Tennis

Tennis has ranked as one of the world’s most popular participation and spectator sports, with competitors and fans in over one hundred countries around the globe. Countless people worldwide, mostly amateurs, play the game in either amateur competitions or simply as a recreational activity with friends.

Whatever the reason for involvement in this most loved sport, whether serious in becoming a great player or plainly for the fun of it, or merely deriving pleasure from watching a favorite star and player compete, some helpful facts and basics of tennis will complete your appreciation of the game.

Tennis Basics

Basically speaking, tennis is a sport played by singles or doubles category. The “singles” match is participated by two players, while the “doubles” involve two teams having two players for each team. The doubles can be played as a same-sex category, such as male-male or female-female team up, or mixed. There are different rules for singles and doubles play, and there’s a different division for men’s tennis and women’s tennis.

The player uses a “stringed racquet” called a tennis racquet, used to strike a ball over the net into an opponent’s court. The tennis ball is a “hollow rubber ball” that is covered with felt, and comes with a standard size and standard color.

A match is typically composed of two “five sets”. For men’s tennis, the set is best out of five sets, while women’s tennis is best out of three sets. The set is finished when the player wins six games, and winning the game by two; take for instance, if the score is at 5-1, and the one scoring five games wins the next match, she/he wins that set. A new set starts. The set is extended till a player wins a two-game margin or an option of “tiebreaker” is announced at the start of the game.

Tennis Preparation

Tennis is more than just a game of rules and strokes. Winning a game means a player being physically healthy and mentally strong. This means proper training, exercise, healthy diet, and disciplined lifestyle. A number of matches test ones strength and endurance as a player, and it helps if a player is ready for the unknown challenger before stepping on the court.

Being more spirited and determined than the opponent will be the greatest strength a player can have. Of course, being mentally and physically ready is very important, as well as having the “necessary” things inside a tennis bag. The essential items available to a player during a match is absolutely important, as it can make a difference between winning or losing, or being ready with a broken or sprained body part. Careful players need to be ready for anything that can happen.
Here are some important items that should be included in the tennis bag: an extra tennis racquet, few cases of tennis balls, wrist protectors, grips, towel, extra clothing, first aid kit, water bottle, sun block, extra strings, healthy snack.

The Right Tennis Attire

There are certain outfits appropriate for the type of tennis game one plays. For tournaments, special outfits are necessary and players can be disqualified from a game without this attire. Ladies are required to wear a tennis shirt, tennis skirt, and tennis shoes. Men are required to wear a tennis shirt, tennis shorts, and appropriate tennis shoes. It is also proper to wear white if possible, as it enable a player to stay cool all through the game, especially during really hot weathers.

These days, there are so many ways to learn tennis or improve one’s skills. Like any other famous sport, the first big step is to know more about the game. This way, you’ll already appreciate the game, even before you do your first big stroke.