The Secret of on Court Fitness Training - Tennis Racket Junior

Thought this article went hand in hand with the last post and it's by the same author. Definitely think it's a good addition here.

If you are looking for a good racket for your junior player, click on the banner!



Hope you enjoy the article.

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Did you already wonder how you could improve your performance without having to go to the gym or run for miles and miles everyday? On court fitness training is one of the best training method that can help you to improve the specific skills of your activity. To describe more in details this kind of training we will talk about on court fitness training for tennis players.

On court fitness training includes all the different practices that are done on a tennis court. Most on the time on court fitness training is done to improve the agility, quickness and specific movements of the players. Training on the tennis court helps the players to be really specific and to understand exactly how these drills could help them to become better tennis players.

There are so many different kind of practice you can run on court to increase a player fitness level that you can just use your imagination and make sure that the drills you are implementing are tennis specific.

First of all use tennis racquets in most of the case to add some specificity. You can start by doing the drill without any tennis balls. Run to a cone as if you were going to hit a forehand or a backhand, shadow the stroke and come back to the starting point. When you do these kinds of specific movements, make sure that you are using an explosive first step that you are balanced all the time and use proper technique when you recover like using a cross over step and the side steps.

This basic drill can be used for all the strokes, included the volleys and overheads. Repeat several sets of 10 repetitions for each stroke. Make sure your player or your self is really using the right technique in his footwork and that he is as intense and fast as he can.

This will help to improve the explosive power and quickness very fast.

For more advanced players you can start to add resistance as bunjie cords behind the players. Repeat different kind of movements, focusing on the right technique and the resistance will help to become even more explosive on the court.

Once the players are able to do this drills with the right footwork, do not forget first step and recovery steps are two keys for tennis players, you can start to add live balls that you feed at the same spot every time..

This can be done with or without resistance. The player focus on his movements and the fact that he now has to hit a tennis ball will add even more specificity.

Once the player is able to use the proper technique and to be quick during this kind of drills with live balls, he will move a lot better and be a lot quicker during real match situations.

Another great workout that I like to use as on court fitness training is medicine ball rallies. Have two players playing point in the service boxes with a 4 to 8 lbs medicine ball. Make sure this medicine ball bounce and make them play different tie breakers, using forehand and backhand throws. This will of course help them to improve their upper body power but also their footwork and balance on the court.

You can also improve their aerobic capacity with on court fitness training, while moving for the length of a point, usually less than 10 seconds, and recovering between each set for 25 seconds. Those ratios are specific for tennis and if you do this for at least 20 minutes it is a good way to improve your players specific endurance.

On court fitness training is the best practice you can do to improve a tennis player specific conditioning. There a lot of different drills that you could use. Visit http://www.fit4tennis.ws if you want to learn more about on court fitness training for tennis.

Patrick Muller is a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Fitness Director who has been working on different physical activities. He is mostly specialized in tennis and he is leading fitness training for tennis players of any level. Patrick Muller is the creator of http://www.fit4tennis.ws.

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The Importance of Agility Exercises For Tennis

Surfing again at EzineArticles.com and I saw this article about agility exercises for tennis. It resonated in me as I've seen this done in football, baseball, and kickboxing. Never thought of it as working with tennis, but it only makes sense.

Since it isn't done enough at the earlier levels, like the juniors players, thought it would be a good addition here. Hope you enjoy it!

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How to move well on the tennis court? What is agility training? A lot of players and coaches do not know how to use tennis agility exercises. Agility training is not incorporated enough at low level, but it should because it is an easy way to improve a player performance.

Tennis agility exercises include everything that helps a player to improve his coordination, balance and footwork. There are thousand of drills to improve tennis players agility and this will help them to be better on the court. Basic coordination drills as catching or throwing tennis ball with or without movements are an easy way to improve beginners and young players' agility on the court.

Ladder drills can be used at all levels and ages. The only difference will be the intensity and complexity of the tasks. These drills are fun and can be very helpful to improve a tennis player coordination and footwork. Tennis is an activity that involves movements in every direction this is why it is important to work on a ladder, with forward, backwards, and sideways movements.

Hurdles drills can be used to help players improve their technique while moving. These drills will emphasize the different muscles action as the hips flexor. The player will have to use a good technique if he wants to clear all the hurdles and later he will be able to use this on the court and then to move better.

Good tennis agility exercises also help players to improve their specific movements. Easy drills done on court as running to a ball and doing a shadow will help players to move better. In this kind of drills really focus on the first step and the recovery steps. No balls are involved, the perfect footwork technique has to be used and once the player starts to do this without thinking he will be able to it on a real situation with tennis balls.

Balance training also contributes to players' agility. This can be done on court doing drill only on 1 leg or also on unstable surfaces as BOSUs or balance discs. Depending of the level just have the players balance for 1 minute on 1 or 2 legs and then you can start to close the eyes, add shadows with rackets or tennis balls catches and throws.

