Parents

Getting your kid into tennis, and keeping them there.

There’s no single right way to learn tennis. Two ways in: pick one to see how it works. Be curious and explore the options.

Junior racquet sizes, the racquets worth buying, and what to look for.

The SPOKE MethodOne-on-one first, then small groups. With SPOKE coaches.The traditional wayClub group lessons, camps and school tennis. With local coaches.

The traditional way

How most kids start: in groups. Tennis Australia’s junior programs are built around them, because they’re social, fun and cheaper.

Club group lessons

Term programs at your local club, run by its coaches.

How it works: Groups of kids by age and level, usually after school or on Saturday mornings. Young kids often start with red, orange and green balls on smaller courts.
Good for: Social, fun, close to home, and cheaper per lesson.
Worth knowing: Ask how big the groups are and how kids are grouped. In a bigger group there’s less time on each kid’s technique.

Holiday camps

Half or full days in the school holidays.

How it works: Games, drills and match play, often with friends.
Good for: A great taster, and a fun way to fill the holidays.
Worth knowing: Big numbers and mixed ages: more about fun than technique.

School tennis

Lessons at school, at lunch or after school, with a visiting coach.

How it works: Small groups on the school’s court, during term.
Good for: Easy: no driving.
Worth knowing: Ask about group size, and what happens when it rains.

Find a local coach ›Independent coaches near you. Each one is ID checked, with a current Working with Children Check and a coaching qualification. Compare with the SPOKE Method ›What one-on-one first costs, and what you get.

The SPOKE Method

One-on-one first, then small groups, with SPOKE coaches. This is what we’d do with our own kid. We’ll be straight: it isn’t cheap, and it isn’t the usual way. Tennis Australia’s junior programs are built around groups, because groups are more social, more fun and cheaper. The SPOKE Method puts technique first. Work out the difference below.

Start8+

Start at 8 or older

Ideally they’ve never been to a tennis camp or picked up a racquet. Younger kids can be great, but they need the right personality for the sport. Older kids are less demanding and better able to focus.

Year1

Privates: one hour a week

All four school terms, maybe a few extra in the holidays. The coach works on the grip change and the swing, not footwork. One or two notes, not a lot of talk, the same ball delivery, the basics. Serve, volley and slice can come later.

Expect a tough first few months while the fundamentals go in. They pay off later.

Year2

Small groups and match play

Groups, squads and camps come in here. Get ready for matches while shoring up good technique. Sydney has plenty of junior tournaments and comps, most reasonably priced.

Then✓

Job done

Solid forehand, backhand and serve, and they can play a match. Now they can teach themselves, and there’s a very good chance they’ll play for life.

The two-year plan

Why one-on-one first?

Groups make sense for clubs and coaches. Tennis is expensive and needs expensive real estate, and while Sydney is blessed with courts, after school is peak time, so courts fill with group bookings.

One-on-one time in the first year gets the grip and the swing right before habits set in. The first lesson sets the expectations: whatever it’s like, that’s what a kid expects term after term. Groups and camps are great fun once the basics are there.

It’s one approach, from watching a lot of different coaching. Every kid is different: be curious and explore the options.

See the traditional way ›Club group lessons, camps and school tennis.