Tennis guides: start here

Whether you are booking your child's first lesson, picking up a racquet again after twenty years or trying tennis for the very first time, these guides cover what you need to know, in plain English, checked against the official ITF Rules of Tennis and Tennis Australia's Hot Shots program.

Getting started

• How to choose a tennis coach Private, group or clinic? What to ask before you book.
• Kids tennis and Hot Shots The red, orange and green stages, and what age to start.
• Tennis lessons for adult beginners What a first lesson looks like and how to keep improving.

Rules and scoring

• Tennis scoring explained 15, 30, 40, deuce, tie-breaks and the shorter formats clubs use.
• Tennis rules for beginners Serving, faults, lets and the ways you win or lose a point.
• Tennis court dimensions Singles and doubles sizes in metres and feet, with a diagram.

Tennis compared

• Tennis vs padel What carries over, and what does not.
• Tennis vs pickleball Two racquet sports, side by side.

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