Understanding the Tennis Terms used in the game

Tennis has a language all its own. The idioms of the game should be learned, as all books on the game are written in tennis parlance. The technical terms and their counterpart in slang need to be understood to thoroughly grasp the idea in any written tennis account.

I do not believe in using a great deal of space carefully defining each blade of grass on a court, or each rule of the game. It gets nowhere. I do advocate teaching the terms of the game.

1. THE COURT.
The Baseline=The back line.
The Service line=The back line of the service court, extending from side-line to side-line at a point 21 feet from the net.
The Alleys=The space on each side of the court between the side service-line and the outside sideline of a doubles court. They are used only when playing doubles and are not marked on a single court.
The Net=The barrier that stretches across the court in the exact centre. It is 3 feet high at the centre and 3 feet 6 inches high at the posts that stand 3 feet outside the sidelines.

2. STROKES (Two General Classes).
A. Ground strokes=All shots hit from the baselines off the bounce of the ball.
B. Volleys=Shots hit while the ball is in flight through the air, previous to its bound.
The Service=The method of putting the ball in play.
The Drive=A groundstroke hit with a flat racquet face and carrying top spin.
The Chop=An undercut groundstroke is the general definition of a chop. The slice and chop are so closely related that, except in stroke analysis, they may be called chop.
Stop Volley=Blocking a ball short in its flight.
Half Volley or Trap Shot=A pick up.
The Smash=Hitting on the full any overhead ball.
The Lob=Hitting the ball in a high parabola.

3. TWIST ON THE BALL.
Top Spin=The ball spins towards the ground and in the direction of its flight.
Chop, Cut, or Drag=The ball spins upwards from the ground and against the line of flight. This is slightly deviated in the slice, but all these terms are used to designate the under-struck, back-spinning ball.
Reverse Twist=A ball that carries a rotary spin that curves one way and bounces the opposite.
Break=A spin which causes the ball to bounce at an angle to its line of flight.

4. LET=A service that touches the net in its flight yet falls in court, or any illegal or irregular point that does not count.

5. FAULT=An illegal service.

6. OUT=Any shot hit outside legal boundaries of the court.

7. GOOD=Any shot that strikes in a legal manner prescribed by rules of the game.

8. FOOTFAULT=An illegal service delivery due to incorrect position of the server's feet.

9. SERVER=Player delivering service.

10. RECEIVER or STRIKER=Player returning service.