Tennis is a physically challenging sport that requires a lot of practice to play like a pro. Many players ask, "How can I be good at tennis?"

Have you ever seen a tennis game? Every stroke that appears effortless and swift from the bleachers isn't all that effortless. Playing tennis involves numerous muscles of your body, making it one of the most physically taxing games. If you're a beginner tennis player and you look at seasoned players with awe and inspiration, know that you can get better at this sport too. It'll just take time and a lot of practice.

You can be good at tennis by simply grasping a good understanding of the principles, sticking to one pattern during the game, keeping yourself organized, and going with the game's momentum. These are just a few tips that can help you improve. You'll be able to tweak your gameplay with time.

One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is trying to play like pros from the very beginning. But that's not how it should be. Tennis is a tough sport. No matter how effortlessly the players seem to be playing, it sucks the strength out of them. It's a demanding sport, both physically and mentally. It requires plenty of practice. Beating yourself up isn't going to help you. All you've got to do to get better at the game is to give yourself time, practice as much as you can, get a practical understanding of the theoretical concepts you studied, and move one step at a time.

We always tell beginners to take it slow. Rushing the game will only make things difficult for you in the long run, as you'll miss out on essential details, tactics, and fundamentals in a rush.

What Makes Tennis a Difficult Sport?

When we say tennis is a demanding sport, we say it for a good number of reasons.

Tennis engages every group of muscles in your body for extended durations. Not only is it physically challenging, but it also challenges you mentally. You've got to stay mentally active every second of the game. You're required to analyze every shot you play and change your gameplay spontaneously to meet the ever-changing momentum and dynamics of the game.

Tennis involves extensive footwork and the movement of the upper body. If you aren't physically fit enough, you might not be able to match the pace of the game, which is pretty fast and spontaneous.

Considering the stress the game puts you in physically and mentally, tennis is definitely one of the toughest games out there.

It can take you a while to grasp the fundamentals of the game and even longer to learn to match the pace. You can't expect to start playing like pros in a couple of weeks. We'll be honest with you; that ain't gonna happen!

Understanding the Game

If you want to improve your game, you first need to understand the game. Most youngsters just grab a tennis racket and start playing with their fellows without really giving time to the basic concepts. If that's how you're planning to get better at the game, you might not get anywhere close to playing like professionals.

There's a lot of nitty-gritty involved in the game. There are rules and principles that you've got to be familiar with. Only then you'll be able to actually work on your game. Practice will help you polish your physical game, but a thorough understanding of tennis will help you conquer the court with your strategy and gameplay!

The game starts with the serve. One of the two players serves the ball with their racket. The ball must end up over the net in the opponent's box on the other side of the net. If the ball hits the net on the server's side, they get to serve again.

The player must play the ball after it bounces once. If you don't play the ball after the single bounce that it bounces twice, the point is over. If you play the ball and it doesn't end up in the opponent's box, the point is over.

You can't touch the net at all. The net is what separates your box from the opponent, and its position can't be altered. If your racket or any part of your body touches the net, you lose.

In order to win the game, your score must be 2 points more than your opponent's. Even if it's a tie, the match proceeds to a tiebreaker. Even then, the player who first achieves a score that's 2 points more than the opponent wins the game.

These are just the basics of tennis. Once you step into the court, you'll realize that the game isn't as simple as it sounds right now.

How Can You Get Good at Tennis?

If you're a beginner-level tennis player and you want to polish your game, our tips might help you. Always remember that the more you practice, the better it's for you and your game. No matter what we tell you, as long as you don't practice and apply the tips practically, nothing will really help you.

Practice As Much As You Can

We can't stress enough practice. You may read multiple tennis-related guides and watch tennis videos on YouTube. If you don't practice on the court, you can't take your game to the next level.

Sometimes the things you read and see sound simple, but when you get down to practicing them, you realize how wrong you were.

Let's say you saw a technique in a video that you think would help you improve your game. You won't know how physically demanding and rigorous it is if you don't practice it.

If you ask us one thing you have to do to get better at tennis, we would say practice, practice, and more practice.

Keep Distractions at Bay

As we've already said, tennis is a physically and mentally challenging game. No matter how physically fit you are, if you aren't mentally present in the game, you can't win.

You've got to put in conscious effort to keep distractions at bay. You won't be able to focus on your game if you're even slightly distracted.

The game requires you to be mentally active so that you can strategize and make critical decisions when needed, and you can't possibly do that if you're distracted.

Don't Stop Learning

If you think you've learned everything about tennis, you're highly mistaken. Every ball is an opportunity to learn something. Let's say you missed a strike. Well, nobody ever has a game where they don't miss a strike, right?

But if you don't evaluate why you missed it after the game is over, you aren't really actively learning. You've got to get into the roots of every missed shot. If you were doing everything right, you wouldn't have lost a point.

