Tennis for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started - blog

Tennis for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started

No matter what level of tennis player you are, beginner to advanced, tennis is a physically demanding sport. This requires your muscles to cooperate throughout a longer period. Tennis is also a mental game, making players think at the speed of light and decide which one of their best shots would bring them the point in the battle. The greater you are practicing tennis fundamentals, the more you can bring your tennis skills to the next level which can boost your performance.

In this article, we have come up with the know-how of everything regarding tennis for beginners.

Why is the Game of Tennis So Exciting?

Participating in tennis has several positive impacts, not only for the body but also for the mind and soul.

For example-

Coordination- It helps improve the coordination of your eyes and hands as well as balance and agility.
Stress release- Numerous movements in the foot and the upper body needed for the tennis game can keep you in tip-top condition and relieve you from stress.
Problem-solving skills- Knowing and executing tennis techniques is like comparing Neo’s evolving skills in the movie- The Matrix, which is dependent on his fast and strategic thinking. Hence, you develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking, such as when to time your split-step from the ready position, how to shift your body weight, when to hit cross-court or down the line, or when to go for an overhead smash.
Increased team spirit- While playing tennis you need at least two players in a match, and as it is a game where you are interacting with others both your social skills and teamwork skills are improving.

Basic Needs to Keep in Mind as a Beginner When Planning to Start Tennis?

Whether you are playing singles or doubles, it boils down to the equipment that every player needs to go against each other on a tennis court.

The list includes

A Tennis Racket- With a racket frame that is appropriate in size and weight that correlates with your skill set
A Pair of Tennis Shoes- Shoes for this sport should hold the ankle firmly from your feet’s off-center movements (wear running shoes).
A Tennis Ball- This needs to be a perfect one for a proper bounce on the different types of courts with different hardness.
A Tennis Net- A tennis court net should be of perfect quality with single or double braids and proper thickness to be able to hold the strain.

Social Reduction might be for some well-established tennis clubs, and survival for these clubs will depend on their exceptionalness. Other alternatives may include knotting elastic wristbands and headbands to prevent the sweat from spoiling the view and sliding off the over-grip foam.

Keep it sealed-

When hitting serves for singles tennis, the ball needs to land over the net and within the opponent’s opposite service box, which is the box on the outside of the center mark at the service line. Provided the ball passes the net and drops correctly in the serve box, it is called a ‘let,’ and the server is allowed to serve once again from the service area. If the ball ever actually landed off the end line of the box, this would not mean that it is already out because the ball continues in play as long as any part of it touches the line. At a rally, the ball used in a singles match should fall directly into the singles court. The singles sidelines demarcate the singles court. In the case of doubles tennis, the Outer Alleys are also playable.

Nevertheless, even novices don’t have line judges to watch them, so they have to accept the ball as being out if it lands outside the lines or points to the serving box if it stays inside the line.

Monitor the score-

Like no other sport, tennis has a specific scoring pattern. It is imperative that you keep track of your points, or you can end up losing. The player who says their score first is always the server, regardless of whether it is higher than their opponent’s score. Take the case of the server losing the first three points in a row, and then the score would be love-40.

Grab Your Racket, Don’t Let It Go–

Your racket must remain in your hands at all times. If you smack the ball or throw the racket instead, you are out. You may use only your racket to smash the ball and may not touch the ball with any other part of your body. On the other hand, the ball doesn’t have to hit the actual face of the racket; it’s still playable if it hits the handle or the triangle.

At this point, the ball that bounces for the second time is out. Similarly, they cannot hit the ball more than once as well. Even on the occasion that you clip the ball and face it in front of you again, the point is still over if the ball doesn’t reach your opponent’s area.

A Ball In the Air is a Ball In Play-

Even if your opponent is miles behind the baseline in “out” territory, if they make contact with the ball or it hits a body part of theirs before it hits the ground, this is still in play. A ball is called only after it bounces.

How to Select a Tennis Racket

Four crucial factors should be considered before buying tennis rackets. They are-

Weight-

Most adult rackets are 9-12 oz in weight. If the weight is too low, you can add more weight to it, but lowering the weight is difficult. If the weight of the rackets is not appropriate, it can create issues like shoulder, and wrist discomfort. As a result, the strokes will be slowed down. On the other hand, a racket too lightweight than regular can create poor strokes and throw off the timing.

Racket Type	Weight (oz)
Light Rackets	9-10 oz
Heavier Rackets	11-12 oz

Aspect	Pros	Cons	Best for
Weight	Easily navigable, swingable, and generates spin	Comparatively less stable and powerful	Junior players, or players with arm discomfort who are slow but provide more compact strokes
Head size	More powerful and stable. Control is well maintained.	Injury risks are higher and controllability is less.	Good for players who are aggressive and play long and fast strokes. Mostly the senior players

Head size

Head size is measured in square inches. Head sizes are of utmost importance as this directly controls the players’ performance.

The rackets with a head size of more than 106 square inches are called oversize rackets. Anything lesser than this size is known as a midsize racket.

Head Size	Pros	Cons	Best for
Mid-size	Easy navigable	Less powerful, the margin for error is smaller	More experienced players with experience in hitting the sweet spot consistently
Over-size	More powerful	Higher margin for error, difficult to maneuver	Intermediate or beginners prefer larger sweet spots

Balance

Balance is the weight distribution of the racket head. They can be head-light, head-heavy, or balanced. Balance is measured on a point scale. A larger negative number describes more head-light rackets, whereas a larger positive number says they are more heavy-head. 0 describes a balanced racket.

Aspect	Balance	Pros	Cons	Best for
Balance	Reduced vibration, hence easily navigable	Less powerful	Best for faster swings and easy navigation
Balance	Powerful and stable swing	Difficult to maneuver	Best for players who want racket heads to protect from twisting

Material

Carbon fiber, graphite, and aluminum are the main materials used in tennis rackets. The use of the material depends on the purpose of the play; like recreation players use graphite or aluminum, and performance players use carbon fiber or graphite.

