Conditioning

Red, Orange, Green: How Slower Balls Changed the Way Children Learn Tennis

A player holding two red and green junior tennis balls

Children no longer have to learn tennis with a ball built for adults. What the rules say about red, orange and green balls, what the research shows, and how to tell when a child is ready to move up.

Clay Teaches What Hard Courts Hide

A player running along the baseline of a clay court

Clay slows the ball, lifts it and lets the feet slide. What the ITF’s pace classes, court physics and match data say about how clay changes rallies and movement, what it does and does not do to the body, and how to use it in a player’s development.

What Not to Say on the Car Ride Home

Driver and passenger seen from the back seat of a car in golden evening light

The drive home after a junior match can be the best or the worst part of the day. What research with tennis families says about when to talk, what to say first, and what to leave to the coach.

Why Juniors Should Play More Doubles

Three rackets and balls lying side by side at the net

College matches open with doubles, every ITF junior event has a doubles draw, and the game concentrates exactly the skills that singles players avoid. Why doubles deserves a regular place in a junior’s week, and what it cannot replace.