AGES:

10-14 years old

CLASSES AND TIMES:

Tuesdays, Thursdays

4:30-6:00

May participate in 1 or 2 days per week

Rain Policy: On the first day of the week that it rains we will train inside. If it rains the second day(both days) we will reschedule for the very next  Saturday  8am.  If you are in doubt as to what we are doing call Greg 318-548-4307

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BALL

The GREEN BALL curriculum allows young players to play on an 78′ court with the same rules as those used in adult play.Playing the “real” game will promote the development ofFundamentals required in game situations. As the equipment dimensions are scaled down, young players are able to develop an all-court game style. The GREEN BALL level uses low-compression balls that facilitate this tactical development. The balls are easier to control and don’t bounce as lively as a regular ball(25% LESS). On the green courts players use 25-27 inch rackets (depending on player size) which gives better racket control. The modified equipment also assists with development of good bio-mechanics.

Demands of the Game – Green Ballers Tennis

Moving on to the full court provides a real challenge to a young player. The court is now “adult sized”, so it is still a big step up for children. Green ballers will face new challenges in covering additional space and we’ll teach them how to cope.

Court and ball demands

Each time a player moves to the next court the first thing that happens is the player learns to adapt to the demands of distance and pace. Players who were technically and tactically capable of performing a skill will now temporarily regress as they focus on trying to regain this skill in a more demanding environment.

But this environment is not just about the size of the court but also the characteristics of the ball:

    • Players are used to dealing with the “faster” ball from the Orange court
    • They have already learned to move well in most directionsNow the ball requires some more competencies that were rarely used before. On this court, the ball is harder and energy transferred into the ball (spin, height, pace) has more influence when it bounces.

Technical Skills

A green baller player can now:

    • Hit the ball with height, spin and pace and make the ball bounce up at the opponent trying to move them away from the baseline
    • Hit from all court positions
    • Use the incoming ball speed to create pace
    • Contact the ball at a higher point on some shots, sometimes above shoulder height
    • Hit some balls off of the back foot as they are forced back
    • Adjust their body height to maintain a position of strength
    • Take the ball earl
    • Maintain racket head acceleration from the Orange courtTactical AwarenessTactically, a player is likely to be able to:
    • Integrate more information into their decision making process
    • Understand the geometry of the court
    • Know how to create space and time
    • Understand the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent
    • Formulate a strategy to “beat” them by making it difficult for them
    • Use anticipation cues to determine what their opponent is doing
    • Start to link shots as part of this planFor example: They will understand that if they can hit a ball cross-court with pace, height, depth and spin to the backhand, the likely response will be a defensive shot back cross-court or a weak shot that they can move in and attack.