Tennis Introduction

Introduction & Assessment

## Introduction & Assessment Tennis looks simple until you actually try to hit a moving ball with a racket — then it gets humbling fast. That's the fun part. Before your first swing, spend 10 minutes watching how the ball bounces and how players position their bodies *before* the ball arrives. Check out free beginner lessons from the United States Tennis Association at **usta.com/en/home/improve/tips-and-instruction.html**. Salt Lake City has free public courts all over the valley — Fairmont Park and Sugar House Park both have courts you can use any time. Bounce a ball off your racket strings (like a paddle) to get a feel for the sweet spot. You're ready for the next step when you can identify the sweet spot on your racket and bounce a ball 15 times in control.

Foundation Building

## Foundation Building The forehand groundstroke is the bread-and-butter shot in tennis. Use a semi-western grip (put your hand flat on the strings, then slide it down to the handle — that's close enough to start). Swing low to high, contact the ball in front of your body, and follow through so the racket finishes over your opposite shoulder. Have someone toss you 20 balls and focus only on making clean contact — don't worry about where it lands yet. The Tennis Club of Salt Lake offers group intro clinics that are worth checking out, and the USTA has free video instruction at **usta.com** to supplement your practice. You're ready for the next step when you can make clean forehand contact (solid sound, controlled direction) on 12 out of 20 tossed balls.

Skill Development

## Skill Development Add the backhand and the serve to your toolkit. For the backhand, try two hands first — it gives you more control early on. For the serve, start with a "trophy position" (racket pointing up, toss arm reaching toward the sky) and practice the motion slowly before adding speed. Hit serves into one service box 20 times and count how many land in. Also practice rallying from the baseline — try to keep the ball in play for 6 consecutive shots. Free training guides from the USTA at **usta.com** break down both the two-handed backhand and beginner serve mechanics. You're ready for the next step when you can sustain a 6-shot baseline rally and land 10 out of 20 serves in the correct service box.

Practice & Refinement

## Practice & Refinement Play real points and full games — scoring makes everything different. Use standard scoring: 15, 30, 40, game. When you're playing, watch where your opponent is standing and aim for the open court instead of just hitting it back hard. Practice the volley at the net: keep your racket up, use a short punching motion, and don't swing big. Work on your second serve — make it slower and spin-heavy so you don't double-fault. The courts at Sugar House Park and Liberty Park are great for after-school practice sessions. Track how many double-faults you hit per set and try to cut that number in half each week. You're ready for the next step when you can play a full set using correct scoring and win at least 2 games against someone at your level.

Challenge Mode

## Challenge Mode Time to develop a real game plan. Study one professional match (YouTube has tons for free) and write down how often the point-winner used a specific pattern — like cross-court forehand to open up a down-the-line winner. Try to copy that pattern in your own practice. Learn to hit with topspin intentionally by brushing steeply up the back of the ball. Experiment with slice (underspin) on your backhand — it floats low and gives opponents trouble. The USTA free training guides at **usta.com** have advanced pattern-of-play drills worth working through at this stage. You're ready for the next step when you can intentionally hit both a topspin forehand and a slice backhand and explain the tactical reason to use each.

Mastery Demonstration

## Mastery Demonstration You've built real skills — now pass them on. Teach a beginner the forehand grip, the ready position, and the basic swing. Run a mini-round-robin with 3 or more people, handle the scheduling, and ref matches fairly. Write a one-page "tennis cheat sheet" covering grip, scoring, basic rules, and your top 3 tips for beginners. Post it somewhere or share it with your group. Reflect honestly: what shot improved the most during this quest? What's the one thing you'd work on next? The Tennis Club of Salt Lake has junior programs worth exploring as your next step. You're ready for the next step when you can teach the forehand fundamentals to a beginner and successfully run a round-robin with at least 3 players.