A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Tennis

Juliet D'cruz

Updated on:

Tennis is teaming Americans up. More than 21 million Americans played tennis in 2020. That makes tennis one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. 

If you are looking to learn teamwork and get fit, you should start playing tennis. But don’t head to a court just yet. 

What are the essential rules of tennis? What skills do you need in order to be a great tennis player? What tennis accessories should you buy? 

Answer these questions and you can become the next Serena Williams. Here is your quick guide.  

The Basics of Tennis 

Tennis involves hitting a ball back and forth across a net. The ball must travel across the net, hit once on your opponent’s side of the tennis court, and then hit the ground again. If your opponent cannot return the ball, you win a point. 

You begin a volley by throwing the ball in the air and then hitting it. You can follow different tennis serve tips, but the ball must travel over the net. 

A player wins the game when they reach at least four points and they have two more points than their opponent. They win a set when they win six games, and they win a game if they win the best of three sets. 

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Skills

Tennis requires many important skills. Players must know hand-eye coordination. They must recognize where a ball is going to land, then they need to direct their racquet so they launch the ball forward. 

The player needs to be able to angle their wrist left and right. By tilting their tennis racquet, they can hit the ball away from their opponent. 

They must have good speed, getting to the other end of the court in little time. But they must also have good endurance, being capable of running in short bursts for hours. 

Players must study several different shots. Lobs hit the ball over an opponent’s head, requiring them to turn around and hit it. 

Tennis Accessories 

Tennis racquets are the most important tennis accessory. Players should get multiple racquets with good grips and netting. 

Overgrips absorb sweat and promote grip on racquets. You may need to buy an overgrip for yours, or your racquet may come with one. As you are starting out in tennis, you should purchase an overgrip. 

Balls are also important, especially because they wear out after a few sessions. Make sure to have plenty of extra balls on hand. 

What You Need to Start Playing Tennis

Playing tennis isn’t hard. Start by getting the important rules down. You need to hit a ball over a net before your opponent can hit it back. 

You should have good hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and physical strength. As you start out, get acquainted with the different shots you need to execute. 

Test out a few different racquets until you find one with a great grip. Make sure your sweat doesn’t eat away at your handle. Have plenty of balls on hand at all times. 

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