So, one of the most important ways to get good at tennis is to never stop learning.

Follow One Pattern

As a beginner who has been experimenting with shots and learning new things, you might want to experiment with what you know during a match. There might be ten shots that you know, and you might want to try them all. Because the more you know, the more you have to show, right?

Wrong.

Professional players don't play all the shots they know. Instead, they only stick to the shots they're best at. They figure out which pattern works for them, and then they stick to it. Sticking to one pattern will help you focus. The more you switch between shots and techniques, the more you'll find your focus wavering.

Watch Out Your Serve Speed

It's tempting to show your opponent the strength you've got from the very beginning. One of the most important tips that will help you improve your game is to focus on the accuracy of your serve than the speed.

Most beginners try to serve at full speed. However, the focus at the time of serving shouldn't be speed but accuracy. If you don't serve the ball right, it might not cross the net and end up in your box. And that wouldn't be the best opening of the game for you!

Position Yourself Right

Positioning yourself right can significantly impact the quality of your shots. You should try to put all your body weight onto your back leg. This would keep all your weight behind the ball, and when you finally hit the shot, transferring the weight will be easier. It'll make way for a more consistent shot when all your weight is behind the ball on your back leg.

This tip can definitely change the game as it isn't coming from us but from Klahn, a 23-year-old Stanford undergraduate who bagged the win during the 2010 NCAA Singles Championship.

Stay Calm

Most players often get de-tracked during the game if they start losing points. They get frustrated and try to get back in the game. The desperation to get back in the game and the frustration of having lost points often deviates their focus from the game.

Instead of panicking if you're losing points, what you should do is relax and try to think clearly. You get 20 seconds between points, and you should use all of this time to organize yourself. The more organized you are, the more clearly you'll be able to think of your next strategy, and the more are the chances of you returning to the game with a smash!

Replenish Your Energy Store Whenever You Can

Tennis is a physically demanding game where you've got to be on your feet throughout the match. You should make sure you're replenishing your energy stores every time you get the chance because if you don't, you'll soon be too exhausted to play.

There's a reason why the most renowned players are seen drinking water and sports drinks during changeovers. You should even munch on snacks every other. This would ensure that you've got enough energy to play the match to your full potential.

Avoid Playing Recklessly

Tennis is one game where the more aggressive you are, the more powerful your shots will be. However, there's a difference between being aggressive and being reckless. You should try to stay within your box and avoid going too close to the lines.

Every player has one spot in their box where they are more confident about their shots. Try to stay closest to that spot. The closer to the lines you play, the more are the chances of you going out of the boundaries of your box or being too far from the ball would lead you to miss the shot and lose a point.

Identify Your Opponent's Weaknesses During Warm-Up

There's a 5-minute warm-up match before every game. Use it as an opportunity to identify your opponent's weakness. Every player has a weak point. You do too.

Try to identify which area your opponent's weakest in and try not to show your weakness during this warm-up session. Your opponent will be on the lookout for the same. Once you've figured out your opponent's weak point, you'll be able to attack them just there.

Stretch

Tennis is a sport where you've got to move a lot. You may even have to stretch often not to miss the ball. If your body is stiff and inflexible, you may not be able to perform well.

One way to ensure you're able to play actively during the game, stretch before the match. There are plenty of stretching exercises that you can perform before the match so that your muscles can loosen up and allow free-flowing movement during the play!

Ensure Your Racquet Is Strung by a Professional

The tension in your racquet's strings has a significant impact on the quality of your game. While professional quality racquets cost a lot, you can always buy a mid-level racquet and get it strung by a professional.

For example, if you're a slow player, livelier strings will suit you more. If you're a powerful player whose shots contain a lot of energy, you won't need a livelier string.

When the tension in the strings is just right to match your style of play, you'll be able to hit the shots just well and solid.

See Yourself Play

Your coach may tell you where you went wrong in the last matches that cost you your victory. You may even try to work around your mistakes to improve the quality of your game. But you'll see the biggest difference in your game when you see yourself play.

Have someone record your play, and then watch yourself closely. See how you're positioning your body when you hit the shots, how you're positioning your body when you miss the ball, which areas you appear most confident playing, and where you could have improved.

Once you know exactly what your game looks like, you'll be able to work on your gameplay even better and come back stronger.

Tennis is an aggressive game. You can't stand a chance against your opponent if you don't match the momentum of your opponent or you stick to the same technique. Always remember that you've got to change your technique with the opponent. The same technique doesn't work with all types of players.

This is exactly what we mean when we say that tennis isn't just a physically demanding game but also requires active mental gameplay.

If you aren't physically fit and mentally active, you can't improve your game. If you think your game lacks the secret ingredient to success and victory, start by studying your current game and analyze and evaluate where you're doing it wrong.