About four years back I started to take up the game of tennis a little bit more seriously. I was primarily playing on outdoor courts during the summer months with friends during that time.
When I started to look around for a more serious place to play tennis I couldn’t find a central place to get all the information that I wanted. So, I gathered most of the information about playing tennis in the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN area through my colleagues, friends and now tennis partners. My trusted friend google was not of much help here.
Here are a few tips that can be helpful to newcomers to tennis in the twin cities area, please feel free to share your own tips in the comments section of this post or via mail .
Where to play tennis in the twin cities [minneapolis/st paul] area?
My first choice is the Read-Sweatt Family Tennis Center formerly the Nicollet Tennis center. The seasonal leagues scheduled well, the indoor courts are well maintained, well lit and keeps you warm during the minnesota winter, parking is free and there are some great tennis pros to offer you tennis lessons at a reasonable price. I like this place.
If you are a member of Lifetime Fitness you can also take advantage of their tennis courts , indoor as well as outdoor during the warmer summer months, at St Louis Park and Bloomington.
Baseline Tennis Center, University of Minnesota. I have never played here but I have watched my friends play at the indoor courts. This is where the U of MN tennis team practices and the USTA league games are played here in the weekends.
Where to take beginner tennis lessons in the twin cities?
If you are an absolute beginner and you do not have a tennis partner, I suggest that you schedule a series of Group Lessons at least twice a week depending on how fast you want to improve the game and how much time/money you can afford. You can also take the private lessons if you can afford them. RSFTC is my favorite place for these lessons.
How to keep playing regularly?
Join a league. Most places offer league programs that let you play matches with other players rated at your own skill level. I like the leagues at RSFTC. Before you join a league, you have to get rated at a rating clinic conducted by RSFTC for a small fee.
Where to go for good tennis racquet/gear/equipment in the twin cities?
There are atleast a couple of tennis shops in the twin cities area. The one that I am familiar with is Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop in St Louis Park. RSFTC also has its own little tennis shop. Both places have loaner racquets that you can try out before buying. Let me know if you know of other great tennis shops in the twin cities area, I am sure there are many others.
Where to go for stringing your racquets?
You can typically get your racquet strung at the place you buy it. Both Michael Lynne’s and RSFTC string the racquet for you, if you buy the strings from them. Or they can do it for you for a small fee if you have the strings.
I guess this should atleast get you started.
But there are probably many other questions that you have about playing tennis in the twin cities area. Please feel free to leave your questions/comments, I’ll try to answer them as best as I can or possibly someone will have a chance to see your question and answer it for you.
Good Luck and have fun playing tennis!
