Tennis

Ravenscraig Tennis Court

Ravenscraig are the proud new owners of a mobile tennis court. Currently set up in the athletics hall, the full size, polymeric court is the only one of its kind in Great Britain at the moment. The court is made up of interlocking fibre tiles and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

The centre also has a mini court for younger tennis fans.

The court is available for hire by both NL Leisure members and the public. An introductory offer for hiring the court is as follows;

Adults - £10 per hour on court (max 4 people)

Juveniles - £5 per hour per court (under 16s – max 4)

Short Tennis Adult £7.20

Short Tennis Junior £3.60

To book the court contact the centre on 01698 274600

Ravenscraig Tennis Academy

Red Ball Tennis (4-7 Years)

Red ball is a great way for players to start out in tennis and is for players aged 8 and under. It is played on smaller courts with shorter rackets and softer balls. It's just like the real game and gives players opportunities to have long rallies and play different types of shots.

What age is red ball mini tennis aimed at?
Red ball mini tennis is for players aged 8 & under.

What ball is used?
A red sponge ball is used indoors and a red felt ball is used outdoors.

What size court is red ball played on?
A court with dimensions of 11m x 5.5m. It's fine to use badminton court lines.

What height is the net?
The net is lower than yellow ball tennis at a height of 80cm.

What racket is best to use?
A shorter racket of 43cm – 58 cm (17" – 23") is recommended.

Where can I play red ball?
Red ball should be available at a club or park near you. To find your local place to play use the search facility to the right.

What kind of competitions are there at red ball?
Competitions are usually team based so you can compete in lots of short matches. The scoring for each match should be first to 10 points and competitions should last between 1 and 3 hours.

Orange Ball Tennis (8-9 Years)

Orange ball is a great way for players to continue their progress from red ball and is for players aged 8 and 9. It is played on slightly larger courts than red ball, with bigger rackets and balls that are not as soft as red balls. It's the next stage to go through before you start playing on a full sized court and it will help players develop all the different shots, providing fun competition.

What age is orange ball mini tennis aimed at?
Orange ball mini tennis is for players aged 8 and 9.

What ball is used?
An orange ball is used. It has a low compression that makes it bounce lower, giving the player better control at an important stage of their development.

What size court is orange ball played on?
Orange ball is played on a singles court of 18m x 6.5m and a doubles court of 18m x 8.23m (so the full width of the singles court)

What height is the net?
80cm at the middle of the net.

What racket is best to use?
A racket of 58cm – 63 cm (23" – 25") is recommended.

Where can I play orange ball?
Orange ball should be available at a club or park that's local to you. To find your local place to play use the search facility to the right.

What kind of competitions are there at orange ball?
Competitions are team and individual, providing the chance to compete in a number of medium length matches. The scoring for each match should be 1 short set to 4 games, or the best of 3 tie breaks and competitions should be last between 2 and 4 hours.

Green Ball Tennis (9-10 Years)

Green ball is a great way for players to continue their progress from orange ball mini tennis. It is played on a full tennis court, with bigger rackets and balls that are a little softer than yellow balls. It's the next stage to go through before you start playing with a full compression yellow ball on a full sized court and it will help players work on and improve all aspects of their game.

What age is green ball mini tennis aimed at?
Green ball mini tennis is for players aged 9 & 10.

What ball is used?
A green ball is used, which is ideal for players moving from orange ball to actual tennis balls.

What size court is green ball played on?
Green ball is played on a full tennis court for singles and doubles.

What height is the net?
The net is at full height.

What racket is best to use?
A bigger racket of 63cm – 66cm (25" – 26") is recommended.

Where can I play green ball?
Green ball should be available at your local club or park. It is also played at county, regional and national level. To find your local place to play or competition use the search facility to the right.

What kind of competitions are there at green ball?
Competitions are team and individual based, providing the chance to compete in longer matches. The scoring for each match should be 1 short set to 4 games, or the best of 3 short sets and competitions should be for a day or can run over a weekend.

Yellow Ball Tennis (11+ Years)

Yellow ball competition is for players aged 11 and over. It is played on a full tennis court, with full size rackets and full compression yellow balls. It's the last stage of your tennis development and the technique and skills that you have developed through the stages of mini tennis can now be put into practice.

What age is yellow ball tennis aimed at?
Yellow ball competition is for players aged 11 & over.

What ball is used?
A normal yellow tennis ball is used.

What size court is yellow ball played on?
Yellow ball is played on a full sized tennis court for singles and doubles.

What height is the net?
The net is at full height.

What racket is best to use?
A full size racket of 27"-29" is recommended, when a player is physically ready.

Where can I play yellow ball?
Yellow ball should be available at a club that's local to you. It is also played at county, regional, national and international level. To find your local place to play or competition use the search facility to the right.

What kind of competitions are there at yellow ball?
Competitions are team and individual based, providing the chance to compete in 3 set matches. The scoring for each match is usually the best of 3 short sets, or best of 3 full sets and competitions and tournaments can be for a day, over a weekend or over a week in the school holidays.