10 & Under Tennis and Its Benefits in Youth Tennis

 

10 & Under Tennis And It’s Benefits for Youth Tennis

One of the premier programs at The New Rochelle Racquet Club is centered around youth tennis, focusing on the TAUT division, or Ten and Under Tennis.  But what is TAUT? What are its benefits and what makes it special for those just getting into the game?

We often hear questions what are the benefits of 10 and Under Tennis and what are the differences in teaching methodology compared to 10-15 years ago before modified equipment and court dimensions were introduced in tennis.

Most importantly is the equipment. Smaller courts, smaller sized racquets starting from 17’’ (compared to 27’’ full size racquets) and low pressure balls (Red, Orange, Green) allow kids to start playing tennis at a much younger age. This lets them enjoy the sport and have fun without frustrations of having trouble handling full size racquets and high and heavy bounce of regular balls.

TAUT Attributes:

• Smaller courts
• Smaller sized racquets
• Low pressure balls

Before the introduction of 10 and Under Tennis, kids had to be 7-8 years old to be able start playing tennis.  In this case, ‘’starting playing tennis’’  refers to being able to hold the racquet and swing with success to connect with the ball once. This would allow the coach to teach proper technique and stroke mechanics. The first year or two of the beginning stage of learning was oriented on how to hit the ball before kids were able to play the game. Of course there were and still are kids with more than ordinary athletic abilities and sports specific talents who can do much more than hit the ball at that age, but still there are benefits for them in utilizing modified equipment even though they are able to handle the regular balls and full size courts.

Now with 10 and Under Tennis kids can start tennis at the age of 4-5 and progress through their development pathway until they’re ready to move on to the full size court, racquet and regular balls.

Benefits of starting at the age of 4-5 may not show right away it terms of hitting the ball and sustaining rallies, but activities and games oriented at that stage helps them develop their basic motor skills, ball tracking, sending and receiving skills, reaction, racquet skills, social skills and over time all this is engraved in their muscle memory as they become better athletes at the later stages. By the time they are 7-8 they already know how to hit the ball and they start to learn how to play the ball.

In the chart below, you can see the varying court sizes for TAUT.

image source: http://www.10andundertennis.com/parents/equipment/about-the-equipment/

Since modified equipment and skills developed at earlier stages allows them to sustain longer rallies and play out the points, kids start to learn where to hit the ball, where to position themselves, how to score, and how to compete. They start to learn how to think on the court and problem solve, which in part will help them in later stages to be tactically smart and mentally strong players. And to give you an example how important problem solving is on the court than just hitting the ball, here is a video of the all time greatest Andre Agassi and how he figure out the way to defeat his biggest rival and also the all time greatest Boris Becker.

TAUT Benefits:

• Develop basic motor skills
• Ball tracking
• Increase receiving skills
• Increase reaction time
• Racquet skills
• Social skills

Founded more than 40 years ago, the New Rochelle Racquet Club continues to be a leading indoor tennis facility in the Westchester community. Known for its outstanding programs for both children and adults, we are focused on enhancing and nurturing your tennis game through a logical progression, providing structured programs that are driven by love and passion for the game. Our pros are among the best in the industry, well versed in all levels of instruction and dedicated to helping you reach your goals on the court.