THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1952.
TEARAWAY TRY IN RUGBY CUP FINAL
HARD WORK MAKES TENNIS STARS-AND AUSTRALIAN IAN AYRE IS AN EXAMPLE
By DENNIS HART
The question is often posed, why do Australia and America pro- duce such a continuous flow of top-line lawn' tennis stars, while the best Britain can offer is a bunch of good triers? Not since the days of Fred Perry and Bunny Austin has Britain been in the forefront of inter- national tennis.
Many reasons and excuseshin ve been put forward.
The most popular
of them is to dismiss Britain's defeats with a wave of the hand and say "Well, of course, overseas they get the right weather for it."
This is not half the story. Admittedly the Australians and Americans do armer summers than the British. But the real reason for their success lles
enjoy in their approach to the game, They realise that succesя 15 | not handed out on a plate; that It can only be achieved after And they do not much effort, mind how hard, or how much they train to get to the top.
EXCELLENT EXAMPLE In Britain, at the moment, Is a player who provides an ex- cellent example of this, He is Jan Ayre of Queensland, medium
bullt, good looking youngster, with an air of quiet confidence.
a
Ian, at 23, has already made the Australian Davis Cup team and ranks with the best in Brie ton, He has it in him to become one of the truly great in the "ANXI IMV, FENTS,"
"LITTLE MO"
IS TAKING NO CHANCES
Maureen Connolly, who caused a sensation last year, when at the age of sixteen sho won the American Women's Lawn Tennis Championship, is leaving nothing to chance in her Arst bid for the Wimbledon title this year.
On this, his first visit to Britain, It was not long before an excited Jan was causing
amongst wagging of tongues spectators at his first game the British Hard Courts Lawn Tennis Championships at Boume- mouth.
The reason
+
fallen in love with the game and was determined to make a zuccess of 31.
He has done this by using the
that he methods same employed to improve his back- the hand. He read books on game, studied the top-linera in WŁA his fluent action at every possible oppor- backhand strokes, which, execut-tunity, and then not necessarily ed with Supreme case and grace,
copied them, but adapted their sent the ball skimming over the methods to suit himself. net like a stone from a catapult. Indeed there were many who compared the shat with that of of the backhand, the master Donald Budge.
That they are similar is not surprising, It was from a book by Budge that Inn developed tha stroke.
Previously he had relied on i Berce forehand to score most of his points, And the backhand was only as a, sort of stop-gap, Ambitious Tan realised, how- ever that while there was this weakness in his armour, he
could never rise to the top.
the
So he bought Budge's book, rend
endeprefully, studied the photographs, and then went onto court. There, through he applied practice what he had learnt to his own style of play,
constant
The result was that he not only improved his -bueldhand, but developed it to cha extent that it ousted his fore- hand as a points sucrer.
EYE FOR THE BALL
Discussing his game, over un between quick orangeade, in She arrives in Britain by air changing acts at Bournemouth- on May 20 with Leulse Brough, with three matches on the former American and Wimbledon | same day he had to move smart- Champion, her mother, endly-Ion told me that he must Eleanor Tannent her coach, have inherited his good eye for Within a few hours of land- a bill. For both his mother and
will begin intensive ing, she practice. To ensure that it will father play tennis, and so do his E thorough, Maureen, or L Mo' as she is known in America, has asked for men oppements.
She had been invited to play in the French Championships in Paris, but the tournament played on hand cour's. So coach Tenning said that it would be better fer Maureen to play only on grass-for Wimbedon's cours
are lawn.
3
two sisters.
At school, he excelled in oli ball games, and had he not chosen to concentrate on tennis, he would have made the grade at either cricket or rugby.
Indeed it was not unifi leave | ing school that he decided to concentrate on tennis, although after seeing Dinny Palls playlog years previously he had
two
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On top of this, he has always kept himself at. When tennis I not in sceson, he exercises in the gym..
agree
British spectators will that his efforts have been well worth while. At Bournemouth, despite the strangeness of the conditionsbis-previous match a week earlier, had been played In
Rhodesia, 6,000 feet above sea level he gave an impres- sive all-round display.
