Becoming a member at a local club is one of the best ways to get your child started in the game of tennis. Local clubs have the resources to help your child enjoy and excel at the game. These resources can be anywhere from one-on-one private lessons to group clinics for practice against other players similar in age. Greater Cincinnati has a wide variety of tennis clubs in the area. For a compiled list of these clubs, click here.

Check with your club to find out what size racquet is best for your child. Racquet manufacturers offer age appropriate equipment. Most clubs will have a pro shop with demo racquets that you can borrow before you decide which racquet you want. Check with the club pro to see which racquet best suits you; they will help direct you as to where to buy your racquet.

QuickStart Tennis is the equivalant to Baseball's Teeball. Through age appropriate equipment and professional instruction, the QuickStart program is a fun way to help kids learn how to play tennis quickly. QuickStart is recommended for children ages 4-14. Kids are divided by ability and age from beginners to advanced. Beginners are typically age 4-7 and primarily use foam teaching balls to learn to rally. Intermediate players are typically age 6-10 and implement both the foam teaching balls and low pressure balls with a slightly bigger court to rally and learn point play. Advanced play is typically age 6-14 and is for players who can rally (5-10 ball points) and keep score with low pressure balls. QuickStart is just taking off in the Cincinnati area.

Area clubs employ knowledgeable tennis pros to teach clinics and private lessons. Lessons are a critical part of learning the game in that your child can get one-on-one attention to correctly learn the proper stroke production. These new skills can be implemented during group clinics to build on the improvements made during the lesson. Group clinics (divided by skill level) are necessary for peer-to-peer play experience, while lessons teach the fundamentals and strategy of the game. Click here for a link to the clubs in the area.

For more information on getting started in this sport, please visit any of the links below.

Your Tennis Pathway to Success (PDF)
QuickStart Tennis
USPTA
USPTR
USTA