How old were you when you started serious lessons ?
- Thread starter atatu
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TheTennisKid
Banned
Now is the time if you want him to have a bright future. Pros started at this age.
power_play21
Semi-Pro
My experience:
I train an 8 year old girl who started about 6 months ago and last week won her first girls 12 challenger. Im sure if she continues, she will have a great future ahead of her in tennis. So it is my experience that 7 to 8 is a good age to start some more serious training, without compromising the child's love for the sport though (making them jump rope, hit a million forehands). you have to know how to properly train and coach someone that age appropriately.
I train an 8 year old girl who started about 6 months ago and last week won her first girls 12 challenger. Im sure if she continues, she will have a great future ahead of her in tennis. So it is my experience that 7 to 8 is a good age to start some more serious training, without compromising the child's love for the sport though (making them jump rope, hit a million forehands). you have to know how to properly train and coach someone that age appropriately.
looseswing
Professional
I started playing seriously late, in eight grade, so when I was thirteen. However, like the other two posters have stated, I think you should start earlier than that.
Seven year old is fine age to start. Do not get a Drill Sargent of an instructor, though. I would suggest finding some group lessons for him with like aged children, to bring out some healthy competitiveness.
I would consider an hour group lesson and a half hour private lesson, a week.
andyroddick's mojo
Professional
i say as early as possible. Its important to instill their groundstrokes and court movement early so it becomes second nature. That's what makes for great tennis players. Playing tennis and holding a racket, and moving on the court, all has to be like second nature to you.
IT WAS IN!!!
Semi-Pro
this is the ideal time because he has developed his learning ability and you still have enough time to start him when he may later be a real cometitor
krprunitennis2
Professional
I don't think that age really matters. I think that what matters is determination, love, and seriousness for the sport(edit: I know, sounds so cheesy =\). In my school, I know two guys that only played for two years and they match two other guys that have been playing since they were 4, so that's like an 11 year difference between playing years (they're 4.0-4.5s).
alberto007
New User
My son star at 8 years old. Now He is 10. I follow the advise of my club tennis pro. He is doing great. He play with a group and one on one tennis classes. I have a 6 year old son that plays soccer and tennis. I let them taste a little of both sports and see what kind of sport they like the best. By the way, my 10 year old play his first 10 years old offical tournment and won. He move from Venezuela to North Carolina just few months ago. He is going to star playing 12 years old tourments next 2007, lets see.
GRANITECHIEF
Hall of Fame
The kids are so good now (at least in SoCal and i'm sure some other sections are very tough too), that if you wait to start solid training until he's 10, he'll be way behind.
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eunjam
Rookie
i started 'serious' lessons at age 10.
once a month.....then at age 12 it became once a week, with clinics at least 3x a week.
i continued 1 lesson/week until boy's 16's.
i was lucky to have been a member of a tennis club and that was what i did everyday after school. parents arranged for me to get a ride to the tennis club every day. i did my homework there and then played until 7:30PM every mon-fri until my working parents picked me up.
once a month.....then at age 12 it became once a week, with clinics at least 3x a week.
i continued 1 lesson/week until boy's 16's.
i was lucky to have been a member of a tennis club and that was what i did everyday after school. parents arranged for me to get a ride to the tennis club every day. i did my homework there and then played until 7:30PM every mon-fri until my working parents picked me up.
T
tennisboy87
Guest
I started playing when I was 5 years old.
i have been playing for like 9 months now, and started "serious lessons" about two months ago. it's pretty stupid since im 15 already. i would have loved to started earlier. i'm only 3.0, but ill manage to get on the school team at least. for a serious career, kids should start before 10.
but the bad part about is that i see that kids that start intense sports and workout at an early age tend to be short. As for me, i was a lazy boy who started sports around 13, and i'm 6'1". I must say that's pretty tall for a 15 year old asian. (not to be stereotypical, but asian are short)
but the bad part about is that i see that kids that start intense sports and workout at an early age tend to be short. As for me, i was a lazy boy who started sports around 13, and i'm 6'1". I must say that's pretty tall for a 15 year old asian. (not to be stereotypical, but asian are short)
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I wouldn't say kids that start intense sports tend to be short. I've been playing since I was 3, more intensly since about 7 or 8, and I'm 6'3''. You do have to be careful of the weight room at an early age. Lifting heavy weights when your body hasn't has a chance to develop can stunt your growth, but playing tennis seriously definitely will not.
Atatu, I would start your son now if he is interested. Make sure the pro keeps in competitive and FUN!! No matter how good he gets, it has to be fun between ages 7-13, otherwise there is a big chance of burning out. Hopefully it will be fun the whole time, of course. But after 12, if the kids are very keen to get better and make something of it, the hard core training can start.
Atatu, I would start your son now if he is interested. Make sure the pro keeps in competitive and FUN!! No matter how good he gets, it has to be fun between ages 7-13, otherwise there is a big chance of burning out. Hopefully it will be fun the whole time, of course. But after 12, if the kids are very keen to get better and make something of it, the hard core training can start.
xtremerunnerars
Hall of Fame
Playing contact sports is 10x more stressful on bones and growth plate areas than lifting weights. If you do it under the guidance of a certified professional, the stress on bones is even less. I really wish people would stop giving weights such a bad rep and idly passing on knowledge they've heard from people on message boards and their peers.
