Tennis - Chop strokes and half volleys

A chop stroke in tennis is a shot where the angle towards the player and behind the racquet made by the line of flight of the ball and the racquet travelling down across it is between 45 and 90 degrees. The racquet face passes slightly outside the ball and down the side essentially chopping it as if chopping wood. The spin and curve is from right to left and is made with a stiff wrist.

The slice shot merely reduced the angle mentioned from 45 degrees down to a very small one. The racquet face passes either inside or outside the ball according to direction desired while the stroke is mainly a wrist twist or slap. This slap puts a decided skidding break to the ball while a chop drags the ball off the ground without break.

The rules of footwork for both these shots should be the same as the drive but because both are made with a short swing and more wrist play without the need of weight the rules of footwork may be more safely discarded and body position not so carefully considered.

Both these shots are essentially defensive and are energy saving plays when your opponent is on the baseline. A chop or slice is very hard to drive and should help break up any driving game. It is not a shot to use against a volley because it is too slow to pass and too high to cause any worry. It should be used to drop short soft shots at the feet of the net man as he comes in. Do not try to pass a net man with a chop or slice except through a big opening.

The drop-shot is a very soft, sharply-angled chop stroke played wholly with the wrist. It should drop within 3 to 5 feet of the net to be of any use. The racquet face passes around the outside of the ball and under it with a distinct wrist turn. Do not swing the racquet from the shoulder in making a drop shot. The drop shot has no relation to a stop-volley. The drop shot is all wrist while the stop-volley has no wrist at all.

Use all your wrist shots, chop, slice, and drop, merely as an added dimension to your orthodox game. They are intended to upset your opponent's game through the varied spin on the ball.

The half volley is a shot that requires more perfect timing, eyesight, and racquet work than any other. The ball meets the ground and racquet face at nearly the same moment with the ball bouncing off the ground on the strings. This shot uses a stiff-wrist andshort swing like a volley with no follow through. The racquet face travels along the ground with a slight tilt over the ball and towards the net which keeps the ball low. This shot like all others in tennis should travel across the racquet face along the short strings. The racquet face should always be slightly outside the ball.

The half volley is essentially a defensive stroke because it should only be made as a last resort. It is a desperate attempt to remove yourself from a dangerous position without retreating.

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