Tennis Tips For Beginners

Among the most important tennis tips for beginners is that you have the right grip when learning to play tennis. There are different ways to grip the tennis racquet and the type of grip depends largely on what type of stroke you're hitting. Using the wrong grip can result in an inaccurate and weak hit that will put you at an immediate disadvantage. We'll talk about 3 types of grips and when you should use them.

Continental Grip - The Continental grip is pictured here. It is the most basic type of grip and should be used when you're learning how to serve. It will generally result in a flat serve, which is not necessarily a bad thing. In many ways, it involves nothing more than simply picking up the racquet and placing the knuckles of the thumb and forefinger on the bevels near the long side.

Eastern Grip - For the forehand most beginning players are taught the Easter Forehand Grip. To use the Eastern Forehand, shake hands with the racquet. The knuckle of the index finger should be on the long beveled side on the racquet's face side. You can also use a continental grip and rotate the hand clockwise slightly. See my lens on forehands for an illustration of the Eastern Grip.

Semi-Western Grip - The grip on the one-handed backhand is the Eastern grip. For the two-handed backhand, you will use different grips. Your dominant hand should use the Continental grip and you non-dominant hand should use the semi-western grip. So, for example, on the two-handed backhand for a right handed player, the right hand should be in the Continental grip and the left hand should be in the semi-western. See my lens on backhands for a picture of the semi-western grip.

It is important to also discuss serving when talking about tennis tips for beginners. The proper serve involves a number of different elements and body parts all combining for one beautiful and explosive movement. The basics are here:

Use the Continental Grip for a flat serve

For foot positioning (for a right handed player), the left foot should be behind the baseline pointing towards the right net post. The right foot should be a few inches behind the left and parallel to the baseline.

The toss - toss the ball out in front of you a comfortable height while bending your knees.

The swing - Many people have described hitting a tennis ball as similar to throwing a ball. The arm comes back into a "backscratch" position and then follows through with the racquet striking the ball at its apex. At the same time, the body is jumping and turning to meet the ball properly.

For more information on serving, see my other lens below.

The forehand is an important stroke to discuss when we're talking about tennis tips for beginners. When returning a volley with a forehand, it is important to have the right technique in how and where you strike the ball. Having the right grip is essential and is a topic we covered above. Beyond that, set yourself before your shot if you can. If you're on the run, you'll obviously have to make do, but if you're not, don't make things harder than they have to be.

As the ball approaches, you should be in full backswing ready to rotate your body toward the ball. Once the ball approaches, try to hit it as far out front as you reasonably can. Waiting until it is too late can result in weak and inaccurate shots. Finally, concentrate on follow-through. See my lens on forehands for more specific information.

A final aspect of our tennis tips for beginners involves the backhand. A well-executed backhand can be a powerful tool to keep your opponent off guard. Without learning a proper backhand you will not reach the next level as a player. To use topspin, the racket should be in a closed position. For a slice, it should be more open. You should start with the wrist firm and the elbow bent. With the racket starting low, swing it forward from a low to a high position, brushing up and over the back of the ball. This is where the topspin and slice come from. As you swing, you will also be transferring the weight onto the front foot. This momentum, along with the shoulder rotation will give you the power for the shot. Make sure that you keep your eyes on the ball all the way through the swing up until the point of contact. Glancing around the court at your opponent is a sure way to increase errors in the timing and execution of the shot.

See my lens on backhands for more information.

Looking for more tennis tips for beginners. This lens gives you a brief overview of some of the basics of tennis for the beginner. For more specific information, see my lenses below. There is also a great guide out there that is comprehensive and will give you a great step-by-step overview of how to improve your game. I highly recommend it. Visit them at www.top-tennis-tips.com or click on the BIG ARROW link below.