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FOURTH EDITION Tennis STEPS TO SUCCESS Jim Brown Camille Soulier HUMAN KINETICS Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Brown, Jim, 1940- Tennis : steps to success / Jim Brown, Camille Soulier. -- Fourth edition. pages cm 1. Tennis. I. Title. GV995.B6924 2013 796.342--dc23 2012044147 ISBN-10: 1-4504-3208-5 (print) ISBN-13: 978-1-4504-3208-5 (print) Copyright © 2013, 2004, 1995 by Human Kinetics, Inc. Copyright © 1989 by Leisure Press All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any elec- tronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and record- ing, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. The web addresses cited in this text were current as of February 2013, unless otherwise noted. Acquisitions Editor: Justin Klug Developmental Editor: Laura E. Podeschi Assistant Editor: Tyler M. Wolpert Copyeditor: Patsy Fortney Graphic Designer: Keri Evans Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg Photograph (cover): Eyewire photodisc Photographs (interior): Michael Marengo, unless otherwise noted Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen Art Manager: Kelly Hendren Associate Art Manager: Alan L. Wilborn Illustrations: © Human Kinetics Printer: Versa Press Human Kinetics books are available at special discounts for bulk purchase. Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager at Human Kinetics. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper in this book is certified under a sustainable forestry program. Human Kinetics Website: www.HumanKinetics.com United States: Human Kinetics Australia: Human Kinetics P.O. Box 5076 57A Price Avenue Champaign, IL 61825-5076 Lower Mitcham, South Australia 5062 800-747-4457 08 8372 0999 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Canada: Human Kinetics New Zealand: Human Kinetics 475 Devonshire Road Unit 100 P.O. Box 80 Windsor, ON N8Y 2L5 Torrens Park, South Australia 5062 800-465-7301 (in Canada only) 0800 222 062 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Europe: Human Kinetics 107 Bradford Road Stanningley Leeds LS28 6AT, United Kingdom +44 (0) 113 255 5665 e-mail: [email protected] E5779 To the memory of Clyde and Martien Brown and Milton G. and Leah St. Martin Soulier Contents Climbing the Steps to Tennis Success vi Acknowledgments viii The Sport of Tennis ix Key to Diagrams xxvi Step 1 Forehands: Controlling the Rally 1 Step 2 Backhands: Developing a Weapon 25 Step 3 Serves: Taking the Offensive 41 Step 4 Volleys: Forcing the Action 59 Step 5 Half Volleys: Getting Out of Trouble 77 Step 6 Lobs: Changing the Pace 87 iv Step 7 Overhead Smashes: Hitting the Put-Away 101 Step 8 Drop Shots: Disguising Your Intentions 111 Step 9 Singles Tactics: Playing Your Game 123 Step 10 Doubles Tactics: Playing as a Team 145 Step 11 Special Situations: Managing the Match 163 Preventing Tennis Injuries 181 Resources 189 Glossary 191 About the Authors 197 v Climbing the Steps to Tennis Success The sport of tennis has changed—from the way a racket is constructed to the way it is held, the way it is swung, and the strategy used in singles and doubles. Although tennis will continue to change, the fundamentals will not. The “anything goes” look of today’s strokes is effective only if there has been a structured approach to learning the game that allows each player to find his or her unique style of play. The fourth edition of Tennis: Steps to Success provides that approach for players, teachers, and coaches. With it, you can build a solid foundation or improve on the one you’ve already developed. Every paragraph, drill, illustration, and color photograph in this new edition has been reexamined, rewritten, or added by two authors who have played, taught, and coached the sport. There is something new on every page. In steps 1 through 8, beginners can build their games with forehands, backhands, serves, and volleys before learning how to use specialty shots such as the half volley, lob, overhead smash, and drop shot. They can measure their success on a 10-point scale for each of the 84 drills in the book. Intermediates can progress far beyond basic strokes, increasing and refining their skills with game- and match-specific drills as they move closer to becoming an advanced tennis player. Using steps 9 through 11, they can put their collection of strokes into a game plan that includes big-picture strategies and point-by-point tactics. Instructors and teaching professionals who have established systems can select from the drills, activities, and grading systems to enhance their programs. The Sport of Tennis introduction includes a brief history of tennis, updated equipment details, and an explanation of rules. An appendix has been added that contains evidence- based guidelines for warming up and cooling down, plus an expanded discussion of common tennis injuries—how to recognize, treat, and hopefully prevent them. If you or your students are new to tennis, the glossary contains 189 terms. Coaches continually add pieces of