One of the ways we are able to be more efficient in our ability to help children learn the sport of tennis is to create entertaining games that are really single tasks which have multiple purposes. In the case of the game Smash, this game allows children to develop the difficult and often awkward ability of using a continental grip while hitting a serve or overhead. In this game, children are working on a skill which can be practically embarrassing to learn before they have the strength and coordination to make it work.
Here is how it works:
Transition Games – Smash
- After hitting a basket of balls, roll all of the tennis balls into the net from the child’s’ end of the court (aka “Hockey”)
- Stand the child perpendicular to the net about one racquets length away
- Remind them to use a continental grip – or use whichever grip you are working on
- The set up is exactly like Catchy Bug with the dominant elbow facing 180 degrees backwards and the racquet behind the head
- They toss the ball up using the non-dominant hand and Smash the ball down using the racquet in an overhead style swing
After all the balls have been hit to the other end of the court, the ball pick up time is a bit more efficient with all of the tennis balls on one end of the tennis court. And there are quite a few ways to make this game interesting, useful, or even both!
Here is what I like to do:
- For more advanced children, I bet them (pushups) that they cannot bounce the ball over the fence on the other end
- For those just getting comfortable with the continental grip, I set up targets on the other end of court fairly close to the net so they learn to hit down and they are also not intimidated with having to hit the ball so far or so hard
- A variation of this game is called “Smashketball” where I place the ball basket on the other end as a target (ref. Basketball)
The use of a continental grip on a serve, overhead, and volleys is often a difficult transition for children requiring time to develop strength, but using the grip for a few minutes each time on court can generate easily obtained positive results.
Good luck, and remind your child of Rule #1 of Tennis for Children:
- Never try to hit the ball with your face!
