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School of Sports & Health (education only)

Tennis Fundamentals

Step 3 of 8 in Sports Arena

Next in your path: 10.2 Pickleball Fundamentals

Education only. Physical activity has risks. If you have a health condition, an injury, or are new to exercise, talk to a doctor or qualified health professional before you start. Learn technique from a certified coach when you can.

What you'll be able to do
  • Name the parts of a tennis court and choose the right gear.
  • Keep score in a game, a set and a tiebreak.
  • Serve legally: where to stand, where to aim, faults and lets.
  • Hit the basic shots: forehand, backhand, volley.
  • Play your first friendly match with good etiquette.
  • Find beginner-friendly ways to learn, and check a coach's certification, where you live.
Words in this course 37
AdvantageBaselineBounceCall to action (CTA)ClippingClipping agencyCrosscourtCustomer acquisition cost (CAC)Demerit pointsDeuceExpectancyFaultFile pathFirst-serve percentageFocus (Tagalog)HTMLHTTPSLetMuscle-strengtheningNCCPOverheadPathPingPowerProgressive tennisProjectProject (Claude)Ready positionService boxesSplit stepStaffSupport and resistanceTable (spreadsheet)TakeTiebreakVolleyWHERE
Open the Vocabulary Hall
01

The court and the gear

In simple words

A tennis court is a big rectangle with a net in the middle, like a giant table for ping-pong but on the ground. You hit the ball over the net and try to land it inside the lines.

Key facts
  • A standard court is 78 feet long. It is 36 feet wide for doubles and 27 feet wide for singles (singles uses the inner sidelines).
  • The net is about 3.5 feet high at the posts and 3 feet high in the middle.
  • Each end has a baseline. Near the net on each side are service boxes, where a serve must land.
  • Common surfaces: hard, clay and grass.
  • Gear (Tennis Canada):
  • Tennis shoes are flatter and sturdier than running shoes, with more side-to-side support. Many clubs require non-marking soles.
  • Beginner racquet head sizes of about 110 to 115 square inches are common; a bigger head gives more power but less control.
  • Replace balls every few weeks; old balls lose their bounce.
  • Progressive tennis uses slower balls and smaller courts for kids and new players: red (foam or felt, quarter court), orange (about 50% compression), green (about 75% compression, full court) before yellow balls.
Step by step
  1. Visit a local court, or look at one on a map or video.
  2. Stand at one baseline and point to the baseline, singles sideline, doubles sideline, service boxes and net.
  3. Look at the net height: it is lower in the middle than at the posts.
  4. Check your shoes. Look for a flat, sturdy sole marked as non-marking if your club requires it.
  5. If you plan to buy a racquet, ask a coach or shop staff for a beginner head size, about 110 to 115 square inches.
  6. Check: you can name every line and the shoe rule of your club.
Watch on YouTube
Tennis for beginners: the fundamentalsTPA tennis · YouTube · youtube.com

Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.

LESSON 01The court and the gear
LESSON 01 / ANIMATED LESSON / AI VOICE00:00 / 01:00
Read the video script
[Screen: overhead view of a court] "Here's the court. Seventy-eight feet long. The outer lines are for doubles, the inner lines for singles."
[Text on screen: Net 3 ft middle, 3.5 ft posts] "The net is about three feet in the middle and three and a half at the posts."
[Screen: service boxes highlighted] "These four boxes near the net are the service boxes. Your serve has to land in one."
[Host holding shoes] "Wear real tennis shoes with non-marking soles. Running shoes don't support side-to-side movement as well."
[Host] "New to the game? Slower red, orange or green balls make learning much easier."
Try it now

Visit a local court (or look at one online). Point out: baseline, singles sideline, doubles sideline, service boxes and net. Check your shoes: do they have non-marking soles?

ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude

Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.

For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.

I'm learning "Tennis Fundamentals" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "The court and the gear".

What the lesson teaches:
- A standard court is 78 feet long. It is 36 feet wide for doubles and 27 feet wide for singles (singles uses the inner sidelines).
- The net is about 3.5 feet high at the posts and 3 feet high in the middle.
- Each end has a baseline. Near the net on each side are service boxes, where a serve must land.
- Common surfaces: hard, clay and grass.
- Gear (Tennis Canada):
- Tennis shoes are flatter and sturdier than running shoes, with more side-to-side support. Many clubs require non-marking soles.
- Beginner racquet head sizes of about 110 to 115 square inches are common; a bigger head gives more power but less control.

The exercise I'm working on:
Visit a local court (or look at one online). Point out: baseline, singles sideline, doubles sideline, service boxes and net. Check your shoes: do they have non-marking soles?

I'm stuck. Please:
1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example.
2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step.
3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
4. This is for learning only. Remind me to check with a licensed professional before I make a real decision about my own money, health or legal situation.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "The court and the gear" from the course "Tennis Fundamentals".

Here's what the lesson says:
A tennis court is a big rectangle with a net in the middle, like a giant table for ping-pong but on the ground. You hit the ball over the net and try to land it inside the lines.

The activity:
Visit a local court (or look at one online). Point out: baseline, singles sideline, doubles sideline, service boxes and net. Check your shoes: do they have non-marking soles?

Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words.
Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Keep it general and educational. This is not advice for a real situation.
Open Claude
Sources
My notes
02

Keeping score

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03

The serve

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04

Forehand, backhand and volley

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05

Your first match and etiquette

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06

Keep improving, safely

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++

Final project

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??

Quiz

  1. How long is a tennis court?

  2. How wide is a singles court and a doubles court?

  3. What is the score called when both players have 40?

  4. How many games win a set?

  5. How many points win a standard tiebreak?

  6. How many serves do you get per point?

  7. What is a let?

  8. Is a ball on the line in or out?

  9. What happens if your racquet touches the net during a point?

EX

Final exam

This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.

CE

Certificate

This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.