Tennis for girls

Having a firm, but not tight, hold of the racket, try to make a full swing with it through the air. Stand sideways to the practise board, or the net, put the arm out straight, parallel to the net, then swing it up and back as far as possible, and then down and forward, describing a circle through the air. Finish the swing as far in front of the body as possible, letting the head of the racket be the leading point. It is this last part of the swing that controls the flight of the ball, both as to direction and to length, and so is most important. Always follow through. The preliminary swing gives the greatest amount of speed with the least effort, because of the momentum which is gained. A long follow through gives a deep ball (one in the back of the opponent’s court), and controls the direction more surely than does a short snap shot. The beginner should therefore spend plenty of time and attention getting a full, free swing.

Swing the arm and racket around and forward several times without any ball. Then, standing sideways to the net or board, with the left foot forward, drop a ball opposite the body and swing the racket so as to meet it at the top of its bound, following forward with the racket in the direction that the ball is to take. The whole body should swing forward from the hips, the weight being shifted from the right foot to the left as the arm goes forward.

Few girls, until recently, used this full swing, although it is very important that they should use it, as it is a great saver of energy, speed being given to the ball, not by hitting it hard, but by the impetus gained through the preliminary swing together with the weight of the body which is behind the stroke.

A straight forehand drive, used principally against a low bouncing ball, starts with the full swing and finishes out and up, the face of the racket open and drawn slightly across the ball at the finish of the stroke. A topped drive finishes with the wrist and racket turning over, so that the face of the racket is towards the ground. This turnover starts the ball spinning around on its own axis, giving it “drop”; that is, causing it to drop rather sharply to the ground when it has reached the limit of its outward flight. This marked downcurve makes it much easier to keep the ball within the limits of the court and so is very useful.

The backhand drive, which should not be neglected, but rather should receive more attention at the beginning because it is a little more difficult to make, is based on the same general principles. Grip the racket, having the thumb diagonally across the handle, keeping the wrist well in towards the body—there is a tendency on the backhand to let the wrist break, point out towards the net, and so lead the swing, which must be guarded against. Stand sideways to the net, the right foot forward, and swing the arm, wrist in and elbow nearly straight, across the body, making a circle as before, with the head of the racket as the leading point. Then follow through forward, shifting the weight of the body onto the right foot and swinging forward from the hips. As in the forehand, there are two ways of finishing the swing, producing two different drives: one, the straight drive, where the racket goes out and up, sliding slightly across the ball; the other, the topped stroke, where the racket and wrist turn over as the arm swings forward. First practise the swing alone until it feels free and easy. Then drop the ball in front of you, but slightly nearer the net than in the forehand drive, where the ball is taken opposite the body, and stroke it, making the full swing as in practise and following through in the direction in which the ball is to go. In practising all these drives, be sure to stand far enough away from the ball. The elbow should be only slightly bent to get a full swing—if the ball is taken too close to the body the elbow will be cramped, and so hamper the swing.