Table of Contents
Acknowledgements iv
A Note about Pronouns iv
Introduction xi
About This Edition xiv
A Short History of the Sport xv
Glossary of Terms xvii
Chapter 1 Rules and Equipment 1
The Basic Rules: An Overview 1
The Lesser-Known Rules 3
Scoring 6
Paddles 8
Paddle Size and Shape 9
Paddle Weight 9
Paddle Material 10
Balls 11
The Court 12
Clothing and Other Equipment 13
Portable Equipment 13
Chapter 2 Grips and Paddle Angles 15
Holding the Paddle 16
The Forehand Grip 17
The Backhand Grip 19
Paddle Angles 21
Flat Face 22
Open Face 23
Closed Face 24
Chapter 3 Body Positions and Strokes 25
Ready Positions 26
When to Hit the Ball 28
The Serve 31
Underhand Serve 32
Forehand (Sidearm) Serve 33
Backhand Serve 35
The Forehand Groundstroke 38
The Backhand Groundstroke 42
The Volley 46
The Overhead Smash 48
The Lob 52
The Drop Shot and Drop Volley 54
Midcourt Volley 56
The Dink 56
Half Volley 58
Backhand and Forehand Sweeps 60
Whatever the Shot, Keep Your Head Still 61
Get Ready for Each Shot 62
Spins 62
Chapter 4 Court Positions and Footwork 67
Your Position During a Serve 69
Serving in Singles 69
Serving in Doubles 70
Footwork and Moving into Position 72
Moving Toward a Shot and Around the Court 72
Running Back for a Ball 73
Rush to the Non-Volley Zone 74
Chapter 5 Warm-Ups and Fitness 77
Flexibility: Warming Up and Then Stretching 77
Warming Up 78
Stretching 78
Strength 79
Aerobic Endurance 80
Tennis Elbow 80
Chapter 6 Strategies and Tactics 83
General Tactics and Strategies 84
Make a Game Plan 84
Improve Your Serve 86
Improve Your Returns to Stay on the Offense 87
When and How to Make Dink Shots 90
When and How to Make Lob Shots 91
Returning Balls with Spin 94
Position Yourself on the Court 95
Limit Your Faults 97
Target Your Opponents' Weaknesses 98
Keep Your Opponent Guessing 100
Think One Step Ahead 101
Positional Strategies in Doubles Play 102
Chapter 7 Playing Singles and Doubles 123
Playing Singles 123
Playing Doubles 125
Choosing a Partner 125
Court Position 126
Communication Is the Key to Success 127
Make Your Body Language Work for You 129
Trust Your Partner 130
Shadow Your Partner 130
Poaching 132
General Tips for Better Doubles Play 133
Chapter 8 Practice and Drills 135
Correcting Part of Your Game 136
Perfecting a Skill 137
Drills 138
Chapter 9 The Mental Game 143
Chapter 10 Safety, Etiquette, and Ethics 147
Safety on the Court 148
Etiquette on the Court 149
Ethics and Sportsmanship 151
Chapter 11 Notes about Tournament Play 153
Referees 153
Tournament Rules 154
Choosing Side or Serve 156
References 157
Appendix A Rules A-1
Section 1 The Game A-3
Section 2 Court and Equipment A-4
Section 3 Definitions A-9
Section 4 Service Rules A-10
Section 5 Service Sequence Rules A-14
Section 6 Line Call Rules A-17
Section 7 Fault Rules A-19
Section 8 Dead Ball Rules A-20
Section 9 Non-Volley Zone Rules A-20
Section 10 Scoring - Game - Match Rules A-22
Section 11 Time-Out Rules A-22
Section 12 Other Rules A-23
Section 13 Sanctioned Tournament Formats A-26
Section 14 Tournament Management and Officiating A-29
Index A-37
