1938-39

366
LAWN TENNIS
Watch good tennis whenever you have a chance, but watch
intelligently. Don't try to imitate the good player's style, but
study his court craft and footwork.
Keep your eyes on the ball. Watch it leave your opponent's
racket and glue your eyes on to it until it leaves your own. Don't
look away at the net ; keep it in your mind's eye only. Watch
closely for ground strokes, still more closely for the service, smash
or volley.
Learn to hit hard from the outset, and steady down afterwards.
Accuracy will follow pace, but if you start with slow, careful shots,
you will seldom, if ever, develop speed. Steady work with hard
hitting will give some control of the ball and accuracy follows as a
result of control.
Always turn your body sideways to the net, front shoulder (left
for forehand and right for backhand strokes) pointing parallel to
the direction of the ball and the rest of the body aligned behind it.
The position in volleying is rather more " facing the net " than in
ground strokes.
Don't get in the moray of your racket. All strokes should be made
as far from the body as possible. Never have arm or elbow close to
the body.
Don't let your racket hang down or behind you. Keep it in
front all the time, and between strokes support it at. the neck with
the left hand. In volleying at the net, hold it in front of you like a
rapier.
Take the ball on the centre of the racket.
Hit down and endeavour to get the other man to hit up, especially
in volleying. Learn to make the ball travel downwards, but don't
take risks by trying to clear the net with too close a margin.
Hit the ball at the top of its bound or even, if necessary, on the
rise. The " rising ball " stroke is precarious, but often on a hard
surface the most effective way of meeting very long, high-bounding
balls is to stand well into them and hit them hard.
Never stand still in court except when making your stroke.
Many players reverse this, standing " put " until the last instant,
when they scramble in and flick nervously at the ball.
Acquire the habit of hitting flat and clean before trying to put
cut or spin on the ball. Plain, clean hitting, both in drive, service
and smash, is the foundation of efficiency.
Hold the racket in a comfortable grip until nearing the ball,
then tighten the wrist, while your arm and racket move more
quickly. The grip should be a finger grip, not a hand grip, there-
fore the wrist should be tensed at the moment of impact by clenching
the fingers, not the palm of the hand.
Keep the arm slightly bent at the elbow until nearing the ball,
then straighten.
Aim your racket at the approaching ball by pointing it forward
to the spot you judge appropriate for the impact. Start your aim
as soon as possible after the other fellow has hit the ball and main-
tain it until
you
swing back.
Lean your weight forward to the ball throughout.
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