How to Get Better At Tennis and Dominate On Court!

To get better at tennis, you need to master the fundamentals. These include grip, basic technique, footwork and strategy.

It then requires consistent practice and focused skill development.

In this guide, I will break down the key facets of the game. This will help cut your learning curve and help you become a better player fast!

I am Chris, a British tennis player based in London, ERSA Pro Stringer, and a fan of all things tennis. I have spent hours researching this in-depth, so you don’t have to (you’re welcome!). Seeing as you got this far, let’s jump straight in! Feel free to skip ahead to the bit that interests you!

Understanding the basics

To understand how to get better at tennis, you have to master the fundamentals! Just like any new skill, you can’t improve until you do this.

The good news is that once you do, you can see big improvements quite quickly. So, where do you start?

Well, unless you know how to hold your racquet, you won’t get very far! You need to learn about all those names to start! There are names like Eastern Grip, Western Grip and Continental Grip. They won’t mean much at the beginning!

Thankfully, the guys over at Head have done a nice little video talking about grips, which is well worth watching. What I’d say in the first instance is experiment! Find out what grip feels right for you!

Oh, while we are on the subject of grips, don’t forget about overgrips! I recommend changing them often. Once it wears down, you lose your grip (no pun intended), and this really impacts how well you hit the ball.

Next comes stance! No, this isn’t about posing in court before you ask. Stance is all about the correct balance and control during rallies. People often overlook this aspect!

If you want to improve your groundstrokes, focus on positioning yourself before your shot. Seek out a good coach to show you how to do this correctly.

I cannot emphasize enough how important this is when it comes to hitting the ball cleanly.

Don’t forget about footwork, either. This is equally important in tennis. Being agile and mastering your footwork will enable you to reach more balls.

Think ‘light on your feet’. Focus on light, springy steps before and after each shot. Watch Federer for the perfect example. He glides on the court!

Begin to integrate these basics into your practice sessions. I promise you’ll notice improvements in your tennis game!

Developing a strong understanding of grip, stance, and footwork will pay dividends! This is key when you begin to incorporate more technical aspects of the game!

Perfecting your serve

As mentioned earlier, focusing on grip and stance is important. This is just as true on serve!

A continental grip or ‘hammer‘ grip [1] is best as it gives you versatility. It will allow you to serve with a slice or kick.

I like the kick or slice serve, as you can angle the ball off-court. This makes it harder for the returner to hit with any power.

Don’t forget about your stance! This is also important in serving. As a guide, your feet should be shoulder-width apart as this gives you balance.

If you really want to improve, don’t just focus on one serve! Keep your opponent guessing!

So go out and practice different types of serves—flat, spin, and slice. Then you can mix it up in your match and keep your opponent off-guard!

Each type of serve has its tactical advantages. It really depends on the match situation. Generally, kick serves (where you hit up on the ball) are ideal for second serves.

There is more margin for error as the ball is on an upward trajectory. Therefore, it is less likely to go in the net. At least, that is the idea anyway!

Don’t underestimate rhythm, either! I prefer to develop a smooth serving routine that you carry out before each point starts. It really helps me when I am feeling tight in a match, too.

One thing I have found useful is to stick 3 balls into a long sock and pratice the smooth serving motion. I know it sounds crazy. But trust me, it really works.

I found a video of a coach at Online Tennis Instruction demonstrating this, which I recommend watching!

So next time you have some spare time, grab a sock and some tennis balls and practice, practice, practice! You might look silly, but it will pay off when you hit the courts!

Mastering the groundstrokes

Mastering groundstrokes is essential if you want to dominate on the court! Groundstrokes include forehands, backhands and volleys!

Let’s start with your forehand. You don’t need to hit it like Alcaraz to win matches!

That said, the forehand is usually going to be your most powerful shot. A good coach will teach you the proper technique.

However, the basics come down to proper grip and body rotation. These will help generate both speed and spin! Maybe one day, you’ll be the next Alcaraz or Swiatek!

On to the backhand, try both a one-handed and two-handed. You’ll soon work out which one feels right. Each has its advantages [2]!

As a one-hander myself, there is nothing better than hitting that perfect down-the-line one-hander! But I totally get why people prefer the two-handed backhand. It is far more stable.

On the backhand, try to experiment with different grips to find what feels comfortable. The most important thing will be ensuring you maintain balance throughout your swing.

Next, come volleys! Volleys require quick reflexes and good footwork! For some reason, people neglect the footwork!

The closer you are to the net when you hit the volley, the easier it will be to intercept the shot. Just focus on keeping your racket in front of you for better control.

Then it is about practice! Practice makes permanent. Ideally, find someone of a similar or better level than you and arrange a hit regularly. You’ll soon see your shots improve.

Alternatively, even hitting against a wall can really improve consistency in all three strokes. Don’t look for perfection. The enemy of good is perfect!

