game. I know of one
champion of England who always practised in this way. Any new stroke
that had to be mastered was passed through the mill and assiduously
exercised until perfection came. If no friend were available for the
purpose, the butler had to devote an hour a day to throwing the ball in
the given direction.

To come to the various strokes, I do not mean to enter into these
elaborately. There are now so many good books in the market that deal
exhaustively with this subject, such as "The Complete Lawn-Tennis
Player," by A. Wallis Myers, that I shall not aim at covering old
ground.

The first and foremost stroke to be learnt is _The Fore-hand Drive_. A
good fore-hand is one of the chief assets of the game; a good length
must be one of the first things to cultivate. The ball must be sent as
near the base line as possible. Do not at first try to get a severe
shot, but practise getting a good-length slow ball until you are very
accurate at that. You will find that pace and direction will come
afterwards. When making a fore-hand drive stand sideways to the net.
Your left shoulder should face the net, your left foot should be in
front of your right. Wait as long as possible, for the ball. By this I
mean, do not rush in to it; wait for it to come to you. Stand well away
from it, sideways and lengthways. Swing your racket slowly back to about
the level of your shoulder, then bring it slowly forward, and
simultaneously transfer your weight from your right foot to your left.
This transference of weight, let me add, is most important, and can
only be achieved by careful practice. If it is transferred too soon or
too late, the whole power of the stroke is lost.

[Illustration: THE FORE-HAND DRIVE BEGINNING MIDDLE FINISH]

The ball must be hit firmly and cleanly with the centre of the racket.
Feel as if you were literally sweeping it along--your movement must be
so perfectly timed--to the place you wish it to go, not forgetting to
follow well through with your arm and shoulder in a line with the flight
of the ball. Great muscular strength is not needed to play well. _Timing
your stroke, transferring your weight at the right moment, and following
well through at the finish_--these are the chief secrets of good and
powerful strokes. Do not be content merely to watch the ball, but keep
your eye fixed on it until the last possible moment, following it right
on to the centre of your racket. Until you have tried this you cann