Tips From the Tennis Pro: Four Warm-Ups That Can Increase Success
Four warm-ups for a match? I know, it does seem excessive. However, as a junior player working your way through the competitive pathway following these simple guidelines will give your body and mind the best chance of being prepared and focused from the 1st point of the match! Let’s address these in reverse order.
Match warm-up with your opponent
As a result of the steps below, your heart rate is up and your mind becomes focused. The excitement of competition will have your adrenaline level up! You should have a planned and practiced set of on-court match warm-up routines that you are comfortable with. As much as your opponent allows, control how this time is spent. While working through each of your key shots (groundstrokes, volleys, overheads, etc.). Your primary goals are:
â–ºRamp up the pre-competition intensity
â–ºRe-enforce your pre-match confidence through positive self-talk
â–ºTest your opponent for weaknesses in movement or stroke execution
â–ºRefine your plan of attack based upon your strengths and their weaknesses
â–ºThis time is short, so use it wisely
Off-court dynamic warm-up
In almost every tournament situation, you have a significant amount of time between your pre-match on-court warm-up and the match warm-up. Five to 10 minutes before your match, you should go through a dynamic warm-up (an active warm-up through movement).
â–ºHave a developed and practiced routine for this warm-up.
â–ºEvery exercise you do should be familiar to you and the muscle groups being targeted.
â–ºThis is not the time to try new exercises.
â–ºGet your heart rate up!
â–ºStart to build some pre-match excitement.
â–ºRemind yourself you are better trained, in better shape, and better prepared than your opponent (positive self-talk).
â–ºLike a warrior preparing for battle be confident in your upcoming victory.
â–ºVisualize the win.
On-court pre-match warm-up
First, if you have an early morning match, wake up at least three hours before match time. Give your body time to wake up! If possible, warm up at the match site on the same courts/surface that you will be competing on. If those courts are not available, find an alternative warm-up site.
â–ºGo through your dynamic warm-up on-court.
â–ºDo not take shortcuts … put in the physical and mental work.
â–ºUse this time to build focus, ensuring a productive on-court session.
â–ºDevelop a 20-30 minute on-court routine with your coach that covers all of your shots, in an order you’re comfortable with. Use this same routine for every pre-match warm-up. Being comfortable with this routine helps reinforce confidence. You may adjust the time dedicated to certain shots; however, do not to use this time to make, or think about, corrections to your technique, this is a positive time to focus on what you do the best.
â–ºAlways warm up with new balls. Also use the same brand/type that you will compete with during your match.
Location adjustment in warm-ups
Here is where inexperienced players make the biggest mistake. If you are traveling to a tournament site that differs in temperature, humidity, altitude, time zone, change in surface (that you don’t regularly play or practice on), or requires significant travel time, my recommendation is that you arrive at least three days prior to your first match. You may wish to increase this based on the importance of the event. Arriving early allows you to have significant warm-up/practice time on location and gives your body time to adjust to all of the variables above. Arriving early and acclimating is the key to those early round wins!
Taking time to plan and allot time for these key pre-match warm-ups prepares your mind and body for successful competition. Once again, know that you are in better shape, better trained, and better prepared than your opponent, for this and every match!