information to their personal tennis databases. Tennis: Steps to Success accelerates this process. In addition to the fundamentals of stroke production, more than 250 suggestions are included in the final three steps on singles tactics, doubles tactics, and special situations. The success of this book and the entire Steps to Success series is based on a sys- tematic but flexible approach to playing and teaching. Tennis players and teachers around the world follow the same sequence of learning activities as they work through each step. Previous editions of Tennis: Steps to Success have sold more than 100,000 copies in English and have been translated into seven languages. vi Climbing the Steps to Tennis Success With this book, you are assured of getting the following court-tested teaching and learning components: Stroke Fundamentals Steps 1 through 8 provide explanations for executing each stroke and images that give you a mental picture of how to hit the ball. The explanations include tips for getting into position, gripping the racket correctly, taking it back, swinging, and following through. Color Photos Color photos have replaced line drawings. Each step has multiple images of real tennis players demonstrating correct techniques. Self-Paced Drills The self-paced drills for each stroke are designed to be per- formed in the order in which they appear. You should keep score along the way. The drills are diagrammed and explained in terms that have been successfully used with thousands of students. Levels of Difficulty Following each drill are suggestions for making it more or less difficult, depending on the skill level of the player. Almost any drill can be made challenging for a beginning, an intermediate, or in some instances, an advanced player. Success Checks Every player needs key reminders about stroke production. Success checks are cues the player and the teacher can use to improve technique without overloading either of them with too much information. Missteps and Corrections There are no perfect tennis players. All of them make mistakes. Missteps tell you what to look for, and corrections explain how to fix the problem. Players who are familiar with common mistakes ahead of time may be able to avoid them altogether. Success Summaries Near the end of each step is a success summary—a quick review of what you’ve learned in that step. Scoring Summaries The scoring summary is a worksheet at the end of each step to record your scores. Almost every drill in the book is based on a 10-point scoring system. Perhaps you’re almost a 10 on some strokes. If so, you’re not a beginner anymore. Your reward for completing Tennis: Steps to Success is up to you. You may simply want to enjoy a sport that provides a lifetime of healthy activity. Your goal might be to become a tournament-level player, or you may want to guide others as they dis- cover the sport. Whoever you are, wherever you live and work, and whatever your goal, Tennis: Steps to Success is ready to help you become the best player, teacher, or coach you can be. vii Acknowledgments We would like to thank all of the people who helped make Tennis: Steps to Suc- cess possible, especially those in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The book’s photo sessions became a community effort involving the Hattiesburg City Recre- ation Department and the Racket Club of Hattiesburg (who allowed us to use their courts) and more than a dozen Hattiesburg residents. Michael Marengo, our talented photographer, deserves special recognition. He spent countless hours taking more than 1,500 photos, communicating with Human Kinetics photographer Neil Bernstein, and helping us select the final 80-plus color photos that appear in the book. The following Hattiesburg players volunteered to be photo models, ball shaggers, court sweepers, drivers, and production assistants: Lilly Brady Ethan Marengo Jean Denton Katherine Marengo Debra Dobbins Nicholas Marengo Bronagh Gallagher Brad Martin Betty King Todd Martin Margo Lamunyon Lauren Sanford David Lawrence, Jr. Nicholas Whitehead Hannah Lee Trey Williams Barney Hebert Melissa Graves Finally, we want to express our appreciation to Human Kinetics and acquisitions editor Justin Klug, who gave us the opportunity to write the book, and Laura Podes- chi, our developmental editor, who was helpful, professional, and pleasant throughout the process. viii The Sport of Tennis For a 41-year-old Welshman named Walter Clopton Wingfield, 1874 was a good year. The British army officer received a patent for a game he called sphairistike (alternately, lawn tennis); he published a 40-page rules book; and he sold more than a thousand kits that included a net, posts, balls, and rackets. The popularity of the game spread quickly, but players and officials soon dropped the name sphairistike in favor of lawn tennis (and later, simply tennis), and they changed Wingfield’s hourglass-shaped court to one that was longer and rectangular. Players also figured out that they didn’t need Wingfield’s kit to play the game, sales