S.C.F. Peile’s ‘Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill’ was one of the earliest comprehensive books about the new sport. Originally written for a British audience, the book was so influential that an “American Edition” was published in the United States. That version was annotated by Richard D. Sears, who was the president of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) and the winner of the United States National Championships from 1882 through 1887. Additionally, the complete USLTA Rules of Tennis was published as an appendix. It is a treasure trove of early tennis culture and practices.
My first inclination was to dive straight into the USLTA rules to get a feel for how the game was played in the United States before the formation of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the first international standardization of the rules in 1913. However, before heading down that path, I cannot resist sharing some of the foundational topics in ‘Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill.’
For example, the first chapter in Peile’s original book is titled “Hints to Beginners.” Practically everyone playing lawn tennis in 1887 would likely be considered a beginner by modern standards. However, this section contains some of the earliest examples of conventional wisdom in tennis that remain at the foundation of effective strategy and tactics.
The first paragraph in “Hints for Beginners” leads with a description of the rule for delivering the “service.”
The first rule in serving —and one that is much disregarded — is that “one foot must be on the baseline and the other foot behind that line, but not necessarily upon the ground.”
Chapter 1, ‘Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill’, S.C.F. Peile, 1887.
It is the perfect rule from 1887 to start with because it is the diametric opposite of what is allowed in tennis today. It is jarring to think that once upon a time, every point started with a foot fault. Tennis was a completely different sport in the earliest days of the USLTA.
The “Hints to Beginners” section goes on to describe three legal variations of service, which include over-hand, under-hand, and “plain.” Peile expands on the strategies and tactics for each method of delivery. He is also critical of players with an erratic first serve and a weak second serve. It’s the earliest description of what would now be succinctly stated as “a player is only as strong as his second serve.”
‘Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill’ frequently discusses “lady-players” as a separate topic. Given the times, it is noteworthy that the book includes information intended for female players. Unfortunately, some of the observations are mildly irritating by modern standards. For example, Peile observes that women have trouble playing the spin on an underhanded “twist” serve. In the intervening time, no biological basis has been uncovered in support of the idea that men are somehow better at reading the spin on the ball than women.
Peile also renders advice on how to return the service, including the optimum place to stand. Those ideas elicited the first annotation from Richard D. Sears. It was a somewhat contradictory opinion that it is better to stand too far back than too far forward, as recommended by Peile.
The glimpses of the original rules in ‘Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill,’ coupled with the emergent thinking on the strategy and tactics of the game, are thoroughly entertaining for someone like me. This background information is essential for understanding the forthcoming changes in the rules of the sport.
- Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill, S.C.F Peile, 1887.
