals, one set to two by the cham- pion of Germany. The German girls told us that we would have a splendid time at the Braunschweig handicaps; we were due home, but we reasoned that it would be the last outing for the summer and we ventured Braun- schweig. We had great luck there ; we won the doub- les, owing thirty, and then we tossed for the'singles. There was another tournament on at Hamburg; my mother kept wiring us to come home, but since [168] MOSTLY PERSONAL we were due for a scolding anyway, we thought it might as well be a good one; we went to Hamburg. I took the third prize in the singles. Finally at Baden- Baden we reached the end of our money and I had to send a wire home for more. My sister went on to Dresden to study music, so I had to face things at Christiania alone; my father was waiting to meet me at the boat ! That summer in Germany gave me more tourna- ment play than I had ever had ; in fact, I played more that summer than at any time before coming to the United States, and I learned a great deal of tennis. The German girls hit the ball much harder than do most of the girls here, and they play a splendid placing game from the base line; they hardly ever come to the net. The Olympic games came the next year, 19 12. The Norwegian Association would not enter me in the indoor games, because they did not like to be represented by only a woman! However, they en- tered me in the outdoor games. [169] TENNIS FOR WOMEN I played much better in the Olympics than I had ever played before, but in the third round I lost to Mile. Broquedis, the French champion. The sets were 6 — 3, 2 — 6, 6 — 4, and most of the games went to deuce. She eventually took the first prize and I got the third, a bronze medal. After the Olympics I played only in Norway and Sweden until I came to the United States in October, 1 914, to practise my profession; I do not practise massage at home, and I was tiring of inaction. I was engaged for a while by a family in Canada. Then I came to New York. I had little thought of tennis in America, until I saw the newspaper accounts of the men's indoor championships in February. Then I began to be restless. I looked in at the armory during several of the matches, and finally I asked if there would be any chance to practise after the tournament had finished. They told me of the woman's champion- ship in March, and at once I entered, not that I had much idea of winning, but I wanted competition. [ 170] MOSTLY PERSONAL I found Haggett, a professional from Stockholm, at the courts. I told him that I was going to enter for the championship; and then I said, I am afraid some- what plaintively: " I want to win." "Go ahead and do it," he replied cheerfully, but he had not the least idea that I would. I did not get into the game until the tournament started, but then I went through without losing a set. I confess that I was very much surprised. I suppose that I am very silly about tournament play — I am so superstitious. I make a wish when- ever I see two white horses. I had great luck on the night before the finals of the National Champion- ships at Philadelphia. I was talking with Mrs. Wightman, whom I was to play, when I saw a falling star. There is nothing so lucky as wishing on a fall- ing star. I made my wish, " I want to win the National." And I did. Then, I have a Japanese brooch which I always wear when I play; it is so ugly that I cannot wear it I 17' 1 TENNIS FOR WOMEN at any other time. I am afraid to play without it. I cannot play "steady" tennis; I must try new strokes and new plays all the time, or the game loses interest. I often get into trouble trying styles which I do not know much about. For instance, I will sometimes practise them against a weaker player, and just manage to win, while I will be con- servative against a good player and probably win more easily. Then a good player thinks that I have tried to make her appear weak, and is correspond- ingly cross. I do not mean to make such a com- parison — it is just that I cannot help trying new plays whenever I have the chance. When the outdoor season opened I entered nearly all the tournaments about New York and found that I could somewhat more than hold my own with the local players. Then I played through the Nationals in Philadelphia, winning in the final from Mrs. George Wightman by two sets to one, and again beating her at Pittsburg for the Clay Court Cham- [ 172] MOSTLY PERSONAL pionship by the same number of sets. Mrs. Wight- man was by far the best player whom I had met in the United States up to date. Between times I won the singles title in the Metropolitan, Pelham Invita- tion, Crescent Athletic Club Invitation, Middle States, Nyack, Tri-State, Ohio State and Longwood Invitation. I lost at Orange, N. J., to Mrs. Fred- erick Schmitz; at Alexandria Bay, N. Y., to Mrs. Marshall McLean, and to Mrs. George Wightman at Cedarhurst. These were the only matches I lost in the East during the year, and I have since beaten all these players. I think that I am the first girl to hold all the na- tional titles for women in singles in the one year, but it was great fun getting them, and I am afraid that I cannot be very conceited about them. I have played more and better tennis since coming to America than I ever played before. When I came here I could drive; I knew nothing of the volley and my service was very weak. Some said that my back- hand was weak, but I think they said that because [173] TENNIS FOR WOMEN my forehand was very strong; of course my backhand was not as strong as my forehand. I practised my backhand every day for two weeks with the pro- fessional at the West Side Club. By steady practice I have learned something of the volley, and in time I am going to volley strongly. As far as my backhand is concerned, I can only say that Mrs. Bundy pre- ferred my forehand to my backhand. I never expect to know how to serve and I do not care to know the various cut strokes or services. After the close of the Eastern season I went out to California with Mrs. George Wightman and played in a number of special events. I had three fine matches with Mrs. Thomas M. Bundy of which she won two and I won one. She is the best player that I have ever known, and has a wonderfully hard and accurate drive. She plays very much the same game as I do, and also has the same tendency to drive her- self off her feet with the force of the stroke. I also lost to Miss Anita Meyers after having won the first set 6 — o. [•74] MOSTLY PERSONAL The play out in California is not under quite so comfortable conditions as in the Eastern clubs, al- though I had a splendid time. The courts are all asphalt and are very hard indeed on one's feet. But it is a delightful sensation to play in the open air in December. My present program is to practise my profession through half the year and play tennis the other half. Perhaps that is not the most remunerative way of living that can be imagined, but it is the most fun. THE END THE COUNTRY LIFE PRES8 GARDEN CITY, N. Y. 3l|77-3