Do you like to "practice" before a match?

[Cindysphinx]

I have a mixed match tonight. With a new partner who is plenty good. I need to play well.

I could go practice my serve and hit against the wall some right now. It's kind of breezy out, though. I'd rather do something else.

What do you think? Is there anything that can be accomplished by some last-minute practice? If I do go hit some serves, what would be the sensible thing to work on?

My second serve seems OK these days, but I can't seem to buy a first serve. . . .

 

[tbini87]

unless you don't get enough work out time prior to the match i don't think you need to go hit. if there is some other things to do then do something else! good luck tonight

 

[Cindysphinx]

We don't get any sort of warm-up before the match other than the 10-minute warm-up.

 

[ten10]

I like the backboard before a match. It helps me watch the ball. In a match, if my serve is off, I tell myself "legs, don't forget to use your legs"!

 

[Cindysphinx]

In a match, if my serve is off, I tell myself "legs, don't forget to use your legs"!

My legs would say "I beg your pardon?"

 

[saram]

On days that I have matches that I deem important, I will try and head out one hour prior to the match and get in an easy yet good hit. Gets the heart working, legs in motion, and feel of the conditions.

 

[JRstriker12]

I"m all for a quick practice before you hit the court. Hopefully, your opponent is coming on cold and you'll have the advantage.

One thing is not to over do it though. I played one tourney and me an my partner we so pumped up that we over did it a bit - We were kind of tired by the time we got to the court and my partner ended up pulling a muscle in his back before we got to the offical match. Needless to say, we crashed out in the first round

 

[johnny ballgame]

If time permits, I love a good hit on match day. I limit it to 20-25 minutes and don't run too hard for anything. Don't overdo it on the serves either. Once you get about 10 or 12 in the box, walk away (If I practice serves long enough, something will go awry!).

Play 5 minutes of mini tennis as well, I find that improves my "feel shots" during the match.

 

[Geezer Guy]

When we know courts will be available, my partner and I always arrange to get there about half an hour early to warm up.

If courts will not be available, I work on the mental aspects, such as strategy & tactics - especially if I'm familiar with my opponents.

A practice at 3 doesn't really do me much good for a match at 7 (with the possible exception of serving).

 

[Supernatural_Serve]

When we know courts will be available, my partner and I always arrange to get there about half an hour early to warm up

Last year, I encountered this for the first time. Our team showed up for a USTA league match, several of us were about 20-30 minutes early, so we walked out onto the clay courts and started hitting for 5 minutes, the captain, from the opposing team showed up and said: "its a USTA rule, that you can't use the court before the match"

We all looked at him like, "yea right" and kept hitting, so he got the club owner to come out and throw us off. Then, 3 minutes later we were told we could hit on the courts since the home team started showing up.

USTA matches, I thought I had seen it all, but I had to add this to my long list of nonsense I've experienced on the court.

 

[saram]

Last year, I encountered this for the first time. Our team showed up for a USTA league match, several of us were about 20-30 minutes early, so we walked out onto the clay courts and started hitting for 5 minutes, the captain, from the opposing team showed up and said: "its a USTA rule, that you can't use the court before the match"

We all looked at him like, "yea right" and kept hitting, so he got the club owner to come out and throw us off. Then, 3 minutes later we were told we could hit on the courts since the home team started showing up.

USTA matches, I thought I had seen it all, but I had to add this to my long list of nonsense I've experienced on the court.

That is the craziest thing I have ever heard.....

 

[Geezer Guy]

... My second serve seems OK these days, but I can't seem to buy a first serve. . . .

A second serve is all you need in doubles. Just hit it first.

 

[ChrisNC]

I try and arrive an 45 minutes to an hour before a match for a nice easy warmup. I've never been thrown off of a club's courts for being there early. That's insane. I have run into situations where we couldn't warm up early because their pro was using all courts for their juniors program, etc right up to match time.

A second serve is all you need in doubles. Just hit it first.

+1. I've started hitting my second serve twice a lot in doubles and then throw in the occasional normal first serve to throw them off.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Last year, I encountered this for the first time. Our team showed up for a USTA league match, several of us were about 20-30 minutes early, so we walked out onto the clay courts and started hitting for 5 minutes, the captain, from the opposing team showed up and said: "its a USTA rule, that you can't use the court before the match"

We all looked at him like, "yea right" and kept hitting, so he got the club owner to come out and throw us off. Then, 3 minutes later we were told we could hit on the courts since the home team started showing up.

USTA matches, I thought I had seen it all, but I had to add this to my long list of nonsense I've experienced on the court.

Around here, you can't just walk onto the courts at a private club and warm up. You have to buy the court time (unless the desk clerk gives you permission to use the courts for free, which they usually will not do).

If you do happen to score a free vacant court, you are required by rule to share it with your opponents. If you buy it, you don't have to share, of course.

The other thing that might have happened is that you're not allowed to be closer than half a court away from a league match in progress. Unless you confined your free warm-up to the side of your court away from the other match, you can't warm up. Obviously, if you paid for the court, you can use the whole thing.

But there's certainly no USTA rule I am aware of that you aren't allowed to warm up on vacant courts until your opponents arrive.

 

[Xisbum]

Since my shoulder is always the last thing to loosen up, I like to take about 20 early minutes to hit nothing but serves or overheads.

Unfortunately, the Reston Team Tennis group I play with just likes to jump on empty courts and start playing real points, negating the benefits of a nice, leisurely warmup.

*sigh*

I still get in the serve practice, but the other stuff, to me, is unnecessary expenditure of valuable energy once the arm and shoulder get loose. Ten minutes is enough (for me) to groove ground strokes and volleys.

