Anyone for doubles?

There are plenty of reasons to take up tennis this summer, even if you aren’t quite Wimbledon standard…

Tennis is a wonderful form of exercise and good fun, provided you can get a rally going, master the scoring system and win a point or two. It can make a great family activity, providing physical, social and mental rewards both on and off the court. It’s one of those sports you can play from three to eighty three. 

The Aberdeen Tennis Centre at Westburn Park offers year-round play, with eight floodlit outside courts and another eight inside. They also offer Padel lessons for kids – a sort of mini-tennis. Both the city council and Aberdeenshire council have public courts available in many of the regions towns and villages. Some outdoor courts are free to use. Very often, it’s just a matter of turning up and hoping a court is available. Some clubs offer court times to the public, while others are available solely to their members. 

If the social side appeals, you’re better off joining a local club. People are surprisingly welcoming and most clubs aren’t remotely stuffy or stuck-up. You can find listing of courts, coaches and clubs at the Lawn Tennis Associations website at lta.org.uk. There are plenty of local tennis leagues if you’re the competitive type. You’ll be the British number 134 in no time!

You don’t need much to get started. No-one expects you to appear in pristine whites and frilly knickers. Shorts or jogging bottoms are fine. It does help to have the right size of racquet, though. Thistle Sports on Rose Street are the experts and can sort you out with a racquet which makes the
most of your strengths as a player. They also offer restringing, grip fitting, clothing and tennis shoes as well as racquets for children starting at under £20. Adult racquets start at £45.

Give doubles a go. There’s a lot less ground to cover for a start and with any luck your partner will be able to return all those shots that went screaming past you. Once you’ve played for a while, you might want to arrange for classes or individual coaching. This will be available through your club or lta.org.uk has a list of accredited coaches.