Honestly, after years of playing the game, focus on repetition! Get the basics learned, and then go out and practice them. It builds muscle memory, which is crucial for match situations.

Developing a strong mental game

Next comes my favourite part! The mental side. Again, this aspect is often neglected. For more details on the mental side of the game see my article on is tennis hard to learn.

A strong mental game is just as crucial as physical skills in tennis. If I look back at all the competitive matches I have played, it is usually the mental side that lets me down.

It really can be the difference between winning and losing. This is especially true in tight matches. Here are some of the things I have found to help me most:

• Visualization – Before stepping onto the court, picture yourself executing a perfect serve. Or a strong forehand. Feel confident as you do it. This mental rehearsal increases the chances of you executing the shot well.
• Breathing – Breathing exercises really help with focus. I recommend taking deep breaths to calm your nerves before serving or during breaks.
• Embrace the challenge – If you are playing in competitions, embrace the challenge. I find it better to embrace it rather than fear it. It is just a simple shift in approach, but it really helps!
• Positive self-talk – It takes practice and discipline, but it is just habit at the end of the day. Simple phrases like “next point” or “you got this” can really give you a boost. It also acts as a trigger to keep you focussed.
• Routines – These really help in stressful moments. It can be as simple as bouncing the ball a certain number of times before serving. Or adjusting your strings between points. It creates familiarity in high-pressure moments.

I learned so much from listening to Djokovic. He is often talking about his mental game. He is so mentally tough. Watch this video where he talks about the mental side of the game; it is fascinating.

Training off the court

One way to really improve your tennis? Off-court training! I know what you are thinking. Sounds like hard work.

Well, it can be. But it is also really enjoyable! Focus on exercises that enhance agility, strength, and flexibility.

Trust me, if you do, you won’t regret it. The confidence it gives you out on the court is huge. The other big benefit? Injury prevention.

I got so many injuries in my early years because I neglected this part. My view changed as I got fed up with being out of the game. Get fit to play tennis, not the other way around.

I am not a personal trainer, so this is not my expertise. That said, if you can incorporate plyometric drills like box jumps, that is a good start. It will boost explosive power.

Why do you need explosive power, I hear you ask? Trust me, it will translate into quicker movements during matches. You’ll get to more balls and enjoy the game more!

One thing a lot of people overlook is core strength. But it is critical for tennis. I recommend workouts such as planks or medicine ball rotations.

I know it may not seem obvious, but a strong core stabilizes your body. This is crucial when trying to execute a shot with good rotation.

Resistance training is really important, too. It will pay off, I promise you. You don’t need to lift heavy weights.

You can use bands or light weights to strengthen your arms and legs. You need this for solid groundstrokes and serve.

I mentioned balance earlier. This is so important before you hit a shot. Things like single-leg stands or stability ball routines are really good for this!

Incorporating strategy into your game

When it comes to match time, you need a strategy! You need more than just skill!

Sorry to break it to you! I see plenty of people down at the courts with fantastic technique. But when it comes to match time, they do the same old thing.

Strategy doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler it is, the easier it is to execute.

What should you focus on? Well, your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses! Simple right?

Well, it can be. When you are warming up with your opponent, look out for any weaknesses you can target. In my experience, this is often their backhand.

As the match goes on, always be on the lookout for any areas they struggle with. Then try to exploit this!

It can be things like high balls or getting down to a sliced low shot. Pick up on these things and try to adjust your play.

It is worth having some basic patterns of play in your head already worked out. These can be as simple as mixing up the speed and spin of your shot. Or it could be slicing low to their backhand. And then coming in to finish the point at the net.

Don’t be predictable. I wasted so much time early on just hitting balls back and hoping my opponent would make a mistake. It doesn’t work!

Staying motivated and consistent

Over the years, I realized that one important thing matters above all else. Staying motivated. It might sound easy. But when things don’t go your way, you often want to give up.

But at the risk of sounding cliche again, setbacks are essential for growth. What I have found really helps is setting clear goals. This really helps maintain focus.

Rather than focus on just winning, I found it far better to focus on things I could control. I then broke these down into smaller chunks.

It could be as simple as improving my 1st serve percentage. Or it could be getting one more ball back in practice.

I’m going to be cliche again; forgive me. But it is so important to celebrate each victory, no matter how minor. This is crucial in staying motivated.

Also, if you can seek out other players with a positive mindset, it really helps. Getting a good coach on board helps, too. They can inspire and push you on when needed.

I have found coaches helpful because of their encouragement. It can make a world of difference on difficult days.

Mix things up, too. You can’t just do the same things all the time! You’ll get bored and lose motivation.

I recommend joining drills at your club or entering local tournaments. It adds variety and fun.

As I said earlier, always remember that setbacks are part of the process. I cannot emphasize this enough! Use them as learning opportunities.

If you allow yourself to do this, I promise you you’ll grow more resilient and learn to love this sport even more!

Over to you!

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