As the fall season approaches and the fall school session has started for everyone it’s time to think of some creative ways to improve your tennis game. These ways don’t just involve being out on the court with your racket in hand…. There are numerous other ways to improve your tennis abilities off court!!
- Weight Training – To help prevent injury and enhance on-court performance weight training is PROVEN to increase all athletes in the off season. Some tennis teamseven use a modified form of CrossFit to help better prepare for the season. In tennis you should pay extra attention to training for flexibility and strength in the shoulders to protect your rotator cuff. Yo also need to pay careful attention to your ankles. We will be writing a complete separate blog entry on this in the near future.
- Stretching – It’s not just about stretching BUT stretching for the needs of the sport you are in. The muscles stretch better once they are warmed up than when they are cold. Ending a session of tennis with a disciplined stretching routine will surely prevent injuries from being sustained while on the court. It’s also about having the proper support to the joints compression sleeves and insoles. Just watch our blog in the coming weeks to see a full blog dedicated to stretching.
- Nutrition – It’s not just what you eat the day of the game that affects your performance. It’s the lifestyle of how you fuel your body that truly defines how your “machine” will perform when tested during battle on the courts. Get into this habit during the off season and find the proper balance of healthy carbs, protein, and fats that gives you energy throughout the day. Avoid high energy drinks so your body will not need them. What would happen if a trainer only fed their thoroughbred horse the proper meal on the day of the Kentucky Derby? He surely would lose…. In the next few weeks we will dedicate an entire entry to this topic.
- Dealing with Stress – I’m sure we have all been on the courts watching a teammate play and all of the sudden they just lose it after missing a simple shot or double faulting again. Understanding how your mind deals with these moments of stress and finding the proper ways to overcome them in a healthy fashion is the difference between losing and winning in many cases.
- Reading & YouTube Videos – Stress is only one mental aspect of the game. Visualization, strategy, even biographies of the best players in the history of tennis help you understand what it takes to play tennis at the top level. Self-doubt, nervousness, and even momentary lapses of concentration can also cause points to be loss. In one of our future blog entries we will highlight some of the best books & YouTube videos about the game that will help bring your game to the next level!!
Even ESPN understands that the top athletes of today are well oiled machines compared to their counterparts from even 15 years ago, when referring to Novak Djokovic they said this, “His food is gluten-free. His drinks are a combination of half a dozen vitamins and minerals. His sleep sometimes comes in a hyperbaric chamber. His reading material is about body awareness and mindfulness. His stress is tested using a biofeedback device. His water is lukewarm during matches because cold fluid idles too long in the stomach. His free time is, in fact, “recovery time,” arranged by a professional scheduler.” Remember, you want to mimic the best players in the world to help you move to the next level. Look forward to bringing you more insights, articles, tutorials, and helpful wisdom from TennisPlaza, where we serve your game.