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The Main Uses of the Drive - To Advance to the Net behind a Forcing Shot
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 Here is the one place that the drive taken on the rising bounce is of great value, although it can be overdone and is not always the logical shot to play. The only advantage of the rising bounce drive is that you are nearer to the net when you hit it than if you wait for the ball to reach the top of its bound and fall to your waist level.
Therefore, you reach the net sooner, which gives your opponent less time to get his return by you before you have net position. Against this advantage, which is a big one, is the greatly increased danger of error, owing to the difficulty of timing arising bounce shot. The two best rising bounce players in tennis history, F. J. Perry and Henri Cochet, never played more than 40 per cent of their drives on the rise, but almost all the ones they did play were used in advancing to the net. Personally, I prefer the method of waiting for a midcourt shot from my opponent which I can move in on and play moving forward as the ball is falling, rather than take a rising bound off a deep shot and attempt to go in behind it. There is too great a chance for error in the latter case. The advancing drive off either the forehand or backhand must have three important features to be effective:
(a) It must have depth, hitting within at least six feet of the backline.
(b) It must have power-at least enough so that it will not pop up and give your opponent a chance to attack.
(c) It must go into a corner or side of the court, so your opponent is forced to play his defensive shot running.
Depth, pace, and direction-never go to the net behind a shot that does not have all three of these qualities.
Do not attempt to win outright with the drive that you are following to the net. If you do, you overhit. There is no need to take an unnecessary risk, because the shot is merely intended to force a weak return that you will then kill at the net. All advancing shots should be accompanied by one fixed quality in your mind and body.
Advance! Move in with the ball as you hit it. Do not make the mistake of moving in with your body and leaving your racquet behind you so you hit the ball late. Lean in and reach forward to the ball and follow your shot. Vary the direction of your advancing shot. Too many players have only one direction in which they hit when preparing an advance to the net. Usually it is to the opponent's backhand, and it's made from the centre of the court or from the side with a straight shot down the line. They either forget their opponent's forehand corner, or are afraid to go in against the forehand. Actually, you should have no favourite method of advance. You should go in with equal confidence and equally often against the forehand or backhand behind cross-court or straight shots, whenever the logical chance to attack is there. Keep your opponent guessing which way you'll go in. Once more, variation and intelligence should always govern your choice of advancing shots.
Out of the advancing shot comes the next step of the drive, which shows it as seen too often today.
1. To return service (both attack and defence).
2. To make passing shots against the net player (attack).
3. To advance to the net behind a forcing shot (attack).
4. To hit clean winners (attack).
5. To open your opponent's court and manoeuvre him out of position (subtle attack).
6. To get yourself out of trouble when you are forced into bad position (defence).
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