| is a lovely game and most of us love playing it. We all | | | | partly because of the unpredictability factor already |
| know winning is fun and for sure we all hate to lose. | | | | discussed. One may be relying on a week's hard slog |
| However, winning is not easy and it demands a lot of | | | | in a particular tournament and then get knocked out in |
| practice. Modern day tennis demands, speed , skill, | | | | the first round itself. In addition, much of the training |
| strength and stamina and fortunately all of these four | | | | week will be spent in hours of court practice, grooming |
| can be developed through proper training. | | | | the serves and drilling ground strokes down the line. |
| Demands of the game: Unlike a race, where you have | | | | Physical conditioning must be built carefully into this |
| a fixed goal to achieve, tennis is very much | | | | schedule so as not to interfere with the racket |
| unpredictable. If you are Steffi Graf, you can mop up | | | | practice. Strength training should be aimed not only at |
| an opponent in less than an hour, whereas a men's | | | | toning the muscles involved but also at redressing the |
| five setter can go on for four hours or more. This | | | | inevitable imbalances that can occur because of using |
| means you must be prepared for the worst | | | | one side of the upper body much more than the other, |
| eventuality, up to three hours for women and five for | | | | so as to help prevent injury. |
| men. Endurance in such matches is a key factor, since | | | | In the weights room one should choose exercises to |
| when you get tired mistakes creep in and your | | | | train muscles in the upper and lower body, particularly |
| attention starts to wander. | | | | the legs, lower and upper back, shoulders and arms. |
| The surface you play on is important too because it | | | | Body weight exercises may also help these areas and |
| can dictate the length of the rallies. On fast grass they | | | | the abdominals. Drills on and off court helps in improve |
| tend to be shorter and more explosive, while on a | | | | the ability to move your feet quickly into the correct |
| slower clay surface they can last for 20 strokes or | | | | position, while short, intense shuttle exercises to |
| more, depending on your skill and your opponent's. | | | | increase speed, followed by adequate recovery to |
| Once again, endurance counts. | | | | maintain quality, helps in covering the court quickly and |
| Playing tennis for fitness, even on clay, is not the | | | | effectively. |
| answer to aerobic conditioning. Strong and powerful | | | | On court one can perform shuttles forwards and |
| legs, which can be developed through strength training | | | | backwards, from baseline to service line and back, |
| both on and off the court and strong upper body is | | | | touching the ground with your hand at each turn. |
| very important, particularly in the playing arm, back and | | | | Moving from the centre of the court to the left hand |
| shoulder region. Mobility and agility are the other key | | | | tram lines, back and to the right hand tramlines quickly, |
| areas that you need to consider when analyzing a | | | | always facing the net is another way of practicing |
| tennis player. | | | | fast, fluent court movement. Alternatively, a coach or |
| Phases of training: Peaking is not an important factor in | | | | friend can randomly call the direction for you to move, |
| tennis, at least not for professionals. If your goal is to | | | | forwards, backwards, left, right, so that you practice |
| win a club or county tournament, then the opportunity | | | | changing direction quickly in response to the |
| for peaking is far more possible. You may perform | | | | unexpected. There are also various types of tennis |
| more endurance and basic strength development | | | | equipment that helps in such training. |
| exercises during the off season, then concentrate | | | | Running is useful because you spend your time on |
| more on agility and sharpness in the months | | | | court on your feet and exercises like, cycling and |
| approaching the event. | | | | swimming helps in conditioning the heart and lungs |
| The training week: The structure of a tennis player's | | | | without the wear and tear from pounding out the miles, |
| training week differs from that of most other sports, | | | | and may be enjoyed as an active recovery. |