Me too. I wish people would stop making assumptions about the other people on message boards, thinking they know nothing about the subject and just idly pass comments without thought or research. Notice I stressed heavy weights. And last I checked, tennis was not a contact sport. Lifting HEAVY weights at a young age can stunt your growth. If it were under the guidance of a professional, he probably wouldn't be making someone under the age of 12 lift heavy weights. If it is a 12 year old tennis player, he shouldn't be lifting heavy weights anyway. I don't give weights a bad rep, I lived in the wieght room for many years while I was playing tennis, and the weight room is essential for top tennis players. But I would never recommend any tennis player younger than 12 to ever lift heavy weights. Light weight, plenty repetitions, why not. But at that age it will do a tennis player more good being on the court learning the skills of the game. Enough said!
D
Dunlopkid
Guest
Unfortunately, I was 13. That's when I started tennis.
GRANITECHIEF
Hall of Fame
24 for me. I just lost a practice match last nite to this guy:
http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/playe...=Doubles&selTournament=0&player=W476&x=14&y=7
He beat me 6-4,6-2. I was up 3-1 about to break again in the 1st set when i did a snot rocket and got a nose bleed. It finally stopped, sorta, as there was a drip here drip there while i was trying to play. Needless to say, it was very hard to concentrate and i lost all my momentum. I'll beat him next time.
The point is, even if you started late, you can still get relatively good.
http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/playe...=Doubles&selTournament=0&player=W476&x=14&y=7
He beat me 6-4,6-2. I was up 3-1 about to break again in the 1st set when i did a snot rocket and got a nose bleed. It finally stopped, sorta, as there was a drip here drip there while i was trying to play. Needless to say, it was very hard to concentrate and i lost all my momentum. I'll beat him next time.
The point is, even if you started late, you can still get relatively good.
federermcenroeagassi
Rookie
14 and a half... im 15, almots 16 now
AlpineCadet
Hall of Fame
serveitup911
Semi-Pro
I started taking lessons at 8 and was playing tournaments within a few months. (19 now)
federermcenroeagassi
Rookie
dpfrazier
Rookie
Started lessons at age 9. First lesson was from Mike Blanchard (famous USTA umpire and tournament official) in Paradise Valley, AZ. One of the first things he told me was to never let anyone change my service motion. I've heeded his advice for the last 38 years!
As an aside, I would encourage young tennis players to continue with team sports. It brings some balance to their athletics --- they will learn to think of others instead of just themselves. Individual sports like tennis and golf tend to breed young primma donnas if there isn't this balance.
As an aside, I would encourage young tennis players to continue with team sports. It brings some balance to their athletics --- they will learn to think of others instead of just themselves. Individual sports like tennis and golf tend to breed young primma donnas if there isn't this balance.
NbladeTopspin
Rookie
andyroddick's mojo
Professional
Now that I'm 15, and about a 4.0, and really in love with tennis, I wish that my parents pushed tennis on me earlier, maybe i could be a 4.5 or so by now. If your son will grow to love the sport, there is not greater regret in tennis then not starting lessons earlier and harder. Age is a big factor in junior tennis.
dpfrazier
Rookie
Please don't blame your parents for you not getting started in tennis earlier. As a parent of teens/preteens, I know the fine line that every parent walks when deciding what battles to fight wrt kid's activities.
And I guarantee you that the opposite situation --- that your parents pushed you too much, too soon, and you burned out --- is a greater regret than starting later...
I coach in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
In my opinion, 6 or 7 are the best ages for young children to start, they are fairly coordinated, usually have acceptable attention spans, and are accepting of the coaches help.
5 is also possible, but only if they are well developed co-ordination wise.
I started when I was 10, really regret not starting earlier.
In my opinion, 6 or 7 are the best ages for young children to start, they are fairly coordinated, usually have acceptable attention spans, and are accepting of the coaches help.
5 is also possible, but only if they are well developed co-ordination wise.
I started when I was 10, really regret not starting earlier.
me is bored
Semi-Pro
i started when i was 10 :sad: i started but l8 but i ended good and now im in top 70 in whole texas section....if i started earlier like at bout 6 or 7 maybe 8 i might already be even higher so id start hitting wiht him one on one with each other, then once he has the whole 1 bounce between the lines thing down id take him to lessons
Silentgunz
Rookie
i started playing tennis when i was 7 , just hitting with my dad, but i didnt play for real until i was 12, then when i was 14 I was taking lessons and stuff, wished i took lessons and played serious earlier...
Borat
Professional
Ditto-------
mhstennis100
Semi-Pro
I started in 4th grade and played maybe once every other week. I didn't get serious until August of '06, and since then, I've gone from maybe winning one consolation match per tournament to making the semis twice in a row.
tennishead93
Semi-Pro
how old are you now and how good are you now
StealthGnome
Semi-Pro
Started taking lessons the month after I turned 13. I'm 14 1/2 now. <3 Tennis.
Techniques
Rookie
I started playing when I was 7... had lessons once a week... Started competition (Match play) at about 8. I should've went to another coach though... my 1st coach is a hack. I just turned 14... don't really know my grade. (I'm from Australia). I reckon around 6-7 is a good age to start SERIOUS lessons, and you can start tennis as early as possible
