Better Tennis by Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman has been on my wish list for a few months. As a result, I was surprised and delighted to discover a complete reprint of that title in a book that I already owned. Last week the post”Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman” relayed my review of The First Lady of Tennis by Tom Carter. That book includes Better Tennis as an appendix. It was an unexpected little Easter egg.
Wightman was the original badass of women’s tennis. She was a true pioneer of the game that transformed how women played the sport as well as creating opportunities for others. However, as a sign of the times, the first part of her book is a memoir that asserts that she regarded being a wife, a mother, and running an efficient household as her most significant accomplishments.
As unimaginable as this may seem, Wightman competed in an era of tennis when seeking instruction was regarded as somewhat gauche. Tennis arrived in people’s lives in the United States as a lawn game kit. Some assembly was required, specifically the court. There were no teaching professionals and no established body of knowledge of proper techniques and tactics.
Consequently, the accepted practice was for players to learn the game through trial and error, figuring out what worked for them, and testing it out in competition. Wightman’s book was among the first published that included tennis instruction. It was somewhat presumptive that she included instructional information not only for children but also for beginning adults.
Better Tennis is a very short book. Some of the information is a little dated when compared with modern standards. At the same time, there are significant passages that demonstrate that Wightman was a true tennis luminary. The pages she wrote on balance and rhythm remain sharply insightful to this day.
Wightman’s book also includes a list of slogans and maxims that are likely to make their way onto Fiend at Court promotional swag at some point in the future. The same can be said about her alliterative tennis alphabet which is both campy and delightful. “Always Alert” and “Be Better” are the first two letters. Be Better… are words to live by.
Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman was a tennis icon that transformed the sport, particularly for women. We all owe her a debt of gratitude. One way to pay it forward is by learning about this amazing person and sharing her story with others. The First Lady of Tennis and Better Tennis in combination will arm anyone with a good understanding of the history necessary to do just that.
 | First Lady of Tennis: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman |
