Smash

A smash in tennis is a shot that is hit above the hitter's head with a serve-like motion. It is also referred to as an overhead. A smash can usually be hit with a high amount of force and is often a shot that ends the point. Most smashes are hit fairly near the net or in mid-court before the ball bounces, generally against lobs that have not been hit high enough or deep enough by the opponent. A player can also smash a very high ball from the baseline, generally on the bounce, although this is often a less forceful smash.

Smash commonly refers to the forehand smash; backhand smashes are rarer and more difficult to execute, especially for beginners, since they are basically high backhand volleys generally hit at an exact angle causing the ball to spin. Rod Laver and Jimmy Connors, both left-handers, were known for their very powerful backhand smashes. The forehand smash was first used in Tennis by Helena Rice on championship point in the 1890 Wimbledon Championships final.

In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, who had a fine overhead himself, devotes a page to the best tennis strokes he had ever seen. He writes: "OVERHEAD—Schroeder just tops here, ahead of Rosewall and Newcombe.

Grip and action

The grip used for a tennis smash is either a continental or an Eastern grip. Most people use the continental grip. The positioning, footwork and direction are similar to a volley. The main difference is in the swing. The swing is similar to a slice serve. The smash is executed with one or both feet on the ground. Pete Sampras had a jump smash which he would hit in mid-air.

Jimmy Connors invented and popularized the skyhook, a version of the overhead smash in which the Eastern grip used to hit the ball further behind the body than is possible with a traditional overhead smash.

Pete Sampras (and before him Yannick Noah) popularized the jump smash, where the player jumps and then hits the smash in mid-air. The shot is often also called a slam dunk, as in basketball.

• Outline
  

  SPORTS WORLD

  Tennis

  Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point, while the opposite player will.

  History: Historians believe that the game's ancient origin lay in 12th century northern France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand.

  Equipment: Part of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play. Beginners need only a racket and balls.

  Court: A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center.

  Manner of Play: The players (or teams) start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server, and the opposing player is the receiver.

  Point: A point in tennis is the smallest subdivision of the match, the completion of which changes the score.

  Official: In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations.

  Shots: A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob.

  Grips of Racket: A grip is a way of holding the racquet in order to hit shots during a match. Most players change grips during a match depending on what shot they are hitting.

  Strategy: Players use different tennis strategies to enhance their own strengths and exploit their opponent's weaknesses in order to gain the advantage and win more points.

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Tennis" and "Smash", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.