Rebroadcasted from David Lee at
Tennis Focus On
Tennis is a wonderful sport for strengthening your body, relationships with
fellow teammates, and reinforcing the mind’s focus. If you are looking to
master a new sport and gain some exercise, use this guide to understand every
hack and avoid the rookie mistakes.
Tennis tips for beginners
will cover subjects such as:
- Equipment Required
- Types of Racquets (& How to Choose the Right One
for You)
- Types of Strokes & How to Serve
- Mastering the Court
- How to Keep Track of Scoring
- And Much More
Use this guide as your one-stop-shop to all thing’s tennis. This quick read
will offer you a beginning basis that will allow you to play the game
considerably better than your average beginner.
Equipment
Required to Get Started
An advantage to tennis is the
minimal amount of equipment required to start. A checklist for beginners to
utilize while shopping for their gear includes:
- Racquet
– These are also called rackets, depending on if the game is
Tennis, squash, or related matches. We will cover each type of racquet,
but as a beginner, you will lean towards a wider head (which simply means
you have a larger racquet to hit the ball more easily while you’re
learning). You can read more about Best
Tennis Racquet For Beginners.
- Tennis Balls
– These are incredibly affordable, but you may need a lot of them.
Read our full article on Best Tennis Balls.
Your only rule of thumb when it
comes to tennis balls is to avoid a dead ball, which will be too flat for a
proper bounce. You can test this by bouncing the ball before your swing. If the
ball is ‘dead,’ it shouldn’t bounce higher than your hips.
- Proper Footwear –
Your attire should allow you to:
- Move quickly
- Stop quickly
- Bounce slightly
Most tennis-specific footwear will
offer you:
- Flatter soles
- A studier base than a running shoe
- A non-marking sole that won’t impact indoor tennis
courts with skids
The most significant component of
your footwear should be that they are comfortable and fit.
- Tennis
Clothing – Your outfit, similarly to footwear, should be comfortable
above all else. If your clothes and shoes are too snug, you can damage
your feet and certainly won’t enjoy Tennis. Your clothes should possess
the characteristics of being: Read our full article on What To Wear
To Play Tennis.
- Breathable
- Easy for large body extensions and rapid movement
- Full-length with shorts if it is a skirt
- Gym
bag – Unless you have a court at your house, you’ll need something to
transport this gear in. You can read more about Best Tennis Bags.
- Water –
The most important thing besides your racquet and tennis balls will be
hydration. Not only are you sweating profusely as you run at full speed up
and down the court, but your performance depends on it. As USTA
Sport Science claims:
“
Dehydration of as little as 1-2% of body weight (only 1.5-3 pounds for a
150 lb. athlete) has been shown to reduce performance. Dehydration of 3% or
more of body weight increases a tennis player’s risk of heat-related illness
(heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke).”
Types of Racquets (& How to Choose the
Right One for You)
Your racquet dictates
the quality of your game more than you
might believe.
The age-old question of what type of racquet you should purchase will depend
on what’s best for your body type and needs. The main categories to choose from
will be:
- Power Racquets
- Player’s Racquets
- Tweener Racquets
#1 Power Racquets
Also called ‘Game Improvement Racquets,’ these will be suited to beginners
that have shorter swings and want a racquet that strengthens their swing. These
tend to be a bit larger and offer a wider net that allows for more balls to be
hit. Other characteristics of these racquet are that they tend to be:
- More lightweight
- Larger-Framed
- More flexible for novices
- Heavier near the top (top-heavy racquets will pull your weight
forward, making your swing even more powerful due to the kinetic energy.
This will help you maintain your balance and swing with greater ease).
#2 Player’s Racquets
Also called ‘Control Racquets’ are best for more advanced players. These
tend to offer you less flexibility and less power than a beginner-level
racquet. Notably described as ‘unforgiving,’ a Control Racquet is called so
because they enhance your control but don’t increase your power.
Characteristics of Player’s Racquets include being:
- Smaller
- Heavier (often around 12 ounces)
- Less Head-heavy and more evenly-keeled or handle-heavy
- Heads are typically 85-98 sq. inches
- Thinner-framed
- Used by Professional Tennis Players for advanced tournaments
Notably – You must be physically-fit and inclined to the sport to utilize
this level of racquet. If you attempt to use this as a beginner, you may find
the game considerably more difficult than it needs to be.
