Tilden's book

[jbill]

At your request don_budge I got a copy of Tilden's book, "How to Play Better Tennis" from Ebay. As a student of the game I wanted to know first hand what you were talking about.

Tilden's discussion of tactics is undoubtedly quite interesting. I have not read it all, but certainly much of what he says is timeless and very appropriate for today's game, a lot to be learned from what he puts forth.

I have to say on the other hand, though, that the book is lacking with respect to the technical/mechanical discussion. This part of the book does not seem adequate or even appropriate for today's game.

For example: 1) footwork - no mention of the split-step (in my humble opinion, the game can't be played without split-stepping, of very basic importance.) ; 2) grips - Tilden does not advocate any form of western grip (Personally, I wasn't able to hit a decent forehand until I changed my grip to some kind of a semi-western. As a boy I was taught to play with a continental.) ; 3) serve - no mention of the racquet drop or trophy position (The illustrations are rather inadequate.) ; 4) keep your eye on the ball (That's a rather common admonition, but what about also watching your opponent? I have found watching my opponent to be equally as important. I need to know where my opponent is and what kind of spin he is putting on the ball; otherwise, I find I am woefully unprepared to respond to his shots.) These are just a few things.

One small thing I found interesting was Tilden's use of the term "winner" and hitting "clean winners". I thought this term came along much later. I didn't realize players back in his day were using that term. I thought it was more of a "modern" tennis term that came into existence when wooden racquets went out and graphite racquets came in.

But yes, don_budge, Tilden's book "How to Play Better Tennis" is definitely a book worth having and reading with regard to strategy and tactics. I will definitely pay attention to what this great champion has to say about the game.

One last thing, don_budge. I totally agree with what you are saying about Djockovic's mental toughness. His is superb. Actually, I find in my own experience that the mental part of the game of tennis is one reason I like it so much. The mental challenge is what brought me back to the game after many years of seldom playing. As a youngster I did not do so well with this aspect of the game. Now as a player in my 60's I am finding this challenge to be rather satisfying! I am at a point where my mechanics/technique are fairly sound and now am focusing more and more on tactics and I just love it. This part of the game is just so much fun!

jbill

[don_budge]

How to Play Better Tennis...connect the dots to Match Play and Spin of the Ball.

At your request don_budge I got a copy of Tilden's book, "How to Play Better Tennis" from Ebay. As a student of the game I wanted to know first hand what you were talking about.

Tilden's discussion of tactics is undoubtedly quite interesting. I have not read it all, but certainly much of what he says is timeless and very appropriate for today's game, a lot to be learned from what he puts forth.

I have to say on the other hand, though, that the book is lacking with respect to the technical/mechanical discussion. This part of the book does not seem adequate or even appropriate for today's game.

For example: 1) footwork - no mention of the split-step (in my humble opinion, the game can't be played without split-stepping, of very basic importance.) ; 2) grips - Tilden does not advocate any form of western grip (Personally, I wasn't able to hit a decent forehand until I changed my grip to some kind of a semi-western. As a boy I was taught to play with a continental.) ; 3) serve - no mention of the racquet drop or trophy position (The illustrations are rather inadequate.) ; 4) keep your eye on the ball (That's a rather common admonition, but what about also watching your opponent? I have found watching my opponent to be equally as important. I need to know where my opponent is and what kind of spin he is putting on the ball; otherwise, I find I am woefully unprepared to respond to his shots.) These are just a few things.

One small thing I found interesting was Tilden's use of the term "winner" and hitting "clean winners". I thought this term came along much later. I didn't realize players back in his day were using that term. I thought it was more of a "modern" tennis term that came into existence when wooden racquets went out and graphite racquets came in.

But yes, don_budge, Tilden's book "How to Play Better Tennis" is definitely a book worth having and reading with regard to strategy and tactics. I will definitely pay attention to what this great champion has to say about the game.

