Learn Tennis
The classic racquet sport for a lifetime of play. Work through 6 modules of lessons, quizzes and practice — all built from the knowledge graph. Track your progress as you go.
Before you start
- Take a beginner lesson or clinic to learn a safe grip and swing
- Rally gently against a practice wall or with a patient partner
- Play short “mini-tennis” points inside the service boxes to build control
Get to know the game
Start with how the sport works — the basic rules and how it is scored. A few minutes here saves confusion later.
Milestone: You can explain the aim of the game, its basic rules and how it is scored.
Lessons
Tennis serving rules
The rules governing how a tennis point begins, including where the server stands and where the serve must land.
RuleFoot fault
A serving fault called when the server's foot touches the baseline or court before striking the ball.
RuleLet
A call that stops a point and has it replayed without penalty, used across several racket sports.
RuleTouching the net
A net-play rule that penalises a player for contacting the net during a rally in net-divided sports.
RuleHindrance, lets and permanent fixtures
What happens when something outside the rally interferes — the difference between a deliberate and unintentional hindrance, and the rule that a permanent fixture is never a hindrance.
RuleContinuous play and the time between points
What the ITF Rules say about pace of play — 25 seconds between points, 90 seconds at a changeover, 120 at a set break — and why tour rulebooks are a separate document.
Quick check: Get to know the game
1. Which of these is a core skill in Tennis?
2. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
Practice checklist
- Read the basic rules and how scoring works
- Watch a few minutes of real play
- Explain the aim of the game to someone else
Common mistakes
- Trying to play before you understand how a point is won
- Skipping the rules and picking up misconceptions
Practice goals
- Explain the object of the game in one sentence
- Follow a full point or passage of play without confusion
What you’ll need
The essential equipment, and the kind of place you’ll play. Most sports need far less to get started than people expect.
Milestone: You know what equipment you need to start and the kind of place the sport is played.
Lessons
Tennis racquet
A strung frame with a handle, used to hit the ball in tennis. Head size, weight and balance vary to suit different playing styles.
EquipmentTennis ball
A hollow rubber ball covered in felt used in tennis and related racquet sports.
EquipmentSports bag
A roomy bag for carrying kit, footwear and gear to and from training, usually with a separate compartment for wet or muddy items.
EquipmentThe tennis net, posts and singles sticks
The net's two heights and the hardware that holds them — post height and position, the singles sticks that convert a doubles net, and the strap and band that finish it.
EquipmentTennis ball types and specifications
The four ITF ball types and what separates them — mass, size, rebound and deformation — plus the counterintuitive rule that fast balls are for slow courts.
EquipmentWhat the Rules regulate about a tennis racket
The surprisingly short list of things the ITF fixes about a racket — a flat, uniform stringing pattern and no energy sources — and the two decided cases that settle what players may use.
Quick check: What you’ll need
1. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
2. In sport, what does “Grip Tape” mean?
Practice checklist
- Identify the essential equipment
- Borrow or buy entry-level gear
- Check any venue equipment rules
Common mistakes
- Overspending on advanced gear before you know you’ll continue
- Ignoring fit and safety in favour of looks
Practice goals
- Turn up with everything you need to play
- Know what each essential item is for
Learn the core skills
The fundamental skills the sport is built on. These are what to practise first — everything else builds on them.
Milestone: You can name the core skills and know which ones to practise first.
Lessons
Serving
The skill of putting the ball or shuttle into play to start a point or rally.
SkillReturning serve
The skill of reading and playing back an opponent’s serve to stay in the rally.
SkillRallying
The skill of exchanging shots back and forth to build and win a point.
SkillNet play
The skill of controlling points close to the net with volleys and touch shots.
SkillFootwork
The skill of moving efficiently around the playing area to be in position for each shot or action.
