1. Joining a Wheelchair Tennis Team
Both able and disabled athletes can play wheelchair tennis. To find a team, contact your physical therapist or local rehabilitation hospital. All players must have full cognitive abilities. Both power and manual wheelchairs are acceptable. However, if a player selects one type of chair, they must continue to use that same type of chair in all sanctioned tennis events. If you can't find a wheelchair tennis team, contact the local tennis association. Most would be happy to include a wheelchair athlete. Wheelchair tennis follows most of the rules of the International Tennis Federation. To accommodate the wheelchair, the athlete is allowed two bounces of the ball instead of one. The wheelchair is part of the body and all the standard rules apply. In a wheelchair tennis game, both players do not need to be in wheelchairs. If there is a mix of able and disabled athletes, the standard rules apply to the able bodied athlete and the wheelchair tennis rules apply to the athlete in the wheelchair.
2. Practicing Wheelchair Tennis
To practice wheelchair tennis, find a local school or industrial building with a large, windowless wall. Take several tennis balls and racquets. Practice hitting the ball to the wall and you're targeting. Increased accuracy and power are the critical elements of tennis. Take at least six balls with you so that practice can continue even when the ball moves out of reach. When you have developed basic tennis skills, reserve the local tennis court and an automatic ball server. Practice all the strokes in tennis to improve the quality of your game. Practice with the tennis team. All the same rules and skills are required. The competition makes it interesting for both athletes. Wheelchair tennis does not require a sports wheelchair. However, many players attach themselves firmly to the chair with straps at the waist, knees and ankles. These straps can be home made or purchased from a health care store.
3. Attend a Class
Many tennis clubs and associations offer classes in wheelchair tennis. Look carefully for class offerings. If none are available, contact the local tennis school for information on tennis coaching sessions. Private and semi-private classes are available and this focused attention may be the fastest way to build your tennis playing skills. Provide the instructor with the rules for wheelchair tennis so that the training focuses on the same game environment and rules as regular tennis.
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