Basic Tennis Questions (about gameplay)?

I'm having troubling answering these questions about tennis:

11. What relation does the butt of the racket have in relation to the ball when hitting ground strokes or service?

12. When both players are on the baseline and a ball is played down the middle, who should take it when:
a. Both players are right handed.
b. One player is left handed and one is right handed.


All help is greatly appreciated :)

11. At contact the butt of the racket should be facing almost exactly to the court to your right (on a forehand) because you should be making contact out infront of your body.

12. a. When both players are right handed the player in the ad court should take it because it is their forehand (unless the other players backhand happens to be better than your forehand)
b. either the player with the BETTER forehand/backhand (whichever it is) should take it, or the person with the best angle to the ball where they can move forward at contact. However, it shoudlnt matter because doubles is all about the NET. AT LEAST one person should be at the net at all times, the team that controls the net will generally win. Any ball hit down the middle (unless it's hit very well) should be cut off by the net man and aimed at the feet of the net man on the other side.

Depending on where the butt of your racket is located when you grip a racket, you may gain or lose more power and control. What do I mean? I hold my racket with its butt in the middle of my hand when I start playing, this gives me more leverage on ground strokes and serves so Igain more power. As I get tired, I move my hand to the middle portion of the the racket grip, therefore the racket butt, now sticks out of my hand, reason is that when I am tired I swing less agressively so I just go for more control. The long and the short is that a shorter racket gives you more control and a longer racket gives you more power - its physics.

On your next question - while I do not recommend both players to be on the baseline in doubles (doubles is most often won at the net), assuming both are in proper position, both are equidistant, of equal ability, and are both prepared to take the shot, then the guy taking it on his forehand would be in a better situation as the forehand will give you more variety of shot. Having said that, a factor to consider is the position of both opponents on the other side of the net. A forehand body shot or passing shot to the netter will certainly be an advantage

The BUTT of the racket? I never heard of it having a butt but if u mean the bottom or the grip of it then it shud be behind the ball or away from it, definitely not touching it(obviously)

12. The player who can hit the forehand or has the better stroke suitable for the ball. Since most people's forehands are better than backhands, its preferable that the person hits a forehand.