10 and Under Tennis

Dynamic Warm-up

The following activities are a perfect way to warm up and also give players an opportunity to toss, catch and learn about the flight of the ball. Use some or all of these with the coach leading the activities. Click here for the list.

Ball Drop

Players are in pairs facing each other. One player has one ball in each hand and has arms extended at shoulder level. The player drops one ball and the other player has to run and catch the dropped ball after one bounce. Switch partners after three drops.

High Fiver

Players line up just inside the doubles alley facing a partner. Players will move together up and down the alley with a side shuffle and high fiving each other with both hands as they move.

Slamma Jamma

The coach places spots or throw down lines every 5-6 feet inside the doubles alley. Players stand on either side of the alley facing each other. Players side shuffle from the net to the baseline tossing underhand to a partner with a foam ball or beach ball. Click here for more details.

Partner Tossing and Catching

Roll the ball to a partner from about 6-8 feet apart. Start with one ball and then do two balls at the same time. One player underhand tosses, one player bounce passes. Click here for more details.

Instant Rally Progression, Forehand

Each child will have a racquet and ball. Follow this sequence in order and young players will develop rally skills in just a few minutes. Click here for the entire sequence.

Continuous Rally

Players are in pairs on either side of the net. This team begins with an underhand serve and sees how may balls they can hit back and forth over the net without missing. When an error is made, the opposite player will begin the rally with an underhand serve.

Six Serve Options

This is not in the practice plans: Underhand serve; Overhand serve; Drop and hit; Coach toss; Coach drop; Student throws the ball over the net.

Volley Introduction

Begin with two players positioned on either side of the net about two to three feet apart. One player has a ball and the other player has their racquet up so the strings are facing the tosser (like holding a stop sign). Click here for the entire sequence.

Roll Ball Tennis

Each player rolls the ball under the caution tape. The other player moves into position, where she stops the rolling ball with her racquet and rolls it back. See how many rolls and stops the players can get in a row. As a variation, have the players stop the ball with their feet before rolling it back.

Splat

Two players each with a racquet and a ball pyramid made of four balls (three for the base and one on top). One player drops and taps the ball up at about head-level height, trying to hit the ball pyramid to make it "splat." When the balls are hit, the player scores a point.

Throw Ball Tennis

Players are on either side of the net on a 36-foot court. Players throw a foam ball underhanded over the net. The opposite player must catch it and throw it back after the ball bounces one time on the court. Click here for more details.

Lobster Rally

Players are on both sides of the net with tow racquets each on one ball. One person drops the ball and hits it over the net. The other player traps the ball between the racquets, turns sideways, drops the ball and hits it over with the back racquet.

Four Square

This popular playground game can be adapted for tennis. This can be played over the net using the four service courts of the 36-foot court. Each service court is numbered one through four and players enter the court in square one. All points begin in the Ace Square, square four. Click here for more details.

Volley Game - Basketball

Make targets by using circles or hoops. Give a point value for each target with the closer ones worth less than farther targets. The players volley a ball that is fed with an underhand toss to a target so they score points. Go for one minute and switch roles. Play for four minutes and total the score.

Star Catcher

Use a series of 36-foot courts to play this game. Players play singles games to a designated number of points, such as first to five or seven. At the conclusion of the game, both players exit the court and return to the coach. The winner gets a sticker or star on their hand or racquet. Click here for more details.

Star Team is a variation of Star Catcher and is a fun team game. Divide the group into two teams and each team will always play from one side of the court. It is played just like Star Catcher, but when the players return to the coach, rather than get a star, they move one cone from a stack of cones to their side of the court. Play continues until all the cones are gone. Count up the number of cones for each team to determine the winning team.