The Benefits of Training With Low Compression Balls
What parents and players need to know
It’s hard to believe that not too long ago, young students once learned to play tennis without low compression balls. Low compression balls became the standard for young tennis players in Europe and then other countries followed. However, the USTA was slow to adopt the ROGY (Red, Orange, Green and Yellow) progressions and to recognize the added benefits from smaller equipment and courts sized for young players. But, the USTA is now fully behind the benefits of training with low compression balls, smaller racquets and smaller courts as the best way to develop young players.
Despite the adoption of ROGY by the USTA and its widespread support by coaches and academies as the right way to train, there are still some parents who mistakenly think that their child would benefit from learning tennis with yellow balls and larger racquets. In contrast, there is now near universal support by coaches who agree that using slower balls, smaller racquets and smaller courts is the best way for young players to develop.
It’s critical that parents are 100 percent on board and fully-informed of the benefits of training with low compression balls so that their children can fully engage in their training. It’s counterproductive for parents to want their children to progress too quickly from low compression balls and smaller racquets, to yellow balls and bigger racquets. “Why does my child still have to play with green balls when they can already play with regular balls?” We hear this question from some parents who are not yet familiar with the full benefits of progression training with low compression balls.
An on-court rally demonstration of low compression balls versus playing with yellow balls can be an eye-opening experience for parents inclined to adopt yellow balls too soon. When we do such a demonstration, we consistently find that our academy students who use low compression balls benefit in a number of important ways:
The key benefits of training with low compression balls
â–ºProper stroke fundamentals
â–ºLonger rallies
â–ºFaster racket head speed and quicker adoption of proper grips
â–ºMore appropriate contact points
â–ºBetter court positioning
â–ºBetter mobility and anticipation
â–ºIncreased confidence and enjoyment
At our academy, we firmly believe that each player needs to be able to progress at their own pace and that the ROGY progression does, in fact, accelerate player development in the long term. Every year, we refine our teaching curriculum, covering specific stages maximizing technical, tactical, physical and competitive areas of development.
Our formula is quite simple: As our students are progressing and meeting their goals, they find tennis to be more fun, and therefore, want to be on the court more frequently. With the aid of low compression balls and age- and level-appropriate equipment, students naturally progress to incrementally higher and higher levels.
So, why wouldn’t you want your child using a training method that offered all of the above benefits?
This article was co-written by Andy Stuber, Director of Tennis for Gotham Tennis Academy at Stadium Tennis Center. For more information, e-mail Andy@GothamTennis.com or call (718) 665-4684.
