Around this time of year, sports fans from all over the world get very excited about the chance to enjoy possibly the quintessential summer game. Tennis may not always be as popular as football and basketball in the colder months but the idea of the green courts of Wimbledon tends to push tennis to the forefront.
There will be those who follow tennis throughout the year, of course. But it is definitely when the sun comes out that many flock to their local courts and get into the swing of the game. But how do you make sure that you are ready for the rigours of the sport?
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Unlike team sports, where you get the chance to rest and allow others to take up the slack when you are feeling tired, tennis requires you to be on all the time. That means that you need to prepare and exercise in a precise way to ensure that you can go the distance. That is why we have put together this guide to training like a tennis pro. We don’t guarantee that you will be winning the Wimbledon championships anytime soon – but you will feel like you can take on the world, at least.
Play Tennis
It should come as no surprise to learn that if you want to be any good at tennis you actually have to play a lot of tennis. Obviously, we are concentrating on the fitness angle here – but playing the game is the best way to realize what you need to do to perform at the highest standard possible.
Professionals will probably play for around four hours a day when training, interspersed with gym and other body work. You would actually need to cater your training for the type of surface you want to play on if you were serious about tennis as a profession – but we can prepare a more general workout here.
Lay Off the Weights
Tennis pros don’t need to build up muscle like other sports, such as rugby or football. There is still the need to develop strength – as we will see in a moment – but there is no need to pile on the weights to bulk up. That kind of workout will not benefit your time on the courts.
Injuries can be a major problem for tennis pros, so the weight work is much more designed for protecting ligaments and muscle tissue than building them up. Protective gym work is the order of the day here, with hamstrings, shoulders, and wrists paid particularly close attention.
Sprint Bursts
A tennis match can last up to five hours – if not longer – so good stamina is needed. But it is also a game of explosive bursts of activity. That means the preparation and training for tennis will also need to incorporate those kinds of exercises, rather than long-distance runs.
As tennis is high-intensity, the training should be as well. Professionals need to be able to change direction quickly and work on their agility. So, short sprints with directional changes are a good idea. Working on agility will give you the ability to keep up the pace on the court.
Injury Prevention
With such a high risk of injury for tennis players, making sure the preventative work is done before hitting the courts is vital. That means not going crazy with the weights but also ensuring that improving flexibility is at the core of everything you do. If you are more flexible, the risk of injury greatly decreases.
Dynamic stretching exercises are a positive move before and after your sessions. But also think about doing more yoga or pilates as well. Increasing the way you can move is only going to be a good thing as far as your overall flexibility goes and these practices will help outside of the sport – in your everyday life – too.
Body Strength
Working on both upper and lower body strength is crucial for any tennis player and even amateurs and park players will find the benefit in dividing up the sessions to concentrate on particular areas of the body. For acceleration and overall strength, lunges and squats can really help with direction changes and acceleration.
The upper body should not be forgotten though, as tennis pros rely on power serves and shot precision to win matches. Push-ups and pull-ups are excellent for this part of the routine, with strengthening of shoulders and backs vital to be more productive and powerful on the court.
Figure 2 These suggestions will be useful even if you are unlikely to make it to Centre Court
Training Like a Tennis Player
It doesn’t matter whether you harbour serious thoughts of competing at a good level, or if you just simply want to be able to put on a good performance with your friends on the municipal courts. Putting in the hard work off away from the game will vastly improve your ability to play tennis.
You will soon discover that tennis is not the genteel sport that it is sometimes portrayed as and that a good workout is necessary to improve your performance. Your overall athletic ability will also be improved by incorporating all of the elements outlined here, and your regime that will do your body the world of good even if your serves and volleys are not up to the standard of Wimbledon champs.