The contributions of selected women singles champions to the present day game of tennis for girls and women

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THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SELECTED WOMEN SINGLES CHAMPIONS TO THE PRESENT DAY GAME OF TENNIS FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN

A The sis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Education The University of Southern California

In Partial Fulfillment of the' Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Education

by Betty M. Swanson August, 1950

UMI Number: EP56204

All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

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T h is thesis, w r i t t e n u n d e r the d ir e c t io n o f the C h a ir m a n o f the c a n d id a te ’s G u id a n c e C o m m itte e a n d a p p r o v e d by a l l m em bers o f the C o m m itte e , has been pre se n te d to a n d a ccep ted by the F a c u lt y o f the S c h o o l o f E d u c a t io n o f the U n iv e r s it y o f S o u th e rn C a l i f o r n i a in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f the re q u ire m e n ts f o r the degree o f M a s t e r o f Science in E d u c a tio n .

..

Dean Guidance Committee

Chairman

TABLE OP CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION ................................

1

Statement of the p r o b l e m .................

1

Definition of terms u s e d .................

2

Related literature

II.

...................

.

3

Sources of d a t a .........................

5

Procedure

..............................

6

Organization of remaining chapters . . . .

7

A HISTORY OP THE G A M E .....................

9

Initiation of the game in this country . .

10

Development of competitive tennis in the United States Change of c o s t u m e s .......................

lip

Type of r a c k e t s .........................

17

Type of balls

18

..........

Courts

...........................

Change of rules.

III.

12

.

20

.....................

22

S u m m a r y ..................................

2lp

ANALYSIS OP THE CONTRIBUTIONS OP WOMEN NATIONAL SINGLES CHAMPIONS TO THE GAME OP T E N N I S .................................... May Sutton

.......................

Historical setting .

26 27

.................

27

Identification of the p l a y e r ...........

28

iii CHAPTER

PACE Style of p l a y .........................

29

P e r s o n a l i t y ............................

30

Contributions....................... *

31

Hazel H o t c h k i s s

......

Historical setting Identification of the player

* * .

*

33

. .

33

.................

Style of play

33

3>k-

Personality .

35

Contributions .........................

3&

Wightman Cup competition

37

Mary K. Browne

. • ........

. . . . . . ' ........ ..

Historical setting

.

.

...............

Identification of the p l a y e r ........ Style of p l a y ..................... .. Personality

39 39 39

•

1{.0

.........................

I|JL

Contributions ......................... *

ij-2

Molla Bjurstedt M a l l o r y .................

lj-3

Historical s e t t i n g ............ . . . •

ij-3

Identification of the player

A3

........

Style of p l a y .........................

I4.il-

Personality

.........................

k-%

C ontributions .........................

U5

Helen W i l l s ..............................

ij-7

Historical s e t t i n g ...................

ij-7

iv CHAPTER

PAGE Identification ofthe p l a y e r ............

ip7

Style of p l a y .........................

ij.8

P e r s o n a l i t y ............................

Ip9

C o n t r i b u t i o n s .........................

50

Alice M a r b l e .............................

5l

Historical setting ...............

...

$1

Identification ofthe p l a y e r ............

5l

........................

52

Style of play

P e r s o n a l i t y ...........................

53

Contributions... .........................

53

S u m m a r y ..................................

55

IV.SUMMARY AND C O N C L U S I O N S .....................

57

S u m m a r y ..................................

57

C o n c l u s i o n s ..............................

58

B I B L I O G R A P H Y ...............................

59

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Several factors have been responsible for the con­ tinuous development of l a m tennis in the United States. One of the significant influences has been the valuable contributions of leading players who have initiated advances In style of play.

Methods which proved successful for them

became the standard of play in the game.

The contributions

which these outstanding national singles champions have made In developing the high degree of skill displayed in the mod­ ern game is a subject of Interest.and perhaps, a profitable study. Statement of the problem.

The purpose of this study

is (1) to trace the history of tennis in the United States and to reveal the successive modifications which the game has undergone since its Introduction into this country, (2:) to show the contributions which some outstanding women tennis players have made In terms of evolution of strokes, style of play, and strategy from 190lj. to the present time. . Importance of the study.

It Is the consensus of

experts that tournament tennis for women has provided the impetus for changes and Improvements in the game throughout

its development.

2 These changes and improvements are evident

in style of play, higher level of skill, and better programs of instruction for girls and women. Play has gone forward and methods as well as players have changed.

No doubt tennis has improved because incoming

champions have contributed something constructive as they have gained skill in the proper mechanics of the various strokes and mastered the theory of execution. Balance must be maintained between different styles of play and different methods of offense and defense if one is to be successful in the game.

At present the standard

of play is the all’-court game combined with controlled speed.

Generally, those players who embrace this form

are able to defeat players who depend upon one stroke or one style.

Certain developments and theories of play which have

marked progress of the game can be isolated and- identified. In this study an attempt was made to employ techniques which would trace the history of tennis, and the contributions of the various women singles champions to these improvements in the game. Definition of terms used. Champion is interpreted as meaning a person winning first in the Women*s National Singles Championship. Strategy is the player1s ability to purposefully plan a method of exploiting an opponent’s game to her advantage.

3 Style of play is interpreted as meaning the individual form in stroking, footwork, and type of game. Tennis - Lawn Tennis will be used interchangeably in this study.

Tennis is the common term used and Lawn Tennis

is the proper technical name. Related Literature. One of the best sources on the history and development of the game of lawn tennis was written in 1932 by Malcolm D. I/'/hitman and entitled, Tennis Origins and Mysteries♦

In the introduction to this book

Mr. Outerbridge, a member of the family that first brought lawn tennis Into the United States, and one of the founders of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, stated? This volume is an outstanding contribution to the history of lawn tennis. Its facts have been authenticated, many from original documents found frequently in remote places, often difficult of access. They have been obtained only after pains­ taking and exhaustive research generally found in the work of a professional historian. Other extremely valuable investigations regarding the origin and early history of the game were presented by

Malcolm D. Whitman, Tennis Origins and Mysteries (New York: The Derrydale Press, 1932), pp" & 9

Paret,2

Slocum,

^ Wilberf orce

United States Lawn Tennis

Heathcote,^

Camp,^

an£

tlle

Association.?

Authentic records regarding' women’s dress previous o to and during 1887 were revealed by Sears. In addition, costumes were discussed in the literature of

Paret,9

Jacobs,^

and Cooke. The styles of play of the champions were described by o

J. Parmly Paret, Lawn Tennis (New Yorkr The MacMillan Company, 190I4.), p. lj-19* ^ H. W. Slocum, Jr., Lawn Tennis in Our Own Country (New Yorkr A. G. Spalding & Bros.^ l'8'90)9 P« 22lj!

^ H. W. W. Wilberforce, Lawn Tennis (London: George Bell & Sons, 1891), p. 7 8 . tL ^ C. G. Heathcote, Lawn Tennis (London: Longmons, Green and Co., I89I4.), p. I4.H8 ."

6

Walter Camp, 11Lawn-Tennis, The Queen of Games,11 Century Magazine, 80 ::31l7-52, August, 1910. 7

United States Lawn Tennis Association, Fifty Years of Lawn Tennis in the United States (New York: United States Lawn Tennis Association, 1932711 pi 2$6. ® Richard D. Sears, editor, Lawn Tennis (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887 )> p. 101. 9 J . Parmly Paret, The Woman’s Book of Sports (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1*901), p. Io7. Helen Hull Jacobs, "The Psychology of Tennis Clothes,11 The Ladies Home Journal, $ 1:3 1 9 June, 193^1-• Sarah Palfrey Cooke, Winning Tennis and How to Play It (New York: Doubleday & Company, 19lj-6), p. 173.

5 T i l d e n , ^ Paret,-*-3 P o t t e r , D a n z i g and Broadwein , ^ Hawk,l® K e n n e d y ,

^7 Rice,-*-® Literary Digest,-*-9 Little,^0 Mallory , ^

B r o w n e , ^ and

D r i v e r .