Besides his wonderful back- hand, he displayed an aggressive forehand and stinging service, and the way his musealar com- pactly buil body moved speedily, but smoothly. the court showed him to bさ the athlete that he is.-London Express Service.
around
CHANCE FOR
GARDNER?
Teddy Gardner the 31-year- Hartlepool, who, after eighteen ola balding publican from Wot years' boxing, has won the fly- weight tille of Great Britain, Europe and the Empire, may get a chance to add another to bis collection.
Batten, Featherstone Rovers' right wing three-quarter and captain, tenra himself out of a tackle by Thomas (No. 6), Workington Town stand-off half-back, to go over the line for an equalising try during the Rugby League Cup Final at the Empire Stadium, Wembley.
On right is Risman, Workington's full-back and captain. Workington wen the Cup by 18 points to 10.
Hitting A Long Way -An Average Drive Of 260-275 Yards
By MAX FAULKNER
Before we start to right any of the popular faults in this game of ours, I have been asked to explain my method of hitting the ball a long way. I'm sup- posed to lie about the longest hitter in the business in England just now--although Harry Weetman doesn't make it easy-and I have won several of the long driving contest held amongst pros at recent to armaments,
I came first at Sunningdale with a crack of 307 yards; at Bournemouth with n shot of 280 yards; and led the field at Brighton; uphill, with a drive of 279 yards, "I reckon my average shot from the tee today is between 260-and 275-yards, I am hitting the ball further than ever before, and I put that down to the new method I have adopted.
ON THE UPSWING
The basin of it is that I strike to bore its way through the air,, hit the ball a long way and I the ball-from a very high tee-and then leap forward when it think every golfer, worth his salt is interested in any new way of pitches, on the upswing.
In a normal shot the average doing it. Holfer strikes the
ball at the It may took a little unusual- and certainly I do not attempt tax Faulkner, my driving technique with any Opin Champlon Father club-but it is consistently Golfer, has won
effective and that is what counts; driving competitions manager of As you will see from the illustra unusual and forceful style Sam Ichinose,
In this article present World Champion Dado tion I tee the ball, very high, off driving.
baals of imes even a describes the Marino,
that my left has announced
tac. Sometimes
Loc.
technique. Marine will be prepared to de-little forward of my
uas a very straight-faced fend his title against Gordner in Newcastle this summer.
downswing, and
driver. a long swept backswing
UNIN
and steeper
Achieves 1
So why not get out on the the British practice ground and try a few experiments yourself? That is and Master the place to build your game.
Don't try wild hitting or foolish slashing; keep to a golf swing; through the ball keep swinging using your hands to go greater acceleration on the clubhead.
lone- many
with his
hi
Fer Els
bottom of the are of. bis swing, But first Marino will have to the ball so much on the With my drive the bottom of the retain his crown In a fight
are is two feet behind the point with Japanese Champion Yochle upswing that it
on May 19. highlsh trajectory from the tee of contact with the ball. Shiral. in Tokyo
but does not "climb" In the Should Shirai win, Gardner is prepared to fight him, even if it ordinary way, Instead, the top apih on the ball quickly gives it means going to Japan.
forward energy, so that it scerns
Max Faulkner shows his position for his competition-winning drive: The high tee and the forward position of the ball can clearly be seen.
CDJEMY
CLO MANS
IS IT A:BOY
OR A GIRY
BEGR
Corks!
do not necessarily recommend this style to the average golfer. Eut the technique of achieving greater distance by striking on the upswing is being effectively proved, and many of the stronger Rolters who may read these linea might like to try'a few experi- m.na. I achieve reasonably good accuracy with my hard hitting becouse I have good hands and arms and swing well through the ball...
With my brisale, of course, the bottom of the, are of my swing 4s
The on the ball, trajectory of the ball is lower and, naturally, I cannot get any- thing like my driver distance. I
use
a fairly straight, high back- swing, allowing my wrists to "Live" rat
rather than cock." This
all gives greater control, keeps The club face more closed at the top, and makes it easier to come en to the ball without that violent turn of the wrists which 60 often brings trouble.
It this may seem a bit too advanced for some long handicap golfers I still make no apology. for, it. Every golfer who has ever swung a club has wanted, to
hoarseness
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Finally--don't forget to keep on with the swinging and finger, strengthening exercises I men-|| tioned last week,
Gevaert
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