how can i be able to play singles at tennis?

June 18th, 2009
John asked:


i just started playing tennis last year and joined the jv tennis team in my school…i played doubles and i really sucked!! my doubles partner and i always get bageled in most of our game..fortunately, i got better later on and recieved the most improved player award..now this year, i am desperate to get even more better and eventually play singles.

tips from anyone on how can i get better and be able to play singles?

4 Responses to “how can i be able to play singles at tennis?”

  1. WiseOne Says:
    June 19th, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Get lessons from a pro.

  2. lonliness is curse Says:
    June 20th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

    buy a pc game and start playing

  3. Mista-J Says:
    June 22nd, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    Hey there - best of luck. there are a few tips i would give you. in the level you play - the serve can be your best asset. You need to work hard on your serve and that will help you a lot.
    you also need to work on top spin . with top spin the ball stays low and is hard to return. i am sure you have heard this but when you hit the ball back, strike it at the highest point possible.
    the other thing you have to do is to find your opponents weakness and then exploit it. i was watching a jv match last week and the opponent could not take more than 3 steps and hit the ball over the net. you need to be able to see those things in the match and keep hitting there. what will happen is the opponent overcompensates for their weakness then you can go crosscourt for the easy point.
    the last thing is … do not be afraid to challenge the singles players. there should be a challenge system on your tennis team and do it as often as possible.

  4. Alex Says:
    June 24th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    One of the biggest differences you’ll notice is that singles requires a lot more stamina (assuming you are playing against someone who can really place the ball). You will find that a good opponent (even one with inferior strength) can just tire you out by making you run back and forth and end up overtaking you in the later stages of the match.

    As far as improvement - find a partner - a friend or someone in your area who would be willing to play with you. Find a local tennis court (or use your school’s) and play. The more you play the better you will be.

    First, I would say that you should get your serve to where it has some power. After that work on placing your shots. You want to have good control of the ball (keep in mind that the court is a lot smaller in singles and you’ll need a better feel/control of your shots). Once you get those two aspects of the game, work on the placement of the serve - in other words you want power & location on the serve. Then, add more power to your shots. Here again, you want power and placement on your shots. You will find that as you get better you can overpower some opponents. For example, if you have a good backhand (or forehand) you can sometimes put so much spin and power on the ball that your opponent can power it back over the net. Finally, work on spins (but you will find that if you play enough you will naturally start to get a good feel for shots and spins).

    Again, the more you play, the better you will be - also you will find that where you had to think to place a ball in a certain location early on - the shots will become instinctual. A good example is catching a person on a return where you place your shot in the corner they just returned from, right as they start heading the other way (if you time this right, their momentum won’t let them turn and prepare for the shot in time). This is not something most beginners can do, as the first instinct is to shoot it to the opposite corner - which sometimes works too - unless you are facing a quick opponent.

    One other thing you can try with a friend to get a good feel of the ball - at the end of the practice - when both of you are too tired to go on. Come to the net and work on your net game. Assume that the entire field is the two serve boxes on either side and try to play that way. Anything beyond the boxes is an out. That will really help with placing your shots and spins.

    Just some thoughts - hope this helps a bit…

    P.S. –> Obviously, if you can afford it - lessons from a good coach will certainly speed your improvement up…