NMT Coaching Services

The LTA has adopted a National Competition Framework for Mini Tennis, which is designed to help mini players (4-10 years old) develop the necessary skills that they need for tennis in the window of opportunity for learning the skill. During the Mini Tennis stages of Red and Orange, players develop the fundamentals of the game that will see them through the Green stage and into the full game. It is essential that players develop the fundamentals at each level correctly before moving to the next, as there’s a big difference between being able to play successfully and simply coping.

During the Red stage of Mini Tennis (8 and under), players learn the basics of hitting, moving, and how to react and adapt to different tactical situations. These skills provide the foundations for the Orange stage (8 and 9 year olds), where players learn how to attack with aggressive topspin, develop a net game and the ability to use the serve as a weapon. By the time the player is ready to move on from Orange, they should be playing a scaled down version of the proper game, showing the same technical and tactical adaptations as professional players. During the Green stage (10 and under), players can work on having an advanced court positioning, taking the ball on the rise and maintaining technique whilst constructing points with quality.

It’s important to remember that there is no such sport as “tennis coaching”, and that it’s imperative that the players get the opportunity to use what they’ve learnt in lessons in competition at all stages of Mini Tennis.

Maidenhead LTC is an LTA Satellite Club (Performance Tennis) and Mini Tennis Accredited Club with a team of highly qualified coaches to help develop players at every stage of learning. The team of coaches is supported by an excellent club structure with Club Nights and friendly tournaments to inspire players.

The National Competition Frame work can be downloaded here – National Competition Framework.pdf