Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world. In fact, it is by far the most played ball and racket game, with more than 87 million players worldwide. One of the most appealing aspects of the sport is that it requires a ton of skill, discipline, and athletic ability. For this reason, if you want to improve your ability on the court, you will need to spend a good few hours improving your skills.
This is where tennis games come in. There are a wide variety of games out there for you to consider, meaning that you will always be able to improve your skills in some way.
In short, tennis games are used to help athletes improve their game in various aspects. For example, some games are designed to improve your hand-eye coordination, while others improve strength, speed, or reflexes.
It is also important to note that most tennis games are suitable for players of all abilities. Many people think that once a player becomes good enough, they will no longer need to hone their individual skills. However, this is simply not true. Players should practice drills before every training session.
In this article, we will be discussing the popular tennis game called King Of The Court. This game can be played in various ways, depending on how many players you have available and what your court looks like.
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What Is King Of The Court?
In short, King Of The Court is a variation of volleyball. Most people play this game using three players. However, it can be played with more people.
As we have already mentioned, all tennis games are designed to improve the different skills of the player. King Of The Court is an enjoyable game that can be played for a variety of reasons. In other words, this game will not only improve one specific aspect of your tennis playing ability. Instead, it is very versatile and benefits your overall gameplay in several ways. To be more precise, this practice game will improve your serving ability, performance under pressure, and fitness.
King Of The Court is also one of the simplest tennis games, making it suitable for everybody. If you are looking for a fun, social, and interesting way to improve your overall gameplay, you should consider adding in a few minutes of King Of The Court before practice.
What You Will Need
To succeed in King Of The Court, you will first need to find a suitable outdoor or indoor area. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need an actual tennis court to practice tennis games. You could play the game in any solid area that offers enough space. If you have a portable net, put this up and set it to the standard 2m height. However, if you do not have a net, you could also simply use a rope or no-go zone.
To make the game a little more accurate, you could also draw lines on the ground using chalk or spray paint. A standard tennis court is 14m by 7m. This makes it way easier to practice as often as possible.
On top of the actual court, you will also need the standard tennis equipment, including a racket per person and a couple of balls. To make the game more fluent, it is highly recommended that each player uses their own ball.
What To Do
So, how do you go about playing a game of King Of The Court?
As we have already mentioned, this is a straightforward game that just about any level of tennis player should be able to master.
After finding a court, randomly select one player as the designated ‘king’ or ‘queen.’ This person will have to stand on one side of the court, facing the rest of the players.
The remaining people should stand behind the baseline of the opposite side of the court. At random intervals, one player will step forward and ‘challenge’ the king or queen. This player will serve the ball and engage in a one-on-one game. However, this one-on-one game is not a regular match of tennis. Below, we will discuss the rules of King Of The Court in more detail. The entire court can be used during the match.
If the challenging player wins, they automatically become the new king or queen. This player will then move to the other side of the court, and the game will start over.
It is important to note that a rally is lost when:
- The ball is not returned over the net within 3 hits
- The receiving player lets the ball hit the ground
- A player makes contact with the net of the court
- The ball lands on the outside of the court boundaries
It is important to note that King Of The Court should be played according to time instead of points – this will make the game last longer.
The Learning Intention Of King Of The Court
This tennis game requires players to work on their individual skills. More so, the players who challenge the king or queen will have to communicate to determine who will step forward and make the first serve. In other words, King Of The Court improves a variety of aspects of your game.
The Playing Area
As we have already mentioned, King Of The Court does not need to be played specifically on a tennis court. If you would like to play the game often, it is highly recommended that you find an accessible piece of land that can be used.
The playing area of King Of The Court is 14m x 7m. The net should reach a height of 2m. However, if you do not have a net available, you could simply use a rope or set a designated no-go zone. It is worth noting that King Of The Court is designed to work on your reflexes, serving ability, and hand-eye coordination more than anything else. For this reason, the game does not need to be quite as precise and technical as regular tennis.
Games Rules
There are several variations of King Of The Court. If you want each set to last a bit longer, you could make each challenger play to five sets with the king or queen. In other words, the challenger will have to win at least 3 out of 5 sets before replacing the king or queen.
It is worth noting that the challengers are always the ones to start a rally. In other words, they will need to communicate beforehand to determine who is going to step forward. More so, the king or queen will have to be ready, as challengers often try to surprise them or catch them off guard. As we have already mentioned, this helps improve the reflexes of the players.
Safety Rules
If King Of The Court is not played correctly, the safety of the players could be compromised. For this reason, it is absolutely essential that everybody understands the rules of the game beforehand.
When playing King Of The Court, challenger players should stand a safe distance away from where the action is happening. In other words, before a challenger steps forward, all players stand at the baseline of the court. However, when a rally begins, the remaining players will need to remove themselves from close proximity to the court, as they could potentially be struck.
If you are playing King Of The Court in teams, you should also determine who will be marking the different sections of the court before the game begins. This will avoid any collisions. On top of this, communicating with your teammate improves the overall functioning of the game and is excellent practice for the real thing.
How To Get The Most Out Of King Of The Court
King Of The Court is a very popular tennis game that is played all around the world. If you are looking to improve your skills, it is highly recommended that you fit in at least a few minutes of King Of The Court before every training session. If you want to see improvements in no time at all, try practicing at least once every day – this is why it is highly recommended that you find an easily accessible area that can be used at any time. If you do not have a 14m x 7m area close by, you could even use a smaller court.
As we have already mentioned, King Of The Court should be played according to time instead of points. In other words, instead of ending the game when the king/queen position has been overtaken a certain amount of times, end it after you have spent at least 10 minutes playing. However, if you want to get the most out of the practice game, it is highly recommended that you play for around 20 to 30 minutes.
King Of The Court is designed to improve several aspects of your game. While it can be a fun game to simply socialize with friends, your tennis ability will also improve after some frequent practice. If you want to get as much out of the practice drill as possible, try playing in teams, as this will improve your communication skills.
King Of The Court Doubles
It is important to note that King Of The Court can also be played in pairs. In this variation, you will need at least six players. However, the game can also be played with more people.
King Of The Court Doubles is played in the same way as regular King Of The Court. This game comes with some additional benefits. As we have already mentioned, playing in teams will improve your communication skills, which are very important in tennis.
This variation is also slightly easier, as each player won’t have to move around the entire court to return balls. For this reason, if you are new to tennis, it is highly recommended that you start by playing with a teammate.
Questions For The Players
When playing King Of The Court, you should ask yourself the following questions to get the most out of the game:
- What tactics worked best when you were in the king or queen position?
- How can you ensure that you are ready for a rally from a challenging player?
- What strategies can be used to motivate yourself when you are losing to an opponent?
- What are your weak points in the game? What aspects of your game do you need to work on?
- What are your strengths in the game?
- How can you get more out of your time spent on the court?
Summary
There are a wide variety of tennis games that can be played to improve your skill and ability. King Of The Court is a very popular game that can be played in several variations.
For this game, you will need at least three players. It can also be played in teams. You will start by randomly selecting one player or team as the king or queen. This player stands at the one end of the court and faces the remaining players, who position themselves behind the opposite baseline. One challenging player or team will step forward and engage in a one-on-one rally with the king/queen. If they win, they take over the king/queen position.
To get the most out of King Of The Courts, try playing it before every training session. The game does not necessarily have to be played on a tennis court. You could play King Of The Courts on any flat surface that offers enough space.