The Spin
&c. -In any game the right to serve first is determined by the spin of the racket, which, falling on the floor, discloses a face in which the interlacing of the strings is apparent, called the "rough," or in which it is not, called the "smooth." One of the players spins, and the other calls "rough or "smooth." The winner of the spin is entitled to serve first. He may serve from either service box. If he wins a point or ace he must cross over and serve from the other box. 66 دو دو In a double game the winner of the spin can only put one hand in at the start of the game. On his being put out, each of the opponents serves in turn. The handsout agree as to which court each shall take, that is to say in which division of the court each shall await and endeavour to return the ball served by the opponent. A handout may change his court once in each game.
If one player oppose two, he is governed by the rules of a single game, while his opponents are governed by those of the double game. A game of this kind is sometimes played under the tutelage of a school coach, he opposing the two school players; but it does not appear that any such match of any importance was ever played.
Handicaps. In a handicap the giver of odds concedes points in the game, coupled sometimes with the allowance to his opponent of two or even three hands-in whenever he obtains the right to serve, subject, however, to the rule that, if the player to whom two hands-in are conceded wins the toss, he has only one hand-in on first presenting himself to serve. The Marker. - Most games at clubs, and all matches, are played under the eye and voice of a marker who is placed in the gallery. His duty is to judge as to each service and stroke; as to the service, whether it conforms to the above conditions: as to the stroke, whether the ball is hit before it has touched the floor twice, often a difficult matter to decide, and whether it strikes the front wall above the board, which is seldom doubtful. If he is of opinion that the service or stroke conforms to the rules of the game he calls "play," if not, he either calls "foul" or calls the score at which the players have arrived as the result of his then decision. 66 The marker's further duty is to call the game audibly from the start at "love all," assuming that there is no handicap.
Love," in the game of rackets, as in other games, signifies nothing. He continues to call the game as left at the close of each service, or service and subsequent "rally," as the alternate return of the ball by the players is called.
In a match the marker's responsibility RACKETS] is diminished by the addition of two umpires and a referee, to whom either he or the players may appeal save on a question of service. These functionaries are held to have no right to interfere unless an appeal is made to them. No appeal can be made with regard to the service.
These observations are intended to explain the game to those who are entirely ignorant of it. The rules were adopted by the authorities about the year 1890, for it is worthy of remark that down to that date there were no written rules of the game, which, when played, was directed by the probably occurred to many before ever they heard or knew of anything in the nature of addition of the racket is an artificial step, a game governed by rules. No doubt the that of an opponent hardly so, but, thus equipped, the game of rackets requires but little further elaboration. Doubtless in since balls have had existence, but it is diffisome such form it has been played ever cult to say when anything with the elaboration of the modern game of rackets was first played. houses, were the places in which it grew The debtors' prisons, and the public conventio WAITING FOR THE SERVICE. ons of the various courts in which ed to be proceeding. Such cono doubt, only differed in minor road principles being naturally it is perhaps to be regretted itative issue of rules should ed until a date when the extent lost its popularity. it happene ventions, n points, the b the same, ana that an author. have been delay game had to some [By courtesy of E. H. Miles, Esq. into vogue, and it is said that until the time of Sir William Hart-Dyke's championship, all those who successfully competed for the position of champion racket player were born or brought up in one of the debtors' prisons.
Up to the end of the 'thirties the game was an open court game, without side or The rules have recently been revised, and back walls, which perhaps called forth to appear in their prese this article. form at the end of History of the Game. There is but little to say of the historical aspect of the game, which, given a wall, a floor, and a ball, but simple data, seems almost a natural one.
To propel a ball against a wall for the pleasure of seeing it rebound, and thus to have a moving ball to meet without further effort or contrivance, are pleasures that have a greater extent the judgment and skill of the performers, testified by accuracy and strength of hitting, than the close court game. However that may be, the open court game is now obsolete, and there is probably hardly a trace to be found of any of the old open courts where the first championship matches were played. In the middle of last century the game flourished exceedingly, and at Old Prince's B2 Club, in Hans Place, built in 1853, there was at one time enough play to support five or six courts. A few public schools, too, early took to the game, Harrow being the first, and Eton and Rugby early among others. The popularity of the game was fairly maintained until towards the end of last century, and it spread among schools, but in the last few years, in London at any rate, there has been a considerable decline in the amount of play. The reasons probably are not far to seek. There are so [RACKETS New York; and in 1901 against Gilbert Browne, after which he retired. Browne then became Champion, but he was beaten in 1903 by Jamsetji, of Bombay, a Parsee, who came over in 1911 to defend his title against C. Williams, professional at Harrow, who had challenged him. Williams won the match, and thus became champion.
