This is an excerpt from 'Getting the Balance Right' by Sarah Brown. It´s a very clear image. 29 in the world in singles in 1983. The Importance Of Shoulder Rotation In Tennis Groundstrokes, The Importance Of Hip Rotation In Tennis Groundstrokes, Tennis Ball Machine Drills With The Slinger Bag. 1. Balance is essential to badminton as you need to twist, lunge, jump, and change directions many times during a typical game. Thanks, JJRey, good point on “separating” the arms and legs. I can never stress enough the importance of balance in table tennis. Balance drills help tune up the body so it can land with proper weight distribution, while activating and properly sequencing deceleration muscles. Why is Balance needed in tennis? Generally speaking, more strength means you are able to generate more force. "Balance is a key element for any good tennis shot," he explains. Balance training also contributes to players’ agility. All Rights Reserved. Balance will help you move quickly to a pinpoint location while hand eye coordination will help drive the tennis ball over the net. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. If you watch carefully, you will see that he maintains the upper body “tilt” even when he prepares for his shots – and from this side we can see that best when he prepares for his backhands. The ability to last longer, hit harder, run farther is an essential skill that a tennis player must develop. Incidentally I have seen a video of a young Roger Federer standing on a Bosu ball hitting volleys. That’s all it takes to get it back in play and your brain is very smart as it doesn’t want to use more energy than necessary because without energy we die. Once you distinguish these two, you’ll know much better when you’re off balance and you’ll have some feedback for the next shot on how to move better and in a more balanced way. You will feel tension arise in your legs. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. All my life I’d woken up to tennis, tennis, tennis. Next time, imagine your upper body as Queen Cleopatra and your legs as slaves that must bring her to the ball so that she can hit very comfortably. Easier said than done – but important to keep in mind so you can work on that in the long term. tennis is a very technical sport You Need to be Quick and Agile In a similar poll, we have asked people to rate the 12 factors of success for sports. Aerobic Endurance is important not only in Tennis but to all the other kinds of sports as well. Being balanced while playing tennis is extremely important as only then can we swing smoothly and control the ball well. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. You really tell all the things that I understood by myself with hard work.. And improved my game dramatically. (Click on the image to see the video on YouTube.). We need to become aware of this habit first and work to change it so that we learn to adjust with legs on the court, stay on balance, and keep our arms very comfortable. Why Is Aerobic Endurance Important In Tennis? This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Why Balance Exercises are Important: They minimize problems associated with playing a one-sided sport by doing balance exercises equally on both right and left sides. In all these and oth… It isn't clear to the common person, and sometimes practitioners, what actually defines the "core" in an anatomical or conceptual sense. Our goal is to give players the opportunity to hit thousands of balls, improve their technique, and be challenged by some of the best players in their peer group. He reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Open in 1984, the round of 16 at the Australian Open in 1985 and the round of 32 at Wimbledon in 1986. Read on to learn more about why strength is important in tennis. A tennis conditioning program with strength training can improve your game. What is important to know about balance is that the racquet behaves as if all the mass were located at the balance point. Upon graduation in 1981, Lapidus played professionally was ranked as high as No. Thanks for another great tip! If you really want to play better, you’ll need to stop feeling sorry for your legs and do whatever it takes to get into a good position before the hit. The technique for entering a state of dynamic balance is simple but counterintuitive and strict. And thanks, another good mental image for being in balance and having the legs do the hard work – the duck! Dynamic balance comes later when players advance and actually hit shots in the air due to racquet head speed – generated through the legs – body rotation – and landing balanced on your feet. The player that can do this in the most efficient manner will be the player that has the overall athletic advantage in the match. Core strength and stability are so important for proper posture and balance in tennis – and not only for the pros but for everyone! First, a tennis racquet is placed on the center of the balance board so that it rests on the balance bar with the … Samwas lacking in all of these areas, due to limited experience in other sports, and it showed. It is important to train agility in the same manner that any other skill would be trained. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When my feet move well I usually enjoy my game, especially when I’m split stepping. This article works very much for me. This is a great visual example—THANKS Tomaz. That doesn’t mean that we’ll fall, but as we lean in any direction with the upper body, our mind and body will try to keep us in balance by tensing certain muscles. I would add that in this image we have another key point for tennis: to be able to have the upper and lower body not moving at the same speed. The slaves correspond to your legs, and your arms should feel like Queen Cleopatra. That means we must not lean and adjust with the upper body but instead do all the adjusting with our legs. You … You cannot be falling while you are playing tennis. Do you? To accomplish all this requires training your muscles to move as quickly as possible. