You should always take tennis lessons in the basics of tennis for beginners. Learning the basic movements with a qualified professional teacher is very important  to create a solid foundation for your future tennis technique. But, you can also have fun with a friend or parent.

- Tennis the easy way! How to learn a natural forehand in a basic type of stroke for people just learning the game:

1. Ground-strokes:

THE TENNIS FOREHAND

1. Start by just holding one tennis ball, bounce it of the ground with one hand and catch it again either with one hand or both. Do this 10 or 15 times alone.
   
   
2. Get a partner (parent/coach) standing about 6 to 8 feet in front of you and start throwing a tennis ball under handed towards each other (bouncing once or twice) and catching it again with one hand or both. Do this 15 or 20 times.*
   
   
   
3. Repeat step 2 but instead of catching the ball use the open palm of your dominant hand to gently hold and push the ball towards your partner in an upwards motion. See if you can keep the ball in play with one bounce (or two) between you. Try counting until you traded the ball 10 times with each other.  Remember use the open palm of your hand.
   
   
4. As a beginner you should not be concerned with grips, now just hold the racket as it feels comfortable to you. The forehand is hit with the palm of your hand facing the ball. The forehand ground-stroke begins with a slight, short backswing and forward swing through the ball contact.
   
   
5. If you are using an adult racket,  a shortened grip on the racket is advised for very young players or the use of an age adequate smaller racket.
   
   
6. Start without a net having your partner about 6 to 8 feet in front of you and drop feed the ball by hand to your friend and he/she should just tap it with the racket back to you for a catch with two hands or one hand as you get more skilled.
   
   
7. If the ball bounces more then once between both of you it does not matter.  As your friend is able to tap the ball back to you and you are able to catch it, trade positions after 10 strokes then your partner feeds and you tap the ball.
   
   
   
8. Then do the same three or four times 10 shots in a row to each other (by each counting out-loud each hit; 1, 2 , 3 etc..).
   
   
9. Now lengthen the the distance between both players to 10 to 12 feet and the backswing will be a little longer but continue to hit the ball gently and at a slow pace to the catcher.
   
   
10. If your hand fed rate of success is very high and many balls are nicely struck, go back to phase 3.- and repeat it all but this time both using tennis rackets, ball feeding by dropping the ball on the ground and then gently tap it to your partner therefore starting a mini-rally by trading balls with each other.
    
    
11. Go through Steps 4 to 9.
    
    
12. By now you may be tired. Just take a break and do some other activity like bouncing a basket ball with one hand or bounce it switching hands or use a Balance Beam for a little fun and balance exercise.
    
    
13.  As a beginner remember that, you will need to toss and hit the ball gently to understand and feel the stroke you are learning!  Later on this will be key for you to self-correct or adapt to difficult conditions (wind, sun) and pressure situations in competition.  *You can also do the same exercise by tossing the ball directly in the air to each other (without bouncing it).

Enjoy learning how to play  "The Game" with Sérgio Cruz

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