Evening star., 1915-07-11
Remarkable Forehand Grip.

In this connection the remarkable
forehand grip OF May Sutton tMrs. T.
c. Bundy) comes to mind. I should de-
scribe it as follows:
In the case of the various great
players / know. If. when holding their
racket for fc-ehand drive, they should
extend their arm as though to show
you their grip. the head of the racket
would be seen to be either edge up or
with the upper edge slightly inclined
toward the ball. In the case OF Mrs.
Bundy's grip, on extending the arm
in the same manner. the upper edge
OF the racket is so far inclined toward
the ball that it virtually amounts to
holding the racket face UP. In order
to lay TIE face of the racket back so
rs to allow impact with the bail. her
wrist is turned back and under as
the stroke goes through and at the
moment OF impact the wrist fiicks
around into its natural position. i-
this manner the excessive over-spin
is impaired.
do not know of any other great
players who use this extreme hold.
Many, however, use it's notifications.
William Johnston, whose forehand
commands a great deal of respect, is
among these My own forehand grip
Is of the same nature.
What is known as the English fore
hand ground stroke is like q sliced
drive in golf; that is. instead of top
being applied at the moment Oh I'M =
pact, the racket is drawn across the
ball. impartinG slice. For this stroke
IL is especially important to be at
proper distance from the ball in order
not to be hanpered.
The ordinary ground stroke does not
impart either top or slice, and is Il
perfectly straightforward uaderhand
swing. the RACKET being started back
at about shoulder-heiEht: the weight
at first (as in the other stroEes) being
on the right foot and shifted as the
swing goes through with & straight
forward finish. In the ordinary fore
hand drive the finish is somewhat more
across the body. and naturally the
more horizontal the stroke is the NOR.
exaggerated such finish becomes.
Horizontal drives do not get as ef-
Iective = lift.
Importance of Following Through.
Mos: emphatically ore should always
follow through. I said ! should en-
large upon this point, and certainly in
these few words lies one OF the most
fundamental principles of the game. In
almost every game Of science this prin-
ciple must he mastered In order TO at
tain big results.
In tennis it consists of the ability to
let the racket go through to the nat
ural completion OF the stroke. and not
TO hold IL UP during any stage OF the
swing lDnHeNlAlely 31ter impact OIL pa ii
and racket. = common and fatal tend
ency. Some call il letting the racket
do the work" Throughout all the
strokes in tennis. variations Of the
Same principle are ever present.
One exception is in the stop-volley,
when you employ methods directly op-
posite to the follow-through with 4
view to deadening The balls flight. like
the bunt in base ball But the follow =
through exists IN all other volleyS, and
Is Of primary importance.
II is this fact that a great many net
players fail 10 realize. II they think at
ell about the foilow-through. they as
sociate II only with strokes that re-
quire full arm swing. The follow
through on the volley is only matter
of inches, yet in just this small. but i'm
portant. feature hundreds of volleyers
ner of 4 poke-quick stabs here and
there at the ball, that carry no weight
behind them because the racket Is
checked immediately on impact instead
of the head being allowed 10 &c
through in line with the balls flight foi
the smallest fraction of second after
it il struck.
Concealment of Direction.
Another very important point in thu
mastering of ground strokes is the con
ceaIment of direction: that Is. being
able 10 make shot straight down OIL
across court, as the case may be. 81