Jeremy Woods - Tennis: Skills--Tactics--Techniques

Jeremy Woods

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2014 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

Text, illustrations and photographs The Crowood Press 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 749 6

Acknowledgements

The author and publishers wish to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs in this book: Lauren Hamilton, Michaela Knepsl, Sasha Philbert and Dominic Tripp. Thanks also to Westside LTC, London SW19 for the use of their courts and to The Racket Specialist Shop, London SW19.

Photographs by George Powell

Dedication

To Ava and Amy (sorry for the wait!)

Throughout this book, the pronouns he, him, and his have been used inclusively and are intended to apply to both males and females. Similarly, the right-handed player is used as the model for teaching technique for reasons of consistency and clarity (apologies to all left-handers!).

The great thing about tennis is that it is genuinely a sport for all whether you are six or sixty, male or female, have a lot of time to put into the game, or just have time for an occasional hit. In the same way, this book is intended to provide something of use for all tennis players, from the beginner just starting out in the game, to the committed player wishing to improve to his fullest potential.

Why is it that the game provides so much enjoyment for so many people in so many different countries and cultures? Tennis (or something very like it) has been around a long time, so its fascination for many is beyond doubt. The Roman wall paintings of Themistocles, dated around 500BC, depict athletes playing something remarkably close to the game, and the word tennis itself can be traced in English writings to the year 1399 (John Gower: In Prise of Peace). Obviously, the fundamentals of striking a ball with a racquet were intrinsically popular before Lawn Tennis itself was introduced to the UK in 1873 by Army Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, who called it by the (thankfully short-lived) name of Sphairistike. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the challenge exists just as much in ones mastery of the ball as it does in the mastery of an opponent or in winning.

Like golf, we all have improvement to strive for, irrespective of our achievements in the game. The Grand Slam title winner still strives for improvement in technique that he or she knows can still be achieved, in the same way as the beginner strives to develop a consistent backhand that will keep the ball in play. The variables in tennis all provide a a tantalizingly close, but still elusive challenge. The ball, your opponent, the court surface, your level of fitness, the wind, your stamina, the spin on the ball, the pace of your shot, and so on all combine to make the superficially simple game of tennis more like an exercise in three-dimensional chess!

Yet, marvellously, the game remains approachable by all, and not just by the top athlete or the supremely talented. I hope this book improves your performance and enjoyment of the game, no matter what your current standard might be, and I wish you good luck in a sport you can bank on enjoying for the rest of your life.

A page from the UK Army and Navy Stores Catalogue dated 1897, advertising early tennis bats and court equipment.

Court layout.