This page looks at the benefits of some warm up exercises to get you moving and describes the strokes that you use in a game. Where there are important rules about various moves within the game, they are described with the appropriate strokes.

Warming Up

• Plan a warm up routine that involves leg, shoulder and side stretches.
• Practise moving about the court, changing direction and keeping your balance.
• Throw the ball in the air and catch it a few times to 'get an eye' for the ball.
• Play some gentle shots backwards and forwards across the net with your tennis partner.

Tennis Strokes

The way you grip your racket will depend on the stroke you are playing. There are forehand grips, backhand grips and two-handed grips. Players sometimes use a two- or double-handed grip for backhand strokes rather than the backhand grip. Changing your grip involves rotating your hand around the racket's handle, to place your racket at a different angle for the stroke.

Practise changing your grip by hitting imaginary balls.

Forehand and Backhand Drives
These are groundstrokes. They are played after the ball has bounced once and are the most used strokes in tennis. A Forehand Drive is usually your strongest stroke. It is the one you learn first. Backhand strokes can be made with a one or two-handed grip.

Rule: A ball is only allowed to bounce once before it is returned.

Serving
In a proper match, the Serve is the most important stroke. It is the first shot of every point that is played. To serve, you throw the ball in the air and make an overhead shot, hitting the ball as it comes down. Your opponent tries to return your serve using a forehand or backhand drive.

Rule: The first serve of every game is taken from the right-hand side of the court. The server stands behind the baseline and serves diagonally so the ball lands in the right-hand Service Court of the other player. The next serve in the game is taken from the left-side of the court aiming at the left-hand Service Court. The Server alternates between right and left sides until the game is finished. The Serve now passes to the player on the other side for the next game. Players swap ends (move to the opposite side of the court) every other game until the end of the set.

Forehand and Backhand Volleys
A volley is a shot played before the ball bounces. It is classed as an attacking stroke because a good volley can take your opponent by surprise.

Lobs
A successful lob is a shot that passes over the top of your opponent but still lands in the court behind him. You should aim it high so he can't reach it with a smash but not too high or he will have time to chase back and hit it when it bounces.

Drop Shots
A drop shot is a gentle stroke that aims to hit the ball so it lands just over the net. This makes your opponent chase forward for the return shot, pulling him away from the back or centre of the court. It can be a winning shot. Drop volleys are similar shots, but they are played before the ball bounces.

The Smash
When the ball is coming towards you high in the air, reach up and hit it down toward your opponent's side with the same sort of move used for a Serve. This is a powerful shot and can be a winner, but many players overhit the ball into the net on their side of the court!

The only way to use these shots effectively in your game is to practise them over and over again. When you come to hit tennis balls, remember, every racket head has a 'sweet spot', just below the centre of the strings. This is the part that should come into contact with the ball most often when you hit a stroke.

When playing the game keep your eye on the ball and try to keep your balance when moving around the court.