Requirements
The yellow ball is the last type of ball to reach, this ball has more pressure than any other ball, bouncing and traveling too fast for most kids under 11, requiring quick reactions and movement to get to the ball. These balls are also much heavier than the others, meaning the student must be capable of generating enough power to hit the ball to the other side of the court. Students should be accustomed to the full sized court 78 ft court and 27-inch rackets. Most of the students in this group are aged 11-17 years old.
General Objectives
Hitting skill
- Players start learning more offensive strokes such as: flat forehand, flat backhand, and hitting winners.
- Add racket hold to the beginning of the preparation for forehand in order to improve timing, control, and rotational power.
- Teach players how to use their legs in order to transfer their weight into the power of the stroke.
- Learn how to second serve with topspin.
- Redirect the ball when it comes cross court to down the line and vice versa.
- Be able to identify the other player’s position on the court during rallies.
- Begin developing second serve through topspin, slice, or kick serve.
Receive skill
- Learn how to play defensive shots such as running forehand/backhand
- Be able to recognize when the ball is short and move accordingly with speed.
- Able to return a fast pace first serve.
- Prepare for the next shot after the serve by returning to ready position.
The Test to move on to the next level
In order to move on from Junior Development to High Performance, you will have to complete the 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 30 or more shots using the yellow ball on a full sized 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.