TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19208, 10 January 1925, Page 6

TENNIS

THE NEW PLYMOUTH TOURNEY (Per Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, Jan. 9. At the tennis tournament, in the championship singles, semi-final, Smyth beat Wallace and meets Fotheringham. Ju th e final of the combined doubles semi-finals, Johns and Miss Knight, beat. Fotheringham and Miss Ma cC or mack. Wallace and Mrs Melody beat Webster and Miss Lloyd. HOW TO PLAY TENNIS THE OVERHEAD SHOT. When one says “overhead,” one automatically says “McLoughlin.” Yet this article says at once, do not attempt to acquire McLoughlin’s overhead unless you wish to sacrifice your whole game to one shot. Not that McLoughlin is a. one-shot tennis player by any means, but the man who tries to acquire his smash will unquestionably kill the rest of his game (writes W. T. Tilden). McLoughlin’s overhead is a freak shot. Instead of hitting the ball as any other human being would in front of his head, whore, he can swing into it, he allows the ball to pass over his head, he, bends backward and then sweeps into the ball with a hop, driving with his stomach muscles and back muscles, relying on the enormous strength he gets from this snap to put speed into his shot. COSTS ENERG Y. Any shot which costs a terrific physical strain is not a shot to develop as a regular asset to one’s game, since it costs you far more in the end than you gain. The overhead should be developed from the standpoint of greatest result for least effort. The shot should be fast, flat and either straight or angled equally easily to either side. To do this careful attention must be paid to footwork and the development of correct racquet technique. The overhead should be made with a flat racquet face and direction decided by the position of the. feet and swing of the arm. not by angling off the racquet. Thus learn to hit your overhead by meeting the ball full and driving it straight ahead of you. The weight should rest on ihe right foot, which is back, and shift, onto the left as the shot is made. The left, foot may be raised to increase the swing into Ihe ball, but be sure to bring it down with the weight on if as the ball is hit. Above all things, do not jump into the air to make your overhead unless absolutely necessary, since it takes your whole body out of position and weakens the swing.

METHOD OF HITTING. ..Hit all overheads as far as possible with the forehand swing. This is the onl.y shot one should turn around to take on the forehand, since you should make or lose the point on your overhead shot. Always shoot for the point if the ball is hit overhead inside the service line. Do not try to kill shots overhead behind the. service lino, play them back deep anil wait for tho short lob to kill.

Rely about 60 per cent, on speed and 40 per cent, placement, for your overhead shots, or in other words, count more on beating the man by speed than by direction, since an overhead bounces high and gives him plenty of lime to run after it; thus direction loses its value, as the length of the bounce increases. Never “pat” a short lob, always hit it hard.

The greatest, need in developing the overhead is confidence. Expect, to make your shot and do not be afraid to hit. When you begin missing overheads it is due to oue of two things, either your posture is faulty, or, what is more likely, you are taking your eye off the ball through carelessness or hick of confidence. There is only one thing to do to correct the latter. Quit looking at the other man’s court before you make your shot, but keep your eye on that bail and when it comes to you “hit, it a blow,” a good healthy blow, and trust to beat the other man by speed. If you miss, why just keep hitting the same fast pace until it goes in. A POINT WINNER. The overhand must be considered purely as a shot to score points with, and tho sooner you score off it in a point tho better, since every man misses a lot. of overheads and Io have to hit. lob after lob will result, in a miss sooner or later. So hit for the point quick. This ends the series of offensive or attacking shots, with the exception of the occasional use of the chop stroke. That will be taken up as “the chop” under defensive strokes. The point that has been emphasised in all these articles on offensive strokes is when attacking force the play all the time, shoot for the point quickly, but always remember a shot, must win better than 50 per cent, of the times used to be worth anything. Your attack must be steady as we]] as brilliant, and it must depend quite as much on vour brain work as on your racquet work.