How much of your training should be at maximum match pace intensity?

[Coolio]

How much of your training should be at flat out 100% effort, like a basket feed drill at 100% intensity for 20 shots or until failure?

I understand technique work or tactical practice should be done at lower intensity but how often should you push your limits at full speed?

Also what are your thoughts on drilling to exhaustion? Should the majority of your drills be at max intensity and focus and stop to recover as soon as intensity drops below 100%?

 

[Ballinbob]

I am interested in this matter as well. Hopefully Balla/Ash can comment

 

[eaglesburg]

All out all the time

 

[Ash_Smith]

Largely depends on the phase of training you are in, as a rough guide...

General Preparation - Low intensity/High volume
Specific Preparation - Low intensityHigh volume
Pre-competition - Medium intensity/Medium volume
Competition - High intensity/low volume
Recovery - Low intensity/Low Volume

 

[user92626]

ASh,

For conditioning which is the thing that I feel matters most at 3rd set , I suppose you do high intensity/high volume?

 

[Ash_Smith]

^^^ conditioning can fit into various parts of the macro-cycle - gen.prep is where you are laying down your athletic base (speed, speed endurance, aerobic endurance etc), as you move into specific and pre-comp you're probably looking at more specific on court stuff, footwork or court specific speed for example. Again, volume and intensity need to be tailored to the goals of the athlete and the phase of the macro-cycle.

 

[Coolio]

^^^ conditioning can fit into various parts of the macro-cycle - gen.prep is where you are laying down your athletic base (speed, speed endurance, aerobic endurance etc), as you move into specific and pre-comp you're probably looking at more specific on court stuff, footwork or court specific speed for example. Again, volume and intensity need to be tailored to the goals of the athlete and the phase of the macro-cycle.

Damn, another complicated answer that nobody will know how to apply to their tennis without someone with your knowledge to oversee their training.

I have been training a lot of Spanish feeding drills this week and I just go flat out max intensity until I can't do it anymore then I move onto the next drill. Once your technique is holding up, shouldn't you always try to hit harder, more rhs, get in position faster etc?

If you do low intensity, how can you work fitness or speed getting into position?

 

[Ash_Smith]

^^^ There are some who will go high volume, high intensity all the time, they will likely have rapid short term gains and then burn out. A properly periodised schedule will maximise returns and help to minimise risk of injury/burnout by promoting appropriate rest/recovery and load in each phase.

Low intensity might involve steady state cardio or sprints with high rest intervals between - if your gen.prep phase is loaded towards the physical, rather than on court (like a pro's schedule might be) then you can probably go higher intensity. As I said, you need to tailor it to the individual.

 

[Coolio]

Ash, it sounds interesting but very complex. Is there anywhere I can learn about this? An ebook or something? I understand periodization regarding fitness, but don't understand it in regards to on court tennis work. Only that technique work/ new tactical patterns etc is done in off season and closer to tournaments means more match specific practice.

 

[Ash_Smith]

^^^ I've never found anything specifically relating to periodisation for tennis, at least not in any detail, so I wrote one!

If you understand periodisation, then you can apply your tennis knowledge to it to come up with something workable.

 

[eaglesburg]

Why not 100% all the time?

 

[WildVolley]

Why not 100% all the time?

Depends on how you interpret 100% intensity or pace.

Because tennis is a game in which consistency is very important, trying to hit the ball as hard as you can every time is not a recipe for success.

Also, going full intensity in terms of difficult drills and sprinting will tire you out very quickly and greatly shorten your practice time. Even professional sprinters will start vomiting when doing high intensity interval training because it shocks the nervous system. Going too hard in terms of running also can increase injury risk and lengthen recovery time.

I can assure you that during a tournament, professionals do not practice at 100% intensity all the time because of the need to be fresh for upcoming matches.

 

[RetroSpin]

I think there is a big difference betwee someone with a well developed game, ie a pro, and someone who is developing. I think the latter should be doing more drilling at a high intensity. I'm not talking about physical intensity, ie running, but being pushed to the verge of technique breakdown by pace, etc.

 

[Easy Rider]

There is no one correct answer to this question. It would be difetent for almost every plsyer and have to be guided to suit players needs

 

[sez]

Why does Nadal always seem to be practising at 90% intensity and Federer at 20%, does style of play affect how one should practice?

