New rules for 10 and under players

Each sport has younger divisions with different rules, so why shouldn't tennis? For children 10 and under, tennis has had a few changes to the game.

To start, the court itself is broken down into four smaller, kid sized courts to play on. Less area to run around balances out the game so that rallies are easier and more fun.

The racquets are downsized as well to fit kids' hands with ease. The number is how long the racquet is in inches, with 19 being about the smallest, and 26 the largest. A smaller racquet allows for proportional distance from the ball, as well as a faster swing from a lighter weight and the smaller size. Finally, The balls have been changed as well, to start, the Penn QST foam ball is perfect, I even use these with adults if they have trouble starting off. After they get comfortable with these, I would move on to the Gamma Quick Kids 78, which are designed for the court shown above by moving slower and bouncing lower. Or, if your child is 8 and under, you can try the Quick Kids 36 which bounce even less and have more wind drag.

The one handed backhand

All right. So you are looking for some more reach on that backhand, or maybe the two handed shot doesn't feel just right to you. You may want to try a one handed backhand and see if that does the trick. A one handed backhand is much more complex then its two handed counter part, and as so, should be taken in steps. 







To start, you should master this shot using a normal grip first, your index finger running up the top bevel of the racquet, fitting nicely in your palm. Once you master this shot in the easiest of positions you can try another side out and see if it works better.
Before we get into the swing, lets talk about your feet. Because this shot has a much farther reach then the two handed version, your open stance should include your dominant side foot crossing over your other, with your back facing the net, head pointed down towards the contact. Your closed stance should remain the same as your two handed backhand.

Now, start your swing by using two hands on the racquet. Your hand position for your weak hand should move up to cradle the racquet on the throat or bridge, as I discussed for a one handed back spin shot for your backhand, (view here). From this position, practice moving the racquet back to prepare for your shot, while moving your hands up in position. Then, practice slowly swinging with both hands from this position, up and over your shoulder. You should be able to keep the racquet flat or closed with the court as you swing, don't let it wobble.
After you get this up to speed, practice shadowing with your weak hand just behind the racquet, that is, following the racquet's movement, in the same manor as the last step.
Once this is done, try letting the racquet swing out of your weak hand, leaving your hand where it was as you swing through. 
After you feel confident about the angle of the racquet head as you swing, practice tossing a ball just in front of you and hitting through the ball slowly, making sure your racquet head doesn't wobble through the shot. Each time you hit successfully, make your next shot a little faster, speed it up until you can hit over the net and get it up to speed with your forehand. 
Next, you will need a wall or another person to hit against. Start slow again, just trying to get a feeling for the shot and how your racquet needs to make contact. Until you can hit confidently, without 'shanking' the ball, (hitting the rim,) or wobbling your racquet, you will need to start slow and speed up. 
This takes a lot of time, but remember, learning a new shot is hard. You have to start slow and build up to a great shot, don't try to smash the ball on your first hit. Just remember to concentrate on hitting the sweet spot, and keeping your eye on the ball, then the contact.
A few important things to remember are: 1) use your weak hand! It can be very useful, even if your not using power from it you can still use it to steady the racquet and keep your balance! 2) Watch the shot! Its hard to see what your racquet is doing if you are looking at where you want the ball to go. Odds are, if you look up to see where the ball is going, you might not even hit the ball. 3) Practice! Because it's your weak side, and you don't have an extra hand on the racquet, it can be hard to get the racquet steady through the whole shot. However, the more you hit a one handed backhand, the easier it will become.
Hopefully, this will help in some shape or form. One handed backhands are great to reach those corner shot balls that seem too far, and it is also great if you are looking to add more topspin to your backhand. Keep in mind though that the power on your shot will suffer until you get a feeling for the shot and learn how to put that power back on it.

The two handed backhand

The backhand is arguably harder than the forehand. If you find this isn't the case for you then consider yourself lucky!
To start, the overall motion of the racquet should be similar to how I described the forehand. The backhand, unlike your forehand, is hit on your weaker hand side, (right-handed people will hit a backhand to their left, opposite for left-handed). Because the backhand is on the weaker side, many people find it much easier to hit with two hands to steady the racquet, and find it easier to make their backhand consistent and accurate.
You need two hands on the racquet for this shot, and this should be tried first in a normal grip. Start by holding the racquet as you would for a forehand, and then place your left hand right on top of your right, in a normal grip as well; your palm should rest on the opposite bevel, (the bottom bevel).
The two handed backhand, as demonstrated by Sharapova, is started by turning your shoulders so they point straight down the court, feet one in front of the other. Next, start the back swing on your racquet, placing it waist level or just below, behind you. Swing upward, pushing out with your left hand, finishing over your shoulder. Last, step through with your back foot and keep your racquet up until the shot is finished.
Hopefully, with a couple of practice shots, this will become as easy as your forehand!

