type of service. Next, I would try the left court from both
sides. My next move would be to pick out a certain section of the
service court, and serve for that until I could put the ball
where I wanted it. Finally, I would strive to put it there with
speed.

All the time spent in this practice has stood me in good stead,
for to-day it is my service that pulls me out of many a deep
hole, and causes many a player to wish he was delivering the
ball. William M. Johnston, the American Champion, has a
remarkable service for so short a man. He times his stroke
perfectly, and hits it at the top of his reach, so that he gets
the full benefit of every inch of his stature and every pound of
his weight. He uses the slice delivery in the majority of
matches.

Do not try freak services. They are useless against high-class
players. Sharp breaking underhand cuts can be easily angled off
for points by a man who knows anything of the angles and effects
of twist. These deliveries are affectation if used more than once
or twice in a long match. A sudden shift may surprise your
opponent; but to continue to serve these freaks is to destroy
their use.

Mishu, the Rumanian star, has many very peculiar deliveries; but,
when playing against high-class tennis, he has brains enough to
use a straight service. The freak services delight and yet annoy
a gallery, for once the novelty has worn off, nothing but the
conceit remains.