An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
Over the past few months I had been experiencing tenderness in my elbow when playing tennis. I was extremely resistant to calling it tennis elbow because… I had never experienced tennis elbow before in my life. However, that is what it is. I found that the Simien Tennis Elbow brace provided enough pain mitigation and support to allow me to continue to play.
Recently I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis. One discovery I have made about this particular injury is that frequently icing of my arches and achilles tendons is essential. I have also learned that the ice treatments as I go to bed each evening significantly cuts down the pain levels experienced the following day.
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I recently decided that a contributing factor to my plantar fasciitis issues is directly related to weight gain over the past year. One of my personal objectives for 2022 is to reverse the that trend and get back down to “playing weight.” I made zero progress in January. Clearly that was the fault of the scales that I was using to weigh myself. Stick with me on this one.
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Last week I wrote about how I was using a Post-Match Evaluation Worksheet as a part of maintaining a Player Development Journal in 2022. That post framed out the initial use of the worksheet during and after my first “real” match of 2022. In strange twist of fate, I wound up playing against the same exact doubles team the following weekend. I was playing with a different partner this time around, but the quick rematch still provided valuable and immediate feedback on the impact.
One of my goals this year is to maintain player records as outlined in the USTA Player Development Journal. I previously wrote about the Practice Evaluation Worksheet that was derived from the USTA document. Now, with USTA League play in full swing, I am playing matches that matter. Consequently, I have turned my attention to the Post-Match Evaluation Worksheet.
I have been suffering from heel pain due to plantar fasciitis. While I generally follow the treatment advice for that malady, when the suggestion inevitably comes to switch to only low-impact activities for awhile, it is a bridge too far. It simply isn’t a viable option for me. Tennis will be played no matter what. Recently, I have settled in on a sock configuration that minimizes heel pain both during and after tennis. I call it my “Socktail.”
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I played a tournament last October at the Mission Hills Country Club. The COVID postponed BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells was going on at the same time. One morning WTA player Desirae Krawczyk and her doubles partner Alexa Guarachi strolled into the club for a practice session. Naturally, I watched their workout with rapt attention. They played the classic doubles practice game “Dingles!” against their coaches.
Tennis players don’t spend enough time training for mid-court play. It is a profound truth expressed by Tom Gullikson last November in the “Compete Like a Champion” podcast interview. Tennis coaching and training focuses almost exclusively on play from one of two primary areas, the baseline or the net. My junior tennis days were punctuated by loud exhortations to avoid “no-man’s land” at all cost.
Are you spending time during tennis practice sessions, or are you investing that time? The benefits of maintaining a personal player development journal.
The USTA Player Development Program produced a document in 2013 that continues to serve as a focal point for players to assess and track their tennis training. The “Player Development Journal” consists of three major sections. The first is an overview of the various playing styles so a player can understand the aspects of their own game. The second part is template pages for practice evaluation. The last section provides forms for post-match assessments. The “PD” (as insiders apparently refer to it) is available for free public download from the USTA at the link provided at the end of this post.
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