ap belt!

looseswing

Professional
Just got mine. It provides a really good work out, although it is kind of hard to get used to running without completely unextending the legs, and you can't jump for shots. But still I was tired really quickly. I strongly recommend this to you guys looking for something to improve footwork and knee bend and tennis related muscle stamina.
 

stules

Rookie
Just had a look at the webpage.

Do you really think that it has improved your footwork to any noticeable degree. You have had ito for the 30 days now, just wondering.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
they attach to kids here when they work on shots. it looks funny but when you take it off there is a good improvement in there shots.
 

looseswing

Professional
Well one thing it has really helped is getting my lower body to contribute to the shots. It really build your muscles as you use it for extended periods of time. Although I would say that this is something that you could build on your own with a little creativity and the right supplies.
 

stules

Rookie
I hadn't heard of it. Thanks for bringing it into my limited field of view.
Just did a search, and read lots about it..........including a TW forum members discount on one of the threads. It still works too. So I just ordered one for $100 instead of the usual $130. If that can make long term improvements, then it is cheap. Keep us posted as to your progress if you have the inclination.
Regards Stuart
 

BiGGieStuFF

Hall of Fame
I hadn't heard of it. Thanks for bringing it into my limited field of view.
Just did a search, and read lots about it..........including a TW forum members discount on one of the threads. It still works too. So I just ordered one for $100 instead of the usual $130. If that can make long term improvements, then it is cheap. Keep us posted as to your progress if you have the inclination.
Regards Stuart

Can you post the link to the thread?
 

BiGGieStuFF

Hall of Fame

Thanks goober, but looking at the photos alone it seems the cheaper one may cause a lot of friction on the side of the legs.

Notice the a.p. belt and how the resistance is from behind out of the way.

custom_fitting_01.gif



And then the lower costing device.

flex_trainer_side_lg.jpg


It also appears this one is made of rubber resistance bands while the ap belt is made of bungee cord type material. I'm not sure if any of it makes a difference. I just wanted to note the initial differences I saw in case anyone was trying to decide between the two.
 

migjam

Professional
I actually have the AP belt and I can tell you that it is made of high quality material. It works great and is worth the money. The only downside to the AP belt I feel is the belt itself. It is made of heavy leather and is like an actual belt so it may or may not be tight enough. It comes in 3 different sizes I believe and this is because of the belt. I have a medium and a small. I think that it would be better to use velcro for better adjustments and you wouldn't have to have all those sizes. The cheaper versions belt looks like it uses velcro.
 

BiGGieStuFF

Hall of Fame
I actually have the AP belt and I can tell you that it is made of high quality material. It works great and is worth the money. The only downside to the AP belt I feel is the belt itself. It is made of heavy leather and is like an actual belt so it may or may not be tight enough. It comes in 3 different sizes I believe and this is because of the belt. I have a medium and a small. I think that it would be better to use velcro for better adjustments and you wouldn't have to have all those sizes. The cheaper versions belt looks like it uses velcro.

Maybe you can shed some light on this too. I noticed the lower costing device has the bands attached to the belt but they are independent of one another while the ap belt's cord seems to work in unison while attached to the belt. I'm not sure I'm making myself clear but do you think that would make a difference in effectiveness of the device? I figure part of the drill would be to keep your two legs working together instead of independently as the 2nd device appears to achieve.
 

migjam

Professional
I'm not real familiar with the cheaper device and don't know if the cord moves or is just attached to the belt and the ankle. On the AP Belt, the cord passes thru a pulley but doesn't seem to move really that much either. I think the reason the AP belt uses one cord is that it is easier to adjust one cord than two. The whole purpose of the belts both the AP and the cheaper version is to get your height down and to keep it down through the stroke and during the point. If you have the Killer Forehand video, you can see it in action with Mallise and Bovina using it.
 

looseswing

Professional
Also don't just think about it like you will just be getting the AP belt alone. Along with it you can an hour and a half long DVD which goes through a lot of drills involving the AP belt for the thirty day workout, but it does not only focus on the lower body but goes through neutral and open stance, leverage, consistency and a lot more. It really helps if you have the time to go through all or even any of the steps. He does it in segments of one week, like for a week you work on consistency and preparation then for another you work on recovery etc.
 

looseswing

Professional
Keep us posted as to your progress if you have the inclination.

I'll try to update periodically so you guys can see how and what the belt actually helps. I must tell you though for the first couple of weeks you will not be able to use the belt for an extended period of time because you really have to use your muscles to do so.
 

migjam

Professional
I guess I purchased the belt when they first came out because I paid quite a bit more than $100 for them and I didn't get a DVD. Overall though, I would say that they are a great training device.
 

goober

Legend
Can you use this as a training device while not on the tennis court ? I have limited time on the courts these days and if I bought one I just don't see myself using one since I am mostly playing matches.
 

looseswing

Professional
Can you use this as a training device while not on the tennis court ? I have limited time on the courts these days and if I bought one I just don't see myself using one since I am mostly playing matches.

In the DVD there are some off court drills that you can do with the AP belt. I guess if you wanted to you could do any tennis footwork specific drills with the AP belt on.
 

Duzza

Legend
Sounds interesting.....do you feel like an idiot when you wear it? Also, I'm still unsure of what the ropes do. Do they only stretch a certain length and then you are restricted?
 

migjam

Professional
Sounds interesting.....do you feel like an idiot when you wear it? Also, I'm still unsure of what the ropes do. Do they only stretch a certain length and then you are restricted?

You don't feel like an idot but you do get some looks though. The rope are used to adjust your height and stretch just enough to allow you to move
 

grizzly4life

Professional
call me stupid... but i can't even figure out what this belt does... does it provide resistance?? it doesn't look taut that often.

thanks for any responses!!!
 

looseswing

Professional
What the basic idea behind the belt is that if you straighten your knees up you will feel tension in the cords, so basically you try to keep the cords slack the entire time. It gets you in the habit of getting down and in the "athletic position" and it gives you a good lower body workout while it does this.
 

josh91

Rookie
Does anyone knows if the Adidas Vertical jump trainer will have the same effect, like the AP Belt??

Thanks in advance!
 
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