How Often Do You Need To Play To Improve?

[new_tennis_player]

This is my first year of play, but I've probably only played 3 months during this year. And only about once a week on average during those months.

I feel like my serve has improved dramatically. My backhand is now no longer a thorough embarrassment either.

Still, I feel like I should have or should be, improving more than I am.

I'm always worried about knee issues or shoulder or elbow issues. However, for the most part, I am now pain free.

Can I improve playing once a week for 2 to 3 hours? I don't think so: I can probably maintain my level of play, but not improve.

I'm thinking a minimum 2X a week?

The key for me is to improve AND remain pain free.

 

[Blake0]

2-3 times of quality tennis would be enough (2hrs a day).
Why are you worried about injuries though?

 

[tiochaota]

SImple. Afraid of pain but that's normal i am too

 

[user92626]

You probably haven't heard the saying "no pain no gain". LOL.

Play often is a must, not only that you need to be willing to stretch yourself beyond the normal status in order to understand and improve which usually means pain.

 

[new_tennis_player]

2-3 times of quality tennis would be enough (2hrs a day).
Why are you worried about injuries though?

I'm just now playing pain free. Twice a week, 3 hours at a time, no problem.

I just don't know how much further I can extend myself.

I think I need to tailor my sessions so that instead of just playing sets cold, I actually warm up by practicing my serve, rallying, etc.

 

[5263]

I'm just now playing pain free. Twice a week, 3 hours at a time, no problem.

I just don't know how much further I can extend myself.

I think I need to tailor my sessions so that instead of just playing sets cold, I actually warm up by practicing my serve, rallying, etc.

Why 3 hours?

1-2 hours would probably be better and safer overall.
Try for 2-3 times per week.

 

[new_tennis_player]

Why 3 hours?

1-2 hours would probably be better and safer overall.
Try for 2-3 times per week.

I take two different tennis classes 2X a week at different campuses. I just like to play so much, I like to stay after. Such a letdown when tennis class ends.

But good point. I should limit the sessions.

 

[masterxfob]

every other day, so i'd say 3-4 days a week to seriously improve. use the off days to do some weight training or endurance building workouts. you need to get a rhythm going and that's hard to do if you're taking a couple days off here and there.

matchplay will not improve your game much. drilling is where it comes from. practicing with a purpose. repetition. those tennis classes probably aren't doing you much good either. unless of course, by class, you meant private lesson.

find somebody who is as serious about improving as you are, and take turns feeding each other baskets. if you can't find anyone, practice alone. hit serves, or hit against a wall. don't just mindlessly hit though, make sure to have a goal, a target. pause and think about what could be improved every couple of minutes.

last, but most definitely not the least, move your FEET. i mean MOVE YOUR FEET. you should not ever be flat footed while the ball is in play. so dance!

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

You'll probably see some gradual improvement playing/drilling 2x a week but 3x or more would be ideal. Even three 1-hour sessions would be better than a single 3-hour session. If you can only manage 2x a week, make your sessions at least 1.5 to 2 hours in length.

On days when you don't get out to the courts, pick up your racquet for 5-10 minutes and perform some shadow swings. Be sure to use proper footwork and mechanics. Be sure to keep your head still for the forward swing (or upward swing for serves) with your eyes fixated on the contact zone. This should help to reinforce this as a habit. If possible, use a mirror to check your stroke mechanics.

 

[athiker]

Depending what level you are...and you say you are pretty new...so I think you can definitely improve playing 2x per week if:

1) You work on your fitness at least a couple of other days per week...biking, running, basketball...something. When I started back playing tennis I kept getting nagging injuries until I got my overall fitness in order. I was like you...last guy off the courts on hitting days...but my body wasn't yet ready for it. I've recently taken up cycling on off days. Endurance and leg/hip workout but low impact on the joints vs running (I'm older and play on hardcourts so low impact is more important for me.). I also use Therabands I keep in my office for a shoulder workout.

2) Spend time on YouTube, Fuzzy Yellow Balls, Web Tennis and the other good online instructional sites out there. Watching vids and slo-mos to copy has really helped me. Shadow swinging as mentioned above is also beneficial I think. Watch a video and then go shadow swing your racquet to try to imprint the motion.

3) You take notes in school right? Take notes. I keep a running Word doc with various topics like Serve, FH, BH, Volley, Doubles positioning, Singles strategy, pushers, S&V, etc. in bold and relevant tips underneath. I referred to them often the first year...less and less now, but still helpful to read over after a bad session.

