In developing a beginner, a focused approach on the basic strokes, such as the forehand, backhand and serve should be introduced. After players have mastered the basic tennis techniques for beginners, they can then graduate to more advanced techniques. However, a solid foundation is key.
It is very important to work on specific tennis techniques for beginners in both the physical, mental and emotional approach to help beginners first learning the game. Tennis techniques for beginners are often rudimentary and watered down, for a simplified approach is necessary for beginners to learn the game of tennis.
It is very significant for tennis beginners to learn tennis techniques with the most accurate tennis instruction. Learning techniques wrong will be in your muscle memory and as such will be very hard to unlearn when you would like to learn the techniques the right way. So, to develop are more skilled game, beginners must work on technique focusing on the right way.
Fundamental Tennis Techniques for Beginners
Players first learning the game of tennis should possess a strong foundation as the first building block in developing any tennis player. The first aspect of tennis techniques for beginners should not begin until the proper footwork
Learning the Correct Tennis Footwork
Tennis footwork is an crucial part of playing tennis. You must learn to move correctly in order to cover the tennis court in the most efficient way possible. Learning the ready position is your first step. Your feet should be comfortably spread apart with your knees slightly bent while standing on the balls of your feet. From this position, it will be easy to move from side to side.
The next footwork move on the subject of tennis techniques for beginners is to learn the split step. The split step is done from the ready position where you take a slight jump and land on the balls of your feet. You want to time this just before your opponent connects with the ball. If the ball is close to you, you will step to the right with your right foot and move to the ball. If it is far away you will do what is called a gravity step. With practice these footwork moves among other tennis techniques for beginners will happen naturally.
Tennis Techniques for Beginners: Learning the Gravity Step
Okay, let’s talk about the gravity step. The gravity step is the next set of footwork moves needed to have a complete repertoire of tennis techniques of beginners. The gravity step is what you do when the ball is far away and you have to run to it. With the gravity step, your outside foot (right foot) comes closer to your inside foot (left foot) and you push off your inside foot giving you an extra enhance to get to the ball faster.
Once you are approaching the ball, you are going to have to do what is known as adjusting steps, which puts you in a balanced and in position to hit the ball. This tennis footwork pattern is of course among tennis techniques for beginners. Adjustment steps are not necessary on every single shot, but their use helps a player gain the proper balance.
There is more about adjusting steps, but I want to move on to some other tennis techniques for beginners. So lets move on to the swing. Whether you’re trying to hit the ball on your forehand or backhand side, you have to raise your racket over your head and bring the racket head down toward the ground and then toward your shoulder. Then you have to meet the ball at the right spot with a full arm extension.
Tennis Techniques for Beginners: Understanding the Stances in Tennis
4 different positions are used in the tennis today, these include the open, semi-open, neutral, and closed positions.
The combination of the semi-open and open position along with the semi-western and western grips, has allowed players to gain more racket power and speed, contributing to the fast pace and power of the game today.
Open Stance Position
Facts: The open stance is often best used when a player has little or no time to prepare for an oncoming ball, which in today’s game is fairly regularly. This is because a player has to step out, shift his or her body weight and load the hip and turn the trunk before a ball traveling 100mph reaches them.
The open stance is usually taught after the basic neutral stance is mastered, but is one of the essential tennis techniques for beginners.
This position allows players to load up on the hip and explode into the shot, producing forehand and backhand winners. Players start with the backswing, which consists of rotating the shoulders and hips together, to about 90 degrees (side on), to the right for right handed players.
The weight then needs to be shifted to the outside foot, (right for the right handed). The key is to remain balanced throughout the swing, follow through, and recovery.
Back to the shoulders and hips, after the backswing, players will start the forward motion along the same path with speed and try to make contact with the ball as far out in front of the body as possible to provide control and power to the stroke.
Points to remember: Try and keep the non-hitting hand pointing in the direction of the target, this should help with the height and depth on the ground strokes. Don’t shift the weight too early, this will more than likely cause the ball to fall short.
Semi-Open Stance Position
Facts: The semi open stance in tennis is a position that is not much different to the open position. Again it is mostly used when players lack time to prepare for the next shot.
The only real difference is that players open up the step slightly more to the left for a right handed player and load all their weight onto the outside hip (right). The semi open stance is also one of the main stances used by professional players, and one of many tennis techniques for beginners.
For a right handed forehand stroke, players must begin the backswing by rotating the shoulders, hips, and trunk at the same time.
The next phase is to step to the right with the right foot and shift the weight to this foot also. The key to this position is players stepping into the court with the left foot, which does not occur on the open position. This step with the left foot helps to maintain a solid foundation after striking the ball.
The weight should remain on the outside foot until the stroke is completed fully. Use opposite feet for left handed players.
Neutral Stance Position
Facts: The neutral stance in tennis is a basic position, which can be used for both forehand and backhand shots. This stance is also the starting point for all the other positions.
It allows beginners to learn about shifting weight and rotation of the body. This is usually the primary stance and one of the most important tennis techniques for beginners to learn.
The neutral stance position provides the best position to practice the follow through and recovery after shots, at least for easy returns. The neutral stance allows players to shift their weight towards the direction of the shot and for that reason is preferred when hitting either the one or two-handed backhand.
Again with this position rotation of the hips, shoulders and trunk is the start of the back swing. The tennis player must then step out with the right foot and shift the weight here as well.
Weight transfer in the neutral stance is the key to generating more energy into the shot, therefore a primary part of tennis techniques for beginners.
Players should then step forward with the left foot towards the net and shift the weight again onto the front foot before executing the forward motion of the swing. The weight should be kept on the front foot until the stroke has been completed through to the recovery.
To finish the execution the back foot (right) should be brought forward and around, helping to maintain strong and balanced. Remember for left handed players the opposite should occur.
Tennis – Closed Stance Position
Facts: The closed stance in tennis is a position that can be used on either the forehand or backhand shots, but is only recommended when a player is chasing down a ball on the run, or is forced wide.
This position closes the hips preventing them from rotating, and also requires extra recovery steps before any rotation from the shoulders or trunk can take place.
Limited control, power, options, and a slower recovery time are other drawbacks of this position.
It involves the left foot (for the right handed) stepping across and being the outside foot taking all of the weight, so the majority of the power has to be generated through the arms.
Proper Breathing for Tennis
One final tip on the topic of tennis techniques for beginners, the proper breathing during a shot. Breathing can also help with racket speed. Players should exhale as they start the forward motion as this can also reduce overall tightness. It is also one of the best ways to combat nerves so breathing through and between points is very important.
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