Tennis Beginner - 4 Winning Steps

If you are just started playing tennis, you might realize that tennis is not just simply hitting ball back to the opponent court. There are a lot of things you need to learn as a tennis beginner. Start from your swing pose to the strategies. Even though there are a lot of things we need to learn as a tennis beginner, nonetheless we still keep playing tennis as it is a fast paced game with a lot of challenge that can satisfy our competition spirit. Here I will share with you some steps to take you, a tennis beginner, to win most of your game.

1. Get the correct form from the start

Some people try playing tennis on their own. They see then they follow without confirming the right form. Eventually it will become a bad habit which will be hard to be changed. So from the start you should consider seriously to get training lesson from a pro in tennis if you want to play tennis better, especially if you want to go to a tournament. As a tennis beginner you still can learn on your own as nowadays there are a lot of videos and photos on tennis stroke. But just take note that it is obviously harder to learn on your own.

2. Focus on consistency in game

As a tennis beginner, if you are playing against a beginner also, most of the time you do not need to hit a winner. It is not necessarily to hit the ball with full power, because as a tennis beginner it will most likely fly outside the court. This also applies to your opponent. So the key is keep hitting back with accuracy. Focus on your aim and hit deep to the back of the court. Sometimes it might take a long time, but only those who have the patience to keep hitting properly will win.

3. Follow the ball movement

The best advice for a tennis beginner if the swings keep missing the ball, either missing the sweet spot or the swing hit the air, is by predicting where the ball will bounce. Not necessarily that you need to predict it 100% accurate, but at least you need an idea where the ball will bounce so you can prepare early. Most tennis beginner forgot about this and as a result most of them will hit with improper form or swing, because they hit the ball in a hurry.

4. Point your off arm to the ball

Pointing the ball with your free arm will also help in hitting the ball. It will give you a better feel of where you need to hit the ball. Since in tennis the timing and position of where you hit the ball is important, as a tennis beginner you must not hit too early or too late to get a good shot.

So in the end most important thing is play to win and never give up in playing tennis. There are a lot of things you might know, but if your mental state is against you, it will be hard to win. As a tennis beginner do not forget to practice hard and have fun!

If you are interested in more detail on playing tennis and other things related to tennis, visit http://www.besttennistips.com/ There are videos and lessons to improve your game.

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Tennis Psychology - The Foundation Of Winning Tennis

The field of tennis psychology is not just common advice and tactical or mental tips. It is based on general and sports psychology and then applied to tennis specifically.

There are many common elements in the psychology of tennis which can be found in other sports too. An athlete that wants to perform at his peak needs to learn:

1. How to refocus

Many players start the match with good concentration but they drop their level of concentration because of disturbing outside events, pressure situations, emotional reactions to various events and so on. A player needs to learn how to quickly and effectively refocus to be able to play his best tennis.

2. How to control his arousal - to manage his intensity and body energy

A player's arousal can be too high or too low and in both cases he is not able to play his best tennis. Arousal affects his body and mind abilities - a player may have too much muscle tension and his decisions are usually not tactically intelligent.

Learning to find the »ideal state« is the key in controlling one's arousal and one of the most important aspects of tennis psychology.

3. What elements of the tennis game can a player control

A player may get upset (and it happens often) about an event that he cannot control or even influence. For example - the noise of the planes flying over the court, windy conditions, court conditions, his opponent's luck and so on.

By being focused on these events he wastes his energy which could be used on elements that he can control - his attitude and effort, how he intends to play, ...

4. How to control his thinking

Negative thinking affects players much more than they are aware of. It affects body abilities in two ways - being aware of them (feeling tension) and being unaware (the pendulum experiment); moreover it evokes negative feelings - emotions that cloud the player's judgment and affect his body abilities - again.

By being more and more aware of what he is thinking a player can then change his thoughts to a more positive and solution based thinking. The awareness of our thoughts is quite a challenge in the psychological approach to tennis.

5. How to use imagery

Imagery or visualization is extremely useful in almost all aspects of the tennis game. A player can improve technique, strategy, physical abilities and his mental preparation of certain events. Another use of imagery is when a player misses a shot and then quickly sees in his mind how he hit the ball correctly.

Using imagery is an incredibly efficient technique, not only in the psychology of tennis but in everyday life too.

6. How to build confidence

Confidence is one of those elements where tennis psychology can help really quickly and with very simple tools. A player who is not confident will hesitate in his decisions, will be afraid to take risks and his shots will usually miss by just a little. Doubt can be seen in reality as small misses that happen regularly.

When a player builds his confidence he is able to play at his best and doesn't lose his hope when a big challenge appears.

7. How to find and get rid of limiting beliefs

Limiting beliefs are one of the most limiting and troublesome aspects of human's psyche. They are mostly deep in the subconsciousness and are sometimes hard to find. A limiting belief for example is when a player believes that he is not good in tie-breaks and he will then self-sabotage himself in those crucial moments to prove himself right.

Having no limiting beliefs means that the player is in total acceptance of everything that happens. Outside events are just events with no meaning. The player accepts them and deals with them.

