What is your typical warm-up routine before a USTA match?

TimeToPlaySets

TimeToPlaySets

Legend
This is the typical warm-up before I play sets play with my 3.5 group.

Mini tennis 5 mins
Groundstrokes. 10 mins
5-10 volleys
5 overheads
5 serves.


Exactly how much do you practice before a match? Specifically, number of serves.
 
I don't play USTA anymore, but I play a league in England where each team has two doubles pair and you play two sets against each pair (tiebreak decider for the 3rd). Most of the guys in my division would be 4.5s, though there are a couple who would be 5.0s and several who would be 4.0s. (The divisions are based on team results instead of individual ratings, so you get a mix of abilities.)

Our usual warmup is no mini-tennis, several minutes of groundstrokes, a couple of minutes of volleys with some overheads thrown in, and a few more minutes of serves. In total, it's usually about 15-20 minutes of hitting before the match.

I have played a couple of matches in other counties where each team has 3 pairs and you end up playing 6 sets, and they still did a good 15 min warmup.
 
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TimeToPlaySets said:
This is the typical warm-up before I play sets play with my 3.5 group.

Mini tennis 5 mins
Groundstrokes. 10 mins
5-10 volleys
5 overheads
5 serves.


Exactly how much do you practice before a match? Specifically, number of serves.
Click to expand...

20 minutes of warmup sounds awful. Glad I don't play in your group.
 
mini-tennis, ugh.

(sarcastic sexist ageist ableist comment follows, SJWs advised to skip to next post)

The signature of 70 year old 3.0 ladies who have gone to a tennis camp and didn't realize that the pros were just trying to fill up the first 15 minutes of the 1 hour clinic they signed up for....
 
Count me as a mini tennis hater. If its a timed warmup I absolutely will not do mini tennis but if its casual I'll do it if the opponent wants.

Most of the warmups ive done in usta (both southern and mid atlantic) consists of a few mins of groundstrokes, one guy to the net for volleys and overheads then the other guy to the net for the same, then serves. Normally first guys hits 3 to the deuce the opponent catches and serves them back. Two serving rounds to the deuce and two to the ad so 12 serves all together.

The only real variation i see to this is some guys like three rounds of serves to each side so 18 total serves - i see this more in dubs. Maybe because you serve fewer games and therefore get less chance for service rythym in the match? Maybe because holding serve is more important in dubs. Either way, im fine with 12 or 18 serves.

I don't participate in any leagues with timed matches so i cant say that ive ever seen a timed warmup in league. But you do seem to get the. Clock put on you in tournament warmup more often in my experience.
 
15 minutes of active stretching is required for me to get the muscles and joints moving. Then some ground strokes, a bit of net play, and a good 20 serves or so.
 
Altho I see some benefit to practice short topspin crossers, I don't like mini-tennis.

If the opponent steps up for it, I usually hit one with him then scoot back to the baseline. If he wants to stay up, so be it.

As for warmup, same as the above: baseline, volleys, overheads, serves about 15 mins.
 
TimeToPlaySets said:
Too much or too little?
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some people lag it to 20 minutes but if you get to sectionals or nationals they can have you on the clock for startings matches so being able to be comfortable with 10 minutes or less is probably ideal especially on your psyche.
I sometimes find a teammate to hit with for an extra 10-15 minutes before our meeting time for our match, otherwise, try to be as efficient as possible with warm-up. Hitting ahead of time is usually specific to something I might not be so confident about going into the match but I'm not working on anything in particular in warm-up, I'm just warming up a couple of everything avoiding injury, loose and ready.
 
A warm up should be 10-15 minutes max. For USTA matches, there's no time for mini tennis. Typically the players I see doing mini tennis warm ups for USTA matches are mixed doubles, women, and 3.5 or below men. That should be done on your own time, prior to the match. I'm not saying that I don't advocate mini tennis in warm ups, but I don't advocate it for a USTA Match warm up.

For a USTA match. Typically 4-5 minutes of groundstrokes, 2-3 minutes of volleys and overheads, and then whatever is left for 8-10 warm up serves.
 
Doc Hollidae said:
For a USTA match. Typically 4-5 minutes of groundstrokes, 2-3 minutes of volleys and overheads, and then whatever is left for 8-10 warm up serves.
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I second this, except adding a couple minutes of stretching if you can arrive 5 minutes early.
 
Our league matches it is all timed. For regular league the recommended is 5 minutes on the court with the opposing team. But not strictly enforced.

The basic pattern you described is what I have seen and do ... but I hate mini tennis.

I agree with a few others, if you want a longer warm up (very early morning matches I need a lot longer to get body parts working!) then come early, rent a court for 30 minutes and warm up yourself, but not with opposing team on the match court.