4) Encourage those you play with, especially those that are better than you, to give you tips when they see you making mistakes. When they do thank them and don't get defensive. I've learned quite a bit from the guys I play with. Of course you need to have your "bad tip" filter on to filter out the occasional, lets say, iffy tip. Take the ones from players you respect to heart though. You have to ask though...some people (not all!) can be hesitant to "tell you what to do" unless you make it know you want to learn. Its pretty cool when guys you've been playing with for a while and see you improve actually start to ask you a few things. I still ask guys that are better than me to help me out and they know I want to learn still. I just got a good tip on my serve the other night when one noticed I had started tossing my serve very low. He was right and I hadn't even noticed...I just knew I was hitting the net a lot on my 1st serve. If I was the defensive type he probably never would have spoken up.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[phoenicks]

When i first started out i played very often, however i dont see much improvement, as there's some obvious flaw in my stroke mechanics which I did not realize until I got some coaching. So it's very important to have a proper mechanics and ideas of proper stroke. Otherwise,no matter how often you practice, you're only reinforcing the wrong mechanics to your muscle memory.

 

[LeeD]

As a 2.5, once a week.
As a 3.5, 4 days a week, 2 hours.
As a 4.5, 6 days a week for 4 hours.
As a almost 5.5, 6 days a week for 4 hours, but specific training with equal players working or drills and fitness.

 

[new_tennis_player]

Great feedback everyone.

Having more but shorter sessions sounds like a great idea.

Playing 1X a week was fine as a beginner, but if I want to improve noticeably, multiple sessions are the way to go. And fun!

 

[Zachol82]

It's not really how much time you spend playing but actually how much effort you're putting in to better your game.

Don't get me wrong, of course, if you only play once every month, you're not going to get better.

Remember that the more you play, the more your muscle will memorize how to react to different shots. This in itself is both a good and bad thing. If you have good form and good timing, then your muscles will remember them so that you can eventually just react and execute without having to think about it. However, if you practice with bad form, this will also be ingrained into your muscle memory as well and in this case you wont be improving.

When you practice, try not to practice for too long. 1 hour per day for 5 days a week is obviously better than 5 hours for 1 day a week, wouldn't you agree? This is because for the first couple hours, our body is warmed and we have enough energy to focus on the game and chase shots down.

The more you play within the day, the more energy you'll deplete and the more your focus will decrease. This results in "reaching" for the ball since you can't move efficiently anymore. This results in just "wristing" the ball because your body is too tired and you can't engage your core as well.

As your body gets tired, your reaction time and reflex will also go down the drain as well, this results in sucking and you'll end your day feeling like sh*t because toward the end of your practice, you hit like crap. This will then affect you mentally as well.

 

[LeeD]

Read post 12 again.

 

[masterxfob]

When i first started out i played very often, however i dont see much improvement, as there's some obvious flaw in my stroke mechanics which I did not realize until I got some coaching. So it's very important to have a proper mechanics and ideas of proper stroke. Otherwise,no matter how often you practice, you're only reinforcing the wrong mechanics to your muscle memory.

i have a hard time believing that you didn't improve due to lack of a coach. did you take a serious approach to improving? drilling? or was it just all matchplay and casual rallying? how many times a week did you practice?

if you are serious and put in the work, improvement will come. little things become apparent after hundreds of repetitions. you just have to pause and look for them. of course, it will only get you so far. if you're already playing tennis without a coach, it is probably already too late to turn pro or to possibly even play D1 college.

 

[user92626]

What level do you guys want to reach? I honestly think for 4.5 or above you should find a good coach and spend at least 6 month.

I pride myself as a serious learner, with passion and enough intelligence to figure things out on my own, and I play 2x week, 2-4 hrs each time, but there are things that are very difficult to grasp on your own. I constantly have "ah-ha" moments!!!!

I play in a couple groups where "members" have been playing for over ten years and they seem quite serious about winning and their time at the courts, but they really suck. When I watch them play, I recognize instantly the kind of flaws that would keep them stuck in the same position for life.

 

[dunc88]

it depends on your approach. I mean how many club players do you see play year after year and never improve at all. you have to be willing to constantly work on/refine your strokes which sometimes means getting worse before getting better (think one step back two steps forwards).
You can also improve your game without even picking up a racket. For instance, I think it pays dividends to practice in your head. By this I mean visualize your strokes, think about how they would feel optimally, etc. you can do this in bed at night

 

[aimr75]

As a 2.5, once a week.
As a 3.5, 4 days a week, 2 hours.
As a 4.5, 6 days a week for 4 hours.
As a almost 5.5, 6 days a week for 4 hours, but specific training with equal players working or drills and fitness.

i must be a 2.5 then

 

[phoenicks]

i have a hard time believing that you didn't improve due to lack of a coach. did you take a serious approach to improving? drilling? or was it just all matchplay and casual rallying? how many times a week did you practice?

if you are serious and put in the work, improvement will come. little things become apparent after hundreds of repetitions. you just have to pause and look for them. of course, it will only get you so far. if you're already playing tennis without a coach, it is probably already too late to turn pro or to possibly even play D1 college.

