The April “12 Gifts” challenge is to add a new tennis skill to your personal arsenal. When this topic came up in the rotation my initial reaction was that I would be challenged to participate. On-court high-impact activities are simply not in the cards for me at the moment. However, while the wording of the April “gift” is to add new shots to the arsenal, I do think that there are classic skills that a player can develop to improve their competitive level without setting foot on a tennis court.
One of the most obvious avenues for that is footwork improvement. While that activity is not currently possible for me right now, a player nursing an upper body injury can make significant gains in that area using off-court training. I am a big proponent of jump rope interval training. Before my recent injury, I was using the free Nike Training Club instructor led speed and agility training programs which are also quite good.
The mental aspects of competition is another area where off-court investments can produce great dividends. For a player that hasn’t embraced tennis psychology, this might be the time to give the Inner Game of Tennis a look. Guided progressive relaxation and breathing techniques is a skill that can be developed off-court and conjured up during match play. I personally believe that the “clutch” players in tennis developed that ability using that formula.
Another area where players can improve their tennis performance in an off-court setting is through analysis of match play. This could include video analysis of a player’s own play (if available) or watching professional matches on TV. Another great option is to head out to the courts to watch match play of your tennis peers with a specific focus on observing their tactics and point composition. Chances are there are lessons to be learned that are transferrable to your own game. Winning Ugly is a great source of ideas along those lines.
For my current situation, I will be spending the next few weeks working on upper body strength and my core. Exercises to develop those areas can be safely performed without putting weight on my injured foot. I also plan on experimenting with using my Top-SpinPro from a seated position to improve my racquet head speed and contact point.
Hopefully that I don’t fall out of the chair.
