How to Play Tennis

If you don't know the rules of tennis, don't let that stop you from playing! Read this page to familiarize yourself with the basics, then find a racket and get cracking!
Playing Tennis Tips
1. Choose a racket that reflects your level and plays to your strengths.
2. When you're beginning, focus on practicing and improving rather than memorizing the rules.
3. Play against others who are at a higher level than you; you'll improve faster.
4. Stay tough mentally. Tennis is just as much as mental game as it is a physical game.
5. Have fun, and pace yourself. Tennis is a game for life!

Introduction
- Tennis is truly a game for life—once you learn to play, you can continue to enjoy the game by yourself and with others for many years. The rules are simple, and a little bit of practice a few times a week is all it takes to make a world of difference in your playing level. So, let's get started!
Equipment
- You don't need much except yourself and an opponent to play tennis, but a few things are necessary:
1. A tennis courtSportsKnowHow.com: Tennis Court Dimensions
2. A tennis racket
  - Choosing a racket that fits your playing level is important. Different rackets are made with different strengths in mind, such as power or control. Consider racket width, weight and handling before you make your first purchase.Instructables: Choosing a Racket
3. A tennis ballWikipedia: Tennis Ball
4. A good pair of sturdy tennis shoes
The Court
- The rectangular area on which you play tennis is called the court.Wikipedia: Tennis Court
1. Tennis courts can be indoors or outdoors.
2. Usually, courts are made of a hard material (like cement or concrete), grass or clay.
The Set-Up
1. Each tennis court is physically divided in half by a net and divided further by several painted white lines.Fuzilogik.com: Tennis Equipment
2. The long lines that span the full halves of each side of the tennis court are the singles sidelines and the doubles sidelines, and they form the doubles alley.
  - A ball landing in those alleys is considered out of bounds in a singles match.
3. The horizontal line bisecting each of the court halves is called the service line.
4. The two rectangles between the service line and the net are service boxes.
5. The outer boundary lines of the court, running parallel to the service lines, are the baselines.
Singles vs. Doubles
- A game of tennis is most often either a singles game or a doubles game.
1. Singles Game: A single player competes with another single player.
2. Doubles Game: A team of two players faces off against another team of two.
  - The doubles alley outlined by the doubles sidelines is considered part of the court while playing doubles, but not while playing singles.
3. Canadian Doubles: If three tennis players are practicing or without a fourth player, they might play a version of tennis known as Canadian doubles. In Canadian doubles:
  - A single player competes against a team of two.
  - The single player is allowed to hit the ball into the doubles alley on the other side of the court.
  - The doubles players must keep the ball out of the doubles alley when they hit it back over to the single player's side.
Serving
- A serve begins each point in a game of tennis.
1. A player must stand behind the baseline when serving.VideoJug: How to Serve: The Basics
2. His or her foot cannot touch or pass over the baseline until after the racket makes contact with the ball.
3. The same player serves every point in a game and serves from alternate sides of the court with each point.
In, Out or Let
- A serve can be called in, out or a let.
1. In: To be in, the ball must go over the net and land within or on the boundary lines of the service box opposite the serving player.
  - If the ball is in, the point continues regularly.
2. Out: A ball that is out will land outside of the opposite service box.
3. Let: A let will land within or on the boundary of the opposite service box but will hit the net on the way over.
  - In the case of a let, the player gets to serve again.
Double Fault
1. If a player's first serve lands out of bounds on any point, the player will take a second serve.BBC Sport: Serving Rules
  - If that second serve also lands out, that is called a double-fault, and the player loses the point.
Basic Rules
- The rules below are for singles tennis, but doubles rules are very similar.OperationDoubles.com: Learn How to Play Tennis
Matches and Sets
1. Each match of tennis consists of several sets.
  - In regulation tournaments, men usually play three out of five sets to win.
  - Women usually play two out of three sets.
2. To win a set:
  - A player must win six games.
  - The winning player must win the set by at least two games. For example, if the score is 6 games to 4 games, the leading player has won the set, but if the score is 6 games to 5 games, the players must continue playing until someone wins by two games.
