Look, many people start playing tennis and then they just stop after fifteen days. Why? Because they have no real plan. They walk into the court, they hit some balls anywhere, and then they leave. That is not practice. That is just passing time. If you are truly a beginner, you need a proper tennis practice schedule for beginners. Not a fancy one. Not a costly one. Just a simple daily plan that tells you exactly what to do.
In this article, I will give you that plan. You will know what to practice on day one. What to do on day two. How much rest you need. What mistakes will ruin your game. I will not use any hard words. I will not give you useless tips. Let us start.
Why a Beginner Really Needs a Fixed Schedule?
See, when you have a fixed day wise plan, your mind stays calm. You do not stand in the court and think "kya karu abhi" – I mean, what to do now. You already know.
A good tennis practice schedule for beginners also builds something called habit. Tennis is not a game of talent only. It is a game of doing the same small things again and again. Without a schedule, you will not get that repetition.
Also, there is a mental side. When you finish a week and you see you followed your plan, you feel good. That good feeling pushes you to do another week. So please do not think a schedule is boring. It is actually your best helper.
How Many Days to Practice in a Week?
As a new player, do not play all seven days. That is a very bad idea. Your body is not ready. Your muscles will hurt. Your elbow will give you trouble.
For a good tennis practice schedule for beginners, three days per week is enough. Four days if you are young and fit. Each session should not be more than one hour. Even forty five minutes is fine. If you play longer than one hour as a beginner, your hitting style will become loose and bad.
If you only have two days in a week, that is okay. Start with two days. Then slowly move to three days. Do not rush.
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What to Do Before Every Practice Session?
Before you start any tennis practice schedule for beginners, you have to do a small warm up. This is not a choice. This is a must.
Most beginners ignore warm up. They think it is time waste. Then after two weeks, they get leg pain or back pain and they cannot play for one month.
So here is a very simple warm up. No gym needed. No trainer needed.
- Walk fast around the court two times
- Move your both arms in full circle – ten times forward, ten times backward
- Bend down and try to touch your feet ten times. Do not force if you cannot touch.
- Do five small jumps from the ground
- Move left to right with small steps like a crab
This whole thing takes five minutes. After this, your body feels loose. Your blood moves better. Now you are ready to play.
The Weekly Tennis Practice Schedule For Beginners
Now I will give you a full week plan. Follow this for one month. Do not change anything. Do not add your own drills. Just follow.
Day One – Getting Comfortable With the Ball and Your Body
On day one, do not try to hit hard. Do not try to win anything. Just learn how to stand and how to feel the ball on your racket.
What you will do:
First, learn the ready position. Stand with your feet a little more than your shoulder width. Keep your knees slightly bent. Do not lock your knees. Hold your racket in front of your stomach with both hands. Your eyes should look straight ahead.
Now do a very simple ball exercise. Take one tennis ball in your hand. Throw it a little up and catch it with the same hand. Do this twenty times. Then throw the ball up, clap your hands one time, and catch. This helps your hand and your eye talk to each other.
After that, take your racket. Bounce the ball on the ground using the racket face. Do it slowly. Do not try to show off. Then bounce the ball in the air. Try to keep the ball in control. If the ball falls, pick it up and start again.
Time for day one: 20 minutes for ready position practice. 15 minutes for ball exercises. Take 5 minutes rest in between.
Day Two – Forehand Shot Practice
Forehand is the first real shot you will learn. You hit this shot from the side of your strong hand. If you write with right hand, forehand is on your right side.
What you will do:
Stand close to the net. Ask your friend to drop the ball slowly in front of you. When the ball comes, turn your shoulder to the right side. Bring your racket back. Step forward with your front foot. Hit the ball when it reaches near your front leg.
After you hit, do not stop your racket. Let it finish over your other shoulder. This is very important. Most beginners stop the racket just after hitting. That is a big mistake. The racket must complete its full path.
Do this hit fifty times. Do not change anything. Keep the same move again and again. After fifty hits, move to the back baseline and try from there.
Time for day two: 30 minutes of hitting practice. 5 minutes rest.
Day Three – Complete Rest
Rest is a real part of any good tennis practice schedule for beginners. On rest day, do not hold your racket. Do not go near the court. Let your arm and your legs relax fully.
You can watch tennis videos on your phone. But do not try any move. Rest day is for your muscles to heal. If you skip rest, you will get pain in your elbow or your shoulder. Then you will have to stop playing for many days. So rest properly.
Day Four – Backhand Shot Practice
Backhand is the shot you hit from your other side. If you are right handed, backhand is on your left side. Many new players find this hard. But with regular practice, it becomes easy.
What you will do:
Stand in the same ready position. When the ball comes to your non-dominant side, turn your whole body. Hold the racket with both hands. Bring the racket back low near your hip. Step forward with your front foot. Hit the ball in front of your body. Then finish high near your shoulder.
First, practice this move without any ball. Just do the backhand move twenty times in empty air. Then ask your friend to drop feed balls to your backhand side. Hit forty balls. Do not worry if many balls go out. Just focus on finishing your full move.
Time for day four: 35 minutes of practice. 5 minutes rest.
