Are you tired of running on those boring hamster wheels? Are you searching for a new way to keep yourself in good shape? Regardless of your reason for choosing tennis as your sport, we assure you that you won’t regret your decision!
Tennis is an admirable sport, enough to get your adrenaline pumping. It’s an exciting game that is both fun to play and watch. If you are a newbie at this, then don’t worry! It’s OK! After giving our article a read, you will be more knowledgeable about how to play tennis. So let’s get moving, fellas!
This is a harmonious sport for everybody. Whether its children, men, or women, you are never too old to try out this game. The only key factor that it requires is for you to have patience. Otherwise, it’s a sport for all of us!
Why Play Tennis?
You might be wondering, why tennis? What makes this sport so special?
First of all, it’s a good way of keeping yourself athletic and perfect in shape. For your body fitness, it’s a good game. Secondly, it’s a perfect way to burn out those calories of yours. Eat a burger, play tennis, and BOOM! Burger calories burned!
Do you have poor social skills? If yes, then play tennis. This game will let you interact and socialize with diverse people. The best way to polish your social skills is by playing tennis.
This sport is not all about running and hitting those tennis balls! It’s about keeping your mind alert and sharp at all times. You learn to plan, strategize and use tactics to defeat your opponents. It’s just like chess! One wrong move and you are done for! Do you see now how wonderful a sport it is!
Gearing Up: What Do You Need To Play Tennis?
Tennis doesn’t demand much. It just requires a few things which are easily accessible. You can just buy the stuff online or go for second-hand ones!
Wait! Thinking about whether you require a fancy club to learn tennis?
Definitely No! Various places provide free outdoor tennis courts to play. You don’t necessarily have to join a tennis club for it! But it’s another story if you are aiming for an indoor one! For this, you might have to join a gym or some club!
Tennis Racketfor Playing Tennis
The first step in gearing up is choosing a racket. You can either purchase it or borrow it from a friend. For newbie, the latter option is recommended. These rackets usually come under 15 bucks to over 100. If they are pre-strung, then they won’t cost you much.
The premium ones are not only expensive and have to be strung. While choosing your tennis racket, it’s best that you find one that’s perfectly compatible with you and won’t cost you a fortune like Wilson Adult Recreational Tennis Racket. Also, make sure the racket is sturdy and lightweight if you don’t want it to weigh you down in the game!
Next, choose tennis balls for yourself. You can either go for a can like Penn Championship Tennis Balls or a bag of them like a tourna mesh carry bag. There are various tennis ball brands from which you can choose! If the tennis balls get flat, replace them!
Tennis Shoesfor Playing Tennis
Don’t want to experience painful shin splints? Then you should go for a nice pair of athletic shoes. They will provide you with great stability. You can grab out shoes from the nearest local shoe shop.
But, can you go to the game in just running shoes?
Yeah! You can! For starters, it’s a better option. But, you might have to switch to court shoes like Nike Court lite Tennis shoes for regular playing!
Tennis Suit
You should wear comfortable tennis clothing. One that’s airy, not too tight, and has plenty of pockets to keep your tennis balls!
Tennis Basics for Beginners!
Now, you have gathered your gear. You have everything you need, but how to use them? The next question is how to play tennis?
In this sport, you have to hit the ball to and fro over the net so that you can score. Your opponent either has to miss the hit, hit the ball outside the boundary, or into the net for you to gain a point. In short, let your rival make mistakes for you to win!
How To Start Tennis?
Whether it’s a singles match or doubles, all start with a Racket spin to decide which player gets to play at which side of the court and who will be the first to serve. There are 2 ways of doing it:
You can place the racket on the floor and spin it. Wait until the spin stops.
You can also spin the racket in your hand and stop it when your opponent says so. It’s the same as the coin toss.
You get the idea, right? After spinning, the real game starts!
Hold on! What if you win the spin? What to do?
Simple, just decide whether you plan to serve or remain on the side. It depends on you. Some people who have no confidence in their serves go for the side, while others choose to serve as it’s their way of taking control of their game.
Watch this video to get an idea of how to play tennis:
What’s The Game Sequence?
After deciding who will be the server, the game begins. You have to serve the ball behind the baseline, on the right side of the court. While serving, your target should be the service box on the left side.
If the ball crosses over the net and into the service box, then we call it IN. This serve is played until it gets missed by someone, bounces into the net, or goes to the off-limit boundary!
A second serve is given to the server if he misses his first one. If the second one is also missed, then the point is given to the receiver. Then you have to switch the sides to play for the next point. For one whole game, you will serve, and in the next game, your opponent will serve!
Tennis Scoring: What Do The Numbers Mean?
Have you ever been to a tennis game before? You will find players shouting random numbers, but do you have any clue what those digits mean?
