How to Position Yourself on the Tennis Court
Tennis has made a comeback as a popular sport for people wanting to stay fit. Besides keeping you in shape, tennis is challenging. Learning the game can be exciting and fun for the beginner, especially when you finally get to play your first match. Use these steps to learn how to position yourself on the tennis court and make your first match a winning match.
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Instructions
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Stay alert, open and ready to receive your opponent's serve or return. Remain relaxed and fluid, yet keep your body moving so that you're ready to swing and hit the ball. Center yourself toward the back and inside the sidelines since you can't be sure where the ball will hit exactly before it is struck by your opponent.
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2
Move side-to-side so that you're ready to go in any direction. Know that some tennis players tend to jog or dance in place with a side-to-side motion. Keep your eye on the ball and be prepared for it to be hit to the right or left of you, behind you or closer to the net to position yourself on the tennis court.
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Anticipate where it will hit when you see it coming and be ready to sprint forward, skip sideways or step back toward the incoming ball, so you can return it. Keep in mind, though, that you don't want to be so close to the ball that you don't have enough room to hit it with your racket.
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Notice your opponent's patterns for serving and returning the ball. Pay close attention to where he or she drives the ball to the most and how consistent certain shots are. Calculate some of your returns based on your opponent's patterns as the game progresses. Stay flexible, though, since your opponent might change his or her pattern, especially once they realize you've figured them out.
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Back up if you see a big overhead shot coming toward you, and allow it to bounce so that you'll have better control over returning it as you position yourself on the tennis court. Hit overhead shots in the air once you've become a stronger tennis player ready for more advanced moves.
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