By Michael Sarro

Buying your child’s first racquet can be a fun and exciting event, but just like anything you do for the first time, you may not know what you are doing and it can become quite a hassle.  Here are some helpful hints to give you less of a headache when searching for the right racquet for your child.

1. Racquet Length

When purchasing a racquet for a youth player, the most important thing you should be concerned with is the length of the actual racquet.  Generally, here is the breakdown for ages and comparable racquet length sizes:

4-6 year olds – 21” inches

5-8 year olds – 23-25” inches

8-11 year olds – 25-26” inches

11 + – At this age it might be okay to start using adult racquets

HELPFUL TIP:  A great way to judge the length for your child specifically is have them hold the racquet in their hand and down at their side.  The racquet should be about 2 inches off the ground.

2. Racquet Head Size

The next thing to look for is the size of the racquet head.  The head of the racquet is the overall size of the part of the racquet you use to hit the ball, basically the stringed area.  The head sizes vary depending on the type of player you are.  The different sizes are:

Super-Oversize: Very forgiving and provide a lot of power

Oversize: Large sweet spots to help out beginners

Mid-Plus: The best compromise of power and control

Mid-Size: Smaller sweet spot than mid-plus/oversize.  Better for intermediate to advanced players

Standard: Normal/average racquet head

3. Grip Size

The next step is to determine the correct grip size.  Most junior racquets will have the same grip size so it is hard to find varying grip sizes.  Young players typically require a grip smaller than 4 inches so that is a good starting point to go from.

HELPFUL TIP:  You are better off buying a racquet with a grip that is too small rather than too big.  You can always apply an over grip to make the grip thicker if it is too small.

4. Other Racquet Materials

Today there are many different racquet styles, unlike a few years ago when everyone used wooden racquets.  There are titanium, graphite, kevlar, and even aluminum racquets.  Graphite and titanium are the most popular.  Titanium racquets offer more power with less control.  Graphite’s can be broken down into two different groups: light weight and composites.  Light weight graphite racquets offer more power but are stiffer and offer less flexibility.  Composites offer more flexibility but provide less power.  Depending on what your child needs more work on should determine what type of racquet to purchase.  If you feel they need help with power, go for the light weight graphite.  If they need help with control, go with the graphite composite.

We hope this helps with your search for your child’s first tennis racquet.  Keep in mind that sales associates can offer advice and assistance on your purchase.  If you have any questions regarding this article, feel free to contact us directly.  We do offer racquets for purchase on our web site at: BumbleBee Tennis Equipment for Sale.

Sincerely,

BumbleBee Tennis

Spring registration for BumbleBee Tennis adult and youth lessons will begin on Monday, March 8, 2010.

Pre-registration for those currently enrolled in SoHo is going on now.

That’s right, you can sign up for group lessons for you and/or your child at:

• Columbus Circle
• SoHo
• Additional seasonal locations TBA!

Spring lessons will begin on Monday, April 5, 2010. For exact class schedules and offerings, please view our youth Columbus Circle, youth SoHo, and adult pages. Classes fill up fast…reserve your spot(s) early!

Schedules, details, and registration for our Summer Tennis Camp program will also be available soon.

See you on the court soon!

This interview is between Kristy Oshita and Michael Sarro, both life long tennis players and teaching pros.

So where does tennis fit in this story, you ask? Vonn took up tennis four years ago as part of her off-season training.

“In ski racing you want to be strong and powerful, but you also want to be quick and agile. Tennis is a good way to stay light and quick on my feet, and be able to move my body well,” Vonn said in an interview with Tennis Magazine. “My depth perception and body awareness have gotten much better because of tennis. It’s really good cross-training for me.”

And with her fairly new interest in the sport, Vonn has proclaimed her admiration for fan favorite Roger Federer, and promised to teach Martina Navratilova to ski in exchange for tennis tips.

Good luck in Vancouver Lindsey!

After emblazoning her shoes with the word “Believe” at the US Open last year, Oudin became the first American woman since Serena Williams (1999) to reach the quarterfinals at just 17 years old.

And while many didn’t think the Marietta, Georgia native had what it took to compete at the professional level, Oudin remained steadfast against critics, with big wins over Number 1 ranked Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon to make it to the fourth round, and then knocking off Elena Dementieva(4), Maria Sharapova (29), and Nadia Petrova (13) before being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Open.

