Tennis is a lifetime sport, one that can be played at almost any age; but if you haven't yet started, and would like to learn some basics, this page will teach you how. Compared to other major sports, such as basketball or football, tennis has a relatively low risk of injury, and is not as physically punishing on the body.

Tennis is also easy to understand and play at a beginner's level, and the learning curve is quite manageable. In addition, it's a great way to meet new people easily and conveniently, since you only need one other person to play a casual match, as opposed to an entire team. There are many public courts available around the world to use, as well as pricier clubs and rec facilities.

The level of tennis ranges all the way to legendary pros such as Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, but there's no need to play at their astonishing pace to have fun with the sport. As it is a very individual oriented game, tennis can be played any way you wish, using any number of strategies or techniques. However, for all beginners, there are a few sets of basic skills that will greatly help you get adjusted to the nuances of tennis. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/tennis-for-beginners-how-to-play.html

1. Clothing wise, any athletic shirt or pair of shorts will usually do, though in tennis clubs, you will often be required to wear "all-white" attire, with polo shirts quite common. Public courts however have no real restrictions.
2. Tennis shoes are preferable over basic running shoes but for beginners any athletic shoe will do the job. If you'd like to invest in a good tennis shoe, the Adidas Barricade series is a proven model that is very popular with pros and amateurs alike, such as Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
3. Naturally the most important item of equipment is your tennis racquet. You can get them at nearly any sports equipment store, but if you want to spend on a quality racquet, a tennis pro shop is naturally best. Look for name brands such as Head, Wilson, Babolat, or Yonex. Any racquet that isn't a "childrens'" model will do, and you can tell them apart by the oversized head. http://tennis.about.com/od/racquetsballsstringing/a/beginnerracquet.htm However, if you somehow get your hands on an old-school wooden racquet, keep in mind that they are difficult to use for beginners. And make sure you don't buy a squash or racquetball racquet by mistake.
4. Tennis balls are quite easy to obtain from almost anywhere. Look for the three-ball cans from brands such as Wilson or Dunlop.
5. Unless your racquet is already strung, you will need to purchase strings and get it strung. If the store from which you bought your racquet does not have a stringing machine, go to a tennis pro shop or find a friend who strings racquets. In terms of what string to buy, and what tension, refer to pro shops on what is best suited for your skill level. In general the quality and make of the string itself is not terribly important until the intermediate, competitive level. http://tennis.about.com/od/racquetsballsstringing/a/buyadultracquet.htm

1. Though it is of course preferable, you don't need a tennis court to learn some basic tennis skills. All you need is a racquet and a few tennis balls. First try holding the racquet. Hold it in your dominant hand, imagining yourself shaking hands with the racquet grip. Make sure you have a strong and firm hold. Don't hold it too high and close to the racquet head; roughly near the bottom of the grip will do.
2. Swing it around in the air a few times, to get used the feel and the weight of the racquet.
3. Get a tennis ball. Hold your racquet as if it were a frying pan, and then place the tennis ball on top of the strings. Then, try and bounce it up and down on the strings, "juggling" the ball with your racquet. Do so by moving your forearm and wrist very slightly up and down.
4. After getting the hang of the juggle, try and count yourself to see how many consecutive times you can bounce the ball of your strings, without losing control and rolling it off your racquet. Go for 10 bounces, then 20 bounces, then 30 bounces. This exercise will help you with your hand-eye coordination and give you a feel for the weight and manipulation of the tennis ball.
5. If you want more of a challenge, flip the racquet upside down, so that your palm is facing the ground. Juggle the tennis ball with this upside down frying pan position, while trying not to use too much of your wrist. Tennis is more of the forearm than the wrist.

If you've watched people play tennis, you know that most of the balls are hit by using "groundstrokes," where the players return their opponents shots by waiting for the ball to bounce on their side of the court, and then striking it with their racquet using either their dominant hand alone, (the forehand) or both hands (the backhand). http://tennis.about.com/od/forehandbackhand/ss/basicforehand.htm http://tennis.about.com/od/forehandbackhand/ss/basic2backhand.htm Although some players use a one-handed backhand, only using the dominant hand, it is difficult to do and inadvisable for beginner level players. Watch some professional tennis online or on TV to familiarize yourself with the approximate swing motion.

