Stroke Practice for Hours on End

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 8

Stroke Practice for Hours on End

FRENCH STARS TRAIN

Apart from their natural ability and aptitude for the game, the French tennis stars Henri Cochet and Rene Lacoste, holders of the Wimbledon and United States titles respectively, owe their success to systematic and serious practice.

Both men play beautiful tennis, and while their speed is not equal to that of, say, W. M. Johnston (United States) or J. O. Anderson (Australia), at their best, the games of the Frenchmen are continuous and in perfect harmony. This is solely the

result of months of continuous practice on a definite scheme. When together, Lacoste and Cochet seldom play games. It is practice, practice, always practice. If one or the other is erratic on the volley, then both stand a fotot or two inside the ser-

vice line, and volley to each other. Hundreds of times the ball crosses the net, often as many as 15 times without either missing l . All are swift, crisply-hit shots. This continues for 10 minutes, and often for half an hour, when the men retreat to the baseline, there to drive with plenty of pace from corner to corner. SMASHING AND LOBBING If Lacoste should be uncertain in his return of a low ball to his backhand, then Cochet would drive continuously to this wing, Lacoste either driving straight down the, line or across the court to Cachet’s back-hand. A feature of these practices is the length maintained by both men. The principle observed is always that of the knock-up. The ball is hit to where the other man can reach' ft, even with an effort. Perhaps the greatest attention of all is paid to smashing and lobbing. The overhead work of both Cochet and Lacoste splendid. The certainty and finality of their kills, even of the deepest lobs, is marvellous. Lacoste hits his smash with just a little slice, with the result that he has both speed and which enables him to glance the ball off the racquet at acute

angles. It is futile to pitch up high stuff to either of fthese men, for they have reduced smashing to a fine art. In practice, Cochet w,ill lob to Ijacoste, who will play the returns to all parts of the court with justv sufficient speed to make it possible for Rochet to make a good return. Thus l*oth benefit by the practice. Special attention, too, is given to the service. Both Cochet and Kacoste have perfected fast deliveries the centre line. The service employed is the American slice,,.and is vary effective in either court. In view v>f W. T. Tilden’s strength on the baotk-hand, the Frenchmen, who were the singles representatives in the Davis Cup' challenge round, spent many hours , cultivating low, shooting deliveries idown the centre line, and as subsequent .happenings proved, this proficiency stfood them in good stead. \ The willingness to indulge in intensive stroke practice has brought Lacoste and Cochet to the topmost rung of the ladder of world tennia supremacy, and it behoves the youngr players of to-day to emulate this' example, for only* in this way can championship honours be attained.