During my childhood, I was involved in activities such as soccer and dance. I tried these sports to find my passion, but nothing felt quite as rewarding and energizing until I started taking tennis lessons. My mom played tennis in high school, so she decided to put me and my sister in tennis lessons when I was around 11 years old (my sister was 14). My mom was not that type of parent to force their kids to follow the same path, but she was curious to see if the tennis gene carried on.
Low and behold, I started to develop a passion for tennis as I continued taking lessons to strengthen my skills. I felt powerful taking control of the tennis court. My two best friends and I began taking group lessons together, starting around 6th grade. Those who may think tennis is an easy sport are sadly mistaken. The concept of hitting a ball back and forth may seem easy, but in practice, there is much more technique and strategy involved to win points against your opponent. The first step to learn is grip styles and how each style can benefit your play. According to Tennis Nation, “Some grips have a natural tendency to swing more through the ball producing a faster and flatter hit ball. Other grips naturally swing low to high generating a ball hit with more spin.”
The most commonly used forehand grip is called the “Continental Grip”, where a person shakes hands with the racket. This means that they way a person would shake someone’s hand would be the grip that they use holding the racket. Other forms include the Eastern, Western and Semi-Western forehand grips, in which different results will occur based on the grip chosen, according to Tennis Nation. In the tennis world, many people favor forehand shots over backhand shots because it feels more natural in form. However, I have always favored my backhand shots. Since I am right-handed, I angle my body in a left parallel stance with my right hand on the bottom of the racket, and my left hand placed just above my right hand. Since a right-handed backhand uses both hands, I produce more power when hitting the ball compared to my forehand side, which only uses my right hand. While this is not the case for other tennis players, I have earned more consistent and powerful shots with my backhand.
The summer entering my freshman year of high school, I tried out for the tennis team with some of my other friends. I was on JV for three years and earned a place on varsity my senior year. During my high school tennis career, I had practices in the summertime leading up to the fall season, as well as practices and games during the fall. I played doubles with one of my friends, so this setup made the sport even more fun! I used to struggle with serving, but got better with my form and consistency by the end of high school. Away games were always interesting — I remember one school I played against had grass courts, so this made the ground more slippery and more difficult to play. But overall, my high school tennis career was very memorable, and at the end of every season, my team would have a party to celebrate our efforts.
My passion and pursuit of tennis also lies in the health benefits that the sport offers. According to Better Health Channel, playing tennis can lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, increase bone density, and improve metabolic function, muscle tone, strength and flexibility. My favorite benefit is that tennis is suited for all ages and skill levels, making it a universal sport that anyone can pick up. I can be 6, 16 or 60 years old playing tennis, which is a great way to stay consistent and remain active throughout your lifetime. Tennis is the one activity that I miss playing, especially being a full-time college student. However, having over 10 years of experience, I can quickly pick up my skills after being sedentary for a while, and I can let go of all my stress on the court.
I hope this article is an inspiring way for you to start playing tennis, and it may not be for everyone, but there is definitely room for growth if you have the time and patience!
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