This should be taken
by nine-thirty. A moderate lunch at about one o'clock if playing
at three. Do not eat very rich food at luncheon as it tends to
slow you up on the court. Do not run the risk of indigestion,
which is the worst enemy to dear eyesight. Rich, heavy food
immediately before retiring is bad, as it is apt to make you
"loggy" on the court the next day.
It is certain injury to touch alcoholic drink in any form during
tournament play. Alcohol is a poison that affects the eye, the
mind, and the wind--three essentials in tennis. Tobacco in
moderation does little harm, although it, too, hits eye and wind.
A man who is facing a long season of tournament play should
refrain from either alcohol or tobacco in any form. Excesses of
any kind are bad for physical condition, and should not be
chanced.
Late hours cause sluggishness of mind and body the next day. It
is very dangerous to risk them before a hard match. The moving
pictures immediately before playing tennis are bad, owing to the
eye strain caused by the flicker of the film and the strong light
of the camera. Lead a normal, healthy life, and conserve your
nervous force wherever possible, as you will need it in the hard
matches.
"Staleness" is the great enemy of players who play long seasons.
It is a case of too much tennis. Staleness is seldom physical
weariness. A player can always recover his strength by rest.
Staleness is a mental fatigue due often to worry or too close
attention to tennis, and not enough variety of thought.
Pages:
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86