A rare instructional video by Bill Tilden

[stotty]

Here is a 3 and a half minute video of Bill Tilden giving instruction on various shots. It's a silent film with captions used to deliver the instruction. I like the way he picks those elbows up as he commences his forehand...chicken wings we call that over here in the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhCbhDdbqbE

[klacr]

Here is a 3 and a half minute video of Bill Tilden giving instruction on various shots. It's a silent film with captions used to deliver the instruction. I like the way he picks those elbows up as he commences his forehand...chicken wings we call that over here in the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhCbhDdbqbE

Great find Stotty.

I wonder how many other tennis instructional videos showcase the backhand half volley. Wow.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Great find Stotty.

I wonder how many other tennis instructional videos showcase the backhand half volley. Wow.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I agree...not many...if any.

I just love these old clips. Since don_budge introduced me to Tilden's book How to Play Tennis, I've become somewhat intrigued by Tilden's take on the game during that era. After reading the book I came to the conclusion that no one has ever thought more about the game of tennis than Bill Tilden. When you consider that virtually nothing much had happened before him, he fathomed the came pretty much on his own. Much of what he writes about the psychology of the game and what it takes to be great still applies today.

After then going on to read Frank Deford's biography on Tilden, I came to the conclusion that Tilden's profound take on the game could be put down to two things: 1) an innate intelligence for the game, like McEnroe and Gonzales. 2) Loneliness. Tilden's loneliness left him plenty of time to think and get to the bottom of the game of tennis.

[don_budge]

"Match Play and Spin of the Ball"...

I just love these old clips. Since don_budge introduced me to Tilden's book How to Play Tennis, I've become somewhat intrigued by Tilden's take on the game during that era.

If you haven't read "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball" by William Tilden...you ain't seen nothing yet.

This is an early clip of Tilden that you have posted. Splendid stuff. True student of the game stuff. He actually looks somewhat "normal" in it. Later on he takes on a somewhat more "odd" appearance. More to come...about the chagrin of GeoffWilliams.

The genius of Tilden...was his genius. But genius comes at a price some times. The price? Madness. Insanity.

[don_budge]

A couple of more...rare instructional Tilden videos.

Here is a 3 and a half minute video of Bill Tilden giving instruction on various shots. It's a silent film with captions used to deliver the instruction. I like the way he picks those elbows up as he commences his forehand...chicken wings we call that over here in the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhCbhDdbqbE

Bill Tilden's tennis for beginners...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyQkN2KoWs

Bill Tilden's advanced tennis...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUA3Yb66YSQ

On volley footwork...

"In slow motion you can see now the foot and the racquet work together as a unit."

All in all...a bit of a "queer" bit of history.