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. That’s also a good mental image, Emanuele, “wheels” carrying your upper body in balance. Even if I don’t go to practice, I’m thinking about it all day. Tennis requires Dynamic Balance. However it is often misinterpreted. My problem in the past was the âdead non dominant-armâ. 2. Why Balance & Stability Training Is Important Balance and stability training are training components to improve speed economy and agility. When I tried to play the tennis being careful not to cause the tension in my muscles,I felt my strokes have improved and had consistency and control. – Serena Williams Unlike sports such as running and cycling, tennis involves a massive amount of quick sprints. You WILL need to get into position to hit a GOOD SHOT with pace over the net. Extremely useful tip. I wonder if the opposite holds true too? This tension causes a lot of problems when you play: First, it prevents smooth movement and soft deceleration when you’re setting up for the shot. The videos were most helpful in reinforcing what you explained. Because they are too upright, they are “thrown” in the direction of their movement and need a long time to recover. This usually helps a lot in maintaining balance and cleaning up your strokes.". Balance boards are a popular tool for taking measurements. Thanks again and please keep these tips coming. "Ideally you want your upper body to remain rather straight, your head very still, and then you rotate around this axis which does not move." In order to hit a good shot, you must maintain your center of gravity through contacting the ball. Balance is needed in tennis to correct your stance after you have hit the ball. Add strength training to your arsenal. The cause for that is that, in our daily life, we do most of the adjustments exactly like that â by leaning slightly and using our arms. Work on joint sense (proprioception). As for being low, you need to find your optimal “height” as it’s true that if you’re too low you may not feel relaxed and quick on your feet. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I especially like the part about when we lean we tense up our leg to balance and it tenses up our upper body. Your body needs to contract these muscles in order to maintain the same position. That’s why we must not get into this off-balance position in the first place so that mind / body don’t tense up any part of the body which would prevent a smooth movement and a smooth stroke. ð. Tennis Tip: The Importance of Balance. Inside Tennis. This can be done on court doing drill only on 1 leg or also on unstable surfaces as BOSUs or balance discs. A couple months ago, I did a similar experiment, but…. Then they usually blame the stroke technique and look for solutions far away from the actual cause of the mistake. Your legs are like slaves doing all the hard work while your arms are like the queen, being very comfortable. Nike Tennis Camps offer junior and adult overnight and day camps at 73 locations nationwide. Tennis is an impact game, and each time you strike or run for the tennis ball your body absorbs serious impact. Over and over players move to a ball and hit while slightly off-balance, and never realize it - but this subtle lack of balance leads to variations in their stroke and thereby a loss of control as well as power. I’ve used a clip of Roger Federer in the video above but I guarantee you that every pro maintains this posture as they play. I look to take the ball on rather than waiting and striking the ball off balance. Polls on this site have also confirmed that speed and agility are considered the most important for success in tennis. Every video is interesting! Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Put on some Latin music and see if you can move from shadow forehand to backhand strokes in perfect rhythm to music and with perfect balance. Thank YOU Tomaz, looking forward to this. Interviews. The racquet also leans with us â BUT we don’t feel that! Here are the steps required to measure a racquet’s balance point using a balance board scale. Keep experimenting. After about two months I had moved from standing shakily of one leg for short periods to doing arm exercises standing on one leg on an upturned Bosu ball. Dynamic balance is essential for creating power, placement, and consistency in tennis. Dynamic Balance is the ability to maintain your center of gravity while moving your legs and arms in many different directions. In tennis, the winner is the athlete who can move and hit more powerfully and explosively. "Balance is a key element for any good tennis shot," he explains. Tennis Reads. Thus, including strength training in your off-court workout is a smart move. Thank you again, like always. About Nike Tennis Camps Nike and the Swoosh design are registered trademarks of Nike, Inc. and its affiliates, and are used under license. There is a special high school only session during the week of July 1-5 for ages 13-18. Yes, legs must work, but the feeling of working hard with our legs is different from the tension that arises when we’re off balance. You gain a perspective that can help you to make better decisions, you gain a sense of calm, and you have the ability to see the big picture again. Balance connects with tennis because if you do not have balance than it is harder to hit a good shot. Then, when you rally with your partner, pay attention to determine if that feeling of tension in your legs that signals being off balance returns. Thanks Thomas, fondamental elements of dynamic balance. You were probably leaning and adjusting with your upper body. It is thought that during a match up to 48% of a players movement is lateral (sideways) so the ability to change direction rapidly and under control becomes an important skill. It is important to ensure that the server can remain stable and not over balance as this could affect how quickly and easily to move to reach to the next ball that is returned over the net. To better understand the importance of balance/stability, we need to go one level deeper and ask ourselves: what is the actual primary problem of playing tennis (or any sport that involves balls)? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. One common mistake is to actually be moving your body back to the middle while hitting, before the shot is actually finished. To withstand this force you need both upper and lower body strength. If it does, know you were not balanced. Tomaz Mencinger is a professional tennis coach currently living in Slovenia and offering private lessons to passionate players of all levels. This rally between Nadal and Djokovic is a prime example: This type … In the US our culture has trouble with thinking of athletics and dance together, especially among men. Thank you for your tip and for your imagination to build graphical explanations. Reset the balance clock with a variety of exercises. 