 

[Easy Rider]

Because media wants us to see that, ragging bull and balet dancer ... Go see Rogers pratcise outside the tournament

 

[goran_ace]

Why does Nadal always seem to be practising at 90% intensity and Federer at 20%, does style of play affect how one should practice?

Again, no one size fits all answer to this. During tournaments guys practice differently. Maybe it's their personality, injury status, or coaching philosophy but some guys just go out for a light hit and don't even use their entire time slot while some guys go full throttle. Outside of tournaments though you better believe Federer works just as hard as anyone else. There are no shortcuts to greatness.

 

[Alien]

Because media wants us to see that, ragging bull and balet dancer ... Go see Rogers pratcise outside the tournament

Nadal used to train at 100% for several hours, for a total training 5 hours a day.

After his foot injury when he was 18 (which will bother him forever), he decreased to 45 minutes at 100%, the rest lower to reach 3 hours a day.

Source: his book Rafa.

 

[Easy Rider]

Ive managed to read his book, its very lame writing .... Point is they all train with great intensity, as some1 said there are no shortcuts

 

[Alien]

Ive managed to read his book, its very lame writing .... Point is they all train with great intensity, as some1 said there are no shortcuts

No, not all train with great intensity. Rafa is well known for that, and the way he plays you can imagine. Conors trained one hour at 110%. Vilas 6 hours less intensively. Agassi changed along the years. Etc.

 

[WildVolley]

Those that think they train at full intensity all the time are deluding themselves.

Even the pros need rest days, and sometimes they are just hitting to time the ball and minimizing effort. There's a lot of cooperative hitting even at the professional level if only to warm up. I've even seen technique (yes, technique) training during the middle of a tournament that is more experimental rather than high intensity.

 

[TennisCJC]

Those that think they train at full intensity all the time are deluding themselves.

Even the pros need rest days, and sometimes they are just hitting to time the ball and minimizing effort. There's a lot of cooperative hitting even at the professional level if only to warm up. I've even seen technique (yes, technique) training during the middle of a tournament that is more experimental rather than high intensity.

I agree. There's tons of youtube videos of pros in mid-tourney practice sessions having what looks like a liesurely hit. The impression I have is they are just looking to establish good rhythm on their strokes and certainly not busting their gut to go all out running or hitting at maximum pace. Federer seems to always practice at this mid-level of intensity and there's a really good video of Fognini and Hass practicing at USOpen at moderate intensity level.

I am an old guy so moderate intensity practice is all I have. I learned the "good shot" method years ago so when my practice partner nails one into the corner instead of chasing it down I just say "good shot".

 

[Alien]

Those that think they train at full intensity all the time are deluding themselves.

Even the pros need rest days, and sometimes they are just hitting to time the ball and minimizing effort. There's a lot of cooperative hitting even at the professional level if only to warm up. I've even seen technique (yes, technique) training during the middle of a tournament that is more experimental rather than high intensity.

Hey it is obvious that during a tournament they are touching the ball lightly, of course they will not extenuate themselves unless they have already lost.... One hour or so I think, just to feel the ball or adjust or work on tactics vis a vis the next rival, but not really training hard...

We mean off season or off tournaments and rest days are factored in as normal. The question was, when training, is it at 100%?

 

[Easy Rider]

No, not all train with great intensity. Rafa is well known for that, and the way he plays you can imagine. Conors trained one hour at 110%. Vilas 6 hours less intensively. Agassi changed along the years. Etc.

Conors and Villas are not relevant for this present time, maybe late Agassi we could consider

 

[Alien]

Conors and Villas are not relevant for this present time, maybe late Agassi we could consider

First, they were examples to show the differencies you might get, who does 100% and who doesnt. Please provide other more modern examples if you have. Second, for us or any forum participant, those training techniques are still very relevant.

 

[Easy Rider]

First, they were examples to show the differencies you might get, who does 100% and who doesnt. Please provide other more modern examples if you have. Second, for us or any forum participant, those training techniques are still very relevant.

I dont know what other ppl here think or how they practise so maybe you should speak for urself only, but yes you said it all. Cheers