The Coin Toss
- The player who wins a coin toss or other chance competition prior to the match can choose:About.com: Simple Introduction to Tennis Scoring for Beginners
1. To serve the first game.
2. Not serve the first game.
3. Be on a particular side of the court.
Beginning a Point
- To begin each point, a player serves.
1. The first serve of each game must always be launched from the right, or deuce, side of the server's court.
2. If the serve is in, the players continue to hit the ball back and forth until one player wins the point.
3. The players may move inside or outside the boundaries of the court at will.
Winning a Point
- There are several ways to win a point.
1. If the ball bounces more than once on one player's side, that player loses the point.
2. If a player fails to return a ball over the net, that's also a lost point.
3. If a player hits the ball over the net but it lands out of bounds, that player loses the point.
Scoring
- Each player must win at least four points in order to win a game.
1. Instead of numeric scoring of 1, 2, 3, 4, the scoring of tennis progresses from love (zero) to 15, then 30, then 40, then the game is won.BBC Sport: The Rules of Scoring
  - If players are tied (for example, if the score is 15-15), the score is announced as "15-all."
2. A score tied at 40-40 is known as deuce. To win a game that stands at deuce, a player must win two points in a row.BBC Sport: The Rules of Scoring
  1. If the server wins the deuce point, the score is announced as "advantage in" or "ad-in" for short because the serving player has the advantage.
  2. If the serving player loses the deuce point, the score is "advantage out" or "ad-out," where the opposing player has the advantage.
  3. If the serving player wins an "ad-out" point, the score goes back to deuce.
3. If players tie at 6 games to 6 in a set, they may play a tiebreaker to determine who wins the set.Tennis Rule Book: Twelve-Point Tiebreaker
  - A tiebreaker is played to seven points and must be won by at least two.
Strokes
- There are several different shots in tennis, called strokes.
Forehand Stroke
- The forehand is the most common stroke.
1. It's one of two groundstrokes, or strokes that are normally hit from the baseline or the back of the court.
2. In a forehand, a player turns to the right and hits the ball with the right hand gripping the racket and the left foot stepping forward.Instructables: Forehand Stroke
Backhand Stroke
- The backhand is the other widely used groundstroke shot.
1. To hit a backhand, a player turns to the left, steps forward with the right foot, and grips the racket with both hands or only the left hand.Instructables: Backhand Stroke
Other Strokes
1. Volley: If a player is standing in the service boxes or near the net, the ball may not bounce before the player hits the return shot. That stroke is called a volley.
  - The volley may be either a forehand or a backhand and may be hit from anywhere on the court (but is usually hit at the net).Instructables: Volleys
  - Backswing, or winding up the racket before hitting a shot, is not necessary for most volleys—rather, a tapping motion is used to propel the ball forward.
2. Lob: The lob is usually a slow shot that is hit high above the net and beyond the service line.ExpertVillage: Tennis Tips
3. Overhead: The overhead is the powerful response shot to the lob. The player focuses on the ball, lets the racket drop down, then brings it up quickly and hits the ball with a quick snapping of the wrist.About.com: How to Hit the Overhead Smash
4. Advanced Strokes: In more advanced tennis, shots such as the drop shot and the half volley may be used.OperationDoubles.com: How to Hit a Drop Shot
Tips and Advice
2. If you're a beginning tennis player, it's helpful to play with an opponent who is already familiar with the rules of tennis and who has some previous experience with the sport. Even as you grow more advanced with your game and skills, it helps you improve as a player to play against others who are at a higher skill level.
3. Tennis is a mental game almost as much as it is a physical game. Staying positive during a match and keeping focused can have a huge influence on the way points turn out.United States Tennis Association: Player to Player: Staying Positive
4. If you'd like to improve your tennis game, watch big tournaments on TV or in person. There are four Grand Slam tournaments every year: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Study the best players and notice how they move, where they place their shots, the motion of their rackets and how they hit the ball.
5. Practice as often as you can, especially when you're still learning how to play. You'll get better much faster if you play often and practice many different types of strokes.
6. Make sure to stretch before and after you play tennis to warm up your muscles and minimize your risk of injury.