Carmel Classes Offered

HCCTA offers classes for all ages (pre-K to Adult) and abilities.  Shelly Wild is the HCCTA Carmel Site Director and will be running all Carmel classes.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Red Ball Ages 4-6: For ages 4-6, 30 minute class. 48-foot court, using low compression red balls. Some kids in this age group may be better suited for the one-hour red ball class. The determining factor is if your child can focus and follow directions for an hour.

Red Ball Ages 6-10: For ages 6-10, hour long class. 48-foot court, using low compression red balls. For beginner to advanced players learning or refining serves, volleys, ground strokes, rallying and  point play. Players will be grouped according to playing ability during classes.

Orange/Green Ball Ages 8-12: For ages 8-12, hour long class. 60-foot court, using orange and green dot balls. Players have completed and mastered red ball ages 6-10 classes. Players are able to maintain a minimum 10-ball rally with another student. Emphasis on advanced stroke production and point play.
*6 and 7 year olds may play in this class if they get coach approval

Beginners Grades 6-12: For Grades 6-12, hour long class for older kids that are new to tennis. Players will learn how to rally, athletic development/movement, court positioning, scoring, and basic stroke fundamentals. Class will use rally-based drills with red and orange balls, progressing through the use of lower compression balls to ensure success in point play.

Real Ball Junior Progression: Hour and a half class for kids that have completed and mastered the Beginners Grades 6-12 and are ready to progress from low compression ball rallies. During winter classes we have Real ball Junior Progression 1 & Real Ball Junior Progression 2:

Real Ball Junior Progression 1: For players that are real ball intermediate to advance levels.
Real Ball Junior Progression 2: For players that are real ball advance to competitive levels.

Adult Learn to Play: Class is for adults that are new to tennis. This is a rally-based drill program to get players hitting back and forth over the net with a partner within the first 15 minutes of class. Students will focus on basic fundamentals to ensure a sound technical foundation.

Adult Instruction: For beginner to advanced players. Focus of class is on learning the correct technique for all strokes (groundstrokes, volleys, serves) and learning to rally and play points using the correct form and footwork.

Adult 3.0 and Above Clinic: For players that are 3.0 and above. Fast paced clinic where the instructor feeds in the ball and the players play out the point.

PLAYING ABILITY DESCRIPTIONS

Beginner – Has taken 0–5 tennis classes. Cannot rally back and forth. Does not know how to start in ready position and determine if they should hit a forehand or backhand. Still needs work on their form and hand position on their racquet. Cannot run to the ball and consistently hit it over the net.
NOTE: Even if your child has taken a few clinics, they may still be at the beginner level.

Intermediate – Knows their forehands and backhand ground strokes and volleys, and has proper swings without help from an instructor. Places hands properly on the racquet (dominant hand on the bottom). Knows how to start in ready position and can determine if they are supposed to hit a forehand or backhand. Has been working on running to the ball but still needs more work on this. Has started to learn serving but still needs to work on it, and cannot hit their serves in consistently. Has started to learn how to rally back and forth but is unable to hit the ball consistently over the net.

Advanced – Can hit the ball consistently back and forth. Can rally and play matches using one bounce. Knows volleys, groundstrokes and serves and can hit all of them consistently. Knows how to serve consistently. Can keep score using love, 15, 30, and 40.

Competitive – Have been playing singles and doubles matches regularly for more than 2 years. Plays varsity on their junior high team or plays on their high school team. Are able to rally back and forth 20 times or more. If your child plays on their school team but is not able to rally back and forth 20 times or more they should remain at the advanced level.

Hamilton County Community Tennis Association