Should you be caught at the net, with a short shot to your
opponent, do not stand still and let him pass you at will, as he
can easily do. Pick out the side where you think he will hit, and
jump to, it suddenly as he swings. If you guess right, you win
the point. If you are wrong, you are no worse off, since he would
have beaten you anyway with his shot.
A notable example of this method of anticipation is Norman E.
Brookes, who instinctively senses the stroke, and suddenly bobs
up in front of your best shot and kills it. Some may say it is
luck, but, to my mind, it is the reward of brain work.
Your position should always strive to be such that you can cover
the greatest possible area of court without sacrificing safety,
since the straight shot is the surest, most dangerous, and must
be covered. It is merely a question of how much more court than
that immediately in front of the ball may be guarded.
A well-grounded knowledge of court position saves many points, to
say nothing of much breath expended in long runs after hopeless
shots.
It is the phenomenal knowledge of court position that allows A.
R. F. Kingscote, a very short man, to attack so consistently from
the net. Wallace F. Johnson is seldom caught out of position, so
his game is one of extreme ease. One seldom sees Johnson running
hard on a tennis court. He is usually there awaiting the ball's
arrival.
Save your steps by using your head.
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