Which Tennis Ball is Perfect as Per Your Age? [Quick Guide]

In this article, you will get more clarity that, with respect to your age, which tennis balls you should play with and the ideal tennis court. If you (or your children) are of 6 years, 8 years, 10 years or Adult this article is worth a read -

In past few years, Tennis Sport is gaining more and more popularity in India. Though initially it was limited to elite class people or families but now it is widely being chosen by different class of people, especially the new generation.

More and more children are now opting tennis sport as their career and playing some serious tennis.

I have no doubt that in coming years you will see more Indian players in world tennis tournaments like Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open and French Open.

Sound Great, Right? Fingers Crossed :)

Now without wasting any time lets dive into the core information you are seeking in this article.

Tennis Balls for Up To 6 Years Old Kids

Let’s start with the earliest age i.e. 6 years old kids. Most people will probably ask do they really need special tennis balls for their 6 years old kids? The answer is Yes.

Red Tennis Balls are best suitable for this group as they will provide enough height to the child’s head, making it a better space for a perfect shot.

Technically if we see this thing, this will lead to handing the racket in poor posture but this can be corrected in later stage. Moreover, these balls will go perfect with lightweight tennis rackets which you should prefer for your small kids. Hence, Red tennis balls make a child’s tennis game more smooth and easy.

Kids should practice on a tennis court of 36’ * 18’ which will be ideal if net height is placed between 2’9’’ in the centre.

Recommendation - Up to 6 Years Old Kids 

Best Red Tennis Balls are – HEAD TIP I Tennis Ball

Also Read - Best Tennis Balls: Factors to Consider & Top Picks 2023

Tennis Balls for Up To 8 Years Old Kids

The next one is kids that have attained an age of 8 years and are about 127.4 cm in height. Orange Tennis Balls are highly recommended for this age group.

Orange tennis balls are softer and much lighter as compared to regular tennis ball as a result provides slow bounce to the kids on the court. These tennis balls are 50% softer than regular balls and travels 50% slower in the air while enhancing skills on the court.

Orange tennis balls are developed for the kids who have attained proper training in stage 1 that is from a red tennis ball. So we can also say its stage 2 tennis ball which is an advanced version of stage 1 ball.

Its major role is to develop player’s all-round game, mastering the techniques that they have learned with Stage 1 ball i.e. red tennis ball.  

If we want to compare red tennis balls with orange tennis balls then orange balls are not soft as red ones are, as a result, orange tennis balls offer more bounce on the court and travel faster as compared to red tennis balls.

Kid’s up-to 8 years old should play on the court which has size 60’ * 21 for singles whereas if they want to explore their gaming skills with doubles they must opt for a size of 60’* 27.

Hence, we can say orange tennis balls provide optimal performance for this age group.

Recommendation - Up to 8 Years Old Kids

Best Orange Tennis Balls are – HEAD TIP II Tennis Ball

Tennis Ball as per your Age - Infographic

Tennis Balls for Up To 10 Years Old Kids

The third one is the 10 years old group. For this group category, Green Tennis Balls are the perfect choice. Young players will get the opportunity for the first time to use the full-size tennis ball which is just like regular ball.

As young players have gained enough skills and confidence now they just have to move in the game with the help of green tennis balls which have the same size and weight similar to regular tennis balls but yet these are softer and provide little bounce as compared to the regular tennis ball.

If we throw an eye on its technical aspect, these tennis balls are only 25% slower in the air as compared to regular tennis balls which are preparing the juniors players to a new advanced level which will take them to better level in the future.

Court dimension in this age group is 78’*27 for singles whereas it is 78*36 is a perfect match for doubles.  

Recommendation - Up to 10 Years Old Kids 

 Best Green Tennis Balls are – HEAD TIP III Tennis Ball

Tennis Balls for 19 Years or Adult Players

Last but not the least, this age group is from 19 years to adult level. Now, the children who has attained full coaching or assistance from stage 1 to stage 3 will be ready to explore their gaming level in this age group.

Yellow Tennis Balls are considered to be an adult tennis ball. Not even it’s preferred by most people, it also considered to be the official ball of many tournaments and federations such as the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), etc.

Back in the time, there was a time when white and even black tennis balls were mostly used but when the tennis matches got advertised on the television, people were complaining about its visibility. So they changed it to yellow tennis ball which later got famous in various tennis brands.

Yellow tennis balls are advanced tennis balls as compared to previous coloured tennis balls. This tennis ball is about 135-147 cm in size, perfect for players who are talented and learned skills from other coloured balls.

Moreover, if we see what size racket should be used in this group, players in this category are already master in their skills and are very capable of choosing a racket from their experience.

This advanced stage is introduced just to make player’s smooth entry to the tennis world.

Recommendation - Up to 19 Years or Adult Players

Best Yellow Tennis Balls are – Dunlop AO Tennis Ball, HEAD Tour XT Tennis Ball, Wilson US Open Tennis Ball, Slazenger Championship Hydroguard Tennis Ball

Hope you enjoyed your read, just before you go, above mentioned guidelines are strictly based on experienced, research, coaching and even are personal point of view to some extent. It can vary to from person to person.

We believe one should also take guidelines from a recognized tennis coach or an experience player before reaching to any final decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. In which age we should use Red Tennis Balls?

Red Tennis Ball is the recommended for age group of up to 6-years-old, where kids are given pathway to learn the technique in the tennis.

2. What is the Orange tennis ball?

It’s reduced bounce tennis ball which is suitable for age from 9 to 10 years old.

3. How long tennis balls last?

It totally depends on playing level and how much you spend your time on court. On Average tennis balls go bad after 2 to 3 weeks.

4. What was the original colour of tennis ball?

Tennis balls were black or white in colour, depending upon the background of the court. In 1972, ITF introduced yellow coloured tennis balls as viewers were getting difficulty on watching it on the television.

5. Who invented Yellow Tennis Balls?

Yellow Tennis Balls was invented by David Attenborough to provide better visibility to the television viewers.

6. How often one should replace their tennis ball?

If you play tennis for fun and does it without any significant reason, your tennis ball will have longer life span where as if you are professional and practice on regular basis, it can go for 1-4 weeks.

7. What if my child has always used regular tennis balls? Does he/she have to go back and play with various coloured balls?

As long as kids are technically proficient and can hold regular tennis balls, there would be no need to go back.

8. Where can you buy tennis balls meant for children?

There are various offline and online portal available for shopping. If you looking to get durable and high-quality tennis balls, you can visit our Tennis Balls section. You will get tennis balls of famous brands like Dunlop, HEAD, Wilson, Slazenger, etc. at best prices.