#3 Tweener Racquet
Known as the blend of the previous two, your Tweener Racquet is a wonderful
median-step to take before upgrading to the Player’s Racquet. As an
intermediate balance of control and weight, the qualities you can anticipate from
this variety include:
- Ideal of low-medium or medium-high swing power
- Head is slightly larger, usually surpassing 100 sq.
inches
- Average weight of between 9 to 12 ounces
- Quick
- Easily controlled
Although these are made for distinct
levels, there are exceptions to the rules. You could experience trouble with a
beginner level and require an intermediate, or any scenario due to factors such
as your:
- Initial athleticism
- Body type
- Height
- Comfortability with a certain racquet weight
Bottom Line – You can try any of
these three racquet types, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Experiment with
all and determine the right fit for your swing.
Strategy
Behind How to Hold Your Racquet
Just as with racquets, there are
also various methods for gripping your selected racquet.
It may seem monotonous to study the
grip-technique, but a proper grip will allow you to utilize your tools to their
fullest abilities. An improper grip will ruin your swing, so you must learn
each step in its natural order.
What you need to know beforehand is
that:
- Your racquet’s handle is octagon-shaped (meaning it is
8-sided)
- These eight sides are known as bevels.
- Players use the bevels to understand where to grip the
racquet
The Continental Grip
This one will also be known as the ‘Hammer Grip,’ or ‘Chopper Grip,’ as you
are using those movements.
When You Use It – Primarily while:
- Serving
- Volleys
- Backhand Slices
- Drop Shots
Why Use It
– Because it allows for:
- An opened-facing racquet that swings outwardly easily
- A forceful swing grip that increases your swing’s strength
(ideal for serving)
- Quick control when in need of fast defense
How to Do It –
- Look at
the 8-bevels in your tennis racquet’s handle. Looking at the bevels with
your racquet perpendicular to the ground, number your bevels 1 to 8 with
the sky-facing bevel as #1.
- The base
knuckle of your index finger and your heel pad should sit on bevel #2.
- Swing
outwardly and use the chopping or hammer movement.
The Eastern Grip
Subtly similar to the Continental Grip, this racquet handle will be held in
a similar feel to shaking someone’s hand.
When You Use It – Primarily for:
- Forehand Strokes
- To flatten your ball swing
- To spin the ball
- To swing it at a lower height
- Increasing difficulty level on your opponent
Why Use It
– Because it allows for:
- Fast shots
- Flat shots
- Versatility
- Adaptability
- Advanced swinging that feels very comfortable and natural to
most
How to Do It –
- Place
your hand to where the index finger’s base knuckle and heel are on bevel
#1.
- Swing as
feels natural.
The Semi-Western Grip
Giving you similar benefits as the Eastern Grip, the Semi-Western Grip adds
the benefit of increased control.
When You Use It – Primarily while:
- Swinging with aggressive shots
- Also for forehand swings
Why Use It
– Because it allows for:
- More control
- Ideal for closed racquet faces
How to Do It –
- Some
describe it as the way your hand moves as you fist pump.
- The
experts say you should seek out a natural position by placing the racquet
on the ground and determining the most comfortable technique for picking
it up. The only rule here is that your index knuckle and heel should be
placed on Bevel #4.
Practice these grips before you hit the court as you don’t want to risk
getting hit with a ball while you’re figuring out how to hold your racquet.
How to Discover Your Most Natural
Grip
The steps are to simply:
- Utilize
your non-dominant hand (meaning if you are right-handed, use your left
hand).
- Turn
the racquet perpendicularly to the ground (not parallel to the ground
but turned 90-degrees from here).
- Place
the hand that is dominant (if you write with your right hand, it is
this one) on the strings of the racquet’s head.
- Move
your hand down until it naturally wraps around the racquet’s handle.
- Using
the space between your thumb and your index finger on your dominant
hand, point that as a V-shape aimed to your shoulder.
- The
natural form you take when selecting a grip will indicate what feels
right. Practice with a tennis coach or receive direct mentorship for
customized adjustments to your grip.
Types of Strokes in Tennis
As your rally (which is a game in which there is a steady flow of shots
between two tennis opponents), you will need to use what you’ve learned from
your grip and apply it to your swing.
The most popular types of swings to be aware of (also called strokes) in
Tennis are:
- Forehand
- Backhand
- Volley
- Serve
1.Forehand
Hitting the tennis ball with the dominant side of your body.
How to Do It –
- Determine which side is your dominant side.
- Twist your body this way to where you are facing the right if
you are right-handed.
- Twist your body back to openly swing forward, while keeping your
feet, shoulders, and hips pivoted in the direction of this dominant side.
- Swing starting low and move it upwards.
- Follow-through (meaning finish the stroke) angling towards
your non-dominant shoulder.
2.Backhand
Hitting the tennis ball with the non-dominant side of your body.
