Getting Started

Hey. I'm a 16 year old male who recently got into tennis. The outdoor season is about to start, and I'm planning on getting into tennis in a big way.

I'm not aiming for pro. What I'm aiming for is to be the best I can be, and to compete and win in tournaments to improve myself. I want to see how far and how fast I can go, until I peak.

The reason I'm posting this thread is to collect advice on how to get started on the right foot. I'm trying to avoid wasting a season making beginners mistakes. My plan so far is to get tennis lessons (private with the local pro) about once a week to keep my technique correct and to avoid developing bad habits, and practice alot.

However, I don't know much about what racket to choose, or how to do training (gym or elsewhere) to accelerate my learning and ability. I'm fairly athletic, but mostly by playing sports (not by training).

So any help with rackets (I'm looking at getting a Wilson n4), or training, or ANY general advice to get me going would be appreciated.
 
Try to find a store where you can demo rackets, that is the only way you will know what you like.

FWIW..... you may ask the same question in the racket section.
 
Don't really know your style of play so it's kind of hard to recommend something to demo. Maybe start with an oversize for now and slowly decrease the headsize as your control and racquet head speed improve.

Don't know why you'd have to find a store to demo racquets, there's plenty of great ones right here on TW. :)
 
Hey. I'm a 16 year old male who recently got into tennis. The outdoor season is about to start, and I'm planning on getting into tennis in a big way.

I'm not aiming for pro. What I'm aiming for is to be the best I can be, and to compete and win in tournaments to improve myself. I want to see how far and how fast I can go, until I peak.

The reason I'm posting this thread is to collect advice on how to get started on the right foot. I'm trying to avoid wasting a season making beginners mistakes. My plan so far is to get tennis lessons (private with the local pro) about once a week to keep my technique correct and to avoid developing bad habits, and practice alot.

However, I don't know much about what racket to choose, or how to do training (gym or elsewhere) to accelerate my learning and ability. I'm fairly athletic, but mostly by playing sports (not by training).

So any help with rackets (I'm looking at getting a Wilson n4), or training, or ANY general advice to get me going would be appreciated.

reading up on here will be a good start! check out the health&fitness for training tips, the gear section for what racquets to check out, and this section for tactical and strategical advice.

seeing a pro weekly will help you a lot, and i would just soak in as much info as possible. get a basket full of balls and work on your serve on your own time. make sure you are fully warmed up before you hit the courts and start hitting the ball around.

how long have you been playing and what type of racquet are you using at the moment? starting with an OS frame would probably be best, and you can find some good buys in the liquidation section here on TW. good luck!
 
Hey. I'm a 16 year old male who recently got into tennis. The outdoor season is about to start, and I'm planning on getting into tennis in a big way.

I'm not aiming for pro. What I'm aiming for is to be the best I can be, and to compete and win in tournaments to improve myself. I want to see how far and how fast I can go, until I peak.

The reason I'm posting this thread is to collect advice on how to get started on the right foot. I'm trying to avoid wasting a season making beginners mistakes. My plan so far is to get tennis lessons (private with the local pro) about once a week to keep my technique correct and to avoid developing bad habits, and practice alot.

However, I don't know much about what racket to choose, or how to do training (gym or elsewhere) to accelerate my learning and ability. I'm fairly athletic, but mostly by playing sports (not by training).

So any help with rackets (I'm looking at getting a Wilson n4), or training, or ANY general advice to get me going would be appreciated.

Welcome to tennis!!! New blood is always welcomed! Play nice!

Br
 
I'm in the ottawa area. Does anyone know a good tennis store here?

I had been using a cheap walmart racquet for casual play, but that was given away to a younger cousin, so now I'm racquetless.

PS that's a great site, CantBeBeat!
 
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