The two other age groups, 9-10 and 11-12 will have different formats as well.
The 8 and under kids play mini - tennis. Mini tennis is great for all ages, has a different court layout, and uses different balls than regular tennis. The smaller court is a court with a shorter net which is sideways across the back court. The ball is a red colored, low compression ball. The lower compression ball will not bounce over a childs head, and will not move as fast. Hence, it is a great game for kids, and seniors often like to play mini tennis with their grandchildren.
The 9 and 10 year old players will use a format that narrows the regular court, and brings the baseline way in, so the court is shorter and narrower. The balls are orange, and bounce more than the red balls, but much less than a regular tennis ball.
The 11 and 12 year old players will use the full size courts, with a different ball, which has a green dot (sometimes called a control or green dot ball).
The professionals will often practice with the orange balls to work on their form. Hence, we feel these USTA programs will help our youth.