Tennis is an intricately strategic game, requiring an understanding of both the geometry of the court as well as an ability to construct complex strategies that play to your strengths and your opponents' weaknesses. For juniors, however, particularly younger children, the simple strategies are often the best and most effective.
Avoid the Net
While net play is a critical part of the adult game, it is less effective for younger children. Since most children are under 5 feet tall, it is very difficult for them to be able to cover all the shots necessary to be successful. Junior players have a limited reach, making volleying passing shots a difficult proposition. Perhaps most critically, children are too short to cover the lob adequately. Lobs over the head of the net player are a very easy shot to execute for all levels, making approaching the net for a shorter, younger player very difficult. Young junior players should only approach the net when they have a clear put-away opportunity.
Play the Ball High and Deep
A solid strategy at any level, high, deep balls are particularly effective for kids. This strategy incurs little risk, as the fundamental shot is a high-percentage play that can be executed many times in a row. Additionally, it plays to the weakness of most junior players: high balls. Children are often simply not tall enough to be able to deal with balls that are bouncing 5 to 6 feet high. For many juniors, these balls are contacted above head level, which makes for a difficult shot.
Break Down the Weaker Stroke
Virtually every child and junior player has a weaker side, whether it be the forehand or the backhand. Usually it is fairly easy to determine which ground stroke is weaker, even during the short prematch warm-up. A dependable strategy for kids involves simply hitting 80 percent or more of your shots to the opponent's weaker ground stroke. Not only will this draw more errors from the opponent, often making her frustrated, but it can force her to take a bad court position in order to protect her weaker shot. If the player moves over too far to protect her backhand, simply hit into the open court on her forehand side she has left unprotected.
Emphasize Mental Toughness
Discipline is important for all levels of tennis players, but since so few children have mental toughness, those that do have a considerable advantage. Many children and junior players become easily frustrated if things are not going their way, causing them to lose many more points out of frustration. A good strategy for junior players is to show little emotion, positive or negative, that their opponent can pick up on. This will help kids to stay more levelheaded and reduce the chances of frustration building up.
Member Comments