Steady Eddy
Legend
My plan to get in to shape was to do the tennis drop-in 3 days a week. Is that a good plan, or should I go to the gym to get fit, and allow being more fit to improve my tennis?
Is doubles good exercise?
- Thread starter Steady Eddy
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
If played properly, doubles can provide some decent exercise. Many rec players, however, are too static at the net. They should be "following the ball" -- constantly moving forward and back as well as left and right. Will elaborate on this later if someone else does not.
Jumping rope, wind sprints and some gym work is not a bad idea either.
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Jumping rope, wind sprints and some gym work is not a bad idea either.
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Steady Eddy
Legend
I will say this. When I'm 'at-the-net' and the ball is hit to my partner, I back up to the service line to see how he's handling it. If he rips on it, I'll move up again. So even if I don't get to hit a ball, I don't stand around.
By the end of the hour and a half I've worked up a nice sweat. But I hear that playing tennis isn't a good way to get exercise.
goran_ace
Hall of Fame
I don't think doubles is that great of a workout compared to singles (or other sports like basketball or soccer). The points are too short. I can play 3 sets of doubles and still have fresh legs. Playing doubles 3x a week is still a decent amount of activity and is much better than doing nothing. Also, I could play doubles 3x a week and keep it up because I would not get bored with it whereas I cannot say the same for something monotonous like running on a treadmill.
Doubles is less sheer exercise, but when played well, it works more start/stop quick movement than singles, so it he aids a different part of your game.
Neither player ever stands there during any point. Both players move on every shot, netperson cheats and retreats as needed, and cover's his own overheads to mid NML, after that depth, it's defense and both players should be back.
Neither player ever stands there during any point. Both players move on every shot, netperson cheats and retreats as needed, and cover's his own overheads to mid NML, after that depth, it's defense and both players should be back.
Doubles is for fun - its not really about the exercise. I never found tennis that good of a workout. Singles will wear you out but you get all beat up..I remember in NYC you would see all kinds of skinny old guys with three braces on and such.
Like it or not but a good weightlifting session in the gym (with some aerobic at the end). will leave you feeling stronger and healthier.
Tennis is good for keeping your athleticism though. The basic movement and throwing skills you use in most sports are present in tennis.
Like it or not but a good weightlifting session in the gym (with some aerobic at the end). will leave you feeling stronger and healthier.
Tennis is good for keeping your athleticism though. The basic movement and throwing skills you use in most sports are present in tennis.
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it's definitely no where near the exercise of singles, though singles at the lower levels isn't much exercise either. But once your body starts hurting, doubles at least keeps you active without killing all your joints. The past few months I've played it 1-2x a week and that rate I wasn't losing any weight. I've since been playing 5-6 times a week for the last 3-4 weeks and have lost ~5 lbs so it's definitely still some exercise.
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maggmaster
Hall of Fame
I have worn a heart rate monitor during 4.0/4.5 doubles and it estimated my calories burned at around 390 per hour. Not great but better than sitting on your couch.
Steady Eddy
Legend
Today I played a set of doubles, followed by a set of singles. Oh my! That singles set was excruciating. If I could get around more it would really help me in tennis. But after doing nothing for so long, any exercise is a shock.
I think a combination of tennis and treadmill will be good. And I think doing some treadmill will improve my tennis.
I think a combination of tennis and treadmill will be good. And I think doing some treadmill will improve my tennis.
Still totally depends on what kind of singles you play, and what kind of doubles.
If I play singles with one of my weekday doubles buddies, I'd barely break a sweat and my heartrate can stay well below 110.
If I played doubles with the afternoon crowd, I'd need shorts, shortsleeve shirt, a towell, and my heartrate would be well over 120 most of the time.
So, doubles CAN be exercise, but only if you move and participate.
If I play singles with one of my weekday doubles buddies, I'd barely break a sweat and my heartrate can stay well below 110.
If I played doubles with the afternoon crowd, I'd need shorts, shortsleeve shirt, a towell, and my heartrate would be well over 120 most of the time.
So, doubles CAN be exercise, but only if you move and participate.
user92626
G.O.A.T.
Comparing pros with recreational players is like apple with orange. They are completely different. Pros have prizes to incentize them. On other hands, rec players, not only lazy by human nature, also have potential injuries to discourage them from playing hard. Completely opposite.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Lot of rec players have simply not learned how to play properly=actively. Many who have, can get a decent workout. Those who haven't tend to play very statically and only move when the ball comes near them. Intermediate players who have developed some semblance of control/consistency should learn or take classes on strategy, positioning and movement for doubles. Doubles drills can help to develop these skills.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
For some clues on how to play doubles properly check out these links for the old Operation Doubles web site. Since Kathy Krajco's unexpected passing in 2008, a lot of her stuff has been archived.
http://www.**********.com/lesson-lounge/operation-doubles/archive.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20071023034536/www.operationdoubles.com/od-tennis_content.htm
In place of ********** in the first link, type in tennis 4you (no space).
