The Big Gun In Tennis

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 571, 25 January 1929, Page 6

The Big Gun In Tennis

MR F. J. MURRAY, LEADING COACH , TELLS HOW TO MAKE THE SMASH

New Articles For THE SUN

“The Big Gun in Tennis”—that is the smash, one of the most difficult shots to

learn, the most devastating when it is mastered. In this, the first of several articles written exclusively for The Sun, Mr F. J. Murray, New Zealand’s leading coach, who has trained such champions as Miss May Speirs and C. Angas, explains in detail the movements of brain and body that go to make the perfect smash. Mr Murray does not rewrite other people's ideas; long experi-

enee of coaching has given him the ability to propound his own.

I venture to sav that the smash has broken more hearts and tempers than any other shot in tennis. And why? If the technique is properly and thoroughly understood, it is one of the simplest of shots; one of the most deadly if properly executed. I will endeavour here to explain the stroke in detail, showing the proper execution. and will then show why faulty shots are made; why so many players smash so poorly from the hackline; and why they fail to kill. The stroke must be designed to kill. The “push” smash is valueless. Body-Weight and Spring. In one of my previous articles in The Sun, I explained how necessary was body-weight. I now add to that, and say that it is an absolute necessity for a perfect smash. But how to get it? —That is the question. In the first place, the player must make sure that he is well behind the falling hall before he stops running back. The distance should be at least a yard. Again, the ball should be kept to the side of the player—if it be a right-band smash, to the right; if a left-hand, to the left. This will give freedom for the swing of the racket and prevent a cramped hit. Footwork must now’ he considered, for without good footwork no perfect smash can bfc made. For the forehand smash, the feet should he placed in a line with the flight of the ball; that is to say, the player for most shots will be standing at right angles to the net, his body facing the side-line. The Backhand Smash. For the backhand smash which has proved so troublesome to most players, I advocate the back or left foot being so well behind the body (that is, towards the right side lines) that the player almost feels he is facing a wav from the ball. The right shoulder will then be in line diagonally across the left, sidelines. The ball must be kept well away from the body in front of the right shoulder at least, a yerd diagonally toward the left side-lines. When the ball Is struck the body-weight should fall diagonally outward, the back foot being released. The player may feel that the ball is being hit over the side-lines; but such is not the case, for by the swing of the racket his weight will have been swung dead forward up the court and will have pulled the body on after the shot, giving that necessarv nunch that ? s absolutely necessary at the finish. The back foot being released will allow the body to follow on after the stroke. The player will notice that this idea of hitting outwards will have prevented the pull of the arm to the right which spoils most back-hand smashes since it short-hits the ball over the right sidelines and fails to get in the bodyweight. Crouching Attitude Essential. When the. player has run back for the smash, he should be in a crouching attitude and should not attempt to erect himself unti l the racket is thrown at the ball. He should then spring upward and forward with the stroke, keeping the front foot on the ground but releasing the back one. He will now be at the extreme height he can reach, and rn no account should the knees be again sagged or the body bent at the end of tne h*t except that the head and shoulders are slightly leaning forward. Before the shot the whole body should be loose with all muscles relaxed. The swing of the racket (which should be a perfect pendulum swing-down, back, up and over the top of the ball, forward) should he made with loose wrist, elbow, and shoulder. In the. drop of the racket at starting the swing, the knuckles are more or less under, aT d at the completion of the shot, the knuckles are entirely under with the palm turned upwards, and head of racket drooping over the ball. Making: the Forehand Smash. For the forehand smash the right shoulder should be lower than the left, when the racket is swung down and allows the shoulder to rise upward with it. The wrist should be loose throughout the whole movement, and during the downward and backward swing of the racket at the start, the wrist and palm of the hand fall backward with the face of the racket upward. Immediately’ the racket is thrown upward and forward from this position, its head must be well in advance of the wrist allowing it to fall well over the top of the ball when struck. The racket-head will now have falleu well below the wrist, which should be above the forearm at the finish. The weight of the body should always fall outward diagonally. This last is a most important movement since it holds the body-weight on to the shot. Be sure to throw all the weight on to the front foot. The direction of the ball is obtained at the last moment bv the movement of the forearm and wrist, which, as I em- ; phasised before, must be perfectly | loose to give free play to the bead of fbe racket. The racket itself must be • driven the full length through, so that tbs end and strings fall fully over the J