8. How to empty the mind - Inner Game principles to enter the zone

There are three main principles of the Inner Game - quieting the mind, non-judgment and trusting the body. The player must first learn to apply them in training. And when he experiences these effects in training he knows what to look for in the match. He then plays the inner game - how to perform at his peak.

These are the fundamentals of tennis psychology and by understanding these principles and applying them daily a player develops mental toughness. He knows how to apply the tools and as a very positive side effect gains a lot of self confidence.

He now knows that he has ways of dealing with his own mind and that most of his competitors do not. He is aware that he has the edge in the most stressful situations in the match and that gives him inner strength and belief that he can persevere through tough matches.

Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis coach. He teaches tennis players how to apply tennis psychology to make their mind their best ally. More resources on mental tennis game at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com

Winning Tennis Tips - from Warm Up to Match Point

There are probably thousands of tennis tips, but here are 10 great ones that begin at the warm up and end at the match point.

Tennis tip #1

When you start your warm up before the match you first need to get used to the conditions and your feel and form for that day. It's not realistic to expect that you'll be feeling superbly well every day.

So check the conditions - windy, sunny, hot or something else and adapt your shots and tactics accordingly. Then check your feel for the ball and racquet, your general mood and look to improve on them.

Tennis tip #2

When you start the match you furthermore need to get used to your opponent's play. Most of the players don't play the same in the warm up as they do in the match. So you are very likely to see and feel new speeds and spins of the ball.

Don't panic if you can't adapt in the first minute. Your brain is getting the information, unless you're too emotional. Remember previous matches, how you found your timing on returns or volleys or whatever caused problems at first.

Just watch the ball well and notice what is happening - are you late, too far, is the ball too high and then gradually adapt. Don't force it - it will happen if you are relaxed.

Tennis tip #3

The most important shots which define how the point will be played are the serve and the return. If you have a weak serve and return, then you'll be on defense the whole point.

A good serving tip is to first find your serve. Don't blast your first serves in the match at your full power. Start at 75%, then increase the speed and see where is the best feeling and percentage of shots.

The same rule applies to returns - start with medium paced returns down the middle and then add speed and placement when the match progresses. The main goal of the return on the first serve is to get it back deep down the middle and on the second serve to make your opponent run - so preferably a cross court return.

Tennis tip #4

The game is obviously based on forehands and backhands - hence "groundstrokes". You need to find them also when you start the match. Start with long cross courts 2-5 feet over the net and aim 5 feet from both side and baseline.

When you find good length, start utilizing short cross court and down the lines shots to make your opponent run.

Tennis tip #5

The same principle applies to volleys and overheads. It may take you 10 or 20 minutes before you play your first volley or overhead, so don't expect a perfect shot. Or maybe you can expect it but don't get too upset if it doesn't happen.

Actually if you often play at the net you're maybe aware of this fact: you need to develop the feel and timing for your volleys too. You might play a couple of poor volleys or overheads first but don't let that discourage you.

You're showing your opponent that you are not afraid to come to the net and you are also adapting to his shots. Imagine how good it will feel when you hit excellent volleys and overheads towards the end of the set.

Tennis tip #6

This is actually a summary of the above mentioned tips: first deal with the tennis game and conditions on a given day. And when you get reasonably comfortable with the tennis game and conditions, start thinking and dealing with your opponent. This is my primary tennis playing tip whenever I start the match.

Tennis tip #7

Now you are trying to figure out how to outplay your opponent. Ask your self - where are his weaknesses and where are his strengths? Look to exploit his weaknesses with your strengths and try to avoid your weakness against his/her strength.

It sounds so logical but in my experience I don't see many players actually thinking logically on court. They are usually too emotional. You need to learn how to get out of emotional states quickly and start thinking smartly and positively for the next point.

Tennis tip #8

When you finally see what your opponent's weaknesses are you must first check with yourself whether your level of play realistically allows you to play certain shots. If you your opponent moves very slowly towards the net, is you drop shot reliable enough to use it?

Don't change your game too much or into areas that you don't master. Adapt your game so it is very difficult for your opponent, but stay in your limits.

Tennis tip #9

If you did a good job using the above mentioned tips, you are now probably ahead in the match. This is one of the biggest traps in the game. You might try to defend the lead. You'll start thinking: "I don't want to lose this lead now."

And since our brain does not understand the word NO, it hears: "I want to lose this lead now." and it will help you do it.

Does this sound familiar? You need to think what you want: "I want to finish the set." or "I want to extend the lead."

Tennis tip #10

You are now at match point having played masterfully through the whole match. There are many mind traps here. See if you fall into one of them:

- If I miss this opportunity, I won't get another one

- If I win this, it won't be fair. He/she is actually a better player.

- I don't want to make a double fault now.

- This is it. (and you make a historic event in your mind about one point in a tennis game)

If any of these thoughts enters your consciousness, smile at them, say: "Yeah, right." and then play your match point decisively and with courage. Then go shake the hand of your opponent. :)

Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis coach. He shows tennis players how to improve their game with winning mental tennis tips that make their mind their best ally. More resources at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com/