Tennis

The game of tennis has been around for several centuries, and over hundreds of years it has been honed and updated to become the game that it is today. The overall simplicity of the game has fooled many people into thinking that it can be mastered by anyone, but those who try the game soon discover that there are intricacies involved that quickly separate the casual players from the truly talented. Tennis is a sport that takes the concept of hitting a small rubber ball back and forth over a low net and adds strategies and tactics that make it a fascinating sport to watch – and for some, a challenging sport in which to participate. Tennis is a game that is played by both men and women, and tennis matches can be played one person against another person, or it can be played as a doubles match, a two-person team against another two-person team. The equipment needed for tennis is simple; you need tennis balls, tennis rackets, and a tennis court. Though it is played professionally all over the world, it can and is enjoyed by many people recreationally. It is an often grueling - but always exciting - sport to play, and it promises participants a healthy workout.

The popularity of tennis has grown exponentially over the years, and it is a spectator sport that rivals such established favorites as baseball, basketball, and football. Tennis players who are truly dedicated to the sport and prove themselves to be extremely talented can often end up enjoying lucrative careers. The best professional tennis players can win large sums of money in tournaments, and can reap considerable profits teaching others or endorsing sports products through the media.

A rudimentary game of tennis was said to be played by French monks around the twelfth century. It is believed that the monks derived it from a game they saw played by people in the Far East. The term “tennis” is said to have evolved from the French Monks’ habit of saying “Tenez,” meaning, “take this,” when they served the ball to their opponents.

Though this first game barely resembled the tennis that we see today – it was played by hitting a small ball back and forth with a bare or gloved hand – it started a trend that began spouting different versions of the game all over Europe. Upper-class Europeans learned the game from the French Monks and began playing it among themselves. The European aristocrats developed indoor courts on which to play the sport, and eventually started using cloth-covered bats to hit the ball back and forth. By the 16th century, the bats had been replaced by rackets framed with wood and strung with sheep gut. The ball was made of cork.

Tennis became very popular in England, and several tennis courts were built by English royalty in the 17th century. They called the game “court tennis,” and it was quite different from the tennis that most people know today. In court tennis, which was played indoors, the ball could be hit against the walls of the court. Though there was a net involved, these games resembled squash and even racquetball in some ways.

When the much bouncier rubber balls were invented in the 19th century, tennis started to move outdoors to grass courts, which of course involved changes that made it start resembling the game that most people are familiar with today. Different rules and regulations were tried and eventually honed to what they are now, and the game became popular enough that competitions became serious and tournaments started being held all over.

Many people learn the fundamentals of tennis during junior high school or high school, while taking regular physical education classes. People who want to really learn everything there is to know about tennis, however, usually go to professional tennis schools or private coaches. No matter which way you learn tennis, you have to start with the basics.

Before you even step foot on the court, you can get some good information on the game from the USTA, or United States Tennis Association. They have a website where you can learn about the basics of tennis, find out about schools, coaches, and leagues, and also find out about the current professional players and professional and amateur tournaments that are happening each year. The USTA is a treasure chest of tennis information, and keeping updated on what they have to say is a good way to stay informed about all aspects of the game.

When you sign up with a tennis school or private coach, you’ll start by learning the basic rules of the game. You play tennis by hitting a ball over a net to your opponent, using a tennis racket. When you hit the ball to your opponent, it must hit between the lines of the court. A ball that is outside the boundary lines on the first bounce after being hit to the other side is considered out. You are allowed to be outside the lines when you volley the ball, however; it is only the ball that must stay within the boundaries.

In tennis there is a certain way of scoring, and there are detailed regulations to follow, so that the game stays fair for everyone. When you are learning the game, you will find out about all these details. Though you may be eager just to play, you have to know the rules in order to learn the game correctly.

Though the game of tennis is fairly straightforward as far as how to play, there are strict rules and regulations to follow if you want to truly play the game the right way. Since 1971, no tennis rules and regulations have been changed, but it is still a good idea to check periodically with places like the USTA to keep track of any possible changes.

The actual regulations start not with the playing of the game, but where it is played and what it is played with. Regulation tennis courts should be 78 feet long. For singles, a regulation court should be 27 feet wide, and for doubles it should be 36 feet wide. Although when playing friendly games of tennis these dimensions aren’t always important, if you are serious about playing tournament tennis, then it is important to practice on regulation courts. The net should be three feet in height at the center. Tournament balls and rackets must be on an “approved” list that is set by the International Tennis Federation.

When it comes to scoring in tennis, no points is considered “love.” The first point is scored as 15, when you score your second point you have 30, your third point puts you at 40, and your fourth point is considered “game.” When a tie-break game is being played, then points are scored as zero, one, two, etc.

Whichever player is serving the ball must stand behind his or her boundary line but within the sidelines, and the ball must be out of the player’s hands when it is hit.

These are just a small sample of modern tennis rules. The USTA or the ITF can provide a detailed list of rules and regulations.

