Real Tennis Players - Like You! - Asking For, and Offering, Advice on the Sport They Love
Player to Player is USTA.com’s regular feature in which everyday tennis players are given a forum to ask advice on the sport they love – and their fellow players will dish out advice. We’ll post a number of the best responses we receive to our question of the week. PLAYER TO PLAYER DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT YOUR QUESTIONS, so please send any queries you’d like answered, or responses to other players' questions, to Player@USTA.com.
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SEND YOUR TIPS TODAY This week's question from Donald: | "I am about to return from rotator cuff surgery, which must rank high on the list of tennis injury comeback problems. Do you have any specific thoughts on rehab on the court for my shoulder?" | | Please share your thoughts with Donald by e-mailing Player@USTA.com and include your name and hometown. Got a question of your own? Send that along, too! | |
READ OTHER PLAYERS' ADVICE
Last week’s question from Alexis:
(Please note: There's no need to send additional responses to this question)
"The USTA recently launched the QuickStart Tennis format. I have a 6-year-old son who is very eager to start playing tennis. We recently attended a QuickStart Tennis workshop, and all the kids seem to really enjoy this format, as it was geared more to their age. Do you think we should stick to just this format, or should my son try lessons on a regular tennis court, as well?"
PLAYER RESPONSES:
From Coach Poppie, Palm Bay, FL:
The key word is FUN. At six, who is your son going to play on a standard court, and will he have as much FUN as on a to-scale court? It is all about development based on effort. If the effort outweighs the FUN, you will have a short-term player. However, when effort and FUN are balanced, you can develop a person and a player willing to take risks and try new things. It’s not about perfect stroke production and whooping the other players.
QuickStart is nothing new. It’s just that the USTA is backing it, and that’s super for the kids and the game. Kudos. Europe, especially Belgium, has made great strides in the scaled-down format, producing upcoming players.
Remember, it is all about the philosophy that puts the player first, whether social or competitive, and winning second. This means putting the overriding priority of the tennis professional to help young players reach their maximum potential as people through a commitment to excellence in tennis.
I have five G-kids locally, and all of them started on a scaled court with transition balls. Hopefully, by the time this is read, G-kid No. 6 will be ready for her first tennis rattle soon. It’s never too early to get a grip and have FUN.
From Tennis Mom, Ocean Ridge, FL:
I have an 11-year-old girl who was in the top 10 in the girls’ 10s in Florida and has been in the girls’ 12s for six months and is already in the top 40. My now-6-year-old daughter has professional private instruction, like my 11 year old, and is well on her way and loving it.
Both started at age four with a program like QuickStart but began private lessons at age five. I believe you have to be honest with yourself with how talented and how much desire your child has in playing this sport. Learning techniques that are for beginners can hold your child's tennis game back, and you need to know when to get more aggressive with their lessons. They do need to have certain skills, like long attention spans, good stamina and discipline, before you put them out with a private coach one on one.
My advice is to keep them in a program until they get this to some degree so that they do not become bored or too fatigued. Also, my best advice is, if you want to see REAL progress, your child must do this sport a minimum three times per week or else you are wasting your time, as well as your child's. Tennis is a repetitive sport, and they can only get good if they play it consistently.
From Sandra B.:
QuickStart is a great way to start a child, but eventually kids need to move on. For some kids, it may be at 6; others might not be ready until 10. I would suggest trying some lessons with other young kids on a regular tennis court and look for a tennis pro who is trained in the games method, where the kids are not "drilled" but play games that improve their skills while still having fun.
From Kai H., Lake Balboa, CA:
Having attended a Recreational Coaches Workshop held by the USTA, I am very familiar with the QuickStart format. I highly recommend it.
Tennis can be a challenging sport to learn for a person of any age, but to a small child, it can truly be daunting. There's this tiny ball to focus on and a huge court to master. It could be quite a turnoff to a child because it may all seem quite overwhelming, and getting that little ball all the way over that net to the other side can seem like an impossible task.
QuickStart allows a child to engage fully in tennis and have some success much more quickly than traditional lessons on a full court. This format will more likely help to foster a lifelong love for the game of tennis (which is what we tennis bums hope to pass on to others). Not to mention, QuickStart is fun!
It sounds like your little one had a great time with QuickStart, and as long as he's happy, you should be, too! Stick with it for awhile and build up his skill and confidence levels before moving on. Good luck!
*Please note that any advice given out in this forum should in no way be confused with actual medical advice. Before starting any new exercise regimen or altering your existing one, we strongly urge you to consult with your regular physician.
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