Playing tennis is usually considered to be the healthiest way to burn calories and lose those extra fats. It not only rejuvenates your body but also makes you an expert in game. As a tennis game can end up taking a long time to finish, you will find that your stamina builds up rapidly as you get used to these longer games. Of course, as with any exercise regime the more exercise you can get the better you will feel! There are some basic rules that you need to know before you start playing but you will soon learn about them. You will need to be in pretty good shape to play a real game of tennis.

The first things that you are going to need when you are first starting off playing the game of tennis is a tennis racket, a few tennis balls and some tennis shoes and some light clothing to play in. You will want to wear light clothing so you can get around your clothes and get to the tennis ball to hit it back across court. You will learn how to play the game quick it’s not that hard of a sport and you will be playing in no time at all.

The tennis court that you are playing on must be full size regulation or the people that you are playing with are going to say well your side of the court was bigger and you will just have arguments. The net goes in the dead middle of the court and there is a service line that runs parallel to it. Where you will start playing at will be at the base line these lines are the last set of lines in the back if the court and that is where you will serve the ball to the opposing team.

There are other lines still and those lines are called the alleys. When you are playing in doubles the alleys will be open and you will not be panelized for hitting out of bounds. In regular tennis the alleys would be considered out of bounds and therefore you would have points taken from your score overall. So that is another thing to watch out for when you are in the game of tennis.

So to start the game all you would need to do is serve the ball into your opponent’s service box and wait to see if they return the ball for a started game. If you wanted to try to play tennis you should go for it because it is not that hard at all and it will be fun for the whole family. If you don’t think that it is a good sport for you and your family that is up to you but if you are a family of four it would be the perfect sport because you can play doubles in tennis.

The mistake that many players make is not adapting their style of play to try and match their opponent. They come into the match with a game plan and stick to it religiously, even when it is blatantly not working. There are a few tips here for you to consider implementing next time you walk out onto a tennis court. These could well have the desired effect and result in you winning the match.

If you play from the baseline and are facing a player who plays as the net you need to play them at their own game and try to get to the net first. Those players who love to rush the net are attackers, and don’t like defending. By keeping them at the baseline and making them play in a away they aren’t comfortable with also give you the mental edge.

You’ve probably guessed by now that all these strategies are basically finding your opponents Achilles heel and exposing it. Those players who are slow around the court need to be made to run all over the court so they are exhausted. Your opponent literally won’t know what’s hit them when you play them at their own game. They will think they know your game and now you’ve caught them completely off guard and they are way out of their comfort zone. So next time you walk onto a court be aware of your opponents weaknesses or style of play so that if they start beating you it’s easier to change your strategy and really confuse them.

If you have the energy to go running or jogging then you have the ability to play a good game of tennis. It is just one of those sports that you need to be able to run and keep up with yourself or your teammate that you are playing tennis with. Running is just part of the game and if you cannot run or jog for at least like 20 to 30 minutes then you are not going to be able to play the game of tennis because it will be too hard on you and you will more then likely get sick. So if you are out of shape then you need to run or jog so that you can get in shape to play the sport. You arms and your legs will be your two main places that you need to keep in shape and keep them doing something everyday. Without your arms and legs you are not a tennis player. After you have toned out everything then you can start to play the sport with fun because you will be able to wing that ball and be able to play the sport.

If you choose to hire a tennis instructor, you will probably want to hire someone who has a lot of experience in either teaching or playing tennis. Or, if possible, find someone who has done both. During this training, you will begin to learn the various swings and in which situation each can be used. In the beginning, tennis may seem intimidating because of the physical activity that is involved, along with the need to have a very fast reaction to every situation. But, after a few lessons, you will be more familiar with the game and how to play it. Patience is the key to learning anything new and tennis is no different. Many tennis instructors work one-on-one with their students, while others prefer to educate to a group of individuals. Those who prefer to learn as much as possible, but without doing so with hands-on training may opt for online lessons. The only drawback is that this method does not provide actual practice, which can be sought separately by the learner. Friends and family can often provide valuable insight in helping one to learning how to play tennis without professional instruction.

To obtain a suitable forehand grip, hold the tennis racquet’s handle towards your body, with the edge of the racket face perpendicular towards the ground. Almost like shaking hands with a friend, allow the handle to settle comfortably into your hand, making the line of your arm, the racket and your hand as one. Do not hold the racquet handle loosely, a firm grip (but not a holding on for dear life type grip!) will spare your wrist unnecessary ache and swelling, not to mention points won!

To achieve the backhand grip, turn your hand upwards on the handle for a quarter circle, thereby pointing your knuckles directly up. It is normal for your backhand to have less control and power than your forehand, but try to minimize this at all costs. Opposite players normally target backhand returns from their opponents to gain a much vaunted psychological control and subsequent demise (lose confidence, lose points … game, set and match!). Deter this by countering with deep lob shots and short drop shots, depending on where your opponent is awaiting your return.

All tennis shots should be executed with your shoulders lined up parallel to the line of the ball flight, keeping your body at right angles to the net. Your body weight should always move forward, in the direction of your shot, passing from the back foot to the front at the moment of ball impact. Never move your weight away from your shot, the ball will have no speed and end up being thoroughly punished by an eager opponent.

Useful Resources:

1) Mental Toughness Wins Games!

2) Instruction Videos for Tennis Beginners

3) Strategies and Tactics used by Top Players