Adult Tennis Tips for Improvers: How to Reach Intermediate
To move from improver to intermediate, fix four things: finish your swing high instead of stopping halfway, find a footwork stance that keeps you balanced, recover behind the baseline after every shot, and call the score out loud. Technique matters most at this level because it decides whether the ball clears the net.
Here’s what that looks like when it comes together. This player moves from the baseline to the net and uses every shot along the way. That’s the moment a player becomes intermediate.
Adult tennis is growing fast, especially at the improver level. If you’ve been steadily improving and sit somewhere between beginner and intermediate, you’re an improver (advanced beginner, as it’s called in the UK and Ireland). You’re not far from intermediate, the largest adult category in the game.
I’ve worked with adult players moving through this stage for years, and I see the same patterns again and again. These are the areas that matter most.
What the improver level looks like
This is where you move from knowing the basics to applying them consistently and starting to think a little more strategically.
Consistency: more balls in play, fewer unforced errors.
Confidence: you trust your shots more.
Strategy: you start planning. Keep it simple: high vs. low percentage tennis, net clearance, and your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
At higher levels, technique is baked in and players need more strategy, accuracy and variety. At the improver stage technique matters a lot. It can decide whether the ball clears the net, and without that there’s no rally. Most adult players don’t plateau because they lack effort. They plateau because they repeat the wrong patterns.
Start low, finish high
This is the #1 mistake I see with adult improvers. The fear of hitting the ball out gets in their head, so they pause halfway through the stroke and collapse around the chest instead of finishing high over the opposite shoulder, away from the body.
Start low, finish high. Never low to midway and stop. You won’t believe it until you see it, so set up your phone and film yourself.
It’s like the yips in golf. It’s hard to fix once it sets in, so don’t let the habit start. You want a long, fluid stroke from below the ball (you have a net to clear first), then up.
Forehand and backhand: a complete, fluid follow-through improves consistency and power.
Serve: a smooth, consistent motion, a relaxed continental grip and a reliable toss.
Pick a grip that feels like home
Usually that’s the [eastern grip → link], where it feels like shaking hands with the handle. It’s a great grip at this level. I still go back and forth between a flat eastern, because I love to feel the ball, and a semi-western when someone is hitting topspin at me.
You’re not learning topspin yet, but you want deep balls, and everyone wants power. Pick a [solid forehand → link] grip and include the continental, because you’ll need it for the backhand and the [serve → link].
Forehand: eastern helps you feel the contact point and hit deep.
Backhand: if it feels weak, try a two-handed backhand for stability and power, with a continental grip.
Find the stance that keeps you balanced
The biggest tip: work out how you feel best getting to the ball and hitting it. At this stage you’re still building a consistent contact point on both wings, and balance is the name of the game. Get to the ball first, then set up. You’ll hear about neutral and open stance, and the video at the top shows both.
Some coaches push modern open-stance footwork. Modern tennis is terrific, but most people learned an older way, closer to the ball when it moved slower. Open stance can be hard to coordinate, and you can see it in how awkward it looks.
Find the stance you feel best in and the rest will come. At this level the ball isn’t flying around like on TV. There’s usually time to set your feet and hit through it. If you feel off balance, step back and get into the position where you feel solid.
Stay ready
Ready position: start every point in a [ready position → link], showing your opponent you’re here and game on. Body language and the ability to pivot on a moment’s notice matter.
Split step: a quick hop just as your opponent hits the ball. It lets you react faster and move toward the ball.
Ready Position: Always start in a ready position, showing your opponent you’re here - you’re ready and game on! Body language and the ability to pivot on a moments notice is key here.
Split Step: Incorporate the split step into your game. This quick hop just as your opponent hits the ball allows you to react faster and get moving in the direction of the ball.
Hit, recover
Too many players position themselves inside the baseline and stay there. Groundstrokes are hit off a bounce from behind the baseline.
If your opponent hits short and you step in, recover back out after your shot. If they hit really short, they’re pulling you to the net itself, not the service line. Stay there and finish the point instead of running backwards mid-shot. Don’t overthink it: hit, recover, hit, recover.
Singles: just behind the baseline, adjusting to your opponent’s shots.
Doubles: close to the baseline for serves and returns, then up to the net when you can.
Approach shots: follow your approach to the net. Being aggressive there pressures your opponent.
Volley position: about halfway between the net and the service line.
Keep score and call it out
Calling the score and the out balls is part of match play, and I see improvers miss it most. At the club level other players will call you out for it.
If you forget the score, ask and keep going. Everyone knows when you don’t know it, so keep the tension down. Your opponent can’t see your side of the court the way you do, so when a ball lands long or wide, call it out loud: OUT.
Know the system: 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage, game how to keep score, and how games and sets add up.
Before serving: call the score every time.
In practice matches: make it a habit. It helps focus.
Approach Shots: After hitting an approach shot, follow it to the net. Being aggressive at the net can pressure your opponent and win you points.
Volley Position: When at the net, stay about halfway between the net and the service line to be ready for volleys.
You can see the transition perfectly in the top video above. Watch him move from the baseline off both wings hitting groundstrokes inside the court to hit a short ball and he follows it in to the net to finish it off.
FAQ
What is an improver level in tennis?
It’s the stage between beginner and intermediate, also called advanced beginner. You can rally and know the basics, but you’re still building consistency, confidence and match habits.
How do I move from improver to intermediate?
Finish your swing, find a balanced stance, recover to the baseline after every shot, and call the score in practice matches. Fix those four and rallies get longer.
Why does my swing stop halfway?
Usually fear of hitting the ball out. Start low, finish high over the opposite shoulder, and film yourself to see it.
Do I need private lessons at this level?
You don’t need them, but this is the best stage to add a few. Small corrections now stop you from repeating the wrong pattern.
Which training option fits your level
Free course: My free How to Play Tennis course is built for this beginner-to-intermediate stage. It covers what you should be hearing in your lessons.
Private lessons and Mallorca camps: If you want personalized coaching, private lessons suit this stage. If you want structure in a small group, my adult camp weeks in Mallorca start at the advanced beginner level. [Mallorca Adult Tennis Camps → link]
Rafa Nadal Academy: If you’d rather train at an academy in Mallorca, book with the official partner code INDIETENIS.