re: How hard is tennis to pick up for someone in their 40s ?

I guess I should've said "much" exercise.
I just haven't seen any tennis players lately look like John daly

If you're athletic, tennis is easy to pick up and you'd be able to hang with most casual players.

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Most beginners start out with a 2.5 rating. Most rec players top out around 3.5. College players are around 5.0 to 6.0, for reference. 2.5's suck, but they're supposed to suck. They play other 2.5 so they can suck together. Just be prepared to suck for a while and you'll be fine.

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Spoken like a hard 3.0.

Search for beginner tennis group lessons in your area. Most local parks & rec courts have some, as do the tennis clubs. It's a good way to start learning & meet other beginners (with whom you can perhaps start a team to join a beginner league).

As the others have said, if you're naturally athletic, you'll pick up pretty quickly. But even if you're not (like me), you can still learn & improve with more practice. I started in the fall, and I'm addicted to tennis now.

Simmer down John Daly.

OP asked about Tennis. Not golf.

I don't think anyone is arguing waking 18 isn't exercise. But it doesn't offer any arobic benifit. Tennis does.

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Walking isn't exercise.

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Well this is dumb Walking is one of the best exercises one can do.

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Does it take a long time to get any good? Any tips on how to start or is it too late in life?

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yes. it will take a year of real intention to get any good. maybe two until you pay for indoor court time in winter.

There is a rating system which is based on the relative mastery of the elements of the game.


serve
forehand volley
backhand volley
net game with touch
and lob

moving around the court while maintaining the ability to be able to return will bring out your athleticism. if you use a two hand back hand it will limit your range, but you will get power from the beginning. do both forms every time you practice the backhand.

touch on drop balls that you get back over the net in difficult positions to return will also bring out your hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The serve can be B+ if you just learn the Australian serve with proper form. You do NOT have to hit it hard if you have the right form it will be impossible for most people to return.

take two lessons.
1. serve
2. backhand ground stroke

find a place to hit against a backboard.

after two weeks of that
another lesson

1. serve

2. forehand groundstroke

back to the backboard.

find a practice partner willing to only practice one thing

lob from the area between the serving boxes and the back line so it gets past the serving boxes within three feet of the back line. Learn to take balls and lop from backhand, and forehand.

lesson #3
1. serve

2. over head slam off a high lob.

back to practice

hit the ball from the space behind the serving box but still in the court, not too hard, just so it travels into the box across from you, and then bounces out of bounds *at an angle

stand a few feet behind your net. have the practice partner hit forehands to you, and beside you a couple of feet.
learn to drop the ball into the serving box and have it go out of bounds at an angle.

Do the same play, only start 15 feet behind the net and run to get to a short ball in the serving box. tap it so it stays in play, but not to the opponent

Eventually you can learn the serve that has the ball jump up into the returner. This is the doubles serve. You get it all up in the body.

play a lot. maintain good form rather than worry about winning.

practice every kind of shot once you know them.

You will be dismayed at how fast the ball is going when you stop playing for a month and get back to it. Have two or three practice partners.

when you can do all the above, add being able to cut the ball so it stops dead and jumps up a bit, instead of going back to the returning player. If you try this from too far back, its very difficult.

UNFORCED ERRORS. eliminate them. Do not try to cut the ball unless you are nearly on top of the net.

do not go for the edge of the court. keep the ball in play unless you have a smash you are sure of.
touch and pace will be enough without trying to hit into the corner.

eventually you will have enough sense of your body and strokes to hit to the edges of the court. forget it for two years.

I'd recommend this for a starter:

Practice a lot on ur own with a ball machine or on a wall. Especially serving. And for serving, forget about the net and aim for the service Box line .

Beware of using light weighted racquets. Ur arm absorbs a lot since u have to apply so much force. I've seen players have issues. Stay around 12 ounces. I add lead tape to mine.

Get u a book or watch some videos.

Play with a person at ur level or just above. Never play "down", as it'll hurt your game.

Good luck to playing an under appreciated and great sport.

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How hard is tennis to pick up for someone in their 40s ?

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The ball is pretty light but the racket might give you trouble.