Author: John Mac
I want to start of by talking about the level of difficulty of tennis compare to other sports. In my honest opinion, I think tennis is a fairly hard sport to pick up. Of course I also don't want to discourage anyone from tennis because I think tennis is one of the greatest sport ever invented. However, tennis is more than just hitting the ball over to the opponent's court. It is tricky. Each swing requires perfect precision along with the right techniques. In addition, being able to serve the ball nicely is a lot harder than it seems. During your first couple of weeks, if you do not have a ball boy, be prepare to pick up balls after every other shot. With that being said, do not give up on the sport. Chances are tennis is very frustrating for you if you are just starting out, but I promise you that once you get the hang of it, it will be a very fun game to play.
My personal experience:
For me, I fell in love with the game about 11 years ago. When I first started tennis, it took me about three months to be able to return the ball in a consistent manner. Then it took me another six months to be able to maintain a nice and aggressive ralley. I never had a coach (except a high school coach)because I could not afford one. I learned everything from friends, practices, and trial and error. And today, I consider myself a decent tennis player. I have won some amateur and some future tournaments.
Tips:
If it's within your ability to get a coach or anything other means (e.g. books and tennis camp) that would give you an advantage over other beginners, don't hesitate to do so. If you are serious about tennis but you plan to learn everything on your own, chances are you will develop some very bad habits that will be very hard to break in the future. These habits include awkward feet maneuver, incorrect grip style, bad swing, and even incorrect service techniques. Get an instructor if you can. A good instructor can help you pick up your game in a matter of two to three months.
Tips:
If you can, avoid playing with someone who is less experienced than you. If you do this, it will be very hard to improve your game. It is recommended that you always play with someone better than you to help you breakthrough to your potential. Furthermore, you are constantly learning new skills and also challenging yourself this way.
Tennis Ball Machine: Some of you might wonder if you need a ball machine to improve your skill. I say definitely. A tennis ball machine usually costs around $800. It is a bit pricey, but it is very good investment. A tennis ball machine can offer you what no one else can, that is consistency. You will almost get the same incoming shot every single time. Now, some might say that this is very impractical since in an actual tennis match your opponent does give you the same shots everytime. However, the consistency of a tennis ball machine is superior when it comes to testing out different techiques or different swings. The ball machine sets up a perfect shot for you every time, thus giving you the opportunity to experience with different types of swings until you've determined the swing that works for you. Then, you can repeat the swing until it is as natural as breathing.
First thing's first:
Tennis Grips:
The first thing any beginner should learn how to do is to use the correct grip style. There are three style of grips: Eastern, Western, and Continental (or Chopper). There is a short video below that shows exactly what they are and how to master each grip style. For beginners, you should consider using the eastern grip for forehands. It is best to use the continental style for volleying and serving. Advance players tend to like the western grip style more since it allows for more topspins on each swing. With that being said, beginners or not, you are not limit to any type of grip style. Use the style that you find most comfortable for you.
Forehand and Backhand:
Knowing the right techniques of the forehand and backhand is what separate an advance tennis player from the nonvice. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to vividly describe the exact motion of a good forehand/backhand with just words. There are many motions that occur throughout the body as a tennis player performs a forehand/backhand. The physical motion of the arms, hands, torso, and limbs cannot easily be described. Even with video tutorial, the instructions can be very limited. However, I can tell you the most important points to keep in mind while perform a backhand or forehand. If you learn how to follow and become familiar to the following fundamentals of the forehand and the backhand, you will succeed as a great tennis player.
Forehand:
1.For a typical right-hand forehand return, use the groundstroke. Lift the head of your racquet to hip level, pointing to the four o'clock direction if you are facing the opponent directly.
2.Wait for the ball to go on its downward path until it reaches your knee height, then in one continuous smooth motion swing your racquet towards the ground and then scoop it up to strike the ball. Follow through until your racquet passes your left shoulder.
3.Always move your body forward as you are striking the ball. This allows for your body to move in a more natural motion and increase the power of your swing.
Important points to note:
• Do not strike the ball directly! By this, I mean the incoming path of the ball should not be perpendicular to the face of the racquet.If you do this, I guarantee you that nine out of ten shots will be out of bound. Instead, you should "brush" the ball upward, causing the ball to spin forward. This is called topspin. Topspin create what is called a "parabola effect". Instead of the ball flying in a straight path towards the direction that you aim for, it curves up then down, hence increasing the probability of it going inside your opponent's court. This also gives the ball a "kick" when it touches the ground.
• ALWAYS follow through with your swings. Your arm(s) must not stop or diverge from its one continuous motion.
• Do not hold the racquet too tightly. This will create an awkward and unnatural swing.
Backhand: The backhand is essentially the same as the forehand, just do it in the opposite direction. That includes switching the grip style. For a one-handed backhand, you should use the Eastern grip. For a two-handed backhand, you should use the continental. Beginners usually find the two-hand backhand easier to do. In addition, more women use the two-hand backhand to attain more power. You can either choose to use the two-hand backhand or the one-hand backhand. Try each style for a while and see which one is easier for you.
Note: For the two-hand backhand of a right-handed player, you are basically doing a forehand with your left-hand but with the aided power of your right hand. The motion is the same as the forehand. Here is an excellent video that explains the backhand very thoroughly.
Serving:
I consider being able to serve correctly to be the most challenging tennis skills over volleys, backhand, and forehand. Servings require a lot more strength, concentration, and precision. Every player has a slightly different style of serving but they all surround the few same basic rules of serving. I will try my best to break down the process step by step and include a video with it. (This instruction is for the right-handed player)Use the continental grip, also known as the chopper grip. (Watch the section on grip style if you do not know to do this already).
1. Start at the baseline with your body facing towards the two o'clock direction, the twelve o'clock being your the net.
2. Your weight should be on your left leg which should be a step in front of your right leg.
3. Put your racquet and the ball together in front of you.
4. Toss the ball about two racquet length directly above your left arm, as you are tossing the ball bring your racquet to your back and lean down on your right foot. This enables you to "spring" forward when you strike the ball.
5. Gather up your energy and strike the ball as it falls down to the highest point that your racquet can reach.
Important Points to Remember:
1. Remember, you are hitting against the ball directly but at the same you are "brushing" or "slicing" it too. You will find that way arm's flexibilty and your continental grip style will allow you to do this naturally. This creates spin on the ball, and causes it to "kick" up at after it hits the ground.
2. Always spring forward for more power.
3. Your arm needs to be straight when you contact the ball. Remember this point, it is very important.
4. The routine for you serves should be the same every single time. What I recommend is that you should start by putting your racquet and the ball together and toss the ball directly over your head. Do this as many times as it takes until it becomes as natural and consistent as breathing.