sagged, and he let the patent expire after three years. An Evolving gAmE Even though Major Wingfield had borrowed elements from similar games that had been played for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years in various parts of the world, he is generally given credit for inventing the game of tennis as we know it. He didn’t get rich with his invention, but he played an important role in the development of a sport in which others have made millions and became superstars. Wingfield’s accomplishments led to his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1997—85 years after his death. It didn’t take long for tennis to become an international sport. The first Wimble- don tournament was held in 1877; the first U.S. Open, in 1881; the first French Open, in 1891; and what would later be known as the Australian Open, in 1905. These four tournaments are now known as Grand Slam events. Pioneers Tennis had a history of being slow to include minorities, women, and people from middle and lower socioeconomic groups. For too long, it was a sport played mostly by wealthy men who belonged to exclusive clubs, but things started to change after World War II. Richard “Pancho” Gonzales, a public-court, self-taught power player who won two U.S. Open titles (1948 and 1949) before turning pro at the age of 21, cracked the door for other great Hispanic-American players. Althea Gibson (11 Grand Slam titles in the late 1950s) and Arthur Ashe (5 Grand Slam titles from 1967 to 1977) opened the door for African-American players. And Billie Jean King, who won 6 Wimbledon championships and 4 U.S. Open titles from 1963 to 1975, knocked the doors down in her fight for women’s pay and women’s rights in the world of tennis and beyond. These pioneers and others (see the sidebar, Game Changers) made it possible for the sport to be played by people of all classes and from all ethnic backgrounds almost everywhere in the world. Most of the 30 million players in the United States play on ix The Sport of Tennis gAmE ChAngErS Walter Wingfield gets credit for inventing the game we know as tennis, but many others did things on and off the court that changed the game in profound ways. Here are 11 of them, in no particular order, all of whom have been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Bill Tilden Arguably the world’s best and most visible player during the 1920s and early 1930s, Tilden won seven U.S. Championships and played on seven Davis Cup teams. He wrote tennis instruction books that were used for decades. Jack Kramer Kramer pioneered the attacking game and dominated amateur and professional tennis in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Jack Kramer Autograph Wilson racket sold 10 million frames. Later, he was a promoter, a commentator, and the first director of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Richard Gonzales Largely self-taught, Gonzales overcame racism and discrimina- tion to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 1948 and 1949. He elevated the serve-and- volley game to a new level and was a colorful, major force in professional tennis for two decades. Althea Gibson Gibson broke the color barrier when she played in the 1950 U.S. Championships. She won five Grand Slam events, including singles titles at Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958. Harry Hopman Coach Harry Hopman’s Australian teams won the Davis Cup 16 times, and he may have been the greatest Davis Cup coach ever. He taught and coached many of the world’s elite players in Australia and later in the United States. Gladys Heldman Heldman founded World Tennis magazine. She played a key role in creating and developing the Virginia Slims Circuit for women pros, the first separate circuit for women and the precursor to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Bud Collins Collins was internationally known as a tennis writer, journalist, and his- torian. Later, he became the voice and the face of televised tennis as a commentator. He has entertained and educated generations of tennis fans, and added to the popularity of the sport. Lamar Hunt Hunt was perhaps the most important promoter of professional tennis in the world. He created World Championship Tennis and, according to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, “changed the way the world looked at the game.” Billie Jean King King won 10 Grand Slam events and has been called the most important female athlete of all time. She was the first president of the WTA and became the world’s leading advocate of women’s and team tennis. Arthur Ashe Ashe won titles in all four Grand Slam events. More than being a tennis champion, this African American was recognized throughout the world as a sportsman, statesman, activist, and ambassador for the sport of tennis. Mark McCormack McCormack’s International Management Group became the largest firm in the world to represent athletes. He raised the profile of tennis with clients such as Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, and Monica Seles. x