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The Drive - The Mechanics of the Forehand Drive Navigation   Browse Other Pages Homepage A Viewpoint on the Game How It Began A Viewpoint on the Game 2 A Viewpoint on the Game 3 Concentration; Practice Condition, Physical and Mental Keep Your Eye on the Ball Footwork and Weight Control Women's Tennis The Grips The Service The Drive The Chop and the Slice The Volley The Subtle Shots Courage Your Opponent's Weaknesses General Tactics Outside Conditions Pressure on Your Opponent Doubles and Mixed Doubles The Coaching Job Legendary Tennis Players Olympic Tennis Does Youth Rule Tennis Hall of Fame Amateurism to Open Tennis Some Defects in Tennis Doping Olympic Review Technology and Sport The Slice Service Flat Serve The American Twist The Drive The Backhand Drive Drive - The Main Uses The Volley Net Position The Volley Position The Overhead Smash The Half-Volley The Drop Shot The Mechanics of the Slice The Main Uses of a Slice The Grips Doubles and Mixed Doubles To Open the Court Doubles In Europe and US Legendary Tennis Players (1940's) Questions in Australian Tennis History of Australian Tennis History of Australian Tennis 2 History of Australian Tennis Players Women's Tennis in Australia Australian Tennis: Nature Ages of Tennis Players The Careers of Women Players 1. As the ball approaches, drop the racquet head down and back, behind the body. 2. Step across directly toward the right sideline with the left foot so your rear end is turned away from the ball. 3. Allow the weight to go forward toward the left foot, passing on it just before or just as you hit the ball. 4. With the eye never leaving the ball until you actually hit it, swing the racquet head around the body so the flat face of the racquet, with the short strings up and down, meets the ball on the lower right rear surface (away from you) and, with a stiff wrist and firm grip on the racquet. Swing directly through, continuing the swing until the racquet head has travelled around your body and ends on your left with its opposite face turned to your opponent's court. Few players realize that the follow-through is the thing that controls the drive. The reason so many players balloon shots into the backstop is that they swing into the ball, and as soon as they hit it they stop the racquet. The ball, with no spin to take hold of it, goes "poof" into the air. Timidity, fear of error, often stops a player from finishing his follow-through and results in the very thing he fears, whereas if he had had the courage to hit the ball and follow through, he would have made his shot. Never hit a drive without completing the arc of your swing, and that is just as true of the slowest, easiest shot as it is of the hardest. Indecision will ruin any shot. Make up your mind, and then play the ball with definiteness and decision to the very end of your swing. The Backhand Drive The Main Uses of the Drive  Next Page:  The Chop and the Slice