Tennis is a great sport for kids.  So, we want them to have fun and be able to play to the best of their ability. Our following top tennis tips will provide help for just that.  Not only does tennis teach kids valuable life skills like concentration, dedication, tactical thinking and self-confidence.  But, it has a whole range of physical developmental benefits for them too.  Such as hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, balance and body coordination, flexibility, agility and speed. Most kids who play a sport such as a tennis spend hours watching their sporting heroes on TV.  Dreaming of playing just as skilfully and effortlessly someday.  Whether your child is just starting out or has been playing tennis for a while, there is always room for learning and growth.  So, in this article, we have shared some top tips for kids that will help to improve their tennis game.

TOP TENNIS TIPS FOR KIDS

Practice Controlling Your Serve

The first of our top tennis tips is on how to control your serve. The service is the most important shot in tennis.  So, it’s crucial to spend time on getting it right, in order for kids to improve their game.  Take the time to set up the shot, focusing on the accuracy of ball placement.  Rather than, how hard and fast you can serve the ball to your opponent. Many new players try to hit serves as hard as they can at 100% velocity.  However, the stance, toss and weight transfer are the fundamentals of serve to focus on first. Your stance should be well balanced and positioned.  So, the rest of the serve flows easily.  The toss of the ball should be consistent so that you can hit the ball in the best spot every time.  Also, your weight transfer will use your body’s momentum in the serve to increase your serving power.

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Position Your Back Leg Correctly

A player not being positioned correctly is the number one cause of missing a shot in tennis.  They may have a good stroke technique, but if their footwork is not on point, they will be off balance and lunging to get to the ball. It’s important to ensure that you have your body weight fully loaded onto your back leg before playing every shot.  Getting your weight behind the ball like this will allow you to transfer that weight and power into the shot.  Also, it makes for more consistent play.

Stick To A Pattern

It’s extremely important for beginners to find a pattern of play that works for them and stick to it.  This allows them to practise and rely on the shots that they are good at.  Instead of losing focus and becoming scattered by trying to play too many risky shots. Professional players will only have one or two patterns of play throughout a match. They always try to hit their strongest shots by delivering what they know will work. Don’t try to get too creative on the court, instead find your pattern and stick with it.

Don’t Be Reckless With Your Shots

While you’re still learning, it’s recommended that you don’t get too reckless with your shots. Instead of aiming for the line every time, pick an area of the court where you know you can play a solid shot without putting your game at risk. By doing this you will win more points and your confidence will grow. With this added confidence, in time you will become more comfortable at pinpointing your shots closer to the line.

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Identify Your Opponent’s Weaknesses

In identifying your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, you can then base your game plan around this information.  By targeting their weak points and trying to avoid any opportunity for them to play to their strengths. Every match has a five-minute warm-up beforehand. You can use this time to hit various shots to your opponent and see how they react to them.  Therefore, identify their weak spots and any tendencies and patterns.  This will allow you to strategize.  Thus, come up with a game plan to defeat your opponent based on those strengths and weaknesses.

Have Plenty Of Water And Snacks

This may seem more obvious than our other top tennis tips.  However, if you watch the professionals play, you’ll notice that they’ll be sipping on water or a sports drink and nibbling on a snack during each changeover. Make sure you have enough fluids and slow-release energy snacks for the duration of your game.  It’s important.  This will help keep you hydrated and energised during the game.  Both very important factors if you want any chance of winning.

Extra Tennis Coaching

Another great way for kids to improve their game is to enrol in a tennis camp. Australian Sports Camps run 3-day Tennis Coaching Camps over the school holidays for kids aged 6 to 16 years. The programs are run by an experienced coaching panel with guest appearances by leading state or Australian players and coaches. The camps provide children with the chance to meet their sporting idols and make friends while having fun playing tennis. The innovative program covers all facets of tennis with more top tennis tips, taught within high-quality facilities and is designed to improve a child’s tennis skills and maximise their enjoyment of the game.