Tennis court

“ The two were sitting on the white half-circle of a bench that stood at the west boundary of the old tennis-court, just where one end of the net used to be staked up. Excepting for that break, three sides of the garden were fenced in by the high wire screen originally designed to keep the tennis balls within bounds, and now doing duty as a trellis over which a luxuriant woodbine clambered, waving its reddening tendrils in the light September breeze. Wide flowerbeds bordered the entire court, the central turf being broken only by the cluster of rose-beds at the further end. ”

“ A grass tennis court with back nets to keep the balls from going too far, covered with climbing vines or flowers, adds so much to the appearance of a garden that other improvements are sure to follow. A series of rustic benches for spectators should be arranged on the west side, so that they can watch the afternoon game without having the sun in their eyes. If the land is rolling and hilly, the benches should be placed on a terrace at one side. ”

“ The game of lawn tennis was first played on a lawn or grass court, and many players still prefer this kind of a court, but the difficulty of obtaining a good sod, and after having obtained it the greater difficulty of keeping it in good condition, have increased the popularity of a skinned or clay court, which is always in fair condition except immediately after a heavy rain. The expense of maintaining a tennis court is more than most boys or most families would care to undertake. ”

“ Some sprinkle lime water over the places where the worms are numerous, and as this brings them squirming to the surface they are swept away and destroyed.
It goes without saying that all tennis players should be required to wear rubber-soled shoes without heels. The damage to the court from shoes with heels is sometimes so great when the turf is soft that it will take half a season to repair it. Where tennis courts are a part of the general lawn a horse machine may be used for cutting the grass. ”

“ A grass court is the best to play on in warm weather. The green of the lawn is pleasing and restful to the eyes, and the soft turf is cooling and soft to the feet. The sweet aroma of the green grass adds to the pleasure of the pastime, and the restful slopes and terraces invite one to lounge on the greensward after or before a game. Dirt courts, concrete, and asphalt, and even wooden courts, may appeal to the enthusiasts intent only upon playing the fastest game, but their glaring whiteness and hard, unyielding surface do not bring the pleasure that grass courts do. ”

“ It is too small for a running-track and too large for nasturtiums. Obviously, the only thing left is a tennis-court.
One really ought to have a tennis-court of one's own. Those at the Club are always so full that on Saturdays and Sundays the people waiting to play look like the gallery at a Davis Cup match, and even when you do get located you have two sets of balls to chase, yours and those of the people in the next court. ”

“ The tennis court should not be inclosed by trees on all sides. That is a mistake commonly made. The trees should be planted only on the west side of the courts, and not on the north and south side. The foliage of the trees hampers the players in seeing the ball, especially towards night. The ball stands out more clearly against a background of blue sky than a background of green foliage. ”

“ KINDS OF COURTS Tennis can be played on almost any smooth, even surface, either indoors or outdoors, and the question of securing in the best way the most desirable surface for the courts is one that has attracted a good deal of expert attention. While a lawn is considered the ideal place for playing the game on home courts, tennis clubs and associations have more generally adopted the clay or dirt court. ”

“ Remyo boasts a gravel tennis court, and a nine-hole golf course, mostly bunkers. Two more tennis courts, and a cricket and polo ground are in course of construction, preparatory to the arrival of the Great Future to which I have referred. Each form of exercise enjoys about three days popularity at a time. At one time tennis will be the rage, and every one repairs to the Club court, tho' so short are the evenings before sunset, that it is impossible to play [Pg 123] more than three sets an afternoon, so we are forced to be content with about three games each. ”

“ The finest sand mixes with the clay without making it porous.
We have also concrete, cement, and asphalt tennis courts, but few of them are really satisfactory. They all have the disadvantage of being hard on the feet and the balls. The concrete and cement courts are, furthermore, very hard on the eyes. The white glare of the surface on sunny days frequently causes players to desist after a few games. Asphalt is not so hard on the eyes, but it is not an ideal material for tennis courts. It is very expensive, to begin with, and it is too easily affected by heat and cold. ”

“ The popularity of indoor tennis on wooden floors has led to the construction of wooden courts outdoors for winter playing. A properly constructed wooden court can be used all through the cold weather. Mud and water cannot interfere with the players. Snow can be removed, and the courts are immediately ready for playing.
An outdoor wooden court for winter use is rather an expensive work, for a solid foundation must be made of broken stones and small pebbles, topped off with a layer of concrete. ”

“ Another club which had its grass courts laid out with a dense growth of trees a few yards back from the courts, on the east side, finally came to the conclusion that they either had to rearrange the courts or chop down some of the trees. The morning shade of the trees kept the courts from drying up quickly so often that the players became disgusted. Beautiful mornings would dawn after a rainstorm, and the players would anticipate fine afternoons of tennis ”

“ A tennis court is usually ninety-six or ninety-seven feet long, by thirty-three or four in breadth. A net hangs across the middle, over which the ball must be struck, to make any stroke good. At the entrance of a tennis-court there is a long covered passage before the dedans, the place where spectators usually are, into which, whenever a ball is played, it counts for a certain stroke. ”

“ How to make and mark a tennis court—Clay and sod courts—The proper grip of the racket—Golf—The strokes and equipment
The steady growth in popularity of lawn tennis as well as the splendid exercise that results from playing this game has given it a sure place in the field of athletic sports. It is a game that requires a great deal of skill, and as no one realizes this fact more than those who are experts, a beginner should not be deterred from playing tennis simply because he may fear the criticism of the more experienced. ”

“ As a rule, tennis courts fall in the same general class with golf links in that they lend themselves readily to the joint ownership of a club or school, where the expense falls on a number rather than on an individual. In a great many places the boys of a town or village have clubbed together and have obtained permission from some one owning a piece of vacant ground that is not likely to be sold or improved within a few years and have built a tennis court on it. ”

“ The installation of hard courts universally should spread tennis rapidly, since it will afford more chance to play over a longer period. The growth of public courts in the parks and the municipal play grounds in America has been a big factor in the spread of the game's popularity. Formerly a man or boy had to belong to a club in order to have an opportunity to play tennis. Now all he needs is a racquet and balls, and he may play on a public court in his own city. This movement will spread, not only in America but throughout the world. England and France have some public courts ”

“ The trouble with the tennis court was that, owing to the difficulty of roofing a large open space, the room could be only forty or fifty feet wide, and only six hundred to one thousand persons could see and hear to advantage. ”

“ If the spreading roots crowd out the green grass, the latter can be renewed by planting a little sod from some other part of the garden.
BACKSTOPS AND NETS A great variety of backstops may be introduced on the tennis courts, and their decorative effects should always be considered in laying out the grounds. The backstop nets should be at least 15 feet back of the court line, but 21 feet is considered the standard distance where tournaments are held. Many expert players refuse to take part in tournaments where the regulation distances are not maintained. ”

“ The courts here are naturally laid out on wooden floors. Fairly good tennis can be played on these, as there is more give and resiliency to wood than to concrete or cement, and it is not nearly so hard on the feet or balls. ”

“ I repeated, and raised my tennis bat for a smashing service. The ball whistled close to the net, and the white dust flew from her court, but her racquet caught it fair and square, and I heard the ring of the strings as the ball shot along my left alley and dropped exactly on the service line. How I got it I don't know, but the next moment a puff of dust rose in her vantage court, there was a rustle of skirts, a twinkle of small tennis shoes, and the ball rocketed, higher, higher, into the misty sunshine.
"Oh," gasped Ysonde, and bit her lip. ”

“ I do not think it is the star who keeps the game alive. It is that great class of players who play at clubs the world over, who can never rise above the dead level of mediocrity, the mass of tennis enthusiasts who play with dead racquets and old balls, and who attend all big events to witness the giants of the court, in short, "The Dubs" (with a capital D) , who make tennis what it is, and to whom tennis owes its life, since they are its support and out from them have come our champions.
Champions are not born. They are made. ”

“ If these directions for keeping a tennis court in good condition are faithfully followed there is no reason why a first-class court cannot be maintained indefinitely at little expense. It may be, in addition to this care, that a little work in exterminating weeds will be called for through the growing season. Obnoxious weeds must never be allowed to spread and get a foothold, or they will crowd out and kill the finer grass. They must be pulled or dug up by the roots as fast as they appear, and never be allowed to go to seed. ”

“ Cricket and tennis were in full swing, and she took an active part in both. The best of being at the hostel was that the boarders had the benefit of the tennis courts in the evening, and so secured an advantage in the matter of practice over any girls who did not possess a private court at home. So far the College had not competed in tournaments, but Blossom Webster was hopeful that later on in the term some champions might be chosen who would not disgrace the Games Club. ”

“ For instance, one of the best tennis clubs in the country had its courts laid out running east and west, and the difficulty of playing with the sun in the eyes caused so much trouble that the courts had to be rebuilt. ”

“ Tennis was a favourite game of the young citizens, which unfortunately in the troubles of the century almost disappeared. There were special tennis courts, and a tennis-court master, of the town. If any gentlemen of distinction came into the town, a place in the market was strewed with sand, and a playground marked off with pegs and cords. There these distinguished persons played, and the citizens watched with pleasure from the windows, to see how a young Prince of Hesse threw the ball, and how one of Anhalt did his best. ”

“ Other varieties of tennis posts can be used if needed, but the wooden poles supported by guy ropes and pegs are the least satisfactory. The pegs are constantly pulling out and destroying the sod. Straight iron anchor posts are better than these. They are driven in the ground, and by means of triple claw clutches they are held rigid. In place of the iron center forks for holding the middle of the net at the regulation three-foot height, canvas center straps are now preferred. The canvas straps do not chafe the net, and cannot cause the ball to glance off and strike out of court. ”

“ In the sixteenth century tennis-courts were common in England, and the establishment of such places countenanced by the example of the monarchs. In the Vocabulary of Commenius, [403] we see a rude representation of a tennis-court divided by a line stretched in the middle, and the players standing on either side with their rackets ready to receive and return the ball, which the rules of the game required to be stricken over the line. Hence the propriety of Heywoode's proverb, "Thou hast stricken the ball under the line;" ”

“ As to Courts, there are so many surfaces now used for the game, such as grass, wood, asphalt, cement, gravel, and sand, that it is possible to play the game all the year round, under cover or out in the open. I think, however, most players will agree with me that a good grass court is the ideal surface for lawn tennis. The sensation of playing a genuinely hard match with evenly balanced players on a good grass court, under ideal weather conditions, has only to be experienced to be appreciated. It is then you realize what great enjoyment this game gives to any one who loves it. ”