• Kindertennis-Training auf dem Sandplatz: Kind schlägt den rollenden Ball über das WHACK! Rollo Netz
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Whack! Rollo

The best way for preschoolers to start tennis  |  The balance bike for tennis!

The WHACK! Rollo takes the hardest part out of tennis — the bouncing ball. What the balance bike is to cycling, this mini tennis net is to the game. Your child connects on the very first try: kids tennis from age 3, right at home.

★★★★★ (7)

€120,00
€120,00
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Shipping Austria & Germany - 5,90 €
EU - 19 €
Worldwide - €49

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Why 9 out of 10 kids quit

Your child isn't hitting the ball. That's not your child's fault.

At the start, a bouncing tennis ball moves faster than a three-year-old's eyes and body can process. After ten misses the fun is gone — and the child has learned that tennis is something they can't do. The child isn't too young. The ball is too fast.
Our Mission

What the balance bike is to cycling, the Rollo is to tennis.

The low net sits right at ground level — the ball rolls across instead of bouncing. Your child builds swing, timing and ball control in the one situation they can actually handle at this age. The bounce comes later, all by itself.
THE FIRST STEP DECIDES EVERYTHING

Kids play tennis together — with the WHACK! Rollo!

  • No tennis court needed — a living room, garden or gym is enough
  • Early wins from the very first try, because the ball rolls instead of bouncing
  • Movement, coordination and ball sense — before the first real shot
  • Stage 1 of 4: your child grows into the system
It doesn't have to be complicated. With the Rollo, the first wins come immediately. Your child rolls the ball. Wants more. Comes back. The WHACK! Rollo shows you how to: Get started right away, with no prior knowledge · Teach your child ball sense · Avoid that first wave of frustration No tennis court needed. No club pressure. Just you, your child — and a tool that works.
In practice

Set up in three minutes. Early wins from minute one.

  • 1. Set it up: 

    Two bases, one net band between them. No tools.

  • 2. Weigh it down: 

    Sand or stones in the bases. Stays put even in wind.

  • 3. Start playing: 

    Roll the ball. Your child connects.

WHACK! Rollo — Data

Every measurement at a glance.

Collapsed to 100 cm, the Rollo fits into a living room or onto a balcony. Extended to its full 300 cm it becomes a real court — for grass, clay, gym floor or carpet.

Dimensions

  • Height: 50 cm
  • Width: 100 to 300 cm
  • easy to adjust

Set up

  • No tools required
  • Weigh down with sand or stones
  • Ready to use in 2 minutes

Where to use it

  • Indoor & Outdoor
  • At home · Club · Kindergarten

The WHACK! System

Built on 
25 years of kids tennis.

For 25 years I've been helping families get their children started in tennis – and time and again I've seen how frustrated parents are when tennis schools turn their children away: “Too young. Come back in 3 years.”

 

But these very first years are the most important ones!

 

During the preschool years children learn motor skills fastest – and that is exactly where you should start.

 

That is why I developed the unique Rolling Method: just as the balance bike makes cycling possible, rolling makes tennis at home possible.

 

As a certified Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) coach and a father myself, I know: parents want the best for their child – but they need clear guidance, not a black box. With WHACK! Tennis, parents can give their children the best foundation and the best start – without fear, without feeling overwhelmed, without detours.

 

- Christoph Wagner, BSc.

THE 4-STAGE SYSTEM

Das System, das mit deinem Kind wächst.

From 3 to 12 years old – each stage is tailored to your child's skills. You always know exactly where you're starting and what's coming next.

Rolling — Blue Stage

AGES 3-6 YEARS

Tennis without frustration. Rolling instead of hitting creates early wins — coordination, joy and confidence right from the start.

"When do we play again?"

Learn more

Mini Court — Red Stage

AGES 5-8 YEARS

On the small court the first real rallies begin. Children experience the game — with bouncing balls — at home and on the tennis court.

"NOW I'M HITTING THE BALL!"

Learn more

Mid Court — Orange Stage

AGES 7-10 YEARS

Technique meets tactics. Your child starts thinking for themselves — making decisions in the mid-court. Match play and strategy that genuinely challenge them.

