Welcome to the Satellite Plus level in our Junior Competition program at Five Star Tennis! Tailored for advanced juniors aged 12-18, this level is ideal for those seeking to refine their game to the next level. We prioritize the improvement of strokes, footwork, and shot selection through a combination of dynamic drills and supervised match play. We strongly encourage active participation in USTA Youth tournaments, USTA Jr. Team Tennis, and In-house tournaments to foster continuous growth and competitive excellence. Get ready for an intensive and rewarding tennis experience on the court!
Competencies – What we teach our players
Agility
- Control center of gravity during lateral and forward/backwards movement
- Decelerate under control
Balance
- Perform skaters with quality rebound in the legs
Coordination
- Repetitively throw and catch a ball off of the ground with the palm down with speed
- Ladder drills with speed and accuracy while catching a ball
Speed
- High skips into sprints while maintaining running form
- Use of a drop and drive step to accelerate from a ready position
Ready Position/Recovery
- Quality athletic position with dominant hand in forehand grip and non-dominant in backhand
- Use of ready steps between shots to stay light on the feet
- Use a split step when the opponent makes contact with the ball
- Use of cross-over and shuffle steps depending on distance from recovery position
- Recovery after shot behind the baseline and off-center for cross court and down the line shots
Serve
- Use a continental grip with a coordinated, balanced, and rhythmical action
- Control the serve to the T and wide positions with accuracy
- Begin to develop the slice serve on second serves while maintaining racquet speed
Net Game
- Use a continental grip and open face with minimal movement of the racquet
- Recognize a short ball and know when to move to the net (not stopping at the service line)
- Volley after moving forward and performing a split step
- Use soft angle volleys when close to the net off of a coach feed
- Able to get behind the ball to hit an overhead with balance off of a coach feed
Groundstrokes
- adjust return positioning based on opponent’s serve (first and second)
- use topspin on both forehand and backhand during cooperative and competitive rallies
- transition grip between forehand and backhand
- use different stances (neutral, open, and semi-open) based on what ball is being received
- begin to hit balls with consistent depth and direction
- begin to understand offensive and defensive situations as well as basic patterns of play
Slice
- Begin to develop a backhand slice
Game Play
- Self-feed with a continental grip and no bounce with control
- Rally 8-10 shots consistently with a player of similar level
Score
- Know how to keep track of 12 and 10 point tie-breakers
- Call lines and score clearly (with hand signals when needed)
Engagement
- Listening to the coach
- Trying to execute the drill the correct way
Energy and Effort
- Run for every ball
- Maintain effort throughout the entire duration of the practice
Attitude
- Use of positive emotions
- Being positive in challenging situations