^3

Sources of Data. In the first part of this study the writer examined the literature at the H elm’s Athletic

William T. Tilden, The Art of Lawn Tennis (New York:: George H. Doran Company, 1921)V P« 175T 13 -^J. Parmly Paret, -Mechanics of the Game of Lawn Tennis (New York: American Lawn Tennis, Inc., 192677 P* 3167 ^ E. C. Potter, Jr., Kings of the Court (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936), P« 210. Id

Allison Danzig, and Peter Brandwein, Sport’s Golden Age (New York: Harper & Brothers, 19^8), p . 296• Dr. P. B. Hawk, nLawn Tennis Experts of America,’1 Colliers, h.^t239 July l6, 1910. 17 John B. Kennedy, ’’Little Miss Poker Pace,” Colliers, 78:10, September 18, 1926. Grantland Rice, ’’The Rival Queens,” Colliers 27 :ll-d^ January 30, 1926. 19 11 7 Leterary Digest, "Miss Bjurstedt’s Burst into Fame” , Literary Digest, 5>1:^28, August 28, 1915 • 20

L. L. Little, ’’Our Leading Tennis Women,” Outing, 8l:2li_-255 October, 1922. 21

Molla Bjurstedt, ’’How I Play Championship Tennis,” The Ladies,Home "Journal, 33:33>June, 1916. ^ Mary K. Browne, ’’The Girl Who Plays Tennis,” The Ladies Home Journal, 32:9> July 19157 23

Helen Irene Driver, Tennis for Women (Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 19i|-l> PP •86,67,115* 139 •

6 Foundation and the Doheny Memorial Library of University of Southern California. were investigated.

Books, guides, pamphlets, and periodicals In addition, many books and magazines

obtained from the University of Minnesota Library provided pertinent data for this study. Four National Women Singles Champions and two experts were personally interviewed.

The champions included?

May Sutton Bundy, Mary K. Browne, Helen Wills Roark, and Alice Marble. correspondence.

Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman was interviewed by The two experts were Eleanor Tennant, an

outstanding teacher of champions, and Bill Tilden, an authority on the game of tennis.

Perry Jones, secretary of the Southern

California Tennis Association, was interviewed several times and contributed valuable information for this study. In addition to the above sources of data the writer observed champions in play, and attended clinics conducted by Alice Marble and Eleanor Tennant. One of the best sources of information was provided at a tennis school directed by Mary K. Browne, a former champion.

Miss Browne permitted the writer to review chapters

from the manuscript of her book then unpublished. Procedure. Materials and similar studies were examined to set up a bibliography. A list of certain women champions was formulated. were selected In terms of certain criteria.

(1) It was

They

7 necessary that they be National Women Singles Champions, the most outstanding title in the United States.

(2) They

must have made an outstanding contribution to the modern game in some phase of tennis. Between October, 19V7 and April, I9I4-8 the interviews for this study were made.

They consisted of a discussion

of the new and constructive contributions each champion has made to the game. Next, the innovations contributed by each champion Trere listed and analyzed.

Written sources were consulted also

as means of discussing each champion1s contribution to the game • Lastly, a summary of the contributions of the selected champions to the playing of the present day game was made. Organization of remaining chapters.

Six topics re­

garding the origin of the game will be included within Chapter II.

(1) The introduction of the game into the

United States will be discussed.

It will show how clubs

were set up and how tennis became organized for competition. A discussion of the United States Lawn Tennis Association will follow. (2) A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of costumes worn by women during approximately the last seventy-five years will be described. A brief discussion of the following topics will be

8 given:: (3 ) the modifications in the rackets used by all players,

(II) the origin of the present type of tennis ball,

(5 ) the playing area, and (6 ) the rules and scoring. A detailed description of the innovations each person has contributed to the game will be presented in Chapter III. This will include the historical setting, identification of the player, style of play, personality, and contributions of each champion. Chapter IV presents the summary and conclusions of this study.

CHAPTER II A HISTORY OF THE GAME In I87I1- lawn tennis was introduced into the United States.

Since then the game has moved forward with marked

progress.

Changes in dress, courts, rules, and improved

equipment have all promoted this progress.

Regardless of

these changes, the greatest factor In the advancement of the game is the champion herself. An introduction to the early history of tennis will provide, a basis for a discussion of the developments which have taken place since that time.

In order to understand

the ways in which these national champions have contributed to tennis, a study of the game at the time each was playing needs to be examined.

Chapter II will discuss the history

of the game from the following points:

(1 ) the initiation

of the game In this country,

(Y) the development of competitive

tennis in the United States,

(3) the change of costumes,

(if) the types of rackets,

(5 ) the type of balls,

(6 ) the court,

and (7 ) the change of rules. The Initiation of the Game in this Country. The development of lawn tennis Is rather indistinct, leading to disagreement among authorities regarding Its direct extraction.

Lawn tennis had predecessors, however,

because it combines familiar features apparently borrowed

10 from older sports.

It borrowed from royal tennis, fashionable

badminton, and from the lowly game of racquets which was actually a slum game until about 1832 •

It was the first game

of its class which was played out of doors and for that reason became so popular and widely played.^Other experts state that the popular modern game of lawn tennis claims immediate descent from court tennis and has royal antecedents.

The game has been described as "the

king of games and the game of kings."

The French were among

the first of the modern nations to take up this sport and several terms still used are derived from them.

For example,

it is thought by some that the name of the game is derived from the French word tenez, meaning "seize it” or "play".

p

From the standpoint of interest the inconsistencies in regard to the introduction of lawn tennis in the United States will be presented.

^ J. Parmly Paret, L a m Tennis (New Yorkr The MacMillan Company, 190lf), p.3« H. W. Slocum, Jr., Lawn Tennis in our Own Country (New York: A. G. Spalding & B r o s I 89O ), p. 22lj7 Malcolm D. l/Vhitman, Tennis Origins and Mysteries (New York: The Derrydale Press, 1932 ), p p . 0-9 2

Henry Hall, The Tribune Book of Open-Air Sports (New Yorkr The Tribune Association, l8BT)^ p. 102. WaL ter Camp, The Book of Sports and Games (New Yorkr Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 190377* P* 387

11 Paret,

3 Camp,^ Hea.thcote,-^ Sears, ^ and Slocum,^

claim that lawn tennis or "Sphairistike,ft as it was called by Major Wingfield who introduced it in England, first made its appearance in America in l87l}-.

A Bostonian who

was travelling abroad brought home a set of Wingfield*s rules and equipment for the game.

Then a court was laid

out at his country home at Nahant, a seaside resort near Boston. Everybody familiar with the history of the game in this country knows, according to Dr. Dwight,

8

often

called the "father of lawn tennis in America", that it started in New England.

The first set of lawn tennis was played at

Nahant in the late summer of l875>* Another theory regarding the introduction of the q game is discussed by Henderson^ who claims that Malcolm 3

Paret, 0£- cit., pp. 9-10

^ Walter Camp, "Latvn-Tennis, The Queen of Games", Century Magazine, 8 0 r5>3>l5 August, 1910. C. G-. Heathcote, Lawn Tennis (London? Longmans, Green, and Co., I89I}-)* p. 3l"5 • £ Edited by His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, The Bad­ minton Library of Sports and Pastimes (London: Longmans, Green and Co.^ I89I4-) > p . $ 0 . Slocum, op. cit., p. 106 o James Dwight, "Lawn Tennis in New England", Outing, 18 rl5>7 * May, 1891 ^ Robert W. Henderson, Ball, Bat, and Bishop (New Yorkr Rockport Press, Inc., 19^4-7) 9 P* 127 •

12 D. Whitman has proved conclusively that the honor of Introducing lawn tennis into the United States goes to Mary E. Outerbridge.

In the winter of 1873—7^4-> while on

vacation in Bermuda, she observed some British Army officers playing tennis and brought back a set with her.

In the

spring of l87l|_ a court was laid out at the Staten Island Cricket Club in New York. Development of Competitive Tennis in the United States. The game spread rapidly and by 1880 courts had been constructed in different parts of the country.

They were

owned by private persons or private clubs and the tournaments were also private affairs Variations in height of net, size of court, and size and weight of balls existed at the different clubs and presented problems when the Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club conducted the first open tournament in 1 8 8 0 . ^ Two occurrences in this open tournament showed the necessity of a central body which would frame a code of rules to be used by all players.

The first was in the

John A. Tunis, Sports for the Fun of I_t (New Yorkr A. S. Barnes and Company, “ 1911-077 p. 300. ^

Paret,

ojd.

cit., p.10.

Slocum, OjD. cit., p. 113.

13 doubles event in which disagreement occurred regarding the weight and size of the ball and the other happened when the Young America Cricket Club of Philadelphia challenged the Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club to play a doubles match.

The ball question arose again; also a

difference of six inches at the center of the net caused disagreement between the clubs.

These experiences con-

stituted the steps toward the formation of the association. 12 Dr. James Dwight of Boston together with other out­ standing players from Boston, New York and Philadelphia organized the association.

On May 21, l88l a general

meeting, represented by thirty-three of the prominent clubs, was held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York.

