Tennis Essay

Tennis the Sport No matter what age you are, tennis is a compatible sport made for anyone who wants a good workout and a fun experience. People of all walks of life have come to enjoy this sport. Although tennis had began as an aristocratic sport it has grown to be a pleasurable activity for all. The modern game of tennis originated in the 19th century in the UK. Only upper-class Englishmen could play the game but now anyone who can hold a racket is eligible to play. Even men and women in wheelchairs are capable of playing this sport. Also, millions of spectators from around the globe come and watch the games played in the Grand Slam tournaments. Surprising no rules have been changed since the 1890's except for the addition of the tie breaker. The rules in tennis are simple and vary by the amount of people you have in the game. “A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net.” If you are playing a singles match (one person on each side of the net) then allies, which are the 11.89 meters on the end of each side, is in. When a ball is in, then the point counts against the person on that side. If you are playing doubles (two people on each side of the net) then the allies are considered out. To begin the game of tennis the players are designated as either a server or a receiver. The servers starts of with the ball and makes the first move for each point. The ball needs to land from the server into the opposite service box. There are two service boxes on each side of the court. When the ball reaches the other side, the receiver must be able to hit the ball back over the net within one drop on the ground. If the ball hits the ground more than once then the point goes to the server. Later the roles switch and the receiver becomes the server while the server must be able to intercept the fast moving ball. However, if you are playing doubles then the four players take turns serving. When a team member is serving then the player must move forward toward the net and volley the shots. When someone volleys the shots it means that they try to intercept the ball before it touches the ground. Often times, the receivers shoot the ball cross court which makes it harder for the player to volley. When they receiver has no choice

but to throw it in the direction of the volleyer, then it is common for a lob to take place. When a lob occurs, the players hits the ball upward so the opposing team's volleyer cannot reach it. On the other hand, if a skilled player happens to get a hold of a lob, then a overhead smash would occur and the ball would be hit onto the ground with the same force as a serve (making it very hard to get). Sometimes if the serve is played close to one of the corners of the service box then the receiver can not send the ball back. This is when a serve is considered a perfect, and is called Ace. Over the years, many different types of shots have been invented. The most basic is a volley, forehand, and backhand. During a forehand the player receives the ball in their right side and in a backhand the player hits the ball with their left. Some skilled players can change the angle of the shot. The most famous of these shots would be the slice. A slice can be performed in serves, forehands, and backhands. Commonly the slice is performed in a backhand where the right handed player would only need one hand to send the ball over the net. Besides the slice there is also top spin which gives the ball a higher bounce and surprises the opposing team. All of these different types of tricks can be done with both patience and determination. However the most important thing in tennis is the consistency of the shots. If a player can't perform the shots well, then there is no point in having slices and top spins. Also a player must be able to perform well under pressure and must move on after every point is established. Players who look back at their mistakes are more likely to do them again. The scoring in the game of tennis is very complex, but once learned it becomes logical and easy. In the beginning both players start with love. Love in tennis means 0. The servers score is always said before the receivers. Afterwards if someone scores a point the numbers become 15, 30, or 40. For example, if the game is 40-30 then the server is winning by one point. If the server wins the upcoming point then the match is done. However if the receiver gets the point then the score become duce. During duce, the score is really 40-40. After duce you can choose to play with adds. When the score is add out the receiver has the higher score and if it is add in then the server has the upper score. To win a match with both players at duce, you would need to beat the opponent by 2 points. With adds the game

can become longer and harder but it's worthwhile and done more often. That is the scoring for match points. For game points the scoring is easier and in numerical order such as 4-5. In a professional tournament the game only goes up to 6 but in an pro-set then the game goes up to 8. “There are three main types of court surfaces, with one less common surface. Depending on the materials used, each surface provides a difference in the speed and bounce of the ball, which in turn can affect the level of play of individual players.” The three most common surfaces are clay, hard and grass. There is also the carpet surface which is only used indoors. Different Grand Slam tournaments have different surfaces for each players needs. Both the U.S. Open and the Australian Open use a hard surface. However the French Open uses clay and Wimbledon is grass. Besides Grand Slam titles a player could also win one of the nine tournaments called the Master Series. Both of these titles are considered to be honors and only the professional players can reach these titles. In conclusion, tennis is a competitive sport which uses as much mental skill as it does physical. No matter what age you are there is always room for you in a tennis court. This sport is a great way to get involved in fitness and can be both a competitive or a friendly game depending on personal preference. Once you play the game, you will realize the joy and adrenaline rush everyone gets when they hit the light green ball with the racket. Some say that tennis is a game, others say its a graceful art form, but whatever you choose to call this sport, it will always be one of the greatest inventions of all time.