| The service is the first stroke in tennis. It places the ball | | | | Put down your racket for a moment. Take... an |
| in play. The server, standing behind the base line, | | | | ordinary hammer and a nail. Imagine that you are going |
| throws the ball into the air and bats it diagonally over | | | | to drive a nail into the wall to hang a picture from it. |
| the net into his opponent's service court. If the ball falls | | | | Raise the nail about a foot over your head and then |
| into the net or falls outside the service court of the | | | | hammer it into the wall. |
| opponent, it is a fault. The server may then serve | | | | Instinct will force you to keep your eye on the head of |
| another ball. | | | | the nail. Otherwise you will miss the nail and hit your |
| If the second ball also is a fault, he loses the point to | | | | fingers. The same rule applies to the service in tennis. |
| his opponent. If a served ball touches the net but still | | | | Put down the hammer and take your racket as if it |
| falls into the opponent's service court, the ball doesn't | | | | was a hammer. In this beginner's serve there is no |
| count. The server serves again. The service must be | | | | back swing. You place your racket on your shoulder |
| delivered from behind the base line. The ball must be | | | | and swinging from there you strike the ball. |
| hit before the server can put his foot over the base | | | | Hold a tennis ball in place of the nail. Just as you |
| line. Otherwise he is guilty of a foot fault, which counts | | | | hammered the nail into the wall, hammer the ball. But to |
| against him the same as a service fault. | | | | begin with do not strike the ball out of your hand. Your |
| An effective service is invaluable to the tennis player. It | | | | racket will go back over your shoulder just as the |
| is the attack. The placement of the serve is more | | | | hammer did. You will keep your eyes on the ball. The |
| important than speed. You'll discover that accuracy is | | | | face of the racket meets the ball squarely. |
| more important than force. For instance, by placing the | | | | You have now learned the beginner's service stroke! |
| service in the far corner, the opponent is pulled out of | | | | But the ball is not held in the left hand and struck as if it |
| the court and often has difficulty in getting back into | | | | was a nail held in place. Drop down the left arm with |
| position in time for the next stroke. | | | | the ball about two feet, toss the ball to the point where |
| It is the one stroke in tennis that can be developed by | | | | you held the nail and hammer it over the net with your |
| any tennis beginner on his or her own. The efficiency | | | | racket. The actual blow on the ball is straight ahead. |
| of your serve depends entirely upon how much time | | | | You are driving it as you would drive the nail through a |
| and patience you are willing to give to it. An imperfectly | | | | board. |
| developed service is the greatest difficulty that an | | | | According to tennis rules, the service has to be |
| instructor encounters. It takes a long time to break | | | | delivered from behind the base line. But as a beginner |
| down a player's bad serve and replace it with a | | | | you can stand at a point closer the net. For example |
| proper one. | | | | at the service line and gradually move back step by |
| Don't be impatient. Learn each step of the beginner's | | | | step until you are serving from the proper position |
| serve carefully and painstakingly. | | | | behind the base line. |
| So how do you learn it? | | | | |