| Tennis psychology is nothing more than | | | | determination that sets his mind on one plan |
| understanding the workings of your opponent's | | | | and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely |
| mind, and gauging the effect of your own game | | | | fighting to the end, with never a thought of |
| on his mental viewpoint, and understanding | | | | change. He is the man whose psychology is |
| the mental effects resulting from the various | | | | easy to understand, but whose mental |
| external causes on your own mind. You cannot | | | | viewpoint is hard to upset, for he never |
| be a successful psychologist of others | | | | allows himself to think of anything except |
| without first understanding your own mental | | | | the business at hand. This man is your |
| processes, you must study the effect on | | | | Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the |
| yourself of the same happening under | | | | mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire |
| different circumstances. You react | | | | the tenacity of purpose of Johnston. |
| differently in different moods and under | | | | |
| different conditions. You must realize the | | | | Pick out your type from your own mental |
| effect on your game of the resulting | | | | processes, and then work out your game along |
| irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever | | | | the lines best suited to you. |
| form your reaction takes. Does it increase | | | | |
| your efficiency? If so, strive for it, but | | | | When two men are, in the same class, as |
| never give it to your opponent. | | | | regards stroke equipment, the determining |
| | | | factor in any given match is the mental |
| Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, | | | | viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often grasping |
| either remove the cause, or if that is not | | | | the psychological value of a break in the |
| possible strive to ignore it. | | | | game, and turning it to your own account. |
| | | | |
| Once you have judged accurately your own | | | | We hear a great deal about the "shots we have |
| reaction to conditions, study your opponents, | | | | made." Few realize the importance of the |
| to decide their temperaments. Like | | | | "shots we have missed." The science of |
| temperaments react similarly, and you may | | | | missing shots is as important as that of |
| judge men of your own type by yourself. | | | | making them, and at times a miss by an inch |
| Opposite temperaments you must seek to | | | | is of more value than a, return that is |
| compare with people whose reactions you know. | | | | killed by your opponent. |
| | | | |
| A person who can control his own mental | | | | Let me explain. A player drives you far out |
| processes stands an excellent chance of | | | | of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to |
| reading those of another, for the human mind | | | | it, and reaching, drive it hard and fast down |
| works along definite lines of thought, and | | | | the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your |
| can be studied. One can only control one's, | | | | opponent is surprised and shaken, realizing |
| mental processes after carefully studying | | | | that your shot might as well have gone in as |
| them. | | | | out. He will expect you to try it again, and |
| | | | will not take the risk next time. He will try |
| A steady phlegmatic baseline player is seldom | | | | to play the ball, and may fall into error. |
| a keen thinker. If he was he would not adhere | | | | You have thus taken some of your opponent's |
| to the baseline. | | | | confidence, and increased his chance of |
| | | | error, all by a miss. |
| The physical appearance of a man is usually a | | | | |
| pretty clear index to his type of mind. The | | | | If you had merely popped back that return, |
| stolid, easy-going man, who usually advocates | | | | and it had been killed, your opponent would |
| the baseline game, does so because he hates | | | | have felt increasingly confident of your |
| to stir up his torpid mind to think out a | | | | inability to get the ball out of his reach, |
| safe method of reaching the net. There is the | | | | while you would merely have been winded |
| other type of baseline player, who prefers to | | | | without result. |
| remain on the back of the court while | | | | |
| directing an attack intended to break up your | | | | Let us suppose you made the shot down the |
| game. He is a very dangerous player, and a | | | | sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. |
| deep, keen thinking antagonist. He achieves | | | | First it amounts to TWO points in that it |
| his results by mixing up his length and | | | | took one away from your opponent that should |
| direction, and worrying you with the variety | | | | have been his and gave you one you ought |
| of his game. He is a good psychologist. The | | | | never to have had. It also worries your |
| first type of player mentioned merely hits | | | | opponent, as he feels he has thrown away a |
| the ball with little idea of what he is | | | | big chance. |
| doing, while the latter always has a definite | | | | |
| plan and adheres to it. The hard-hitting, | | | | The psychology of a tennis match is very |
| erratic, net-rushing player is a creature of | | | | interesting, but easily understandable. Both |
| impulse. There is no real system to his | | | | men start with equal chances. Once one man |
| attack, no understanding of your game. He | | | | establishes a real lead, his confidence goes |
| will make brilliant coups on the spur of the | | | | up, while his opponent worries, and his |
| moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, | | | | mental viewpoint becomes poor. The sole |
| mental power of consistent thinking. It is an | | | | object of the first man is to hold his lead, |
| interesting, fascinating type. | | | | thus holding his confidence. If the second |
| | | | player pulls even or draws ahead, the |
| The dangerous man is the player who mixes his | | | | inevitable reaction occurs with even a |
| style from back to fore court at the | | | | greater contrast in psychology. There is the |
| direction of an ever-alert mind. This is the | | | | natural confidence of the leader now with the |
| man to study and learn from. He is a player | | | | second man as well as that great stimulus of |
| with a definite purpose. A player who has an | | | | having turned seeming defeat into probable |
| answer to every query you propound him in | | | | victory. The reverse in the case of the first |
| your game. He is the most subtle antagonist | | | | player is apt to hopelessly destroy his game, |
| in the world. He is of the school of Brookes. | | | | and collapse follows. |
| Second only to him is the man of dogged | | | | |