Tennis is such a fabulous sport that so many people follow, watching competitions or even trying it out themselves. Not only does it burn calories, but there are a lot of benefits to reap, from mental to physical ones. However, a lot of us know just how difficult it is to begin playing tennis, from the many techniques to learn and execute.
Don’t let that discourage you from trying out the sport and improving your performance, though! Fortunately, there are ways on how you can begin and flourish your skill in the court. If you’re wondering how then read on as I show you ten tennis tips for beginners to help you out.
Ten Tennis Tips For Beginners
Do you want to start playing tennis but don’t know anything about where to begin? Then here are the ten tips you should look into as you step into court for the first time:
1. What Should You Wear?
This is probably one of the first things people should look into when playing tennis. That way, you’re comfortable and protected on the court, especially when playing outdoors.
I highly recommend that you wear light and breathable clothing, preferably ones you use for working out and to wick away sweat or moisture. Also, you should have the shoes made for tennis, made of lightweight and breathable material to properly run and take on proper stance with full support. This promotes a well-ventilated body to avoid overheating during intense and warm training.
If you play outdoors, you should equip yourself with a visor and sunglasses when under the sun. Make sure to put on sunscreen and bug repellent to prevent bites and burns as you play.
2. Getting a Quality Tennis Racket Suitable For You
There are various rackets to choose from, all depending on various individual factors such as your height and age. Focus on getting light beginner rackets, which can help you find proper posture and have you move around comfortably. Besides strong strings and durable framing, it should also have the quality grip that’s slip-resistant and comfortable to hold, which again, depends on your size and personal preference.
Also, you get what you pay for with tennis rackets, so avoid getting the cheapest to save a buck, but find moderately-priced ones that suit your budget and fit to ensure a quality racket built to last and perform well.
3. Learning the Types of Grips
Like mentioned, you need to have a tennis racket that you can easily grip on, though learning how to properly grip the racket is just as important. This is the first lesson to learning how to play tennis, as this gives you the maximum power and control as you play. Here are the most common grips used:
- The Continental grip can be used for any shot, best suited for volleys, serves, or overhead swings. It’s similar to holding a hammer, allowing control for quick and defensive shits.
- The Eastern grip is similar to Continental, used for forehand strokes and known for the fast and flat shots. Think of it as shaking a hand.
- The Semi-Western grip is similar to a fist pump, which has you hit balls higher and allowing more control compared to the Eastern. It’s best made for aggressive shots.
4. What’s Your Stance?
There are three types of stances to follow when playing tennis, which is the open, semi-open, and closed stance. Both have their benefits, and you’re able to use either of the two in certain situations. While some players choose to learn one stance and focus on that, it can hamper their abilities when playing different grips and strokes.
- Open stance has your feet aligned parallel to your net, which has the full through and more flexibility around the torso.
- Semi-Open stance has your feet diagonal, relative to your net, with your toes pointing forward, to the side, or pointed obliquely, allowing you to turn your shoulders and/or coiling your trunk.
- Closed stance has your feet and body turned sideways to the net, the classic way to play tennis.
5. Eyes on the Ball
When you watch pro players in slow motion, you notice that their eyes are always on the ball and will ever move from it, always focusing on it and determining their next moves quickly. From serving to hitting strokes, your eyes are always on the ball and should never leave it, even for a split second.
That way, you’re able to have the perfect contact point and accurate hit, which has you rally and win. Don’t bother looking at your opponent, and focus more on the ball, where it’s going, the strength of stroke, and what YOUR next move is. This will help you keep the correct shot regardless of the situation.
6. Keep Intent and Have Fun
Your performance on the court isn’t just about the physical parts of it, like spending everyday training. It’s also all about your mentality as well, which can have you improve and reach goals as you go. As longs you stay consistent and had the intent on improving, that’s when you start getting better and actually achieve goals.
When you have the right intent and focus more on your passion and fun, the more you’ll stay consistent and inspired to keep going. Have a set target and keep the positive thinking going, which has both your body and brain making more accurate shots.
7. Stick to a Routine and Always Practice Old and New Techniques
Consistency should be in mind, body, and your schedule. Create a schedule that allows you to play and practice tennis at least twice a week, and stay consistent with these times, keeping it a routine and never breaking it unless it’s an emergency. Increase your intensity or duration of weekly training slowly, and continue to monitor your results.
Furthermore, practice all types of techniques, whether new or old, which has you learn new strategies on winning matches and the like. This has you play the match to your level and even further your strength!
8. Add Cardio or Strength Training
Tennis is a great combination of strength and cardio, though it’s better to enhance your muscles and stamina through other workouts as well. Whether it’s running on the treadmill, pursuing dances, or even bodyweight workouts and weights, it really does help increase your efficiency when on the court.
Continue to stay consistent with your workouts and you can raise your stamina and strength, which can endure even the most intense of tennis matches. Plus, having an adequate amount of cardio and strength workouts has as many benefits as tennis has to offer, improving your mind and body.
9. Focus on Footwork, Too!
A misconception many tennis players have is that they’re able to play tennis without having to move their feet often. However, that’s totally wrong and you need to learn your footwork so you’re able to fix your stance and positioning, learning more on how to win matches. If you see pros playing in court, they have various footwork drills that help them run and move quickly as they play professional matches.
So start off with the proper stretching and warm-up, including feet drills to quicken your reaction time and strengthen your legwork as you play.
10. Proper Diet and Hydrate
Did you know that what you eat can actually help with your performance and improve your weight? It’s best to focus on eating all-natural foods with a fair share of protein and fat, which can help retain muscles and have you recover even better. It also maintains better body compassion and strength, which is needed as you play and improve your skills.
Make sure to have healthy carbs before and after your tennis training to energize and replenish those muscles. The same goes for hydrating, always stay hydrated and drink a lot of water before and after your training, also taking small sips during breaks.
If you want to learn more about how to begin playing tennis, check out this helpful video on tennis techniques:
Wrapping It Up
If you plan on pursuing tennis, whether for fun or professional, then good for you! As long as you properly execute the techniques and stay safe as you play, you can reach goals, from your performance to health. All it takes it proper knowledge and the determination to learn the sport!
Hopefully, this article on the ten tennis tips for beginners helped you out. So don’t wait any longer and look into any of these tips today. If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences on starting out tennis, then comment below. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.