Tennis Coaching for 6 and 7 Year Olds in North London - PH Purple at PH Tennis
Tennis Coaching for 6 and 7 Year Olds in North London - PH Purple at PH Tennis
By six or seven, most children are ready for something more than just movement and coordination games. They're ready to start actually playing tennis.
PH Purple is the stage where that happens. It's the second step on the PH Tennis junior pathway, and its whole purpose is to teach children how tennis works - the structure, the scoring, the rules, the etiquette - so thoroughly that it becomes second nature. Get that foundation right at this age, and everything that comes later gets easier.
Here's exactly what PH Purple involves, why we teach structure before shot-making, and what your child will learn.
Quick Summary
Ages 6-7 · 90 minutes · Max 10 players per coach · LTA qualified coaches · Available at Winchmore Hill, Southgate and Enfield
PH Purple is a progression from PH Blue, with a slightly bigger court, slightly larger groups and more court space per child. The core focus is learning how to play tennis properly - scoring, calling the ball in and out, the rules, the different serves, and how to compete fairly with good sportsmanship. Children progress through three levels (Purple One, Two and Three - bronze, silver and gold) before moving up to PH Red. Progress is tracked online, and the same extended taster, monthly direct debit and £1 holiday courses apply as across all our mini tennis stages.
What Is PH Purple?
PH Purple is our tennis programme for children aged six and seven. It's the stage that follows PH Blue, and it's noticeably more structured - because the children are ready for it.
The court gets a bit bigger. The groups get slightly larger, with a maximum of ten players per coach, and the children get more court space to play in. But the biggest change isn't physical - it's the focus. Where PH Blue is about movement, coordination and discovering contact, PH Purple is about learning to play the game itself.
The Core of Purple - Learning How to Play Tennis
If there's one thing PH Purple exists to do, it's this: teach children the structure of tennis so completely that they never have to think about it again.
At this age we drill the fundamentals of how the game actually works until they become second nature:
• How to score a point, and how to score a match
• How to call the ball in and out
• The rules - the double bounce rule, the net, what ends a rally and why
• The different types of serve - overarm, underarm and developing a bounce serve
• Serving diagonally, into the right court
This might not sound glamorous, but it's the single most valuable thing we can give a child at this stage. Here's why.
When a child has the structure of tennis embedded as second nature, they free up all their attention for the things that matter later. By the time they progress to Red and Orange, they're not wasting energy wondering whose point it is, which side to serve from, or whether that ball was in. All of that is automatic. So they can focus entirely on what those later stages are really about - playing, competing, winning and developing their shots.
Structure first. Everything else builds on top of it.
New Sensations - From Taps to Pushes
In PH Blue, the focus was on the "tap" - learning to make clean, controlled contact with the ball. In PH Purple, as the court gets bigger, we introduce a new sensation: the "push."
Children now have two clear options on both the forehand and backhand side - a tap or a push - giving them a simple, intuitive framework for controlling how far and how hard they hit. Combined with their developing serves (overarm, underarm and bounce serve), this gives them a complete, age-appropriate toolkit for actually playing points.
We keep it deliberately simple. Two options, both sides, plus their serves. That clarity is what lets a six or seven year old start playing real tennis rather than getting lost in technique.
Building Healthy Competition and Sportsmanship
This is where PH Purple really comes into its own, and it's about much more than hitting a ball.
A huge part of this stage is teaching children to officiate and understand their own games. We want them spotting the mistakes their opponent makes, stopping play, putting their hand up, calling it out, and explaining why the point finished - why the rally ended and who won it. That sounds small, but it's how children develop a genuine understanding of the game and the confidence to manage their own matches.
Just as importantly, we teach them to do all of this fairly and kindly. The goal is healthy competition alongside good sportsmanship - children who can compete hard, want to win, and still be a cooperative, positive part of the group. Learning to win and lose well, to be honest with line calls, and to respect their opponents are skills that matter every bit as much as the tennis itself.
By the end of Purple, children aren't just hitting balls - they understand the game, they can run their own points, and they know how to compete the right way.
The Coaching Approach
Like every stage at PH Tennis, PH Purple uses our constraints-led coaching philosophy. Rather than telling children exactly what to do, we design the games and situations so they discover the right answers themselves - which makes the learning deeper and longer-lasting.
We talk in sensations the children can feel and repeat - tap and push - rather than complex technical instruction. At six and seven, this is far more effective than trying to explain technique, and it keeps the sessions active, enjoyable and game-based.
New to tennis? Plenty of children join at PH Purple without having done PH Blue, and that's no problem. The lessons are adapted so beginners can learn the basics while still playing alongside everyone else - for example by giving a newer child more touches or bounces to get the ball back, so they can rally and compete with more experienced players while being challenged at the right level. No child is left behind, and no child is held back.
Court, Equipment and Session Length
Everything is adapted for this age and stage.
Court - the court grows from the PH Blue setup. We use a mini net, with the singles tramlines becoming the baselines - giving children a slightly larger but still appropriately sized court that suits their developing game.
Session length - 90 minutes, the same as all our mini tennis stages. As we explain to every parent, this length works with young children's natural concentration rhythms rather than against them, giving enough quality time to make real progress even as attention naturally comes and goes.
Groups - a maximum of ten players per coach.
Progress Tracking and Medals
Every PH Purple player has an online progress profile that parents can log into at any time to see what their child is working on. Coaches update these regularly.
Progress runs through three levels, the same clear structure as across our mini tennis programme:
• Purple One - Bronze
• Purple Two - Silver
• Purple Three - Gold
Children receive a medal each time they complete a level. After achieving Purple Three Gold, they progress to PH Red - our programme for eight and nine year olds, where the focus shifts towards genuinely competitive play.
Our Coaches
All PH Purple sessions are delivered by LTA qualified coaches, every one holding an appropriate DBS check, first aid certification and safeguarding training. They coach in PH Tennis uniform and are trained in the constraints-led methodology that runs through everything we do.
How to Get Started
As with all our mini tennis stages, we offer an extended taster period for new joiners - giving your child time to settle in and you time to see the programme in action. After the taster, PH Purple runs on a monthly direct debit covering all 39 term-time lessons a year, plus access to our holiday courses for just £1 per course across ten weeks of school holidays.
Where Does PH Purple Run?
PH Purple runs across all three of our North London venues:
• Winchmore Hill (Firs Farm Tennis)
• Southgate
• Enfield
If you're in or around North London - including Palmers Green, Edmonton, Cockfosters, Barnet, Potters Bar and the surrounding areas - one of our venues will be within easy reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is PH Purple for?
Children aged six and seven.
My child hasn't done PH Blue - can they still join?
Yes. While Purple is a progression from Blue, children can join at this stage. We'll assess where they are and make sure they're supported.
How long are the sessions?
90 minutes - the same across all our mini tennis stages.
How many children are in each group?
A maximum of ten players per coach.
What will my child actually learn?
How to play tennis properly - scoring, the rules, calling the ball in and out, the different serves, and how to compete fairly. They'll also develop their shots through the tap and push sensations.
Are the coaches qualified?
Yes. All coaches are LTA qualified with appropriate DBS, first aid and safeguarding certifications.
How does my child move up?
Through three levels - Purple One, Two and Three (bronze, silver, gold) - with a medal at each. After Purple Three Gold, they progress to PH Red.
How do I book?
Find a PH Purple session at your preferred venue on our timetable and book the taster directly. If you have questions first, submit an enquiry through our website or call us.
Book a Taster Session
If you have a six or seven year old ready to learn how to really play tennis, PH Purple is designed for exactly that stage.
Find a session at your nearest venue on our timetable and book a taster to get started.
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