New
New
Lesson 6 of 6
  • Year 3

Introduction to Rackets

I can hold a racket safely and understand why it is important to control the ball when playing a shot.

Lesson 6 of 6
New
New
  • Year 3

Introduction to Rackets

I can hold a racket safely and understand why it is important to control the ball when playing a shot.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: holding the racket with our strong hand at the bottom of the grip and the other hand at the top improves control.
  2. Move: using balls of our feet & keeping the ball as close as possible to the racket helps push the ball along the floor.
  3. Think: concentration is important when using our rackets to control the ball.
  4. Feel: striving to try and learn more difficult skills, even when making mistakes, demonstrates excellent resilience.
  5. Connect: Trusting ourselves and opponents to consistently play by the rules demonstrates excellent integrity.

Keywords

  • Racket - a piece of equipment that we use to strike/hit the ball

  • Grip - the way we hold the racket in order to hit shots during a match

  • Control - keeping the ball as close to the racket to help you hit the ball accurately

Common misconception

Pupils may try to travel too fast without having control of the ball on the racket. Pupils may want to hit the ball over the net instead of playing 'Floor tennis'.

Encourage pupils to move slowly to develop their hand eye coordination when using a racket before increasing their speed. Explain to pupils that floor tennis will help to develop better control when using the racket before they move on to hitting.


To help you plan your year 3 physical education lesson on: Introduction to Rackets, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use alternatives such as hand, hand paddles, pickleball paddles/plastic bats if rackets are not available. If pupils are not ready to use a racket, continue to work on 'Hand tennis' alternative games.
Teacher tip

Equipment

1 racket (or alternative) each, 1 ball each (alternative sizes), 50+ cones of different colours

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Why should we aim at spaces on the court?

Correct answer: to win points
to be kind
to lose points

Q2.
Which direction should the ball travel when we throw underarm?

down
high to low
Correct answer: low to high

Q3.
What do we vary when we throw to the front then the back of the court?

the ball
Correct answer: power
luck

Q4.
Playing by the rules and working fairly against our opponent demonstrates ...

fear.
Correct answer: cooperation.
cheating.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What do we show when we always strive to try our best, even when we are struggling?

Correct Answer: resilience

Q2.
How many hands should be on the racket in the ready position?

It doesn't matter.
Correct answer: two
one

Q3.
What can we do to help us keep the ball under control when using a racket?

laugh
Correct answer: concentrate
move faster

Q4.
Which hand should be at the bottom of the racket grip to give us better control?

Correct Answer: strong hand, strongest hand, strongest, the strongest, the dominant