TENNIS

Shannon News, 24 January 1928, Page 3

TENNIS

THE GAME AND HOW TO PLAY IT.

(BY RENE LACOSTE)

THE WINNING SERVICE. When you are serving you naturally have a horror of double faults. But you must not forget that to avoid that danger by playing a weak second service is just as bad. Most beginners stirke their first delivery so hard that it can only be by good luck if it succeeds, and as a matter of fact it probably bangs into the net. Then, being, very anxious to retrieve their chance, they send over for the second delivery a weak shot which is easily killed. It is much better to do. as most of the experts usually do and send a first service which has one chance in three of being good; and then if that fails, to send a second ball which has enough speed to avoid a kill and enough spin to make it reliable. Remember that, if your second service is going to be a weak one, it is upon your first that you must mainly depend and therefore you must play that with extra care and caution. Most of the great players, including Patterson, Tilden, Richards, Anderson and Brugnon, generally play a straight ball for their first service, trying so to place it that they can follow it with a strong attack: Patterson and Richards make this attack from the net and Tilden and Anderson from the back of the court.

Tilden generally serves across the court to the side line, so as to make his opponent run off the court to get the ball, but now and again he serves straight to the centre in the hope of surprising the receiver and so -winning the point outright. Use of Spin. Very few players win on a second service without the use of spin. Williams, Coehet, Decugis, Anderson and Gobert play second deliveries with hardly any spin: but Williams serves innumerable double faults. Coehet and Decugis are weak on their second delivery, and Anderson and Gobert, who are successful, are aided by their great height. For the other strokes of the game spin is generally useful only as a variation from speed: in the service, it is necessary, to increase the margin of safety and accuracy. , Most groat players strike the second ball with the same force as the first, but they make this force result in spin as well as in speed. Richards, Johnston, Harada and Kinney slice their second service. Patterson, Brugnon and Kerlhing use the American twist; wblc the majority, led by Tilden, mfx both kinds of spin. In the slice service, the ball is struck on the top of its right side as the racquet moves from left to right. The revolving ball curves towards the left i of the server and, as it. has been struck on its top, it tends to drop. It bounces to the right of the receiver, far, long and rather low, and slightly lower than a straight delivery. ' The margin of safety is increased as well as the receiver 's difficulty in reaching the ball: and when this service is played to the right corner of the receiver's court it is particularly effective. I have a very painful memorv of my first appearance on a wet grass court, at: Wimbledon, when O'Hara. Wood nsed the American slice service against me, and the wet grass, to which I was unaccustomed, ho greatly increased the spin of the ball that 1 cguld hardly send back any of deliveries.

In a good American twist-service, the ball curves even more than in the slice service. In its flight, the depression of the ball is almost exactly the same, but on bouncing the axis of the ball's rotation is changed and it goes to the receiver's left. This American twist' service is tiring and when it if' played weakly it oftens offers a chance for' a kill; but when played hard by a strong player it is very effective. Bnignoii's victories over Cochet require no explanation except the way Hie former served, using this service and finding Cochct's backhand with a very high bounce which rendered him helpless in every other game. The Second Ball.

/ The first service must always be an attack. The second also must attack if possible, but in any case it must not leave an opening for a dangerous coun-ter-attack. A good first service relies on great speed. A good second service relies rather on good length and accuracy. The spin used on the second ball makes the receiver stand further away to get time to meet it and this prevents him from being dangerous m attack.

When your second service is good, there is no need to play for safety with it. Do not try to "ace" it or win the point outright with it, but make an opening for a" further attack.

When your second service is not very good and gives your opponent a chance for a strong, decisive return, play to the centre of the court because the return from there will be easier to reach than one from the side. On the other hand you must remember that if your opponent follows his return to the net, he will be more difficult to pass after a service to the centre as he will automatically come into a good position for volleying. , Many players follow most of their services to the net and either attack hard to the side Hue, so as to force their opponent into a defensive return, or else play to the centre to prevent the always dangerous cross-court re-

turns. It is to this kind of play that those idols of the French and Amen- | can crowds, Borotra and McLoughlin, ; owe most of their victories. In my opinion it requires too great strength of physique and too much lleetncss of foot, to be a wise plan for •"every player. It will a ways pay you to come to' the net after' a good service or against slosv undercut returns, but it will not pay the average player make coming to the net an invariable rule. Have Variety. If you have a perfect service and always play it in the same way, m the course of "time it will become useless because everyone will know how to meet it. 'Sou must therefore vary vour service. . Send most of your services against your opponent's "weak spot," hard ' and far, using the kind of spin he most dislikes. But every now and again try to surprise him with a sudden at- | tack, with different spin, to his strong'er side. I remember once playing i against Tilden and punching hard at 1 his back-hand: then suddenly I played a comparatively slow service to his forehand and "aced" him. Try every kind of spin. When slice does not succeed use the American twist. In the same way, when speed does not succeed, try serving slow and soft. Do everything that your opponent will not expect you to do.