Tennis
Tennis is a great sport to play even if you’re a beginner. You don’t need
expensive equipment or great skill to start playing tennis. However a few
simple tips will help even beginners to feel like the next Agassi or
Williams sister. But before our top 12 Tennis Tips, here is some
information for beginners on how to play tennis and
how to score your match.
Basics on how to play Tennis
How to serve:
- When you play tennis, you
always serve from the baseline.
- In tennis you serve every other game of
the match.
- If you miss two serves in a row the point goes to your
opponent.
What part of the court to use:
- Alleys are only in play after
the first serve when playing doubles.
- When serving, the ball must land in
the first box diagonal to you on your opponent’s side of the tennis court
to be in, and before the full length of the tennis court is in play.
Changing ends of the Tennis court:
- In tennis you swap ends of the court with
your opponent after the first game of the first set, and then after every
two games thereafter. This is to even out any disadvantage of the sun or
wind conditions.
Basics on how to score a Tennis match
- Points are not scored 0, 1, 2,
3… instead they go Love (0), 15, 30, 40, Game, and scores are read in the
order of who is serving.
- To win a Game in Tennis, you need to be the
first player to score four points. Unless the previous score was deuce
(40-40), then you have to win two consecutive points to win the game.
- To
win a Set in Tennis, you must normally be the first player to win 6 Games.
- To win a Tennis Match, you should be the first player to win 3 Sets.
12 Tennis Tips for Beginners
Tennis Tip 1: Warm up, cool down and bend
your knees during play to help prevent injury.
Tennis Tip 2: Tennis
fashion still causes a stir in papers even today, but it really doesn’t
matter what you wear as long as you have the freedom to move freely and
feel comfortable. Having said that, the last man to win Wimbledon in
white trousers was in 1946!
Tennis Tip 3: Toss the ball high when serving, this
will help you get more power behind the ball and therefore more speed.
Tennis Tip 4: Keep your eye on the ball at all times, tennis is great for you because it requires concentration and
co-ordination, as well as giving you an all over workout.
Tennis Tip 5:
Don’t play with dead tennis balls. If it doesn’t bounce, it doesn’t make
for a good game.
Tennis Tip 6: Take regular brakes just like the pros do,
to cool off and keep hydrated.
Tennis Tip 7: It doesn’t matter whether you
use one or two hands on the tennis racquet when playing backhand shots,
just do whatever is most natural and comfortable for you.
Tennis Tip 8:
Talk to your partner when playing doubles. It may sound obvious, but how
many times have you heard “but I thought you were getting it!”
Tennis Tip
9: When playing on an outside tennis court always wear sun block, even
when it’s cloudy, as a tennis match can last hours, even if you’re a
beginner.
Tennis Tip 10: A “Volley” shot is when the ball is returned
before it bounces on the court, use these shots to catch your opponent out and
change the pace of the match.
Tennis Tip 11: Returning the ball when
you’re not facing the net, or even hitting the ball through your legs is
allowed and still counts.
Tennis Tip 12: Last of all, as John McEnroe will
tell you, if it’s on the line, it’s IN! And if anyone tells you otherwise
“(they) must be crazy!!”
More Info
How to Play Tennis - Detailed information from the BBC web site on
the basics, scoring and techniques.
Find Your
Nearest Tennis Club - The Lawn Tennis Association has a search by
postcode or name to help you find your nearest club.
Calories in Tennis - Did you know you can easily burn over 350
calories in an hour of playing recreational tennis? Find out more while
keeping a food and exercise diary.
Try it free for three days.
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