Q&A for How to Play Tennis

Spend time doing anything that gets your heart rate up and improves your fitness, strength, and flexibility. Tennis involves a lot of movement, so your muscles need to be strong and toned.

Try going for a walk/jog, to the pool, or to the gym several times a week to improve your base level fitness.

Tennis is a sport that will give you a full-body workout, but you need to have a base level of fitness before you can really maximize your potential.

Try adding a snap to your wrist directly after contact with the ball.

One way would be to appear as if you're going to hit the ball in one direction (by looking in that direction) and then at the last instant hit it in another direction.

It is all based on how comfortable you are with the racket. If the racket works well with you, it is a good one. Are you hitting too many frames? Too many nets? Too many outs? Too many faults? No? then your racket is fine. Can you hit a good strong shot without the need for any strenuous effort on your part? Can you smash with the racket without your arm getting sore? Can you hit a nice serve with the right spin? If yes, you have a good racket.

Practice, practice, practice. Consciously stiffen your wrist as you play, stopping now and then to ensure that your wrist is in the proper position. Over time your wrist will be inclined to stay still.

Tilt your racket down more. You're hitting it up because the strings are facing the sky.

You would get the point unless it was a serve.Then you will retake the serve and that is called a let.

Scoring points does not determine the server. One player serves an entire game. The other player serves the next game. They alternate this way throughout a match.

In some tournaments ball boys or ball girls will retrieve the ball after it is hit into the net in order to get the ball out of the way and reduce the wait between serves. It's safer not to have a ball rolling around the court while a point is being played.

Slice under the ball and push it forward at the same time. This will curve the ball in the same direction you slice.

You can simply hold the ball out with your non-dominant hand and let go just before your racket hits the ball, but it's not as accurate or powerful.

Remind yourself that it's just a game you're playing and that your life won't be ruined if you don't win. Then keep trying to do your best so that you'll have no regrets when it's over. Remember that you're not the best tennis player in the world. You're going to lose sometimes.

Turn the racket face down so the strings are pointed a bit downward and complete a straight line motion.

No, they do not switch sides after each point is won, but they may switch sides after each set (a set of 6 games).

Just continue playing as normal when playing regular doubles. If you are on the doubles side during a Canadian doubles match or are playing singles, however, then this counts as out.

You can return a serve from anywhere, but the serve has to land in the service box on the corresponding diagonal (from server) side.

Djokovic is 13 years older than you and in his prime. As you get older you'll get stronger. Keep working on your fundamentals. Time is on your side.

A very important thing is to watch carefully the ball and to have good timing when going to hit the ball. But it also depends by your playing level and a lot of other possible reasons (for example, the position of the body or the legs). This article explains it really well, but to improve your tennis level the best thing to do is to have a trainer who helps you (this is the best in absolute), or watch some video lessons online.

Usually every club has a class of learning adults. If you didn't find anything, then the best option is to pay an instructor to teach you. If you can't afford the cost of it, then ask a friend or someone experienced to play with you and improve your level day after day. However, you're never too old to learn tennis, if you really want to learn, you'll be able to.

Professionals make the job look easy, and it is recommended that you take small steps. This sport requires much practice and it is better to start with smaller goals, as when you take big ones it may be a bit discouraging. It takes tons of time and effort to want to go pro, but if you want it enough, anything is possible.

It can only touch once but if you hit it without touching, then that still counts too.

Everyone is different. Some people catch on right away but others might take much longer. Keep practicing!