Junior balls with what racket size

[dainova]

Hi
I was recomended for my kids play with green balls , he still uses 25" racket, 10yo, below 5' tall. Is there any rules like something:
Orange balls for racket <=25"
Green 26"
Yellow 27"

or it's still individual and can be mixed up.

Thanks
M

 

[weelie]

 

[BallChaser]

Skip 26-inch racket and move directly to 27-inch (adult size). 26 is very similar to 27 and waste of money.

 

[giantschwinn]

I think there is a rule that if you play orange ball tournaments, you can only use a racquet up to 25". But since your kid is already 10, you should just move him to a 27" racquet. It takes about 2 weeks to get used to a longer racquet. Your will immediately noticing your kid hitting harder. Enjoy.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Skip 26-inch racket and move directly to 27-inch (adult size). 26 is very similar to 27 and waste of money.

Sometimes I would have players skip the 25" racket and go to the 26" instead. My feeling is that most junior frames are waaay too light... esp those cheaper aluminum frames. My belief is that players should play with the heaviest racket they can comfortably swing, not the lightest. Easier to develop proper stroke mechanics with a heavier frame. And usually less frame shock -- esp if they sometimes play with standard tennis balls (as they often do it when hitting with adult players).

Unfortunately, the grip size available on many 27" rackets is a bit too large for small hands. Grip size on 26" frames is 0, just a scosh larger than the 00 for 25". But, in a lot of stores, it has sometimes been difficult to find anything smaller than a 2 or a 3 for 27" rackets. I believe that grip 1 frames are available, for some models, online. But sometimes you have to wait longer for those to come back into stock.

I would suggest that players try to find the heaviest 25" or 26" racket they could find... preferably 250 g or greater (unstrung). Even this is a bit too light.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Hi
I was recomended for my kids play with green balls , he still uses 25" racket, 10yo, below 5' tall. Is there any rules like something:
Orange balls for racket <=25"
Green 26"
Yellow 27"

or it's still individual and can be mixed up.

Thanks
M

What is the strung weight for his current 25" racket"? You might consider adding weight if it is a light racket (as most 25" frames are)

If possible, try have him move up to a frame that is at least 270 g (unstrung)... either 26" or a 27" (with a suitable grip size).

Keep in mind that young players will often only play with a 26" racket for a year (maybe two) before moving up to a 27" racket.

Hold on to the 25" racket for a while -- even after buying a longer, heavier racket. some players find the heavier racket a bit difficult to serve with at first. It might take a few months of transition for the serve.

 

[BevelDevil]

My kid moved up from 25" a few months ago. But 26" are too light, and he'd move up to 27" soon anyways. So I bought him a 27" and improvised a buttcap (using an extra overgrip) that allows him to grip the racket 1" above the end of the handle. So effectively he has a heavy 26". I'll probably have him move his grip down another 1/2" soon.

 

[LOBALOT]

My experience is the racquet is dependent on the players ability and where they are at. It should be pretty apparent in their swing if the racquet is the wrong fit.

In our case our son (who was not big) skipped the junior sizes, played with 26" and then adult racquets. He developed proper technique rather quickly and did not need the smaller racquets. He also progressed to green dot rather quickly so I really think it is an assessment on an individual basis.

If anything we stayed with green dot too long which is another story and case where the USTA had some bad blanket rules in place with regard to "youth progression" which was more like "youth stagnation".

 

[giantschwinn]

England started this red, orange, green dot thing. Look where it got them. There are no British players in the main draw of the 2020 French open. You think pushing is easy in yellow? It's even easier in green dot. You keep a kid in green dot too long, they have no incentive to hit hard.

 

[LOBALOT]

I agree 100%. That was our mistake. As soon as you see 50 shot rallies, point, after point, after point it is time to move on to a standard ball.

We kept our kid in green dot too long because they wouldn't let him move to yellow at the time until he met an age requirement. We ended up having to spend all of 12s trying to get him to hit the ball aggressively and with a purpose (i.e. setting up the next shot) vs. just retrieving.

Now I believe they have points or medals or stars or something and the kids can move up if they earn a certain number or hit a certain age.

 

[dainova]

Thanks all for info !

 

[3loudboys]

England started this red, orange, green dot thing. Look where it got them. There are no British players in the main draw of the 2020 French open. You think pushing is easy in yellow? It's even easier in green dot. You keep a kid in green dot too long, they have no incentive to hit hard.

Agree the LTA have had a constricting influence on the development of young British talent that is frustrating - this does not just extend to the choice of ball and equipment. There is an almost OCD adherence to a technical manual that is not always applicable to all players - the idea behind the mini's over here was that it allowed them the time to develop the stroke technically - which I personally do not agree with. One shoe size does not fit all.

The steps between balls and racket sizes is generally depicted by certain ages - the chart in this thread is a good example. These are nothing more than broad guidelines as its a childs 'tennis years' that matter far more than their actual age. I have seen my kids compete against kids that have been playing since 3 so by 10 they are 7 years old in tennis terms and very well grooved. In contrast some kids start at 8 and by 10 are 2 'tennis' years old. Its a night and day difference and the more mature tennis players have trained on heavier more yellow orientated kit.

Another relevant consideration is how big in stature and strength they are. My son competed in a regional U12 event and we watched one of the top seeds play. He was a high ranked national and I'm not joking he was my height, approx 5' 11" - 6'. He more than likely used a racket heavier than I do and swung it hard and fast. Whilst that is an extreme example and the exception of to the rule - it just goes to show that as other posters have said it is individual and whats suits the player.