Love-10: Ten great reasons to take up tennis

Most people who pick up a tennis racket for the first time and have a go – love it. The feedback we get at Tennis Hereford with a first-timer is always ‘that was great fun, it didn’t feel like exercise’ and ‘I was much better at it than I expected!’.

Tennis is one of the those sports which appeals to so many different abilities. Once you learn the rules and know how to hit the ball and move around the court, you’re ready to start playing with friends and family.

Unlike other sports, tennis doesn’t require a great big chunk of your time either. A friendly couple of games, burning over 400 calories and toning your body, only needs to last 30-60 minutes. You also don’t need to be super fit like many team sports (unless you want to compete professionally) and you don’t need to be tall, thin, muscly or small. Tennis works for any age, any body type and any ability.

So…ready to learn tennis? Here’s a list of benefits to help you decide.

1.   A lifetime sport – once you learn to play tennis, you can enjoy it leisurely for life!

2.   A great workout – burns hundreds of calories and tones your tummy, legs, arms and shoulders – what’s not to love about that?

3.   Camaraderie, friendships and connections with people from all walks of life – tennis is a highly sociable sport, where many lifelong friendships are made – we know this first hand at TH!

4.   Great for your mind as well as your body – tennis needs a focused and yet flexible mind – playing tennis regularly can help keep your mind sharp.

5.   Great for discipline and respect – especially for our younger players learning about life.

6.   Courts are always available at parks, schools, colleges, hotels, communities and clubs

7.   Players of any height, size and weight can play – as this doesn’t affect tennis ability in the slightest.

8.   You can develop your skills and play for a school, club leagues or compete in the open level/LTA tournaments – there are plenty of friendly and competitive matches available for children and adults

9.   Tennis is popular all over the world – most holiday destinations have tennis courts nearby – a quick 30 minute game a day on holiday is great fun for all the family and you helps you burn off those cocktails from the night before!

10.  Easy to get equipment – you can hire rackets in many places, or just pop your racket in to your suitcase, it’s flat enough not to take up much room!

If you would like to have a try at tennis, we offer all newcomers a free taster session (in a group). If you would like to try it first or prefer to go straight into private lessons, then contact Tennis Hereford

Andrew Griffiths, Head Coach/Director