It’s that time of the year again! USTA summer leagues started last week and we’re all trying to get back into the swing of things. One of the hardest things in can be coming back to competitive tennis after a long break so here are 3 tips to knock the rust off and come out swinging:
Warm-up before the Warm-up
When you haven’t competed in a while one of the first things that will break down for recreational players is their rhythm and timing. Whether you are a doubles player or a singles player this rhythm is important in shaping your swings. IDEALLY you will want to get together and play a practice match a day or two before your first big match. If you can’t devote that much time, try to get out for a half hour as close to before your big match as possible and spend 5 minutes or so on each shot. If done correctly you can use the actual warm-up to finish polishing some trouble spots and get out and get that first win!
Play “Textbook Tennis”
One of the biggest mistakes players will make when they first get back to competitive tennis is they will try and finish points quickly because they don’t have as much confidence in their strokes. This is NOT what you want to do! When you are first getting back into the swing of things one of the best plays is to not worry about trying to end the point earlier but rather to commit to following the “textbook strategy.” The textbook strategy says not to go for overly flashy shots but to play the percentages and minimize errors. By following the textbook you will force your opponent to try to end the point with a more difficult shot more often forcing and error.
Cool-down Rituals
Win or lose that first match, the time immediately after will play a big role in your performance in your next match. Immediately after your match you want to focus on the 3 R’s. Rehydration, Recovery, and Rest. A Gatorade or other sports drink from Schultzie’s is a great way to start that post-match rehydration. While you’re rehydrating make sure you are doing some cool-down stretches to help make sure your muscles will recover more quickly. Focus on the large muscles such as the core group muscles, quadriceps, and shoulders. Lastly after your big match try and take a day or two off and get some rest; many players will go gung-ho and try to load up practice sessions in order to get back into playing shape, this however is ultimately more detrimental as your body will not get ample time to rest and recover.
Good luck to everyone in their first matches back into the USTA summer league season!