New to tennis? You may find these helpful:

1) Take Lessons: Most people who are decently athletic just like to grab a racket and go for it, but there are a lot of positives to professional instruction when you first start out. Proper tennis form (or perhaps, "modern" tennis form) is many times non-intuitive. Sure, you can probably get "pretty good" without instruction, but you might develop some bad habits that will be hard to break and may prevent you from going from good to really good. Individual lessons are best, but unfortunately the most expensive. Group lessons and "boot camps" are less expensive and can be fun because you get to meet other people, but the lack of individual attention can cause people to just develop bad habits as if they didn't take lessons at all. My advice would be to start out taking a few individual lessons in order to build a good foundation of fundamentals, and then when your wallet starts screaming, switch to group lessons. Still, though, throw in a few individual lessons every once in a while just to make sure you haven't forgotten anything and also to learn advanced techniques.

2) Practice your serve more than any other shot: The serve is probably the most important shot in tennis and also the least practiced by recreational players. When starting out, it is definitely the hardest shot to feel comfortable with and also the first shot to completely fall apart if you don't play for a while. For those reasons, it needs extra attention.
Why is the serve so important? Well, a few reasons that come to mind are:

• It is a shot you are guaranteed to hit: yes, you are likely to hit a lot of forehands and backhands in a match, but you are guaranteed to hit serves, it is just part of the game.
• It is the one shot you have complete control over: no worrying about a weird bounce or weird spin that your opponent puts on their shot, the serve is all on you, so take advantage of it.
• Winning your service games may be your only hope to win a match: the rules of tennis are set up so that players alternate service games and must win by two to win a set. There is a reason for this: the serve can be a big advantage as per the bullet above. Don't believe me? Play someone who has a really good serve, then you'll understand. So, if your opponent has an unbreakable serve, then the only hope you have is to win all your service games and force a tiebreak. This happens pretty often in men's professional tennis, John Isner is a good example of someone that this happens to a lot because he has such a good serve that even top level players have a hard time breaking.
• There is no better feeling than an ace, and no worse feeling than a double-fault: the serve can giveth, but the serve can taketh away. Don't give your opponents free points with a double fault, make them work for it.
  So, that was alot to write about the serve, but I think it deserves it. Now go practice your serves!

3) The right racket makes a lot of difference: having the right racket won't instantly turn you into a pro, but having the wrong racket can inhibit your growth as a tennis player. Before buying a racket, be sure to demo alot of different models and try to find one you like. Also consult with a tennis pro and ask for their advice on which racket you should choose. They may all look similar, but can have vastly different strengths and weaknesses that need to be considered before buying one. Oh, and when you do buy one, don't get a cheap one from Wal-Mart, you will soon realize why it is cheap and want to buy a more expensive one. Expect to pay around $150-$200 for a good racket, it may seem like a lot, but at least it is cheaper than golf 🙂 Don't buy a racket because you like the color either, manufacturers today try to give their rackets cool paint jobs to attract people, but don't be fooled! Buy the racket that you like playing with and it can last for years with proper care.

4) Be careful when watching professional tennis: I love to follow pro tennis, it is fun to watch guys who are the best in the world hit amazing shots and endure marathon matches. Unfortunately though, I am not a professional tennis player, and while I occasionally hit some pretty awesome shots, I don't have the skills that those guys have. So, be careful not to mimic professional players too much. They frequently attempt high risk shots that they can pull off, but it doesn't mean you can. Know your limits and only hit shots that you feel comfortable with. Consistency is key in tennis, I have lost to many a player because I attempted shots that were out of my skill level, and while I may have gotten a few in, I hit a LOT out. At the recreational level, many times it is not the most skilled player but the most consistent player that comes out victorious, simply because they don't beat themselves.

5) Work on consistency first: going with #4, I will wrap up by saying that you should first work to hit consistent, predictable shots, and THEN work to hit shots with more power, spin, placement, etc. Don't go out with guns blazing, you will just give your opponent a lot of free points because you can't keep anything in the court. Only once you master the art of hitting a tennis ball exactly where you want it EVERY time can you attempt to hit shots with a ton of power. If you start to feel comfortable in match, then go for some tough shots, but if they aren't landing in, then throttle back and just try to keep the ball in play. You and your opponent will have a more fun match if you both play this way.