During these off season weeks, players can utilize the time to develop training habits that will drive performance in match play and tournaments in-season. Below are 3 examples:
- Spend a few minutes before you leave home preparing your tennis bag. Make sure to have all the things that you will need on court including that your racquets are re-gripped properly. Players at times forget their water bottles, towels, a spare racquet, or need to change a grip at the last minute or during play. All these instances point to a lack of preparation. By giving a few minutes of your attention to preparing your bag, you are coming on the court in a more prepared and relaxed state of mind which will help you to focus on your training and performance levels.
- Train with mental alertness and a high level of effort. For example, do you run down that short ball or let-cord that falls on your side or do you let it bounce multiple times? Being mentally ready for shots, reacting quickly, and making the effort to reach the ball are all training habits that will serve players well in match-play environments where the opponent’s shots are unpredictable and one has to react with speed and effort.
- Use this period to build your concentration. The ability to concentrate is a skill that needs development just like your strokes do. Therefore, players who train with concentration over the period of an entire practice or training session, are preparing themselves to focus and to be able to sustain their attention throughout the duration of a match. The ability to strike the ball in the center of your strings, to analyze information and to make good decisions on the court are all skills linked to concentration and can create the difference in the match outcome.
I hope you find the above tips valuable and use the off-season time effectively to develop training habits that will drive your success in tournaments during the season!
Best,
Harsh Mankad
Founder and Head Coach of Tenicity Tennis Program