One last thing, don_budge. I totally agree with what you are saying about Djockovic's mental toughness. His is superb. Actually, I find in my own experience that the mental part of the game of tennis is one reason I like it so much. The mental challenge is what brought me back to the game after many years of seldom playing. As a youngster I did not do so well with this aspect of the game. Now as a player in my 60's I am finding this challenge to be rather satisfying! I am at a point where my mechanics/technique are fairly sound and now am focusing more and more on tactics and I just love it. This part of the game is just so much fun!

jbill

Your post is the post of a true student of the game. Open minded enough to accept the fact that this is a legitimate resource for the great game, yet cautious enough to not accept any and all without an honest attempt to discern. I want to dedicate this post to yourself and every other student of the game of tennis out there. The true student is a tennis historian...which is a difficult task these days. An attempt is always being made to destroy the glory of the past in order that the present appear to be that much more superior. I can tell you from first hand experience...it is not the case.

Tennis many times illustrates a metaphor for life...to those that dream and think creatively. You can see that the struggle in the game can sometimes be approximated in life. The difference is...in tennis nobody really gets hurt. You may get your feelings hurt, you may get angry or upset, but there is the possibility that once in a while you may become very happy and close to ecstatic. Chances are if you play long enough and hard enough you will feel every human emotion and all points in between. But in the end...it is something to do. Something that is very interesting and something that is very good for your health...physical and mental well being. Particularly if done with the proper attitude and direction.

I credit tennis in teaching me to think for myself while learning how to play nice with others. It taught me that you can compete so hard against another individual that you might nearly try to make him wish that his mother never had him. The reverse could also be true...that can happen to you. But at the end of the game...at the end of the night, we go to the net, shake hands and wish each other well. Whether we actually mean it at the time is a mute point...we act civil with each other. Even in the heat of battle. What better example for how to live one's life?

[don_budge]

How to Play Better Tennis...a complete guide to technique and tactics by Bill Tilden

At your request don_budge I got a copy of Tilden's book, "How to Play Better Tennis" from Ebay. As a student of the game I wanted to know first hand what you were talking about.

jbill

"Whenever I am able to teach any student anything about the game of tennis it is a feather in my cap." -don_budge

Here below is the foreword to "The Book"...How to Play Better Tennis...a complete guide to technique and tactics.

FOREWORD

This book is intended for tennis players. If you are not a tennis player in the sense that you love the game...its technique, its tactics, its psychology and its ethics...do not attempt to read it. If, however, you are one of the real tennis nuts...and they are legion...this is written for you in the hope that it may fill a real want. In it I am attempting to give all I have learned of the game over the past half century. If from its pages one player learns something of value that will lift him from just a person who hits a tennis ball to that very different status...a tennis player...I am indeed rewarded.

William T. Tilden, 1950


Right from the beginning Tilden begins to speak like something of an oracle. These words here are words that every single tennis coach should read and carry with them in their hearts throughout their career. As tennis coaches we owe it to our students, ourselves and the game to develop a philosophy of the game that is structured enough to emphasize the importance of fundamentals yet creative enough to encourage the student to make their own decisions.

In the end...it is they that will be out there on the court all alone with nobody to help them, save for perhaps the voice in their ear that once was their dear old tennis coach. As much as I hear my dear old tennis coach in my ear from time to time. As much as I hear the voice of Don Budge himself in my ear from time to time...I pass this on to you. As much as I hear the voice of my dear old father. Dear readers...dear coaches.

[don_budge]

Part 1...The Foundations of the Game Chapter 1...A Viewpoint on the Game

At your request don_budge I got a copy of Tilden's book, "How to Play Better Tennis" from Ebay. As a student of the game I wanted to know first hand what you were talking about.

jbill

Part 1...The Foundations of the Game Chapter 1...A Viewpoint on the Game

In his opening chapter of part one of his book...Bill Tilden makes a great argument for playing the game of tennis. Here is the Foundation of the game...it is good for you. By participating in it at any level it makes you a better human being just by being a part of the game. He discusses the benefits to an individual in terms of health, including the rewards the better one plays it. Play for fun but always endeavor to improve.