"Technique & Match Play."

Learn more

Full Court — Green Stage

AGES 9-12 YEARS

The full court awaits. Your child refines technique, develops real tactics, and plays their first matches — exactly how tennis should be.

"Ready for the real game."

Learn more

What parents want to know before they buy.

Have questions? We’re here to help

CALL US:

+43 664 5430207

EMAIL:

office@whack-tennis.com

What's the best way to start tennis with my child?

The best way into kids tennis doesn't begin with hitting, it begins with rolling. For children between 3 and 6 a bouncing tennis ball is simply too fast — at that age their eyes and body cannot yet judge its flight reliably. When the ball rolls flat along the ground instead, a child connects on the very first try and builds swing, timing and ball sense in the one situation they can handle. The bounce comes later, all by itself. The principle matches the balance bike in cycling: balance first, pedals after.

At what age can children start learning tennis?

Children can start tennis from age 3 — though not with the classic game. From 3 to 6 it is about motor skills: moving to the ball, controlling direction, hand-eye coordination. Through its Play and Stay programme the ITF recommends age-appropriate low-compression balls, yet even the red Stage 3 ball is often still too fast for under-sixes. Many tennis schools only take children from 5 or 6. But the years before that are exactly when children learn motor skills fastest.

How do children learn tennis in kindergarten?

In kindergarten, children learn tennis through racquet-and-ball games rather than technique. These are simple game forms with a ball and a racquet, focused on contact, direction and movement — not on forehand or backhand. For a group of 3- to 6-year-olds it works best with several low nets side by side, so every child is on the ball instead of waiting in a queue. Rolling balls rather than bouncing ones mean even the least experienced child gets early wins. WHACK! works on this principle with Kinderfreunde Wien, the city's largest kindergarten provider, among others.

Which racquet and which ball suit which age?

Racquet length and ball firmness follow the child's age and ability: 21 inches for 3- to 6-year-olds, 23 inches for 5- to 8-year-olds, 25 inches for 7- to 10-year-olds and 27 inches for 9- to 12-year-olds. The ball progresses in parallel. In the first years the ball still rolls instead of bouncing — this is the motor-skills ABC. Then comes the red ITF Stage 3 ball with 75 per cent less pressure, followed by the orange Stage 2 ball and finally the green Stage 1 ball, which is already close to a regular tennis ball. A racquet that is too long is the most common mistake at the start: the child cannot control it and connects worse than they otherwise would. The four stages of the WHACK! system follow exactly this progression.

How can tennis be taught in school?

Tennis can be taught at school without a tennis court — in the gym, on the playground or on a patch of grass. What you need is low portable nets, low-compression balls and junior racquets; a full-size court is not required for primary school. Short stations of about 10 minutes with small groups on several courts at once have proved effective, keeping the wait between shots short. Methodologically this builds on Ballschule Heidelberg and the ITF's Play and Stay programme, both of which lead from general racquet-and-ball games to sport-specific tennis.

How do I teach two children to play tennis together?

For two children to play tennis together, a rally has to happen — and that is almost always where the bouncing ball defeats them. When the ball rolls flat along the ground, the first real rally usually happens within a few minutes. In practice: a low net between the children, both at the same level, and roll the ball rather than throw it. After three balls hit in a row the mood shifts — the child is no longer playing against the ball but with the other child. It works between siblings just as well as between a parent and a child.

Does my child need a tennis court to learn tennis?

No. For the first years any flat surface will do: living room, hallway, garden, balcony, gym or yard. A tennis court only becomes relevant once children play with bouncing balls over a regulation net — usually from around age 7. Before that a full-size court is actually a hindrance, because the distances are too long and the pauses between shots too long for a small child. A portable net of 100 to 300 cm is entirely enough.

For groups

Racquet and ball games for kindergarten, club and ball school.

The Rollo works in a group exactly as it does at home.

Several courts side by side, every child on the ball instead of waiting in a queue.

116 pages of tennis know-how

The WHACK! TO WIN Guide shows you how it's done...

4 stages. 1 clear path. No guessing. You always know where your child stands — and what comes next.
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WHACK! ROLLO - $120