Requirements
Orange level players commonly use the orange ball . It is smaller than the yellow ball, having a little more pressure than the red ball, they travel a little faster and bounce higher. Typically for students 7-9 years old Students using this ball are required to hit it within one bounce. 21-25 inch rackets are used as the kids are stronger than the red ball but don’t need the power to hit across the full court. Students will play on a 60’ long and 21’ wide court, which is about halfway between the service line and the baseline.
General objectives
Hitting skill
- Students will learn to hit with the correct grip for each learned stroke.
- Be able to have more control through repetition, which leads to more consistency.
- Add the loop onto the forehand and backhand techniques.
- Students will start to hit cross court and down the line.
- Learn the positioning of playing doubles.
- Continue building rallies.
Receiving skill
- Begin to learn a split step which will help with their preparation. (ball placement)
- Learn specific movements such as: shuffle back, running, side shuffle, and crossover steps.
The Test to move on to the next level
In order to move on from the orange ball to the green ball, you will have to complete a test which will demonstrate the general objectives you should have completed in the course. For the test, you will get five attempts at having a rally of 20 or more shots using the orange ball on a 60’ long and 21’ wide court. The five attempts will be five different feeds from the instructor which will start the point, if the instructor hits the ball out it does not count against the student’s rally.