Tips for Beginners

Tennis is a game that can go either way, whether you win or lose it you will always take something away. There are many tips for playing Tennis and I am going to share some that everyone knows and then some that personally help me when I play.  Everyone who has played a sport of any kind has heard, “practice makes perfect” however, in Tennis our motto is “perfect practice makes perfect.” To make perfect practice, players must give their all into the game by producing blood, sweat, and tears for Tennis. As they say, you’re not really a Tennis player until you’ve eaten the court! This merely means that in order to succeed you have to fall down and get back up again. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not prepared to do.” (http://www.active.com/tennis/Articles/How-to-Play-Tennis-Tips-for-Beginners.htm)  The more time a player spends on the court the better their game will be during their match. Therefore, because Tennis is a sport where improvement can be seen daily, players should be tempted to practice all they can!

There are many tips or ways to succeed when playing Tennis, but the main thing is keeping the ball in “play,” which means to keep returning the ball no matter what. Also something to remember when you are returning the ball is to hit it deep, because focusing on depth will force your opponent to make a UFE (Unenforced Errors) or UFO’s as Coach Carr calls them! Every time you hit the ball deep it makes your opponent use more skill than you.  The biggest mistake a beginning player can make is to hit the ball to low and it will hit directly into the net. This will eventually make you want to scream. Don’t scream because you will allow your opponent to believe that they already have you beat. Player’s will take obvious advantage if you are beating yourself up over the little errors. To share inside knowledge, I would suggest you to figure out what you did wrong and throw it out because if you dwell on a mistake it WILL keep happening. So once you throw it away, work on your versatility. Versatility helps keep your opponent on their feet and they will not be able to guess your next move. Look HAPPY no matter what!

The main tip I can give you about playing Tennis is just to stay calm and keep your eyes on the ball! For instance when a serve is coming at you 90 M.P.H. you want to hit the deck and scream but if you watch the ball it seems to slow down. Whether you’re upset, furious, or sad that you’re losing make sure you clear your mind and focus on the most important thing, the ball! At home there are many ways to practice Tennis with just a simple wall, without windows. (Your parents may get a little upset if you break a window, don’t do that!)  The wall is a great opponent that will return every time, just hit against the wall for a hour every day and you will feel like you’re good enough to play someone like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova! Take my tips and practice them and you’ll be on your way to the pros!    

 Thanks to everyone who supplied pictures, in order or appearance:

Warren Road Community Center http://www.augustaga.gov/index.aspx?NID=1052    2006-2012, September 27, 2012

Optimum Tennis http://www.optimumtennis.net/tennis-warm-up-drills.htm   2009-2012, September 27, 2012

Nina In Tennis on Tennis Info Blog   http://tennisinfoblog.com/categories/maria-sharapova  October 27, 2007, September 27, 2012

Thanks also to everyone who supplied information:

              Active. Copyright 2012, September 27, 2012 http://www.active.com/tennis/Articles/How-to-Play-Tennis-Tips-for-Beginners.htm 

              Cooper, Jeff. About.com. Copyright 2012. September 27, 2012. http://tennis.about.com/od/strategysinglesdoubles/a/mentaltough5tip_2.htm

              Sheiner, Glenn. Strategic Tennis. Copyright 2012. September 27, 2012. http://www.strategictennis.com/Tips_On_Tennis.html

 

Thanks everyone for reading!

Come back next week for Maria Sharapova!

Roger Federer

Roger Federer represents Men’s Tennis and is an icon that many people will be like “Hey! I’ve herd of that guy before.” Roger Federer is sometimes described as the greatest Tennis player of all time. Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland on the eighth day of August, 1981. Roger Federer is a right handed Tennis player with a one handed back hand; which is not common because it takes a lot of wrist and arm strength to have that much power on your weaker hand’s side. Playing with a single-handed backhand gives Federer much shot variety.  Roger Federer is an all court player. He can play on grass, clay or hard courts and still excel at each. Roger Federer is known for his speed, style of play and shot making. 

 

Roger Federer is an icon and he is a Tennis player that everyone wants to imitate. Federer’s playing style is the most memorable aspect of his match’s. Federer’s serve is like a cannon, in Tennis there is a first serve and if you do not get the first in you get a second served. Roger Federer’s first serve is typically around 125 mph, while his top record speed is 137 mph. The problem when playing Federer is that his serve is difficult to read because of the fact that he employs the same routine every time he gets ready to serve. Roger Federer uses the same type of ball toss every time. What makes Federer a terrific opponent when he is serving is that where he aims he is going to hit every time.  While playing, Federer constitutes the slice, using it to bring his opponent to the net and deliver a passing shot. Federer employ’s topspin on his first serve, this will throw off competitors by the force of the serve.  

 

Roger Federer currently plays with a customized Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 90 BLX Tennis Racquet. Also, Federer is ATP ranked number three. Federer has won 64 matches while he has lost only 12.  Roger Federer has played in 18 tournaments with four singles titles. Roger Federer is mainly well known for holding the number one position in ATP ranking for a total of 295 weeks.  In 1998, Roger Federer turned pro at the age of seventeen.

Come back next week for more Tennis Tips!

Thanks to: Wikipedia September 12, 2012. “Roger Federer” for the reliable information.

Also, http://www.rogerfederer.com/en.html.  The official Roger Federer website.

Pictures provided by: http://www.rogerfederer.com/en.html

http://www.rogerfederer.net/

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/12/1216_charity_celebrities/20.htm

All updated September 2012.