ervice is the opening gun footfault rule or some way of
of tennis. It is putting stopping the threatened
the ball in play. The old destruction of all ground
idea was that service should strokes. M'Loughlin made service
never be more than merely the a great factor in the game. It
beginning of a rally. With the remained for R. N. Williams to
rise of American tennis and the supply the antidote that has
advent of Dwight Davis and again put service in the normal
Holcombe Ward, service took on a position of mere importance, not
new significance. These two men omnipotence. Williams stood in on
originated what is now known as the delivery and took it on the
the American Twist delivery href="http://www.york7.com"
title="http://www.york7.com" Service must be speedy. Yet speed
target="_blank">color="#001000" Service must be accurate,
size="-2">http://www.york7.comont> used with discretion and served
with brains.
From a mere formality, service
became a point winner. Slowly it Any tall player has an advantage
gained in importance, until over a short one, in service.
Maurice E. M'Loughlin, the Given a man about 6 feet and
wonderful "California Comet," allow him the 3 feet added by his
burst across the tennis sky with reach, it has been proved by
the first of those terrific tests that should he deliver a
cannon-ball deliveries that service, perfectly flat, with no
revolutionized the game, and variation caused by twist or
caused the old-school players to wind, that just cleared the net
send out hurry calls for a severe at its lowest point (3 feet in
the centre), there is only a the server and unproductive of
margin of 8 inches of the service results. Varied pace and varied
court in which the ball can speed is the keynote to a good
possibly fall; the remainder is service.
below the net angle. Thus it is
easy to see how important it is The slice service should be hit
to use some form of twist to from a point above the right
bring the ball into court. Not shoulder and as high as possible.
only must it go into court, but The server should stand at about
it must be sufficiently speedy a forty-five degree angle to the
that the receiver does not have baseline, with both feet firmly
an opportunity of an easy kill. planted on the ground. Drop the
It must also be placed so as to weight back on the right foot and
allow the server an advantage for swing the racquet freely and
his next return, admitting the easily behind the back. Toss the
receiver puts the ball in play. ball high enough into the air to
ensure it passing through the
Just as the first law of desired hitting plane, and then
receiving is to, put the ball in start a slow shift of the weight
play, so of service it is to forward, at the same time
cause the receiver to fall into increasing the power of the swing
error. Do not strive unduly for forward as the racquet commences
clean aces, but use your service its upward flight to the ball.
to upset the ground strokes of Just as the ball meets the
your opponent. racquet face the weight should be
thrown forward and the full power
Service should be hit from as of the swing smashed into the
high a point as the server can service. Let the ball strike the
COMFORTABLY reach. To stretch racquet INSIDE the face of the
unnecessarily is both wearing on strings, with the racquet
travelling directly towards the foot before the ball is
court. The angle of the racquet delivered, or it is a jump or
face will impart the twist step. I am not going into a
necessary to bring the ball in technical discussion of
court. The wrist should be footfaults. It is unnecessary,
somewhat flexible in service. If and by placing your feet firmly
necessary lift the right foot and before the service there is no
swing the whole body forward with need to footfault.
the arm. Twist slightly to the
right, using the left foot as a It is just as unfair to
pivot. The general line of the deliberately footfault as to
racquet swing is from RIGHT to miscall a ball, and it is wholly
LEFT and always forward. unnecessary. The average
footfault is due to carelessness,
At this point and before I take over-anxiety, or ignorance of the
up the other branches of serving, rule. All players are offenders
let me put in a warning against at times, but it can quickly be
footfaulting. I can only say that broken up.
a footfault is crossing or
touching the line with either
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SERVICE-THE OPENING GUN OF TENNIS.
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