the art of lawn tennis(网球的艺术)-第3章
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of returning low to the backhand； for Patterson seldom succeeds in taking
the offensive again in that point。
I am trying to make clear the importance of such first principles as I
will now explain。
CONCENTRATION
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THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
Tennis is played primarily with the mind。 The most perfect racquet
technique in the world will not suffice if the directing mind is wandering。
There are many causes of a wandering mind in a tennis match。 The chief
one is lack of interest in the game。 No one should play tennis with an idea
of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to
do the drudgery necessary in learning the game correctly。 Give it up at
once unless you are willing to work。 Conditions of play or the noises in
the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match…players playing
under new surroundings。 Complete concentration on the matter in hand is
the only cure for a wandering mind； and the sooner the lesson is learned
the more rapid the improvement of the player。 An amusing example； to all
but the player affected； occurred at the finals of the Delaware State Singles
Championship at Wilmington。 I was playing Joseph J。 Armstrong。 The
Championship Court borders the No。 1 hole of the famous golf course。
The score stood at one set all and 3…4 and 30…40； Armstrong serving。 He
served a fault and started a second delivery。 Just as he commenced his
swing； a loud and very lusty 〃Fore！〃 rang out from the links。 Armstrong
unconsciously looked away and served his delivery to the backstop and
the game to me。 The umpire refused to 〃let〃 call and the incident closed。
Yet a wandering mind in that case meant the loss of a set。
The surest way to hold a match in mind is to play for every set； every
game in the set； every point in the game and； finally； every shot in the
point。 A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots； and the
man who does not miss is the ultimate victor。
Please do not think I am advocating 〃pat…ball。〃 I am not。 I believe in
playing for your shot every time you have an opening。 I do not believe in
trying to win the point every time you hit the ball。 Never allow your
concentration on any game to become so great that you do not at all times
know the score and play to it。 I mean both point score and game score。 In
my explanation of match play in a later chapter I am going into a detailed
account of playing to the score。 It is as vital in tennis as it is in bridge； and
all bridge players know that the score is the determining factor in your
mode of bidding。 Let me urge again concentration。 Practise seriously。 Do
not fool on the court； as it is the worst enemy to progress。 Carelessness or
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THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
laziness only results in retrogression； never progress。
Let me turn now to the first principle of all ball games； whether tennis；
golf； cricket； baseball； polo； or football。
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL！
Just a few statistics to show you how vital it is that the eye must be
kept on the ball UNTIL THE MOMENT OF STRIKING IT。
About 85 per cent of the points in tennis are errors； and the remainder
earned points。 As the standard of play rises the percentage of errors drops
until； in the average high…class tournament match； 60 per cent are errors
and 40 per cent aces。 Any average superior to this is super…tennis。
Thus the importance of getting the ball in play cannot be too greatly
emphasized。 Every time you put the ball back to your opponent you give
him another chance to miss。
There are several causes for missing strokes。 First； and by far the
largest class； is not looking at the ball up to the moment of striking it。
Fully 80 per cent of all errors are caused by taking the eye from the ball in
the last one…fifth of a second of its flight。 The remaining 20 per cent of
errors are about 15 per cent bad footwork； and the other 5 per cent poor
racquet work and bad bounces。
The eye is a small camera。 All of us enjoy dabbling in amateur
photography； and every amateur must take 〃action〃 pictures with his first
camera。 It is a natural desire to attain to the hardest before understanding
how to reach it。 The result is one of two things： either a blurred moving
object and a clear background； or a clear moving object and a blurred
background。 Both suggest speed； but only one is a good picture of the
object one attempted to photograph。 In the first case the camera eye was
focused on the background and not on the object； while in the second；
which produced the result desired； the camera eye was firmly focused on
the moving object itself。 Just so with the human eye。 It will give both
effects； but never a clear background and moving object at the same time；
once that object reaches a point 10 feet from the eye。 The perspective is
wrong； and the eye cannot adjust itself to the distance range speedily
enough。
Now the tennis ball is your moving object while the court； gallery； net；
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and your opponent constitute your background。 You desire to hit the ball
cleanly； therefore do not look at the other factors concerned； but
concentrate solely on focusing the eye firmly on the ball； and watching it
until the moment of impact with your racquet face。
〃How do I know where my opponent is； or how much court I have to
hit in？〃 ask countless beginners。
Remember this： that a tennis court is always the same size； with the
net the same height and in the same relation to you at all times； so there is
no need to look at it every moment or so to see if it has moved。 Only an
earthquake can change its position。 As to your opponent； it makes little
difference about his position； because it is determined by the shot you are
striving to return。 Where he will be I will strive to explain in my chapter
on court position； but his whereabouts are known without looking at him。
You are not trying to hit him。 You strive to miss him。 Therefore； since you
must watch what you strive to hit and not follow what you only wish to
miss； keep your eye on the ball； and let your opponent take care of
himself。
Science has proved that given a tennis ball passing from point A to
point B with the receiving player at B； that if the player at B keeps his eye
on the ball throughout its full flight his chance of making a good A 1 2 3 4
B … return at B is five times as great as if he took
his eye off the ball at a point 4； or 4/5 of a second of its flight。 Likewise it
is ten times as great at B as it is if the eye is removed from the ball at 3； or
3/5 of a second of its flight。 Why increase your chances of error by five
times or ten times when it is unnecessary？
The average player follows the ball to 4； and then he takes a last look
at his opponent to see where he is； and by so doing increases his chance of
error five times。 He judges the flight of the ball some 10 feet away； and
never really sees it again until he has hit it （if he does）。 A slight deflection
caused by the