In this chapter he acknowledges that this is no easy task to play this wonderful game and it is here that he states...”I believe one can learn to play tennis in a year or less...but it takes five years to make a Tennis Player and ten years to make a Champion." Here he further states...”Much that is the trouble with tennis today is due to the unwillingness of promising youngsters to go through the proper preparations in laying a sound, scientific foundation.”

Ironically enough...Bill Tilden is emphasizing in a book that was published some sixty years ago and was a compilation of his education for the previous fifty years that the game of tennis is putting too much emphasis on speed and power and neglecting defense and intelligent play. This was before the change of equipment but the discussion is timeless. His sense of tennis went beyond his time...his engagement with the game has been unparalleled in many respects. Literally and intellectually.

A little further on in the chapter he makes a statement...”It is the fashion of the moment to view with patronizing contempt, as slightly obsolete the game of any player who has been in the tennis world for a decade. As for anything older than that the modern youngster either knows nothing or considers it a dead issue.” Such an interesting comment as he goes on to muse as to what our culture would be like if all education chose a similar path. I contend we are about to find out. He recommends regular education of coaches and to keep them up to date on changing methods but also education of the great stars of the past.

Tilden summarizes the first part of the first chapter with the statement that...”There is nothing that Jack Kramer does today that players of the past have not done equally well. There are some very valuable things of the past that naive been lost in the wild scramble for speed and power. These should be recovered and brought back into the repertoire of the modern player.”

The rest of the chapter is actually a rather interesting analysis of the role of the U.S.L.T.A. back then. It used to called the United States Lawn Tennis Association. Here he takes the opportunity to level a rather scathing review of the short sightedness of the coaching from 1940 to 1950 where he implies that the propaganda of the times encourages the tennis student to “hit like hell and run to the net” and “never think on the tennis court...just hit as hard as you can and run to the net”.

“How can real tennis players develop under that sort of official advice?”...he asks rhetorically. Back in this day, Tilden sees the situation in reverse as with modern day tennis...he sees the deterioration of the groundstroke and particularly the forehand in the rush to play the net. It is sort of interesting to note...that once again the age old proverb...the more things change the more that they remain the same...is true up to a point. There will always be elements of truth to this saying.

In this part of the chapter Tilden ironically enough advocates a standardization of the court surfaces. He is well aware of the influence that the court engineering will have on the game. The equipment question is of course post Tilden but one can imagine what his viewpoint would be on this.

The final point that I will bring to your attention is a statement that he makes...”Something drastic is needed to bring back a balanced and intelligent method to American tennis and to take full advantage of the wealth of superlative material that is today only realizing a small fraction of its true worth.”

It’s quite a first chapter that offers up many pearls of wisdom and also much “food for thought”. The writing is from a different era but by no means is it obsolete. One only has to take into account the historical point of view and apply it to modern times. Such is the value of history. It is not the point that old days were better...the point is there is much to be learned from previous eras and to quickly regard the past as obsolete...is arrogant. Such is the plight of the human beast...I mean human being. Gadget and gizmos have given us a false sense of superiority. The more things change...

In the end...we are going to find that we were just too smart for our own good.

[GeoffWilliams]

Child molesters should not be lauded, no matter how good an athlete they were.

[jbill]

More on Tilden

Wow, don_budge! You have written another great report on some of the significant points and thoughts of the great Bill Tilden.

As you point out, it is rather prophetic at times what Tilden says about the game some sixty years ago.

I find it rather interesting especially with respect to his idea that in 1950 too much emphasis was being placed on "speed and power." He was concerned that coaches were not emphasizing more of an all-court game where an up- and-coming-player needed to learn defensive as well as attacking skills and how to think intelligently on the court.

He also suggests that the proliferation of hard courts in California may have influenced the over emphasis on the attacking game. I have often thought that myself.

To me it is rather ironic, and I think you have pointed this out a number of times, don_budge, that our present modern-day game has way too much emphasis on speed and power and, that in fact, is what makes it rather boring at times. I wholeheartedly agree! It's kind of like pro basketball which in my opinion has become dreadfully boring the past number of years for various reasons.

