Over the coming weeks I will be trying out several different sports with clubs from across the town.

In the wake of Wimbledon, I have been to Ross-on-Wye Tennis Club to have a go and to find out more about the sport.

The last time I had a racket in my hand was around ten years ago and I don’t remember being much use then.

Despite my worries of not being able to hit the ball, my tutor, Chris Friend, had plenty of patience as he gave me a crash course in the game.

We started with the basics, using balls designed for children under eight years old. The balls are red, bigger than a traditional tennis ball and play far slower than a normal ball, ideal for a total novice such as myself.

Chris, who has 28 years of teaching experience, ran me through the forehand and backhand and between the shots I mishit into the net, some tennis did start to break out.

To read Ellis’ feature in full, see this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette.