How to Start Playing Tennis as an Adult : A Beginner’s Guide
What if becoming a tennis player is easier—and more fun—than you think?
Starting tennis as an adult can feel intimidating. You may watch João Fonseca hit a forehand and think there is absolutely no way you’re ever going to hit a tennis ball like that. You can watch Ben Shelton serve and wonder how in the world he is able to hit that hard. Or you can watch the beautiful one-handed backhand of Lorenzo Musetti and wonder how in the world he is able to make a tennis ball do what he wants with it. And that’s okay. Learning tennis as an adult is like learning something new and therefore needs patience, repetition and the willingness to fail before one can start to be good at it. Your goal when starting tennis as an adult is to have fun. You’re not trying to become the next tennis star. At least, not yet.
Don’t Overthink It. Just Try Tennis.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when starting tennis is overthinking it. You don’t have to learn every tennis term. You don’t have to learn how to hit a kick serve. You don’t have to learn how to hit a perfect forehand. You just need to try. Take a beginner lesson. Pick up a racket. Hit some balls. See how it feels. Then ask yourself: “Did I enjoy that?” You might even feel so energized by your first tennis lessons that you can now see why people spend hours on the tennis courts, and even go to tennis camps, to hit tennis balls. Or you could be totally the opposite, and not want to go back to the tennis courts. Either way, that is also very useful information. Learning to play tennis as an adult is basically trying a new hobby. You give it a shot and then you figure out if you enjoy it or not.
Accept That You Won’t Be Good Right Away
This sounds obvious, but it’s one of the hardest parts of learning tennis as an adult. As adults, we are generally very competent at lots of things in our lives. We are able to do our jobs, drive, communicate with other people and deal with just about every situation that comes our way. Then you step onto a tennis court and suddenly you can’t hit a ball and miss it completely. It can be humbling. But that’s part of the fun. Years of practice by professional tennis players will not happen in your first few lessons of tennis as an adult. Your goal when taking a lesson should be to get slightly better at playing tennis than when you started.
Start With a Beginner Tennis Lesson
The best way to start is to sign up for a beginner tennis lesson. Beginner tennis lessons for adults help new tennis players get a feel for the sport and learn tennis fundamentals in a very supportive environment. Just in case you are curious, I take tennis lessons at the Tennis Centre (locations in Surrey and Langley). You’ll probably learn how to hold the racket, how to stand, how to move on the court, how to hit the ball with a racket (as a forehand or backhand), how to serve, and learn some basic rules of the game and how to score. It’s normal that you won’t remember everything from your first lesson. Your first lesson is to get you comfortable with playing tennis!
Learn the Basics First Before Worrying about the Advanced Techniques
There are lots of tennis techniques to learn, such as pronation, racquet lag, the kinetic chain, topspin, drop shots and the many different types of tennis serves. But I wouldn’t worry about those just yet. At the beginning, focus on a few fundamentals:
- Hold the racket correctly.
- Get into position.
- Move toward the ball.
- Make clean contact.
- Control the direction of the ball.
- Keep the ball in play.
Don’t Compare Your Progress to Anyone Else’s
Everyone learns tennis at a different pace. My brother who had previously played badminton and ping pong was able to pick up lots of aspects of the game very rapidly. This is why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Everyone learns how to play tennis at a different pace. The progress that others make on the tennis court has nothing to do with your own progress. Your tennis journey is your own.
Don’t Worry About Being an Adult Beginner
There’s no age requirement for starting tennis. You don’t need to have played tennis as a kid. You don’t need to be naturally athletic or in great shape. You just need to be willing to learn and have a good time on the tennis courts. Take a lesson. Practice. Find people of roughly your own ability with whom to play. Get some exercise. Meet some people. Most importantly, enjoy being a beginner. You only get to experience the beginning once. So grab a racket, step onto the court, and give tennis a try. You might just discover your new favorite hobby.