1. Try practicing some groundstrokes by swinging your racquet with your dominant hand in the air and pretending to hit an imaginary tennis ball; this is a "forehand." Your ideal contact point with the real ball should be slightly in front of you, and around waist height. Try and visualize yourself making forward swinging circles in the air with your racquet, where the bottom of the circle is the contact point. In this way you will lift up the ball with your upswing motion and ensure that it is projected over the net.http://www.professionaltennisinstruction.com/website%20tennis/wctph3.htm
2. Do the same with your "backhand"- that is, while holding the racquet with both hands, and swinging from the side of your non-dominant hand. For instance, for a right-handed player, a "backhand" involves making contact with the ball on your left side, using both hands, swinging from your left to your right. Remember that you will have to give the ball enough forward and upward energy to clear the net and land on your opponent's half of the court.http://tennis.about.com/od/forehandbackhand/ss/basic2backhand.htm

1. Now you're ready to try and hit a real tennis ball. But there's no need for a tennis court; you can do so quite effectively on any concrete wall. In fact, pros such as Andre Agassi did precisely that for hours and hours a day to try and improve their skills. Find a wall-like surface where the ball will bounce off.http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/turbo_97_7.html
2. Get some tennis balls, and try and hit some groundstrokes off of the wall. Stand a few feet back from the wall first, then, drop the ball slightly in front of you, imitating the bounce in a real game. Swing at it with your racquet, in the circular motion, trying to make contact at the bottom of your swing, and then bringing it upwards and forwards with your loop.
3. If you've hit it well, the ball will be launched towards the wall and it will bounce off. Watch for it, since it will be coming back your direction. Now you will have to strike it for the first time with its momentum coming towards you. Wait for it to bounce off the ground and near your body before swinging away and making contact, in roughly the same place as when you dropped it to yourself.
4. If you are able to repeat your success the ball will once more fly to the wall and bounce off back to you. Try and hit as many consecutive shots as you can without letting the ball bounce twice. Remember to give the ball enough force so that it hits the wall surface without falling to the ground first.
5. Keep your feet moving, and constantly adjust your position so that you will not have to reach too far to strike the ball. You may hit the ball to the left, or to the right, or softly, and you will have to react accordingly. Hitting against a wall teaches you quite effectively the importance of movement in tennis, since your opponent will be constantly trying to move you around the court, and you the same.
6. Gradually move further and further away from the wall so that you will have to hit the ball with more and more forward force.

1. Now find a friend at roughly your level, or one who is willing to trade shots with you. It's time to take your skills to the tennis court for the first time. But you don't have to start by playing at the baseline, or the edge of the box; you can start midway, at the service line, the line in the middle of the net and the baseline. This is roughly a few feet away from the net, and is called the "mini court," since it is half the size of the overall court.http://www.tennismindgame.com/warmup-drills.html
2. Get a few tennis balls and try and trade some groundstrokes with your friend, while both of you are standing at the service line. Focus on watching the ball as it approaches you and making contact slightly in front of your body and around waist height.
3. Try and maintain a "rally," that is, a number of consecutive shots between you and your friend without either of you missing it in the net or allowing it to bounce twice. If possible maintain the ball within the confines of the service box, that is, the lines that surround your friend's area of the court. Keep your feet moving and adjusting to where your friend's shots are landing. http://www.tennismindgame.com/warmup-drills.html
4. Once you are comfortable exchanging shots with your friend at the mini court distance, you can gradually move backwards to the baseline, where the majority of points in tennis take place. Remember that control is very important at the beginning stage, and you should not feel like the ball is flying off your racquet in random directions.
5. As you build up your confidence, try and manipulate the direction of the ball; do so by changing the angle with which your racquet strings make contact. For instance, tilting the racquet face to the left will make your shots land more to the left of your body, and vice versa with the right. This is however an intermediate skill that is not easily mastered until basic rallies can be achieved. http://tennis.about.com/library/blracquetface.htm
6. Once you can maintain a rally, you've become confident at perhaps the most important and fundamental aspect of tennis! Give yourself a pat on the back. Wimbledon is only a few years of dedication away.