|
 Progressive
Tennis
Learning is fun when you use the right
ball, racket and court size!
Where do I start?
Tennis Manitoba along with Tennis
Canada and many other countries have followed the lead
of the International Tennis Federation and are implementing
the principles of the Play+Stay program for starter
players of all ages. To better understand how this program
works, select the different color tennis balls to follow
the pathway to learning this sport for life.
 |
|
Red ball is a great way
for 8 and under players or beginner adults
to start out in tennis
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Orange ball is a great way
for 8 & 9 year olds to continue their progress
from red ball
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Green ball is a great way
for 10 year olds to continue their progress
from red and orange ball
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Yellow ball tennis is the
start of full-court tennis with a regular
ball
|
| |
|
|
Red ball 1/2 court tennis is for
players aged 8 and under and starter adults. It is played
on smaller courts with shorter rackets and softer balls.
It’s just like the real thing and will give you the
chance to have long rallies and play different types
of shots, which should be lots of fun.
Ball: A red sponge ball is
used indoors and a red felt ball is used outdoors. They
are larger and slower than a regular ball.
Court: A smaller court of
11m x 5.5m is used. For details on how to set up a red
court
click here.
Net: The net is lower than
yellow ball tennis at a height of 80cm.
Racket: A shorter racket
of 43cm – 58 cm (17” – 23”) is recommended.
Where: Red ball should be
available at a club that’s local to you. Tennis Manitoba
will provide a list of participating clubs at a later
date.
Competitions are usually team based
so you can compete in lots of short matches. The scoring
for each match should be first to 10 points and competitions
should last between 1 and 3 hours. The Tennis Manitoba
Rookie Tour has adopted red ball play. For details
click here.
Orange ball 3/4 court tennis is
for players aged 8 and 9 or those that have progressed
through the red ball stage. It is played on slightly
larger courts than red ball, with bigger rackets and
balls that are not as soft as red balls. It’s the next
stage to go through before you start playing on a full
sized court and it will help players develop all the
different shots, providing fun competition..
Ball: An orange ball is used.
It has a low compression that makes it bounce lower,
giving the player better control at an important stage
of their development.
Court: Orange ball is played
on a singles court of 18m x 6.5m and a doubles court
of 18m x 8.23m (so the full width of the singles court).
For details on how to set up an orange court
click here.
Net: 80cm at the middle of
the net.
Racket: A racket of 58cm
– 63 cm (23” – 25”) is recommended.
Where: Orange ball should
be available at a club that’s local to you. Tennis Manitoba
will provide a list of participating clubs at a later
date.
All competition will be designed
around the Rogers Rookie Tour format guide. For details
click here.
Green ball is used in this transition
stage on a full tennis court, with bigger racquets and
balls that will help players work on and improve all
aspects of their game.
Ball: A green ball is used,
which is ideal for players moving from orange ball to
regular tennis balls. These balls are low compression
balls, around 25% slower than a regular ball.
Court: Green ball is played
on a full tennis court for singles and doubles.
Net: The net is at full height.
Racket: A bigger racket of
63cm – 66cm (25” – 26”) is recommended.
Where: Green ball should
be available at a club that’s local to you. Tennis Manitoba
will provide a list of participating clubs at a later
date.
All competition will be designed
around the Rogers Rookie Tour format guide. For details
click here.
Yellow ball competition is for players
aged 11 and over. It is played on a full tennis court,
with full size rackets and full compression yellow balls.
It’s the last stage of your tennis development and the
technique and skills that you have developed through
the stages of mini tennis can now be put into practice.
Ball: A regular yellow tennis
ball is used.
Court: Yellow ball is played
on a full sized tennis court for singles and doubles.
Scroll through the pictures to the right to see what
the court looks like.
Net: The net is at full height.
Racket: A full size racket
of 27” is recommended, when a player is physically ready.
Where: Yellow ball should
be available at a club that’s local to you. It is also
played at county, regional, national and international
level.
Competitions are team and individual
based, providing the chance to compete in 3 set matches.
The scoring for each match is usually the best of 3
short sets, or best of 3 full sets and competitions
and tournaments can be for a day, over a weekend or
over a week in the school holidays.
Tennis Manitoba is planning to launch
a Junior Challenger Tour for those players just entering
yellow ball competition. Those juniors wishing a stronger
level of play may compete in the Tennis Manitoba Junior
Tour. For details
click here.
See also:
ITF launches
effort to push tennis globally
Mini Tennis in Canada
Tennis Canada - Community Coaching
Summer Tennis
Camps in Manitoba
|