A con­

stitution and by-laws for an association to be called the United States Na.tional Lawn Tennis Association were adopted."^ The object of forming this association was to have some central representative power which would be universally recognized in all lawn tennis matters.

It would make and

revise the American tennis laws and playing rules, would settle all points of lawn tennis law, and interpret the meaning and hearing of the rules in all disputed cases

12 Ibid., pp. 113-lllj.. 13 Ibid., pp. 115-116. 11)- Heathcote, 0£. cit., pp. 318-19•

14 In l88l there were thirty-three club members of the association and in 1889 over eight.

These thirty-

three clubs have increased in the past sixty-eight years to 1000 member clubs affiliated to the United States Lawn Tennis Association. 15 The Change of Costumes.

As early as I887 proper tennis

clothes were described In the literature.

For example,

Sears’*-0 states: The first essential, if you wish to get anything beyond mediocrity as a player, is to dress for the purpose. You will wear shoes without heels, and equally, of course, will the soles be of Indiarubber. A tight shoe being a disadvatage should be discarded, even though it may offer some attraction in the matter of appearance. A great big hat that waggles about is also trying to the wearer, as also are bangles, bracelets, and such like ornaments-not to mention five or six rings on one finger. These latter are more liable to cause blisters by pinching up- the skin between the hand and the bat, than anything I know of. We will now suppose you have attired yourself in a suitable costume of cashmere or flannel, a nice small hat, and a pair of easy-fitting shoes., A few years later P a r e t ^ and Hill^® suggested that

Northwestern Lawn Tennis Association, News Policy, nN.W.L.T .A. News, p. 6 , May 19^-9*

’’N.W.L.T.A.

16

Richard D. Sears, editor, Lawn Tennis (New Yorkr Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887) p • 59 • 17

J. Parmly Paret, The Woman’s Book of Sports (New York: D. Appleton and Comapny, 19OI), pp. 4.1-ij.2. 1

R

Lucille E. Hill, Athletics and Out-Poor Sports for Women (New Yorkr The MacMillan Company, 1903 )t PP» 191-92•

15 outfits be free at the elbows and shoulders and the skirts should be short, about a half-inch from the ground.

In

addition, the skirts should be stiff enough not to bind or interfere with the running or stroking.

If possible, it

was much wiser for the women to play without corsets. Toward the end of the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth century there were many disadvantages to women's costumes.

Some of the syles in vogue were ankle

length white duck skirts, white lawn dresses with long sleeves and high stiff collars, highly colored flannel skirts, big blouses, and felt and panama hats. were worn under these costumes.

Petticoats

Often the players had to

grip their overdraped and bulky skirts with their left hand in order to run for fast strokes.

It was impossible to start

19 quickly because the skirts would wind around the player's knees. 20 According to Helen Wills, the knee length pleated

•*■9 Personal Interview by the Author, interview with May Sutton, Nov. 15, 19^-7* Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Mary K. Browne, Jan. 21, 19^4-8 Bertha L. Townsend, Margarette Lyman Ballard, "Lawn Tennis for Women” , Lippincotts Monthly Magazine, 1^6?2lj.O, June, l895« 20

Helen Wills, Tennis (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928) pp. I37-I4.O

16 skirt was the ideal costume for tennis.

However there were

two types of dress on the court, the one-piece and the two-piece outfit.

The correct playing attire was always

white and included long stockings* In 193li Helen Jacobs introduced shorts for playing tennis.

Describing the evolution of tennis clothes Jacobs'^

states r The three innovations in tennis clothes-the sleeveless dress, the stockingless costume, and shorts have come about against much criticism. In each instance the players have been loath to crusade the change. It has placed those who did in a conspicuous position, with whatever censure there was to be falling heavily on their shoulder. They realized the importance, of concentration and of having it undisturbed while they played. They knew that if they were conscious of their clothes their attention would be divided between this and the game, and the gamble was too great for them., Today players wear a shirt and pleated sharkskin shorts or a one-piece sharkskin, rayon, or cotton pique dress with a flared, pleated, or divided skirt and action sleeves or lastex at the waist. of under garments are worn.

Only a limited number

On the head a player can

wear a headband, hairnet, hair ribbon, or visor like Helen Wills always wore or a cap as always worn by Alice Marble#

22

^ Helen Hull Jacobs, "The Psychology of Tennis Clothes11, The Ladies Home Journal, 5l?'31* June 193^1 * 22

Sarah Palfrey Cooke, Winning Tennis and How to Play It (New York: Doubleday & Company, In c«> 19^6), p, 2if.

17

The Type s of Racke ts According to

C a m p ,

±n

1

Q 7 G the slightly curved

racket had a small hitting surface.

These rackets proved

adequate at that time because the ball was cut diagonally over a net which tapered towards the center and eliminated side line driving.

The overhead service and volley had not been

developed at this time. A tri-angular shaped racket with pronounced angles at the top was introduced in the early 8 0 ’s.

Later this was

followed by a small, long racket with limited space crosswise but increased size lengthwise.

Then in the 9 0 ’s the freak

rackets disappeared and the rounder type racket which still exists came into vogue.

This broadening of the face of the

racket followed the requirements of wider stroke play and 2k the more uniform net height. The stringing of rackets created many problems in the earlier days.

During that time various methods of string­

ing were adopted but none proved successful.

Now the

elasticity of the strings are used to preserve the tightness and they are strung under heavy pressure.

23

29

Walter C mp, "Lawn-Tennis, The Queen of the Games”, Century Magazine, oO:55l> August, 1910. T rL o c . cit. 29

Camp, op_, c i t ., p. 55l*

Today rackets are strung with silk, nylon, or gut. Lambs gut is the best.

Silk and nylon cost less and are

more resistant to moisture than gut.

Rackets may be strung

with fifteen gauge or sixteen gauge gut at a pressure of fifty or sixty p o u n d s . ^ The type and weight of the racket, gauge of the gut, and the number of pounds of pressure with which the racket is strung are fundamental to the champion’s game.

Most

champions have several spare rackets to use. The Type of Balls. Paret 27' relates that at first balls of hollow indiarubber were universally used. covering them with flannel.

Then John Heathcote suggested Whitman

28

presents an interesting

account in regard to this? In a very characteristic English country house there is preserved as an historical relic-it may become an heirloom- the first, the very first, covered lawn-tennis ball. It was invented within the family circle of Mr. John Heathcote, for very many years champion of real tennis, a great player and a great sportsman. When the new game was in­ vented (in the early ’seventies) he found the un­ covered ball over light, the genius of himself and

26 Mary K. Browne, Design for Tennis (New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, P* 189• Paret, ojc. cit., p. 82. pQ

Whitman,

op. cit., p. 9^-*

19 his wife the pattern of two globular strips of flannel, which would completely envelope a sphere, was worked out, and the flannel bandage applied. The invention was made public property. Originally, tennis balls were all made in two sections and cemented together with a soft rubber plug on the inside. The ball was inflated by pushing a needle of an air-gun into the plug, inflating the ball, then when it was withdrawn the soft rubber would close the hole and leave the ball air-tight. Later felt covers were sewed on the ball. 29 even flight to these balls. '

There was an un-

Better methods of manufacturing balls are now in use.

The process is extremely technical and requires

expert skill.

Instead of a monopoly in the ball industry

there are several balls approved for use in official tournaments Tunisstates

that an authority claimed that the

tennis balls of I9I4-O were 100^ better than the balls of 191^-* They are easier to control, easier to keep in court, and longer rallies are possible. For the first few years after the United States

J. Parmly Paret, Mechanics of the Game of Lawn Tennis (American Lawn Tennis, Inc., 1926), p p . 35>-3&* 30 r .. Loc. ext. 31 Tunis,

.

ojd

cit., p. 301.

20

National Lawn Tennis Association was formed there was constant friction over the ball question.

An imported

English ball made by Ayres was first used in official tournaments.

Then an American ball made by Wright and

Ditson and Peck & Snyder was substituted for it.

However,

it was only a year before the Ayres ball again received official recognition.

This lasted for several seasons

until balls made by Wright and Ditson were again adopted.

32

The Courts. In its infancy lawn tennis was played on an hour glass shaped court, 60 feet by 30 feet narrowing to 21 feet at the net which was 7 feet high at the posts and If. feet 8 inches in the middle.

