Looking for a racket sport for your child? Soft tennis was created almost exactly for this. In Japan it is one of the most popular school sports and has been children's first contact with a racket for generations. The light rubber ball means a child can hit it from the very first session, while the joints and wrists of a growing body work under a small load.
From what age
Organised classes make sense from around age 6, when a child can already coordinate running with watching a flying ball. Younger children can simply play with the ball and racket, without a structured practice.
There is no upper limit. Soft tennis is convenient for families in that a child, a parent and a grandparent play on the same court with the same ball, so practice can be a family outing rather than dropping a child off at class.
Why a soft ball is good for a child
Three reasons. First: safety. The ball weighs 30 grams, about half the weight of a tennis ball, so even an accidental hit to the body does no harm, and striking it does not overload the wrist or elbow.
Second: quick results. The ball travels slower and bounces lower, so a child has time to set up for the shot. The first successful rallies come in the first sessions, and nothing builds enthusiasm for practice like early success.
Third: good habits. Light equipment lets a child learn technique instead of compensating with strength. Skills from soft tennis later transfer to tennis, badminton and squash.
What equipment for a child
The racket should above all be light, with a bigger head that makes clean contact easier. A child should be able to swing the racket freely without helping with the other hand; if the swing visibly drags the whole body, the racket is too heavy.
Training balls are enough. It is worth choosing coloured ones, because they are easier to track indoors and in poorer light. Add a pump and the equipment is ready. The easiest way is to start with a starter set, and we will match a racket to your child's age and height — just write to us.
Soft tennis at school and in PE
Soft tennis fits into schools brilliantly: it can be played on a playground, in a hall and on any court, the equipment is cheap to maintain, and the soft ball removes the injury risk that keeps tennis out of PE lessons. In Japan the discipline has run on the school model for decades, and that is where most competitive players come from.
Do you run a school, club or sports classes? We have a wholesale offer for organisations, with support for your first demonstration and equipment selection for groups.
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