After watching the Australian Open, you might have been inspired to finally take up tennis.
Seeing the male and female stars bash the ball across the court can be pretty exhilarating so let’s get you up to speed on what you’ll need.
So, without further ado, let’s get cracking. First thing’s first: the racquet.
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Unless you’re Rafael Nadal, you don’t need to worry about every little detail. If you’re just getting started then male players will probably want a racquet that is between 170 and 200 grams and women will want one a little lighter that’s around 150 to 180 grams.
You’ll also want to get one that has a big head (which is the strings part) as you want to have the best chance of hitting the ball. There are four different grip sizes that cater to people of all different hand sizes.
Beginner racquets can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 and it’s completely up to you if you want to go for top of the range or something simple while you’re still finding your feet.
Speaking of feet, you can buy shoes that are specific to tennis.
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They’ve been designed to give you the support and cushioning that you’ll need to run back and forth across the court, but it’ll also protect your feet and joints for those quick stops and starts.
They can be pretty pricey, depending on which brand you select, and could run well into the $200 range. If that’s not in your budget, then you can always just play in your running trainers.
While you might see players at Wimbledon wearing all white to their matches, that isn’t the official uniform of the game.
You can wear whatever makes the game most comfortable, however you’ll probably want to opt for shorts and a t-shirt.
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Make sure the shorts are baggy enough to allow you to run around and stretch your legs out because there’s a lot of that in tennis. It’s also handy to have ones with pockets so you can keep a ball or two on hand while playing.
In terms of balls, you can get them at loads of sports retailers and it’s probably good to go middle of the range if you’re just starting out.
When you’ve got all that in your kit, you’re ready to go.
Head over to the Play Tennis website and you can see where your nearest tennis court is. You will be able to find a tennis court and a time that suits you and you can finally try to replicate what you saw on the telly.
Stewart Perrie