This handy guide will teach you the basics of the tennis scoring rules, and playing the sport, with helpful tips and words to know before you take to the court.
Read More
PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR ACCOUNT CREATION
Tips and Instruction for Improving Tennis
Do you love playing tennis but can’t seem to improve your skillset? With tips, instructions, and various articles each focused on a certain aspect of the game, you’re able to perfect the sport and better your tennis game.
Remember that tennis is a psychological game, as well. So get past those mental lapses and judgements while you learn to trust your forehand and backhand returns. Visualize success and get the tips and instruction you need to move forward with your game. It starts with having a plan and a focus on your technique.
At USTA, our guides and informative articles help you become the best tennis player possible. Develop your game right here.
Filter By
Tips & Instruction
-
-
A consistent serve is the best way to get more balls in play and start each point right. Here are activities that help you develop consistency while improving your service placement. Read More
-
Use these tips from USTA strength and conditioning coach Jenna Worswick to improve your balance which is essential to tracking and making contact with the ball. Read More
-
What can be adapted? These ideas, taken from a special education standpoint, can apply to on-court adaptive tennis instruction. Read More
-
As a tennis player, it is important that in addition to just knowing and following the rules of the game, you also show good sportsmanship on the court. Sportsmanship includes respecting your opponents, playing fair and doing your part so that everyone is having fun! Read More
-
Get to work with three activities to help improve your return game. Read More
-
Spatial awareness is knowing where you are, the ball is, and your opponent is on the court. Knowing that is critical to winning points. Read More
-
Training with these activities can help add a slice backhand to your game. Read More
-
Webinars, tips, and instructions for tennis players to keep their skills sharp during this time. Read More
-
You want to keep your opponent on his or her toes by changing the speed, placement, and spin on your serve. Read More
-
To be mentally organized on the court, a player must establish routines between points. Read More
-
When teaching a new tennis player or a player who has developmental challenges, breaking down a task into single steps always helps the student to be able to follow it. Read More
-
Here are just a couple of quick tips to focus on a return of serve to help you improve your game. Read More
-
Get ready for a game that will get you ready to attack the net. Read More
-
Six athletes representing Team USA in Tokyo - Dana Mathewson, Tommy Paul, Jessica Pegula, Tennys Sandgren and Conner Stroud - share their go-to tips that will help take your tennis to the next level. Read More
-
Here's a fast-paced doubles game that will keep you on your toes and help you communicate with your doubles partner. Read More
-
Dingles is a fun game to play with four players per court where you combine singles and doubles play. Read More
-
Here are a couple of games for you to practice doubles even with an odd number of players. Rotate, play on, and have fun. Read More
-
Short on time but still want to work on your shot depth? Here's a drill you can do with a friend in just 20 minutes. Grab a friend and let's play! Read More
-
With decades of experience between them, Jenny Taylor, Lori Riffice and Marianne Werdel are three of the most experienced USPTA-certified professionals in the country. Check out their tips on how to improve your tennis game. Read More
-
Ready to work on being more aggressive and charging the net? Smash Attack is a game that can be played with four players or two where you quickly move from baseline, to volley, to overheads. Read More
-
Looking for answers to your burning tennis questions? Look no further than the AD-INbox mailbag, with input from USTA experts. Read More
-
This 10-minute warm-up drill will get your body moving and ready before any match. Read More
-
Ben Zaiser, Head Tennis Professional at the USTA National Campus, has three tactics to help you be more successful when approaching the net. Read More
-
Check out this tennis-court variation of the game Four Square, ideal for three to five players. Read More
-
Learn how to take time away from your opponent by approaching the net in singles with these tips from Ben Zaiser, head tennis professional at the USTA National Campus. Read More
-
Keep your overheads on point with two major tips from Ben Zaiser, head tennis professional at the USTA National Campus. Read More
-
Ben Zaiser, head tennis professional at the USTA National Campus, offers a tip to help you hit more effectively down the line in doubles. Read More
-
Ben Zaiser, Head Tennis Professional at the USTA National Campus, offers a great doubles tip to help you determine the best time to poach. Read More
-
Ben Zaiser, Head Tennis Professional at the USTA National Campus, offers a doubles tip from Down Under to help improve your team’s chance for success. Read More
-
Ben Zaiser, head tennis professional at the USTA National Campus, offers his tips for maintaining your offensive position at the net in doubles. Read More
-
Learn the basics of wheelchair tennis groundstrokes with the USTA's Jason Allen and Jason Harnett. Read More
-
Here's a tip to help you deal with doubles teams that adopt the I-Formation. You don't know which way the net person is moving, but they probably won't stay where they start. Read More
-
USTA pro Marty Lukosiunas demonstrates when it’s good to run around a backhand to hit a forehand. Read More
-
Jason Harnett, the USTA’s national manager and head coach for Team USA’s wheelchair tennis team, shares some great tips to help you understand the teaching aspect of the return of serve to an athlete with a disability who plays tennis in a wheelchair. Read More
-
The high stretch volley can be a tricky shot to execute, but understanding the environment you’re hitting into can help you manage your errors and create more successful outcomes. Read More
-
Take note of what your opponent does on second serves. This will give you a good idea of what to anticipate and how to attack on the return. Read More
