hop stroke. slap. This slap imparts a decided
skidding break to the ball, while
In Tennis, a chop stroke is a chop "drags" the ball off the
a shot where the angle towards ground without break.
the player and behind the
racquet, made by the line of The rules of footwork for both
flight of the ball, and the these shots should be the same as
racquet travelling down across the drive, but because both are
it, is greater than 45 degrees made with a short swing and more
and may be 90 degrees. The wrist play, without the need of
racquet face passes slightly weight, the rules of footwork may
outside the ball and down the be more safely discarded and body
side, chopping it, as a man chops position not so carefully
wood. The spin and curve is from considered.
right to left. It is made with a
stiff wrist href="http://www.reading4.com" defensive, and are labour-saving
title="http://www.reading4.com" devices when your opponent is on
target="_blank">color="#001000" very hard to drive, and will
size="-2">http://www.reading4.com break up any driving game.
It is not a shot to use against a
The slice shot merely reduced the volley, as it is too slow to pass
angle mentioned from 45 degrees and too high to cause any worry.
down to a very small one. The It should be used to drop short,
racquet face passes either inside soft shots at the feet of the net
or outside the ball, according to man as he comes in. Do not strive
direction desired, while the to pass a net man with a chop or
stroke is mainly a wrist twist or slice, except through a big
opening. its manifold chances of mishaps
numberless.
The drop-shot is a very soft,
sharply-angled chop stroke, It is a pick-up. The ball meets
played wholly with the wrist. It the ground and racquet face at
should drop within 3 to 5 feet of nearly the same moment, the ball
the net to be of any use. The bouncing off the ground, on the
racquet face passes around the strings. This shot is a
outside of the ball and under it stiff-wrist, short swing, like a
with a distinct "wrist turn." Do volley with no follow through.
not swing the racquet from the The racquet face travels along
shoulder in making a drop shot. the ground with a slight tilt
The drop shot has no relation to over the ball and towards the
a stop-volley. The drop shot is net, thus holding the ball low;
all wrist. The stop-volley has no the shot, like all others in
wrist at all. tennis, should travel across the
racquet face, along the short
Use all your wrist shots, chop, strings. The racquet face should
slice, and drop, merely as an always be slightly outside the
auxilliary to your orthodox game. ball.
They are intended to upset your
opponent's game through the The half volley is essentially a
varied spin on the ball. defensive stroke, since it should
only be made as a last resort,
The half volley. when caught out of position by
your opponent's shot. It is a
This shot requires more perfect desperate attempt to extricate
timing, eyesight, and racquet yourself from a dangerous
work than any other, since its position without retreating.
margin of safety is smallest and never deliberately half volley.
about 10, feet from the net may
Court position. be considered as "no-man's-land"
or "the blank." Never linger
A tennis court is 39 feet long there, since a deep shot will
from baseline to net. There are catch you at your feet. After
only two places in a tennis court making your shot from the blank,
that a tennis player should be to as you must often do, retreat
await the ball. behind the baseline to await the
return, so you may again come
1. About 3 feet behind the forward to meet the ball. If you
baseline near the middle of the are drawn in short and cannot
court, or retreat safely, continue all the
way to the net position.
2. About 6 to 8 feet back from
the net and almost opposite the Never stand and watch your shot,
ball. for to do so simply means you are
out of position for your next
The first is the place for all stroke. Strive to attain a
baseline players. The second is position so that you always
the net position. arrive at the spot the ball is
going to before it actually
If you are drawn out of these arrives. Do your hard running
positions by a shot which you while the ball is in the air, so
must return, do not remain at the you will not be hurried in your
point where you struck the ball, stroke after it bounces.
but attain one of the two
positions mentioned as rapidly as It is in learning to do this that
possible. natural anticipation plays a big
role. Some players instinctively
The distance from the baseline to know where the next return is
going and take position would have beaten you anyway with
accordingly, while others will his shot.
never sense it. It is to the
latter class that I urge court Your position should always
position, and recommend always strive to be such that you can
coming in from behind the cover the greatest possible area
baseline to meet the ball, since of court without sacrificing
it is much easier to run forward safety, since the straight shot
than back. is the surest, most dangerous,
and must be covered. It is merely
Should you be caught at the net, a question of how much more court
with a short shot to your than that immediately in front of
opponent, do not stand still and the ball may be guarded.
let him pass you at will, as he
can easily do. Pick out the side A well-grounded knowledge of
where you think he will hit, and court position saves many points,
jump to, it suddenly as he to say nothing of much breath
swings. If you guess right, you expended in long runs after
win the point. If you are wrong, hopeless shots.
you are no worse off, since he
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CHOP, HALF VOLLEY, AND COURT POSITION.
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