As you search for the right tennis school for your child, you’re likely to come across a number of options. Something that might make or break a school, though, is whether or not they teach kids’ tennis. Kids’ tennis isn’t a very well known sport, though, and it comes in a lot of different sizes. What type of kids’ tennis does your student need, and what is the difference between this sport and adult tennis?

What Is Kids’ Tennis?

Kids’ tennis isn’t all that different from adult tennis- instead, it’s sized down to fit! Kids have different needs and abilities than adults, and it’s only the next step to make sure that they can play tennis to the best of those needs and abilities! On a kids’ tennis court, you’ll find the same basic rules and play equipment as an adult court- just in a slightly different size. Kids of all different ages can learn this way, too, and the sizing of a kids tennis court changes with the ages of the children being taught.

Mini Tennis

There are several commonly accepted levels of kids’ tennis. The first is ‘Mini-Tennis’, typically taught amongst five- to seven-year-olds. To reflect the fact that many of these children have never played tennis before, mini-tennis is played with oversized foam tennis balls and 19 to 21-inch racquets. Most games are only played to 11 or 15 points, and the server always has two chances to put the ball into court.

3/4 Court Tennis

Taught to 7- to 9-year-olds, 3/4 court tennis is, logically enough, played on a court about 3/4 the size of a normal court. While more traditional tennis rules apply here, it’s worthwhile to mention that the tennis ball itself is a low-compression model, and the racquets are typically about 23 inches long.

What’s Right For Your Child?

Choosing the right tennis option for your child can be complex. The important thing to check is if this school is teaching specifically to kids using kid-sized courts and equipment. Kids’ tennis is specially tailored to meet the needs of your little one so that they can become a great player, too.