Everybody made rules for themselves* 33

Since the formation of the association, the dimensions of the court and the height of the net have not changed. The first of the laws of lawn tennis as adopted by the United States National Lawn Tennis Association at Annual Con­ ventions from 1881-90, specified the followingr The Court is 78 feet long, and 27 feet wide. It is divided across the middle by a net, the ends of which are attached to two posts standing 3 feet outside the

Whitman, 33

ojd.

clt., p. 94•

H. W. W. Wilberforce, Lawn Tennis (London: George Bell & Sons, 1891)5 P* k-*

21

court on either side. The height of the net is 3 feet 6 inches at the pasts, and 3 feet in the middle. At each end of the court parallel with the net, and 39 feet from it, are drawn base lines, the ends of which, are connected''by the sidelines. Half-way between the sidelines, and parallel with them, is drawn the half court line, dividing the space on each side of the net into two equal parts, the right and left courts. On each side of the net, at a distance of 21 feet from ~j it, and parallel with it, are drawn the service lines. ^ To show the similarilir in dimensions and height of the net, the Year Book for 19^8 statesr The court shall be a rectangle 78 feet long and 27 feet wide. It shall be divided across the middle by a net, the ends of which shall be attached to, or pass over, the tops of two posts, 3 feet 6 inches high, which shall stand 3 feet outside the court on each side. The height of the net shall be 3 feet at the center, where it shall be held down taut by a strap not more than 2 inches wide. The lines bounding the ends and sides of the court shall respectively be called the Base Lines and the Side Lines. On each side of the net, at a distance of 21 feet from it and. parallel with it, shall be drawn the Service Lines. The space on each side of the net between the service line and the side lines shall be divided into two equal parts called the Service Courts by the Center Service Line, ?;hich must be 2 inches in width, ‘ drawn half-way between, and parallel with, the imaginary continuation of the center service line to a line Ip-inches in length and 2 inches in width called the Center Mark, drawn inside the court and^a/b right angles to and In contact with such base line. 1

*%) -

^ Slocum, o p . cit. 35 United States Lawn Tennis Association, Year Book (New Yorkr United States Lawn Tennis Association, 19ip8), p. 13lp-

22

Except for the tournament clubs of the East, grass courts are no longer played on. faces are used.

Instead a variety of sur­

Dirt, clay, or cement are the surfaces of

thousands of public park courts.

Asphalt, grit, crushed

stone, brick dust, and other compositions are used in the West.

Composition courts are gradually being used all over

the United States.

They originated in England where tennis

on the lawn could not be played after September. The Change of Rules. 37 Whitman^' states that few tennis players of today fully appreciate the antiquity and the obscurity of the method of scoring.

From the earliest time the number

fifteen has been the unit of calculation but references to the scoring appear in rare and remote volumes.

Further

research may reflect new facts on the subject, but as late as 1929 the great authority Noel stated that 11the origin of scoring by fifteens and also of the English term ’love’ to signify ’nothing1 are mysteries.'1 According to W h i t m a n ^ no one seems to know how, why, or when two serves originated.

Originally the number

of serves was unlimited.

36 Tunis, o£. cit., pp. 301-30lj_. Whitman, o]3. cit., p. 66. Ibid., pp. 81-82

23 In 1890 Robertson-^ states that the system of scoring was extremely irrational.

The great defect was:

One game counts as much and no more than another, and one set counts just the same as another set* This is grossly, not to say manifestly, unfair* Equality in games is right when accompanied with equality of strokes won* A remedy for this evil can easily be devised. All that is necessary is to follow out the principle that a stroke once won entitles its winner once and for all to a certain something that shall never be taken from him. Let each server have a fixed number of services, as for instance six. Let each stroke won count a point, and let the match be awarded to the player first winning the number of points agreed on. Such a scheme will secure more perfect justice. On the other hand others feel that the scoring does not make the game one of chance.

-Evidently this opinion

is shared by the law-making body, the United States Lawn Tennis Association, for little legislation has been made and only minor and relatively unimportant changes have been initiated.^

D. G. Robertson, "Some Defects in Tennis", Outing, 16:25, 26, April, 1890. IlO

Howard A. Taylor, "Lawn Tennis-On the Present Method of Scoring", Outing, 16:103, May, 1890* J. Parmly Paret, Lawn Tennis (New York: The MacMillan Company, 190I4.), P~ T2.

21+ Summary,

There are disagreements and inconsistencies

as to who introduced lawn tennis into the United States • The claim made by Malcolm D. Whitman, who has made an ex­ tensive study and collected authenticated facts on the history of lawn tennis, is generally accepted as correct. Therefore, it appears that the honor should go to Mary E. Outerbridge. During the first few years lawn tennis was played under varied conditions.

Differences existed in the height

of the net and in the weight and size of the balls. Until 1880 all of the tournaments were played at private clubs.

A difference in both the skill and playing

rules of the various players existed.

This caused much con­

fusion at the first open tournament where any player in the country could enter. Two events in this open tournament showed the necessity for a central bod?/ which would frame a code of rules to be used by all players.

The first was a disagree­

ment over the size and weight of the balls and the other a difference over the height of the net.

This lead to the

formation of the United States Lawn Tennis Association. On May 21, l88l the United States Lawn Tennis Association was formed.

The objectives of the association were tor

(1)

make the American playing rules and revise them when necessary; and (2 ) settle all points of lawn tennis law and interpret

25

the meaning and hearing of the rules in all disputed cases. The dimensions of the court and the height of the net have not been changed since the annual conventions of the United States Lawn Tennis Association from l88l-90„

There

have been no alterations in the plan and apparatus of the court except for the surfaces.

Only the national champion­

ships and a few other tournaments are now played on the game *s original surface, grass.

Most of the courts are

made of a variety of other surfaces. The significant fact about the laws of lawn tennis is that the main principles presented by those who framed the rules for the first championships have stood the test of time.

The laws have not changed fundamentally since the

start. In conclusion, improved equipment, changes in dress, and wider and keener competition have been factors in the game !s progress.

But even more important in advancing the

game has been the champion hdrself.

The champions included

in this study were the outstanding women players in their particular era.

In order to get an understanding of their

contributions, a background of the achievements of each champdon will be presented in Chapter III.-

CHAPTER III

ANALYSIS OP THE CONTRIBUTIONS OP WOMEN NATIONAL SINGLES CHAMPIONS TO THE GAME OP TENNIS The evolution of tennis strokes has been steadily taking place.

The early champions had to adapt strokes

and experiment without assistance from coaches but each succeeding champion received the benefit of the skill and techniques developed by her predecessors. Lawn tennis has been played long enough to establish definite patterns of play and common fundamentals.

The

effortless ease with which champions make their strokes is the result of adhering to mechanical laws.

Although

successive champions have shown a common adherence to these fundamentals, they have introduced individual variations according to their skill, interest, and strengths. In order to compare and relate the contributions of. each champion to the game, and to each other, the following points will be covered? (1 ) historical setting, fication of the player, and (5 ) contributions.

(3 ) style of play,

(2 ) identi­

(Ip) personality,

2?

-*MAY SUTTON.

Women* s National Singles Champ ion-1901}.*

Historical Setting.

The American women champions

prior to the appearance of May Sutton did not play high class tennis.

They played a 11garden tea” type or "pat ball” kind of

game in which the long deep strokes sent the ball back and forth high over the net until one of the opponents made an error.

This type of tennis was practically all baseline play

and the rallies were long because hard hitting was limited The players did not train for competition nor were there any professionals to coach them.

They participated in

tournaments just for the fun of playing.

Teas and social

events were conducted while the tournaments were being playedIt must be remembered, therefore, that as May Sutton appeared on the scene, tennis was played for the great joy and love of the game.

She brought to this particular period

a type of game in which force and speed were evident instead of the soft and easy stroking which had predominated.

Playing

# May Sutton became Mrs. Thomas Bundy in 1912. She is referred to throughout this paper as May Sutton because most of her reputation as a tennis player was acquired under that name • Personal Eleanor Tennant, 2 Personal May Sutton, Nov.

Interview bv the Author, interview with Dec. 12, 19q-7. Interview by the Author, interview with 1$, 19^-7*

Raymond D. Little, "Base Line and Net Play in Tennis," Outing, 6l:119, October 12, 1918*

p

28

for relaxation and a good time was now changed and emphasis was placed on the highly competitive aspect of the game of 3

tennis *

Identification of the Player*

In 1900 May Sutton

started playing competitive tennis in the pacific coast tournaments and won the Southern California Singles Champion­ ship.

Having won all of the tournaments in the West coast

area, her brother entered her in the national tournament to be held in Pennsylvania.

In those days players were not

ranked as they are today so no difficulty was encountered in entering.