A modern championship match generally consists of two rubbers (the best of seven games) in either home and home or in a neutral court. The list of champions up to date is as follows: 1820 R. Mackay 1825 T. Pitman. 1834 R. Pitman. 1838 J. Lamb. 1846 J. C. Mitchell. 1850 F. Erwood 1862 Sir William Hart-Dyke. 1863 W. J. Gray. 1866 H. Gray. 1876 H. B Fairs. 1878 J. Gray 1887 P. Latham 1901 G. Browne 1903 Jamsetji. 1911 C. Williams.
The honour of having been the greatest player of all time is generally conceded to Peter Latham.
The chief annual competitions are:- (1) The Amateur Singles Championship (Queen's Club). (2) The Amateur Doubles Championship (Queen's Club). ). (3) The Public Schools Championship (Queen's Club). (4) The University Matches (Queen's Club). (5) The Military Doubles (Prince's Club). (6) The Military Singles (Prince's Club). (7) R.A. v. R. E. at Woolwich and Chatham alternately. (8) R.M.A. v. R.M C. at Woolwich and Sandhurst alternately. All these events are decided in the spring, generally in the months of March and April.
The Amateur Singles Championship was instituted in 1888 at Queen's Club, and has been won as follows:- 1888 C. D. Buxton (Harrow). 1889 E. M. Butler (Harrow). 1890 P. Ashworth (Harrow) 1891 H. Philipson (Eton). 1892 F. Dames Longworth (Charterhouse). 1893 F. Dames Longworth (Charterhouse) 1901 F. Dames Longworth (Charterhouse). 1902 E. H. Miles (Marlborough). 1903 E. M. Baerlein (Eton). 1904 H. K. Foster (Malvern). 1905 E. M. Baerlein (Eton). [By courtesy of E. H. Miles, Esq.
THE BACK-HAND STROKE. many things to do at the present time, and rackets must always be an expensive game.
Still, it is so essentially a fine and manly game that it will always be played in schools, and will never die out altogether in other places, though, except at the times of the chief competitions, there may not be much constant play.
The Championship. There seems to have been an Open Championship so long 1906 Major S. H. Sheppard 1894 H. K. Foster (Malvern). (Haileybury). 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 وو دو دو وو دو دو وو دو وو دو وو 1908 E. M. Baerlein (Eton) 1907 E. B. Noel (Winchest 1909 وو 1910 1971 دو وو وو وو er).
The Public Schools Championsh most generally interesting event of It was instituted at Old Princ, the year. was played there until that in 1868, an end in 1887; in 1888 it Lord's, and since then has been was decided at Queen's Club.
In the early days, few وو paip is the of the year. e's in 1868, club came to been played at schools competed, and until 1887 Eton and Harrow had a ago as 1820, and since then the game has practical monopoly of the cup. Harrow has never been without one. Only one amateur, Sir William Hart-Dyke, has ever held the title. In modern times the greatest figure in professional rackets has been Peter Latham, who was born in Manchester about forty-six years ago, became Champion in 1887 by beating J. Gray; defended his title in 1888 against Walter Gray; in 1897 against G. Standing at Queen's Club and been more successful than any other school even since the competition has attracted far more entrants . Altogether they have won nineteen times, Eton eight times, Charter- won house six times, Malvern three times, Rugby three times, Wellington twice, Winchester twice, Marlborough once The event alvays attracts a large number of spectators.
E. M. Blair). 1896, 1897, and 1898 12th Lancers.
RACKETS] The Army Doubles was instituted at Prince's Club, Knightsbridge, in 1892.
The winners have been :- 1892, 1893, and 1894 12th Lancers (Mr. J. C. B. Eastwood and Mr. E. Crawley). 1895 R.E. (Chatham) (Capt J. E. O. H. Hamilton and Mr. 1899 Shropshire Light Infantry (Colonel J. Spens and Mr. E. M. Sprot). 1900 No Competition. 1901 2nd Batt. H.L.I. (Mr. P. Balfour and Mr. H Balfour Bryant). 1902-1907 2nd Batt. H.L.I. (Mr. H. Balfour Bryant and The Governing Body of the Game. In 1907 a governing body for the games of tennis, rackets, and fives (other than Eton fives) was formed, and is known as the Tennis, Rackets, and Fives Association.
It has representatives from all the bestknown clubs, each public school, &c. The present hon. secretary is Mr. E. A. Biedermann, Talbot House, Eaton Square. The Association, besides fixing the standard ball, Mr. P. Bramwell Davis). 1908 1st Life Guards (Mr. J. J. Astor and Lord Somers). 1909 50th Brigade R.F.A. (Colonel C. D. King and Capt. H. H. Bond). 1910 and 1911 Army Service Corps (Capt A. Berger and Major J. Puckle.
