Tennis Volleys & Net Play Practice Plan for 7 and 8 Year Olds
At 7 and 8, net play is catching lessons with a racquet at the end. The volley's whole secret (it is a CATCH, not a swing) gets taught literally: hand catches first, then racquet "catches" with a short firm block. Red balls, short distances, and soft tosses keep the net a friendly place, because a kid bonked at the net at 7 avoids it until high school.
Thirty minutes with red balls and gentle underhand tosses. The ready position gets built as a superhero stance with the racquet up in front, and the one law of volleys gets planted as a joke that happens to be true: the racquet is allergic to backswings at the net. Everything short, everything soft, everything celebrated.
This plan was written for every 7 and 8 year old. ParentEdge writes one for yours.
Built around their game, their goals, and what they’re working on.
Why teach volleys by catching first?
Because the volley IS a catch: out front, firm, no swing, and hands already know how to catch. Starting with real catches then "catching with strings" transfers the pattern in minutes, while starting with swings builds the backswing habit that ruins net play for years.
How do I keep my kid from fearing the net?
Soft red balls, underhand tosses, and never a ball they cannot handle: net fear is almost always one bad bonk remembered. Build weeks of friendly thumps and the net becomes the fun room of the court, which is exactly what it should be at 7.
What is the correct volley grip for young kids?
The handshake (continental-ish) grip, held loosely as "shake hands with the racquet": it lets both forehand and backhand volleys happen without grip changes. Perfect grip precision matters later; at this age, hands out front and no backswing are the entire technical agenda.