C
oming off the BIG TENNIS WEEKEND in 
January, we caught up to tennis pros Colin Gillam and 
Addison White to ask what’s new on the PD courts. 
Turns out, a lot, they report. Our elite professionals say the 
lineup of classes is exciting. TYPTI, pronounced tip tee, a new 
fast-growing racquet sport launched in California in February 
of this year by Tennis Channel Founder Steve Bellamy, has 
arrived here. Colin says it’s the perfect combination of tennis 
and pickleball and everyone who tries it loves it. “It’s played 
on a pickleball court with a shortened, carbon fiber, 22" string 
tennis racket and a grooved foam ball that’s 30 percent 
larger than a tennis ball.” 
Addi’s hot on the courts with HIIT (high-intensity interval-
training) tennis for all skill levels. Pack your favorite energy 
drink if you’re game to try it, as it’s 45 minutes of HIIT circuits, 
including tennis drills, on court. It’s like cardio tennis, which 
continues to be popular at Prairie Dunes and brings new 
players to the courts, but more intense. 
Through the vehicle of tennis, Addi focuses members on 
getting healthier, fitter and stronger using resistance bands, 
medicine ball tosses, steps, jump ropes and no shortage of 
grit. And if that’s not your thing, Tennis 101, she says, is a 
great class for adults who are new to tennis or have always 
wanted to learn the game. Slower balls and smaller court 
sizes make it easier to rally and start learning the strokes. 
On the competitive front, in case you haven’t watched, Prairie 
Dunes has already, this year, hosted a Women's Doubles 
League, Mixed Doubles League and Women's Singles League. 
The Club will also host USTA-sanctioned junior tournaments 
over the summer that Colin is excited about because it will 
help PD kids continue to develop as players. And there is 
expectation for fielding a USTA Tri-Level team for the ladies 
at 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 levels. Men, watch for the opportunity for 
social doubles play in the fall. 
One of these players, from last January’s “Big Tennis Weekend,” could be your next TYPTI partner! About the new sport, Pro Colin 
Gillam says, “You’re basically playing tennis on a pickleball court with some super fun distinctions. 
You can kick or hit the ball with your hand and use your body at any time. There’s no limit to 
what you can do if you just react to it. It’s exciting! Once players get use to the feel of a foam 
ball, we see some artistic point play. And people who have never held a racquet can pick this 
up quickly. The ball comes off the racquet very fast but slows down when it hits the ground.”
REAL SPIN.
REAL TALK
If you don’t know what kind of stock we have in our pros, check 
out their credentials on page 27. In the past year, tennis has 
become serious business at Prairie Dunes. Connecting the dots 
(the red, orange, green and yellow balls) for parents who don’t 
know much about tennis, we asked for a tutorial from Colin.
When is the right time to start a child in tennis? 
When is the right time to start a child in tennis? 
We start our Red Ball classes at age 4, but the best time to 
start is when they're interested in learning. Usually, 3 or 4. I 
started when I was 4. We have kids start at 12 to 14, however, 
who still become very good players. In terms of development, 
it takes at least 10 years to become a fully developed player 
and that requires consistently being on a court practicing and 
competing. How that time is structured is based on the child’s 
goal. At the end of the day, it’s their tennis game. If, at 12 or 14, 
they’re asking for more time on the court, we want to find ways 
to make that happen. I’ve always been a big fan of the metric 
for structured court time that is between 50 and 75 percent, in 
hours, of their age. We don’t want a child who is 8 on a court 
more than four to six hours a week in structured, coach-led 
time. At 8, that could include two hours’ private instruction 
over four 30-minute lessons, up to two more hours of group 
classes, then outside of that as much time as they want in 
free play. This is time they’re leading ... hitting with friends or 
practicing their serve.
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