In I90I4. she won both the singles and doubles

championships of the United States at the age of seventeen.^' 13 According to May Sutton,^ playing the national champion­ ships on grass courts was a new experience and it was necessary to adjust her strokes to the lower bound of the ball.

In

California she had been accustomed to playing on different surfaces such as cement, asphalt, or clay, all of which pro­ duced higher bounds.

3

Sutton, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit,

^ Sutton, loc. cit. 9 ^ Loc. cit.

29 As Potter^ described it, May Sutton "barged" in from the West to show the Easterners a new standard of women's play.

Previously, the competitors had been entirely east­

erners because the first clubs were organized there. Style, of Play. May Sutton was the first hard hitting player of the champions.

Her game was based on a powerful

and accurate forehand drive and with this single outstanding 7 stroke became champion* She played a baseline game which meant that a majority of her shots were hit from the backcourt.

An extreme Western

grip imparting tremendous top spin permitted her ball to be angled more advantageously.

Advancing to the net ?/as limited

because of her inefficient backhand and volley.

8

^ E. C. Potter, Jr., Kings of the Court (New Yorkr Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936), P P • 178-79* ^ Bundy, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit. Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Bill Tilden, Feb. 10, I9I4-8 . Potter, op. cit. Little, o]D. cit. Maurice E. McLoughlin, Tennis As 1 Play It (New Yorkr American Lawn Tennis, Inc., 1926)”, pp. 266-6 7 . R ^ Sutton, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. git. Tilden, loc. cit.

30 Another important characteristic of her game was the good footwork exhibited in trying for every shot.

An

attempt to win every point and game was a great impetus to her excellent court covering.^ Personality.

According to Eleanor Tennant,

May

Sutton was the first player who gave her opponent a con­ sciousness of playing a personality by projecting her determination and great fight into the game.

For that reason

opponents went on the court fearful of her. May Sutton was also the first woman player to win decisively without the loss of a point or game.

This

accomplishment was experienced while playing a match in England and proved extremely shocking to the people because it seemed discourteous and unsportsmanlike.

However, the

11 following year this practice was accepted and s tandarized./ Anyone of May Sutton’s sisters could have been national champions if not for M a y ’s competitive ability. practice, she never lost a set to them.

9 Tennant, loc. cit. Potter, 0£. cit. Tennant, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. IT Tennant, loc. cit.

Even in

The only time the

31 sisters won a tournament was when May did not play in it. *L ^

In 1915 The O]^t_look

ip

stated that May Sutton established

a reputation for athletic femininity. Contributions. 1. Her outstanding forehand stroke was her main contribution to the game.

ill

According to Eleanor T e n n a n t ^ May Sutton contributed the followingr 2. She introduced the ’’killer instinct” and speed into tennis for women. 3. She proved that one can be very young and win a national championship. lj_. She established the standard of endless hours of practice to become a champion. 5. She was responsible for changing the socially competitive game to an emphasis on the highly competitive aspect. 6’. .She was the first champion to come from the municipal courts and not a private club.

Loc. cit. ^ lfo-e Outlook, ”Norway1s Woman Tennis Champion,” The Outlook, June 2, 1915* P* 39* lli r Sutton, L o c . cit. Tennant, loc. cit.

32 7. She was responsible for disbanding the idea that it was unsportsmanlike to defeat an opponent with a game and set score of love* 8 . She showed that one must be determined to win if you are to become a champion*

33 -i:-HAZEL HOTCHKISS.

Women* s National Singles Champion-

1909, 1910, 1911, 1919. Historical Setting. Vvhen Mrs. Wightman started to play tennis the Sutton sisters, Violet, Florence, Ethel, and May were the leading players.

In fact, in 1905 the

saying in California was that 11it takes a Sutton to beat a Sutton."

But Mrs. Wightman was the first outsider to do so

when she won from Ethel at San Rafael and later from Florence and Violet.

In 1909* May was at last beaiten and then Mrs.

Wightman went east for her first appearance in the national s . ^ Identification of the P l a y e r .

In regard to her tennis record Mrs. Wightman

17

stated:

In 1909 I won singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in my first national tournament at Philadelphia. I won three titles the two succeeding years and was the first woman to do so. I have won 39 national titles outdoors and indoors. I won the national singles title again in 1919* ten years after my first win. In 19^1-2 I won the National Ladles Doubles with Pauline Betz, forty years after I began to play. Mrs. Wightman started playing in the fall of 1902 and won the doubles event competing in her first tournament

•55-Hazel Hotchkiss became Mrs. Wightman in 1911. She is referred to throughout this paper as Mrs. Wightmpn be cause most of her reputation as a tennis player was ac­ quired under that name. Personal Correspondence of the Author, letter from Mrs. Wightman, Feb. 179 1 9 W « ^7 Loc. cit.

at San Francisco after being on a tennis court only a few .. 18 times.

The volleys and aggressive style of play demonstrated by the men impressed her and she was determined to play like them.

Because she started playing in the backyard of her

home, practice was mostly against a wall or rallying with her brothers.

Due to the uneven surface of the yard volley­

ing became a necessity but even while practising on the court she would move to the forecourt to hit the ball before it bounced*^ To play in the nationals on turf ait the Philadelphia Cricket Club was a thrilling experience. of grass courts fascinated her.

The great number

There is a great difference

between the championships of 1909 and the present in that the spectators sat informally around the club while the matches were being played and today the spectators sit in one large stadium.^ Style of Play . Although Mrs. Wightman*s game included a variety of strokes she stressed the value of the drive and the ground

Wightman, loc. cit.

35

strokes^ for a successful attacking game.

However, she

enjoyed using chops, top spins, and lobs to a good advantage and unlike most of the other players used the chop on the 21 service return. Mrs. Wightman volleyed and smashed in the forecourt with a uniqueness of skill.

By combining these two strokes

with the baseline game she introduced what is known as an 22 attacking game for women. Her excellent touch, strategy, and power of concentrat­ ion compensated for her lack of speed as a volleyer and smasher. ^ Personality. According to Tilden

21

^I • Mrs. Wightman has been an in-

Wightman, loc. cit.

William Tilden, Match Play and the Spin of the Ball (Hew York: American Lawn Tennis, 1925), p. lfpQ. 22

Wightman, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit.

Dr. P. B. Hawk, MLawn Tennis Experts of America.," Colliers, lj.5f23, July lo, 1910 ^

Tennant, loc. cit.

Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Bill Tilden, Feb. 10, 19^8* loc. cit. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Better Tennis (Hew York:: Houghton Mifflin Comapny, 1933) P* 30.

36 spiration to girls coming up in tennis.

She has contributed

her time to coaching children and organizing tournaments combined with giving advise to leading players who have been members of the Wightman Gup Team. Her remarkable knowledge of the game and the ability to concentrate were the factors responsible for the exOg cellent strategy she displayed on the court. Contributions. 1. Mrs. Wightman was the first American girl to develop the volley and the smash. 2. She introduced what is known as.an attacking game for w o m e n . ^ 3. She has contributed a great deal of time instrueting children and organizing tournaments in the East.

ofl

Ij.. Mrs. Wightman donated the Wightman Gup to promote international play for women.

The matches are played annually

and alternately between England and the United

States.

^9

oh ^ Tennant, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. 26 Personal Correspondence of the Author, letter from Mrs. Wightman, Feb. 17? 19^4-6 ? loc. cit. 27 1 Tennant, loc. cit. Wightman, loc. cit. 29 Loc. cit.

37 Wightman Gup Competition.

In 1919 ^r s • Wightman

donated the Wightman Gup to the United States Lawn Tennis Association.

Her vision was to encourage competition among

women players of all nations.

In regard to the purpose of

10 this cup Searl-^ statedr

Slowly the idea was taking form in the mind of Mrs. Wightman who had found so much pleasure in the game to establish a trophy which would do for women’s tennis what the Davis Gup had done for the m e n ’s, promote international tennis competition among the women of all nations. A sport grows, she reasoned, in ratio to the number of persons who take part in it. Tennis, is a game unusually rich in social possibilities, Meeting in friendly competition with players of other countries can’t help broadening the outlook of women and young girls and at the same time raising the quality of tennis. When young people meet their contemporaries of other nationalities on a tennis court they soon find out that people of all nationalities are pretty much alike In wanting to have fun and enjoy themselves. So was born the idea of the Wightman Cut Inter­ national Tennis Competition for women. At that time the United States Lawn Tennis Association was not affiliated with the International Lawn Tennis Fed­ eration of Europe.

Therefore, it was impossible for the

federation to accept a proposal from an unaffiliated body. In addition, the tennis officials saw problems In sending

30

Wightman, loc. cit.

