10 Tennis Tips to Play Better Tennis Today
If you are a beginner at tennis, it might be frustrating for you to see hour after hour of play go by without any improvement. It’s time for you to step up to the challenge, and start thinking more strategically about improving your tennis game.
Tennis Industry Mag reports that there are 17.84 million tennis players in the United States alone. That’s a lot of company for you if you are interested in starting tennis or are already playing tennis.
Tennis tips will help you improve your game, to be sure, but the main thing that you need to focus on is to amp up the hours that you play every week. Without consistent practice, your game will stutter and die, as will your interest in the sport.
Read on to for ten tennis tips for beginners that will transform your game and increase your aspiration to play more tennis.
1. Don’t Skimp on the Equipment—Get a Good Tennis Racket
Do not pick up an old tennis racket that your father or grandfather owned and start hitting the tennis courts with that. If you want to become better at the game, you are going to have to work with the proper equipment.
This means, figuring out which tennis racket to buy based on your height, and playing ability.
2. Do a Proper Warmup and Cool Down
When you get to the court, you are probably in a hurry to get started, especially if someone is waiting to get on the court after you. But don’t skip your warmups and your cooldowns.
Take five minutes to stretch out your hamstrings, calves, and shoulders. Your body will thank you for it. Not only that, after a vigorous game, don’t forget to cool down, by doing a few stretches, or running a slow lap around the court.
3. Do Not Forget About Staying Hydrated
It’s usually the basics that the beginners forget about. A list of tennis tips would not be complete without chatting about the importance of staying well-hydrated and refreshed. Don’t skimp on the water, before playing, or during it.
Take little sips between games, and ensure that you don’t overdo it on a hot summer day.
4. Take Frequent Breaks and Contemplate Your Game
Beginners are in a hurry to get to the end—to become better at the game, and even becoming as good as the pros. But the point is that you can’t do this if you don’t regularly take breaks in your game and observe how you played.
Replay the game in your mind, and ensure that you learn from your mistakes.
5. Practice Regularly Without Fail
It’s easy to get enthusiastic about something at first and then forget about it after a while. But as with any sport, tennis needs regular and consistent practice. This means, playing tennis once or twice a week, without fail. This is a minimum.
The more you play, the better you will get at the game. This is an easy trick that most beginners forget about.
6. Take Some Lessons From a Coach—It’s Worth It
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on lessons, but a few lessons with an objective and experienced tennis player will do you a world of good. They will be able to see flaws in your game, that you wouldn’t be privy to.
This way you can start improving your game from the get-go, rather than sticking with bad habits throughout your tennis career.
7. Supplement Your Tennis Game With Aerobic Workouts
Tennis isn’t fun when you get tired after a game or two. Being able to keep up and stay in the game, hour after hour is what keeps things interesting.
To build your stamina, do some extra aerobic workouts on the side. Running is a great add-on. If you are worried about your knees, then go swimming instead.
8. Watch How the Pros Do It
Watching the Tennis Pros isn’t so that you feel terrible about your game and quit, but to improve your game.
Follow Tennis enthusiast Prabir Purohit‘s lead. Even though he’s a competitive amateur tennis player, he watches as many pro games as he can so that he can learn from it, and improve his own game.
If you can attend the live games, then do. Otherwise, watch them on television and take notes.
9. Learn How to Hit the Tennis Ball at the Right Place
You should always aim to hit the ball at waist height. Not higher or lower. Remember that it’s easier to hit the ball after it’s bounced and is on its way down from the highest point in the air.
If you are unsure about where you are hitting the ball, get someone to videotape you, so you can watch yourself in action. With video footage at hand, it won’t take you long to improve your tennis game drastically.
10. Take It One Game at a Time (Even One Point at a Time)
It’s easy to be harsh on yourself, and start blaming yourself or bullying yourself for not being a great tennis player already. Chill out. It took the professionals years to get to where they are – what makes you think you can do it in a few months?
Take it one point at a time. Don’t berate yourself for the games you lost in the past, and focus on the present game. This way you can keep your head in the game, and your enthusiasm for tennis high.
Tennis Tips Only Work if You Apply Them to Your Game
Tennis tips are useless if you don’t actually apply them to your daily or weekly tennis practice. If you are wondering how to play tennis better, then start by taking one tip from the list and applying it to your game.
This way, in a few weeks, you will be much further ahead with your tennis game than where you are right now.
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