Are you looking for an exciting pastime or want to spend quality time with friends or loved ones? Whatever your purpose might be the game of tennis works like a stress buster for many people as they hit the ball with great force. Also, the introduction of television channels and broadcasting media has made Tennis a much-celebrated game all over the world.
There are a lot of professional and non-professional tournaments clubs or private games being arranged all around, from France to Dubai. This renewed interest from the audience has led to an increase in curiosity about how to get started with tennis.
So this is why we decided to put together a beginner’s guide to getting started with tennis for folks out there who want to know more about the game itself and the required steps necessary to get started with it.
1. Know the Basics
If you are keen on learning, then start from scratch. Do not roam around here and there for tips and tricks randomly. It is important to know the basics accurately. It will save you from making the same mistakes again and again.
You need to know about tossing, fault, and a double fault and in or out. Knowing about the tennis court is also a must for a smooth gaming experience. There are clay courts, hard courts, grass courts, and carpet courts. Each of them acts differently so you should keep good knowledge about it.
There are different types of tennis shots. As an example, groundstroke is the first and commonly used tennis shot. You have to hit standing a few feet from the baseline. A volley is a shot that is hit by a player before the ball bounces. It is also done before the ball hits the court while being at the net.
2. Gear Up
Tennis gears are part and parcel of your game. Without having full control of your gears, you cannot go on. Tennis racquets, tennis racquet bags, balls, shoes, and apparel are your gears to start with.
2.1 Tennis Racquet
Getting the best type of tennis racquet is essential for a beginner. If you use a quality racquet, then you will be able to hit the ball over the net even better. Which will increase your interest in playing more. Keep head size, weight, string pattern, and grip size in mind while buying a perfect racquet for yourself. Invest in the best kind of racquet after a lot of research. To make your life easier, we have prepared a comprehensive article on the best tennis racquet for beginners to advanced players with a buying guide.
2.2 Tennis Racquet Bag
A tennis racquet bag is important for protecting the racquet. Consider buying a bag as per your need. If you want to keep just two three racquets, then tennis totes will be okay. If you’re going to keep your shoes and other accessories in the bag, then go for a 3-pack or 6pack tennis bag.
2.3 Tennis Balls
Companies make different varieties of tennis balls. You will get three classes of balls. Those are the following: professional level, championship level, and recreational level.
Professional balls are the best quality of a company regarding durability and performance. Professional and championship level balls have an extra duty, regular duty, and high altitude variations. These are used in different types of courts. So you need to understand your need and then get a ball.
You need to buy a lot of balls at first to make your practice session easier. Read our review article on the best tennis balls and ball buying guide if you are not sure what balls to buy.
2.4 Tennis Shoes
You cannot just wear any sports shoes and hit the court. Foot size, playing style and many more things need to be considered here. Tennis shoes are specialized to give you optimal support that you will not get in any other kinds of sports shoes. Before buying shoes consider the court surface as shoes differ from surface to surface. There are hard, clay, and grass types of a tennis court that you need to consider for buying shoes.
2.5 Apparel
Wearing the right type of tennis apparel is necessary, not just in styling or fashion senses. It keeps you safe from injuries and scratches. It provides comfort and keeps you up for better performance. A cotton-blend shirt is an excellent option for both men and women as it will keep you fresh while playing. Whatever you wear, keep in mind that you need to move around quickly with this. Pair your tennis shirts with tennis shorts. For women, tank tops are the best option. Different clubs maintain different rules for apparel. So it is better to know their rules and then buy them.
2.6 Sweatband
Although Sweatband is not in the dress code for tennis but has become an essential part of the game. As tennis requires intense physical activity the sweatband will save you from drowning in sweat. It also gives a little bit of help in protecting you from the hot light of the sun.
2.7 Vibration Dampener
A vibration dampener is used to reduce the vibration that strings of a racquet make. It also eliminates the ping sound from the racquet that might annoy you while playing. There are two types of dampener in the market named button and worm dampener. The use of dampeners depends on the user. So buy what makes you comfortable.
3. Read Tennis Books or Watch Videos
To know things a little bit better try to read as many books as you can. There you will find new techniques and strategies for playing tennis. There are many books available online by prominent tennis coaches. You may try The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey, Complete Conditioning for Tennis by Paul Roetert Todd Ellenbecker, and many more. These books are like the bible of tennis for acquiring depth knowledge of tennis. If you are not a bookish person, you have the option of watching videos. There are plenty of resources online for starting with the basics.
4. Start Playing with Your Friends
After gaining some considerable knowledge of tennis, now you are ready to hit the tennis court, at least with friends. Playing with friends will make you confident too. It will be a great exercise and practice at the same time. The atmosphere of a tennis court is friendly and cheering. It will make you work harder to be a professional. If there is a professional player in your friend circle, you will be inspired by him and know a lot of tricks from him. It is an excellent way of making new friends as well.
5. Practice with a Tennis Ball Machine
Practice is the key to success in every kind of game. No player has become a professional without days spent in court. Your road to be a professional tennis player will be faster if you practice hard. You may not get a partner all the time so at that time, practice with a tennis ball machine instead. Practicing with the machine will build your rhythm, technique, timing, direction, power, and gradually you will develop your style. The tennis ball machine creates a variety of spin, speed, direction & ball release timing to improve you. But apparently, it cannot take the place of a human.
6. Find a Good Coach
A coach is going to teach you every single detail of the game. You need someone professional for this job. Look for coaches with at least three years of experience. Talk to previous students of the coach to know about how his teachings affected their sport. A good coach understands the psyche behind all the strokes. He will be able to look at you and say if you are making a too big loop. Look for coaches who took players to at least 4.5 plus level.
7. Join a Club
Joining a tennis club will improve you in every way possible. Good health, healthy competition, and a good coach will prove to be a blessing for your future. Try to go to clubs that are suitable according to your age. That will help them to understand where you lack things. You will get friends of the same age as well. You will get a tennis court to practice more if you do not have access to a court other than that. Even if you are not trying to be a professional playing this game regularly will keep you in shape.
8. Eat Healthily and Take the Game as Fun
Playing tennis is hard work. You cannot deny the importance of diet for a player. Before going to practice, have a good breakfast with a complex carb like oatmeal as these give steady energy throughout the day. Add the right amount of milk, eggs, or Greek yogurt to your breakfast for protein. Pack one or two bananas with you to have while practicing. It will replenish your glycogen during the match. Re-energize your body with the right amount of chicken or fish after the game. Balance it with some carbs and lots of vegetables.
Final Words
It was our roadmap to become the next Roger Federer or Serena and to fuel your interest in tennis we included the most necessary steps that are required. Sports are a great pastime and so is Tennis. Set new goals for learning every day. It is not an easy task but challenging yourself will improve you every day. Love what you are doing because loving something passionately makes it easier to push yourself harder for that.