Quick check: Learn the core skills
1. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
2. In sport, what does “Grommet” mean?
Practice checklist
- Name the core skills
- Practise the two or three that matter most first
- Get feedback on one skill
Common mistakes
- Chasing flashy skills before the fundamentals are solid
- Practising without any feedback loop
Practice goals
- Perform the core skills at a basic, repeatable level
- Know which skill to work on next
Build your technique
How specific movements and shots are performed. Learn these once the basics feel comfortable, one at a time.
Milestone: You understand how the key techniques are performed and when they are used.
Lessons
Topspin Forehand
A forehand groundstroke hit with a low-to-high swing that puts forward spin on the ball so it dips and kicks up on landing.
TechniqueOne-Handed Backhand
A backhand groundstroke struck with a single hand on the grip, driving through the ball with a full extension of the hitting arm.
TechniqueTennis Serve
The overhead stroke that starts every point, hit from behind the baseline into the diagonally opposite service box.
TechniqueVolley
A shot played near the net by blocking the ball out of the air before it bounces, using a short, firm punch rather than a full swing.
TechniqueFlat, slice and kick serves
The three serves and what actually separates them — the contact point on the ball and the toss that makes it possible — plus what each one does to the ball after it bounces.
TechniqueThe return of serve
Tennis's most under-coached shot — where to stand against a first and second serve, why blocking beats swinging, and what the Rules allow a returner to do.
Quick check: Build your technique
1. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
2. In sport, what does “Grommet” mean?
Practice checklist
- Break a key technique into its steps
- Practise it slowly before adding speed
- Film or check your form
Common mistakes
- Adding power or speed before the movement is grooved
- Copying a pro’s style without the underlying basics
Practice goals
- Perform a key technique with sound, safe form
- Self-correct one common fault
Understand tactics & strategy
How the game is actually played and thought about — the tactics and bigger-picture strategy that turn skills into a game.
Milestone: You can follow how the game is played tactically, not just physically.
Lessons
Serve and volley
An attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
TacticBaseline play
A patient tennis style built around rallying from the back of the court and constructing points with groundstrokes.
TacticDoubles formation
How a pair positions itself on court — one up, one back, or both at the net — to control space in doubles.
TacticNet play
Controlling the point from close to the net with volleys, smashes and touch shots to cut down an opponent’s time.
TacticApproaching the net
How a point is moved forward — which balls justify an approach, why the approach is hit down the line, and the transition volley that has to be played from no-man's land.
TacticCrosscourt and down the line
The geometry that makes crosscourt the default tennis shot — the net is lower in the middle and the court is longer on the diagonal — and when down the line is worth its extra risk.
Quick check: Understand tactics & strategy
1. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
2. In sport, what does “Half-volley” mean?
Practice checklist
- Learn one simple tactic or pattern
- Watch how better players use space and timing
- Try the tactic in a low-pressure game
Common mistakes
- Learning tactics before you can execute the skills
- Copying complex strategy without understanding why
Practice goals
- Apply one tactic deliberately in a game
- Explain why a common tactic works
Train your body for it
The physical qualities the sport asks for, and ways to build them. Educational — not a personalised plan.
Milestone: You know which physical qualities the sport asks for and, in general terms, how they are built.
Lessons
Agility
Changing direction quickly and under control while staying balanced — decelerating, reorienting and re-accelerating without losing your feet.
Physical qualityCoordination
Getting your body parts to work together smoothly and accurately, often with what you see.
Quick check: Train your body for it
1. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
2. In sport, what does “Hard Court” mean?
Practice checklist
- Identify the physical qualities the sport asks for
- Add one simple conditioning habit
- Warm up and recover properly
Common mistakes
- Training hard with no recovery
- Ignoring the qualities the sport actually demands
Practice goals
- Build one relevant physical quality over time
- Train consistently without overdoing it
Course knowledge check
Test what you’ve learned across the whole course. Every option is a real fact from the knowledge graph.
Tennis knowledge check
1. Which of these is a core skill in Tennis?
2. In sport, what does “Ace” mean?
3. In sport, what does “Core Stability” mean?
4. In sport, what does “Grip” mean?
5. In sport, what does “Seeding” mean?
Recommended reading
Continue learning
How this course is built