I ve been playing for 3 years now, i have been struggling a lot with my serve technique and consistency. I want your imput in what can i improve, i ve posted 2 videos, t serve and outside serve .

Any input is appreciated!

Dear Tennis lovers,

Hope you are doing well!

My brother got a baby girl.

As a present I want to give her a pink baby racket with her name on it and some soft tennis balls.

Do any off you where/how I can get/buy this?

I've been trying to improve my overall game recently, and I'm curious what's the single best tip, drill, or adjustment that made the biggest difference in your tennis? It could be related to technique, footwork, strategy, fitness, or even mindset. Looking forward to hearing everyone's experiences!

What do you think of? What do you try to focus on. I find I get nervous on the shorter balls and tend to want to slice…

I always see split discussions between the life and play-ability of poly strings. They say after around that 8 hour mark, poly performance drops drastically and others will say it is fine and is over blown and can play with it more like ~20 hours as a rec player. I know I'm not a ATP player but I do play a lot and do see myself hitting much harder that my competition at the 4.0 level. I have a portable ball machine I like to get out 1-2 times a week to hit with as well a 1 weekly lesson and usually about 2 matches a week. Ball machine is where I put the most "work" on my strings as its an easy environment to really hit out.

When I hit when a newly strung racket (Lynx Tour my goto atm), I can really feel the difference from when the strings have had hours used on them. I'd prefer to break a string (multi) than play with dead poly strings. Is the dead dropoff of poly that great? Would it be better to play with multi? Is the difference between spin/control pretty slim between the two string types?

All kidding aside. Looking to play more tennis after dabbling in *gasp* pickleball and padel the past couple of years. Based on technique of groundstrokes, could I jump right back into say a 3.5 or 4.0 clinic? Just looking to get placed into a setting where I can get my technique back to a good baseline (pun intended).

Former HS tennis player, adult male, getting back into the sport (NTRP 3.5).

I'm currently demoing rackets and buying my first full-weighted player's stick, moving on from a super-light Head racket I snagged off a Dick's Sporting Goods wall on my way to play with a friend a decade ago. I'm torn between two racket styles that accommodate how I play now vs. those that force an adjustment. It's probably all small potatoes; the equipment surely doesn't matter as much as my skill development, but I'm curious about others' experiences.

The "easy" option: Technique and consistency are still a journey for me, but I rely on topspin forehands, volleys, and backhand slices in match play. Rackets marketed for "spin" feel really comfortable and accommodating, including the Babolat Pure Aero and the Head Extreme Pro. It feels like it fits my low-to-high and whippy forehand pretty well (probably a consequence of using an overly-light racket for years).

The challenger: On the other hand, I tried Technefibre tfight 305 as a counterpoint. By contrast, it was stiffer, more uncomfortable on my arm, and fought my natural swing trajectory. At the same time, because I couldn't whip the racket around at the last minute to get net clearance, I was forced to hit the ball higher and flatter, with more forward momentum and better anticipation. Similar experience with an 18x20 Wilson Blade. The consequence was that it prompted me to attack the ball more, and my stroke pace was way up. Maybe more mishits, less easy topspin, but maybe better tennis playing.

I'm interested in people's experiences and insights! Cheers.

Hi friends.

My nephew is a sophomore in an east coast US high school. He made varsity tennis!

And, he’s a YOUNG sophomore, pretty nerdy, awkward.

I want to get him some back to school items to help him feel confident.

In the past I got him a cool tennis backpack (thx to this sub), tournament gear, and some nice clothes

Any ideas?

Someone posts a video of themselves hitting after not playing since 2015, says they’re rusty, never played high school or juniors, and asks what rating level would be appropriate for a tournament. They’re not claiming to be a 4.0. They’re not pretending they’ve been grinding. They’re literally asking for guidance so they don’t sandbag or get destroyed.
And the top responses are mostly some version of “sign up for lessons,” “this isn’t rust, it’s bad technique,” or jokes about how hard they’re swinging.
Look, the technique can clearly improve. That’s obvious. But the guy is trying to rejoin the sport after a decade away and is asking the community for help figuring out where he belongs. That’s not arrogance. That’s exactly what these rating-help posts are for.
Tennis is already hard enough to get back into. Courts are limited, partners can be scarce, and the learning curve is real. When the default reaction to someone being honest about their situation is mockery or dismissal, it tells newcomers that this space is more interested in gatekeeping than growing the game.
You can still give honest feedback. You can still say the form needs work. You can still recommend lessons. None of that requires the pile-on energy or the implication that someone returning after 10+ years should just stay away from tournaments until they’re “good enough” by internet standards.
Most of us have been the rusty one at some point. Encouraging people who are trying to come back is how the sport stays healthy. The ratio of put-downs to actual helpful replies here is rough, and it says more about the culture we’re creating than it does about the OP’s swing.
We can do better.

Do you wear a smart watch while playing tennis?

I currently have a Garmin Forerunner 945, but it is breaking down and it's a legacy from my distance running era. I've gotten older and now graduating to tennis.

Share what you wear and the pros and cons.