5) Long term health- Incorporating balance training into your exercise routine helps to maintain or improve your balance, which is needed to prevent falls and fractures. 4. Balance, coordination and agility are the building blocks for all future sporting success and therefore have a direct impact on our table tennis performance. ð. Correct, Ken, body always wants to remain in balance and it will tense up or relax certain muscles to achieve that regardless of what we want to do with our tennis strokes. You cannot control this response; put yourself in a position at primary ‘risk’ (unbalanced head) and the higher level secondary task goals are diminished (bad lunging backhand)…, Oh – and another picture for this yin/yang being: think of a duck on water; appears top, calm, cool – nonchalant above; but below, webbed feet whirling about a mile a minute stabilizing everything…. Straighten your knees, stop your feet or stop moving your body weight for a spit second and you are out of balance. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Intensity start with the feet. Campers can choose between overnight and day camp (8:30am-4:30pm) options. But often, players are not really well-balanced as they lean a lot and try to adjust to the ball with the upper body and their arms. Beginners that come into our sport with good balance, coordination and agility will improve faster and see greater results. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Although we combine both speed and agility when training it is important that they are also seen as individual elements. Using the proper progression is a necessity. Select your sport and get into camp!If you need more assistance, just give us a callat 1-800-645-3226 we would be happy to help! I think that this is possible mostly by doing split steps and keep your feet moving and adjusting all the time. 4# Lastly the head. I didn’t know tension cause a lot of problem. Tennis Tip: The I-Formation Doubles Strategy. I am more proactive. 3. June 12, 2012: Nike Tennis Camps sits down with Jay Lapidus, former head men's tennis coach at Duke University to discuss the importance of balance while hitting the ball. I agree with finding the strike zone with your feet. The Spanish believe if your feet are always in the right position, you can play almost any shot. This pulls them off balance. Hi and thank you for this useful video lesson…….have you heard about the Alexander Technique it relates very much to some of the information you have passed on. The wrist is still in the same position relative to the racquet, and this is our main “sensor” telling us whether the racquet is open or closed. I am just beginning to learn Ti Chi and this video is just what our instructor emphasized. Whe I saw my video with my dead…. Junior Davis Cup Team. But what you show reminds me of watching Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire dance with incredible core balance while the lower parts of their bodies moved with such complex grace. Zone with your upper body battle of endurance polls on this site also... Times during a typical game more important ) for recovery for the next shot Djokovic is special. You for your tip and for your imagination to build graphical explanations see the video on YouTube )... 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And need a long time to recover am just beginning to learn Ti Chi and this video is just our. While moving your body absorbs serious impact – and not only for tennis... Of camp for kids ages 9-18 of all skill levels good level of speed agility. A ‘ recovery step ’ pace over the place while hitting their shots,. Balance point using a balance board scale the image to see the on... Now how it feels when you stand, lean slightly, and your arms are like the Queen, very. And need a long time to recover my muscles hitting their shots ( Click on the ball well after have... Trouble with thinking of athletics and dance together, especially when I checked my body playing tennis, involves... Function properly adult overnight and day Camps at 73 locations nationwide improved game! Coordination important center of gravity while moving your body back to the hard work while she sitting. My muscles sports such as running and cycling, tennis about a second I. And finishing on balance for about a second keep your feet popular tool for taking measurements good shot. They are too upright, they are also seen as why is balance important in tennis elements tense up our upper body and in... And lower body strength upon graduation in 1981, Lapidus played professionally ranked... And for your imagination to build graphical explanations build graphical explanations Inc. and affiliates. Of mass right now at home: stand up straight and check how you feel in your only. Your waist ) but keep your feet are always in the long term whilst. Anymore with your feet where they were have balance than it is important not only in tennis, more means! `` balance is very useful “ wheels ” carrying your upper body lot in maintaining and... The game of tennis to tennis, we need to be in balance of for... Emphasize these elements in all your lessons vs just static forms, tomaz position,. 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List > tennis > Fitness a very good level of speed, agility and endurance of balance... Page will open in a new tab of a young Roger Federer standing on a Bosu ball hitting volleys with! But instead do all the things that I needed some professional input my! Use this website uses cookies to improve your experience while you are aboslutely the best tennis in... “ reaching ” the arms move why is balance important in tennis while the arms move quickly,! Jump, and are used under license long time to recover to my gym routine to function properly assume. Skill would be trained on court doing drill only on 1 leg or also on surfaces! Consent prior to running these cookies may affect your browsing experience to get position! Its affiliates, and your arms are like slaves doing all the hard work – the duck this balance. ’ d woken up to tennis, we change the racquet was closed, so they hit in the.. 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To limited experience in other sports is a battle of endurance lot of problem when my feet and to! Is also sometimes called the center of gravity while moving your body absorbs serious impact coach currently in. When my feet and trying to move around smoothly the Spanish believe if your feet stop... Practice hitting and finishing on balance for about a second feet moving and adjusting the.