Helen Hulett Searl, ’’Women’s Day in Tennis,” The Christian Science Monitor, p. 6, August 26, 1939-

38 teams all around the world. In 1923 the cup was finally put into competition and the matches are played annually and alternately between England and the United States.

The Wightman Cup matches

christened the courts of the newly built West Side Tennis Club’s stadium at Forest Hills where the national champion32 ships are held annually. Seven matches are played, five singles and two doubles* No. 1, 2, and 3 singles players are chosen and the No. 1 and 2 players alternating in four matches and the two No. 3 ’s playing the "sandwich match."

Two doubles teams are chosen

and can be taken from the singles players. 33

3^ S. Powell Blackmore, Lawn Tennis Up-To-Daite (New York: George H. Doran Company, 1921), pp. 223-21].

Searl, loc. cit. 3^- Searl, loc. cit. 33

Loc. cit.

MARY K. BROWSE.

Women's National Singles Champion-

1912, 1913, 1914. Historical Setting.

After winning the national

championship in 1911* Mrs. Wightman was succeeded by another Californian, Mary K. Browne. Except for Mrs. Wightman's volley and smash the forehand drive remained the outstanding stroke possessed by women players.

It must be remembered May Sutton was

still competing during the early part of Mary K. Browne's . . 3k tennis career* The national championships continued to be played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club at Chestnut Hill, Penn­ sylvania and the matches maintained their certain sociable quality Identification of Player. Mary K. B r o w n e ' s ^ tennis record: Three times National Singles Champion of the United States Five times National Ladies Doubles Champion and nine times National Mixed Doubles Champion of the United States. Wilbledon Ladies Doubles Champion. Twice Captain of the International Wightman Cup Team.

^ Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Mary K. Browne, Jan. 21, 19^4-8•

k.0

Her early tennis playing vsras experienced with her brothers and a friend who helped her considerably.

She

practiced strokes and various shots and often took the net position while they would drive directly at her for several minutes.

She also practiced and played on the municipal

tennis courts.

37

Mary K. Browne is the only woman athlete to reach the finals in both the United States Tennis Championship and the United States Amateur Women1s Golf Championship within Q

a period of three weeks. Style of Play.

Mis Browne used the long, free

strokes of the whole arm which seemed faster and easier to perform.

Her game did not include the complex services,

chop stroke or any other strokes which depended upon great top or under spin but straight strokes with slight top spin on the drives.

39

She was a product of the Sutton school and had learned steadiness and waited for the opportunity to finish the point.

Browne played the old type of game to its

37 Mary K. Browne, nThe Girl Who Plays Tennis,f? The Ladies Home Journal , 32:9* July? 1915* Tennant, loc. cit. Loc.cit. 39 Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Mary K. Browne, Jan. 21, 19^-8, loc. cit.

Ipmaximum with a better produced game than Wightman.

She

lacked the body pov/er and aggressive quickness of the others and did not possess what Tennant termed the Mwinner instinct. Miss Browne was one of the first all-court players along with Mrs. Wightman and had, perhaps, the best all-around game of her day.

She added the speed to the offensive

type of game of Wightman1s smash and vol l e y . ^ Personality. )? According to Tennant^ Mary K. Browne is a brilliant woman, excellent tennis teacher, and a great philosopher. She has written many books and is successful in painting water colors of horses and dogs. T i l d e n ^ stated that Mark K. Browne was revolutionary as a personality.

^Potter,

ojd. cit♦, pp* 186-87

Tilden, loc. cit. J. Parmly Paret, Mechanics of the Game of Tennis (New Yorkr American Lawn Tennis, Inc., 1926), p. 258 Tennant, loc. cit. t**Tennant, loc . cit. ^ L o c . cit. 1|3

Tilden, loc. cit.

Contributions. 1. Mary K. Browne and Suzanne Lenglen started pro­ fessional tennis on a big s c a l e . ^ 2. She added the speed to Wightman1s offensive type of game.^ 3. She was one of the first all-court players along with Wightman.^"^ Ij_. Mary K. Browne is an excellent tennis instructor and has developed several fine tennis p l a y ers.^ 5. She has written many books and articles on tennis.

Browne, loc.. cit.

1+5 Tennant, loc. cit lj.6 Tennant, loc. cit 1+7 Tilden, loc.cit. 1+8 Browne, loc. cit.

1+3 -"-MOLLA BJURSTEDT MALLORY. Women's National Singles Champion-1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 192.1, 1922, 1926. Historical Setting. In Molla M a l l o r y ^ day very few women had a good net game so the backcourt driving game continued to dominate the style of play. Identification of Player. Molla Mallory1s^-9 tennis record: Eight times National Singles Champion of the United States. Two times National Ladies Double Champion. Three times National Mixed Doubles Champion of the United States. In 191^4- a Norwegian masseuse named Molla Bjurstedt arrived in the United States.

She had been champion of

Norway but her plans were to practice her profession and play tennis for recreation.

But soon she started practicing

her tennis seriously and won the national singles title in 1915 and held it until 1922 except for losing in 1919 to Mrs. Wightman who had resumed play.

90

-"-Though Molla Bjurstedt became Mrs. Franklin I. Mallory, she is referred to throughout this paper as Molla Mallory because most of her reputation as a tennis player was ac­ quired under that name. ^*9 United States Lawn Tennis Association, Tennis Official Guide & Yearbook (New York: A. S. Barnes & Company, Inc., 19'|9)', PP. 78-80. Potter, Oja. elt ., p. 187 .

Style of Play. A driving game based on a powerful and accurate forehand and backhand drive combined with steadiness, fast footwork, and a fighting spirit were the outstanding features of Molla Mallory's game.

With this

driving attack she changed women's baseline ten n i s . ^ Included in this powerful driving game was a relatively weak service.

However, Mallory believed women were limited

physically to serve fast enough to prevent a fairly good player from returning the ball, so she concentrated on placement with a fairly easy serve.

52

In addition, her game differed from most of the other women in that she would drive the ball before it reached the top of the bound.

This skill permitted her shots to

be returned faster and at wider angles with less court to cover. 53

^ Molla Bjurstedt, nHow I play Championship Tennis,” The Ladies Home Journal, 33«33> June, 1916. Literary Digest, ”Miss Bjurstedt's Burst into Fame,” Literary Digest, 5'1 :)p2B, August 28, 1915* United States Lawn Tennis Association, op. cit. , p. l6ij_. Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Helen Wills, Feb. 10, 19^8. Tilden, loc. cit. 52 Wills, loc.. cit. Bjurstedt, loc. cit. 53 United States Lawn Tennis Association, op♦ cit., p. l6[|_.

To develop a net game did not interest Mallory, According to her women lacked the speed and strength.

She

did not need a new attack, however, because of her accuracy in placing a ball, agility in court covering, and the speed dli of her ground strokes. Personality. Molla Mallory’s excellent physical endurance, strength and agility together with a tremendous fighting spirit were important factors in winning the championship eight times* Her sportsmanship, courage, and determination influenced her victories in matches where certain defeat seemed evident Contributions. 1. She developed a backcourt driving game which set

Wills, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. Allison Danzig and Peter Brandwein, "xrt’s Golden Age (New Yorkr Harper & Brothers, 19i|8(, p. 99 Literary Digest, loc. cit. Danzig and Brandwein, loc. c i t . Tilden, loc. cit. Tennant, l o c . cit

a standard of good play,5& 2. Her unique skill of stroking the ball on the rise demonstrated the advantages of such stroking, 3. Molla Mallory showed that with a powerful and accurate backcourt driving game net play was not necessary. Ip, Her outstanding personal qualities of sportsman­ ship, determination, and a fighting spirit were tributes qq to the game ,^'

5^ Bjurstedt, loc. cit. Wills, loc, cit, 1Tilden, loc, cit, 57 Bjurstedt, loc, cit» Literary Digest, l o c . cit. ^

-kQ C • cit,

59 Tennant, loc, cit. Wills, loc. cit. Tilden, loc, cit.

k-7

-x-HELEN WILLS. Women1s National Singles Champion1923, 192I1., 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1931. Historical Setting. Previous to 1923, Molla Mallory had won seven singles championships and now at the age of seventeen Helen Wills came to exceed Mallory1s driving speed. Identification of Player.

Helen Wills1

tennis record:

Seven times National Singles Champion of the United States. Eight times Wimbledon Champion. Four French titles. Helen Wills1 interest in the game dated from her fourteenth birthday when she was given a membership in the Berkeley Tennis Club.

A few months after joining she took

part in her first tournament and the following year played at Forest Hills.