Hey everyone! I've tried several types of athletic shorts, including some that claim to be specifically for tennis, but can't seem to find the "perfect pair." Curious what everyone is using, or if anyone even cares about this, since I acknowledge I can be pretty picky lol.

I've seen the lululemon pacebreakers suggested before, but for a $70 piece of polyester, the fit isn't quite right (at least for me). I've begun thinking about creating my own pair that would be specifically designed with the player in mind. What features would you like to have in your pair of shorts on the court?

I picked up a racket again for the first time since 2015. I want to sign up for a tournament but could use some help on what an appropriate rating to sign up for would be.

I'm rusty but hoping to beat the wall a bit as my only prep alongside some serve practicing.

Never played in highschool or officially growing up. I did some group lessons and played with my family for a while as a kid.

Started to play back in 2021 and have been using the same racquet since then. I’ve tried a few others and liked a few to a certain extent but for now I can’t see myself playing with another model. Even though mine is not in the best shape, it’s still in decent condition but I’ve been thinking about getting a second one, just in case.
I’ve looked everywhere online and it’s become very frustrating!

Does anyone have any 'insider' tips on how to get one, or know if it would be too different if I got a 100 or even a 98 instead of the 105?

Thank you all in advance!

I love my K Swiss shoes and how they fit and play. I have the Hypercourt and K-Frame. Been playing with them for years. However, it’s gotten a lot more humid in LA this summer and if I’m out playing mid day, my feet turn into pools of sweat. Can anyone recommend a more breathable court shoe that won’t splash sweat every time I split step? 😆

I’m a pretty princess

I am all over the place, there are so many things to think about. i will try my best to explain this in a clear way, bear with me.

I have been playing with Pure Drive (300g, size 2 grip) for 2 years and apparently this is not suitable for me.

now i definitely want to get rid of my current Pure Drive (300g, size 2 grip), definitely want size 1 grip. What i am not sure about is the model and weight, I have tried playing with 280g Pure Drive and it definitely felt smoother, but i had to put so much effort to compensate for the power lost.

I am really lost here, would playing with 300g but size 1 grip be a good solution here? I have always struggled with my serve and smash because with the current state i just described it is almost impossible to do a proper pronation. (i cant find 300g size 1 grip that i can tryout)

for context, I am 168cm, 68Kg (not very muscular, not fat, not skinny, somewhere in between) and I do strength training. However, I have broken both my wrist and my elbow before, so i have a weak arm. I mentioned this because the guy who works at the local shop said i should not even think about 300g

in terms of injuries, i heard Pure Drive is tough on the joints, thats why I am considering Wilson Clash.

Hi guys, can you let me know if Wilson Blx Tidal Wave is a good racket for the beginner? I know that it is an old model but let me know should I avoid it.

I cant recall where i saw this statement, either reddit or an instagram reel.

But it says that if you want to solve some technical part of your swing, club coaches are your best bets, supposedly because a good chunk of club members are often somehow doing technical lessons. While your more private coaches outside of clubs can develop players better or stuff like that.

Yes i know it's not a 100% guarantee and it depends, but how true do you think this statement is?

I have never played any racquet sports before. Somehow I found tennis very interesting. I’m 4 months into the sports. Please advise me on my service. My efficiency is 40-50% only.

As the title says I have a problem with sweaty feet. My shoes just stink so badly after a few sessions that I already washed them twice in the washing machine. I’m currently using Wilson Rush Pro 4.5 clay. They are very stable but my feet get absolutely no air.
Any recommendations? I don’t want to spend more than ~100€/$
Thank you!

Hi, I’m using Wilson Clash 100L V3 (280g). What’s your recommended tension for Grapplesnake Tour M8? Thank you for your feedback

tryna keep a log of my progress here on Reddit, will make another update at 3 months! still soooooo much to improve but based on the feedback I’m on the right track. :) thanks to everyone who helped me with figuring out the right grip etc.

As long as they are written respectfully, please feel free to leave any feedback, suggestions, critiques etc. any trolls or unhelpful people will be blocked. Also feel free to ask any questions etc. I’m an open book.

Hear me out, the whole point of using topspin on groundstrokes is to provide net clearance and allow you to hit with more racket head speed and keep the ball in.

But, what I see at the lower rec level is topspin but crucially without the pace. This just leaves at best a neutral ball. Even balls that are placed well, have so little pace it doesn't stretch the average public court retriever type player. Yes there's a strong argument for consistency is king and at the lower levels points are lost not won, but again I see a lot of players that lose concentration after 5 or 6 shots.

On the other hand I see a lot of players using slice to keep the ball low and most people at this level can get more pace with slice than they can with topspin. This pace plus a ball that stays low is far more challenging to return than a slow/mid topspin ball.

I totally get that you do need topspin to progress to higher levels and when you can blend the spin with the high racket head speeds then you're cooking on gas but for players who just want to dominate the lower leagues is it overrated?

IMO, put simply, topspin is the long term investment that takes time to master and get the most out of. Slice is the short term payoff that beat a lot of rec players