Just my humble opinion, of course.

 

[Xisbum]

P.S.

Good luck in your match.
)

 

[boilerfan]

"A practice at 3 doesn't really do me much good for a match at 7 (with the possible exception of serving). "

Personally I would rather do that than show up and hit for an hour before a match. If you went out and did a few drills with someone such as just hitting cross-court forehands, backhands, a few volley drills and then went home and rested, you would be amazed at how much more better you would play later that day. Do some serious drills to get you ready to play and get your timing down, then rest and get your mind clear, your muscle memory will be much better and your timing will be better.

If I hit for 45 minutes or an hour before a match, we end up just hitting down the middle and thinking more about the match and lineups and not concentrating on getting our timing down on shots you are going to hit in the match(cross court returns, put away volleys...etc).

I haven't played much singles in a few years, but I used to have a friend that was great at doing rallying drills. I had a year where i played a few tournaments and if it started on Friday or Saturday, we would go out and do specific rallying drills on Thursday night to get me in a groove. It was amazing how much better I played just from getting the timing down and the muscles ready.

 

[tbini87]

We don't get any sort of warm-up before the match other than the 10-minute warm-up.

wow, 10 minute warmup doesn't give you much time! if i knew that i would have told you to go hit! what does 10 minutes give you time for? 3 forehands, 3 backhands, an overhead and a few serves?

 

[SJS]

wow, 10 minute warmup doesn't give you much time! if i knew that i would have told you to go hit! what does 10 minutes give you time for? 3 forehands, 3 backhands, an overhead and a few serves?

USTA actually now recommends 5 minute warm-ups. Our local league just voted to keep it at 10 minutes.

 

[Doc Hollidae]

I have a mixed match tonight. With a new partner who is plenty good. I need to play well.

I could go practice my serve and hit against the wall some right now. It's kind of breezy out, though. I'd rather do something else.

What do you think? Is there anything that can be accomplished by some last-minute practice? If I do go hit some serves, what would be the sensible thing to work on?

My second serve seems OK these days, but I can't seem to buy a first serve. . . .

While no one is going going to improve from a 3.5 to a 5.0 with pre-match practice, it can get help with your focus and rhythm. Hitting against a wall or having a light hitting session can help get your strokes grooved pre-match and instead of feeling your way through a few games, you're ready to go full throttle from the get go.

 

[peter]

I have a mixed match tonight. With a new partner who is plenty good. I need to play well.

I could go practice my serve and hit against the wall some right now. It's kind of breezy out, though. I'd rather do something else.

What do you think? Is there anything that can be accomplished by some last-minute practice? If I do go hit some serves, what would be the sensible thing to work on?

My second serve seems OK these days, but I can't seem to buy a first serve. . . .

Dunno about you, but I play my best tennis when I have had some real warm-up/drills some time before the matches. Like play some light tennis for
1 hour, then rest/eat/drink one hour, and then play matches. Too bad I almost never have time for that

 

[Xisbum]

Dunno about you, but I play my best tennis when I have had some real warm-up/drills some time before the matches. Like play some light tennis for
1 hour, then rest/eat/drink one hour, and then play matches. Too bad I almost never have time for that

I also like to drink an hour before playing, but the quality of my play is almost always directly correlated to the number of beers I can down in that hour.

 

[raiden031]

I play my best when I spend 20-30 mins hitting strokes beforehand. I try to do a little of everything and just focus on control, not power.

 

[tbini87]

USTA actually now recommends 5 minute warm-ups. Our local league just voted to keep it at 10 minutes.

wow, that is bad! do most people do full warm ups (like jogging and stretching) prior to stepping on the court. or do they do any of that at all?

ideally for me i would want more like 30 minutes prior to the match. not only get loose and get the body ready, but to also groove some strokes and get some rhythm. i would also make sure to go through forehand, backhand, volleys, overheads and finish with plenty of serves. playing a few points prior couldn't hurt either.

but for most tennis is pretty much social and recreational right? even when i am done with college tennis i will probably try to get a good warm up in before playing (whether competition or just for fun). i wouldn't expect myself to play great without already having my strokes warmed up. maybe i shouldn't warm up... so i would have an excuse for playing so poorly!

 

[tbini87]

I play my best when I spend 20-30 mins hitting strokes beforehand. I try to do a little of everything and just focus on control, not power.

yeah, i think 20 minutes might just be enough. but just getting loose and feeling your shots helps tremendously... as opposed to walking on the court and getting right into it. not to mention it is a little better on the body to get a little warm up in. wouldn't want to know what i would do to myself trying to hit a first serve without warming up!

 

[Cindysphinx]

Well, I didn't go hit any serves before the match. It was windy, the house is messy, and I started having some kind of phantom limb pain in my shoulder, so I decided to skip the serve practice.

No problem, serving went fine tonight and we won. Still, my serve deserted me in the second set and I was broken both times. I dunno, I just tightened up and couldn't get the racket moving.

Serving stinks. Especially in mixed.

Cindy -- who could have used some groundstroke practice, definitely

 

[LuckyR]

All things being equal, a warm up is better than no warm up, so do so before you show up for the match. The "warmup" on the match court, isn't to actually warm up. It's to scope out the competition and give them all sorts of balls to hit so you can develop a plan.

 

[jagsv650]

I like a 30 minute warm up before a match. My whole team will show up 30 minutes before a match for warm ups. Our normal practice lasts 3 to 3-1/2 hours so an extra 30 minutes before a league match is nothing.