Better Tennis, Anyone?

Ruth Kennedy was a librarian and fitness instructor in Islington, Ontario.

Born in Holland, now a recent Canadian, Lumiere has written previous tennis books which were published in English, French, Dutch, Danish, Hindi, and Portuguese. He believes that his only valid qualification on the subject is that he loves the game more than anyone. His philosophy is “Tennis is an individual’s sport, as are, for that matter, matrimony and the presidency.” He ably persuades the reader to play the game always for the joy of it and to realize that it can be played lifelong with little needed space. He pokes fun at the game and its champions. Interspersed are delightful cartoons plus photographs of top players in awkward positions.

A usual manual on how to play tennis this is not. Each aspect of the game is presented with photographs of the top athletes in the position under discussion. Accompanying this is a list of points for the learner to follow. For example, the serve; Lumiere lists ten points of directions, with photographs of eight players serving (Borg, Mandlikova, Noah, Curren, etc.), all of them noted for their serves. Imitating good players is one of the best methods of improving.

For those who are serious about modifying or improving their game, he has included charts to follow to know your weaknesses and strengths. There are sixteen points to a serve, four different serves, and each from both left and night. Using the charts effectively requires the assistance of someone who knows the game well.

Lumiere demonstrates that tennis is fun. The novice who is struggling to cope with the basics may be sceptical, but those who are presently enjoying the game should find that this book will add to their appreciation of the game. Few manuals on how to play tennis show any of the humor or fun in this wonderful sport. It is much more than another how-to by a well-known tennis champion, full of pictures of himself and how he does it. Any level of player should find something of value here.