Kids Tennis Guide: Junior Equipment & Game Adjustments Explained

Without the right size racquet, junior players may struggle with control and power, while using shoes that aren't designed for tennis can lead to discomfort, slipping and even injury. It's important to invest in proper tennis equipment to ensure that your child can play the game safely and effectively. We have a handy guide to help you find the right racquet size and ball. We also explain the different tennis court sizes for kids as well as some tennis shoe basics.

You'll want to get your junior player the right size tennis racquet so they can comfortably swing it. Junior racquets come in various lengths, from 17 inches to 26 inches. (A standard adult tennis racquet is 27 inches long.) They also come in weights appropriate for younger players and at many price points, from the entry level up to the more expensive models that feature more technologies found in the full adult versions. So, how do you know which size to get your growing tennis player? There are a couple of guides you can use. One quick way is to shop by age. Of course, kids don't all grow at the same rate and are various heights, but here are some general guidelines.

There are tennis balls designed for younger players to learn the game. Even adults learning the game can use these as tools to develop their tennis strokes. Junior tennis balls are not only a great tool to learn the game, but they're also important. Because junior racquets are lighter, regular adult tennis balls are too hard and high bouncing for young players to play with comfortably. There are three levels of junior tennis balls, and they are color coded as a guide. The balls may still have some optic yellow on them, but you find red, orange or green markings on them.

It's easy to head to any local tennis court to just get out and play and have fun! However, you can also follow the guidelines created by the USTA (United States Tennis Association, which is the governing body for tennis in the United States) to help develop junior tennis players. The balls we discussed above are designed for specific court sizes. Although you most won't find specific junior-sized tennis courts in your neighborhood, you can create the correct size a portable junior net and could use some non-slip urethane court lines.

As your young player develops and improves, you'll want to invest in tennis shoes. There are a few reasons why tennis-specific shoes are important pieces of equipment. Tennis shoes are designed for the way players move on court. There's a lot of side to side movement in the game, and tennis shoes take this into account, whereas running shoes, for example, are designed for forward movements and won't be as laterally stable. There's also durability as a concern. The dominant court surface in the US is the hard court, and most junior tennis shoes are made with all-court outsoles designed to grip and withstand the grittiness of that court type. Another reason to get tennis shoes is that many courts will require players to wear non-marking outsoles. Be sure to check out our junior tennis shoe gear guide for recommendations and help with sizing.

• How do I make sure I get the right size tennis racquet for my kids? A quick way to measure is have the child stand with their arms hanging naturally at their sides. Measure the distance between the floor and the end of their fingertips. This gives you the approximate length of the racquet they should be using. Junior tennis racquets list their lengths in the name.
• Why is there such a big price difference between tennis racquets for kids? The lowest price racquets are aluminum or compostie materials and are for the kids who are just getting started or maybe just try out tennis for a camp, for example. For young players who have been playing a while and a developing their games, there are full graphite options that are more expensive.
• Do I need special tennis balls for kids? We do recommend using junior tennis balls for a few reasons. Junior tennis balls are not only a great tool to learn the game, but they're also important. Because junior racquets are lighter, regular adult tennis balls are too hard and high bouncing for young players to play with comfortably. There are three levels of junior tennis balls, and they are color coded as a guide. The balls may still have some optic yellow on them, but you find red, orange or green markings on them. Red balls are for the youngest players, orange balls for kids around 8-10, and green balls are best for childern 11 and older.