FAQ
What age should kids start tennis lessons in the Hamptons?
The programmes here take children from 3: SPORTIME Amagansett’s John McEnroe Tennis Academy groups run for ages 3–18 on the red, orange, green and yellow ball progression, Future Stars’ Little Stars take 3–5 and its Rising Stars 2.5–7, and the Town of East Hampton’s youth clinics run in spring, summer and fall. The equipment agrees: junior racquets run 17–21 inches at ages 3–5 ($35–59), 23 inches at 6–8, 25 inches at 9–10 and 26 inches from 11. What the age should be is a question about the child, not the calendar; we could not read a governing body’s guidance on it, so we do not print a rule. Our advice is a red-ball group for a small child and a private lesson only once the child asks for one.
Last updated · Reviewed by Hamptons Ace Tennis
What the programmes say
The clearest answer to “what age” is the ages the local programmes accept. SPORTIME Amagansett’s junior tennis and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy groups there run for ages 3 to 18, on the progression the sport uses for children: a red foam ball on a small court, then orange, then a green-dot ball, then the yellow ball on a full court. Future Stars’ camps take “Little Stars” at 3–5 and “Rising Stars” at 2.5–7 among programmes that run to 18. The Town of East Hampton runs youth tennis clinics in spring, summer and fall at Lt. Lee Hayes Youth Park in Amagansett. Sag Harbor Tennis runs junior programmes at Mashashimuet Park. Nobody turns a four-year-old away; the question is what the four-year-old gets.
What the equipment says
| Age | Racquet length | Price range (national retailer, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | 17–21 inches | $35–59 |
| 6–8 | 23 inches | $30–99 |
| 9–10 | 25 inches | $69–159 |
| 11 and up | 26 inches | $99–159 |
The racquet sizes exist because the game for a five-year-old is a different game: a lighter, shorter racquet, a slower ball, a smaller court, and success measured in rallies rather than winners. A programme that puts a six-year-old on a full court with a yellow ball is teaching frustration.
What we will not claim
We looked for a governing body’s published guidance on the right starting age and on lessons per week, and could not read one (USTA’s pages would not load for us). So this page does not say “most children start at five” or “twice a week is ideal”, because we cannot show you where that comes from. What we can say from the programmes and the equipment: red-ball groups take children from three; private lessons make sense when a child has a stroke to fix or asks for the coach’s full attention, usually later; and the good coaches here will tell you honestly whether a child is ready for a group, a private, or another summer of hitting a balloon with a parent.
How to start
Tell us the child’s age, whether they have held a racquet, and where you are based. For a small child we send you to a coach who runs red-ball groups and is patient with the ones who would rather chase the ball than hit it; for an older beginner, a group by level; for a child who has played and wants more, a private. The coach calls within one business day, and the first session is the assessment.
Services
Related services
Junior Group Lessons & Clinics
Group lessons for children 3–17: the red-orange-green-yellow ball progression, the Town’s youth clinics, the club programs, junior racquet costs by age, and how to tell a good group from a busy one.
Summer Camps & Clinics
Camp weeks for children: Future Stars’ published 2026 rates in Southampton and East Hampton, the club camps at SPORTIME, Hampton Racquet and Southampton Racquet Club, the add-ons and the discounts.
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