Learn to Play Pro Tennis Before a Game Screen at Home!

Learn to Play Pro Tennis Before a Game Screen at Home!

By Barbara F. Watson 1 week ago

Do you want to learn to play tennis but you are embarrassed to show how little you know about the game or how uncoordinated you are? Or, maybe you simply want to improve your game before you go out for doubles with friends. Well, you can learn to play tennis on your own! Yes, you do have to get out on the court eventually, of course, but you can learn online with lessons and videos and with a Wii video-game program, doing the moves right in your own home.

There are various online lessons through Squidoo, YouTube videos, and great websites like Tennis4You. For example, Tennis4You offers six free online tennis lessons, which can help you to learn tennis in a short amount of time. After an introductory lesson, defining grip, foot position and a ready stance, you learn the basic strokes:

  • First, forehand is the easiest stroke to start with and the forehand grip is most important. Then take a forehand follow-through motion over the shoulder which finishes over the opposite shoulder.
  • Second is a backhand lesson with a good backhand follow-through. It should end with the arm extended and parallel to the ground at shoulder height with the racquet pointing up.
  • Third is the serve, and the 3 main components that separate a typical “frying pan” or “waiter” serve from an advanced serve are: grip, sideways position relative to the target and hitting the ball with a slice or spin.
  • Fourth, the return is the same as the forehand or backhand stroke.
  • Fifth, the volley is the easiest stroke technically but is still difficult to prepare and make the follow through so that the stroke is effective.
  • Sixth and last, the overhead smash. This shot requires a lot of practice and timing is so important because the ball must be at a near 90-degree angle to the racquet to be effective.

Once, you’ve slowly studied the basics online and practiced with your racquet, then get out the tennis video-games and jump right in and repeat your tennis game until you can play against the pros. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But here’s the fun you can have playing before your video-game player screen!

Using the Grand Slam Tennis game on Wii delivers one of the most realistic tennis experience ever developed on a video-gaming platform. Anyone can quickly pick up a racquet and your motions will follow with real life tennis strokes in the game, using every shot type and inch of the court.

This video-game includes all four Grand Slams, which are the four major world tennis tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. The player line-up features the most accomplished players to compete against and includes John McEnroe in his video-game debut. Together, the roster of legendary men and women players have achieved 135 Grand Slam singles titles. It is the most accomplished group of players ever assembled for a tennis video-game.

You will feel like they are actually playing tennis as you swing real forehands and backhands. You can hit a variety of shots, such as the classics you learned online–forehand, backhand, serve, return, volley, overhead smash–and new ones on Grand Slam–top spin, slice, flat, lobs and drop shots. This tennis game is one of the first games compatible with the new peripheral, Wii MotionPlus. When the peripheral is added, the playing experience is enhanced with added shot depth and precise ball placement. Racquet rotation is also recognized so you can spin your racquet just like the pros do!

Now, you can go social and throw a Tennis Party. On Wii, a dozen party video-games can be played, using seven core Tennis Academy-style games with party-friendly scoring and presentation. Or, you can connect online and play against new opponents there. Every win contributes to your country on the “Battle of the Nations” leader board.

Just as in the real world, you can hone your skills on the practice courts of the video-game with controllable ball machines at every venue. Feedback with instructional pop-ups help to improve your abilities. Therefore, you can learn tennis without embarrassment and uncoordinated missed-steps. You can, indeed, improve your game or learn to play tennis totally on your own! Yes, you do have to get out on the real court someday, but you can learn online right in your own home. Soon you will swing the racquet like a Grand Slam champion!

(c) 2012 Elizabeth McMillian