The Fundamentals of Tennis
Let's begin by talking about equipment, particularly your shoes and racket. The best tennis equipment is not too good for the beginner who wants to really succeed. It can be a savings in the long run, as good quality equipment usually far outlasts lesser quality items. For example, when I purchased my first modern tennis racket, I spent about fifteen dollars at a discount store. It lasted about a week before the frame broke during a stroke.
I would also recommend that you dress in tennis clothes when engaging in tennis. Tennis clothes are designed to allow freedom of movement and proper ventilation by wicking perspiration away from the body. Selection of tennis clothes is primarily a matter of personal style and brand preference, however selection of a racket is a much more critical matter. I do not advocate a certain racket for any player. All the standard brands are excellent. What matters is the weight, balance and size of the handle that are most important. Of course, good quality strings and stringing are essential to obtain the best results. A racket that is perfectly matched to your physical features can produce poor results if the string tension is way off.
Once you have acquired your racket, make sure you use good tennis balls, as a regular bounce will go a long way as you strive to improve your game.
If you really want to succeed at the game and advance rapidly, I strongly recommend that you see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and try to copy their strokes. Beginning with sound fundamentals is as important in tennis as any other sport. If you can start out by taking lessons from a tennis pro, that will help you advance more quickly, but there are other ways you can get started if your budget is more limited. Read all the tennis instruction books you can find. There are also tennis pros that produce excellent instructional tips and videos that are pretty reasonable.
While there is no replacement for match play, a great deal can be learned off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the best players in action. Play whenever possible, and try to incorporate the theories you have read about or the strokes you have watched.
Don't be discouraged if at first the progress seems slow. For example, when I first started teaching the game to my wife, she picked up on topspin with the forehand stroke pretty quickly, but the backhand was a whole different matter. No matter how many times I encouraged her, the backhand produced a slice shot. A slice shot is basically one which has backspin and is produced when the racket strikes the ball in a downward motion causing the ball to spin backwards. Now don't get me wrong, the backspin or slice has it's uses in tennis, especially as a change of pace, but it is not as effective on a regular basis as a shot with topspin that accelerates through the court. Anyway, my wife struggled for a long time trying to come over the ball with the backhand, and thanks to her perseverance, she now has an awesome backhand with great placement.
Tennis is a game that pays dividends all your life. A tennis racket is like a letter of introduction in any town. The brotherhood of the game is universal. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who gets involved. Age is not a drawback. Tennis is a game for life.
The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results:
1. Concentration on the game.
2. Keep your eye on the ball. Probably the most fundamental element of the game is to keep your eye on the ball until at least the point of contact. Leading professionals like Roger Federer can be seen still looking at the point of contact even a second or so after the ball has left the racket. Some people will say watch the ball into your racket. The important point is that if you start mishitting balls, this is probably where the problem is. It's that important.
3. Foot-work and weight-control. Tennis is a game of inches and using little adjusting steps to get yourself in just the right spot to execute a shot is another critical part of the game. Now when I mention weight-control, I am not talking about weight loss. I am talking about balance. You want to move on the court so as to keep your body in balance at all times. Again, this is part of the reason for little steps as exposed to big lunging steps.
When asked about the most important tips he could give other tennis players, Andre Agassi said "Keep your eye on the ball and move your feet."
4. Strokes. There are four primary strokes in tennis; the Serve, the Forehand, the Backhand and the Volley.
5. Court position. Being in the right place at the right time can make a huge difference between a win or a loss.
6. Court generalship or match play. Applying the previous principals and techniques.
7. Tennis psychology. I am not necessarily talking about psyching your opponent out, although that can be a part of the game. What I am talking about is your own level of confidence and belief. A belief that you can win and a refusal to lose will result in a winning form.
8. Concentration. While playing tennis is intended to be fun and relaxing, it is important to concentrate on the fundamentals while trying to master them. It can seem overwhelming at first, but the more you play and practice the quicker you will improve.
Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The most perfect racket technique in the world will not assure a victory if you let your mind wander while playing. There are many causes of a wandering mind during a tennis match. The main one is a lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with an idea of real success unless he or she cares sufficiently about the game. You have to be willing to put in the work and practice to learn the game correctly. Don't even start unless you are willing to work at it. Conditions such as wind, or noises in the surroundings often cause even experience match-players to let their concentration slip. Complete concentration on the matter at hand is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the sooner the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.
The surest way to keep your concentration up is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomerate of made and missed shots. I like to focus on each point as if that is the only important point in the match. Once that point is over, win or lose, forget it. The next point is the most important point in the match.
Check back for my comments on the Serve!
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For more tennis tips, I highly recommend WebTennis.net.
Brent Abel has a great tennis tip video blog!
Follow the link below to get you complimentary weekly video tips.
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