Proper Balance Equals On-the-Court Success: Tennis Balance Board

September 18, 2013 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
TBB_01

Is it balance or weight distribution?
We hear it all the time … the finest tennis players in the world are those who have great “balance.” However, it’s not as simple as looking at it as just “balance,” it’s a bit more complex than that. If we focused on weight distribution in the foot versus generic balance training strategies, we would be getting much further in improving balance.

The problem is, not every player is able to feel the proper weight distribution through their foot needed for optimal balance, despite having the right coaching and/or training regimen. It simply comes down to the way we are “wired” as humans and how our central nervous system works. From one player to the next, inherent neuromuscular control will be very different, and therefore, achieving proper balance, which stems from our central nervous system, will be unique for each player. Therefore, some players will struggle with ideal weight distribution through their foot, while others, utilizing the same coach, will have no problem at all.

As an expert in the field of physical therapy and sports biomechanics, David Lipetz, who serves as a consultant to the sports medicine division of the USA Olympic Committee, set out to develop a product that will have a profound effect on a tennis player’s balance by manipulating their central nervous system.

The Tennis Balance board, unlike other balance systems, will force the central nervous system to react specifically to the sport of tennis during the load phase of ground strokes. Once the athlete’s brain is able to “feel” the correct weight distribution through their foot, there will be an instantaneous mind body connection. Ultimately, the athlete will be able to transfer this feeling to on-court technique and notice a dramatic improvement in balance, thereby creating a more powerful, efficient stroke.

For those elite players, the Tennis Balance Board is the most effective strengthening tool available to them by utilizing single limb body weight exercises while on the board. This is truly the most sports-specific approach to training the lower extremity musculature for ground strokes.

The Tennis Balance Board is for every level player and is a training aid that no player should be without. For more information, visit www.tennisbalanceboard.com.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

January/February 2024 Digital Edition