4 Easy Tips to Improve Your Tennis Game
4 Easy Tips to Improve Your Tennis Game
We’ve compiled this short list of easy tips that can help you get the most out of the wonderful sport of tennis. Continue reading to learn more about our four easy tips to improve your tennis game.
1. Use the Right Gear
It’s essential that you have the proper gear when you’re playing tennis, both to improve your game and protect your body from injury. Make sure that you’re using the correct size racket at 26″ or 27″ for adults.
Your grip size is a measure of the length between the lowest horizontal palm crease in your hand to your ring finger’s tip. The grip size should typically be roughly around 4 inches.
Be sure to use the proper gear for your feet as well. Invest in a pair of athletic shoes designed for playing tennis. These are usually fitted with a herringbone-style tread that assists in side-to-side movement.
2. Correct Your Serving Technique
Mastering the perfect serve is usually the goal for most tennis players. The success of your serve strongly depends on the start. To achieve an ideal serve, start by holding the ball with your fingertips instead of your entire hand.
Avoid throwing the ball more than three or four inches above where you plan to make contact. Throw the ball in front of you and swing with a forward motion. Adding some topspin to the ball as you throw it will help you have a better chance of serving it over the net.
3. Gain Better Control Over the Tennis Ball
Having reliable control over the tennis ball is key to winning any match. One way to help you gain more control over the ball is to exaggerate your follow-through whenever you swing.
Don’t merely hit the ball and move on. When you make contact with the tennis ball, make a swooping motion with your entire body. Then, continue to follow through with the racket in that same direction another second after the ball is struck.
This technique will allow you to better judge where the ball will go and ensure that it lands where you intended.
4. Keep Your Feet Moving
A well-played game of tennis involves continuously moving your feet. Once you hit the ball, never stop to watch where it goes. Move your feet and get into a position that prepares you for your opponent’s return swing.
Too often, tennis players will think that their swing was the problem for mishit when the real problem was that they were in a weak return position. A simple drill that you can do to practice your footwork is to catch tennis balls with your hand against a partner instead of returning them with a racket.
This drill ensures that you have to move your feet to get into the best position to catch the ball. Then, simply apply this same technique to the game when you have a racket in-hand! You should see a noticeable improvement in your footwork and the quality of your return stroke.
What Next?
The next step is to utilize these tips against an opponent that’s slightly better than yourself. This will give you a challenge and the perfect opportunity to depend on these techniques. With some practice and these tips, you should see a drastic improvement in your tennis game soon!