第 5 节
作者:雨霖铃      更新:2021-05-03 16:33      字数:9321
  opponent。
  Do   not   develop   one   favourite   shot   and   play   nothing   but   that。   If   you
  have a fair cross…court drive; do not use it in practice; but strive to develop
  an equally fine straight shot。
  Remember that the fast shot is the straight shot。 The cross drive must
  be slow; for it has not the room owing to the increased angle and height of
  the net。 Pass down the line with your drive; but open the court with your
  cross…court shot。
  Drives   should   have   depth。   The   average   drive   should   hit   behind   the
  service…line。 A fine drive should hit within 3 feet of the baseline。 A cross…
  court drive  should   be   shorter  than   a  straight   drive;  so   as   to   increase  the
  possible angle。 Do not always play one length drive; but learn to vary your
  distance according to your man。 You should drive deep against a baseliner;
  but short against a net player; striving to drop them at his feet as; he comes
  in。
  Never allow your opponent to play a shot he likes if you can possibly
  force him to one he dislikes。
  Again I urge that you play your drive:
  1。 With the body sideways to the net。
  2。 The swing flat; with long follow through。
  3。 The weight shifting just as the ball is hit。
  Do not strive for terrific speed at first。 The most essential thing about
  a drive is to put the ball in play。 I once heard William A。 Larned remark;
  when asked the most important thing in tennis; 〃Put the ball over the net
  into the other man's court。〃 Accuracy first; and then put on your speed; for
  if your shot is correct you can always learn; to hit hard。
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  THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
  CHAPTER III。 SERVICE
  Service is the opening gun of tennis。 It is putting the ball in play。 The
  old idea was that service should never be more than merely the beginning
  of   a   rally。   With   the   rise   of   American   tennis   and   the   advent   of   Dwight
  Davis and Holcombe Ward; service took on a new significance。 These two
  men originated what is now known as the American Twist delivery。
  From   a    mere    formality;     service   became      a  point   winner。    Slowly     it
  gained      in  importance;       until   Maurice     E。   M'Loughlin;       the   wonderful
  〃California   Comet;〃   burst   across   the   tennis   sky   with   the   first   of   those
  terrific cannon…ball deliveries that revolutionized the game; and caused the
  old…school   players   to   send   out   hurry   calls   for   a   severe   footfault   rule   or
  some   way   of   stopping   the   threatened   destruction   of   all   ground   strokes。
  M'Loughlin made service a great factor in the game。 It remained for R。 N。
  Williams   to   supply  the   antidote   that   has   again   put   service   in the normal
  position of mere importance; not   omnipotence。 Williams stood in on  the
  delivery and took it on the rising bound。
  Service must be speedy。 Yet speed is not the be…all and end…all。 Service
  must be accurate; reliable; and varied。 It must be used with discretion and
  served with brains。 I believe perfect service is about 40 per cent placement;
  40 per cent speed; and 20 per cent twist。
  Any tall player has an advantage over a short one; in service。 Given a
  man about 6 feet and allow him the 3 feet added by his reach; it has been
  proved   by   tests   that   should   he   deliver   a   service;   perfectly   flat;   with   no
  variation   caused   by   twist   or   wind;   that   just   cleared   the   net   at   its   lowest
  point (3 feet in the centre); there is only a margin of 8 inches of the service
  court in which the ball can possibly  fall; the remainder is below the   net
  angle。 Thus it is easy to see how important it is to use some form of twist
  to bring the ball into court。 Not only must it go into court; but it must be
  sufficiently  speedy   that   the   receiver   does   not   have   an   opportunity   of   an
  easy kill。 It must also be placed so as to allow the server an advantage for
  his next return; admitting the receiver puts the ball in play。
  Just as the first law of receiving is to; put the ball in play; so of service
  it is to cause the receiver to fall into error。 Do not strive unduly for clean
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  THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
  aces; but use your service to upset the ground strokes of your opponent。
  There     are   several    style   services    in  vogue     in   all  countries。    The
  American twist has become one of the most popular forms of delivery and
  as such deserves special treatment。 The usual forms of service are (1) the
  slice   service;   (2)   the   American     twist;   (3)   the   reverse   delivery;   (4)   the
  〃cannon ball〃 or flat serve。
  The slice service is the easiest and most natural form for all beginners;
  and proves so effective that many great players use it。 It is the service of
  William M。 Johnston; A。 R。 F。 Kingscote; Norman E。 Brookes; and many
  others。
  Service     should     be   hit  from    as   high    a  point   as   the   server    can
  COMFORTABLY reach。 To stretch unnecessarily is both wearing on the
  server and unproductive of results。
  The slice service should be hit from a point above the right shoulder
  and   as   high   as   possible。   The   server   should   stand   at   about   a   forty…five
  degree angle to the baseline; with both feet firmly planted on the ground。
  Drop the weight back on the right foot and swing the racquet freely and
  easily behind the back。 Toss the ball high enough into the air to ensure it
  passing through the desired hitting plane; and then start a slow shift of the
  weight     forward;     at  the  same    time   increasing     the  power     of  the  swing
  forward as the racquet commences its upward flight to the ball。 Just as the
  ball meets the racquet face the weight should be thrown forward and the
  full power of   the swing smashed into the   service。 Let the   ball strike   the
  racquet INSIDE the face of the strings; with the racquet travelling directly
  towards   the   court。   The   angle   of   the   racquet   face   will   impart   the   twist
  necessary to bring the ball in court。 The wrist should be somewhat flexible
  in   service。   If  necessary     lift  the  right  foot   and   swing    the  whole     body
  forward with the arm。 Twist slightly to the right; using the left foot as a
  pivot。 The general line of the racquet swing is from RIGHT to LEFT and
  always forward。
  At this point and before I take up the other branches of serving; let me
  put   in   a   warning   against   footfaulting。   I   can   only   say   that   a   footfault   is
  crossing or touching the line with either foot before the ball is delivered;
  or   it   is   a   jump   or   step。   I   am   not   going   into   a   technical   discussion   of
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  THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
  footfaults。   It   is   unnecessary;   and   by   placing   your   feet   firmly   before   the
  service there is no need to footfault。
  It is just as unfair to deliberately footfault as to miscall a ball; and it is
  wholly   unnecessary。   The   average   footfault   is   due   to   carelessness;   over…
  anxiety; or ignorance of the rule。 All players are offenders at times; but it
  can quickly be broken up。
  Following this outburst of warning let me return to the American twist
  service。   The   stance   for   this   is   the   same   as   for   the   slice;   but   the   ball   is
  thrown slightly to the left of the head while the racquet passes up and over
  the call; travelling from left to right and slightly forward。 The result is a
  curve to the left and the break of the bound to the right。 This service is not
  fast; but gives an excellent chance to follow to the net; since it travels high
  and slowly and its bound is deep。 The American twist service should be hit
  with the muscles of the side。 The slice is a shoulder swing。
  The reverse twist is of an absolutely distinct type。 The stance is facing
  the net with both toes fronting the line。 The racquet is gripped as a club。
  The ball is thrown in front of the body and not high。 The swing is a sharp
  wrist twist from right to left; the ball carried for some distance on the face
  of the racquet。 The curve is from left to right while the bound is high and
  breaks     sharply   to   the   left。  This   delivery   is  slow;    ineffective    and   very
  uncertain。 There is little opportunity to follow it to the net。
  The 〃cannon…ball〃 service is nothing but a slice as regards swing and
  stance; but it is hit with