Playing in the cold

[montx]

Thank God it was a good day playing tonight but i did notice my shots lacking pop until a long way into the night. I am guessing it had something to do with the cold strings?

For a long time I was feeling like my racquet was heavy and the balls too. Just about anything i put over the net lacked pop, even hitting the sweetspot with a drive was like a wall.

My coach said i can produce some power but lack fitness but my biceps and triceps feel really sore too.

Ok to the point, lot of problems arose until things seemed to loosen up into the night, is this normal?

Are we really more stiff in the cold? And the racquets and the balls?

Thanks.

 

[montx]

One thing though, my footwork and pace were up to speed according to my coach after my stretching so that didnt seem to need a warm up at all.

 

[A-Rod6600]

You need more time to warm up so you may experience some lack of depth. The ball are also heavier, especially if there's high umidity in the air, the racquet remain the same, the strings tension may vary, but you can feel it only if you have high sensibility.

 

[In D Zone]

I have been playing outside even at 32 to 45 degrees with my son or the ball machine. Noticed the ball travels slower outdoor than playing indoors.

I have been playing with mids - so imagine how much more racquet speed I need to generate a good pop - instead of hitting flat I started hitting more topspin shots which really helped especially if you want to hit longer balls.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Yes, it takes the muscles & joints a lot longer to warm up & get loose/relaxed in cold weather. The older you get, the more you will find to be true. Do not do any static stretching before your play. Instead, warm up and include dynamic stretching.

Another great idea is to try to get in 10-20 minutes of cardio exercise before you head out to the cold, cold courts. Try to include arm movements and Body rotation (including trunk twists) as part of this.

Not sure how much effect there is on the strings. There is some to be sure, but I think that the effect on the ball is probably much greater. The internal pressure will be significantly affected by temperature. That will affect the bounce & action on the the strings quite a lot. There have been a couple of threads recently that have talked about this (refer to the Ideal Gas Law, P = nRT/V).

 

[Rickson]

Are we really more stiff in the cold? And the racquets and the balls?

Thanks.

Cold muscles are definitely not as flexible as warm muscles. How can you think that cold weather wouldn't affect your performance?

 

[kairosntx]

Great post SA... hope the youngster (and others) heeds the advice.

 

[LuckyR]

Microwave the balls for about 20 seconds before you play if it is really cold out.

 

[A.J. Sim]

Microwave the balls for about 20 seconds before you play if it is really cold out.

LOL, are you trying to be funny? If you're being serious, I do apologize for laughing.

Seriously though, follow SystemicAnomaly's advice.

When I was in high school, I played a match in cold and rain; not a pleasant experience to say the least. The net was not attached properly at and during the points, the wind would blow the net upwards and literally cause a ball going over the net to drop back on your own side. I remember complaining to my coach about this, and he basically told me to suck it up because the other guy has to deal with it too. I ended up winning the match; it was just an early season warmup, but it was one of my prouder tennis moments.

Playing in nasty weather is mental first and foremost. Accept the conditions and that it effects your opponent as well. Look at how the Packers embrace Lambeau Field.

 

[nadalfan!]

Well, I live in Michigan so I know all about the cold weather. Beleive me, I have played in 25 degrees weather. I just want to play you know, who doesn't? Well anyway, try to warm up a lot longer than usual rather than trying to hit every shot as hard as you can right off the bat. So, when you feel comfortable, start playing more aggressive.

 

[chroix]

Late winter matches def show what you need to work on before spring IMO. Sounds to me like you need to do some weight work prior to the thaw.

 

[Ferrari1190]

yeah the cold weather sucks for tennis, tryouts for my hs team are coming up in a few days and the first day is supposed to be in the mid thirties. do an early workout and easy hitting, thats what im gonna do, get there early and jog.

 

[Rookie]

the most horrible is ball, all turn into coconut.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Microwave the balls for about 20 seconds before you play if it is really cold out.

This is not really as ludicrous as it sounds. If the balls you open use are cold, it will take them quite a long time to warm up enough to give you a decent bounce when playing in cold weather.

Up until recently, we've been playing at night with temps in the high 30s (F) to mid 40s (F). I had been taking a heating pad to the courts to warm the balls up (or to keep the new ones warm until we opened them up). However, if I had the pad turned up to the highest setting, the balls would be too lively if warmed up for too long. The heating pad also came in handy for warming up hands.

 

[nickb]

Luxilon + Cold = ouch

 

[A.J. Sim]

This is not really as ludicrous as it sounds. If the balls you open use are cold, it will take them quite a long time to warm up enough to give you a decent bounce when playing in cold weather.

Up until recently, we've been playing at night with temps in the high 30s (F) to mid 40s (F). I had been taking a heating pad to the courts to warm the balls up (or to keep the new ones warm until we opened them up). However, if I had the pad turned up to the highest setting, the balls would be too lively if warmed up for too long. The heating pad also came in handy for warming up hands.

Wow, that's interesting. I did not know anybody did that; learned something new today, thanks.

 

[LuckyR]

LOL, are you trying to be funny? If you're being serious, I do apologize for laughing.

Seriously though, follow SystemicAnomaly's advice.

When I was in high school, I played a match in cold and rain; not a pleasant experience to say the least. The net was not attached properly at and during the points, the wind would blow the net upwards and literally cause a ball going over the net to drop back on your own side. I remember complaining to my coach about this, and he basically told me to suck it up because the other guy has to deal with it too. I ended up winning the match; it was just an early season warmup, but it was one of my prouder tennis moments.

Playing in nasty weather is mental first and foremost. Accept the conditions and that it effects your opponent as well. Look at how the Packers embrace Lambeau Field.

Totally serious. It makes a big difference. Of course my definition of "cold" coming from western Oregon, might be a bit different that someone from the M1dwest (where it might not be a lasting effect).

Of course if you are playing in the rain, it sounds like you've got bigger problems...