As you say Tilden's writing from a different era is "by no means obsolete and the value of history can be applied to modern times." Yes and yes! Tilden offers up quite a few "pearls of wisdom." Thank you for turning me on to this fine book.

By the way I didn't know that Tilden was the one who made the statement, "one can learn to play tennis in a year or less---but it takes five years to make a Tennis Player and ten years to make a Champion." A former coach told that to me once, but I don't know that he credited Bill Tilden with it.

jbill

[GeoffWilliams]

"In 1946, he was arrested for child molestation, and he served less than a year in prison. Again in 1949, he was arrested for making advances to an under-aged, male hitchhiker. Tilden served a light 10 months of probation, escaping felonies both times." Lots of other instances not reported. What would you do if he came after your child? Do you know why child molesters are killed in prison? Because so many of the inmates have been molested and can personally relate to the molester.

[lobndropshot]

You mean there is no tooth fairy?

[GeoffWilliams]

The tooth fairy is not a child molester, nor anyone we laud as an example as a great tennis player.

[don_budge]

Part 1...The Foundations of Tennis Chapter 2...Concentration; Practice; The Racqu

It is rather prophetic at times what Tilden says about the game some sixty years ago.

jbill

That's right jbill...the more things change, the more they stay the same. Thanks so much for the intelligent conversation. I really am enjoying it.


Part 1...The Foundations of the Game Chapters 2...Concentration; Practice; The Racquet Head and the Preparation of the Shot

The foundations of the game. What does that mean? Well...it means it is the stuff to build your game upon. Right from the beginning you must have a plan...a blueprint. An architectural rendering. Think of Harry Hopman as Frank Lloyd Wright. The coach and the architect. Harry Hopman is the coach.

Chapter two gives us a substantial part of the foundation. Concentration, practice, the racquet head and the preparation of the shot. Nothing has changed in this regard when it comes to teaching tennis or coaching tennis. The book is Bill Tilden.

Concentration...is an ideal place to begin. Personally I can think of no better place to begin the journey than to emphasize the importance of concentration. I want to put it another way...the art of engagement. The ability to engage oneself in any given situation is a life long lesson. Are you engaged with your student? Are they engaged with you? Here is half of the puzzle. Knowing is something that some are blessed with but with most it is a life long struggle to acquire. Concentration is the ability to hold your attention on the job at hand no matter what the conditions.

This is my chief complaint about the current ten and under philosophy for starting kids to play tennis. First and foremost...they do not have the ability to concentrate at their stage of development. Some do...most don’t. Human beings normally begin to develop the ability to concentrate at around the age of 12...it is barely the beginning. Concentration develops with practice and life...over and over the student needs to be reminded.

Practice...it goes without saying. What more needs to be said? The only thing that this old world truly understands is hard work. Money talks...sure it does. But beyond the material world it is all about blood, sweat and tears. You learn to be disappointed for a long time...before the payoff. Once you get that payoff hopefully it whets the appetite and makes one hungry for more. Just go to work. Trust that principle alone and you have half a chance of succeeding...an even better chance than the chosen ones.

The Racquet Head...”Power, speed and pace is controlled completely by the manner in which the head of the racqueet is swung against the ball in hitting it.” Or put it another way...the behavior of the ball is totally governed by the manner in which the head of the racquet passes through the path of the ball. I can hold three balls in a row in one hand and I show my student this and tell them to imagine 365 balls in a row. That is the path of the ball. The path of any given shot. Follow through. To control your shot. Follow through. To control your life.

It is also the path of the student. What is the significance of 365 I ask them? Even the youngest understand...that is the number of days in a year. Anything of real significance is going to require a year of practice in order to accomplish something of real significance...long term effects. Passing the racquet head through the path of the ball is a real lesson...even philosophically speaking. There are many lessons to be learned in tennis...and not all of them are strictly tennis related. This why it is so fundamentally important to lay a sound foundation...to absorb all of the lessons.

Preparation for a Shot...TIlden is laying down the foundation. What a complete and solid foundation it is. Preparation for the shot is such a long story but it must begin in the beginning. To get in position cannot be overemphasized. Get in position for the shot...get in position for life. To be out of position for either...will often leave you standing in dire consequences.