Day Five – Footwork and Movement Training
Footwork is the most ignored part of a tennis practice schedule for beginners. Everyone wants to hit hard. No one wants to move properly. But if your feet are slow, you cannot reach the ball on time.
What you will do:
Take four empty water bottles. Put them in a square shape. Stand in the middle of the square. Move to each bottle and come back to the middle. First do it walking. Then do it jogging. Then do it running. Do this for ten minutes.
Next, do side shuffles. Start from the center of the court. Move to the sideline and come back. Keep your knees bent. Do not cross your feet. Do this twenty times one way and twenty times the other way.
Last, do small split steps. Stand on your toes. When you feel ready, jump a little and land on both feet at the same time. This small jump helps you react faster. Do thirty such small jumps.
Time for day five: 25 minutes of footwork. 5 minutes water break.
Day Six – Serve Practice
Serve is the hardest shot for beginners. I will be honest. But you do not need a powerful serve. You just need a serve that lands inside the service box.
What you will do:
Stand behind the back baseline near the middle line. Hold the ball in your other hand. If you are right handed, hold ball in left hand. Bring your racket back behind your head. Throw the ball a little above your head. Hit the ball at the highest point.
Do not try to jump. Do not try to hit hard. Just try to send the ball into the other side service box. If the ball hits the net, throw the ball lower. If the ball goes long, throw the ball more in front.
Practice fifty serves. Do not count how many are good. Just serve. Your goal is to make your body remember the move.
Time for day six: 35 minutes of serving. 5 minutes rest.
Day Seven – Small Match Feel
On the last day of the week, do not play a full match. Full match will frustrate you. You will make many mistakes and feel bad.
What you will do:
Play from the service line, not from the back baseline. This makes the court smaller. You and your friend just try to keep the ball inside the court. Do not keep any score. Just see how many times you can hit the ball back and forth without missing.
Try to reach ten hits in a row. Then try fifteen. This small game teaches you control. It also teaches you to watch the ball until the very end.
After twenty minutes of this small game, go back to the baseline. Practice any shot that felt weak during the week. If your backhand gave trouble, hit ten more backhands. If your serve was bad, hit ten more serves.
Time for day seven: 30 minutes for small game. 10 minutes for weak shot practice.
Common Mistakes That Beginners Make
Even if you follow a good tennis practice schedule for beginners, you might make these mistakes. I have seen many players do this.
Mistake one – practicing only one favorite shot
Some people only practice forehand because they enjoy it. This is a mistake. Your backhand and serve will stay weak. Give time to all shots equally.
Mistake two – no rest days
Playing every single day without rest will give you tennis elbow. Once that pain starts, you cannot play for weeks. Rest is not laziness. Rest is part of your training.
Mistake three – hitting the ball too hard
Power does not help a beginner. Control helps. Hit soft. Keep the ball inside the court. Power will come later by itself. Do not force it.
Mistake four – no warm up and no cool down
Many beginners reach the court and start hitting directly. This is very dangerous. Always warm up for five minutes. After practice, walk slowly for five minutes and stretch your arms lightly.
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How to Track Your Improvement?
A tennis practice schedule for beginners is useless if you do not track your progress. Keep a small notebook. Or use the notes app on your phone.
After every practice session, write down three things:
- Which shot felt good today
- Which mistake happened again and again
- One small win. Example – today I hit five backhands in a row without missing.
After four weeks, read your notes. You will feel very happy to see your own improvement. This small habit keeps you motivated.
What Equipment You Really Need as a Beginner?
You do not need expensive things. Please do not fall for ads.
Here is what you really need:
- One simple beginner racket. Not too heavy. Not too light.
- Three or four tennis balls
- Sports shoes that do not slip on the court
- One water bottle
- One small towel
That is all. Expensive rackets or fancy clothes will not improve your game. Only regular practice will improve your game.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I follow this tennis practice schedule for beginners alone without any friend?
Yes. If you do not have a friend, practice against a wall. The wall is a very good partner. The wall never gets tired and always returns the ball.
2. What if I miss one practice day in the week?
No problem. Just follow the next day as written. Do not try to cover two practice days in one single day. That will rush your learning and make you tired.
3. How many weeks until I see real improvement?
If you follow this schedule for four weeks, you will feel more control on your shots. In eight weeks, you will play better than most beginners in your area.
4. Do I need a coach along with this schedule?
A coach is good but not necessary for first three months. If you cannot afford a coach, this schedule is enough. After three months, you can think about coaching for advanced things.
5. I feel pain in my right arm. What should I do?
Stop playing immediately. Take two days of complete rest. Put ice on the painful area for ten minutes three times a day. If pain does not go away after two days, meet a doctor. Do not play through pain.
Conclusion
So this is the complete plan. A good tennis practice schedule for beginners does not need to be complex. You do not need ten different drills. You do not need five hour sessions. You just need a simple weekly plan that you actually follow.
In this article, I gave you a full seven day plan. Day one for ready position and ball feel. Day two for forehand. Day three for rest. Day four for backhand. Day five for footwork. Day six for serve. Day seven for small game and weak shot practice.
Follow this for one month. Be honest with yourself. Do not skip warm up. Do not skip rest. Keep a small note of your daily progress. In very less time, you will move from a beginner to a player who actually knows the game.
