Tennis and Fitness
Tennis and Fitness
Tennis and Fitness – The modern tennis player must meet the demands of the all-round physically challenging requirements of an individual sport. The performance of the tennis athlete is affected by a combination factors such as aerobic and anaerobic endurance, explosive strength and power, dead start explosive acceleration, and agility.
The average tennis match involves a multiple short time high-intensity actions. Traditional tennis point lasts approximately between 6 seconds and 10 seconds. The recovery period between the points and changeovers varies between 15 and 90 seconds. In other words the overall physical demand is a combination between a prolonged moderate-intensity exercise such as long distance running, and the ability to maintain power and explosiveness throughout the length of the match is just as essential.
The foundations of tennis fitness program rests on rigid aerobic endurance designed to sustain a high work rate for the duration of a game that may last several hours. Anaerobic endurance is equally important as it is essential to maintain the explosives along with the power throughout each rally for the length of the match. This is achieved through participation in a cardio workout program which targets a continuous systematic training process and the development and maintenance of a solid cardiovascular capacity.
Statistically speaking an average tennis player moves approximately 9 feet for each shot during a rally and 24-36 feet for the length of each point. It is obvious that speed and quickness around the court are essential. In addition an average tennis player moves sideways 48% of the time during a match. This makes it evident that agility, in other words the ability to change direction rapidly under control, is just as important as speed and quickness. Tennis specific training is the only method to achieve continuous results through a systematic and specifically designed targeting the development and maintenance of agility, power, speed, explosiveness and quickness through a variety of on court and of court training.
Proper running mechanics can significantly reduce the fatigue experienced by tennis players through providing the most effective and efficient for all on court movement agility, power, speed, explosiveness and quickness. This significantly reduces the amount of energy used by the tennis players.
