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This article is going to talk about a number of things that go into playing tennis. It will focus on equipment, the various shots involved in the game, and the scoring, but it won’t go into specifics on any particular topic.

Equipment

There are three things you need to play tennis: a tennis racket, some tennis balls, and a tennis court. A tennis racket is, of course, specifically designed for the sport. All rackets have approximately the same design: a handle (sometimes called a “grip”) and an oval-shaped head with strings. A tennis ball is about two and a half inches in diameter and covered in felt. Typically, the inside of a ball is pressurized so that it bounces relatively high. Finally, a tennis court is 78 feet across and 27 feet wide (for singles) with two-inch white lines dividing the various areas of the court.

The Strokes

There are several basic strokes in tennis: the forehand, the backhand, and the serve. The forehand is hit with your dominant hand on the dominant side of your body. For example, if you are right handed, you would use that hand to hit a forehand on the right side of your body. The backhand is on your non-dominant side and hit with either one (your dominant arm, reaching across your body) or two hands. The serve starts the point and must be hit behind the baseline into a service box.

The Scoring

The scoring of a tennis match is very unique. You need to win four points to win a game and six games to win a set. Matches are typically best-out-of-three sets, but for major tournaments they are best-out-of-five sets. Both players start at 0 – 0. Let’s say the server wins the first point. He is now up 15 – 0. If he wins the next point he is up 30 – 0, and if he wins the one after that he is up 40 – 0. So the first point you win gives you 15, the second 30, and the third 40. If both players make it to 40 (so 40 – 40), this situation is called deuce. From this spot, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game. If one player wins the first point, but the other player wins the next, they are back to deuce.

While this is somewhat of a rough introduction to how to play tennis, hopefully you’ve got a better picture. If you’re still interested in learning how to play tennis, please visit our website!

Will Hamilton runs the website Fuzzy Yellow Balls, which teaches people how to play tennis by offering free video tennis lessons

I don’t know about you but when I watch Wimbledon I like to see which racquet the pros are using.

This seemingly insignificant habit is an important one, and I wouldn’t be surprised if almost all tennis players did this from time. Racquet manufacturers realised this a long time ago; why else would they pay many millions of dollars to a player just to use their brand?

Although the top players are a powerful advertisement, there are other factors that also influence the choice of the club player when choosing a new racquet.

The “Try This One” factor is probably the most important way someone can make the right choice. Borrowing a demo racquet from your local sports store, or from a friend, is a quick way to compare a few racquets. I imagine that this is why the oversize tennis racquet has become the as popular as it is. Not that many pros use them, but for an average person they just feel great to try out.

Most people don’t have the time or know how to develop their technique properly, and some just aren’t interested. Racquet manufacturers realised this a long time ago and started developing features to make a racket more forgiving. A larger head racquet not only makes your shots more powerful, but also doesn’t jar as much, thus protecting against injuries to the wrist and elbow.

Is there a limit to how big you can make an oversize tennis racquet?

The official tennis authorities tried to ban the use of the larger oversize heads (115 sq inches), but it became so popular that it is no longer regarded as a “freak” racquet. There are racquets available above 130 sq. inches which are colossal, but I’m sure they could get it even larger than that if they would be practical to play with.

What is the best oversize racquet of all time?

In my opinion it is the Prince Oversize Graphite. It made a fantastic impact and became very famous. Andre Agassi started his career with this racquet and when he switched racquet sponsors they replicated the design of the Prince OS as best they could. You can spot the Graphite a mile off because it has a double bridge – an extra beam in the triangular hole.

Its successor the “Graphite 2″ was also a very successful racquet, but these are difficult to get hold of brand new. Some say that this is even better than the original. I was almost the perfect design for a racquet. It set new standards for stiff frames for good players, and the technology used is still utilised to this day. The better players were able to get more accuracy with the stiff racquets because there was no deflection of the racquet. It didn’t bend and twist on impact, and so if you hit the ball in the centre it went exactly where you wanted it to go.

Other companies followed in the footsteps of Prince; the most notable was the Head Oversize range called the “Radical”. That one was incredibly accurate just like the Prince OS. This was no coincidence, as both racquets were used by Andre Agassi. I’m sure head were trying to appease Andre who loved the amazing feel of the Prince original.

Tim Brennan
Oversize Tennis Racquet Enthusiast
http://oversizetennisracquet.com/

The seeding system at Wimbledon takes both the players’ world ranking and their pedigree on grass into account. This is important because grass is the least used surface on the tours and provides its own unique challenges. A player can be ranked in the top 10 in the world but perhaps be the the 50th best player on grass, such is the difference between the Wimbledon courts and the slower clay and hard courts used at the three other grand slams.

