with all its weight on to the ball, and transferring your weight from
the right foot to the left at the moment of impact. Bring your racket
right through, and finish a little to the left of your left knee. At
the time you throw the ball into the air the left shoulder must be
facing the net, and as your racket hits the ball and follows through to
your left knee your body should be brought round to face the net.

[Illustration: BEGINNING OF SERVICE MIDDLE OF SERVICE]

Do not at first attempt a fast service; keep your ardour down until you
have gained a mastery of the ball and can vary its direction. Place is
always better than pace; this applies, generally speaking, to other
strokes besides the service. Try to cultivate a second service which
bears a likeness to the first. That is to say, if you have served a
fault (and the best players in the world cannot be absolutely sure that
their first delivery will not pitch just over the side-line or
service-line or hit the top of the net), do not be contented with a soft
and guileless second which has no length and which gives your opponent
an excellent chance of making a winning drive. Most players are weaker
on their backhand. Remember that fact and place your ball accordingly.
It is a good plan, when serving from the right-hand court, to aim for
the spot where the centre line bisects the service-line. Length and
direction will both be good, and in nine cases out of ten your opponent
will be required to move to make the return--always a point in your
favour.

Remember that variety in service, as in tactics and general play, is
essential. However fast your service may be, if its pace and placing are
stereotyped, a good deal of its efficacy is lost, since your adversary
knows what to expect, where to stand, and the kind of stroke suitable