10 and Under Tennis is a revolutionary change to the way children learn to play tennis and compete. Tennis is following the formula that the majority of youth sports have used for years – tailoring kids tennis equipment to a child’s size and age so that they develop skills and have fun right from the start. 10 and Under Tennis is structured for kids to learn tennis and rally and play quickly in a way that is both enjoyable and rewarding. 10 and Under Tennis is divided into 3 stages.
The first stage calls for beginning players to use slower balls on a 36-foot red-level court. Balls recommended for this 36-foot red-level court include the red-colored Quick Start 36 Foam or the red-colored Quick Start 36 low-compression felt balls, which are 15% larger than regular tennis balls. These balls rebound slowly off the racquet and bounce lower off the ground, allowing children to swing freely while still controlling the balls with more success.
The second stage moves players to a 60-foot orange-level court using orange balls (our Quick Start 60 Balls), which have approximately 50% the compression of yellow tennis balls. This is the size court where more formal USTA 10 and Under Tennis competition begins. To set up a 60-foot court, use lines to shorten a regular tennis court by bringing in the baseline 9 feet on each side.
The third stage calls for green balls (our Quick Start 78 balls) on a full 78-foot court tennis court. These balls have about 75% the compression of yellow tennis balls. The lower compression of the balls provides a little extra time for players to react and prepare for each incoming ball.