Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-08-11 | Page 10 | Notable Tennis Players Reach Top with Great Forehand Drive

NOt Notable ble Tennis Players Players' Reach J. J I Top With Great Gr at Forehand Drive Rene Lacoste L o te Forges to Front After Mastering ri g. g 1 Important 1 t Stroke Johnston Great G eat Exponent I Editors Editor's Note This Is I. the fourth of a series of eight i articles on tennis tennis' tennis'S S by George Ge rge Lott LoU Jr singles pl player yer ol of the Davis cup team tea By George G orge Loft Lott Jr Member of Ame America Davis Cup S Team T am The forehand drive Is th thIp basis basU of ot ofa a i sound ur d- d g me Ln j Many players pla play ers notably BUI BIU J Johnston and James O. O And Andorson Andorson An- An d dr dorson r s n 11 have ave reached tile the peak peale of or lawn han S t tennis A wIth practically no other shot than i r the f forehand or o h a and n d WJ t. These two tl a amen R u f. f Wh the ex exceptions ex- ex it a men are tj c but it t must be noticed that thal every other f 11 champion n W while I h having a V In g 0 other othier th e r M c r q f shots placed their t- t h main reliance on on i t V S k X 7 t Kh t tho h f forehand 0 re 11 ian 3 11 d Goo Gee M. M LoU Lott LOUReno LoUR drive dri R Reno o. o Lacoe has always alwa's had lall avery a 3 avery very effective br backhand but bit I it I wasn't until he had h cl mastered his forehand t that lie he- became becam the great g. g at champion that ho lie Is Is During the year that La Lacoste osto first won th the United States StatE's singles singes es I i I well r remember how diligently he practiced every ery morning prior to the champl championship n and ld even during tho the championship lp Itself Ho lID would get some someone n to gt stand nd on the opposite site side of tho the net and lane hIt hit every every ball to his forehand or hand 5 DEVASTATION Tio Ill I'll never forget how Little Bill Johnston Johnst n. n blew me mo mc at off tile tho court In inthe I the tho th national r nati nal naI championship ch of 1925 I He Be used his famous forehand drive A wIth a devastating effect I resolved after that match th that h a min man w with witha th a forehand drive could dould do most anything anything any any- thing on a a. te tennis court Only Jast last 3 year car In Iii tho the national championship at Forest Hills HihI I 1 learned the lesson of or tho the lack Jack of ofa ofa a n. forehand Cor han drive This time Um UmIt It ft was Impressed doubly up upon ii my mind because I not only lost Jost time the match because of my own ov lack or lot ora ora a n. sound drive but due due- to the tremendous tremendous tre tre- forehand drive of ot Frank Hunter S TIr Time and time again as I was preparing for fOI my advance to the then thenet thenet n net t J I wo would fall fail on m my drive a and d thus thus' bo be relegated d. d to the tho defense Hunter on the other hand taking m my fly weak drIve would produce a drive to the corner of r my court and advance d nce to the net and and ac ace m my nil return rn S STORMING THE niE NET NETA A player with a a- good drive can dominate the play an and assume the offense tens any timo Jie desires This is Js isa isa a big advantage go in In that It Is the present day game ame to storm th time the net So So In in Ira order to hold your o r own o It J Is absolutely essential to have h e a a. reliable re ro liable drive time the two great French aces played two VO matches last year each cach winning one Coc Cochet et won wOH at nt Paris Pads and a Lacoste won at nt Wimbledon The Tho significance of at this is that the winner in IiI each Instance had his drive under almost perfect control on the ho day clay lie was victor and on on the day ho he lost his his' drive was was off oW ct S The rho importance of the e drive Is just jus ius the tho some same among ilmo g all classes of oC players It Is Js tho the foundation of the tennis game and In nine cases out lut lutor of or ten will tell teU the final story