Whether you've loved tennis for ages and finally decided you want to play or have just seen some tennis and thought it looked fun, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start.
Here's our quick guide to getting started with tennis.
Find Somewhere to Play Tennis
If you're completely new to tennis, the first thing you'll need to do if you want to play tennis is find a court. There may be tennis courts at your local park, a leisure centre, or tennis club.
To get started, it might be a good idea to look for courts that you won't have to pay to use as it can take a while to get the hang of playing tennis and it's much easier to give up if you can also save yourself some money by doing so.
Get Some Tennis Equipment
While some places might provide you with a racket and some balls to play tennis, you should really look into getting your own stuff.
Clothing for Tennis
Firstly, you'll need some clothes. As tennis isn't a contact sport, you don't need to buy any protection and can just play in a T-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes.
While there is clothing that's specifically for tennis, most sportswear will be appropriate as long as you can move comfortably in it, won't get too hot, and will wick sweat away from you while you play, especially on hot days.
As with any sport, the specialist equipment and clothing tend to cost more, but you can start playing tennis with some fairly basic sportswear.
As for the shoes, there are also shoes specific to tennis, but a basic pair of runners will do to start as long as they provide you with ample grip to change direction on whatever surface you're playing on.
You may also want to check that they're appropriate for where you play tennis as if you're playing indoors at a leisure centre, they may not allow shoes with black soles as they tend to mark the flooring.
There isn't really an upper limit when it comes to how much you can spend on tennis shoes, but if you're a beginner, you really don't need to spend a lot. After all, expensive shoes won't immediately make you an excellent tennis player.
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Tennis Rackets
You can't play tennis without a racket and to start playing you may have to invest in one if it isn't provided by your tennis club, coach, or leisure centre.
In the event a racket is provided, then you'll just need to show up with the appropriate sportswear for tennis, but it's a good idea to invest in your own racket that you feel comfortable playing with.
Here are what to consider when buying a tennis racket.
Your Level
Not only should your level dictate the budget for your racket, but it should also be taken into account when looking at different types of rackets.
Beginners tend to prefer rackets with a larger head size as it's more forgiving when hitting the ball as the sweet spot is larger so you don't need to hit the ball as accurately to hit it well.
However, rackets with a smaller head size offer greater control and manoeuvrability which is favoured by more advanced players.
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Grip Size
The grip size is important as it'll affect how you can hold the racket. As you can imagine, how you hold the racket is hugely important in tennis and your technique will be negatively affected if you have a racket with the wrong grip size.
Weight
Lighter rackets are usually recommended for beginners and younger players, but you also need to consider the balance and the weight distribution.
Balanced rackets distribute the weight more evenly between the grip and the head but you can also find rackets that are head-light or head-heavy.
String Pattern
The density of the strings (which are referred to as “open” or “dense”) can affect spin and control. Rackets with fewer strings offer more spin whereas rackets with dense string patterns provide more control.
Material
What your racket is made out of will affect the weight, balance, performance, and cost. Aluminium rackets are better for beginners whereas graphite rackets are generally higher performance. Some rackets combine both materials.
Cost
For some tennis players, the cost will be the biggest consideration. While a good racket will help, it won't make you an excellent player. Consider a cheaper option if you're a beginner.
Join a Tennis Club
Once you have your equipment, you should think about getting in touch with a local tennis club. After all, tennis clubs are arguably the quickest and easiest way to find out about the rules of tennis and to get playing.
Whether you're looking for lessons, coaching, or regular opponents to play against, your local tennis club is the place to go.
In larger cities, you'll likely have a choice of tennis clubs and it doesn't hurt to consider your options before joining one. If you know anyone who already plays tennis, it's a good idea to ask their opinion on certain clubs.
In tennis clubs, you can play recreationally, practise, play against friends or other members, and even take part in tournaments and leagues. While some of these options aren't available for complete beginners, you'd be surprised at how soon you can start getting involved in all the activities offered by tennis clubs.
Take Tennis Lessons
The best way to improve your level in tennis is through lessons and coaching. Whether you get coaching from somebody at a tennis club or a private tennis coach, you must learn from somebody who knows what they're talking about so that you don't pick up any bad habits.
Tennis coaching is available for all budgets and while the more expensive coaches do tend to offer more cost-effective coaching, remember that you don't need to break the bank when you're starting out and there are lots of factors that affect the cost of tennis lessons.
It can also help to work with coaches who specialise in teaching beginners and in many cases, these will be more affordable than the coaches who work with higher levels.
Practise Playing Tennis
Practice makes perfect and it's also true for tennis. To improve your tennis, you must play regularly, especially when you first start, so that you can get a feel for hitting the ball.
While practising isn't often as fun as playing an actual match, you'll need to work on your technique more than ever when you first start playing.
That said, tennis practice doesn't need to be boring and a good coach will give you engaging and entertaining drills to do to improve your game.
Play Tennis Matches
While also technically a great way to practise playing tennis, actually playing tennis is the best way to get into the sport.
The more matches you play, the more likely you'll find tennis enjoyable. Of course, this is more true if you're winning so you should find opponents at your level to play against.
If you're a member of a tennis club, you'll find it much easier to find opponents, but since the levels at every club are different some clubs may be better than others for beginners.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
If you want to get the most out of your tennis, you need to make sure that you're living a healthy lifestyle. While tennis will improve your fitness and help you to lead a healthy life, you'll get more out of your tennis if you eat well and exercise regularly.
The better your fitness, the better you'll play tennis, and the more tennis you'll be able to play. You don't want to negate all the benefits of playing tennis with unhealthy habits, either.
Watch Tennis
To really get into tennis, you have to live and breathe the sport. Playing it regularly is a great start, but you should also watch tennis in person at local events and on TV so you can learn from other players.
Coaching and practice will help with your technique, but the best can also serve as inspiration. Watch how the very best play and learn from them.
Enjoy Tennis
The main reason you should play tennis is to enjoy it. Remember why you're playing tennis and make sure you extract the maximum amount of enjoyment from every minute you spend learning, practising, and playing.
Engage with the Tennis Community
Remember that most sports are social and you can get even more enjoyment out of tennis by sharing the sport with the other people who are passionate about it.
Whether it's the people you play against, coaches, or just other fans of the sport, you'll find that there's an enjoyable social aspect to playing tennis, too.
Remember that if you need more help with tennis, there are plenty of private tennis coaches and tutors out there for all budgets.
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