Learning basic tennis strokes is essential to setting the stage for better play in the future. Fail to learn these basics early on and you will struggle with overcoming bad playing habits for years to come.

While there are a variety of strokes that new and advanced players can use in tennis, the novice should concentrate on the two main strokes first, before moving on to the more advanced techniques and movements used in more advanced play.

There are two basic tennis strokes that every player must master in order to be competent on the court: the groundstroke and the overhead. These are necessary in order to compete on any level, and should be mastered first.

The best way to learn proper stroke technique is to find a trained coach to get you started on a lifelong enjoyment of the game. Most newcomers to tennis spend a few months perfecting their technique and game with a trainer before hitting the courts on their own. If this is not an option, these simple tips should help get you started learning the two basic strokes listed above.

When learning the groundstroke, remember these important guidelines:

1: Always begin your groundstroke with a slight, short backswing.

2: Use a shortened grip on the club until mastering this all-important tennis stroke

3: Use a regular type of follow-through. Don’t try to be fancy here. The important thing is to learn the stroke first.

4: Try lengthening your backswing at a slow pace.

5: Slide the grip toward the handle.

6: Remember, in basic tennis for beginners, you will drop feed first! Second, doing your short drop feed is fine, and lastly, following the short drop feed, you will feed from your racquet.

7: Begin slowly and usually try to end with a run.

When practicing overheads, be sure to:

1: Begin your swing at point of contact, slowly presenting a bigger swing can

2: Stand close to the net, followed by slowly moving backward.

3: Begin with an incredibly soft-feed right to the racquet.

4: Practice for short periods of time (less than 30 minutes) in order to not tire your arm and stay fresh and alert. Some players, however, many find that they get so lost in the game that they can practice for hours. If this is the case, and you aren’t experiencing any negative side effects (swollen tendons and muscles or overall arm soreness), than by all means practice away! No matter how long your practice session, be sure to have them frequently. Several times a week is most commonly recommended, especially for beginners.

5: Begin advanced drills as soon as you’ve mastered this basic swing Whatever swing you’re working on, always be sure to practice precise technique, featuring the exact form and bodylines needed, and proper movements!



By: Matthew Hick

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How to improve at golf can be broken into many parts, most people learning, start with the swing.(I would like to know how most tour professionals learned golf.) Golf consists of many parts and here is some of the main things to consider:

The swing Long game Short game Putting Course management Tactics Fitness Experience

Firstly you can break the golf swing into various parts;

Knowing how to hit the ball Being able to hit the ball Consistency of strike

There are so many golf swing gurus suggesting different methods, making sense of it all can be daunting.Each coach, teacher, golf professional, has their own way of showing how to better your swing.Who to go to for lessons or coaching is an almost impossible task to solve.I’ve heard a story of one professional telling a 13 year old playing off a handicap of 2.When he attended the professionals’ range for an initial assessment was told to “hit some balls to see what you’ve got” The boy went on to hit his usual premier flight shots consistently for 30 – 40 balls.

The pro told him to stop, the boy feeling quite proud of himself for hitting so well, was asked how many parts do you think are in the golf swing?The boy looked bewildered and replied the backswing and the downswing, two said the boy.No the professional said to him, ninety two points and you are on point 7, so you have a long way to go.The boy needless to say came out in tears and fortunately his father, a very good golfer, was waiting for him. Hearing of this the father told the professional to go put his lessons ‘where the sun doesn’t shine’.

So what is the answer, for experienced players find a coach who will work with your game not try to change you into something you are not e.g. ‘a page forty five swing’ .Don’t alter your swing to a perfect formula, it is not possible, work with what you’ve got and a professional teacher should appreciate this and coach you on slight mistakes within your game.

Good players who have the qualities should be looking to the externals of their game.For instance many externals could be regarded as fitness, diet, flexibility, strength and stamina.One option to relieve your tiredness is by way of getting a golf trolley or better still a powered trolley.

By: James W Mathieson

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