For starters, tennis scoring may seem like the most complicated part of learning to play tennis. But, don’t worry! The scoring may be a bit confusing at the start, but you will eventually get its know-how!
So, let’s take a quick look at the scores!
Hit…. Take…. Win
First hit the points. Those points will add together to the game; the games will then add together to a set. Just take the sets. Winning them will lead you to win the competition! Points include:
Zero points: Love 1 point: 15 2 point: 30 3 point: 40 4 point: Game
There are a few scoring terms like:
All: It means that both the players get 1 or 2 points in the game. You will hear them say 15 All, 30 All.
Deuce: If the players both get 3 points, then you won’t call it a 40 All. You will say it’s deuce, i.e., 40-40.
Add in: When the server requires only a single point to win the deuce.
Add out: It’s when the receiver needs a point to win the deuce.
Wondering How To Win? Well, it’s a rule that you have to be 2 points ahead of your opponent so that you can win. Only by winning the set you can also win the competition. You have to win 6 games; only then you will get the set. If you have claimed 2 sets in a row, then you are the winner.
How to Play Tennis for Beginners – Tips
Tennis Tips for Beginners
Double Tennis
In double tennis, you play with four people. There are teams of 2 on each side of the court.
Single Tennis
In single tennis, there are only two players, one on each side of the court.
Playing Tennis against the Wall
Playing against the wall is perfect for practice. Just find a wall, hit the ball with your racket. The ball will keep bouncing back. Keep on hitting it with your racket. If you are not ready for tournaments and want to have perfect control over your body and strokes, then it’s a good tactic!
How to Get Into Tennis Competitions?
If you are ready for some match, then search the clubs that are offering tennis tournaments. You can then join any one of them to exhibit your practiced skills.
How Many Tennis Strokes Types Are There?
Few tennis strokes include:
Serving
Forehand
Backhand
Volley
Overhead
Lob
Serving
It’s the most significant stroke type in which you throw the ball into the air and then hit it off with your tennis racket before it touches the ground. You have to target the service box located across the net.
But what if you mess up your serve?
Don’t worry; you get to redo it. But, you only get one chance at it. If you blow off your second serve as well, then the receiver gets the point.
Forehand
In the forehand stroke, when you hit the ball, your palm is facing the net.
Backhand
It’s the opposite of Forehand. When you hit, the back of the hand is facing the net.
Volley
This is used when you are pretty close to the net. You punch the tennis ball with your racket for it to cross over the net.
Overhead
It’s like a double-edged sword. It can turn into a powerful move helping you to gain plenty of points, but at the same time, you can lose plenty if not used correctly. You can make this shot only when the ball is pretty high up in the air, and you hit it with a powerful swing. However, if the power is too intense, your ball can get into the net or out of bounds.
Lob
In this, you smash the ball high into the air, aiming for the spot where your player can’t reach, and you still get to win a point. However, you require plenty of practice for this shot.
Tennis Court Lines
Have you seen those white lines on the tennis court? Ever wonder what their purpose is? Well, those lines are drawn not to decorate the court, which many of us think. These markings enlighten you on whether the ball is playable or not.
If your ball goes beyond those lines, then it means that it’s OUT. You won’t get any points. If the ball lands within the markings, then it’s an IN.
But what if it lands on the markings? What does that indicate? It still means IN. Lucky you!
Baseline
This is the line behind which all the players have to stand to serve.
Service Box
When you serve, the ball should land into the service box. If it goes beyond it, then the ball is not playable.
Singles Sideline
This is the outer boundary for single tennis.
Doubles Sideline
It’s the outer boundary for double tennis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
So far, we have discussed the basics of playing tennis. But people often ask the following questions.
How to Get Better At Playing Tennis?
There are various ways to do this. For example, you can improve your skills by:
Watching and analyzing others
Trying the tactics, they use
Doing as much practice as you can on the tennis court
You can also watch YouTube videos. All these tips can help you get better at playing tennis.
Can Anybody Learn Tennis?
Yes, anybody can learn tennis. More importantly, there is no age limit. You can start learning and playing tennis at any age. All you need to do is to show consistency and keep practicing.
Get Ready To Play
We hope that you have now gotten an idea of how to learn tennis by yourself. For further information and demos, you can go to YouTube and search how to play tennis videos.
It’s a wonderful sport for keeping you fit both physically and mentally. Always remember patience and practice is the essences of good sportsmanship. You can’t always get immediate results, and nobody is perfect. You will make mistakes, but you can eventually correct them through practice as “practice makes you perfect.”
So, fellas we hope that after reading our article, you are willing to give this sport a try.
I am 27 years old and playing tennis since the age of 15. I am passionate about tennis and love to write about tennis and tennis products whenever possible. I regularly play tennis and love to review tennis products.
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