For both children and adults that are serious about the game of tennis, joining a tennis league can be a great idea. Belonging to a tennis league can give you the backing that you need when you want to play competitively, especially if you want to play in tournaments. There are several good tennis leagues that are available to join; sometimes they are state leagues and sometimes they are private leagues. The USTA has leagues for both juniors and seniors. The USTA Junior League focuses on teaching children the fundamentals of the game, correct form, and adherence to rules and regulations. What the USTA Junior League really emphasizes for children, however, is the fun and the excitement of playing the game, as well as the health benefits that come from this type of exercise.

The USTA Senior League, of course, puts a little more emphasis on competition and tournament playing. It is not necessary to be shooting for the tennis Grand Slam to be in the USTA Senior League, but players are assigned certain rankings, according to competitive and tournament play.

Of course, the USTA leagues are only an example. There are state leagues, city leagues, and leagues sponsored by different organizations. There are also amateur leagues and professional leagues. If you or your children are interested in joining a league, you should do some research on the local leagues available, as well as which ones would best suit your needs.

It is obvious that the majority of people who play tennis, even seriously, play amateur tennis. Very few tennis players make it to the rank of professional, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great tournaments available for amateur players. Every professional tennis player - even the ones that went on to win the tennis Grand Slam - started somewhere, and played some amateur tournaments before going on to bigger and better things. Of course, some amateur tennis players indulge in the game just for fun; playing friendly matches now and then when they have the time. Many amateur tennis players, however, are much more into the competitive side of the sport, and are even hopeful of some day being able to play pro.

Serious amateur players can obtain rankings in amateur leagues, and for most, this is an important goal. Though professional tennis players obviously get more media attention, there are actually many more opportunities for playing competitive amateur tennis, and matches can be categorized by playing experience, age, and what type of tennis league that you are in. Each individual league will give its player rankings according to how well they do in league competitions.

If you or your child want to start playing competitive amateur tennis, you should look into the several leagues that are available to join. Each league will post requirements for competitive playing, and matches and tournaments will be announced far in advance.

For most of us, the only professional tennis that we are ever going to see is on television or when we attend a professional tennis match. Keeping up with professional tennis can be great when you enjoy the game, though, since watching the players that made it to the pros can give us great tips on how we can improve our games.

Most professional tennis players start out learning the game at a very young age, and tennis is the major focus of their lives for many years. A lot of time and money is spent on training, and the vast majority of tennis players who are serious about getting to the pros end up hiring private coaches. The payoff can be big, however, if players get good enough to start playing in tournaments for cash prizes.

Like most sports, professional tennis is usually separated when it comes to gender. Unless it is some kind of exhibition match, such as the famous 1973 “battle of the sexes” match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, or in the case of a mixed doubles match, professionals play women against women and men against men. Many times, however, both the women professionals and the men professionals will tour the same tennis circuits.

There is no guarantee that any tennis player will become a professional player; just as in most other popular sports, it takes a combination of dedication, perseverance, focus, and natural talent. You have to train with the right people and play in the right competitions.

The goal of every professional tennis player is to win all the Grand Slam tournaments, which consist of the Australian Open, the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. These tournaments are considered the “Quadruple Crown” of tennis, and winning these is the goal of all professional tennis players, as well as the amateur tennis players who wish to go pro some day. When a professional tennis player wins all the Grand Slam tournaments in one season, it is simply called “a Grand Slam.”

For professional male tennis players, the ATP, or Association of Tennis Professionals, is an international circuit for tournaments. The ATP Tour consists of men’s tennis tournament series such as the Masters Series, International Tournament series, International Tournament Series Gold, the Challenger Series, the Delta Tour, and the World Team Cup. The WTA, more officially known as the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association, is what governs professional women’s tennis. The WTA hosts such tournament series as the women’s Australian Open, the Toray Pan Pacific Open, the Sony Ericsson Open, and the Family Circle Cup.

Amateur tennis tournaments can be held through schools, leagues, or associations. School tennis tournaments can be very big affairs, especially when you get to the high school and college levels. They can be held within cities, states, or nationwide. League tournaments can be held within the individual leagues and among different leagues. There are a wide variety of junior tournaments, which are usually for kids between the ages of 7 and 18, and senior tournaments for anyone over 18.

If you know the game of tennis well and have maybe even been successful in tournaments, you may be considering becoming a tennis coach. What you need to remember, however, is that there is a certain amount of training that you need to become a coach. Those who coach children’s tennis need to have some knowledge of child psychology, so that their charges can get the most from their training. Many children’s tennis coaches work within leagues, or at exclusive tennis schools. These are usually the coaches that work with children who are serious about competitive tennis, and often they are successful tennis players themselves.

Professional tennis players have private coaches that follow them through their careers, accompanying them to tournaments and overseeing their practices. These coaches are often retired professional tennis players themselves and are familiar with every aspect of professional tennis.

It is important to note that tennis coaches must be familiar with sports science, and must have at least a rudimentary knowledge of sports medicine. Especially when coaching children in tennis, it is important to be aware of when a player is doing something that may cause potential health problems, such as playing in the heat without drinking water frequently, or not wearing the right type of supportive footwear. Tennis coaching is more than just teaching someone how to play or how to play up to his or her potential; it is about showing players how to play smart and how to get the most from their sport. Those who are considering becoming tennis coaches should take the appropriate courses to learn about all aspects of tennis and sports coaching, and they should try to stay current with any new developments in training techniques, sports science, and sports medicine.