top of the hall and do not hit it from the back. This, the player will ftnd, gives complete mastery over the ball. Do not stop the body following-on after tb<& stroke has been made. The important point is that the body must fall diagonally outwards, i.e., for a right-hand smash the body falls diagonally toward the right side-lines, and for the backhand diagonally toward the left side-lines, the arm guiding the shot in the direction required. Now why should a .player not stand in an erect position before preparing to strike the ball? There are two reasons. First, the muscles will be too tense for a perfect hit. The racket should he thrown at the ball freely (not pushed) which is possible only when the player is in a crouching attitude. The racket must bring the body to its full height as the back foot is released. The second reason for the crouching position is that it gives the player a better angle to hit on. What I mean is this: let the player stand erect and swing a racket and he will find that the pull is almost acutely down, thereby causing the hall to net, if hit from far hack in the court. But if he tries from the crouching position, the angle will finish in a straighter line, preventing th 6 pulling-down and netting of the ball. The Back-Court Smash. If the player is smashing from fari back in the court, he should not allow ■ the head of the racket to drop lower- 1 than say three feet from the ground at the finish of the shot. This is the j chief secret of the smash from the hack of the court. The wrist must be well bent; the right shoulder must finish high and not be allowed to drop; there must be no sagging of the knees, but the legs must be perfectly straight at the finish. The slightest sagging will pull the ball into the net. Let the ball be hit (not pushed) boldly over the top and forward on a line with, say, the opposing player’s head if he is standing near the back of the court, and use the racket with a free wrist to keep-the ball in court. On no account try to pull the ball down into court with the racket, since the strings will merely drag across it and not give the sharp, clear whang that is essential for a perfect hit. Timing. I wonder how many players understand just what timing means. Wliat it means in connection with smashing is this: If the player waits with his racket-head drooped until the ball is at the right hitting height, he will find that as the racket has _ been thrown upward to meet the ball it has fallen say another foot, and is now much too low for a perfect smash. The player must therefore anticipate the fall of the ball, and start to strike boldly, and with confidence much before the ball is in its proper striking position. Let there be no hesitancy o,r half-’ way stopping of the racket, or the perfect stroke cannot be made. In I fact, the swing should he gairihig in momentum as it comes on to the ball, and should not case up to “feel” for: the hall from the back. The hall must; be hit with abandon and a devil-may-; care, free style over the top and on- , ward. j Running Backwards. The best way to run backwards to get behind a lob is to turn sideways l and glide or slide with the shoulders j forwards, the front knee bent, the back leg straight and acting like a prop. If! the player moves like this until well he-i hind the hall, he will find himself in a perfect position to swing and spring at the shot. Should the ball get too faT behind the body, a good recovery can be made if the head and shoulders are doubled forward, but not down, and the weight is sprung forward off the front foot. Be sure you don’t pull downwards. The body is curled as it were over the shot, and pulled onwards with a spring. Be careful when striking the ball to throw the head of the racket over the top of it with a loose wrist. Do not strike it from behind, or it will go over the back-line. Another excellent way to deal with a ball that has got behind the player is, say it is a forehand shot, to turn completely round by the left (that is away from the hall) chase to the baek of the court, allowing the ball to bounce, and in the stride with no slowing up make a complete pivot to teh front on the left foot toes, at the same time smashing the racket for the hall. This makes a very fine and telling shot if hit into fearlessly from a. : ere uched spring.