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