The Singles were instituted in 1903, and have been won:- 1903 Major S. H. Sheppard (R. E.) 1904 Mr. H. L. Balfour Bryant (Highland Light Infantry). 1905 Mr. H. L. Balfour Bryant. 1906 Major Sheppard. 1907 Mr. Balfour Bryant. 1908 Mr. J J. Astor (ist Life Guards). 1909 Capt. A. Berger (A S.C.) 1910 Capt. W. E. Wilson Johnston (36th Sikhs) 1911 Capt. A. C. G. Luther (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Oxford and Cambridge began to meet in the 'fifties, first in a double, and later in both a double and single match, and these games are still played, though now they do not excite so much interest, nor is the standard of play quite so high as formerly.
But, with few exceptions, all the leading amateur players have appeared in these events, as, indeed, they have in the Public Schools Championship. At Oxford there has been no court now for some twelve years, and the Oxford players can only get practice in London, and so are at a disadvantage.
The best-known courts in the British Isles are:- (1) London: (a) Queen's Club, West Kensington, the practical headquarters of the game, where all the chief annual competitions, except the Military Championships, are played. Two courts opened in 1888. (b) Prince's Club, Knightsbridge, opened in 1889. One court, in which the Military Championships are played. (c) Lord's Cricket Ground. One court. (2) Cambridge University. (3) Public School courts: Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Charterhouse, Westminster, Rugby, Cheltenham, Marlborough, Haileybury, Wellington, Malvern, Tonbridge, Rudley, Rossall, Clifton. At many of these schools there are two courts. (4) Military stations: At Chatham, Colchester, Shorncliffe, Aldershot, Portsmouth, Woolwich, the Curragh, the R.M.A., and R.M.C., Sandhurst.
There are public courts at Manchester, Liverpool, and Torquay, and in addition there are one or two attached to country houses. The total number is probably about fifty.
POSITION FOR BACK-HAND STROKE. have recently undertaken a revision of the rules.
Rackets Abroad. - Out of England, rackets is largely played in India, where there are both open and closed courts, and the game has long been popular there among Army officers and civilians. There are, too, several native professionals of first-rate ability, one of whom, Jamsetji, as mentioned above, has been champion.
There are also courts at a few other military stations, such as Malta, where the court is made of marble; Gibraltar, &c. In America the game is played to a large extent, and is decidedly popular, but no American amateur has yet appeared in the English Amateur Championships, and it is believed that there has not ever been one equal to the best English amateurs, such as Mr.
H. K. Foster or Mr. E. M. Baerlein.
General Style. As a general rule, the best, and certainly the prettiest, class of players use the racket with a very loose arm, each joint sharing in the stroke. The game is one in which the player may be summoned to take the ball in any position, and the greater number of joints he can call into his service, the greater will be the ease with which he can meet the unexpected.
The beginner, however, if he start his rackets career with a hard ball, will probably find that to meet the ball with the full force of the racket, and to hit it above the board, will be a task of sufficient difficulty without his efforts being hampered by rules KILLING THE BALL. about style. The Harrow system of the indiarubber ball is the best for the beginner, but if he cannot pursue that, let him go into the court, stand about half-way down the floor, and return the ball to himself, meeting it as best he can, and he will thereby become to some extent familiar with the speed of the ball and the manner in which it bounds from the floor. The racket should be held at length and firmly grasped, and when striking, the player should, if possible, be in the position which enables him to meet the ball at the full length of the arm, as by this means he will obtain the greater swing.
The ball should be met either before it has attained the full height of its bound (the half volley) or when it has nearly met the floor on the second bound. The beginner will find the half volley incomparably the more difficult of the two, but as he progresses in his piay he will find it a most useful stroke. [RACKETS If the ball be met by the full face, and in the middle of the racket, but little power is required from the arm to make an effective stroke. With regard to the volley, this stroke should not, as a rule, be used to balls passing above the height of the shoulder, as it is difficult to prevent such hits soaring to the roof. In all strokes of this game there should be no jerkiness; the sweep of the racket should be long, regular, and smooth, whether or not much force be put into the blow. No doubt, as in the case of most pursuits, the advice and criticism of a skilled player watching the efforts of the neophyte will be of greater advantage than the perusal of written instructions, however sound. Perhaps the more game-winning, though certainly the duller part of the game, is the service. Many must remember cases in which the more accomplished player was beaten by the accurate server, for aces won by unreturned services count equally with those obtained after long rallies. The general object to be attained by the server is to cause the ball to drop into the corner of the court where its return will present the greatest difficulty to the hand-out. The server can cause the ball to come sharply off the floor and off the side and back walls by drawing the strings of the racket across the ball as he strikes. This is technically called "cut," and a player so striking is said to "put cut on the ball. In some courts the server will find that cut" applied by a stroke under the level of the shoulder renders the service more difficult, in others by a stroke above such level; an experienced player will be prepared with a number of different styles of service, for it may well be that though "off his day" with one style, he may find himself "in form" with another.