Playing Districts this week and it is timed with officials all over the place with watches, but allowed 10 minutes, strictly enforced.

Match on Monday, the opposing team INSISTED on mini tennis (ODG) ... long story shortened, just as they were to begin their serve practice (we had already done ours), official called "TIME!" they whined and official said, "I saw you insist on baby tennis ... you chose to waste your time" I just about fell over laughing. I think that exchange helped me shake off my nerves before the match.
 
I always warm up with teammates first - we typically arrive 30 mins early and then take our time warming up. Our court time is typically not limited and most of the facilities / clubs make courts available 30 mins before match time for warming up. So typically we do:
5 mins of mini tennis. I actually like mini tennis as a way to get the juices flowing although I would agree it's not efficient if time is limited.
10 mins of groundstrokes.
5 mins each at the net for volleys and overheads.
10 mins serving (maybe 15-20 serves each).
Yes that adds up to 35 mins... we are usually still warming up 5 mins into match time while the captains are still messing about with lineup exchanges and such.
By the time I'm on court with my opponent I'm already warmed up and ready to start whenever they are.
 
. . . I'm old . . . I take a nap before USTA matches . . . then go through the standard 10 min warm up with my opponent . . . 6 serves from each side . . . !
 
TimeToPlaySets said:
This is the typical warm-up before I play sets play with my 3.5 group.

Mini tennis 5 mins
Groundstrokes. 10 mins
5-10 volleys
5 overheads
5 serves.


Exactly how much do you practice before a match? Specifically, number of serves.
Click to expand...

This is an interesting question. Because for me, I'm getting really friggin' irritated with USTA "warm ups" before we start the match. Aren't all players getting there 20-25 minutes before the match anyway to warm up with their team?
Seriously. It's annoying to me to do that and THEN go hit another 10-15min with my opponent. Come on, let's get this show on the road. Things to do, places to go, people to see, food to eat and beer to drink....
 
I warm up with a quick 20 second sprint...
from parking lot to court since I'm 5 minutes late.
 
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I'm fine with little to no warm up. I'm not one of those people who needs to stretch on the court for ten minutes before the first hit. 5 minutes of groundstrokes and I am usually ready to go. There's nothing about my game that can be improved or sharpened in 20 minutes of warmups. :)
 
For those that are able to get onto a court before their league matches to warm-up, I'm jealous. 90% of my USTA league matches there are league teams using most of the courts before us, and club teaching pros using any open courts for lessons or drills. The only exception is if we are a 6pm match which means we are usually the first schedule league group of the evening (6pm/7:30/9pm starts).

For away matches I google the area and look for nearby parks or schools that have tennis courts. Then I leave early with a bucket of balls in the trunk and hit at some outside court if possible for 10-15 minutes, but then still arrive at the match 15-20 minutes early.

Then, since the prior league group is running late, then I'm sitting around 15-30 minutes past our scheduled start time waiting for courts to open so the captains can announce, "Ok, court 3 is finished. 1st singles can go to court 3. Oh, and looks like court 5 is finishing up, 2nd singles to court 5. Court 2 is just starting a 3rd set tie-break, and courts 1 and 4 are in the middle of their second set, so everyone else hang tight for a while."
 
By the way, for a combo match this spring we were the visiting team, and most of us were there early. There were open courts but the front desk wouldn't let us go on them because the home team wasn't there yet and she didn't think it was fair. 10 minutes later the team captain showed up and said, "Yeah, sure, go ahead and warm up if you want." o_O Sometimes I hate league tennis.
 
IA-SteveB said:
I'm fine with little to no warm up. I'm not one of those people who needs to stretch on the court for ten minutes before the first hit. 5 minutes of groundstrokes and I am usually ready to go. There's nothing about my game that can be improved or sharpened in 20 minutes of warmups. :)
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For me at least, it's not about sharpening anything, it's about getting loose and getting the blood pumping. If I start going all out without warming up well first, my knees and shoulder speak up...
 
OrangePower said:
For me at least, it's not about sharpening anything, it's about getting loose and getting the blood pumping. If I start going all out without warming up well first, my knees and shoulder speak up...
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Agreed. I may not improve with a good warmup but I will certainly degrade without one.
 
OrangePower said:
For me at least, it's not about sharpening anything, it's about getting loose and getting the blood pumping. If I start going all out without warming up well first, my knees and shoulder speak up...
Click to expand...
Fair point indeed. I should knock on wood but I don't have and cranky joints right now. I will say that if I have an early morning match that I do need a bit more warmup. At night I have already been to the gym or been pretty active prior to club league play so I am already loose.
 
winchestervatennis said:
Most of the warmups ive done in usta (both southern and mid atlantic) consists of a few mins of groundstrokes, one guy to the net for volleys and overheads then the other guy to the net for the same, then serves. Normally first guys hits 3 to the deuce the opponent catches and serves them back. Two serving rounds to the deuce and two to the ad so 12 serves all together.

