What equipment is needed for a child new to tennis?

Very popular with children, youth and adults, tennis is a sport that has no age limits. However, to become a professional at this game, it turned out that it is better to start at a young age. Do you have a child who is about to take his first steps in this sport? Here is the equipment you must give him, and how he should proceed to increase his chances of developing a passion for the sport tenfold.

Necessary equipment for children new to tennis

As in any other sport, the practice of tennis requires specific equipment. Here is the minimum equipment your child must have before taking their first steps on a tennis court:

Tennis racket

It is one of the main basic equipment that every tennis player should have. The tennis racket is indeed used to receive and send the ball to the opponent. When properly chosen, the junior tennis racket will allow your child to enjoy an optimal experience during all games of tennis. In other words, the choice of this equipment should meet the needs of your aspiring tennis player.

Among the factors to take into account in choosing a racquet adapted to your child, we distinguish: the age, the morphology and the sex of the player. Apart from these factors which are specific to the physical conditions of the player at the time of the choice, you must also take into account other selection criteria which depend on the material itself. These are: the weight of the racquet, the size of its handle and its head, the quality and tension of the string, not to mention the quality of the grip. In terms of weight, remember that, for a child who is new to tennis, it is recommended to opt for fairly light rackets.

Tennis balls

This is another essential material for the game of tennis. There are different types: foam balls, classic balls, intermediate balls, mini-tennis balls. For a child who is new to tennis, the ideal is to choose the tennis balls that correspond to his age. For ages 4-6, foam, felt, or plastic balls are the most recommended, as they have a bounce height rated at 25% of that of a conventional tennis ball.

For children aged 7-9, the ideal tennis balls are orange dot felt balls because their bounce height is 50% compared to a conventional ball. Finally, for children over the age of 9, green dot felt balls are the most recommended, as they have a bounce height that is 75% of the bounce height of a conventional tennis ball.

Tennis shoes

For his initiation to tennis, it is very important that your child wears shoes suitable for the sport. For the choice of this equipment, there are no pre-established criteria to consider. However, in choosing the tennis shoes for your child, make sure that they are comfortable and durable enough to withstand the long back-and-forth movement of the aspiring player on the surface of the tennis court.

The tennis bag and clothes

The bag is an accessory that allows you to store other equipment necessary for the athlete. For your child, you can opt for a thermobag. This type of bag has separate and specific compartments for storing rackets, balls, water bottles, etc.

When it comes to clothing, there are some that are specific to tennis. However, this type of clothing is not compulsory. You can just make sure that your child who is new to tennis has clothes that make them comfortable to move and hit.

Tips for a good start to tennis when you are still a child

For help children to thrive in tennis, here are some very important tips to put into practice.

Do not value the results too much

When a player is new to tennis, the most important thing is not to win games or avoid fouls. On the contrary, what should be most valued in beginners to tennis is attitude. This will encourage the aspiring tennis player to be more daring on the court, which will allow him to increase his performance.

Encourage the development of patience

As at the beginning in all sports, good results do not appear immediately. And when the beginner in tennis is faced with this situation, he tends to lose confidence in himself. So he will have to be reassured that the expected results will only come with time.

Teach that the adversary is not an enemy

On the tennis court, players are called upon to send the ball in such a way as to place the opponent in difficulty. So, when you start in this game, you tend to misunderstand the situation to the point of taking the opponent as an enemy. It is therefore precisely at this stage that a child who is taking his first steps in tennis must be taught that his opponent’s efforts to win are nothing more than a springboard which he must use to find his way. to improve.

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