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June 1999 Article Latest Leading Edge Tennis Article
The Tennis Server
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Prepare Yourself for Summer Tennis Action!
Summer allows tennis lovers many benefits such as: free courts, more time to play, more practice partners, more matches, fresh air, environmental factors such as sun and wind, a farmers tan (hee hee), birds singing and more. However, I do worry about what happens to many tennis lovers because of the coming season. Are you ready for the coming season? Here are some suggestions and precautions you may want to consider to deal with this great time of the year:
Physical ConditioningIt never ceases to amaze me how many people hit the courts without ever preparing their body for the coming physical onslaught. I know that for many adults there is little time to spend an hour in the gym but I would suggest a few exercises that may prevent a shortened and injury filled season. Try exercises that work the following areas: Shoulder (rotator cuff), forearm strength (extensor, flexors), flexibility (hamstring, lower back), cardio vascular endurance, and abdominal endurance. Juniors need to work on "off court conditioning" in most of the proper areas such as: speed, speed strength, agility, coordination, abdominal work, flexibility, etc. Weights are to be used when the age is appropriate so as to not hurt the growing body. If you are truly serious about your tennis then this is an area that is crucial to your proper development.
Food FuelsWith summer vacation and holidays abundant there will many tennis enthusiasts increasing their hours on the court and this means making sure you have enough quality fuels to power your game. I think that it is important to make sure that players eat enough carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates that breakdown much slower that other foods. Foods such as oatmeal, pasta, carb drinks, and breads to name a few. Eating a good well-balanced diet is always recommended, but if you are one of those people who loves your hamburgers and fries I suggest sometimes substituting a submarine sandwich for that burger. If you don't believe me try playing with without eating any carbohydrates - you'll feel like your feet are as heavy as bricks.
Hydration"I don't need water!" How many times over the years have I heard that from advanced players because they think it's cool not to drink water. They often come with this attitude, "I don't need water - I can take this training, no problem." Well, after a mini-chat, I am usually able to explain to them how vital it is for their performance and health. Friends, I cannot stress how important it is to continually drink fluids while training. When the weather gets warm it is even more important to have this routine. When you start becoming thirsty your body is telling you that you are on your way to dehydration. This means your water level is low and you may potentially overheat like a car engine. So, when you start feeling that thirst coming on make sure to constantly drink so as to replace the water that is lost through perspiration. Now don't panic, your body is more compolex than a car's gas tank and you can't just fill it with one big drink. When thirst strikes, you need to constantly take in small amounts and allow the body to absorb the water. If you drink too much at once you will become, "bloated" and feel heavy. Lastly, you may want to add a mixture of carb drink and water to provide a double positive whammy on your system.
Physical AdaptationIncreasing playing and training time on and off the court needs to be done in small increments rather than in one big jump. The body needs time to adapt to the overload. If the body is stressed too much and there is not ample time to re-cooperate the body will break down. Tendons may be overused and "tendonitis" or muscle strains will occur. If you slowly increase your hours of training over a period of a few weeks your body may have enough time to adapt and get stronger. Remember injuries will only get worse and worse unless you take care of them immediately.
EquipmentOne of the most common errors that takes place with seasonal players is the old practice of playing with the same strings in the tennis racquet from last summer. The reason is that tennis strings have a limited time in which they are able to rebound consistently. Strings lose their tension over time and a racquet sitting in the closet will without a doubt lose many pounds - as much as 15 pounds in some cases. The result is a racquet that performs differently from last summer's tennis. On the other hand some tennis players love to get their racquet restrung, "just like the pros - nice and tight." The problem with this practice is that a professional's body is a finely tuned machine and for most of us our body is more like a small part of that machine. So I would recommend that you may need to have one to three stringing jobs done to find the right tension. When you do find the perfect tension make sure to write down the string type, tension, and, if you are really exact, the stringer and specific stringing machine used (like the professionals).
SunscreenIf there is one thing that I truly recommend you to do this summer then it would be to make sure that you wear your sunscreen. I can really tell that the sun's ultra violet rays have become stronger. It's really kinda scary. A few years ago, after a few hours of teaching, I would come off court and I would have some color (wearing sunscreen). Today, when I go out, I probably have 7x that exposure to the u.v. rays. So, please make sure to use a strong sun screen and hat when playing. For those who always seem to get sunscrean in their eyes try this, take your spf sunscreen for your lips and use that around your eye area. The pasty, sticky lip balm will not run and will provide the protection you are looking for.I hope you will take a few of my suggestions to heart and use them to your advantage. Well, that's it for this month friends! I thank you all for your continued letters from around the world. Your kind e-mails and faxes make me feel as if the world is not such as big place. Hello to Carlo in the Philippines, I look forward to meeting you and performing some workshops in the new year! Greetings to my friend Johan and Jean Martin in Africa. I hope you both are well! A warm hello to my god-child Chelsey in Canada, what a wonderful honor your parents have given me! I love you and your family! To the greatest parents in the world, Lily and Reggie Sr., "mom you are the best and pop I think your golf game is exceptional!"
This column is copyright 1999 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.
Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com. |
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Summer is here, let the tennis begin! This article will cover how to properly prepare yourself for the summer action, providing tips for all
calibers of play. And it will help you make sure that the summer is a long and enjoyable one rather than a short and miserable one. 
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