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Chapter 2: The Strokes and Their Uses
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 The General Technique of All StrokesStrokes are the weapons with which you fight your tennis battles. The better your weapons, the greater the chance of victory. Still, you must always remember that weapons alone never won a war. It is the way in which they are used that determines their usefulness. it is extremely important, almost necessary, to have good strokes, but strokes are not the end-only the means to the end. Therefore, do all in your power to learn good strokes, but never be satisfied to be just a shot maker. Shots alone never won a tennis match or crowned a champion. Above all, never allow yourself to become too stroke-conscious. Continue Reading
The GripsThe first step in acquiring good strokes is to learn the correct grips-notice I said grips, not grip, for no one grip will do for all strokes. You will hear much talk about the three schools of gripping the racquet: The Eastern grips-which are correct; the Continental grip-which is included in the Eastern style for certain strokes. Continue Reading
The ServiceThere are three main types of service in general use, and from them come all the other variations that are of any value. These are:
A. The Slice. This is the most used of any type because it is suited to all sizes of players, and is equally easy for men and women.
B. The Flat or Cannonball. This requires a tall man to control with any speed, and is not of much value to short men or to women.
C. The American Twist, or "Kick." Here is a service that any size man or woman can use, but the amount of physical effort involved for the result gained makes it not a sensible service for most women. Continue Reading
The DriveThe drive, on both wings, is the most important single stroke in tennis. It is played probably twice as of ten as all the other strokes combined. It is the key to all back-court games, and since a player must make at least one ground stroke before he can volley, you can see that ground strokes will always be more important than the net game. Continue Reading
The Chop and the SlicePassing from the drive to the only other ground strokes of major importance, we now take up the chop stroke and the slice shot. The only difference between the two is in the angle made by the racquet head's hitting plane and the flight of the ball. In a chop, the angle made by the racquet head's hitting plane and the flight of the ball if extended past the point of contact is greater than 45 degrees. In a slice, that angle is less than 45 degrees. Continue Reading
The Net GameThe Net Game - the volley and overhead smash-represents the ultimate attack in tennis. It is the crushing offensive that either blasts an opponent off the court or wrecks itself by the very fury of its own attack. In that case it is likely to end in physical exhaustion, collapse, and futile effort. It is of primary importance in men's tennis but, while valuable, is not nearly so important in women's. This is due entirely to the physical factors. Most men can stand the strain of a net attack for three sets, and a big percentage can even go the long route of five sets, but very few women have the physical stamina to go to the net consistently for three hard sets. Continue Reading
The Subtle ShotsThere is another ally of the ground stroke in its defence against the net rusher. It is one which, in the past decade, has been almost forgotten in singles, yet it is actually one of the most valuable and intelligent shots in singles as well as in doubles. (In doubles, its virtues have always been recognized. ) This shot is the lob, which is nothing more than are turn of a stroke with a high toss of the ball in the air. Continue Reading
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