Aspect	Balance	Pros	Cons	Best for
Balance	Reduced vibration, hence easily navigable	Less powerful	Best for faster swings and easy navigation
Balance	Powerful and stable swing	Difficult to maneuver	Best for players who want racket heads to protect from twisting

How to select a tennis ball

Type	Best for
Junior foam balls	Years 3-5
Junior red balls	Years 6-8
Junior orange balls	Years 9-10
Junior green dot balls	Years 11-13
Extra duty	Hard courts
Regular duty	Slower courts (Clay)
Pressureless	Practice
High altitude	Elevations above 4k feet

How to Play Tennis

If you’ve been practicing with a friend or a coach, and you think that you still need to know some tennis basics at a go to play a real match, follow the steps below.

Decide who serves first-

A random coin or racket toss will help with the decision of which of the players should be elected as the server. Given that the first give in every serve is beneficial to the player, it is equitable that both participants have the same chance to win. With the understanding of who's serving and the ball's intended landing location, the server can only utilize two opportunities to get the ball in. If they hit the ball into the net, clip it for a line, or simply fail to serve outside the court line, it will be called a fault. A deduction will follow you if you miss the second service and will result in taking physical possession of the point as bad.

Alternate serving sides-

A tennis match starts with the server on the right side of the court, known as the deuce court. The left side called the ad court (advantage court), is where the second serve happens. As the play progresses, sides switch after every odd game (1, 3, 5, etc.) to ensure fairness regarding conditions like sun or wind.

Use Your Best Strength-

Whether left or right-handed, forehand and backhand strokes form the core. Lean into areas of personal strength – if your forehand excels, position rallies to set up forehand opportunities more frequently.

Use your mind-

Quick decisions often arise whether to stick with baseline groundstrokes or approach net. Weigh percentages for simply extending the rally versus going for a riskier, offensive shot. Top spin can help create surprising angles.

Switch to the opposite side in the odd games-

In odd-numbered games, players trade sides of the court. This promotes equality, as the sun, wind, or other conditions impact each player similarly over the course of a match. This is accomplished when the odd number (1-0, 3-2, 5-0, etc.), players switch sides. You would in turn, have the equivalent of two or three matches, swap, then play alternately every two game cycles from that point on.

Keep up your spirits by remembering to respect every choice-

When games reach 6-6, a tie-break is played. Here, the first to 7 points with a 2-point margin wins that set. Score recording uses the format 7-6 (7-5), showing the set score with the tie-break score in parentheses.

How Does Scoring Work in Tennis?

While scoring seems complex initially, it follows a straightforward pattern. Love means 0, then 15, 30, 40 – with Deuce at 40-40 until one player gains the two-point Advantage to clinch that game. A set requires 6 games won, or 7 if tied 6-6 and decided by tie-break.

The first part of the game is all love-

Tennis scoring commences at “love” – both sides have zero points. Scores progress 15, 30, 40. If opponents trade point-for-point early, it becomes 15-all. The server’s tally always stated prior to the receiver’s. Example: 30-love means server earned 30 points, opponent none.

First, the server’s score is displayed-

In singles, a sole player serves, starting on the right courtside. After their side wins a point, they shift sides. At the game’s end, serving positions swap. During odd-numbered games, players move to the opposite end of their current court. The score of the serving side is always announced before the score of the receiving side (which is said first, in the event that the server wins the first point of the game and the following point, the score is 30-love.)

Come Into The Ad Phase-

When knotted 40-40 (deuce/40-all), the “ad phase” starts. Either player requires consecutive two-point runs to capture that game by a two-point differential minimum. If the server wins the opening ad point, they hold the upper hand momentarily.

Win, Or It Is Deuce Again-

Failing to convert ad opportunity resets the score to deuce. The server must regroup, strive to string together those successive two points required post-deuce to prevail in that game.

Ad-out Implies the Last Situations-

When the server finds themselves at deuce, the stakes elevate to “ad-out.” They must now take all three remaining points consecutively. One error reverts to deuce, mandating a fresh two-point cushion pursuit to triumph.

Smash the Jack –

Optionally in a final set, competitors might play “no-ad” style. Here at 40-40, the subsequent point-winner seizes that game – no two-point margin necessary. This means you have to win one point to win the game. Get all the beginner tennis equipment to avoid injury.

Safe Tennis Gear

The right dress eliminates all risks to the lowest level possible.

Racquet-

Talk to a pro when choosing a racquet. Go to a specialty tennis shop and let the professional at the tennis store guide you through the process of choosing a racquet. Ensure that the racquet is suited to your height and skill and it is within your financial capabilities. The employment of a racket that is either heavy or too light provides shoulder and elbow injuries. For instance, just an improper racquet grip that is either too big or too small or placing the string tension incorrectly will seriously distort smaller areas of the body, such as the hands or the wrist.

Tennis Shoes-

Describe that the sneakers should be able to stabilize your heel by means of a massive heel cushion and stop rolling and sliding of the ankle from side to side. Both your body and your back will benefit from using heel inserts when playing tennis on hard surfaces like asphalt, cement, etc. This will reduce the strain on your lower back.

Socks-

Synthetic fabrics are more likely to hold moisture and aggravate your blisters if you ever decide to pick socks that are not cotton-based. This can be done with by wearing socks in two layers or using the tennis socks with more padding for double support.

Conclusion

In case you are a beginner, it would be good for you to take a look at this article in order to learn everything that you need to know when you will eventually decide to start playing tennis. When you are a beginner in tennis, comply with basic precautionary measures such as avoiding injury at all costs.