Well it's not that hard to believe. I pointed out in the 1st 2 sentence that I have obvious flaw in my stroke mechanics, too huge a backswing, hitting ball late, cork my wrist back too much, fanning the ball instead of hitting through, slow racquet head speed. It's easy to point out in hindsight now, but how easy it is for someone to diagnose who have never receive a coaching before. I know I've got problem because my peer who started out around the same time or later is pogressing much faster, handle heavier ball which I can't. But there's just too many flaw in my stroke that I alone can't diagnose it. I was serious that time, play nearly everyday or every other day, putting in effort, attending some lesson,But still to no avail because I have too many problem with the mechanics. more than 1 year after I started out, I met a great coach in my school, he magically corrected all my errors, because I spent a lot of time with him and he dare to do what other coaches can't , which is breaking down my stroke and rebuilding it. After that, I become very good.

So yea, just make sure you have a correct strokes before you practice because wrong practice can reinforce the wrong muscle memory.

 

[Vyse]

That seems a bit excessive LeeD. The varsity team practices less than that and they are 5.5.

I like playing everyday but there are so many ways to improve. No one to play with, hit some serves. If its raining or no one to play with or you don't feel like playing, hit the gym. And as repeated by everyone else, try to improve and work on things when you practice. It can be hard but just keep thinking while you play.

 

[phoenicks]

This is my first year of play, but I've probably only played 3 months during this year. And only about once a week on average during those months.

I feel like my serve has improved dramatically. My backhand is now no longer a thorough embarrassment either.

Still, I feel like I should have or should be, improving more than I am.

I'm always worried about knee issues or shoulder or elbow issues. However, for the most part, I am now pain free.

Can I improve playing once a week for 2 to 3 hours? I don't think so: I can probably maintain my level of play, but not improve.

I'm thinking a minimum 2X a week?

The key for me is to improve AND remain pain free.

Since you want a pain free approach, I have a great idea, Last time when I was busy and didn't have much time for tennis, you know what i do? I just find an empty space and shadow swing my racquet, But I didn't just anyhow shadow swing, I make sure I am swinging very fast, fast racquet head speed is the key here, but the pre-requisiteis to make sure you have a correct stroke mecahnics.

Fast shadow swinging is how I maintain and improve myself even if I am not playing in the court. It's the best option available when you don't have time or can't hit in the court too much because of certain wear out injury. My friend was surprised that I could maintain or sometimes surpassed my previous level even when I am not playing much or havent played for quite sometime.

 

[new_tennis_player]

Great suggestions, everyone.

Phoenicks, cool tip. I was thinking of the shadow swings myself, and practiced a bit today.

 

[LeeD]

Hi Vyse...
Yes, that seems excessive.
Yes, it's needed if you plan to move forwards and upwards to the pro ranks after college tennis.
No, it's not necessary at all if you want to stay at your current 5.5 level and drop off the tennis map within 5 years, unless you teach tennis, of course...:shock:
The rest of the world's juniors who want to turn pro are practicing at least that often, better quality, working on basically 3 alternative answers to every awkward shot placed at them.
Can you afford to do less?
Anyone who's actually any good at college tennis practices on their own on their off times, when the team is sleeping or whatever. Basic tennis team is not good enough for anyone to keep up their skill level, much less improve.
The time difference between getting from 5.5 to 7.0 is almost equal to the time needed to go from 2.5 to 5.0. Obviously the skills needed are quite a bit higher.

 

[Mike2228]

I play everyday weather permitting and get better every time.

 

[LeeD]

I can play 6 days a week, 3 hours a day, and not get better than I was. I can and have done it for 6 months periods, and still, I don't get better.
I must have a learning disorder.

 

[Mike2228]

I can play 6 days a week, 3 hours a day, and not get better than I was. I can and have done it for 6 months periods, and still, I don't get better.
I must have a learning disorder.

I've only been playing since the beggining of this season so I imagine an eventual plateau is inevitiable, but still a long way off.

 

[new_tennis_player]

Hey guys, thanks once again for all the great feedback.

I'm back to playing at least once a week now, more like twice a week, and my game is starting to get back into form. If you can call 3.0 game getting back into form, lol.

I'm coming to the net a lot more aggressively now, and can hit winners off weak returns. My backhand is competent again.

My main area of work is of course my serve. That needs a lot of work.

I've got my setup going so I can play pain free and go as hard as I want. It's literally a miracle.

I'm going to play twice a week, and then give myself a third practice day where I work on serves.

We played some mini sets and my partner and I won like 6 out of 8 against players of comparable ability (on average of course; some lower, some higher in ability).

 

[Power Player]

LeedD is giving out lame advice to make people feel like they suck at tennis. I know guys I am sure who would beat him down, and they log about 2-3 hours 4 days a week. If you overplay, it can be just as bad. It also matters on your talent level and where you are at.

I would say 4 days a week would show a lot of improvement after 6 months with the proper instruction.