In 1921 and 1922 Helen Wills won the National

Girls1 Championship.^ Her father taught her at the Berkeley Club but did not have any tennis professionals.

Along with this, Helen

Wills watched very good tennis players from all over the world play at the c l u b . ^

-"-Although Helen Wills became Mrs. Roark, she is referred to throughout this paper as Helen Wills because most of her reputation as a tennis playdr was acquired under that name. ^ Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Helen Wills, Feb. 10, 19I4.8 61 T . 4L o c . cit. 62 Wills, loc. cit.

lj_8 In regard to tennis instruction she stated:: I have never taken a lesson in tennis or any other sport. What I know I have learned through observa­ tion of others and actual practice. I used to play frequently with William Johnston, who has been nearly champion often enough to get it some day. Playing against men is the best training for women playersthe men are naturally stronger, although not always more deft,63 Style of Play The outstanding features of her game were accuracy, steadiness, power, two excellent services, depth of shots , and excellent retrieving ability.

Helen Wills perfected

what the four previous champions had offered.

Up to that

time no other woman player had demonstrated as good form in her swing and timing.

The mechanical povtrer of her fore

hand and backhand ground strokes was the finest that had been seen in women's play.

^ John B. Kenne^'"’ Little Miss P Qker*Pace,11 Colliers, 78:10, September 18, 1 . ^

Wills, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit.

Grantland Rice, ”The Rival Queens,” Colliers, 27 rllj,, January 30, 1926, Tilden, loc. cit. Paret, on. cit. pp. 266-68 Danzig and Brandwein, op.cit., p. 226. L. L, Little, n0ur Leading Tennis Women,” Outing, 8l r2lj_,25> October, 1922

if9 Essentially, she played a baseline game.

Accuracy

of corner placements combined with speed were characteristic ■of her return shots.

Helen Wills never attacked but was an 69 offensive player from the backcourt. Personality. “Little Miss Poker Pace" w%s the name

given to Helen Wills because she never changed expression underneath the visor she wore.

She was always dignified,

poised,and demonstrated correct etiquette on the court.

66

Danzig and Brandwein^? stated:The fair-skinned Californian with her classic features and never failing poise was a lovely picture on the courts. There was something stately about the way she played tennis. It was difficult to tell whether or not she enjoyed her big matches for whether winning or losing she always appeared the same. The “killer instinct11 describes her match play temperament.

Helen Wills1 ability to concentrate and anti­

cipate shots were valua.ble assets to her game.

According

Wills, loc- cit. Tennant, loc. cit. Rice, loc. cit. ^

Courts,"

Danzig and Brandwein, 0]3. cit., p. 226. Literary Digest, “Helen Wills as the Killer of the Literary Digest, 102r56, September 7> 19^9

^7 Danzig and Brandwein, o£. cit., p. 226.

to Tennant, Helen Wills was not a natural athlete but possessed excellent health and unlimited endurance*

68

Contributions. 1. Helen Wills improved the standard of tennis for women and popularized the game.^ 2. She demonstrated excellent form in the forehand 70 and backhand ground strokes. 3* After an injury she staged a comeback which was great tribute to the game. 71

Rice, loc. cit. ^9 Wightman, loc. cit. ^

Tennant , loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. Paret, o£. cit., p. 226.

71 Tennant, loc. cit.

51 ALICE MARBLE.

Women1s National Singles Champion-

1 9 36 , 19 38 , 19 39 , i< A o . Historical Setting. Previous to Alice Marble the champions depended upon a limited number of strokes to win. The backcourt driving g ame■continued to be the winning style of play. Identification of Player. Alice Marble’s tennis record?^ Pour times National Singles Champion of the United States. Pour times National Ladies Doubles Champion Pour times National Mixed Doubles Champion of the United States. Alice Marble was the only woman champion who won the six major championships in one year:’ (1 World’s Singles Championship. (2 World’s Doubles Championship. (3 World’s Mixed Doubles Championship.(Budge) National Singles Championship. M (5 National Doubles Championship. (Cooke) (6 National Mixed Doubles Championship. (Budge) Also won the Irish championships and the Pacific Southwest the same 7/ear. At fifteen Alice Marble started playing tennis after unwillingly giving up baseball.

Her career started on the

public courts In Golden Gate Park.

At sixteen h e r .brother

Dan bought her a membership at the California Tennis Club. 73 in San Francisco.'^

72 ' Tennant, loc. cit. 7xS Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Alice Marble, May 27, 19^9 • Tennant, loc. cit.

52 In 1931 Eleanor Tennant became Alice*s coach.

That

same year she won the doubles championship in the National Junior Championships and a year later was ranked number seven nationally.^ In 193^4- Alice Marble collapsed while playing inter­ national team matches In Paris and it was thought she would never play tennis again.

Two years later, however,

the National Singles Championship.

she won

75

Prom then on she won numerous championships.

In

19i}-0 .s^ e signed a contract to become a professional player „/

together with Budge, Tilden, and Mary Hardwick of England. Style of P l a y . Alice Marble is generally Accepted as the greatest of all the American champions.

She introduced

the all-court game which meant that Alice Marble played equally as well at the net as In the backcourt.

She not only

depended upon speed of stroke and serve to defeat her opponents but varied the speed with chops and drop shots and advanced to the net after her American twist service.

7k-

Tennant, l o c . c i t .

75 Marble, loc. cit. 76 Loc. cit. 77 Loc. cit. Tennant,

loc,. cit

Tilden, loc. cit. Helen I. Driver, Tennis for Teachers (Philadelphia t W. B. Saunders (Company, I 9I4-I)> PP • 37-3S# ~

53

Alice Marble streamlined tennis with speed for in the history of tennis there had never been a harder hitter. Her outstanding offensive game, volley, and smash was similar to the leading men players.

According to Tilden, she had 7A command of every shot in t h e .game. Personality.

Alice Marble was not the great fighter

of Sutton or Wills but the perfection of strokes made her an all time master. According to Tilden,. she was always thorough in her practice and training because to be a champion requires strict physical training and mental discipline.

Deter­

mination and conscientiousness were important factors in regaining her health after a disheartening experience.

80

She was selected by American women as one of the ten 8l most outstanding women of 1933* Contributions. 1. Her speed, volley, smash, and offensive type of

Tennant, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. 79 Tennant, l o c . cit. Tilden, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit.

5kgame were her innovations to the

g a m e *

82

2.

She started American top spin for women. 88 ^

3.

She has set the standard of agressiveness in

women’s style of play.®^ lj_. She designs tennis clothes, writes articles, lectures

at college, and teaches and demonstrates tennis

strokes at clinics.

Marble, loc.cit. ' Tennant, loc. cit. Tilden, loc. cit. 83 Tennant, loc. cit.

Tilden, loc. cit. Driver, loc. cit. Marble, loc. cit. Tennant, loc. cit.

55

Summary. Tennis was first played for the great Joy and love of the game.

The socially competitive side of

.tennis was emphasized until May Sutton brought to this particular period a game in which force and speed were evident. May Sutton was the first hard hitting player of the champions and her outstanding forehand drive was her main contribution to the game.

She also introduced speed and the

"killer instinct" into tennis for women. Mrs. Wightman was the first American girl to develop the volley and smash.

She combined these two strokes with

the baseline game and started what is known as an attacking game for women. Mrs. Wightman has been a great organizer and has contributed her time and knowledge to girls coming up in the game.

In 1919 s^-e donated the Wightman Cup to promote

international play for women.

Her objective was to encourage

competition among women players of all nations but competition was limited to England and the United States. Mary K. Browne added the speed to Mrs. Wightman1s offensive type of game.

She was one of the first all-court

players along with Wightman but her game was better produced. Mary K. Browne started professional tennis on a big scale and is an outstanding tennis teacher.

She has developed

several fine players and written books and many articles

on tennis. Molla Mallory set a standard of good play with her backcourt driving game.

A brilliant forehand and backhand

drive coupled with steadiness, accuracy, agility in court covering, and a fighting spirit were the outstanding features of her game.

Her shots went back faster and wider angles

were possible with less court to cover because she stroked the ball on the rise.

She showed that with powerful and

accurate ground strokes net play was unnecessary. Helen Wills perfected what Bundy, Wightman, and Browne had offered. backcourt.

She played an offensive game from the

Her perfection in stroking improved the standard

of tennis for women and popularized,the game. Alice Marble is generally accepted as the greatest of all the American players.

There has never been a harder

hitter in the history of women’s tennis.

She had an out­

standing offensive game, volley, and smash which was similar to the leading m e n ’s game.

