How to Teach Beginning Tennis

Like swimming and golf, tennis is a sport you can learn when you're young and play it the rest of your life. When teaching kids to play, you'll want to start with a few basic lessons about how to hold and swing the racquet, how to position the feet and a little about the rules. Once a beginner can hit the ball over the net with some confidence, you can move onto more advanced lessons.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the right racket and teach the right grip. The tennis racket's grip size is important so that it's comfortable in the player's hand. Grip sizes range from 3 7/8 inches to 4 5/8 inches. The player should grip the racket as though he were shaking hands, with the narrow side of the racket facing up. There should be enough space between the middle finger and palm of your grip hand to insert the index finger of your other hand. There are also shorter, junior-sized rackets for young players.

2. Tell the player to stand sideways to the net with knees slightly bent, in the middle of the court, about 10 feet from the net. With a few dozen tennis balls at your side, stand in roughly the same spot on the other side of the net and gently hit volleys so that they bounce a couple of feet in front of your player, allowing her to hit waist-high forehand returns. Explain that the racket head should be flat as it hits the ball (at first, anyway) and to try to keep the racket perpendicular to the ground. The player should bring the racket back, turning the other shoulder to the net and then follow through, keeping a firm wrist throughout.

3. Practice stationary backhands. Repeat Step 2, only have the player reverse positions allowing him to hit backhands, again keeping the head perpendicular to the ground. Emphasize the importance of having your feet set as you prepare to hit the ball, but remind the player that moving to reach the ball is part of the game.

4. Back your player up and start hitting balls that make the player move a few steps to either side. Explain that once the player has reached the spot where she can hit the ball cleanly, the feet should be planted parallel with the net to give the player strength and sure footing to make a clean return.

5. Preach patience, as the serve is a difficult shot to learn. The easiest way is to have the player stand near the center of the baseline on the side opposite the service court, with the front foot angled toward the end of the net on the side where the player is standing. Have the player extend the racket straight up in the air and then toss the ball a little higher than the racket, explaining that that height is what the player should aim for each time. Once a comfortable toss is learned, have the player toss the ball up and at the same time bring the racket down behind the back. As the ball comes back down, the player should extend the racket up and swing down across the body, striking the ball while the racket is fully extended from the body. Remind the player to keep the arm and wrist somewhat loose and let the body produce energy in the serve.

6. Explain the basic rules of tennis:The far, outside lines on the sides are the out-of-bounds lines for doubles only and that the inside lines down each side are the boundaries for singles.The two rectangles closest to the net are the service courts and that's where each serve must land for it to count.A serve that hits the net and lands in-bounds must be repeated. If two serves miss the service courts, the other player gets a point.Scoring is as follows: Love (zero points); 15 (one point); 30 (two points); 40 (three points); Game (fourth point in that game)If both players reach 40, it's called Deuce and play continues until one player wins by two points. Points in Deuce are just counted 1, 2, 3...A player must win six games to win a set and two or three sets must be won to win a match.

Tips & Warnings

• If a new player seems to enjoy the game, check out lessons at your local recreation departments or at tennis clubs in your area. Many clubs offer group after-school or summer programs that are reasonably priced and are taught by professionals. Kids will also meet others their age who are at similar skill levels.
• Keep lessons relaxed and consider offering a treat or a small prize if a player is able to hit five consecutive returns over the net.
• Explain that there are many variations to shots, such as topspin, that players can learn as they progress.
• If you're teaching more one than one child at a time, frequently emphasize the importance of maintaining a distance of at least 5 feet in all directions from a player swinging a racket.
• Stay hydrated with plenty of water.
• Have dozens of tennis balls for every lesson.
• Don't try to turn your child into the next Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer overnight. They'll get turned off if they are repeatedly told that they're doing something wrong, especially when they are just learning the game.

Who Can Help:

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!