How To Improve Your Tennis Off-Court
Tomaz! I have bought both your e-books and they have been more than helpful. I might give you my story later on.
But first, I’m really unhappy. Got a problem with my left knee.
And I went to see an orthopedist. Over stressed tendon. (Don´t know the English terminology)
Anyway. No tennis. Rest and building up my muscles around the knee - for 12 month!!!
How do I handle this situation? Yes, I will rest my knee from hard tennis training and I will go to the gym.
What can I do to approve my tennis anyway? I’m allowed to stand still and hit balls. I’m not allowed to run or jump.
Yes, you’re in for a tough year.
I would suggest you watch tennis a lot on TV and analyze and actively think and play with the players you are watching.
Notice the patterns of play, where the balls land, how they change position behind the baseline or inside the court, focus on watching one player instead of the ball and so on.
You can also take a piece of paper and write down some things like:
- How many cross court shots they play and how many down the line shots?
- How many winners are there in one match (so that the opponent doesn’t touch the ball)?
- How many winners are there with a volley or smash?
This will help you understand the game of tennis even more and you’ll be storing winning patterns of play in your subconscious.
When you play, you don’t have the time to think in words. Rather, you must IMAGINE how and where to play. And you imagine in pictures (or moving pictures).
And watching the pros play can help you store these images in your memory.
And about hitting the ball: OK, if you have to stand, then stand. But if you are allowed to hit the ball, then hit it.
It will help you keep the feel for the strokes. You can practice hitting the ball at various angles and at various targets.
Later, when you are able to run again, it will take you some time to coordinate everything with your legs, but your feel will be there.
What other type of training in the gym can I do?
I suggest you don’t use too many exercises on equipment in gym since they isolate a muscle.
This is the key to bodybuilding but not for sports with balls and movement. In sports like tennis, muscles have to work in many different directions not just one (like the machine forces you to do).
I suggest exercises with medicine balls and on the Swiss ball. The trainer in the gym should give you some hints about that.
How to stay mentally fit?
You can’t. 
At least not in tennis.
Maybe playing some other games that will put you under pressure - like chess - might help.
One other suggestion: it’s very unlikely that everything else in your life is perfect right now. The game of life is quite challenging and there are always some things and parts of life to improve.
Perhaps you can focus on something else much more in this year and put tennis in the second place.
- Related posts:
January 8th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Tomaz.
Thanks for your fast answer!
OK. Your recommendations sound good and according to these I have thought of following things I could do.
I will continue to watch tennis and as you recommend analyze the game more actively.
I do have noticed I play better my self after watching a lot of tennis.
And I will use a mental training programme I put together a few years ago with positive images, and can play tennis in mind. It’s a programme developed by a famous Swedish sports psychologist. And you adjust it to your special needs. In this case with the focus on positive thinking about rehab training – which is quite boring… And also exercise my tennis mentally. According to the psychologist, the brain can’t see the difference between what is really happening and the images you project in a relaxed state of mind. Really interesting stuff which has helped me earlier to go from scared to confident in match play!
When I get a little stronger in my knee I could maybe use a ball machine twice a month just to keep the feel as you say. And I will ask for advice at the gym and google for good exercises, using medicine balls or any other kinds that is not isolating a single muscle. Except for my tennis background I have many years of experience in karate and boxing. Some easy bag work might be good for my upper body and to keep my shoulders in shape so I don’t get any back- or shoulder injuries when I start play tennis again.
Maybe it could be a good idea to play some tennis at my Playstation. It is actually very good feeling in these modern games. Very true to reality.
But as you say. A time out might just be the best of your recommendations to start with. When I get back in shape I have a hunger for tennis and that is a positive thing that will help me mentally in my “come back”. And I will probably be in much better shape physically than before the injury. So this might just turn into something really positive in the end! And hopefully it will take me another step forward when I have played for a while and got the movements and the timing back.
Sorry for my long email. But I think “a good coversation” is positive part of the healing process mentally. As you write in your books, tennis is very much a mind game. Most players know the teqnique, but the body will do what the mind tells it to do. A balanced mind makes a balanced player.
Thanks for your support. Your books and your website is really something I missed as a young tennis player.
Now, turning 39, playing tennis again and introducing tennis to my sons I really have had good support from your tennis philosophy. I’m a better player today than I was as a junior and teen.
All the best,
Markus