The only real variation i see to this is some guys like three rounds of serves to each side so 18 total serves - i see this more in dubs.
Click to expand...

There's your tournament warm-up! It's not really a "warm-up", just a chance to check out your opponent's game--and let the crowd settle into their seats and wave at their close clubby friends. Of course, you've done your "real" warm-up prior on a practice court, you've scoped out at some off-site courts, at a near empty public courts or some high-school courts--(since it will be hard to get a practice court at the tournament site in the early rounds).

Saw some mixed teams at a recent National Tourney, warming up in the drive-way of the parking lot--stepping aside for the Teslas and Priis coming and going--they can sneak up on you--that's resourceful. If you're really desperate for a warm-up, you can hit indoors on a squash court using a chair in the middle for a net--or at night, you can use the parking lot and turn the car lights on--though with the advent of the optic yellow ball you shouldn't need any lights to see a ball at night. A quick jog around the neighborhood or ten minutes on the gym exercise bike should do to get the legs warmed up and break a sweat.
 
TimeToPlaySets said:
@nytennisaddict had a good post a while back on the value of mini-tennis, and how low level players don't get it, and do not even have the proper strokes to do mini correctly.
Maybe he can dig that up?
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I'm a huge advocate of mini tennis, but there's still no place for mini tennis in an USTA warm up. If it's recreational, I'm all for it. But I'm not wasting 3-5 minutes of my 10 minute warm up on hitting mini tennis. That should be done on your own time, before your match.

Mini tennis is great for getting a feel for the ball and controlling it. To be able to take almost the same stroke they would take at the baseline and keep it within the confines of the service squares at a slow pace, requires good control. It also allows you to work on the shape of the ball. A lot of the time I see people just pancaking it back to each other. That's not the true intention or benefit for mini tennis.
 
Doc Hollidae said:
I'm a huge advocate of mini tennis, but there's still no place for mini tennis in an USTA warm up. If it's recreational, I'm all for it. But I'm not wasting 3-5 minutes of my 10 minute warm up on hitting mini tennis. That should be done on your own time, before your match.

Mini tennis is great for getting a feel for the ball and controlling it. To be able to take almost the same stroke they would take at the baseline and keep it within the confines of the service squares at a slow pace, requires good control. It also allows you to work on the shape of the ball. A lot of the time I see people just pancaking it back to each other. That's not the true intention or benefit for mini tennis.
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i used to be in the camp of "must have mini during usta warmup"... but realistically most folks don't "do it right" anyway (so they just slice balls deep in the service box, or worst, they volley or try to hit groundies standing well inside the box). instead, i try to save as much of the warmup for serving.

i'll do it if someone asks (ie. starts at the service line), mainly because it gives me very good cues about their technique (or lack of).

and in the off chance i do run into someone that "does do it right", 1-2 min of min is valuable (we probably don't miss), and just slowly back up from there.... but in this case, my opponent is usually good, and we probably seldom/never miss in the warmup either, so the groundie warmup is actually shorter with more reps (ie. not chasing the balls at the net).
 
Can't understand the hate for mini-tennis. It's fine. I'll do it if my opponent likes but I can also just start from the baseline. I play 4.0/4.5 ball. It's about a 50/50 split for mini. Either way is fine with me. I try to keep warmups to 10 minutes and then compete. Main thing for me is to get my heartrate up for running and then I'm usually good to play.
 
I warm up before all of my USTA matches either by getting there early or at a different location. Always about 10-15 min. of active movement drills without a racquet or balls. Then about 10 min. of stretching. Then hitting some groundstrokes, volley's, overheads and serves. Usually about 30 worth. For warming up with opponents, It is 3 min. of groundstrokes, 2 min each side for volleys and overheads (4 min total), 3 min. of serves. If you aren't ready to go when you walk on the court with your opponents then you are too late to really get a decent warm up.
As for mini tennis, there really is no value in a warmup. If you want to both start close to the net and hit volley's back and forth and move around while doing so then that could work.
 
Depends on my opponent.

If my opponent is truly warming up... I'll hit groundstrokes, volleys, overheads and serves for 10~15 minutes.

If my opponent is the type of guy who tries to drill winners during warmup and expects me to go fetch the ball then they hit out... The second time they so so it's "I'm ready whenever you are" and a seat o the bench. We've all seen these guys.... right?
 
Hit bombs. Try to win points. Blast them during volley warm-ups. Terrible lobs they almost have to chase into the next courts. Double fault EVERY service practice.

Try to return all of their serves and yell "get that weak s*** out of here"

Then make sure I talk the whole match so we can be friends afterwards.
 
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