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http://www.**********.com/lesson-lounge/operation-doubles/archive.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20071023034536/www.operationdoubles.com/od-tennis_content.htm
In place of ********** in the first link, type in tennis 4you (no space).
.
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user92626
G.O.A.T.
Playing properly very much equates to playing hard. If you play easy and win and think you play properly, you're playing wrong opponents.
Playing hard is injurious, antithesis to recreation. Pros do not have this dilemma at all.
People are smart. They adjust and do accordingly to their scenario.
Basically, doubles is a different kind of exercise than singles.
Good doubles, even rec 4.0, all 4 players are moving on every shot, both guys move back to cover lobs, both players move forwards when attacking, both move to left, while other team moves right, or if the ball is hit to the other side, the opposite.
There is no standing around on any shots.
Netperson cheats towards middle, but if he doesn't cut off the shot, immediately moves back into position to allow his partner to hit to the CC open court.
If netperson poach's, backcourt person get's ready to move into the vacant position, to cover the spot poacher just left.
Doubles is short, quick movement for volleying position, and precise, accurate low groundstrokes.
Different benefit, but still beneficial.
Good doubles, even rec 4.0, all 4 players are moving on every shot, both guys move back to cover lobs, both players move forwards when attacking, both move to left, while other team moves right, or if the ball is hit to the other side, the opposite.
There is no standing around on any shots.
Netperson cheats towards middle, but if he doesn't cut off the shot, immediately moves back into position to allow his partner to hit to the CC open court.
If netperson poach's, backcourt person get's ready to move into the vacant position, to cover the spot poacher just left.
Doubles is short, quick movement for volleying position, and precise, accurate low groundstrokes.
Different benefit, but still beneficial.
kingcheetah
Hall of Fame
Agreed with LeeD here, doubles can be great exercise if you are constantly moving! You should be constantly adjusting based on where the ball is, how aggressive your opponent/partner are being, etc.
Steady Eddy
Legend
I'm certain I'm getting a benefit. I play doubles for 90 minutes to two hours. The treadmill I'd usually do for 30 or 40 minutes. I watch how my partner is returning a shot. If he's aggressive I move up, if he seems to be struggling with it, I drop back. I don't park myself in one place and watch.
At the end of it I've worked up a good sweat. My running ability has really returned after a month of this. I hope to keep doing this for another two months, when it gets really hot in AZ for tennis.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
^^ Guess you missed the part where I brought this up in post #2, kingcheetah.
OTOH, many rec, amateur or NTRP players don't play proper doubles (with a lot of movement) either because they are lazy or they don't know any better. I have seen many intermediate players who have great reflexes and like to hug the net. The have not learned to play doubles properly but will often get away with this style because of their reflexes and the fact that many of their opponents do not know how to take advantage of their extreme proximity to the net.
OTOH, many rec, amateur or NTRP players don't play proper doubles (with a lot of movement) either because they are lazy or they don't know any better. I have seen many intermediate players who have great reflexes and like to hug the net. The have not learned to play doubles properly but will often get away with this style because of their reflexes and the fact that many of their opponents do not know how to take advantage of their extreme proximity to the net.
You don't play doubles to burn calories, you play singles or run/swim.
Doubles, you learn quick movement, quick recovery, efficient first step movement, accuracy of hitting, net play, and accurate returns of serves.
Benefits from doubles are different than just calorie burning mindless running, like some of you do for singles play.
Doubles, you learn quick movement, quick recovery, efficient first step movement, accuracy of hitting, net play, and accurate returns of serves.
Benefits from doubles are different than just calorie burning mindless running, like some of you do for singles play.
Yes doubles can be pretty fatiguing. Especially if you play three rounds of at least one hour each, with a ten minutes break between them. Wich i did yesterday. If you keep moving with the ball, (left/right, back/ forth) an look for a good poach all the time the net person also gets a decent workout.
goober
Legend
Doubles is not great exercise. Going to gym for an hour is much better than playing doubles for an hour. But you really have to look at long term picture. Are you really going to the gym regularly 2-3 years down the road? Tennis is fun and going to workout is not (for most people). So I say play doubles since you will stick with it and try to sneak gym workouts once or maybe twice a week.
LuckyR
Legend
As usual it depends. What's the goal and what are the options? If you currently do little to nothing and you hate working out, then doubles (which is way, way more interesting than working out) is more than you are doing now and you are likely to continue with it over the long haul. OTOH gym training is much more efficient, but boring in the extreme and only the most motivated will do it for more than a handful of times before reverting to what they were doing before, likely not much.
You know yourself best...
