🎾 How to Play Tennis: Your Simple, Go-to Guide for Beginners

Tennis is a fantastic, social sport that is easy to pick up, no matter your age or athleticism. You don’t need a club membership or expensive gear—just this guide and a willingness to swing!

After reading this, you’ll know exactly what you need and how to hit a court today.

Step 1: Get the Gear & Find a Court

You don’t need to break the bank to start. Here are the essentials:

Item Beginner Tip Where to Find It
Racket You can start with a low-cost racquet at any major retailer. Sporting goods stores, or ask a local tennis center if they have loaner rackets!
Balls Start with low-compression balls (Red, Orange and Green). They bounce slower, giving you more time to react. Any sports retailer (usually less than $5 for a can of 3).
Shoes Clean, flat-soled sneakers are fine for your first time. Avoid bulky running shoes, as they aren’t designed for the quick side-to-side movements of tennis. When ready for an upgrade, look for “tennis shoes” with good lateral (side-to-side) support.
Court Public courts are often free! Check your local city parks, community centers, or use the USTA’s Court Finder tool online. Look for local clinics or drop-in play at a community center to meet others.

Step 2: Understand the Goal (The Rules)

Forget complicated scoring for now. Here is the only rule you need to know to start hitting:

  • The Goal: Hit the ball over the net and onto the opposite side of the court before it bounces twice.

  • The Start (The Serve): The point begins with a serve. You hit the ball into the service box diagonally across from you. Don’t worry about hitting hard! A simple underhand serve is perfectly okay for a beginner.

  • The Rally: After the serve, you hit the ball back and forth. The ball must land inside the court lines to count as “in.”

  • The Win: The rally continues until someone misses, hits the ball out of bounds, or fails to get it over the net.

Keep it Simple: When starting, just focus on keeping the ball going. Don’t worry about scorekeeping (Love, 15, 30, etc.) until you can consistently keep a rally going.

Scoring if you’re ready now: The objective is to be the first to win after 40 points. You start 0-0 or ‘love’-love’ since love = zero in tennis. Let’s keep your opponent at zero throughout this example to understand. Your first won point would make the score 15-0, next winner is 30-0, next winner is 40-0 and if you win that point, you win! If you get to 40-40 with your opponent, that is called ‘deuce’. With No-ad scoring (for beginners), the first person to get the next point wins. If you’re playing Ad scoring, then you must win two consecutive points to win the game. A set is 6 games and a match is best 2 out of 3 sets.

Step 3: How to Hit the Ball (The Basic Strokes)

1. The Forehand (Your Power Stroke)

This is the most natural swing. It’s hit on the same side of your body as your dominant hand.

  • Grip: Hold the racket with your dominant hand.

  • Movement: Swing the racket from low to high across the front of your body, stepping slightly into the ball as you hit.

  • Analogy: Think of it like you are trying to toss a ball underhanded—smooth and relaxed.

2. The Backhand (The Other Side)

This is hit on the opposite side of your body (across from your dominant hand).

  • Tip: Most beginners use two hands on the grip for better control and stability.

  • Movement: Swing across your body with both arms, keeping your eye on the ball.

Other Strokes (For Later)

  • The Serve: The overhead shot to start the point.

  • The Volley: A quick shot near the net before the ball bounces.

Step 4: Three Tips to Get You Rallying

These simple tips will help you enjoy the game immediately and skip years of bad habits.

  1. Focus on Control, Not Power: Hit the ball with a smooth, medium swing instead of trying to hit it hard. Consistency keeps the ball in play and is the fastest way to improve.

  2. Watch the Ball: Sounds obvious, but keep your eye on the ball all the way through the moment of contact with the racket. This makes a huge difference in accuracy.

  3. Keep Your Feet Moving: Tennis is an active sport! Stay light on your feet and use small, quick steps to adjust your position instead of stretching or reaching for the ball.

Ready to Rally? Find a partner, grab a can of balls, and just focus on hitting 3–4 shots in a row. That’s a win!

If you are in New England, check out Tennis in the Parks for local beginner programs on our website!