Tennis differs from other popular sports in many ways. For comparison - you do not need much to start playing like football. How is tennis? It is best to start your adventure with a few simple steps.
Step 1: Take care of your equipment
A prerequisite to start a comfortable game is an adequately selected racket and balls. I mentioned the first rocket in this article, while for balls, I would suggest doing the following:
- Red ball - in my opinion, the red ball (50% bounce compared to normal) is an excellent choice for beginners. It allows for more extended exchanges and ensures greater gaming satisfaction at the very beginning. Because it is easier to control, we can focus on the game's technique correctly. The ordinary ball is very "sensitive" to impacts, which causes beginners to push it, so they learn the wrong technique from the very beginning. When you feel confident on the court, it is time to change balls. If money is not a problem for you, you can switch to balls of orange in colour and then balls with a green dot. The next stage is..
- Pressureless balls - a good choice for beginners, after learning how to play balls for novices. Assuming you will appear on the court about once a week on average, they will give you a longer life. These balls are more complex than pressure balls, so they can give the impression of putting some resistance, while the pressure balls after a few games will be exchangeable but give it a "soft feeling".
Step 2 - a court with a suitable surface
The majority of tennis courts are clay courts. This is not the best surface for beginners. Although the ball will bounce slower, it will require some experience to move smoothly on such a court.
A hard surface allows you to control the work of the legs better, without which you will not be able to play the strokes correctly. It is adhesive, so compared to other surfaces, it will allow you to immediately position yourself in the right place, which will affect the time devoted to learning.
Step 3 - do the lesson
Suppose you decide to start independently (without an instructor) or an experienced person. In that case, you must be sure to familiarize yourself with the basic principles of the technique applicable to a given stroke. You can use movies on our channel or other sources guaranteeing reliable knowledge.
Take your time - mastering the technique can take a long time, so learn one thing at a time and improve it. Over time, add more until you build solid foundations. If you want to start playing as soon as possible, start with the forehand, backhand and slams. Ensure proper grip, rocket trajectory and contact point. Then prefer and service.
If you plan to approach training comprehensively, I recommend starting learning at volition.
Step 4 - learn from mistakes
Then only observing (recording on video) and correction of errors remains. Always focus on one of the essential elements that you think will have the most significant impact on improving the game. The most important will be:
- Grip
- Contact point (front)
- Rocket movement from bottom to top
- Dynamic leg work
- Return to starting position
Remember that you will not learn to play tennis "at the weekend", as some publications available in the bookstores proclaims. Consider the option of working with the instructor strongly, at least at the beginning, because in this way, you will avoid potential injury and will be able to deliver the hits in a technically correct way.