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In this article, I give you tips on how to warm up on the court before a tennis practice.
The tennis warm-up is often a phase that is a little neglected by the players.
The goal of the tennis warm-up is to prepare the body for the effort but also to start the session with good sensations.
During the warm-up, we start by playing slowly, it is the occasion to find feelings of relaxation that we will try to keep during the rest of the session when we play faster.
This warm-up could be preceded by a purely physical warm-up, without hitting the ball.
Tennis Warm-up tips
Warming up before a game of tennis is essential to prepare your body and mind for the physical and mental exertion you will be putting forth. Here are some tips for an effective tennis warm-up:
- Start with a few minutes of light cardio: Walk, jog or jog gently for 5-10 minutes to increase your heart rate and circulation.
- Stretch your muscles: Take a few minutes to stretch the major muscle groups you’ll be using in your game, such as legs, arms, back and abs. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds and avoid jerky or excessive movements that could cause injury.
- Do joint mobility exercises: Gently rotate your head, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, knees and ankles to improve your flexibility and range of motion. This can help prevent muscle tension and joint pain.
- Practice some basic strokes: Swap balls with your partner or against a wall to become familiar with basic tennis strokes such as the forehand, backhand and serve. This can help you focus on your technique and adjust your timing.
- Do some sprints and direction changes: Incorporate running and agility drills to simulate the movements you will make on the court, such as lateral movements, direction changes and accelerations. This can improve your speed, responsiveness and coordination.
- Stay hydrated: Drink water or a sports drink to hydrate yourself before, during and after your match. This can help prevent dehydration and muscle fatigue.
By following these tennis warm-up tips, you can optimally prepare for your tennis game and minimize the risk of injury and poor performance. Remember, every player is different and you can adjust your warm-up to suit your needs and fitness level.
How To Warm Up Before Playing Tennis ?
Warming up before a game of tennis is crucial to prepare your body and mind for the physical and mental effort you will be putting forth on the court. Here is an example of a warm-up that you can follow before playing:
- Light cardio: Walk or jog gently around the court for 5-10 minutes to increase your heart rate and circulation. You can also do happy hops or light leaps to stimulate your body.
- Stretching: Stretch the major muscle groups you’ll be using in your match, such as legs, arms, back and abs. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds. Here are some examples of stretches:
- Calf stretch: Place one leg back and bend forward with your heel on the ground
- Quadriceps stretch: Hold one leg behind you and grab your ankle with your hand, pulling gently back.
- Shoulder stretch: Hold one hand behind your head and gently push your elbow forward to stretch your shoulder.
- Hip stretch: Sit on the court with your legs straight out in front of you, then bend one leg and bring your heel toward your buttock while keeping the other leg straight. Repeat on the other side.
- Joint mobility exercises: Gently rotate your head, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, knees and ankles to improve your flexibility and range of motion.
- Practice some basic strokes: Trade balls with your partner or against a wall to learn basic tennis strokes such as forehand, backhand and serve.
- Sprinting and change-of-direction drills: Incorporate running and agility drills to simulate the movements you will make on the court, such as lateral movements, changes of direction and accelerations. This can improve your speed, responsiveness and coordination.
- Practice serve reps: Practice your serve by doing a few reps to improve your technique and timing.
- Stay hydrated: Drink water or a sports drink to keep you hydrated before, during and after your match.
How To Warm up in the service area ?
Principle:
- stand about 1 meter behind the service box line,
- try to send the ball into the service boxes,
- make the rally last as long as possible,
- make gestures with a complete amplitude, about the same as in the back court,
- try to scratch the ball with the strings from the bottom to the top to find the feeling of a lift.
Objectives:
- to warm up physically very gradually,
- to succeed in letting the arm go freely, without slowing it down, without playing too hard,
- to succeed in combining the fact of letting go of the arm and not to make a too fast gesture, except if one puts much of lift,
- to find sensations in lifting,
- to get used to preparing early and to pace your stroke well.
How To Warm-up on the whole length of the field ?
After 5-10 minutes in the service squares, we can move to the backcourt with the following objectives:
- play slowly, more slowly than in the rest of the training.
- play at least 1 meter above the net.
- play long, behind the service line.
- prepare early and feel that you are taking the time to do it, without rushing.
- do not try to play balls that are too far away to avoid the risk of injury, engage a new ball or let the ball bounce several times if necessary.
- make the rally last as long as possible.
- breathe in during the preparation and blow with the mouth during the whole stroke, until the end of the stroke, to relax.
- prolong the warm-up until you start to sweat.
- You can also deliberately place yourself far behind the back line of the court, to give yourself time to prepare and make your gesture without rushing, even if it means playing the ball systematically on the second rebound for a few minutes.
Summary
In conclusion, the tennis warm-up before a match is an essential element to prepare yourself physically and mentally for the effort you are going to make on the court. It will help you reduce the risk of injury and improve your performance. By following the warm-up tips in this blog post, you can effectively prepare your body and mind to play at your best. Remember to tailor your warm-up to your individual needs and stay hydrated throughout your game. Good luck on the court!