Top tips to improve your tennis game

Warm up

Tennis may be regarded as a civilised sport, but it can be a brutal. Warm up with a gentle run for 3-5 minutes followed by some stretching to avoid injury.

Choose your battleground

If you’re prone to injury, avoid playing on harder surfaces like concrete or hard clay as this will place more pressure on your joints. Opt for artificial turf or grass if you can.

Size matters

Make sure you use a racket with the correct size grip. Using the wrong grip can lead to the dreaded ‘tennis elbow’. Your club coach or sports shop assistant should be able to help if you’re not sure.

Good stance = best chance

Get yourself in a good ready position to prepare for a rally and give you the best chance of winning the point. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, place both hands on your racket and keep your head towards the court.

Ace your serve

Leaping into the air might seem like a powerful way to intimidate your opponent, but you’re more likely to fault than ace your shot. Always keep your feet still to help maintain balance and control.

Make some noise

There are some pros that are famous for their on-court grunts and sighs. It’s for a good reason. As you make contact with the ball, breathe out so that your muscles are relaxed. This helps ensure optimum ball strike.

Strike quickly

Don’t wait for the ball to travel in line with or behind your body. Make contact when it is in front of you to allow maximum control.

Centre yourself

After you have taken your shot, always head back to the middle of the court to give yourself the best chance of covering any counter strike to win the point.

Keep it simple

Even the pros win or lose matches by hitting the ball out of court too often. Tennis is a game of getting the ball in. If you do this more than your opponent then you will win – simple!

If you're not used to playing tennis and you end up injuring yourself during a game, you may need physiotherapy to help you get back on your feet. Whether minor or complex, sports injuries can be painful and, if you don’t treat them, they can get a lot worse. Speak to one of our highly qualified physiotherapists and they’ll be able to support you on your recovery so you can return to the court sooner, while avoiding re-injury.

Last updated Friday 2 September 2022

First published on Tuesday 30 June 2015