Tennis Basics
Zeddy Pinkerton
For any of you who are thinking of taking up tennis, or are
simply interested in the basics of tennis, then you will find
this an informative article.
It is good idea to dress in tennis clothes, as opposed to
street clothes for game play. Tennis clothing has been designed
to give where necessary and provide the proper comfort level
when exerting yourself and making quick movements. If you don’t
want to invest in a tennis outfit, make sure you wear shorts and
a shirt that have plenty of room for your movements.
If you are a beginner, you really shouldn’t think in terms of
buying less expensive equipment. Your tennis racket is a very
important element in becoming successful and building your
skill base. Good quality rackets will always outlast poor ones,
and so the investment is worth it. Look for a racquet whose
weight, balance, and size of handle fit your frame.
After you’ve decided upon a good quality racquet, make sure you
use good tennis balls. The bounce you will get from a good ball
cannot be underestimated.
If you are truly interested in learning the game, and
succeeding rapidly, I would suggest watching some matches
between talented players. In person is better, but the
television will do. If you watch their stokes and leg movements
closely, you will begin to see that certain movements are used
consistently, every time. You may also consider getting an
instruction book. This is particularly helpful if you are
planning on taking lessons. That way you can be familiar with
the terminology prior to beginning.
If you decide to take lessons, as opposed to “learning on the
job”, never be discouraged if your progress is slow. Just
continue to practice the strokes as you have been taught and
eventually you will find that they both improve and become
second nature. There are very few natural geniuses of the game.
Excellent tennis players are the product of hard work.
If you’ve decided to take up tennis for fun, or for sport,
you’ll find that tennis will pay dividends to you all of your
life. Tennis is excellent exercise and a great stress reliever.
Additionally, tennis is a social sport. You can expect to make
many friendships.
Here is a list of skills you should master, in the order they
should be attempted:
1. Concentration on the game.
2. Keep your eye on the ball.
3. Foot-work and weight-control.
4. Strokes.
5. Court position.
6. Match play.
7. Tennis psychology.
A Word About Concentration
Tennis is first and foremost a game played with the mind. Yes,
physical ability and skill are extremely important, but without
concentration, these skills are of little use. You will find
that if you develop your concentration as your first and most
important skill, it will carry you far. There may be times in
match play that noises from onlookers will distract.
Additionally, allowing yourself to concentrate on your game
will also help keep your emotions in check if you aren’t doing
well with your game. The sooner you learn this vital lesson,
the better. In fact, in many cases, a player will highly
developed concentration skills will find that they can beat a
player of great ability, if that player doesn’t possess the
same abilities in his or her concentration.
Learning tennis can be the start of a live long love of the
sport. If you take the time to learn the fundamentals, obtain
the proper equipment and work on mastering the skills you need,
one at a time, you will most certainly succeed in not only
enjoying yourself, but experiencing the satisfaction of
becoming a skilled athlete.
About The Author: Zeddy Pinkerton runs The Recreation Place,
and online resource for sports and recreation enthusiasts
alike. For more articles on
http://www.therecreationplace.com
be sure to visit.
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