7.   Forward play, underhand.

8.   Back stroke.

1. The Fore Overhand Stroke. - Hold the racket short and firm, as in the overhand serve, and incline the face slightly, about ten degrees, to the ball, as in Fig. 42. This will give a slight twist, and tend to keep the ball from going beyond the base-line, as whatever force is given to the twist is deducted from the momentum. This is the most useful way of taking a ball, and the other strokes should only be adopted when this cannot be employed. When you see the ball in the air, endeavor to place yourself so that it shall pass you about eighteen inches off to your right, and strike it as it passes you. The racket should take the ball well in the centre of the gut. If it strike the wood, it will most likely score against you.

2.   The Fore Underhand Stroke is most used for taking half-volleys, swift serves, or returns. The racket should be held about one-third down the handle. The longer the racket is held, the greater the leverage of the force of the ball; so that more swing should be given to this stroke.

3.   The High Stroke. - This stroke is used where the ball passes over the striker's head. Hold the racket long, and remember to turn its face partly upward: if not, the angle of incidence will carry the ball into the net. Many points are lost in this way.

4.  Back Overhand. - A difficult but useful stroke, often requisite in taking a twist. Place the right foot forward, left foot back, and hold the racket about half handle, as in

Fig. 43.

Tennis: Fore Overhand Stroke

FIG. 42.- Fore Overhand Stroke.

Tennis: Back Overhand Stroke

Fig. 43.- Back Overhand Stroke

5. Back Underhand Stroke. - Posture of feet,-right forward, left back. Hold the racket long. In both these strokes the body should be slightly turned in the act of striking, so as to throw its whole weight into the blow. The difficulty is not so much in making them as in getting into the right position in time. For this purpose it is well to practise numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; getting some one to serve or pitch the ball to you, so as to play these strokes over and over again till they can be played perfectly. By this means the player is not clumsy when the stroke has to be played in the game. As none of these occur frequently in games, they are not learned by beginners, hence many a lost score. 6, 7. Forward Play, Overhand and Underhand.-These, also, are useful strokes when a ball twists unexpectedly to the left, so as to come straight at the striker. For the overhand, hold the racket short, and, for the underhand, long, as in Fig. 45. 8. Back Stroke. - This is a very difficult stroke, and when well played commands great applause. Sometimes a ball twists so suddenly and unexpectedly that the player has no time to change over for a back-handed stroke. In that case, pass the racket behind the back, and take the ball, as in Fig. 46.

Some players, instead of playing the back stroke or backhanded, change the racket to the left hand. Left-handed persons can do this with advantage.

Tennis: Forward Play, Overhand

Fig. 44. - Forward Play, Overhand.

After each stroke, the player should get back to the cen-tre of his court, say about two feet behind the service-line, unless he finds his opponent driving swift returns; in which case he should get back to the base-line.

Volleys and Half-volleys. - So far we have dealt with strokes which take the ball on the bound. The volley is where it is struck before the pitch. In volleying, the racket should be held short, and the most general stroke is the forward play overhand. A movement of three or four inches with the racket is enough ; because the ball, coming full on, possesses its own momentum, which is returned plus the force of the stroke. The great art in volleying is to cut the ball down. If you strike upward, it is sure to go out of court. There are two styles of volley play, - volleying at the net

Tennis: Forward Play, Underhand

Fig. 45. - Forward Play, Underhand.

Tennis: Back Stroke

Fig. 46. - Back Stroke.

and on the service-line. At the net is the easiest and yet the most hazardous. It is rarely adopted by good players in two-handed games, because the answer to it is so simple. It is only to lob the ball up over the player's head ; in which case it is almost impossible for him to get back to it. If, however, a cut, serve, or return is played up wind, and seems to hang and fall very near the net, a smart player may reach it while still in the air, from the service-line, and cut it down into the adversary's court.

The best place to cut such a ball down is either in a place distant from where the adversary is standing, or exactly at his feet. No return is so perplexing to play as one thai comes dead on the player's feet. It can be neither volleyed nor played, but must be half-volleyed. The half-volley is playing the ball near the ground when it is just pitching, or has just bounded. It is not improperly called the stroke of despair, and should never be played when any other stroke is feasible.

Volleying from the service-line is the great art of the game, combined with placing. It returns the ball so swiftly that the adversary has no time to pose himself for the stroke If it is out of reach of the spot where he happens to stand, it is all over with him. Most volleys at the service-line, have to be played forward play, underhand, as the ball i beginning to drop.

Placing.- This is the strong role in tennis. It consists in playing the ball where the adversary cannot take it, or tiring him out by keeping him on the run till he misses. Let us explain this from the non-server point of view. The first serve is always from the right hand to the opposite-right-hand court. The striker-out takes it, and returns inta the left court, close to the net. This gives the adversary a quick run to take it, and leaves him on the left line of the court. The non-server will then try and drive the ball to the base-line, close to the right corner, and so keep his adversary running backward and forward till he misses. The more you give him to do with the difficulty of taking his own balls, the less he will be able to think how to puzzle you.