With such an incredible 2009, Oudin was named Rookie of the Year by Tennis Magazine. We all look forward to even greater successes for her in 2010!

We hope that you had happy holidays and a fantastic New Year’s celebration!

Now’s the time when many of you make resolutions to become a better you. Whether it’s quitting a bad habit or picking up a good one, January always represents a time of introspective thought and renewal.

If your resolution is to take better care of yourself physically, we’d love to be a part of that. Tennis has numerous physical (not to mention psychological) benefits and we here at BumbleBee Tennis take immense pride in the energetic, fun, and affordable lessons we offer for all ages. Whether you’re a beginner who’s never picked up a racquet before or an old pro who masters the most fast-paced lessons, we hope that when you think of tennis lessons in New York City, you think of us.

While our adult lessons at Columbus Circle still have three more months of winter hibernation before restarting April 5th, we hope we can help you stick with your goals in the spring and summer months!

To find out more about spring registration for adult classes and receive tips on sticking with your fitness goals, sign up for our e-newsletter using the simple box below.

Good luck with your goals and see you on the court soon!

This winter, we’re offering youth tennis lessons at 3 locations:

Lower East Side Tennis- For your convenience, kids 4-10 years old can take their tennis lessons on Saturday mornings at our Lower East Side gymnasium.

SoHo Tennis- Our most extensive winter schedule is offered at our SoHo location, where 3-14 year olds can take after-school youth tennis lessons Monday-Friday.

UN Plaza Tennis - Our newest location, an indoor tennis court in Midtown East/ UES, offers lessons for 3-7 year old beginners.

For more information on each location, click on the photo.

LES  Tennis Location                SoHo Tennis Location UN Plaza Tennis Location

If you’d like to continue lessons at our outdoor tennis court in the spring, then save the date! Mark on your calendars that classes at our Columbus Circle/ UWS court will start back up on April 5, 2010.

Additionally, if you haven’t noticed, we’ve recently added a new facility to conduct tennis lessons and we’re extremely excited. Located in the Millennium Hotel in UN Plaza, this indoor tennis court will host some of our youth tennis sessions this winter. However, we are actively working on adding adult lessons to the schedule. Because it an indoor court, a hard find in New York City, lessons will cost slightly more than classes offered at Columbus Circle.

If you are interested in playing tennis this winter at our new indoor court, be sure to sign up for the BumbleBee Tennis newsletter for the most up-to-date information regarding facilities and added lessons.

We’ll see you on the courts soon!

This state-of-the-art tennis court is conveniently located on Manhattan’s east side, on 44th Street between First and Second Avenues. Now, Upper East Side and Midtown East tennis aficionados can enjoy tennis lessons with us as well!

Beginning December 1, we will be offering youth tennis lessons to kids 3-7 years old. These youth group lessons are scheduled between 2-4 pm. Sign your child up for the winter session now!

If you are interested in adult private lessons or youth private lessons at this east side court, contact us at info@bumblebeetennis.com or (347)-284-6061 with your available days and times, and as always we’ll do our best to arrange something for you.

For more information, visit our UN Plaza informational page.

Below are the latest details regarding the last day of your tennis session and continuing tennis if you are interested.  This updated schedule below is to make sure you know the last day of classes, especially if it was affected by rain.  So YES, this does take into account any rain dates.

If there is another bad weather day we will add a class to the end of your session and we will update this page.

Last Day of Class (as of 10/28/09)
The current last day of class column lists the last day of class for your day, with any extensions due to weather cancellations.  The rain dates were specifically stated in the sign up schedule so that you could make sure to keep those dates open.

* An updated last day of class email will be sent out again if there is another weather cancellation.

Continuing Tennis
If you would like to continue tennis indoors with us, we have the following availability.  Call us to sign up 347-284-6061!

SoHo – 268 Mulbery St.  Location Info
LES -   184 Eldridge St. Location Info

*Times in Purple – Call us to sign up for these class times.
- Times in orange – Have space as of 10/20.  Times in black don’t currently have space but may have space starting January 4, 2010.

*An eligible Make Up Classes is one that was canceled at least 4 hrs before the class with us, and is your first makeup or second with a rescheduling fee.  The first make up is free while the second one would be a $12 rescheduling fee.

SoHo availability – Use the schedule above
West Side availability – See the schedule below