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Tennis Cheat Sheet for New Players

Forehand

What it's not: When you meant to say "forehead" but got your body parts confused

What it is: A tennis stroke done with your dominant hand, where your palm faces the ball.

Backhand

What it's not: When someone smacks another person with the back of their hand, sometimes seen in movies

What it is: A tennis stroke done either two handed or with your non-dominant hand, where the back of your non-dominant hand faces the ball

Ace

What it's not: The highest (or sometimes lowest) card in the deck

What it is: When a player's service lands in and is completely untouched let alone not returned by the opponent

Let

What it's not: To rent an apartment...in London.

What it is: When a player's serve hits the net but lands in, that is a let. That player is allowed to re-do the serve.

Fault

What it's not: A break in the rocks that make up the Earth's crust

What it is: A bad serve that goes out of bounds

Double Fault 

What it's not: When you or someone is blamed twice for doing one thing

What it is: Two bad serves that go out of bounds, resulting in a point for the opponent.

Break Point

What it's not: A 2014 comedy starring Jeremy Sisto and Adam DeVine

What it is: In tennis, when the person receiving serve wins the game. It's generally expected for the server to win the game, and if the receiving player does, it will put them ahead in the count. They will have "broken" the player serving, oftentimes referred to as "breaking serve." "Double break point" or "triple break point" is when the receiving player has more than once chance to win that game (15 to 40 or love to 40, respectively).

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About the Author

Amy Schlinger

SELF gives you great advice on being healthy, happy, slimmer, fitter and less stressed.
SELF gives you great advice on being healthy, happy, slimmer, fitter and less stressed.

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