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1. Start Simple. Tennis is a tough sport to learn, but it can be addictive and rewarding as well. When first starting out, keep things simple by shortening the court a bit. Work on mini tennis rallying to build confidence. Once you're able to rally 10-12 balls in a row from the short court, move back to mid court until you can sustain another 10-12 ball rally. Progress to the baseline next where you can focus on keeping the ball in play with a willing partner.

2. Learn an abbreviated serve motion. Instead of taking a full backswing for your serve, start with the racket on your shoulder. This will, again, simplify things and make it easier for you to time the serve when starting out.

3. Learning how to serve is an essential component when you first start playing tennis. Since your tennis racket is in your dominant hand, the tennis ball will be in your non-dominant hand. Oftentimes, new players experience difficulty when attempting to toss with the non-dominant hand. Hold the ball in your fingertips, keep a straight arm, and toss a slow controlled ball. Here's the trick. When starting, keep the toss relatively low. By keeping the ball low, you will, again, increase your chances of timing the ball. As you improve, you will benefit by making your toss higher so you can benefit from leverage and geometry, but keep it simple for now.

4. When you first hit the court, do your best to keep the ball in play and avoid he temptation to hit flashy, television-highlight shots. Your goal should be to keep the ball in play and elicit mistakes from your opponent.

5. Many new tennis players get confused about where to hit the ball or what strategy to use. In general, beginning tennis players should aim high with a controlled swing. Net clearance is key. Clear the net by a good 5-8 feet for safety. Aim either cross court or aim for the middle of the court. Again, playing the safer shots means playing the odds. Build your game on a solid foundation of consistency. Steady Eddy beats Flashy Freddy!

Now, get out there, have some fun, and get fit!