The player may, of course, deliver the service without any cut at all, and very difficult service is often given in that way. دو 66 An important thing for the hand-out (who takes the service) to bear in mind in a single is that he must endeavour, if possible, to return the ball without touching the side wall nearest to him, whereby he places it as far as possible from the server, and if the return so made be of a good length-that is, roughly speaking, pitching in that section of the court in which the hand-out stands-it will always put the server in a difficulty.
The hand-out should also be prepared to volley or half volley the service before it reaches the back wall. This is by no means an easy stroke, but it is no uncommon occurrence for a skilled server to find his spot with such accuracy that the return of the service in the ordinary way on the rebound from the back wall is practically RACKETS] impossible. In a double game the hand-out who is not taking the service stands just behind the server.
When great skill in rackets is reached and pitted against great skill, no game can be witnessed in which all the elements, except perhaps physical courage, which go to make up a first-rate game are present to a greater degree, the drawback being that, owing to the necessities of the nature of the court's construction, such pleasure is limited to comparatively few spectators.
E. O. P. BOUVERIE.
Revised by E. B. NOEL.
SQUASH RACKETS. This game, which originated at Harrow, has become very popular of late years. Most of the public schools now have squash racket courts, and besides private courts there are also courts at Queen's, Lord's, the Bath Club, and many other clubs throughout the country.
The court is similar to a racket court, but considerably smaller. The walls are made either of smooth cement or wood, and for the floor, when not of cement, parquet is often employed, as, for instance, at Lord's.
The racket is like that used in the game of rackets, but is less strong, and also somewhat shorter in the handle. The ball, which is about the size of a fives ball, is made of indiarubber.
The rules of the single game of rackets hold good in squash where they apply. Owing to the small size of the court, the game is always between two players, never four. Although it is a very much slower game than rackets, owing partly to the soft nature of the ball, partly to the fact that the walls in many cases have not the same amount of spring and life in them as those of a racket court, the game is nevertheless a good one, and has many advantages to recommend it. In the first place, it is very much cheaper than rackets, since a court, at any rate when made of wood, can be built at a comparatively low cost, the balls last very much longer than racket balls. and the rackets themselves run no risk of being broken. Secondly, it can be played by artificial light almost as well as in broad daylight, which is a great point in its favour, especially for the City man who wants a healthy and exhilarating form of exercise in the evening.
As the whole art of squash rackets consists in the accurate placing of the ball, owing to the fact that almost any ball, unless very nicely placed, can be reached and played with ease, it is in this way excellent practice for rackets. One sential difference between the two games, arising directly out of the difference in the pace of the balls and the size esof the courts, is that whereas in rackets good service is of the greatest value and often wins the game, in squash the service counts for practically nothing. Beyond these points, the importance of placing and the impotence of the service, very little further advice can be given to the beginner.
Skill at the game comes chiefly by instinct, and this is, of course, improved by constant practice. Although as a game it can scarcely be compared to its great prototype, yet it has, as shown above, such obvious economic advantages over rackets that it is very deservedly popular, and will always be far more generally played than the more elaborate and expensive game. a B. S. FOSTER.
DEFINITIONS AND LAWS.
DEFINITIONS.
Ace. A stroke won and scored.
Board. The wooden planks which cover the lower part of the front wall to the hieght of 2. feet 2 inches from the floor.
Box. See SERVICE-BOx.
Court. The whole building in which the game is played: or, one half the floor between the short line and the back wall, as divided by the half court line and called the right (or forehand) court or the left (or back-hand) court. Cut. A ball served so that it strikes upon of below the cut line is called a cut.
Cut-line. (Sometimes called the Service line.) A line painted on the front wall about the height of 8 feet from the floor.
Double. A ball struck after it has touched the floor a second time is called a double.
Fault. It is a fault (a) If the server in serving fail to stand as provided in Law 2; or (b) If he strike the ball in serving more than once; or (c) If the ball served by him strike upon or below the cut line, or (d) If the ball does not dron in the proper court. (See Law 4.) Good. A service delivered, or a return made in conformity with the laws is called good.
Half-court line. - The line on the floor drawn from the short-line to the back-walls, and dividing that portion of the floor into two equal spaces.
Hand-in. The player who has the right of serving the ball.
Hand-out. The player who has to receive the service.
In-play. The ball, after being served, is said to be in-play until it has touched the floor twice, or a player or the board, or has gone out of court.
Out-of-court.-A ball served, or in-play, is said to go out-of-court when it touches the roof, posts or cushions, or is driven into the gallery.
Rally. The repeated return of the ball in-play; it is sometimes called a bully.
Rubber. A set of 3, 5, 7, or any other uneven number of games. The winner of the majority of games wins the rubber. Note. The usual number is five for a single, and seven for a double match.