Finding a Hitting Partner for Tennis: How to Find One and Play a Good Session
The hardest part of amateur tennis is often not the forehand, but finding someone who will play with you regularly and at a similar level. Here are proven ways to do it.
Start with who you are looking for
Before you post a request, answer three questions for yourself: what is your level, when can you play and how far can you travel. The more precisely you describe it, the faster you will find someone you actually click with.
The easiest way to describe your level is the NTRP scale (for example 3.0 or 3.5). If you are not familiar with it, check the guide on rating your own level. A gap that is too big makes a session boring for both sides.
Where to look for a hitting partner
A mix of several sources works best. One post rarely does the job, but after two weeks of regular searching you usually have a few contacts.
- at your club or the courts where you play: the coach and the front desk often know people looking for a game
- in local tennis groups on social media
- through friends of friends: ask people who play to recommend someone
- in an amateur league or tournament: the shortest path to regular matches at a similar level
- in the Tenisime app: you can find players nearby and invite them to play
What to put in your post
A good post has five elements and fits in three sentences.
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Level | NTRP 3.5, playing for three years |
| Time | Tuesdays and Thursdays after 6:00 PM, weekend mornings |
| Place | Downtown and the surrounding area, can travel to the east side |
| Surface | clay or hard courts, outdoors in summer |
| What you want | regular play once a week, singles |
How to set it up so the session actually happens
- Propose a specific day and time instead of asking "when can you play".
- Agree on who books the court and how you split the cost (usually in half).
- Say how many balls you are bringing and which ones, so you do not play with old ones.
- Confirm the day before with a short message: in an outdoor sport the weather changes plans.
- After the session, propose the next date right away, while you are still on the court.
How to play a practice match that makes sense
A practice match does not have to end with a score. A good idea is a ten-minute warm-up, then one or two sets, and finally a short chat about what each of you wants to improve. If you both want to work on your serve or net play, agree that in certain games you practice only that.
If you want to track progress, log your scores. In Tenisime you can record the result game by game, and if the match is ranked, it builds your ELO.
Singles or doubles practice
Singles gives you the most movement and teaches you to solve points on your own, but it needs two players of similar fitness. Doubles is easier to organize, because any difference in level is spread across the pair, and it trains net play and teamwork better.
If you are looking for regular play, do not limit yourself to one form: a few hitting partners for singles and a regular group for doubles is the best setup, because one option always works out.
What to avoid when looking for a partner
- posts without a level and a time, because nobody knows whether it is an offer for them
- agreeing to play with someone whose level is far from yours just because they replied first
- giving up after one bad session: sometimes it takes two matches to find a shared rhythm
How to keep a good partner
A regular partner is worth more than ten one-off contacts. Playing together every week is the simplest way to turn tennis from a sprint into a habit.
- be on time and cancel in advance, not at the last minute
- play fair: give up disputed balls and call out only when you are sure
- keep the level balanced: sometimes ease off, sometimes raise the challenge
- invite them to a league or tournament, because competing together strengthens the relationship