Having a firm, but not tight, hold of the racket, try to make a full
swing with it through the air. Stand sideways to the practise board, or
the net, put the arm out straight, parallel to the net, then swing it
up and back as far as possible, and then down and forward, describing
a circle through the air. Finish the swing as far in front of the body
as possible, letting the head of the racket be the leading point. It is
this last part of the swing that controls the flight of the ball, both
as to direction and to length, and so is most important. _Always follow
through._ The preliminary swing gives the greatest amount of speed
with the least effort, because of the momentum which is gained. A long
follow through gives a deep ball (one in the back of the opponent’s
court), and controls the direction more surely than does a short snap
shot. The beginner should therefore spend plenty of time and attention
getting a full, free swing.
Swing the arm and racket around and forward several times without any
ball. Then, standing sideways to the net or board, with the left foot
forward, drop a ball opposite the body and swing the racket so as to
meet it at the top of its bound, following forward with the racket in
the direction that the ball is to take. The whole body should swing
forward from the hips, the weight being shifted from the right foot to
the left as the arm goes forward.
Few girls, until recently, used this full swing, although it is very
important that they should use it, as it is a great saver of energy,
speed being given to the ball, not by hitting it hard, but by the
impetus gained through the preliminary swing together with the weight
of the body which is behind the stroke.
A straight forehand drive, used principally against a low bouncing
ball, starts with the full swing and finishes out and up, the face of
the racket open and drawn slightly across the ball at the finish of the
stroke. A topped drive finishes with the wrist and racket turning over,
so that the face of the racket is towards the ground. This turnover
starts the ball spinning around on its own axis, giving it “drop”; that
is, causing it to drop rather sharply to the ground when it has reached
the limit of its outward flight. This marked downcurve makes it much
easier to keep the ball within the limits of the court and so is very
useful.
The backhand drive, which should not be neglected, but rather should
receive more attention at the beginning because it is a little more
difficult to make, is based on the same general principles. Grip the
racket, having the thumb diagonally across the handle, keeping the
wrist well in towards the body--there is a tendency on the backhand to
let the wrist break, point out towards the net, and so lead the swing,
which must be guarded against. Stand sideways to the net, the right
foot forward, and swing the arm, wrist in and elbow nearly straight,
across the body, making a circle as before, with the head of the racket
as the leading point. Then follow through forward, shifting the weight
of the body onto the right foot and swinging forward from the hips. As
in the forehand, there are two ways of finishing the swing, producing
two different drives: one, the straight drive, where the racket goes
out and up, sliding slightly across the ball; the other, the topped
stroke, where the racket and wrist turn over as the arm swings forward.
First practise the swing alone until it feels free and easy. Then drop
the ball in front of you, but slightly nearer the net than in the
forehand drive, where the ball is taken opposite the body, and stroke
it, making the full swing as in practise and following through in the
direction in which the ball is to go. In practising all these drives,
be sure to stand far enough away from the ball. The elbow should be
only slightly bent to get a full swing--if the ball is taken too close
to the body the elbow will be cramped, and so hamper the swing.
[Illustration: Miss Eleonora Sears at finish of overhead smash.
© International Film Service, N. Y.
]
[Illustration:
Miss Eleanor Goss running forward to meet the ball with a full
sweep of her racket in a forehand drive. All her weight is
going into the stroke.
]
[Illustration: Miss Martha A. Guthrie beginning a forehand drive.
© International Film Service, Inc., N. Y.
]
[Illustration: Mrs. Barger-Wallach finishing a straight forehand drive.
E. Levick, N. Y., Photo.
]