Tennis drills/fitness/training help

[Cappy94]

Hello! I'm looking for some advice and hoping to formulate some sort of daily tennis routine or program. I'm a varsity singles player and I would guess about a 3.5 to a 4.0. However the past two years all I have been doing is rallying for hours (4-6) every day and I realized that I haven't gotten any better so someone told me I have to formulate a daily plan which consists of tennis drills, stamina training, and weight training. However, I don't know anyone who could help me make a plan or guide me. My tennis coach dosen't know much about tennis and during practice he just makes us rally. However I asked him if I could practice drills on my own and he agreed, so I have the hours after school. I also have gym class in the weight room for 45 minutes in the morning so hopefully I could get my weight training in then.

I have a partner for doing drills with me after school although its not guaranteed, and I have access to a gym, if that helps break it down a little...

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I wanna become as good as a player as I can and hopefully play in college.

 

[Cappy94]

Oh yeah here is my schedule if it helps...

Wake Up 7:00 AM
School: 9:20 (Gym/Weight room 8:20 every other day)
Class until 1:07 then free until 1:53 then I have class till 2:40
Tennis practice: 2:40-5:30
I usually stay after practice for about 2 to 3 hours.

 

[Cappy94]

Also even though I'm a 3.5-4.0 my strokes could still use a lot of work.
My serve as well as volleys are also very in consistent so I would probably have to start from the beginning with that because I most likely picked up some bad habits.

 

[boramiNYC]

Do not just pump irons. Work on your balance and coordination. Try to feel if there's any joints you are not using well, esp in the torso, like pelvis and shoulders. Have you seen pros pulling rubber band with their arm. It's strategic work out not pumping irons. Being able to use all the muscles and joints (smallest to biggest) together in a coordinated manner is the source of real power and control.

Do some searches online and ask specific questions as you learn more about it.

 

[Cappy94]

Do not just pump irons. Work on your balance and coordination. Try to feel if there's any joints you are not using well, esp in the torso, like pelvis and shoulders. Have you seen pros pulling rubber band with their arm. It's strategic work out not pumping irons. Being able to use all the muscles and joints (smallest to biggest) together in a coordinated manner is the source of real power and control.

Do some searches online and ask specific questions as you learn more about it.

What specific workouts would you personally recommend?

 

[boramiNYC]

For balance, lower body flexibility and strength is important. These include feet, ankle, knees, thighs, and pelvis. Lots and lots of muscles here. Start walking on your toes as often and much as possible. But you must alternate with stretching the calves. Try to be able to balance on your balls of your feet (=walking on toes). And walk on them. Turn on them and try each leg at a time. You'll need flexibility and strength from pelvis to all the way down to be able to do this well. Also try to do splits.

For good overall coordination, muscles in between pelvis and shoulders needs to be strengthened and stretched. Abs, obliques, lower back, and lats, etc.

For good shoulder and arm control (coordination), understand how arms are attached to shoulders and how shoulders work in increasing range of motion of arm. When arm is not very well coordinated usually it's the rotator cuff muscles that control arm from shoulder are either weak and too stretched or tense and shortened. Pros use the 'rubberbands' to specifically work on these small but important muscles. Similar thing could happen to shoulder blade muscles as well.

And neck posture is critical in using shoulders and arms. Stretch out the neck keep it firm all the time. Shortened and tense neck will interfere with shoulder and arm control.

Sorry I can't give you specific exercise routines. But, once you learn how things work a little in depth you'll figure out what to do with them. Always, flexibility first and then strength. So, make stretching every joint of your body your favorite past time.

 

[Cappy94]

Thank you!

 

[Cappy94]

bump for some more advice

 

[Chanto]

something that you've seemed to look past is tennis strategy. you definitely want to formulate strategy that you can use to your advantage based on your strengths and weaknesses, so when someone is picking on your weaknesses, you're not lost.

also something I that I find underrated is footwork. I'm probably the close to the most out of shape on my team, but I have the best footwork and am able to make it to most balls, which is always an asset.

a lot of training can be done off the court

good luck

 

[charliefedererer]

If this is your tennis season, and you want to do well now, adding in a lot of new training is likely to to adversely affect you in match play.

The time to work on a balanced program is well before your season starts, or after it finishes.

Here is a site that will give you a balanced look at off court training: Sports Fitness Advisor Tennis Training http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/tennis-training.html

"The Periodization of Strength
To promote long term training improvements and avoid over training, an overall training program can be split into specific periods, each with their own objectives and set of training parameters. This concept is called periodization and it is the most effective approach to planning strength training programs for sport.

The overall training program (usually taken as one year long) can be split into set periods and usually consist of the:

•Preparation Period (Pre-season)

•Competition Period (In-season)

•Transition Period (Off / closed-season)

By co-ordinating the different elements of a strength training program with the phases of a typical season, the athlete can reach a peak for the start of the competitive season and most important parts of year."


So again, it sounds to me that you are already spending so much time on court, that adding in more training right now will just lead to over fatigue and burn out.


Tennis is a game of skill, and this may be the best time to take advantage of team mates to keep working on your rallying, vollying, returning and serving work after formal practice.


Work on coming out of a split step on every shot.
Work on recovering as quickly as possible after each shot wo that you are ready for the next one.


After your high school tennis season is over, you can intensify the weight training programs from the above site.

