Grass court tennis in the 1950s

[Frank Silbermann]

I found a rare color video that shows grass court tennis in the 1950s. Not much topspin, but many very powerful flat backhands. There were many power shots that, with the tiny sweet spots in wooden rackets, required much more defensive responses than you see today. Strategy was different considering the patchy, uneven, low bouncing grass, but what is especially amazing was seeing two people at the net who were fast enough to hit drive volleys back and forth at each other. Some of the old-school technique does look decidedly Goofy by today's standards, however:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894ZXePM7bs

[No_tricks]

Originally Posted by Frank Silbermann

I found a rare color video that shows grass court tennis in the 1950s. Not much topspin, but many very powerful flat backhands. There were many power shots that, with the tiny sweet spots in wooden rackets, required much more defensive responses than you see today. Strategy was different considering the patchy, uneven, low bouncing grass, but what is especially amazing was seeing two people at the net who were fast enough to hit drive volleys back and forth at each other. Some of the old-school technique does look decidedly Goofy by today's standards, however:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894ZXePM7bs

Goofy and daft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBL_i9DLl68

[Blade0324]

THat was simply aweful. Literally painful to watch. Sorry, but I'm glad we don't see this anymore.

[NLBwell]

Amazing how the courts were kept in good condition so meticulously.