How to Do It –
Same method as forehand but opposite.
3.Volley
You’re likely gathering that things are named appropriately, proved by the
fact that a Volley Stroke will be utilized when by the net for close-range
swings.
How to Do It –
- When the ball is falling close to the net, you will need this
swing; however, it can be done from anywhere.
- Take rapid steps
- Move on the balls of your feet
- Keep your shoulders squared
- Hit the ball when it’s about 3-feet from the net or near
hitting the ground.
- Avoid swinging. Instead, think of a volley-ball technique. It
requires little follow-through but will be more like a rapid punch or
rapid tap.
4.Serve
Every tennis player will have to serve eventually. Serving is done to get
the game going!
How to Do It –
- Toss
the ball into the air about 1-3 feet above your maximum reach. You don’t
want to go further than comfortable but you are:
- Tossing the ball up
- Waiting for it to come down into reach
- Swinging in your most comfortable stroke style
Most stroke will be overhand and quite high, keep this in mind while
deciding when to swing at the descending ball.
- An
approach commonly taught by instructors is to imagine as you begin to
swing that you are scratching your back.
- Then, extend it above your head.
- Swing to hit the ball in whatever technique feels most natural
that allows you to extend upwards. Beginners can select to serve overhand
or underhand, whichever is most comfortable. Men will be more comfortable
swinging overhand while women experience an easier time swinging
underhand. This distinction is due to the shoulder alignment in connection
to the arms:
- Women’s arms externally rotate, being more opened for
vulnerable forearms.
- Men’s shoulders internally rotate their arms, causing them to
be more closed-off and pre-disposed for overhand swings.
- Follow-through for extra force and power.
Tips for All Swings
- Your
ball will go in the direction that the racquet is facing.
- Try not
to snap your wrists. Not only can this cause damage, but your wrists are
not the strong or secure part of your arm and you should not be using them
as a source of power.
- Instead,
use your body weight to drive through with your bodily force
- Always
be aware of your feet to keep them just behind the baseline. You don’t
want to cross the baseline or extend any outward lines or net lines.
Understanding the Court
You must understand your new domain so that you are capable of ruling the
court.
The key attributes to understand your court are:
The Surface Material – Can range between:
- Grass
(Used at Wimbledon)
- Clay
(Used at the French Open)
- Hard Courts
(Most common and used at the Rogers Cup)
The Lines – Will include:
- Two lines down each side of the court
- Four service courts (the four boxes closest to the net,
two on each side
- Two baselines (the boxes furthest from the net, one on
each opposing side of the court)
- If playing a singles game (between two players) – You
must keep the ball in the inner lines
- If playing a doubles game (between four players) – You
must use the entire court
- Any ball exceeding these boundaries is considered ‘out’
or ‘out of bounds.’
The Net – Your knowledge of the net should include:
- Don’t touch it with your racquet
- Shake your opponent’s hand at the net at the end of
every match as a sign of good sportsmanship
Benefits
of Playing Tennis
The average tennis novice may not understand
the level of dedication and practice it takes to improve at Tennis. You could
have a knack for it, or it may take time. Regardless of how long it takes you
to master, there are so
many benefits to the game of Tennis, including:
- Practicing strategic problem-solving
- Increasing your heartbeat
- Increases agility
- Increasing your capacity for stress and emotional
challenges
- Social sport to spend with friends or family
- Overall fitness and stress reduction
The research you do beforehand can
make all the difference in your game since theory and strategy are large
components of the game.
Final
Tips for Beginners
A few final tips for our tennis
novices are:
- Make mistakes –
They are integral to life, and they are how you will learn. Use them as a
tool to improve, not beat yourself up for early errors that we all make
when new to a sport (or new to anything!)
- Use grass courts if available – Hard courts will be more common, but they are also
much harder on your knees and joints. Seek out a softer surface if
possible. Even clay will have slightly more bounce and ‘give’ than a
cement court.
- Master the Grip
– If you feel that you’re failing at Tennis, it’s likely because your grip
is incorrect for your body type. You might consider paying for at least
one lesson to have a professional coach you one-on-one. You can decide
from there if you want to keep paying for lessons, This will make the game
easier for you, and you will enjoy it profoundly more than if your grip is
robbing you of success.
- Practice –
You will see the most improvement if you stick with it and create a weekly
routine to practice.
My very first match because I won and I knew I would be able
to compete in a competitive tennis league. Also my first playoff
match since it was an accomplishment to make the playoffs. Another memorable
match is when I came back down four games to one after losing the first set and
went on to win the set and match. 
Do you play to compete, or for fun? 
