How to Teach Your Child Tennis: Lesson 2 - Gear

In my first lesson on how to teach your child tennis I went over the mindset a parent must be in before hitting the court with her child for the first time. Once you've wrapped your head around this, the next step is purchasing some gear that is absolutely crucial for teaching your child how to play tennis appropriately.

Racket

The first, and perhaps biggest, mistake a parent makes when teaching his child how to play tennis is giving the child an adult sized and often outdated tennis racket. Most children are not ready for a full sized racket until they are between twelve and fourteen. If your child is younger than twelve, it is absolutely necessary to purchase a junior sized racket. "Why?" you may ask. The answer is very simple - full sized rackets are too heavy for children. This heaviness makes swinging the tennis racket in a technically sound way virtually impossible for your child. In fact, many children pull or tear a muscle by swinging a full sized racket, especially if it is an old and particularly heavy one.

I suggest buying Wilson Junior Tennis Rackets. As you will see, they come in 19", 21", 23", and 25". By clicking on the link, you will find the Wilson child height recommendation for each racket. Really, you can't go wrong with either the price or the quality with these rackets.

Shoes

Now, I'm not going to encourage you to buy a full tennis outfit for your child. However, having a pair of tennis shoes is very, very important. Tennis shoes are the only shoes that provide the lateral support necessary for avoiding sprained ankles.

For tennis shoes, I recommend that you go to a store so that your child can try them on before purchasing them. As far as brands go, anything will do for a first pair of tennis shoes.

Balls and ball related gear

If your child is eight years old or younger, I highly recommend investing in some foam balls or other, more real looking junior tennis balls. . "Why?" you may ask. Well, these balls are much lighter than regular tennis balls. Thus, they are easier for your child to hit over the net.

I also highly recommend purchasing a ball hopper! Placing tennis balls by your feet when you are feeding is dangerous! Also, having a ball hopper makes picking up much faster and easier.

Cones/Targets

Targets are very helpful for focused running drills. They are also very helpful for giving your child something to aim at during hitting drills.

As far as what type of targets to purchase, I highly recommend this cone set. These are what I use when running the tennis camp, and they work very well.

Instructional Guide

Although I could write 10,000 words on the appropriate grips and drills, I highly suggest picking up a copy of Munchkin Tennis: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Tennis Fundamentals. . This book is especially helpful for parents who do not have much tennis playing or teaching experience themselves.

That's all for now! Best of luck with the purchases, and stay tuned for Lesson 3.