-
Jason Harnett, USTA’s National Manager and Head Coach for Team USA’s Wheelchair Tennis Team, share a great tip to help you understand the nuances and working with an athlete in a wheelchair. Read More
-
The Reverse Poach is a tricky little doubles tip that can have the ball coming right to you. Read More
-
Here's a tip to help you pull off a crowd-pleasing tweener from Marty Lukosiunas, Tennis Professional at the USTA National Campus. Read More
-
Jason Harnett, USTA’s National Manager and Head Coach for Team USA’s Wheelchair Tennis Team, shares a great tip to help you understand teaching groundstrokes and mobility patterns to new or seasoned athletes with disabilities looking to play wheelchair tennis. Read More
-
Mechanics aside, the success of your drop volley usually depends on factors before, during and after the shot. Check out these tips to help improve your game. Read More
-
A quick tip for helping you improve the consistency of your one-handed backhand is to start your swing earlier because you'll be making contact with the ball further in front of your body. Read More
-
Jason Harnett, USTA’s National Manager and Head Coach for Team USA’s Wheelchair Tennis Team, shares a great tip to help you understand the very unique mobility patterns that are exclusive to wheelchair tennis. Read More
-
By practicing with a left-handed player, you'll get more reps facing a lefty serve. You can also improve your return by stepping to the left to negate the ball slicing away from you. Read More
-
The serve is the only shot in tennis where you have complete control becaue you start the point by sending instead of receiving the ball. Establishing a service ritual or routine can ensure you take time and find your focus before each point. Read More
-
We’re going to show you a simple activity to get you playing tennis fast, combining simple drills that teach you the footwork and proper grips for forehands and backhands. Read More
-
The most challenging but perhaps least-practiced shot in tennis is the overhead. Though it’s called an “overhead”, you want to get your body positioned behind the ball for a successful shot. Read More
-
One common misconception when hitting slice is that you want your racquet to travel high to low, or the opposite of the low to high swing path on the groundstrokes. Here's how to fix it. Read More
-
At any level of the game, the goal is to keep balls out of the net. For newer players, this can often be more challenging on the backhand side. To keep more backhands in the court rather than in the net, think “air the armpits." Read More
-
Hitting with topspin is a key to developing consistency and depth on your groundstrokes. To generate topspin, you want to brush up on the ball using a low to high swing path. Read More
-
You can improve the placement of your toss by making sure to release the ball from your fingertips rather than the palm of the hand. Place two balls in your hand but just toss the ball positioned in your fingertips. Read More
-
Since the continental grip is used for so many strokes — volleys, serve, slice backhand and overhead — it’s a very important grip to develop as you learn the game. Here's a tip to teach you the correct form. Read More
-
A key to a successful two-handed backhand is engaging your non-dominant hand to swing through the ball. Think of the non-dominant or top hand on this stroke as the “driver” and the bottom hand as the “passenger." Read More
-
This drill is called "Ready, Rally and Recover." It involves returning to your home base spot in the middle of the baseline after every shot to help you be prepared for the next shot. Read More
-
Here's a quick drill for beginners to learn how to hit a forehand. These tips will teach you how to control your shot and will help with your hand-eye coordination. Read More
-
What are the tips and proper technique for a successful forehand in tennis? In this video, USTA professionals show you how to perfect your forehand. Read More
-
Watch this video to learn how hitting cross-court forehands will improve the consistency of your groundstrokes. Read More
-
Dynamic warm-up and flexibility training is an essential element of any pre-practice or pre-competition routine and helps prepare the body for the demands of today’s tennis. Read More
-
Use strategies such as hitting behind your opponent and drawing them into the net with short balls will help you get out in front of the runner-pusher. Read More
-
These tactics will help you get the advantage when you’re playing in pairs. Ensure you don't get burned down the middle or feel like a target at the net. Read More
-
Holding a cup of water when you practice can help you achieve better balance to execute better volleys. Read More
-
To make the most of visualization techniques, have a definitive plan for what you’re visualizing. Read More
-
Use these tips to help you win more battles against that baseline basher. Read More
-
If you want to play better under pressure, you’ve got to practice under pressure. Use these tips to refine your serve so it's there when you need it most. Read More
-
A consistent toss equals a consistent serve. Ensuring a consistent release point on your toss will help you develop a more reliable and effective serve. Read More
-
Having trouble controlling your volleys? Follow the tips in this video from USTA National Campus Director of Tennis Kathy Woods to gain more control and make fewer mishits. Read More
-
Knowing when and where to serve in tennis can be tricky for beginning players. But we're here to help you get your point started. Read More
-
Safely prepare for your matches and stay well, on and off the court. Read More
-
Tennis can be confusing, but we can help. Here, we’ll look at buzzwords that you may want to know before you take to the court. Read More
-
Doubles is a great way to get in the game, get active and have fun with friends. Here are a few helpful tips that you may want to know before you take to the court. Read More
-
In tennis, once you can play a point, you're on your way to competing, having fun and experiencing the sport for a lifetime. We're here to help get you started. Read More
-
Courtesy and sportsmanship are a big part of why tennis is such a great sport to teach, learn and play. Read More
Sign up for our Newsletter
Sign up for our Newsletter