Ooh, ahh. The crowd gasps; a mass of heads pivot as one. There’s only one thing better than watching tennis – playing it yourself. So put down that remote, pick up a racket and follow the step-by-step lessons from top Lawn Tennis Association coaches in this exclusive two-part Learn to Play Tennis guide. Tennis isn’t an expensive sport, and there are thousands of courts across the UK where you can drop by and pay as you play.
In part one, your coaches run through the basics – the rules of the game, what the lines on the court mean, the best warm-up exercises – before introducing you to groundstrokes, volleys and serves. Soon, you’ll be making shots from the baseline and surging to the net. But you’re not out there alone – we’ve served up top tips from some of the game’s best players – Tiger Tim tells you how to serve-volley in style; Ana Ivanovic surrenders the secrets of her formidable forehand, and Peter McNamara explains the beauty of a perfectly crafted backhand. Don’t expect to be grand slam material by the end of the day, but get hold of part two, free with The Observer tomorrow, and you’ll have all the tactical nous needed to become a fully rounded player.
Go to lta.org.uk to find tennis courts and clubs in your area. The website also contains information about coaching for beginners. And to watch animations of some of the shots contained in these guides, go to theguardian.com/learn-to-play-tennis.
Source: Read Full Article