The 32 top players from the men’s ATP entry system are arranged into seeds with points added for performances on grass courts over the last two years, taking particular notice of Wimbledon records. It is for this reason that Andy Murray is seeded 12th, one place below his entry system position, due to his missing of Wimbledon last year. World number 25 Marcos Baghdatis – Wimbledon semi finalist and quarter finalist in the last two years – and Tomas Berdych, ranked 19th, move above the Scot.

The ladies’ 32 seeds match the WTA rankings, with the Wimbledon committee declining to use their power to adjust the seeds to achieve a balanced draw. This is partly due different court surfaces having less impact on the womens’ game, so new world number one Ivanovic, semi finalist last year, is the top seed.

Of the 40 Wimbledon championships played in the open era since 1968, exactly half of the ladies’ winners have been seeded number one. 13 of these 20 top seed victories were achieved by Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf during their period of dominance in the 1980′s and 1990′s. There is no such dominant player in the ladies game’ today, making number one seed wins less likely.

The opposite has been true in the men’s game in recent years. Four of Federer’s five titles have come as top seed, a period of dominance that followed on swiftly from that enjoyed by Pete Sampras. 18 of the 40 men’s open champions have been seeded one.

Federer’s victories have been entirely expected, but is less so this year. His relative poor form of one tour title and no grand slam wins, combined with the emergence of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, suggests the recent gulf in class between number one seed and the rest is far smaller. We might even be in for a return to the glory days of the late 1970′s and early 1980′s, when Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe were at their peak. Four of the titles won between 1977 and 1983 were by second seeds.

My tips for Wimbledon glory, Nadal and Serena Williams would bring a new winner and a repeat winner, a combination that would also occur if results went according to seeding. It is exciting to have so many clear contenders in the running.

You are in love with the game of tennis and can not get enough of it. Starting off in school learning to play on basic gym equipment was the beginning-then in college you made sure that you took tennis as your required physical education classes.

The time has now come for you to get your own personal equipment and you want to get a tennis racket of your very own. To make a personal statement to everyone that you have come of age, are serious about this sport, and want to compete with your friends evenings and weekends.

What type of tennis racket are you going to purchase? They vary in length, weight, and head size, and you will need to figure out which one is the best for you. Think back to your beginnings playing this sport-what did you like or dislike about the different tennis rackets you used. This can be a starting point to begin narrowing down your choices.

A very important component for the tennis racket is the head size as the power behind your swings is directly affected. A larger head will give you with more power than a small head and also provides you with a larger hitting area making it a little easier to hit the ball. Generally speaking, a smaller racket head appeals to more accomplished players seeking more control, while larger rackets appeal to beginning and intermediate players seeking more power and a larger head.

They range in length from 27-29 inches with most people selecting the 27 inch ones. However, a longer handle provides more reach on ground strokes, adds leverage on serves, and slightly more power, than one with a standard length.

The weight has also been reduced making them lighter and easier to hold.
If you have friends or co-workers that also play, ask them about the type they use and why. They will enjoy talking to you about the sport and in providing you with information and advise. And, there is nothing more flattering than to ask someone for their opinion on a topic that they really enjoy and believe that they are an expert in.

Some of these people might even loan you some of their equipment so that you can try it out and find out whether or not you like it. No matter what your preference for a tennis racket is, you have to find the best one that meets your needs. This may even mean renting them and testing them out for a few games. This is probably the best way to have an opportunity to use many different types, styles, models and different manufacturers without spending a lot of money on ones that will just end up collecting dust in the closet.

Get out and play every weekend. The exercise is good, you will meet new people, and be out in the fresh air. This is much better than spending your weekend sitting in front of the television or going to the office to catch up on work.

Enjoy yourself, life is too short.

For more information on tennis try visiting http://www.TennisQuestions.com, a website that specializes in providing tennis related tips, advice and resources to include information on the best tennis racket

The latest Wimbledon tennis championships are nearly upon us and many people in the British Isles are wondering when and where the next home grown player is going to win the tournament. In this article I look at some of our hopes for this year and the future.

This is the first season in about the last ten when I feel that there is basically no chance of a British born player winning Wimbledon this year. Over the past decade I have really believed that Tim Henman was going to be the man to finally bring glory to our proud nation. For whatever reason he has always seemed to fall a little short,even though in truth he should be very proud of what he has achieved in his tennis career.

There have been at least a couple of times where he possibly should have gone on to win the tournament and this may be one of his regrets when he looks back at a long and successful career. His chances of becoming Wimbledon tennis champion have now all but disappeared.

Tim is currently looking a shadow of his former self and I think that the best he could hope for this year is a place in the quarter finals. Of course there is a slight chance that now that the pressure and expectation is off his shoulders, that he may thrive out there on the court, I certainly hope so.

