How to Teach Tennis to a 6 Year Old

A blog post discussing how to teach tennis to a 6 year old. advice and tips on what works best when teaching a young child tennis.

Introduction

Tennis can be a great lifelong sport for kids of all ages. It is a relatively easy sport to learn the basic skills and it can be played Competitively or just for fun. Here are some tips on teaching tennis to a 6 year old.

Before starting to teach your child how to play tennis, it is important that you yourself have a good understanding of the game. You don’t need to be a professional player, but you should at least know the basic rules and have a good grasp of the different strokes. This will make it much easier for you to explain the game to your child and help them understand what they need to do.

It is also important to make sure that your child is physically ready to play tennis. They should be able to run, jump and swing their arms without too much difficulty. If they are not physically ready, then they may become discouraged and give up before they even start.

Once you are both ready, you can start by teaching your child the basics of grip, stance and stroke

The Basics of Tennis

Teaching a 6 year old how to play tennis can be a rewarding experience. Not only will they be able to enjoy the game, but they’ll also benefit from the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits that come with playing tennis. Here are a few things to keep in mind when teaching your 6 year old how to play tennis.

Grip

In order to properly hit a tennis ball, you need to hold the racket in the correct grip. For a forehand stroke, this grip is referred to as a “continental grip.” To find this grip, hold the racket in your dominant hand and place that hand in the middle of the strings. Then, place your other hand below the first hand and hold the racket with your fingers (do not use your palm). Your continental grip should look like the letter “V.”

Stance

In tennis, there are two basic stances– an open stance and a square stance. The open stance is when your feet are pointing in opposite directions, and the square stance is when your feet are parallel to each other.

For a beginner, the square stance is much easier to learn because it provides more stability and balance. From a square stance, you can then transition into an open stance more easily.

To get into a square stance, start by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart, then have your child place her non-dominant foot slightly behind and perpendicular to her dominant foot. For example, if she is right-handed, her left foot should be behind her right foot. Once she’s in this position, have her bend her knees and shift her weight onto the balls of her feet so she’s ready to move side to side quickly.

Swing

One of the most important aspects of playing tennis is having a good swing. A player’s swing is what enables them to hit the ball over the net and into their opponent’s court. Without a good swing, a player will not be able to generate enough power to make the shot.

There are three main types of swings in tennis: the forehand, backhand, and serve. The forehand is the most common type of swing and is used to hit the ball when it is in front of the body. The backhand is used when the ball is behind the body, and the serve is used to start each point.

Each type of swing has its own specific technique that must be learned in order to execute it correctly. The forehand swing, for example, requires a player to use their dominant hand to grip the racket while their non-dominant hand steadies the racket on the backside. The backhand swing, on the other hand, takes place entirely with the non-dominant hand.

Once a player has learned the basic techniques of each swing, they can begin practicing them with a tennis coach or by themselves. It is important for players to remember that each swing must be executed with proper form in order for it to be effective.

Drills for 6 Year Olds

When teaching tennis to a 6 year old, you’ll want to start with the basics. This means covering the basic strokes, footwork, and court positioning. Once your child has a good grasp on the basics, you can start to introduce some simple drills. These drills will help your child to improve their coordination, balance, and hand-eye coordination.

The Balloon Drill

This is a great way to get kids moving and having fun while they are learning to hit the ball. You will need a balloon for this drill. The balloon should not be too big or too small. A good size is about 18 inches in diameter.

The child should stand at the baseline, and the coach or parent should stand at the net. The coach/parent will bounce the balloon over the net, and the child will hit it back. The child can hit the balloon with any part of his/her body except for the hands or arms. Hitting the balloon with different parts of the body will help the child learn to control his/her shots.

After a few hits, have the coach/parent move back a few feet, and have the child move up a few feet. This will help the child learn tohit the ball over the net. The coach/parent can also move from side to side to make it more challenging for the child.

The Hitting Partner Drill

This is a great drill for beginners of all ages, but is especially good for 6 year olds. You will need two people and two racquets. The hitting partner stands next to the net with their racquet outstretched, while the other player hits balls to them. The aim is to hit the ball over the net so that it bounces in front of the partner, who then hits it back. This drill is a great way to teach basic rallying skills and hand-eye coordination.

The Wall Drill

One of the easiest and most fun drills for 6 year olds is the wall drill. This is how it works:

Have your child stand about two feet away from a wall, with a tennis racket in hand.
Bounce a tennis ball against the wall, and have your child try to hit it back with their racket.
Start with slow bounces, and then increase the speed as your child gets better.
Once they’ve mastered hitting the ball back, you can move on to other drills.

Conclusion

The goal of this article was to provide some tips on how to teach tennis to a 6 year old. We covered the importance of patience, focus, and repetition. We also discussed the need to make the learning process fun and engaging. By following these tips, you should be able to give your child a solid foundation in tennis that will stay with them for years to come.