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How to Train Young Talented Tennis Players — 3 Comments

  1. 8y old and plying yellow ball?

    I have a 8y daughter too and this year she has played on Red ball, and has won all local competition tournament on Red.

    This November she will move to Orange ball and train for a year on Orange ball on 25″inch racket at 240grams.

    Then next next year when she will be 10, she will move to Green ball and by start of 11 on Yellow.

    They pushed your son too fast for no reason, a 8y does not play in U12 trounament when there are 11+ old boys way more experienced and more powerful and also be prone to injury with yellow balls.

  2. 100 matches is not recommended by ITF. It’s the upper limit. It’s more dependent on age and usually ranges 60-80 matches/year. Typically at age 14 and under 60 is the upper limit. Even less at 8 years old. 30-40 matches/year is fine. The 2:1 is ideal but not really recommended since it’s not realistically achievable by most players (someone has to lose so the total is always 0.500). The idea is to not play up where he might lose most of his matches and lose confidence or no longer enjoy playing. Jahu’s comment is quite valid. No reason to play the u12 if he can’t win at u10.

    • Thanks Doug, definitely agree with you and Jahu. The numbers I was working off were from Dave Miley who worked for the ITF for 20 years – Maybe I wrongly assumed that those numbers were derived from all his research at the ITF? http://elitetennis.org/interviews/q-dave-miley/

      It is absolutely age specific and 100 would be the upper limit. I guess the other point is that these type of matches can take on many different formats, fast 4 events, matches starting at 2-2 etc. These type of events are great for u-10 players as they can play a lot of “matches” over the course of a weekend and ease their way into competitive tennis.

      Another point about playing up an age group is that it is one of the leading causes of “burnout” in junior tennis players according to a study I just read recently which was conducted by the USTA – so I will trot back my previous comment stating “that it doesn’t matter what age group he plays in” – It absolutely does matter if the players in question does not have the coping skills to navigate playing up an age group or two. I guess a lot depends on the type of feedback and input these players are getting from parents and coaches and their ability to monitor how these players are developing physically, mentally and emotionally.