How to Play Tennis

Ever wondered how to play tennis? This article here will teach you a few things on the scoring method of tennis and some tips that will help you get good.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tennis Courts
• Tennis Balls
• Tennis Racket

1. Tennis. Quite a fun sport if I do say so myself. There is a lot you can do with tennis, including making your own games and starting a team, even going pro. But that's just what you can do. You can't do anything about it if you don't know how to play can you? Well, that is about to change.

2. 
   Standard Tennis Court

   There are a few ways to score tennis. I am going to teach you the following method. In tennis, there is something called a set. This set is the number of games you play to see who wins. For example, if you played a 6 game set, it would be either the best of 6 or the first team to six. That is how the round is scored. For the individual games, it is totally different. The method I am explaining to you is called 15 scoring. Here's how it goes:

3. On the court, you would stand at the back of the court. The white line at the back is called the end line. The two white lines on the side are called the side lines. In between those white lines is an area known as the lane. The short white stub of a line at the back is called a serving divide. When you serve you serve onto the opposite side of the court. So if you were to serve to the right side of the opposite court, you would stand on the left side of the serving divide, anywhere there as long as its behind the end line. Then you serve the ball by throwing it up and hitting it. This may take some practice but you can get really good at it. The ball must land in the opposite serving lane to be counted as in. Then the other person returns it. You volley until someone makes a point. If it was you, you would say 15, love. That means you have 1 point, which is counted as 15, and the other person has love, which is counted as 0. The scoring goes 15, 30, 40, End of Game.

4. If you play add, you must win by two points. If you want to play adds, then when you reach 40 and the other person ties you ate 40 then you say duce. If you make the next point, and you are serving, say add in. If they do say add out. For example, if you are at add in and your serving, and they score, you go back to deuce. This can go on for a while. But eventually it will end. You win by being in either add in or add out, depending on who's serving. Then you make another point while your ahead. This is the end of that game.

5. You play six of these games, making sure that you win by two games to win the round.

Tips & Warnings

• Here's a tip: Hit the ball cross court. That way they have to run to get it and then hit it back. When they hit it back, hit it to the other side of the court and it should get you a point.
• Hit the ball at a angle going slightly down. This will take some practice because you will more then likely hit it into the net first but over time you should be able to do it. This gives the ball more power and accuracy.
• Spinning the ball is a effective talent that is somewhat difficult to do. If you get it though, the results will be rewarding. To do this, when you hit the ball move your racket up, down, or to either side. This will put spin on the ball allowing it to 'jump' away from the opposing side. A handy tool.
• Warning: Do not hit the tennis balls at any buildings. It can leave marks and make owners mad.
• When putting spin on a ball, make sure you still hit it hard enough to go over the net.

[JuggleMaster7]

on 5/24/2007 Thanks for the tip. I had forgotten to mention that.....

[Lung]

on 5/24/2007 The end line is also known as the base line and if you're playing singles you cannot hit in the alleys (called lanes in this article).