Alice Marble has set the

standard of aggressiveness in women’s style of play.

CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Summary. 1 . Since the introduction of tennis into the United States no fundamental change has been introduced into the dimension or apparatus of the court.

Only slight alterations

have been necessary since the original rules were devised. Through the evolution of rackets, balls, and costumes a greater variety of strokes coupled with faster footwork and rallies have been developed. 2. It has been shown in this study that the women champions have made contributions to the game.

May Sutton1s

outstanding forehand drive introduced speed into tennis for women.

Mrs. Wightman started an attacking game by having women

volley and smash.

Speed was added to this offensive type of

game by Mary K. Browne. court players.

She and Wightman were the first all­

Molla Bjurstedt Mallory had powerful and ex­

cellent ground strokes combined with steadiness and fast foot­ work.

Helen Wills1 perfection in the execution of drive shots

deep in the court improved the standard of tennis for women and popularized the game* with speed.

Alice Marble streamlined tennis

Her offensive game together with speed and a

variety of strokes was similar to the leading m e n 1s game. She played equally well at the net or at the baseline. 3. Leading players have initiated advances in s^yle

58 of play and thus have made significant influences upon the development of the game. Conclusions« 1. The definite value of this study was in making a thorough investigation of the history and development of tennis for women in the United States.

Inconsistencies in

' historical developments appeared but the author has made a sincere effort to trace these to a correct source and to use authentic references. 2. The champions selected were the outstanding players in their particular era.

It was difficult to accumulate

and correctl?/ indicate their contributions because the litera­ ture was limited.

However, the author gained a great deal

of information from the personal interviews. 3. In both references and actual practice, teachers have turned to the performance and style of play of these champions to set standards for teaching. [{.. One of the vital factors responsible for the evolution of the game is the contributions of the national champions.

Because of their contributions tennis has evolved

from a monotonous and mechanical test of control to the highly skilled and variable game of today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

6o A.

BOOKS

Bingham, Jr.., Norman W., The Book of Athletics and Out-OfDoor Sp o r t s . Boston: Lothrop Publishing Company, lB95>., 318 pp * Blackmore, S. Powell, Lawn Tennis Up-to-D a t e . New York: George H. Doran Company, 1921. 233 PP* Broeg, Bob & Bob Burrill, D o n 1't Bring That Up I New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 194-6. 2 62 pp. Browne, Mary K . , Design for Tennis. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 194-9 • 21 6 .pp. Camp, Walter, The Book of Sports and G a m e s . New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1903- Iplip pp. Charnley, Mitchell V., Play the Game the Book of S p ort.. New York: The Junior Literary Guild, 1931 • 34-4^ PP • Cooke, Sarah Palfrey, Winning Tennis and How to Play I t . New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 194-6 • 2ljY p p . Danzig, Allison and Peter Brandwein, S p o r t 1s Golden A g e . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1 948 . 296 pp. Driver, Helen Irene, Tennis for Teachers. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 194-1 • 219 PP* Hall, Henry, The Tribune Book of Open-Air Sports. The Tribune Association, 1B 87 . 5>00 pp. Heathcote, C, G., Lawn Te nnis. and Co., 1894-* 4^6 pp.

New York:

London: Longmons, Green

Henderson, Robert W., B a l l , Bat and Bish o p . Rockport Press, Inc., 194-7 • 220 pp.

New York:

Hill, Lucille E., Athletics & Out-Poor Sports for Women. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1903* 339 P P • His Grace the Duke of Blaufort, The Badminton Library of Sports & Past i m e s . London: Longmons, Green, and Co., 1B 9I~ 230 pp. Keith, Harold, Sports and G a m e s . New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 194-1 • 292 pp.

6i McLoughlin, Maurice E., Tennis As I Play I t .. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1915". 3^7 P P • Menke, Prank G., The New Encyclopedia of Sports. A. S. Barnes & Company^ 19^-7

New York:'

Mitchell, Elmer D., Sports for Recreation and How To Play Them* New York: A. S. Barnes & Company, 1936. h-67 p p • Paret, J, Parmly, Lawn Tennis. 190l|_. I4.I9 pp.

New York: The MacMillan Company,

_______ , Mechanics of the Game of Lawn Tennis. New York: American Lawn Tennis, Inc., 192:6. 269 p p . _______ , The Woman1s Book of Sports. and Company, 19OI. 167 pp. Potter, E. C. Jr., Ki ScribnerT'S Sons,

New York: D. Appleton

~ irt.

Sears, Richard D., editor, Lawn S c ribner!s Sons, I 887 * 101

New York: Charles

T e n n i s .New York: Charles pp.

Schoor, Gene, Giant Book of Sports. Nev/ York: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., 19lfo. "T87 PP* Slocum, Jr., H. W . , Lawn Tennis in Our Own Country. York: A. G. Spalding & Bros., I 890 . 22l[.p p . Tilden, 2^, William T„, The Art of Lawn Tennis. American Lawn Tennis, 1925. 355 pp. ________, Match Play and The Spin of the B a l l . American Lawn Tennis, 19255 355 pp. Tunis, John R., Sport for the Fun Of I_t. Barnes & Company, 1950. 3^-6 p p . Wilberforce, H. W. W . , Lawn Tennis. & Sons, I 89I. 78 pp.

New

New York:

New York:

New York: A.

S.

London: George Bell

Wightman, Hazel Hotchkiss, Better Tennis. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1933* 131 PP* Wills, Helen, T ennis. 1928 . 2llj. pp.

Ne.w York: Charles S c r i b n e r ^ Sons,

62 United States Lawn Tennis Association, Fifty Years of Lawn Tennis in the United States. New Yorkr United States Lawn Tennis Association, 1932. 256 PP* United States Lawn Tennis Association, Year Book. New York: United States Lawn Tennis Association, 19lj_8 . 171 pp. B.

PERIODICAL ARTICLES

Bjurstedt, Molla, "How I Play Championship Tennis,11 The Ladies Home Journal, 33:33, June 1916. Browne, Mary K., 11The Girl Who Plays Tennis,11 The Ladies Home Journal, 32 r9, July* 19"l5 • Camp, Walter, "Lawn-Tennis, The Queen of Games,11 Century Magazine, 80:5)f-7-52, August, 19IO. Dwight, James, !1Lawn Tennis in New England,11 Outing, 1 8 r157, May, 1891. Hawk, Dr. P. B., "Lawn Tennis Experts of America,11 Colliers, a5r23, July 1 6 , I9IO. Jacobs, Helen Hull, "The Psychology of Tennis Clothes,11 The Ladies Home Journal, 5l:31, June, 193)4-* Kennedy, John B., 1fLittle Miss Poker Face,11 Colliers, 78:10, September 18, 1926. Literary Digest, f1Helen Wills as the Killer of the Courts,11 Literary Digest, 102:56, September 7* 1929* , "Miss Biurstedt’s Burst into Fame,11 Literary Digest, 5l rlj-28, August 28, 1915. Little, L. L., "Our Leading Tennis Women," Outing, 81:214.-25, October, 1922. Little, Raymond D., "Base Line and Net Play in Tennis," Outing, 6l:119, October 12, 1918. Northwestern Lawn Tennis Association, "N.W.L.T.A. News Policy," N.W.L.T .A. News, p. 6 , May, 19)4-8 . The Outlook, "Norway’s Woman Tennis Champion," The Outlook, p. 395 June 2, 1915.

63 Rice, Gran-bland, "The Rival Queens,” Colliers, 27 rlij., January 30, 1926

Robertson, D. C., ’’Some Defects in Tennis,” Outing, 16:25-26, April, 1890. Searl, Helen Hulett, "Woman’s Day in Tennis,” The Christian Science M o n itor, p. 6 , August 26 , 1939* Taylor, Howard A., "Lawn Tennis-On the Present Method of Scoring,” Outing, pp. lo, 103, May, 1890 .

C.

OTHER SOURCES

Personal Interview by the Author, interview with May Sutton Bundy, Nov. 2, 19^-7• Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Mary K. Browne, Jan. 21, 19l|-8. Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Alice Marble, May 27, 19^9* Personal Interview by the Author, interview with Helen Wills Roark, Feb. 10, I9I4.8 . Personal Interviews by the Author, interviews with Eleanor Tennant, Dec. 12, 19^4-7, March. 11, I9I4.8 . Personal Interview by the Author, Interview with Bill Tilden, Feb. 10, I9I4.8 . Personal Correspondence of the Author, letter from Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Feb. 17, 19^-8*

U n fv o rs lty o f S o u th e rn C a lifo r n ia U b rm ry