You may also want to add in:

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html
USTA agility drills done as a form of HIIT
http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/USTA_Import/USTA/dps/doc_437_269.pdf

If you want more advanced work out programs coordinating weight training, HIIT and agility drills, consider getting Power Tennis Training [Paperback]
Donald A. Chu (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Power-Tennis-Training-Donald-Chu/dp/087322616X

If you would like a deeper understanding of how to train, consider getting Tennis Training: Enhancing On-court Performance [Paperback]
Mark Kovacs PhD (Author), W. Britt Chandler MS (Author), T. Jeff Chandler EdD (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Training-Enhancing-On-court-Performance/dp/0972275975/ref=pd_sim_b_4



Are you playing tournaments this summer like your future college competition is?



While I commend your desire to improve and potentially play college tennis, realize you are at a disadvantage compared to those also willing to work hard but have the advantage of great coaches for guidance.

But there is every reason to believe that tennis can be a great enjoyment for your whole life, even without killing yourself or making a college team.

There almost always is plenty of local competition to give you a good, enjoyable match and a great work out from tennis.

 

[Ash_Smith]

My tennis coach dosen't know much about tennis

What?!?!?!?!? :shock:

 

[charliefedererer]

What?!?!?!?!? :shock:

While many US high schools are fortunate enough to have good tennis players as coaches, it is not that unusual to have a coach with a limited knowledge of tennis.

There is essentially a rule that all sports have to be coached by teachers.

While many teams are fortunate to have pretty good tennis players as coaches, some have the same experience that I did.

I first met the tennis coach early in my freshman year as my study hall teacher.

I knew that the team under him in his first year as coach went undefeated with a record of 20-0.

I told him I looked forward to playing in the spring.

I asked him if he played tennis a lot himself.

His reply: "I don't know how to play, but I read two books."

Acknowledging his limited tennis knowledge, he let the team captains organize practice, and a playoff ladder.

Team morale was always high.

He coached four years.

His overall record as a high school coach was something like 80-4, with four league championships.



My senior year we had a new coach. He played, but obviously knew less about tennis than his favorite sport, rugby. He also knew less about tennis than anyone on the team.

Nevertheless, he wasted out practices with useless team drills that he had read about.

He refused to let my brother play, because he had turned his ankle early in the season and missed the team playoff for a singles spot, then wouldn't let him play doubles so as not to break up a doubles team, forcing him to play "exhibition" singles all year (though he "felt sorry for him" and entered him in the league tournament where he made the finals!). He threw a singles player off the team for missing his lone practice in four years when he had to fill in at work because no one else was available.


It's not just the pros who have to play matches without input from a coach.


But to all the great high school coaches out there, thank you for your efforts!

 

[Cappy94]

If this is your tennis season, and you want to do well now, adding in a lot of new training is likely to to adversely affect you in match play.

The time to work on a balanced program is well before your season starts, or after it finishes.

Here is a site that will give you a balanced look at off court training: Sports Fitness Advisor Tennis Training http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/tennis-training.html

"The Periodization of Strength
To promote long term training improvements and avoid over training, an overall training program can be split into specific periods, each with their own objectives and set of training parameters. This concept is called periodization and it is the most effective approach to planning strength training programs for sport.

The overall training program (usually taken as one year long) can be split into set periods and usually consist of the:

•Preparation Period (Pre-season)

•Competition Period (In-season)

•Transition Period (Off / closed-season)

By co-ordinating the different elements of a strength training program with the phases of a typical season, the athlete can reach a peak for the start of the competitive season and most important parts of year."


So again, it sounds to me that you are already spending so much time on court, that adding in more training right now will just lead to over fatigue and burn out.


Tennis is a game of skill, and this may be the best time to take advantage of team mates to keep working on your rallying, vollying, returning and serving work after formal practice.


Work on coming out of a split step on every shot.
Work on recovering as quickly as possible after each shot wo that you are ready for the next one.


After your high school tennis season is over, you can intensify the weight training programs from the above site.

You may also want to add in:

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html
USTA agility drills done as a form of HIIT
http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/USTA_Import/USTA/dps/doc_437_269.pdf

If you want more advanced work out programs coordinating weight training, HIIT and agility drills, consider getting Power Tennis Training [Paperback]
Donald A. Chu (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Power-Tennis-Training-Donald-Chu/dp/087322616X

If you would like a deeper understanding of how to train, consider getting Tennis Training: Enhancing On-court Performance [Paperback]
Mark Kovacs PhD (Author), W. Britt Chandler MS (Author), T. Jeff Chandler EdD (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Training-Enhancing-On-court-Performance/dp/0972275975/ref=pd_sim_b_4



Are you playing tournaments this summer like your future college competition is?



While I commend your desire to improve and potentially play college tennis, realize you are at a disadvantage compared to those also willing to work hard but have the advantage of great coaches for guidance.

But there is every reason to believe that tennis can be a great enjoyment for your whole life, even without killing yourself or making a college team.

There almost always is plenty of local competition to give you a good, enjoyable match and a great work out from tennis.

The thing is I have a partner who enjoys hitting every day so for me there really isin't an off season. In fact, I probably hit more during the winter and summer then the spring. This is because again, our coach makes us do redundant drills the entire time (if you call them drills) like watching us hit forehands and backhands aimlessly without evaluation and playing around the world and king of the court.

I can limit the amount of time I spend on the court to balance out the 45 minutes I work out (or does it not work like that?)

I'll also be hiring a personal coach soon for 30 an hour.
So besides the 1 hour lesson, how long should I practice tennis drills if I am going to do stamina and weight training for one hour each?