The importance of tennis shoes

If you are serious about tennis then you will need a good pair of shoes to back you up. Tennis shoes are specifically designed for vertical and horizontal movement around the court, and as so, will have more cushioning in the arch and sides of the shoe. Because tennis is a sport of running not just forward, but side to side, running shoes or other types can leave the foot uncomfortable, leading to blistered, or raw feet at the end of the day. A good pair of tennis shoes are not cheep, but they will last you. I've had my pair of Adidas barricades for about two to three years now and they are still in great shape. I would recommend either the barricade by Adidas, or Nike air max or city court shoes.
               
Either way, as long as it has sufficient ankle, arch, and side support, your feet will thank you if you plan to play more than once a week.

Footwork and position from the ball

Your position or distance from the ball is one of the most important things in separating a decent shot from a great shot. This drill is designed to help you find your best distance on your forehand and backhand side, as well as help with the footwork necessary to set up for each.
1) Grab a friend, this drill is for two.
2) Get at least ten balls and a racquet.
3) Have one person stand on the baseline with their racquet and the other feeding from the service line.
4) Toss the balls just out of reach in sets of 10, alternating between forehand and backhand for each feed, (start slow the first set and speed up every new set).
5) Pay close attention to how you move to the ball and what feels like the best distance, if you have to reach out for the ball or the ball is too close and you are cramped then you will need to readjust.
If you have more than 2, or taking semi-private or group lesson, then you can have the others shadow hit behind the baseline player. If this is the case make sure the person actually hitting the ball has plenty of room!

The continental grip

Okay, you've made it through your first few lessons. Now you are ready to take on volleying and serving. To do both of these, you need to first move your hand into continental grip.
Why should I use continental?
Continental is very useful because it aids in angling the ball directly into the court both at the net and when serving. Because of the way your shoulders are turned when serving and volleying, the continental grip will allow you to line up the ball based on the new angle of your racquet. From the net, your shoulders are only slightly turned, to put your racquet even with the court you need to change the grip on your racquet and therefore the angle.
This is done by moving you hand to bevel 4 if you are right handed, or bevel 1 if you are left handed. Again, your index finger should run up the new bevel and it should fit comfortably in your palm. To check if you are in continental, you can stand still, and try to bounce the ball straight up and down against the ground. If the ball bounces right back up to your racquet, then you need to adjust your grip. This is also useful when serving because of how your shoulders are positioned.
When you serve, your shoulders should be completely even with the lines on the court. In order to make a successful serve, your shoulders must open as you swing. To minimize the amount that they need to turn, you can start in continental grip, taking out some extra rotation and also adding that direct angle towards the ball. Next time you serve, get in position behind the base line. If your shoulders are closed and in normal grip, you should notice that you racquet's angle points directly down the side that you are on. Since you need to serve cross-court, if you start in continental grip, you will notice that just holding the racquet in the air, it is already pointed towards the correct service box.
This grip may feel a little strange at first but I promise you will get used to it. In fact, for some it may even feel better than your normal grip! If that is the case, I encourage you to use it as much as possible. Continental grip, if used correctly, will create natural topspin for your forehand side on the ball, and it will cause that visible arc motion when watching the ball.  Keep in mind though that you may have to readjust your grip for your backhand as the angle is no longer flat, but turned up towards the sky on that side.

The backspin slice

Backspin

Okay so you've been working on your shots and you have them down pretty good. What's next? A good step to go to once you can confidently hit 8/10 or 9/10 shots without 'pattycaking' them over the net is the backspin or back slice.
This shot can be done from either the forehand or backhand side. To hit a  back slice, start in either your normal or a continental grip. (Try out both and see which feels more natural for you.) Start with the racquet high as opposed to low or waist high. Make sure you have about a 45 degree angle on your racquet head, not vertical or horizontal with the court, but somewhere comfortably in between. Bring the racquet through the ball, keeping that angle throughout the shot, and bring the racquet slightly downwards with your swing, ending at about your waist. Keep visual contact with the ball, and leave your head down as you would with any other shot after the hit is made. It is very important that you retain the angle your racquet head makes throughout the shot or you may end up hitting the frame or fail to have enough power to hit the ball over the net.
This shot on the backhand side can be done either one or two-handed. If you try the one hand, make sure you bring your weak hand up to the bridge or throat (shown below) of the racquet to stabilize the shot. 

Parts of a racquet

Then, as you swing, let the racquet come out of your weak hand and bring it down through the shot, keeping your weak hand up in the air as you swing.

This is one of the harder shots to understand the 'feeling' of how you should hit the ball, and by that, one of the harder shots to master. However, once you add this shot to your repertoire, it can be a great tool as it can be used for offense, defense, or a neutral shot.