STROKES IN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20767, 9 January 1931, Page 3

STROKES IN TENNIS.

IMPROVING THE BACKHAND. CORRECT PLACING OF FEET; SWING MUST BE DOWNWARD, ft BY REITS LACOSTE. Nine players out of ten have a weak' backhand, which must interfere seriously •with their game. There is, for instance, the player who has just started to p\y and can produce something more or less resembling a forehand stroke, bufc completely misses the ball when it comes to his left side. There is the "rabbit" who plays his backhand very hard with an attempt to impart a lot of top spin—and the ball nearly always goes beyond the base-line. There is the player whose backhand strokes are always like lobs, sending the ball high over the net. And there is the better player whose backhand is fairly good so long as his opponent stays back, but when his opponent comes to the net and ho is pressed the backhand stroke goes to pieces.

Farther up the stairs that lead to championship form there is the player whose backhand is sound, except that hs can* not use it as an attacking stroke, or cannot use it for effective placing. He cannot use the stroke for sending the ball to his opponent's forehand, or play it across the court to his opponent's backhand. You are one of those; and you can comfort yourself with the know--ledge that your difficulties are. widely; shared. Indeed, there are-few oven among the greatest champions who like having, to return to high-bounding service well placed to their backhand. Cochet and Tilden. Cochet, for instance, seems to have s good backhand (not an attacking stroke 1 so much as one that keeps his opponent on the run by accurate placing), so long as his opponent does not attack ot stays back. But as soon as his opponent hitshard and goes to the net on Cochet a> backhand, he is much less happy. Tilden has a much better backhand than. Cochet, but it is never so aggressive a* his forehand.

What is the result of this,, weakness off yours ? You lose points, of coujse,, through missing a number of backhand, strokes. But the trouble is greater than; that. With one side of your play crippled, you cannot adopt sound tactics,, and often you have to "run round the* ball" to use your forehand on a ball thafe ought to have been played backhand. Also the knowledge that you will probably miss a backhand stroke often >forcew you to rush to the net when you Bhoulcl slay back or to try a very fast forehand on a shot that is too well played by your opponent for such hard hitting. ■ So tho curing of your weakness in backhand in urgent.

First, let me see how ■ you place your feet for the stroke. Probably you cannot see that for yourself while you am playing, but friends can tell you. Your right foot must be in front of your left, when you strike the ball; if you fail in that, you cannot achieve a good backhand stroke. And you must be facing the left side of the court, not the net. V

Feet Wrongly Placed

Watch a good player on the court and note on 3 piece of paper all the backhand strokes he misses; you will find that in nine out of ten of those strokes ho played facing the net. Then put down the number of backhands which he sends into the court, and you will find that in not more than two out of ten does ho have his feet wrongly placed. So, in the first place, you must bo cured of wrongly placing your feet. The way to do that is to get a friend to play shots to you which must be returned with your backhand. If he accidentally sends one to your forehand, let it goconcentrate on backhand. During; thia lesson, keep facing the left side of the court, turning your head to follow the ball, but never turning your body. Do that for an hour every morning for a few days, and you will be surprised at the improvement. Then let me see your grip. Of course, there is not only one way of holding the racquet for a good backhand, but there is certainly one grip which is better than any other—a standard grip, of which all others are merely variations; and if your grip is not more or less based on it, yon. are bound to have much difficulty with your backhand. Put your racquet flat on ei table. Bring your hand ever the handle as if you were going to seize it. Then bring down your fingers around it, without lifting, the racquet, so that your finger-tipo touch the table. Then, keeping your fingers on the handle, lift the racquet and bring the ball of your hand on to the handle. Lastly, place your thumb along the handle — n ot around it. That is the standard backhand grip, and with it you .will be able to play a straight backhand shot or, if you want to, a shot with a slight spin, either undercut spin or top spin. Swing and Strec^th. I have dealt with your feet and your hands. If, when they are correct, your stroke still has its weakness, it is probably your swing which is at fault. The position of your arm in a backhand stroke does not allow of very hard hitting, and consequently you must save what-strength there is entirely for the strok®, and jio* waste too much of it by trying to pnr much spin into the ball. Speed, yon. will find, is more important here . thart spin. Nor must you shorten your backswing* The racquet must be brought as far atk possible behind your left shoulder, around your body. The swing must be downward, not upward. Finish your stroke by bringing the racquet very low, for that will give you greater strength. And don't for-i get the follow-through. Bring forward your right hip when you strike the hall. Here, then, are several things to practise, and you will find that if yon concentrate on them, keeping your eye on the ball all the time, your backhand will greatly improve, and there is no reason why it should not acquire the strergtl* you want in it. Knowing that, you caa have confidence in it—and that is tha last thing needed to make the stroke pon feet.