Agility For Tennis Players

Strength is good, but you also need speed, coordination, and reaction time to truly advance as a tennis player. No matter how many tennis lessons you take, if you aren't working on your agility on your off days you are going to find it difficult to improve. The following is a set of core agility movements all tennis players should learn to love!

Hop Scotch: Lay a tennis ladder flat along side one baseline of the court. Start at the bottom of the ladder (which should be laid flat on the floor). Jump into the first box with your left foot, the second box with both feet, and the third box with your right foot. Repeat to the top of the ladder. Advanced drill: Hop scotch the ladder while tossing a tennis ball in your left hand for one round, your right hand for a second round, and tossing it back and forth between your two hands for a third round.

In Out Drill: Start at the bottom of the ladder and step into the first box with the left and then immediately right foot. Step just outside the second box with the left and then immediately right foot. Step into the third box with the left and then immediately right foot. Repeat until the top of the ladder.

T Drill: The player starts out sitting cross legged at the center line halfway between the net and service lines. The coach should be on the other side of the net. When they blow the whistle the player should quickly shuffle sideways to the right doubles sideline and then then to the center before the coach serves the ball there for a volley. Right after sending the volley the player shuffles sideways to the left doubles sideline and back to the center to return another volley. Repeat!

Tennis Gear: What Gear Do I need For Tennis

Everybody likes having new gear for whatever they are doing. Whether hiking, skiing, playing basketball or tennis, new gear is the best! It feels great, and admit it or not, you like showing off new gear. However, tennis is one of the sports where gear is about so much more than being cool. Having the correct tennis racket for your game can mean the difference between playing well and injuring yourself. Same goes with tennis shoes.

As far as apparel and accessories go: they are kind of about being cool, and that’s just fine! If you’re gonna play, you might as well look good doing it!

Tennis Rackets: Which Tennis Racket Should I Use

“What kind of tennis racket should I buy?” is the age-old question that every tennis pro has been asked thousands of times. The answer is complex, because picking the right racket for you is complex. Tennis rackets all come in essentially the same shapes, but the differences really stop there. There are many technical differences between rackets, so the best bet is to work with a certified tennis teaching professional to make sure you get the best racket for you. With that said, there are three different categories of tennis rackets. Generally speaking, knowing your own abilities you should be able to put yourself into one of these categories and be able to find a racket that is likely to fit your game, if not perfectly, certainly safely and in a way that will make the game more enjoyable.

Game Improvement or Power Rackets

Who It’s For: Power or game improvement rackets are designed for players with shorter, slower swings who want more power from their racket.

Features: Power rackets are the largest rackets on the market, usually classified as oversize or superoversize. The frames are very light, and are designated as “head-heavy.” That means that if you were to balance the racket on your finger in the throat, the head of the racket would point straight towards the ground. Having the weight in the head of the racket makes it easier to swing. The light overall weight, coupled with the weight being in the oversized head makes for an enormous sweet spot that is powerful and very forgiving.



Tweener Rackets

Who It’s For: Tweener rackets are models that have a blend of features from game improvement and players rackets. These are designed for the intermediate/advanced player looking for a blend of power and control. These rackets offer low/medium or medium/high power and are primarily designed for intermediate-advanced players looking for more maneuverability with forgiveness.

Features: These rackets are a more “standard” size and shape. The head size is typically around 100 square inches, and the length is average-extended, in the 27.5-28 inch range. These rackets are still on the lighter side, between 9-11 ounces, making them quick and powerful, but possessing more control than the game-improvement rackets.

Control or Player’s Rackets

Who It’s For: Player’s rackets are designed for advanced players with long, fast swings who need control out of their racket instead of power. These tennis rackets are unforgiving, and on the heavy side. Designed for advanced-competitive tournament players, these rackets provide fantastic control and “feel” for players who generate their own power and consistently hit the ball in the middle of the strings regardless of the shot or situation.

Features: Player’s rackets are small and heavy. The head size is typically between 85-98 square inches and they are typically a minimum weight of 11.5 ounces, sometimes weighing over 13 ounces. The frames are thinner and they are always balanced head-light, meaning the weight of the racket is in the handle. There’s a reason these rackets are used by professionals, college players and high-level club players: you need to be very fit and strong to use them!

Selecting the correct tennis racket can make all the difference in the world. You want your tennis equipment to work for you, so take your time during the process of picking your new racket. If possible, work with a certified tennis coach to select the right racket for you. If you can’t work with a coach, be sure to demo as many rackets as possible to really select the right racket for your game, and your body.

Tennis Footwear: What Tennis Shoes Do I Need For Tennis

“Tennis shoes” is a term used all over America for a generic sneaker. Be sure not to confuse “tennis shoes” with proper tennis shoes. Just like a football cleat is critical for a football player, a great pair of specific tennis shoes are imperative for any tennis player.

Features

Sturdy/stable: Tennis is characterized by stops and starts and quick changes of direction. For this reason tennis shoes are very stable, with serious cushioning, especially in the heels, to withstand the intense smacking of feet on the court.

Flat: Other athletic shoes have a curve from heel-toe for straight line speed, but this isn’t necessary (or safe) for tennis shoes. Tennis shoes are flat for lateral agility and grip.

Non-Marking: Unlike running shoes that have knobby tread and black soles, tennis shoes are designed to not leave marks on the court. Ever seen black streaks all over a hard court? Chances are someone played in running shoes. The quick change of direction in running shoes is not only unsafe, but it’s also bad for the court. Tennis shoes will never mark up the court.

Playing Styles/Court Surfaces: Do you play a baseline game or an aggressive serve and volley game? Do you play primarily on hard courts or on clay or grass? If you play a lot of tennis, or on one particular surface, you will want to buy a pair of shoes specifically suited to that.

Hard Courts: - Hard courts are the most physically punishing both on your body and shoes. Hard court specific shoes have more shock absorption material and are the heaviest-duty shoes on the market. They tend to have reinforced toe-boxes to prevent the hard gritty surface from ripping holes in the shoes. The tread is always non-marking and perfectly flat.

Clay/Grass Court shoes: These shoes have a very different makeup than hard court shoes. Since the surfaces are much softer/more forgiving on the body, the shoes are lighter and designed not to damage the court. They have more tread than a hard court shoe. Grass court shoes are designed to be as grippy as possibly on damp grass. Clay court shoes are designed to have great traction while still allowing sliding, and not getting clay stuck in between the treads.

All Court Shoes: All court shoes are designed to be a blend of every type of tennis shoe, and it’s the shoe that 90% of players should be wearing. These shoes won’t mark up hard courts while still providing traction on the softer surfaces. These shoes are durable and typically come with at least a 6-month outsole guarantee.

Tennis Apparel: What Should I Wear To Play Tennis

Once you have purchased the perfect tennis racket and shoes for your body and game, you are ready to hit the courts. At most tennis facilities, there is no dress code, so you can wear your favorite old pair of shorts from college and a ratty tee shirt if you want to. But don’t you want to look good? Through history tennis was regarded as a stuffy sport. Players wore long pants initially, or dresses for women. It evolved into shorts and skirts, but always all-white. Now tennis apparel has become an expression of any players’ individual style.

Andre Agassi turned tennis style on its head, and now is an enormous industry. Lead by Nike with lines for their top athletes Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, tennis apparel is now bright, comfortable, and exceedingly expensive.

Tech fabrics now breathe better and dry faster than ever before, so if you are clinging to your old cotton workout shirts, it just may be time to upgrade. It will keep you cooler, and just may make you play a little better, too!