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Learn tennis from zero.
In plain English.

Never held a racquet? Good. These eight short lessons take you from "what's a deuce?" to rallying with a friend. Every lesson has a small tool you can click around in, so you're not just reading.

Start Guide 1: The Court Browse all 8 guides

How this site works

STEP 1

Go in order

The lessons are numbered on purpose. Court and scoring first, because nothing else makes sense without them.

STEP 2

Play with the tool

Each lesson opens with a small interactive: a clickable court, a score keeper, a grip finder. Poke at it for a minute.

STEP 3

Try it on court

Every lesson ends with two or three easy drills. Twenty minutes with a friend and a can of balls is plenty.

The 8 beginner guides

Read in order, or jump to what you need.

Guide 1 5 min

THE BASICS • Beginner

How a Tennis Court Works

Every line, box and measurement, explained. Click the court to learn what each part is called.

By Coach Hesh Open →
Guide 2 6 min

THE BASICS • Beginner

How Tennis Scoring Works

Love, deuce, advantage, sets and tiebreaks. Tap the buttons and watch the score update.

By Coach Hesh Open →
Guide 4 6 min

HITTING THE BALL • Beginner

How to Hold a Racquet

Continental, Eastern, Semi-Western. Find where your hand goes on the handle.

By Coach Omar Open →
Guide 6 7 min

HITTING THE BALL • Beginner

How to Hit a Backhand

One hand or two? Take the short quiz, then learn the basics of both.

By Coach Omar Open →
Guide 7 8 min

HITTING THE BALL • Beginner

How to Serve

Grip, toss, reach and finish. Start easy and build from there.

By Coach Hesh Open →

Quick answers for beginners

The questions most new players type into a search bar.

How do you score in tennis?›

Points go 0 (called "love"), 15, 30, 40, then game. You need four points and a two-point lead. Win six games, again with a two-game lead, and you take the set. Most matches are the best of three sets. Full scoring guide.

How big is a tennis court?›

A tennis court is 78 feet long. It is 27 feet wide for singles and 36 feet wide for doubles. The net is 3 feet high in the middle. See the clickable court.

What grip should a beginner use?›

Start with the Eastern forehand grip, the "shake hands" grip, for groundstrokes. Switch to the Continental grip, which feels like holding a hammer, for serves and volleys. Find your grip.

How long does it take to learn tennis?›

Most people can get a ball back and forth over the net in a handful of sessions. Playing a real match with a working serve usually takes a few months of regular play. It varies a lot from person to person, and that's fine.

Do I need a tennis coach?›

Reading and videos help you understand the game, but a coach helps you actually play it. From your first session, a coach watches your grip, footwork and swing, and catches the small mistakes you can't feel yourself, before they turn into habits that are hard to undo. Most beginners improve much faster with a coach's feedback than by trial and error, and it's more fun than figuring it all out alone.

Tennis words, explained

Heard a word you don't know? Type it here.

Ace
A serve the receiver can't touch. It wins the point right away.
Ad side
The left half of the court when you face the net. Ad is short for advantage.
Advantage
The point you win after deuce. Win the next one too and you take the game.
Approach shot
A shot you hit while moving toward the net, so you can follow it in.
Backhand
A shot hit on the opposite side of your body from your racquet hand.
Baseline
The line at the back of the court.
Bevel
One of the eight flat sides on a racquet handle. Grips are named by which bevel your index knuckle sits on.
Break
Winning a game when your opponent was serving.
Deuce
A tied score of 40-40. You have to win two points in a row to take the game.
Deuce side
The right half of the court when you face the net.
Double fault
Missing both serves. The other player gets the point.
Forehand
A shot hit on the same side as your racquet hand.
Let
A serve that clips the net and still lands in the right box. You replay it.
Love
Zero. A score of "love-15" means 0 to 15.
Rally
A back-and-forth exchange of shots during a point.
Slice
A shot hit with backspin. It floats, then stays low after it bounces.
Split step
A small hop you time with your opponent's hit, so you can push off in any direction.
Tiebreak
A short game to seven points, played when a set reaches 6-6.
Topspin
Forward spin that pulls the ball down into the court after it clears the net.
Unforced error
A miss you made without being pushed by a tough shot.
Volley
A shot hit out of the air, before the ball bounces. Usually played near the net.
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