Starting Tennis as an Adult — What You Actually Need to Know

By Live4Tennis | Tennis Coaching in Dorset

So you're thinking about picking up a tennis racket for the first time? or maybe you haven't played since school and want to give it another go. Either way, you've made a good call.

Tennis is one of the best sports you can start as an adult. It's social, it's great exercise, and unlike a lot of sports, you can genuinely improve at any age. I've coached adults from their 20s right through to their 70s, and the ones who stick with it almost always say the same thing: "I wish I'd started sooner."

Here's everything you actually need to know before you step on court for the first time.

Do You Need Any Experience?

None at all. Every adult beginner starts from exactly the same place, learning how to hold a racket, how to hit a forehand, and how not to launch the ball into the next court.

The biggest thing that holds adults back isn't ability, it's the worry that everyone else will be better than them. They won't be. A good group beginner session is designed specifically so that everyone is at a similar level, and a good coach will make sure nobody feels out of their depth.

What Equipment Do You Actually Need?

Not much to start with. Here's the honest rundown:

Racket: You don't need to spend a lot. A beginner racket in the £30–60 range is perfectly fine to learn with. Look for a larger head size (around 100–110 square inches) this gives you a bigger sweet spot and makes it easier to hit the ball cleanly. Don't worry about strings or weight yet. That can come later.

Shoes: Your regular trainers will do for the first few sessions. If you find you're enjoying it and playing regularly, it's worth investing in a proper pair of tennis shoes, they're designed to support the sideways movement tennis involves, which regular running shoes aren't built for.

Balls: Your coach will provide these. Don't buy a tube of yellow balls just yet, beginners often start on slower, lower-bouncing balls (red or orange) which make rallying much easier while you're learning.

Clothing: Anything comfortable that lets you move freely. No special kit required.

Should You Have Lessons or Just Knock Around?

Lessons, every time, at least to start.

I know that sounds like I'm biased (I am a coach, after all), but there's a real reason for it. Tennis technique is one of those things where bad habits form incredibly quickly and become very hard to undo. Spending six weeks knocking around with a friend will feel fun, but you'll likely build a grip, swing, or movement pattern that holds you back for years.

A proper beginner course, usually six to eight weeks, will get you hitting the ball cleanly, understanding the scoring, and feeling confident enough to play social tennis. After that, you can mix lessons with social play and improve much faster.

The LTA's Tennis Xpress programme runs at venues across the UK and is a well-structured six-week beginner course worth looking into if you're not local to us.

How Fit Do You Need to Be?

More honest answer than you might expect: not very, at first. Beginner sessions are low intensity. You'll spend a lot of time feeding balls, working on technique, and doing short drills, not sprinting around a full court.

As your game develops and you start playing longer rallies and proper points, your fitness will naturally improve alongside it. Tennis is actually excellent cardio once you're playing regularly. But you don't need to get fit before you start, playing is how you get fit.

If you have any joint issues (knees and ankles in particular), just let your coach know. Tennis can be modified to suit most needs, and there are even slower-paced formats like Walking Tennis specifically designed for people who want to play without high-impact movement.

Tennis is always good fun and a great way to meet new people.

What Will a First Lesson Actually Look Like?

If you come to a group beginner session, here's what to expect:

• A warm-up and quick intro to how the session works

• Learning how to hold the racket (grip is everything at first)

• Hitting some gentle forehands with the coach feeding balls to you

• Gradually building up to a simple backhand

• Maybe a few fun games or mini-rallies towards the end

Nobody will be doing serves in week one. Nobody will be expected to know the scoring. It's relaxed, it's social, and it moves at a pace that works for the group.

How Long Before You Can Actually Play a Game?

Faster than most people expect. After a six-week beginner course, most adults can hold a short rally, serve the ball into play, and understand the scoring well enough to play a casual set with a friend.

You won't be consistent, and that's fine. Neither is anyone else who's been playing for six months. The jump from "complete beginner" to "can enjoy a knockabout" is genuinely quite small — and that's the part that keeps people hooked.

How to Find Somewhere to Play

If you're in Dorset, we run sessions at Ferndown, Donhead (Shaftesbury), and Sandleheath — get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.

If you're elsewhere in the UK, the LTA's website (lta.org.uk) has a court and club finder that covers every public and club court in the country. Many parks also have free courts available, you just need to bring a racket.

The One Thing Most Adult Beginners Get Wrong

They wait too long to start.

There's always a reason to put it off, not enough time, not fit enough yet, worried about looking silly. Tennis is one of those sports where the sooner you start, the more years of enjoyment you get out of it.

Nobody cares what you look like on court when you're a beginner. Everyone remembers being one.

Ready to give it a go? We run beginner and improver sessions across Dorset. Get in touch or book a session to get started.