Pee wee tennis introduces children between the ages of 4 and 7 to the game of tennis. While no organized leagues accommodate children that young, pee wee tennis programs exist all across the world, with classes and paid instructions available to teach the basic rules and fundamentals of tennis, including the forehand, backhand, lob volley, and serve. Pee wee tennis participants will develop valuable hand-eye coordination and improved motor skills as well as, hopefully, a love for the sport.
Court
During pee wee tennis instruction, coaches typically shrink the court dimensions to make things more suitable for the young players. Children 7 and under usually start on a 36-foot court, which is less than half as long as the standard 78-foot court. The pee wee tennis net is also shorter, standing only 2 feet high so the players can see over it as opposed to being forced to look through it.
Racket
An average adult tennis racket measures between 28 and 29 inches in length. Pee wee tennis players can’t possibly handle such bulky equipment, so their rackets must also be reduced in size, with the suggested pee wee racket length measuring a mere 21 inches. Most pee wee tennis programs provide rackets to participants as part of the registration fee, with the Wilson tennis company manufacturing smaller rackets specifically for use in pee wee programs.
Balls
Pee wee tennis players need to learn the game without being afraid of the ball. To help ease any fears, pee wee tennis programs use softer, lower compression tennis balls. The balls may also be color coded to indicate the exact level of softness, with red being designated for the youngest children while coaches introduce slightly harder orange and green balls as the students progress and gain more skill.
Game Play
Pee wee tennis instructors teach children all the basic rules of tennis, discussing concepts like serving, boundary lines, and faults. Coaches simply adapt all the true tennis rules to the miniature pee wee court. That way, children will grow with the game and be prepared to compete under official tennis rules when they’re older. And since they lack the motor skills necessary to keep rallies going, pee wee tennis players require instructors to feed them balls in order to practice the various tennis strokes. Coaches stress proper techniques to ensure players learn the correct way to hit balls without placing any unnecessary stress on the elbow.
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