Greg Rusedski is also in my opinion well past his sell by date. He will also do well to reach the latter stages but has never ever really looked like winning this tournament despite having a game which is well suited to Wimbledon.

The most interesting and exciting of the British hopes is Andrew Murray. Over the last eighteen months Andy has gone from strength to strength and last year he had a brilliant tournament at Wimbledon. In saying all of this I really do not think he has the skills required to win the tournament.

Andrew may well continue to improve and may well be crowned the champion of Wimbledon in the future. While a certain Roger Federer is around it will be very difficult for any player of any nation to win the tournament.

As for the future of British tennis I have heard that Boris Becker has started to help some of our young teenage prospects and many other new ideas are starting to be put into practice.

I feel that the problem is that there are very few courts where people can just turn up to and play. You are able of course to pay at a local tennis club but these prices can be very expensive for a family of four who just want to go and play on the spur of the moment. Most of the kids would much rather go down to the local park to kick a football around. This is a lot easier and is free of course.

If we really want a British champion of Wimbledon in the near future we have to have far more courts accessible to the average man and his family. The tennis clubs themselves could offer free coaching to the under tens to get them interested in the game. These youngsters could then become full members when they reach their teens and could be the future of each club.

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The Williams’ sisters success at Wimbledon highlighted the dearth of talent in the men’s game in America. Talk of crisis in US tennis increased when only one player, world number 102, Bobby Reynolds, made it into the Wimbledon third round.

Journeymen such as Reynolds, Vincent Spadea and Robby Ginepri have hovered around the top 50 in the world, but for all the early career promise of Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey and John Isner, only James Blake and Andy Roddick exist as credible grand slam winners.

Both are established top 10 players and are in the tier of players that battles to join the elite of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Roddick was US open champion in 2003 and has since reached three grand slam finals, with Federer blocking his path to glory each time.

Another US open title might be out of reach at Flushing Meadows, but he is the man to beat in the tour events that precede the final grand slam of the season. Each of his four ATP masters series wins have come in North America and no player has won more than his seven titles at the six major North American tour events over the last five years.

Roddick is not in action at the Indianapolis championships currently taking place, but punters should look out for him at Toronto, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Washington and New Haven. Blake won at New Haven last year and is the top seed at Indianapolis, although the fit-again Tommy Haas leads the European contingent and always represents a decent bet on US hard courts.

The big names choose their events carefully ahead of grand slams, so Federer and Nadal might have light schedules after their Wimbledon exertions. Djokovic crashed out at SW19 in the second round and will be keen to get some tournament time before heading to the US open, where he reached the final last year, missing good chances to beat Federer.

Djokovic will want to prove his Australian open win was not a one-off so deserves support in the run-up to Flushing Meadows, although I will be tempted to back Roddick and Blake in their home tournaments. Both have had disappointing seasons and will be hungry to succeed in home conditions and prove that a native player can make an impact at the US open.

When tennis balls start flying your way in the game of tennis you are going to want to know not only what to do with them but how to do whatever you are going to do the best that it can be done. That would be to hit the balls. As fast as that ball enters your court by the hand of your opponent is just as fast as you want to return it. This is how you win the game. It doesn’t matter if you are a player or a coach but what does matter is making sure that you know each and every option that is open to you and exactly when to execute them. In tennis there are basically eight different possible shots to keep the ball in motion. This along with the way that you move your body tells the difference between a victory and a loss. Basically there are some basic guidelines that you will want to follow before you even begin the game of tennis. First, you can not just stand there you do have to have a stance that allows you to be ready when that ball comes charging at you.

If you watch a pro tennis match on TV you will see that the players usually have their legs about a hips width apart and are also bent at the knees. You need to keep a constant focus on that ball and where it is and where it is headed at all times. You will notice that most professionals also keep both hands on the tennis racquet to ensure a better grip. It also makes it easier to switch hands real quick when necessary.

Players need to learn techniques to control the ball so that it can be applied in a different way if needed. These are handy little tricks that can be learned as players advance in their knowledge in the game of tennis. Once the serve has left the hand of the server everything now rests on the opponent and how he/she will play this serve. There are various strokes that are used and now the decision rests with the opponent as to which stroke they will use. There is what is called a forehand stroke which is where the racquet moves completely from one side of the body to the other in an attempt to hit the ball. This is a very common stroke. There is a backhand stroke which is the exact opposite direction of the same move. These are the two basic strokes that you will want to mainly use. There is also what is called a “volley” which is when you are able to hit the tennis ball back at the opponent before it ever touches the ground. Actually there are several different strokes that are used depending on the serve but they often require practice and more practice and also confidence.

If you want to get some practice it is a good idea to practice swings off of a wall while you are standing back. Just keep hitting the ball and when it rebounds, practice different strokes. You will be a pro in no time.

Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about tennis as well as tennis gear at http://www.nsearch.com