An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
My home gym is equipped with a 10 pound slam ball. A slam ball is distinguished from normal weighted medicine balls because they have thicker and softer surfaces which make them great for high impact throwing exercises. You can wing a slam ball at a training partner or static surface that would be prohibitively dangerous with the harder medicine ball.
Strong forearm muscles are essential for tennis racquet head control. That translates very directly into shot consistency. A player without adequate forearm strength will be unable to effectively move the racquet through the proper contact point.
Maria Sharapova once famously described her clay court mobility as a “cow on ice.” My own footwork on clay is not nearly that graceful. A few years ago one of my doubles partners who is a clay court specialist recommended
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A dampener is a device placed into the string bed of a tennis racquet that reduces vibration. The dampener simply mutes the effect of hitting the ball. Contrary to marketing claims, there is no dampener that will lessen the symptoms of tennis elbow. Similarly, assertions that using a dampener reduces power have also been debunked. In other words, the use of a dampener makes no material difference when playing tennis. I know all that, yet I can’t play without one. It is maddening.
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A recent Wall Street Journal column recommended a tennis swing training device for developing a smooth service motion. Of all the gadgets recommended in that piece, the most clearly useful item is a tennis service swing trainer. The commercial version of the device is made of molded rubber into the form of a racquet handle connected to three tennis ball sized lumps via a cord. A correct serving motion keeps the tennis “balls” in continuous motion.
A recent Wall Street Journal article recommended usage of a gyro hand spinner to increase wrist strength for tennis. It was in response to a question from a reader who was seeking tips to hit a one handed backhand better. The article claimed that the primary difference between a one and two handed backhand and essentially comes down to wrist strength. I think there is a lot more to it than that.
Jill Craybas made 45 consecutive Grand Slam main draws starting at the 2000 US Open and ending with the 2011 US Open. She also represented the United States in both Fed Cup and Olympic play. According to Wikipedia, she is best known for upsetting Serena Williams at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships. I disagree. Jill Craybas should be remembered for the most epic assortment of fitness related tennis gear ever produced while filming a Tennis Channel “Bag Check” feature.
The Cordless jump rope is one of my favorite training devices. It is a ridiculous concept on the surface. I would have loved to be in the room the first time the device was pitched to a sporting goods manufacturer. Basically a cordless jump rope consists of jump rope handles with weighted foam balls attached to a short rope. Essentially it is a jump rope without a rope.
Overthinking tennis is the hallmark of this site. Tennis equipment and gear is in my wheelhouse. Consequently, the “Tennis Channel’s Bag Check” promotional clips always command my rapt attention. A well-equipped racquet bag is essential in tournament tennis. Those necessities in the bag might be the difference between winning and losing a match.
Every tennis player should consider installing a set of rain guards on your vehicle in anticipation of the fact that eventually it will rain. Alternatively you can wait until you are sweltering in your car during a lengthy rain delay to order them for the next tournament. Don’t be like me.