The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-17
TWIST SERVICE NO E
AID TO AVERAGE PLAYER
Paret SAYS McLoughlin's Skill at This American Inven.
ton Has Made Him Preeminent, Though Few
Can Master Difficult Trick.

lows his delivery rapidly up to the net,
as does Mclaughlin for instance. the
strikeout In in trouble right from the
start. To pass a rushing net server It
Is necessary to hit hard and low and
accurately toward the side lines so that
any twisting Of the ball Is a great handi-
cap. When II Is spinning fast nearly
every player eases UP a little in the
speed OF his strokes and also takes
fewer chances OF error by playing a lit
tie higher over the net and a little fur
Their from the outside lines Of the court.
Unless a man does follow up the twist
service TO the net TO volley he Is wasting
his efforts. II certainly does not pay
any player to serve such a dificult ball
and them lose all the advantage to be
gained from II by staying back In his
court n waiting for a later opportunity
to get up to the net. The only profitable
way to use Il 10 to rush In on every Ser
Vice and depend or the twist to prevent
the opponent from passing you on the
way up.
McIoughiin's greatest skin in the use
Of this delivery lies in his ability to
vary the service in several ways. He
can serve a fast twist delivery. a slow
curving ball or a fast straight one with
very little difference in the swing OF his
racket. and this ability to hide his at
tack In this way has made It doubly
dangerous. Holcombe Ward used to
serve very much the same ball as Nc
Loughlin. but he did not have the fast.
straight delivery such as often proves
h most useful to, the Westerner when
he finds an opponent Is creeping up on
his delivery to play the high bounding
twist delivery with a drive from abovs
the shoulder.
Bundy. the other national champion
In doubles. for instance. seldom varies
his delivery and some Of the players he
meets n become so accustomed 70
h eccentricities OF his reverse twist
that they are able to anticipate Its curve
and break enough to punish IL often on
the return.
This reverse service was invented by
Malcolm whitman twenty years ago.
but the old Harvard man used to vary
1t a good deal by a straight service with
a straight bound. and he used the twis,
generally In the left court and mos,
often when he needed a point ve.y badly
By saving a difficult delivery like this
for critical points OF a match II Is offer
made more effective. as the opponen,
does not have enough opportunities &c
become accustomed TO the twist anc
bound.
The reverse twist delivery has a ten.
uency 10 throw the player on his balance
as the racket travels across In front OF
the body to the left side. and this checks
the effort to start forward and make.
II more difficult for a server with thi.
stroke TO get to the net quickly. On tn.
other hand the usual 'out twist Ameri
can service. which curves 10 m ser
vers left and breaks to his right. help,
the server to get started for the net
the slow curvins second delivery also
allows him more time &c make the dasf
In safety n get settled In the volley.
ing position before the next return
reaches him. This slow speed also help,
the server OF the reverse by giving NOR,
time. as the reverse twist Is always Z
slow ball.
However. when all is said and done
the twist services are most useful to ex,
pert players. and II Ia very doubtful n
the average player gains as much as h,
loses by practising them.