Can anyone suggest references and/or successful techniques for teaching a 6-year-old the game of tennis?
From John S., Coldwater, MI: The most important thing one can do to nurture a young child at this stage is to keep it fun. I can’t stress this enough. If there is a club nearby, stop in to check out what the teaching pros are doing to develop children. Set up targets (cones) on the court, and if he hits one of them or near it, make a big deal of the accomplishment. Positive reinforcement is crucial. Another idea is to have them swing for the back fence. This helps to develop a longer stroke and depth over time. I’ve also seen pros use a rubber chicken that is tied to a hoop positioned close to the net. The object is for the children to hit the chicken, which they get a good laugh out of, but this also teaches them to get the ball over the net and adds a safety margin to their shot. These can easily be built with pvc. Drilling holes in the upright along with the use of wooden dowels will allow height adjustment. As silly as this may look, I’ve seen it in use, and it works. If your grand
