Tennis racquet question

[jkfisch1]

Can you give some advice on tennis racquets. I have four sons that play. 12, 11, 9 and 6. They are fairly competitive and we have a court in our backyard. We have played with Babalot and Wilson. The first racquets are starting to wear out. The "bird in the hand" grip teaching taken a little too literally. Before I start throwing money into new racquets do you have any advice on brand. Should I keep the whole family with one brand. Should I get several diffrent brands and see how they fall or do I let them pick the cool one that they read about in magazines( because it does not really matter yet). Also on specifics what size and weight. What head size. Thanks

Joe

[ajchabria]

Dear Joe,
Congratulations on having four tennis playing kids...that is tremendous!

Well, there's no real need to keep them all with the same brand (kid's sticks are all a lot alike in the pre-strung junior market segment). The important thing is to find the right length for each child's height and development. You want something light enough and short enough to allow them to stay true to proper technique....yet it should feel substantial enough to give them adequate power and depth.

Most junior frames come pre-strung and in just one or two grip sizes (3 and seven-eighths or 4 inches). Headsizes are generally standard in this segment, too, though some are bigger than others. For your younger two, rather than going by age, go by height to figure out the right length for each child. Most pro shops and websites have charts to help you find the right length frame (21 inch, 23 inch or 25 inch) for your 6 and 9 year old guys. Most 6 year olds get a 21 or a 23 inch aluminum or alloy racquet, and most 9 year olds get a 25 inch alloy or 26 inch graphite. The best frames for little ones that I have seen are the new Babolats with "MemoGrip", which is a two-colored grip that helps kids remember which hand goes on the bottom for 2-handed backhands. I also like the newest entries from a lot of the brands that incorporate composite materials rather than just aluminum. Your 11 and 12 year olds are easily ready for a 26 inch graphite junior frame, or possibly even an adult frame that is on the maneuverable and light side.

You cannot get much cooler than the red and white Federer Junior 26 by Wilson. Volkl actually makes a 27 inch junior frame designed for the experienced junior or smaller adult.

For a youngster getting an adult frame for the first time, a 27 inch midplus or oversize is the way to go. The Babolat Drive Z Lite, the Volkl Tour 5, the Dunlop 3hundred M-fil and the Wilson nPro Surge are all good choices. They are all balanced close to even so they're good for power as well as maneuverability. Prince, Pro Kennex, Fischer and Yonex also include some lighter frames intheir line.

For some, it comes down to handle shape. Of course, they're all octagonal, but Babolat, Wilson and Dunlop have a squarish feel. Heads and Volkls are a little more rectangular.
Pay close attention to the way the grip fits (most kids like a 4 and a quarter or a 4 and one-eighth grip) and the response and control the strings give the boys. I recommend a high-end multifilament string that gives them plenty of power, comfort and spin potential.

Hope you find some great sticks for your kids!

[johnyandell]

AJ you are a prince--and a knowledgeable prince. Thanks for helping out.

[ajchabria]

John, thanks for the kind words.

Hey Joe, I thought of you this afternoon while working with a group of children. Most of the nice, light, maneuverable 21 and 23 inchers are basically built for foam balls or low compression balls. Try them for your youngest two! I'm sold on them because they move slowly, bounce gently and do not feel like a rock to a youngster. Foam balls a great tool for helping young ones develop smooth strokes and even an understanding of spin. After some repetition with foam balls, it's good to move them to Penn Stars, then old/dead balls...and ultimately fresh balls straight from a can.

Some sources to check out: Dunlop (for the Speedball) and Oncourt Offcourt (for just about everything else), Penn and Wilson (who carry some good foam balls as well).

All the best to you and your boys. Keep us posted on their progress.
--ajc

PS> I bet they'd all love a matching set of Fischer frames and bags at some point. FYI: in the States, Fischer is distributed by Gamma Sports.

[jkfisch1]

Tennis for kids

AJ

THanks for the info. I am sold on the large foam and no pressure balls. Thanks.

Going to hit you up for another question. Have had two experiences with private coaches. One is a prior pro player very strict on what he wants the stroke to look like. Minute in detail on grip. The second works more on foot work positioning and "feeling the stroke" he says all players develope their own stroke. Is the answer for the kids moderation between the two? Is it kid dependent? Thanks for any thoughts.

Joe

[ajchabria]

Hey Joe,
A coach's job is to give good information and share the game. A very good coach's job is to figure out the optimal approach for each student. In a way, she/he needs to be almost psychic.

The first guy is a stickler for stroking technique, which is great at any age except maybe for the very youngest little ones. His lack of grip information concerns me, however. You can't really push great strokes without the grips to match. Maybe your boys have naturally got it, though.

The coach who loves to work on foot positioning has a point: that tennis is a game of movement, and if a player is in the right position, he will use a solid stroke. Plus, there are hundreds of fun drills that help a kid work hard on movement (contrasting feeds, surprise feeds, cones, soccer drills, etc.) Re: 'feeling the stroke': I'm kind of a 'feel' guy myself, but this method requires great rapport and uncanny knowledge of WHETHER the kid really is feeling it or not. Problem is, a kid may need a lot of correcting later on if he does not groove efficient strokes early on (esp. crucial: volleys and high backhands).

Your questions ... yeah, it's kid dependent...AND it is the coach's job to figure out the right blend of instructional cues for the kid. I think the best way to keep it fun and not have to slog thorugh details with youngsters is to use visual images, training tools on the court and to have the coach spend time with your kids on their side of the net -- with either a ball machine or a hitting partner on the other side. Naturally, the goal is to inspire a kid to retain and repeat all of the good stuff.

I'm sure both coaches have a good idea of the whole game. Maybe they are just each starting with the style they feel best fits. Can you gently and earnestly explain to each coach the merits of the other end of the spectrum? See which one is more committed to a well-rounded approach to teaching the game.

All the best, Joe.