The Forehand

    To execute a forehand ground stroke, you must start with footing. Whenever you can, you should have the following footing. Start with your feet perpendicular to the baseline ( | baseline - - your feet). Stay on your back foot as the ball is approaching you. Make sure to get your racquet up in the ready position as soon as possible.  As the ball approaches, start your racquet motion.  If you are right-handed, this motion will be on the right side of your body.  The racquet face should always be facing the court.  Go from low to high with your racquet, starting at your hip and ending on your opposite shoulder.  The most important aspect of this stroke (and every other one) is shoulder rotation. When you finish your motion, your racquet should be out in front in you and may even follow through over your shoulder.

The Backhand

    The backhand is very similar to the forehand.  If you are right-handed, this motion of the backhand will be done on the left side of your body.  The backhand can either be hit with two-hands on the racquet, or one-hand on the racquet.  You can do whatever is more comfortable for you.  As with the forehand, your feet should start perpendicular to the baseline.  The racquet should be facing the court and go from low to high starting at your hip and ending over your opposite shoulder.

The Serve

    The serve is one of the more complicated strokes in tennis.  It involves a couple of different motions that all need to be timed together.  Your feet should be lined up at the baseline, and you should be facing diagonally across the court.  Start in the set position with your left side toward the net and your weight on the back foot a forehand grip on the handle, with your left hand cradling the throat of the racket, and the racket pointing in the direction you are going to hit.  The ball is cradled in your fingers and is ready to be tossed.  Let both arms drop together toward your front left leg.  Begin to extend your left arm for the toss and let the racket start to travel past your toes in a wide arc toward the area behind you.  As your left arm reaches up, release the ball about two feet above your extended left hand and about six inches in front of your left toe.  As the hitting elbow reaches shoulder level, it bends 90 degrees, which means the racquet will be pointing straight up.  Next, the racquet drops behind your back and your elbow moves into a throwing position.  I like to call this "scratching your back".  The racquet extends up to contact the ball with you reaching up to contact it at the furthest height you can reach.  The tossing arm drops across the body and you continue the follow-through out into the direction you hit the ball and down into your left side.
 

The Forehand Volley

    A forehand volley is when a player hits the ball before it bounces.  The forehand volley is not a swing, but merely a punch through the ball.  For right-handed players, the forehand volley is done on the right side of the body.  First things first, make sure your hands are up and out in front of you.  Turn your palm facing forward for the forehand volley while again keeping your elbows at your side.  Accompany this with a slight shoulder turn as you are quickly stepping to the ball with your left foot.  With your racquet out in front, take a short punch through the ball.  You can not take a full swing because you do not have time to react to the ball when you are that close to the net.
 
 

The Backhand Volley

    A backhand volley is when one hits the ball before it bounces.  The backhand volley is not a swing, but merely a punch through the ball.  For right-handed players, the backhand volley is done on the left side of the body with either one-hand or two-hands on the racquet.  The backhand volley is similar to the forehand volley in the aspect that your racquet needs to be out in front of you and your elbows need to be in.  Again, you want to take a short punch through the ball.
 

The Scoring of Tennis

    Every point of tennis starts with someone serving.  That person serves the entire game, and the other person serves.
 

    Zero points:  when a player or team has no points, the score is called love

    First point:  when a player or team wins his or her (or their) first point, the score is called "15"

    Second point: when a player or team wins his or her (or their) second point, the score is called "30"

    Third Point:  when a player or team wins his or her (or their) third point, the score is called "40"; when both players or teams have have won three points, the score is called deuce

    Fourth Point: when a player or team wins his or her (or their) fourth point, the score for that player (or team) is called game, unless the score after the previous point was deuce

    After deuce:  when the score is deuce, one player or team must win two consecutive points to win the game.  The first point after deuce is called advantage (ad).  If the server wins the first point after deuce, the score is called "ad in".  If the receiver wins the first point after deuce, the score is called "ad out".  If the team wins the first point, and then the next point, they win the game.  If the person or team has the advantage, and the lose the next point, the score goes back to deuce.  The person or team must win two points consecutively in order to win the game.
 
 

Email me!