The foundation is what you build upon. Whether it be a house or a relationship or your tennis game. Lay the foundation...and just make sure that it is sound and not lacking. Make double certain to not build on shifting sand or it will be certain to fail you at the first signs of stress. If you are going to teach children to play tennis then teach them fundamentals...as opposed to the professional game. The bells and whistles can and should come later. That is some slippery slope for a child to navigate.

[johnyandell]

It's interesting because Tilden got off a lot lighter than Pete Fischer--but parents still take their kids to Fischer for serving lessons...

[klacr]

It's interesting because Tilden got off a lot lighter than Pete Fischer--but parents still take their kids to Fischer for serving lessons...

Don't even try to figure out the logic of tennis parents.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Unfortunately their logic is too clear in many cases...

[jbill]

Concentration as a foundational skill

First of all, don_budge, it is interesting to note what Tilden has decided to include in Chapter 2 under Foundation of Tennis: concentration, practice, the racquet head and preparation of the shot.

You know, I don’t know that many tennis books talk about “concentration” per se, but it is obviously a huge area of concern if you want to play winning tennis. Certainly, concentration skills are so necessary in ordinary life and something that children must acquire if they are to mature and be successful in life in general.

I was curious, don_budge, where you came up with the idea that most children cannot concentrate in the game of tennis until they are twelve years old. I discovered on a particular website dealing with ways to help children increase their concentration and focusing abilities, that they actually recommended that elementary school children become involved in learning to play the game of tennis. Do you mean that most children under the age of twelve don’t have attention spans that are long enough to do well in tennis? Do you mean they don’t have the concentration skills for match play? What do you mean specifically?

On a slightly different note, I believe most recreational players totally underestimate the importance of being able to concentrate and focus during match play. Most rec players probably recognize that they need to concentrate, but really don’t know within the context of a match how or what to concentrate on. I only say this because that has been my own experience. It has taken me about five years to learn the full necessity of being able to concentrate and refocus in match play. And this learning process took place through many instructional lessons. It took persistence on my part to keep striving and struggling to improve.

By working with different coaches I eventually discovered that I have to refocus between every single point in match play; I have to concentrate on what it is that I am trying to do on the court, what the tactics are that I am trying to carry out. I actually use a physical trigger to remind me to refocus and concentrate: I flip my racquet in the air end to end by the handle and catch it. I try to do this between every point in the match. I feel this sensory-motor act helps to trigger my mind/brain to refocus and concentrate on my shot purpose and tactical scheme.

So, yes, Bill Tilden is right when he claims that an evolving tennis player must have good concentration skills if he/she is going to be able to play satisfying tennis. It is a necessity for learning the game and winning in the game. So, also, he is certainly right when he claims in his book that concentration is a foundational skill. And as you say, don_budge, this idea was as true in 1950 or before, as it is today. I doubt anyone would deny that.

jbill

[stotty]

Original

Fascinating thread. I am holiday on the island of Tenerife at the moment but cannot resist chipping in here.

don_budge introduced me to the Bill Tilden book in question some time ago. I found the book amazing, amazing for its insight. Tilden was perhaps the first "Great" in tennis, and when you consider this you have to recognize much of his thinking must have been original. He must have spent countless hours thinking about the game and likely he was the first person ever to consider the game in such depth.

"Play to a player's strength" was one of the tactics that stuck out for (I don't have the book to hand to quote the exact quote). "If you can beat a player by playing to his best wing until it breaks down...."

Another part of the book I found fascinating was how to play points relative to the score in a given set... at 3-3, 4-3...15-40...30-30 etc, etc,.

Sorry I cannot contribute more...need to get back to the kids...the beach...sun.

What I am most trying to say to readers here is to consider how original Tilden was. The first great tactician, thinker...the first to truly fathom the game. That's not easy. He probably spent hours in loneliness doing this.

Great that jbill has become as intrigued by Tilden as don_budge and myself...great comments from jbill also...keep them coming...warts and all.