Standard Guide
Tennis is great fun and is accessible to all ages and skill levels. But there are other benefits to picking up a racket and playing.
As well as serving up plenty of smiles, tennis is good for your physical and mental health. It can help lower body fat while improving muscle toning, strength and flexibility. It can even help you to live longer.
In terms of mental health, exercise is hugely important in maintaining a good state of mind. Playing a game of tennis will release those happy endorphins to help you feel great!
It is also a fantastic way to spend some time with family and friends and will allow you to meet new people.
Adults Standard Guide
We offer a complete coaching experience for adult tennis players and even offer two weeks free so that you can try a couple of group coaching sessions first. We offer group sessions at each level of play, including a range of courses, clinics and drop-in sessions.
To enjoy tennis, players want to play with people of a similar standard. We understand this and therefore have adopted a standards guide to help determine which coaching sessions are right for you:
| Standard | Description |
| Beginner | Players with little, or no, tennis experience. Any beginner tennis course/session will primarily focus on technique and will help you to develop an understanding of the game and the four main strokes (serve, forehand, backhand and volley). Beginner courses/sessions provide support to help players develop their own style and learn about effective body movement for tennis. They may be taken over a number of months or even up to a year to establish a springboard to intermediate level. |
| Intermediate | Players with a sound tennis background and for the ‘Rusty Rackets’ who have played tennis in the past and who want to get back up to speed. These players can play, sustain a rally, and score. Intermediate courses/sessions will allow players to explore effective techniques and aim to develop confidence in playing points. |
| Advanced | Advanced is for those more competent players with match-play experience. Advanced courses/sessions aim to develop the player’s tactical awareness, physical fitness and mental focus using high-impact training drills and match play. |
Youth Standard Guide
We run courses for children aged 4 – 18, packed full of fun games and dynamic training. We want kids to bring all their energy to tennis; no ‘quiet please’ needed here.
Never held a racket? No problem, our professional coaches will adapt to each individual, to help bring out their best in a safe, secure environment. All kids need to bring is their creative energy, because the programme is designed to grow as they do. Smaller courts and softer balls develop into the real deal as they pick up all the skills and know-how they need.
It will take your youngster to the next level; you’ll see it in their confidence, their skills and even their concentration at school. Not to mention keeping them fit and active. Add some healthy competition to teach them about good sportsmanship (because we all have bad days) and you’ve got a set of skills for life.
LTA Youth has six stages:
Start: 4-11 years – Introductory six-week course
Blue: 4-6 years – Learn the basics
Red: 6-8 years – Serve, rally and score
Orange: 8-9 years – Develop a rounded game
Green: 9-10 years – Test your skills
Yellow: 10+ years – Take your skills further
N.B. Although we’ve assigned ages to each stage these are just a guide. We’ll always put kids in the relevant group based on their ability.
Start
(Age 4-11)
This is a fun starter course for children who have never played the sport before, or may have played very little. Packed full of fun games and training drills, it also gives parents the chance to join in too.
👉 FIND A 6 WEEK STARTER COURSE
Blue Stage
Learn the basics (Age 4-6)
This is an introduction to tennis. Here, we’ll help kids improve their balance, agility and coordination while teaching them about the sport we love. At this stage it’s not about winning or losing, it’s just getting to grips with the basics.
Red Stage
Serve, rally and score (Age 6-8)
This will look a bit more like the tennis you know. You’ll see overarm serves, rallies and volleys. Coaches will help children to further develop their co-ordination, balance and speed. We’ll introduce relaxed competition here too.
Orange Stage
Develop a rounded game (Age 8-9)
Time to throw in some tactics, problem-solving, and guides to sportsmanship and leadership. At this stage, children will know all of the rules and will be serving and returning in matches.
Green Stage
Test your skills (Age 9-10)
This is the big one. It’s time for kids to play on full-size courts. Now it’s all about growing their game by fine tuning and refining the techniques they’ve learned so far.
Yellow Stage
Take your skills further (Age 10+)
Time to find your game. Playing on a full-size court with the same size balls the pros use, kids will continue to explore different styles on the court, and start to choose their own.