Working on the sand is for me one of the best ways to improve tennis players' agility and movements. Sand is an unstable surface that makes the movements a lot harder. It will help players to work on their balance and leg strength. Once a player is able to move well on the sand, it will be a lot easier and he will be lot quicker on the tennis court.

Tennis agility exercises should be included in every training program, it can be done on or off court and are usually easy and fun drills that can really help a tennis player to improve his game. There are so many different kinds of exercises, you can use books or your own imagination, just make sure that the correct technique is used.

You can visit http://www.fit4tennis.ws to get agility training and fitness program that will help you or your players to bring their game at a next level.

Patrick Muller is a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Fitness Director who has been working on different physical activities. He is mostly specialized in tennis and he is leading fitness training for tennis players of any level. Patrick Muller is the creator of http://www.fit4tennis.ws.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Muller

Picking the Right Tennis Racket - Junior - For You

Well, Hello, and Welcome Back!
While I was surfing, I found another great article on how to judge what size racket is a good fit for YOU! Very informative and I thought it was definitely a good content choice for this blog. I hope you enjoy it.

If you are looking for a good tennis racket, please visit Racquet Depot.

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Tennis Rackets - A Selection Guide


The single most important piece of equipment a tennis player will purchase is a tennis racket. With the wide variety of tennis racket brands, models, types, and specifications on the market, selecting a tennis racket can be a daunting task. Prospective tennis racket buyers should consider several important criteria. These criteria are brand, racket weight, racket length, grip size, balance, and head size.

Many tennis racket manufacturers produce multiple racket models with varying specifications. Popular brand name tennis rackets include Avery, Babolat, Dunlop, Fischer, Gamma, Head, Prince, ProKennex, Volkl, Wilson, and Yonex. Each racket manufacturer has its own unique characteristics and nuances that pervade their entire tennis racket line. You can consult your local tennis professional or tennis racket expert for advice on the brand of racket that is most likely to fit your needs. Ultimately, however, testing out different brands of tennis rackets is the best way to find the right match.

Weight is another important consideration when selecting a tennis racket. Most tennis rackets weigh between 8.5 and 12.5 ounces. In general, lighter rackets are easier to swing and players that lack strength (e.g., older players, children) will be able to swing lighter rackets faster, generating more power. The overall effect of tennis racket weight is somewhat ambiguous, however, as heavier rackets, while more difficult to swing, are more stable and transfer more force to the ball upon impact. Thus, when choosing a weight, comfort is the most important consideration. Typically, players that are more skilled prefer the stability and control offered by heavier rackets.

While the length of tennis rackets is fairly standard, many manufacturers have begun to offer longer rackets in recent years. The standard tennis racket length is 27 inches. While the rules of tennis allow rackets to measure up to 32 inches, most tennis rackets measure from 27 to 28 inches. The benefits of increased tennis racket length are increased reach and increased power. Longer tennis rackets can provide more power because the arc the racket travels during the swing is longer (especially on the serve). Players that are more skilled generally prefer the maneuverability of standard length rackets.

Because the grip is the tennis player’s link between the tennis racket and his or her body, grip comfort is of supreme importance. Tennis racket grips typically range from 4 inches to 4 7/8 inches in circumference. Most adult tennis players use grips between 4 1/4 inches and 4 5/8 inches. The easiest way to determine your grip size is to grip a tennis racket and place the index finger of your other hand in the space between your fingers and thumb/palm. If your index finger fits comfortably, the grip size is correct. If your index finger does not fit, the grip size is too small. If there is a large amount of space around your index finger, the grip size is too big. Selecting the proper grip size on your tennis racket is important not only for comfort and for performance, but also for injury prevention. Using a tennis racket with a grip that is too large or too small can lead to arm injuries.

Tennis rackets are also classified by the balance point or how the weight is distributed in relation to the head of the racket. The two balance classifications of tennis rackets are head heavy and head light. Head-heavy rackets provide more power because they place more of the tennis racket’s weight behind the ball on impact. Head-light rackets, on the other hand, provide more control because they are easier to swing and maneuver and absorb more of the ball’s energy on impact.

One final consideration when selecting a tennis racket is head size. Typically, tennis racket heads range in size from 85 to 135 square inches. In general, tennis rackets with larger heads provide more power while tennis rackets with smaller heads provide more control. Players that are more skilled generally prefer the control and maneuverability offered by midsize tennis rackets (85 to 95 square inches) and midplus tennis rackets (95 to 105 square inches). Older adults and those who lack strength and precise strokes may benefit from oversize tennis rackets (110+ square inches). Oversize tennis rackets can lead to sloppy strokes, and are therefore not recommended for junior players.

Tennis racket selection can be a daunting process. However, understanding the specifications discussed in this article, brand, racket weight, racket length, grip size, balance, and head size, will help simplify the tennis racket selection process.

For more information on tennis try visiting http://www.TennisQuestions.com, a website that specializes in providing tennis related tips, advice and resources to include information on the best tennis racket.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samantha_Kay